2012 Lane Anderson Award Shortlist: Celebrating the Best Science Writing in Canada

One of the highlights of the year for me is the Lane Anderson Award shortlist announcement.

From their website:

The Lane Anderson Award honours the very best science writing in Canada today, both in the adult and young-reader categories. Each award will be determined on the relevance of its content to the importance of science in today’s world, and the author’s ability to connect the topic to the interests of the general trade reader.”

The annual Lane Anderson Award honours two jury-selected books, in the categories of adult and young-reader, published in the field of science, and written by a Canadian.

Which given my Canadianness and my very evident love of science books, and especially lists of science books and awards, is naturally something I'm very excited about.

Let's get to the award. From the press release I received from the organizers today:

Lane Anderson Award Shortlist

Celebrating the Best Science Writing in Canada

 

The six finalists competing for the 2012 Lane Anderson Award were announced today by Hollister Doll and Sharon Fitzhenry, directors of the Fitzhenry Family Foundation. The annual Lane Anderson Award honours two jury-selected books, in the categories of adult and young reader, published in the field of science, and written by a Canadian. The winner in each category will receive a prize of $10,000. Winners will be announced on 26th September.
 

The 2012 Lane Anderson Prize Adult Finalists:

Fatal Flaws by Jay Ingram (Harper Collins) Jay Ingram unties a complicated interweaving of biology, medicine, human tragedy, surprise and disbelief in the world of prions, and unravels some of history’s most stunning revelations about disease, the brain and infection. He was the host of Discovery Channel Canada’s Daily Planet from the first episode until June 2011. Prior to joining Discovery, Ingram hosted CBC Radio’s national science show, Quirks & Quarks.

The Universe Within by Neil Turok (Anansi) The most anticipated nonfiction book of the season, this year's Massey Lectures is a visionary look at the way the human mind can shape the future. Neil Turok is one of the world’s top physicists and founder of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). He is currently the Director of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.

Superbodies by Greg Wells (Harper Collins) Based on the wildly popular segments broadcast during the Vancouver Olympics, Superbodies explores how genetics and DNA, the brain, muscles, lungs, heart and blood work together in extreme conditions. Greg Wells, PhD, is a physiologist, researcher and professor of high-performance sport at the University of Toronto.
 

The 2012 Lane Anderson Prize Young Reader Finalists:

The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea by Helaine Becker (Kids Can Press) Based on the idea that knowledge is power, The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea shows how the ocean works and why this immense ecosystem needs our protection. Experiments using everyday materials help explain the scientific concepts. Helaine Becker is a bestselling writer of children’s fiction, nonfiction and verse.

Canada Recycles by Peter Cooke and Laura Suzuki (Scholastic Canada) Everyone knows that recycling our waste helps the environment, but do you know how? Canada Recycles looks at why people need to recycle and takes readers through the recycling process.

How to Raise Monarch Butterflies by Carol Pasternak (Firefly) With more than 50 unique, close-up photographs readers will learn about the life cycle of the Monarch and how to encourage populations in their own backyards. Carol Pasternak is a photographer, personal trainer and educator who raises Monarch butterflies with her family.

 

The Lane Anderson designation honours the maiden names of Robert Fitzhenry’s mother, Margaret Lane, and his wife, Hilda Anderson Fitzhenry. The Fitzhenry Family Foundation is a privately directed Canadian foundation established in 1987 by Canadian publisher Robert I. Fitzhenry (1918-2008). The Lane Anderson Award is administered by Christopher Alam, a partner at the law firm of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP.

 

For further information, please contact:
Debby de Groot
MDG & Associates
Phone: (647) 295-2970
E-mail: debby@mdgassociates.com
www.laneanderson.ca