Popular science writer Jennifer Ouellette has tackled math in The Calculus Diaries and physics in both The Physics of the Buffyverses and Black Bodies and Quantum Cats, and has earned a reputation among fans and reviewers alike for her ingenious use of “humor, anecdote and enticing facts” (Nature) to elucidate difficult concepts. In her newest book ME, MYSELF, AND WHY (Penguin Original; On Sale January 28, 2014; $16.00; 9780143121657) she turns her attention to the science of the self and delivers a fascinating survey of the forces that shape who we are and why we act the way we do.

Nature vs. Nurture is a question that has long preoccupied scientists, philosophers, theologians, and regular people. In ME, MYSELF, AND WHY, Ouellette acts as both journalist and subject, as she takes a battery of personality tests, has her genes sequenced and an MRI brain scan done, and even goes on her first and only LSD trip, all the while taking the reader along for the ride. Her most personal book to date, ME, MYSELF, AND WHY delves deep into questions that everyone has but not everyone wants to explore. As an adoptee, with basic information about her biological parents, Ouellette is in a unique position to look at what traits she undeniably has inherited through genetics and what traits she has in common with her siblings (also adoptees) and her parents, which leads to a fascinating discussion on synapses and how the brain is wired and continues to change as we grow older.

ME, MYSELF, AND WHY also delves into subjects that continue to be in the headlines, going into the science behind “the gay gene,” and shedding light on what we know to date about same-sex attraction and gender identity. Something of a teetotaler herself, Ouellette also explores addiction, explaining the science behind why certain people are so much more likely to become alcoholics than others. She also investigates the use of “mind-altering” drugs such as LSD and their use in possibly combating addiction, as well as the fascinating history and development of such drugs by the government and within the scientific community. She develops an online avatar at Second Life that takes on a life of her own, and discusses how our online selves influence our “real” selves and the exciting possibilities this has for the development of brain-computer interfaces, as well as what this could mean for those living with disabilities.

Bringing together everything from Mendel’s famous pea plant experiments and mutations in The X-Men to our taste in food and the unreliability of our memories, Ouellette delivers another fun and illuminating work of popular science sure to be enjoyed by her many fans.

Jennifer Ouellette lives in Los Angeles, CA, and is married to Caltech physicist Sean M. Carroll. Visit her online here or follow her on twitter @JenLucPiquant.