Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Books

Jonah is cast overboard to a sea monster in an image from the earliest known atlas, the Theatrum orbis terrarum, by Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius, first published in 1570.

The Enchanting Sea Monsters on Medieval Maps

Fictitious animals on 16th and early 17th century maps hint at how people’s perception of the ocean has changed over time

The Queen Mary Psalter, c 1310-1320

Why Were Medieval Knights Always Fighting Snails?

It’s a common scene in medieval marginalia. But what does it mean?

You probably wouldn’t eat this meal for breakfast—but why?

Why Do We Eat Cereal For Breakfast? And Other Questions About American Meals Answered

In her new book, food historian Abigail Carroll traces the evolution of American eating from colonial times to present-day

The Earliest Libraries-on-Wheels Looked Way Cooler Than Today’s Bookmobiles

These traveling libraries used to travel around bringing books to the people

Defrosting the Crests of Inca City, LAT: -81.5° LONG: 296.3° “The nature of this polygonal network, unique on Mars, remains poorly understood, but seems to be linked to volcanic dykes covered by eolian sand. These terrains are close to the South pole and undergo springtime defrosting in dark patches that become progressively larger as temperatures climb,” writes geophysicist Nicolas Mangold in This is Mars.

This Is Mars in Extremely High Resolution

French designer Xavier Barral pored over 30,000 images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s HiRISE camera, selecting the most appealing for his book

Read a Great Work of Literature, And You Could Understand Real People Better

Literary fiction presents a myriad of characters and leaves it up to the reader to piece together all of those takes on reality

We Can Guess What Holden Caulfield’s Reaction to the New Salinger Documentary Would Be: LMAO

Caulfield was one of the first to employ the phrase LMAO

Tom Clancy at a book signing at Boston College.

Espionage Thriller Author Tom Clancy Dies

Clancy authored more than 20 books and his final novel, Command Authority, is scheduled for release on December 3

None

Exploring Alien Life, Cat Science and More New Books to Read

Our book reviewer looks at Red Cloud’s feat and the romance of hot air

The University of Coimbra’s grand old Biblioteca Joanina houses both books and bats.

Bats Act As Pest Control at Two Old Portuguese Libraries

It’s not clear how long the bats have been doing this important job

Here’s What We Thought Earth Would Look Like from Space

Before we actually went to space, we had some ideas about what Earth might look like

Cerro Prieto Geothermal Power Station, Baja, Mexico 2012

Aerial Views of Our Water World

In a new book, documentary and exhibition, photographer Edward Burtynsky looks at humans’ dramatic relationship with water

None

These Beautiful 16th Century Watercolors Illustrate the History of Comets And Meteors

Today, studying comets and meteors involves billions of dollars worth of equipment and teams from all over the world

The library at Strahov Monastery

Libraries Used to Chain Their Books to Shelves, With the Spines Hidden Away

Books have been around a long time, but the way we store them—stacked vertically, spines out—is a relatively recent invention

These Gorgeous Photos Capture China’s Quickly Vanishing Traditional Ways of Life

A new book of photography addresses the tumultuous changes currently rocking China and seeks to capture traditional ways of life that may soon disappear

None

Contributors

Before Crime Novels, the Late Elmore Leonard Specialized in Westerns

The author was in the middle of a 46th novel when he passed away following complications from a stroke

None

Cracking the Code of the Human Genome

The End of the Henrietta Lacks Saga?

The U.S. National Institutes of Health created an agreement with the Lacks family regarding access to the HeLa genome

Miss Leslie’s 1864 Advice to Ladies: Never Say Slump, Stoop Or Mayhap

This book will advise women on everything from “conduct in the street” to “deportment at a hotel” to “incorrect words” to “obligations to gentlemen”

None

The Secret to National Geographic’s Maps Is an 80-Year-Old Font

With a little ingenuity, a 1930s cartographer left his mark on the society

Page 66 of 87