NATURAL ACTS: A Sidelong View of Science...

NATURAL ACTS: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature by David Quammen (Avon: $11; 221 pp.) and WHY THINGS ARE & WHY THINGS AREN’T by Joel Achenbach, illustrated by Richard Thompson (Ballantine: $11; 284 pp. paperback original). Two collections of popular science writing offer readers a survey of the field: Quammen writes about nature for Outside; Achenbach’s column appears in the Washington Post. Quammen’s lively, well-documented discussions range from an explanation of how a layer of blubber enables seals and walruses to stay warm or cool during the Arctic seasons to a concise account of the colorful career of the Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe. Achenbach, whose comments are a regular feature of “Morning Edition” on NPR, tackles offbeat and oddball questions--why the core of the Earth remains molten, why nonalcoholic beer lacks flavor, etc. His answers are not always complete, but they’re usually entertaining.