The Royal Society has named six of the greatest science books for 2021.

Bias and discrimination are prevalent themes in the six science books selected for the Royal Society Book Prize this year.

Each of these must-read books gives a new viewpoint on an essential topic, from tales of mystery illness that science has tried to explain to defects and frauds that have compromised our knowledge of the world.

"This year's shortlist illustrates more than ever the enormous power and diversity of issues seen in science writing," stated Professor Luke O'Neill of Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, who chairs the 2021 judging panel.

"Every book is highly accessible to everyone, and each is unique in its own way... Each one is significant and captivating, presenting the wonders of science while also exposing challenges that should concern us all. With this intriguing selection of volumes, important, accessible science writing is undoubtedly alive and well."

A panel of five judges will choose the winner of the 2021 Royal Society Science Book Prize, which is sponsored by Insight Investment, and it will be announced at a ceremony in London on November 29.

The winner of the 2021 prize, like last year's winner Dr. Camilla Pang, will receive a cheque for £25,000, with £2,500 going to each of the five shortlisted authors.

The 2021 Royal Society Book Prize Shortlist

The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy’s Vanishing Explorers

Emily Levesque

Emily Levesque, an astronomy professor at the University of Washington, has been through it all: striving to see stars despite sub-zero temperatures, handling equipment worth millions, and fighting for her place as a woman in the field. This is the life of an astronomer as untold by Brian Cox's latest BBC documentary (though we do recommend you watch it!).

But now, we sit at the precipice of a new way of observing the stars – through robots, instead of our own eyes – and that has consequences across the sciences.

In The Last Stargazers, Levesque asks us all to think about our relationship with the Universe, and to warn against casting aside that childlike sense of wonder for things closer to home.

This book is featured in our list of the best space and astronomy books.

Emily Levesque, an astronomy professor at the University of Washington, has seen it all: battling sub-zero conditions to see stars, handling multimillion-dollar equipment, and fighting for her place as a woman in the field. This is the unsung story of an astronomer, as described in Brian Cox's latest BBC documentary (which we strongly urge you to see!).

However, we are on the verge of a new way of looking at the stars — through robots rather than our own eyes – which will have ramifications across the sciences.

In The Last Stargazers, Levesque encourages us to consider our relationship with the Universe, as well as the dangers of abandoning that childhood sense of wonder in favor of more mundane pursuits.

Our list of the top space and astronomy books includes this title.

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art

James Nestor

Are you taking a breath right now? You are, of course. But how are you inhaling and exhaling? Is it better to breathe via your nose or through your mouth? Is it your chest or your abdomen that rises and falls?

These factors influence not only how much oxygen you take in, but also your overall health and well-being, from tooth decay to the rate at which your heart beats and the quality of your sleep. Nestor goes through all of the issues that come with mouthbreathing while participating in an experiment that involves putting some quite unpleasant plugs in each nostril for ten days.

I had no idea that something I do without thinking – and believed I was doing it fairly well, to be honest – could be so harmful to my health until I read Breath.

The End of Bias: How We Change Our Minds

Jessica Nordell has spent the last ten years researching unconscious bias: what it is, why we all have it, and how to overcome it. In this, her debut book, she synthesizes a decade of study into a credo for eliminating bias.

Nordell explains why our brains are prone to biases, how stress-reduction practices like mindfulness can help individuals become more altruistic, and why we should be optimistic about a more equal future with the support of specialists in neuroscience and psychology.

The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness

Suzanne O'Sullivan is a writer.

This is not a collection of fairy tales, despite the title. These are true stories about real people who suffer from medical conditions that medicine cannot explain or treat.

The titular beauties are Swedish refugee children who lapse into comas for weeks, months, or years, despite the fact that their brain scans all show them to be in good health. A group of Colombian schoolgirls collapse in the middle of their classes, suffering from an unexplained ailment that has spread for over five years and affected over 1,000 other children.

O'Sullivan travels the world interviewing patients and their families, and their stories are often sad - especially for readers who have had a mystery sickness of their own.

Science Fictions: Exposing Fraud, Bias, Negligence and Hype in Science

Stuart Ritchie is a writer, director, and producer.

The world has been watching as scientists seek to produce coronavirus vaccinations, but science hasn't always been scrutinized in this way. According to psychologist Stuart Ritchie, some of the techniques used in modern scientific publishing "fails to safeguard against scientists' unavoidable prejudices and foibles."

Ritchie exposes the skewed, inflated, and entirely made-up science that underpins many of our current views. These deceptions and failures not only jeopardize science, but they also endanger people's lives.

Science Fictions is a detailed and understandable analysis of what went wrong with research, and how to remedy it, for lovers of Ben Goldacre's Bad Science.

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures

Sheldrake, Merlin

Fungi have been a part of our lives for millions of years, as without them, plant ancestors would never have made it out of the ocean and onto land. The symbiotic relationship between the fungus and plant kingdoms still exists today, and while their world is made up of cells and spores, the voyage through it is as wonderful and colorful as any non-fiction.

Merlin Sheldrake, a biologist, guides us up the hills of Bologna, evoking the richness of the elusive white truffle, and urging us to take a moment to admire the enormous architecture beneath our feet.

Listen to Sheldrake discuss the book with us on an edition of the Science Focus Podcast to get a flavor of his enthusiasm for mushrooms.