February books from the MIT Press

February books: CRISPR People, Hidden Wonders, Viruses, Pandemics, and Immunity, and more

A preview of some of the MIT Press’s most exciting books coming out this February

The offerings from the MIT Press this February cover a wide range of topics. How Humans Judge Machines tackles questions related to artificial intelligence. Just Money makes a case for using finance and banking to help create a more equitable future. And Viruses, Pandemics, and Immunity contextualizes the COVID-19 pandemic and gives readers the tools they need to understand pandemics in human society. For even more, you can also browse all of the MIT Press’s upcoming titles.


CRISPR People: The Science and Ethics of Editing Humans by Henry T. Greely

"CRISPR People"

In November 2018, the world was shocked to learn that two babies had been born in China with DNA edited while they were embryos. But what does the birth of these babies mean—for science and for all of us?

“The definitive guide to the international consensus against germline editing… and how it all came crashing down.” —Antonio Regalado, biomedicine editor, MIT Technology Review

You might also like How Molecular Forces and Rotating Planets Create Life: The Emergence and Evolution of Prokaryotic Cells by Jan Spitzer


Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons by Julia Gillard and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

"Women and Leadership by Julia Gillard and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala"

 Through conversations with some of the world’s most powerful and interesting women—including Jacinda Ardern, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Christine Lagarde, Michelle Bachelet, and Theresa May—Women and Leadership explores gender bias and asks why there aren’t more women in leadership roles. 

“Much-needed, frank talk from exceptional female leaders about how they’ve dealt with sexism in the line of duty.” —Kirkus Reviews

You might also like Data Feminism by Catherine D’Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein


Viruses, Pandemics, and Immunity by Arup K. Chakraborty and Audrey S. Shaw

"Viruses, Pandemics, and Immunity by Arup K. Chakraborty and Andrey S. Shaw"

How viruses emerge to cause pandemics, how our immune system combats them, and how diagnostic tests, vaccines, and antiviral therapies work.

“This human story addresses the many questions that people worldwide are grappling with during the current global pandemic.” —Arun Majumdar, Stanford University and Founding Director of ARPA-E

You might also like Cycling for Sustainable Cities edited by Ralph Buehler and John Pucher


How Humans Judge Machines by César A. Hidalgo, Diana Orghiain, Jordi Albo Canals, Filipa de Almeida and Natalia Martin

"How Humans Judge Machines by By César A. Hidalgo, Diana Orghiain, Jordi Albo Canals, Filipa de Almeida and Natalia Martin"

How people judge humans and machines differently, in scenarios involving natural disasters, labor displacement, policing, privacy, algorithmic bias, and more.

“Fascinating, provocative, and growing more important each time another AI system goes live.” —Erik Brynfjolfsson, Stanford Digital Economy Lab

You might also like A Citizen’s Guide to Artificial Intelligence by John Zerilli


The Raven’s Hat: Fallen Pictures, Rising Sequences, and Other Mathematical Games by Jonas Peters and Nicolai Meinshausen

"The Raven's Hat by Jonas Peters and Nicolai Meinshausen"

A series of engaging games that seem unsolvable—but can be solved when they are translated into mathematical terms.

“A wonderful book for someone who likes mathematics and likes to be challenged!” —Chris Bernhardt, author of Quantum Computing for Everyone

You might also like Making Games: The Politics and Poetics of Game Creation Tools by Stefan Werning


Hidden Wonders: The Subtle Dialogue Between Physics and Elegance by Etienne Guyon, José Bico, Étienne Reyssat and Benoît Roman

"Hidden Wonders by Etienne Guyon, José Bico, Étienne Reyssat and Benoît Roman"

Hidden Wonders focuses on the objects that populate our everyday life—crumpled paper, woven fabric, a sand pile—but looks at them with a physicist’s eye, revealing a hidden elegance in mundane physical mechanisms.

“You’ll never look at a bubble, a spider’s web, or a wineglass in quite the same way again.” —Ian Stewart, author of Do Dice Play God?, Calculating the Cosmos, and The Beauty of Numbers in Nature

You might also like Stereophonica: Sound and Space in Science, Technology, and the Arts by Gascia Ouzounian


Just Money: Mission-Driven Banks and the Future of Finance by Katrin Kaufer and Lillian Steponaitis

"Just Money by Katrin Kaufer and Lillian Steponaitis"

With Just Money, Kaufer and Steponaitis remind us that money, if used intentionally and equitably, can be a tool that serves nature, human development, and social justice to build a more equitable and sustainable society.

“This beautifully written book draws on a wide range of real-life examples to show us what mission-driven banking looks like in practice—and why it’s so profoundly important.” —Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty University Professor, Harvard University; author of Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire

You might also like Combating Inequality: Rethinking Government’s Role edited by Olivier Blanchard and Dani Rodrik


A Slow Burning Fire: The Rise of the New Art Practice in Yugoslavia by Marko Ilić 

"A Slow Burning Fire by Marko Ilić"

The first comprehensive study of the former Yugoslavia’s diverse and groundbreaking alternative art scenes from the 1960s to the 1980s.

“Deeply researched and insightful.” —David Crowley, professor at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, cocurator of Notes from the Underground: Art and Alternative Music in Eastern Europe 1968–1994

You might also like Donald Judd edited by Annie Ochmanek and Alex Kitnick


Autotheory as Feminist Practice in Art, Writing, and Criticism by Lauren Fournier 

" Autotheory as Feminist Practice in Art, Writing, and Criticism by Lauren Fournier"

Autotheory—the commingling of theory and philosophy with autobiography—as a mode of critical artistic practice indebted to feminist writing and activism.

You might also like The Smart Wife: Why Siri, Alexa, and Other Smart Home Devices Need a Feminist Reboot by Yolande Strengers and Jenny Kennedy


Ketamine by Bita Moghaddam

"Ketamine by Bita Moghaddam"

The emergence of ketamine—previously known as a combat anesthetic and club drug—as a treatment for depression.

You might also like the rest of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series


Science Fiction by Sherryl Vint

"Science Fiction by Sherryl Vint"

How science fiction has been a tool for understanding and living through rapid technological change.

You might also like the rest of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series


Still not enough? You can browse all of the MIT Press’s upcoming books