Steven Pinker鈥檚 The Blank Slate (Penguin, 拢7.99) is out next week. Definitely one to buy for the brain. Another big book, Fat Land (Penguin, 拢9.99), looks at the bulging midriffs and quadruple chins of the inhabitants of the US. Greg Critser is an American journalist who has looked at the fat of his land, and wants to know how and why this happened. He nails as culprits the sugar loading and saturation of foods with cheap fats that began about 20 years ago without many becoming aware of it until recently.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Life
Should you stop using preventive flea treatments on your pets?
News
Technology
Most people prefer AI-written stories 鈥� and can’t tell when they are made by humans
News
Physics
The once-impossible black holes that could break thermodynamics
Comment
Life
Darwin proved right about gnat-trapping carnivorous plant
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles