Tales for summer science odysseys

[n2doc]

A painting by L.K. Townsend shows what central Cahokia might have looked like during its heyday, 800 years ago in what is now southwest Illinois. The pre-Columbian city-state is the subject of a book by archaeologist Timothy Pauketat, titled "Cahokia."

Alan Boyle writes: Summer's the season for kicking back, taking time off and heading out on flights of fancy ... preferably with a good book (or e-reader) in your backpack. It's great if the book is associated with far-off times and places. And if the book sparks your brain's science-loving regions, so much the better.

Here's a roundup of books keyed to different fields of science as well as different travel destinations, some of which you can visit only in your imagination:

Archaeology and anthropology: You might think I'd go with something Egyptian, like "In the Valley of the Kings," but instead I'm staying a little closer to home. "Cahokia" is the story of the most powerful pre-Columbian city-state north of the Rio Grande, and how it was unearthed just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. It's a story of power plays, massive pyramids, Stonehenge-like structures made of wood, and spectacles with human sacrifices, all set in the 12th century. And it's all true. You can even go to Illinois and visit the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, which offers this video online. For a wider-angle view of the Americas before Columbus, "1491" is a must-read. The book, which gives a decidedly different perspective on Pocahontas, the Pilgrims and other facets of Native American history, was a January 2006 selection for the Cosmic Log Used Book Club.

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