Summer reading: Lifestyle and fitness books

Air
The Restless Shaper of the World

William Bryant Logan

W.W. Norton, $24.95

Step outside and feel the wind on your cheeks. Want to know more about the elusive element that musses hair and becomes a tornado? Logan’s book is all you’ll need. (August)

Attention All Passengers

The Airlines’ Dangerous Descent — and How to Reclaim Our Skies

William J. McGee

Harper, $26.99

The author and consumer advocate’s extensive firsthand research reveals how the airline industry’s cost-cutting measures are creating unsafe and not-so-friendly skies. Ok, you probably should wait and read this after your trip. (June)

The Ball

Discovering the Object of the Game

John Fox

Harper Perennial, $14.99

Why do so many people like to play a game of catch at the beach or the park? “How long has this love affair been going on?” asks John Fox, whose book examines how “chasing a ball around [evolved] into a $100 billion global industry…” (June)

The Beach Book

Science of the Shore

Carl H. Hobbs

Columbia University Press, $19.50

OK, so surfers only care if the waves are tasty enough, but for the serious-minded beachgoer the author offers a scientific explanation of the dynamic environment of the beach. (June)

Bring It!

Tony Horton

Rodale, $18.99

Even if it’s already bathing-suit time, it’s never too late to sweat out the calories. P90X creator Tony Horton takes readers through a guide covering fat-burning, muscle-building and creating a better diet plan. (May)

Call of the Mild

Learning to Hunt My Own Dinner

Lily Raff McCaulou

Grand Central Publishing, $24.99

How does a gun-fearing animal lover turn into a hunter? The author describes what happened to her when she left New York City to become a reporter in central Oregon. (June)

A Calm Brain

Unlocking Your Natural Relaxation System

Gayatri Devi

Dutton, $25.95

Summer’s supposed to be the time when you shift into vacation mode and slow down, but if you can’t, this neurologist author offers insights into managing stress and much more. (June)

Devotions for the Beach
Miriam Drennan

Thomas Nelson, $16.99

A series of religion-inspired meditations that pushes readers to find a deeper meaning in sand castles, tide pools and other aspects of life on the shore. (June)

Eat & Run

My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness

Scott Jurek with Steve Friedman

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $26

If you love running in all kinds of places — urban and otherwise — consider the daily life and career of this author, a champion ultrarunner whose typical races stretch to 100 miles. (June)

The Gift of Pets

Bruce R. Coston

Thomas Dunne, $25.99

If backyard plans include spending time with Spot the wonder dog, take along a copy of this memoir by a Virginia veterinarian, who relates tales of pets and the caring owners he encounters every day. (August)

Meander

East to West, Indirectly Along a Turkish River

Jeremy Seal

Bloomsbury, $28

A must for armchair travelers this season, the author chronicles his journeys down a river that winds so much that its name now defines aimlessness and digression. (June)

The New York Times Book of Wine

The Best Stories on Wine

Edited by Howard G. Goldberg

Sterling Epicure, $24.95

What’s summer without a little vino? One hundred twenty-five articles from the New York Times’ archives from respected wine experts, covering corkscrews, winespeak, food pairing and restaurant experiences. (Aug.)

Soul Centered

Transform Your Life in 8 Weeks With Meditation

Sarah McLean

Hay House, $15.95

What’s your preference — deep breathing, sitting meditations, heart-centered breathing? The author offers a variety of methods for attaining stillness and calm. (May)

Swimming Studies

Leanne Shapton

Blue Rider Press, $30

The loneliness of the solitary swimmer — an illustrator describes her pool-time experiences as an Olympic trials teen and as a recreational swimmer. (June)

The Unstoppable Golfer

Trusting Your Mind and Your Short Game to Achieve Greatness

Dr. Bob Rotella and Bob Cullen

Free Press, $24.99

Are you the kind of golfer who loves teeing off but fears chips, putts and sand traps? Here’s a guide that promises to help you fight your anxiety and improve your short game. (May)

What a Plant Knows

A Field Guide to the Senses

Daniel Chamovitz

Scientific American/Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $23

There’s plenty of intelligence in all that lush greenery around us — and the author explains everything that affects plants, including the sounds of music, the seasons and the weather, and more. (June)

Wild Delicate Seconds

29 Wildlife Encounters

Charles Finn

Oregon State University Press, $16.95

In a lyrical collection of micro-essays, the author chronicles his encounters with a variety of creatures — among them, mountain goats, red-tailed hawks and cougars — while living in rural and semi-rural locations. (June)

Wild Hope

On the Front Lines of Conservation Success

Andrew Balmford

University of Chicago Press, $20

Be thankful for that leafy shade from the hot sun, and be thankful for Andrew Balmford’s book — a collection of encouraging stories about efforts to protect the natural world. (June)

Zoobiquity

What Animals Can Teach Us About Health and the Science of Healing

Barbara Natterson-Horowitz

Knopf, $27.95

Dinosaurs with brain cancer? Depressed gorillas? Reindeer using narcotics? The author describes a variety of medical parallels between the human and animal worlds. (June)