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Extra-Ordinary: Stories of Science in Everyday Life
In Extra-Ordinary, Aparna takes us on a journey through the everyday universe – apples on the kitchen counter, the colour blue in the sky, a flower on a windowsill, even the insistent tug of her dog Oreo’s leash – and reveals the astonishing science woven into each one of them.
With the curiosity of a researcher, the eye of an artist and the humour of someone who has learned to see wonder in the mundane, Aparna unpacks how apples are cloned, why blue is the rarest colour in nature and why dogs and humans never quite look at the same world.
Vivid, brilliantly written and full of the unexpected, Extra-Ordinary is a joyful reminder that you don’t need a laboratory – or even to leave your neighbourhood – to encounter the astonishing. All you need to do is look closely.
With the curiosity of a researcher, the eye of an artist and the humour of someone who has learned to see wonder in the mundane, Aparna unpacks how apples are cloned, why blue is the rarest colour in nature and why dogs and humans never quite look at the same world.
Vivid, brilliantly written and full of the unexpected, Extra-Ordinary is a joyful reminder that you don’t need a laboratory – or even to leave your neighbourhood – to encounter the astonishing. All you need to do is look closely.
Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2026
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 26, 2026
I was a fan of the encyclopedias in my school library, always keen to learn new facts about anything, everything. I used to note down fun facts in a notebook as a kid.
This book is too nostalgic. Some of the most delightful science books are the ones not beginning in laboratories or lecture halls, but in the middle of ordinary daily life. Aparna Agarwal presents the familiar and the most overlooked details of our day as something full of patterns, processes, mysteries, and marvels waiting to be noticed.
The book is so charming. It moves through everyday objects and experiences with genuine curiosity. An apple resting on the counter becomes a doorway into questions of cloning and cultivation. The blue of the sky opens up into a fascinating reflection on colour and rarity in nature. A flower is no longer just decorative. Even a dog pulling at a leash becomes a starting point for thinking about how animals and humans experience the world differently. It connects science with life experiences so naturally. The book is warm and inviting. This is such a bright, curious, and joy-filled read.
This book is too nostalgic. Some of the most delightful science books are the ones not beginning in laboratories or lecture halls, but in the middle of ordinary daily life. Aparna Agarwal presents the familiar and the most overlooked details of our day as something full of patterns, processes, mysteries, and marvels waiting to be noticed.
The book is so charming. It moves through everyday objects and experiences with genuine curiosity. An apple resting on the counter becomes a doorway into questions of cloning and cultivation. The blue of the sky opens up into a fascinating reflection on colour and rarity in nature. A flower is no longer just decorative. Even a dog pulling at a leash becomes a starting point for thinking about how animals and humans experience the world differently. It connects science with life experiences so naturally. The book is warm and inviting. This is such a bright, curious, and joy-filled read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review