BOOK REVIEW17 July 2026Andrew Robinson reviews five of the best science picks.ByAndrew Robinson0Andrew RobinsonAndrew Robinson is a writer based in London and author of Earthshock (1993), The Story of Measurement (2007) and Einstein in Oxford (2024).View author publicationsSearch author on: PubMed Google ScholarOriginal SinKathryn Paige Harden Weidenfeld & Nicolson (2026)A 2021 analysis of genetic data from 1.5 million people, co-published by psychologist Kathryn Paige Harden, concluded that some DNA sequences were more common in people with an addiction than in those without. “This conflation of genetics with incorrigibility is yet another legacy of the doctrine of original sin,” Harden remarks in her intriguing study of what causes human wrongdoing, informed by a Christian upbringing that she later rejected. DNA, as with original sin, “cannot definitely say that you will commit a crime”.Tell Me Where It HurtsRachel Zoffness Grand Central (2026)Pain is a complex phenomenon. It “hurts more when we’re lonely and sad than when we’re happy and surrounded by people we love”, writes pain scientist Rachel Zoffness. Her fascinating book abounds in vivid, complex examples of pain. For instance, a construction worker jumped off a plank onto an upright 18-centimetre nail that pierced his entire boot, causing him agony. But, after doctors sedated him and removed the boot, they saw that the nail had miraculously passed through a space between his toes with “not a scratch to be found”.The Information StateJacob Siegel Henry Holt (2026)Experience as a US Army officer serving in Afghanistan allowed journalist Jacob Siegel to recognize the techniques of information warfare. His well-informed book accuses US government–technology partnerships, established after 2001 to fight the global war on terror, of now targeting Americans through a war on disinformation. Rather than reforming the Internet’s infrastructure, they make it serve their own interests — as revealed by the archives of the social-media company Twitter (now X).InescapableF. Marina Schauffler Johns Hopkins Univ. Press (2026)doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02264-3Competing InterestsThe author declares no competing interests.SubjectsArtsCultureLatest on:ArtsCultureJobs Tenure-Track or Tenured facultyThe SoQ invites highly qualified faculty member in quantum sciences & technology and related fields.Beijing (CN)School of Quantum at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS)Faculty Positions at SUSTech School of MedicineSUSTech School of Medicine offers equal opportunities and welcome applicants from the world with all ethnic backgrounds.Shenzhen, Guangdong, ChinaSouthern University of Science and Technology, School of MedicineDirector of the Vascular Brain Health Institute (VBHI)The Vascular Brain Health Institute (VBHI) in Bordeaux, France, is seeking a Director (MD-PhD/PhD) to drive its scientific and global strategy.France (FR)Vascular Brain Health InstituteAssistant Scientist – Department of Physiology and BiophysicsThe Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine invites applications for a full-time Assistant Sci...Miami, Florida (US)University of Miami Dept. Physiology & BiophysicsAssociate or Senior Editor (Materials science and inorganic materials chemistry), Nature CommunicatiJob title: Associate or Senior Editor (Materials science and inorganic materials chemistry), Nature Communications Location: Shanghai, Beijing, Nan...Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing, Pune or New Delhi (hybrid)Springer Nature Ltd