History of science Books

Book SynopsisWritten by leading Leonardo experts from London and Florence, and accompanying a major British Library exhibition, this fascinating new book reveals the central importance of motion in Leonardo's art and thought.

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Book SynopsisThis personal account charts our understanding of the strong interactions in particle physics - culminating with the author's discovery of quarks, real particles living in a deeper layer of reality. Science buffs, students, and experts alike will find much here to pique their interest and learn along the way.

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Book SynopsisThe running joke in Europe for centuries was that anyone in a hurry to die should call the doctor. As far back as ancient Greece, physicians were notorious for administering painful and often fatal treatments and charging for the privilege. For the most effective treatment, the ill and injured went to the women in their lives. This system lasted hundreds of years. It was gone in less than a century.Contrary to the familiar story, medication did not improve during the Scientific Revolution. Yet somehow, between 1650 and 1740, the domestic female and the physician switched places in the cultural consciousness: she became the ineffective, potentially dangerous quack, he the knowledgeable, trustworthy expert. The professionals normalized the idea of paying them for what people already got at home without charge, laying the foundation for Big Pharma and today's global for-profit medication system.A revelatory history of medicine, The Apothecary's Wife challenges t

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Book SynopsisA rich account of the world?s leading science prize told through the lives it has changed, the controversies it has generated, and the impact it has made on the public.In a world where the work of science largely remains inscrutable to the general public, the Nobel Prize confers a degree of intelligibility like no other honor. Our best-known and most prestigious award for individual scientific achievement, the Nobel attaches a brilliant face to a story of profound discovery, making moving headlines. In Geniuses, Heroes, and Saints, Massimiano Bucchi tells an equally compelling story of the Nobel?s transformation of science into an epic pursuit legible both to the field and to the public, bound up with the currents of historical change. Three main narratives characterize the Nobel. The scientist as genius, portrayed as a creative visionary, an exceptional intellect reflecting a solitary and romantic ideal of great communicative impact. The scientist as national hero acts as a surrogate of competition among nations in a peaceful, rational contest. The scientist as saint shines with moral exceptionality, a figure worthy of celebration and worship, known for virtues such as modesty, humility, and total dedication, body and soul, to the scientific enterprise. Whether the recipient was Albert Einstein or a countryside doctor toiling for years in obscurity, whether the prize was worthily given or awarded to work later disproved, or whether we even remember the honorees today, the Nobel defined the image of science in the twentieth century, Bucchi shows, an image that still lives in all sorts of fascinating ways today.

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Book SynopsisExercise is not only good for the body: it can transform your mind too. This new scientific revolution will teach you how to boost brain cells, protect yourself against mental illness and dementia, and ensure success in exams and the workplace.We all know that exercise is good for the body. But did you know that it can transform your mind? This new scientific revolution will teach you how to boost brain cells, protect yourself against mental illness and dementia, and ensure success in exams and the workplace. Follow the SPARK! training regimen and build your brain to its peak performance. This book will change the way you think about exercise - and, for that matter, the way you think.Trade ReviewForget fish oil and sudoku - it's exercise that makes you brainier … This book is the first time scientific evidence from all over the world has been pulled together to show that the fitter you are, the better your brain works' Daily Mail. * Daily Mail *If exercise came in pill form, it would be plastered across the front page, hailed as the blockbuster drug of the century. So what you waiting for? Get moving!' Focus Magazine. * Focus Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Making the Connection. Welcome to the Revolution: A Case Study on Exercise and the Brain. Learning: Grow Your Brain Cells. Stress: The Greatest Challenge. Anxiety: Nothing to Panic About. Depression: Move Your Mood. Attention Deficit: Running from Distraction. Addiction: Reclaiming the Biology of Self-Control. Hormonal Changes: The Impact on Women's Brain Health. Aging: The Wise Way. The Regimen: Build Your Brain. Afterword: Fanning the Flames. Acknowledgments. Glossary. Index.

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Book SynopsisIn 1665, an infectious disease swept through the British capital and claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. The Great Plague of London haunted the memories of those who survived it. But it would take another two hundred years for the cause of this illness to be discovered: a small but powerful bacterium called Yrsina pestis. In those centuries, our understanding of diseases was transformed.So Very Small is a brilliant journey through the epic history of bacteria, microbes and germs. Spanning centuries and continents, it draws on significant world events the recurrent outbreaks of plague in Europe and Asia, the 1721 Boston smallpox outbreak, the great cholera pandemics of the 19th century as well as the pioneering scientific discoveries that have furthered our understanding of bacteria. The compelling narrative culminates in a great medical breakthrough, the development of antibiotic treatment that has been the salvation of much of humanity in the twentieth century. Levenson also describes the medical and conceptual prejudices that so often delayed scientists' ability to conquer infectious diseases. We still race today to stay ahead of strains of bacteria that are rapidly evolving.Fascinating and immersive, So Very Small is an entertaining, well written and deeply researched history of the scientific quest to understand how tiny organisms have impacted the wider world.

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Book SynopsisTwo hundred million years ago the earth consisted of a single vast continent, Pangea, surrounded by a great planetary sea. Continental drift tore apart Pangaea, and for millennia the hemispheres were separate, evolving almost entirely different suites of plants and animals. Columbus's arrival in the Americas brought together these long-separate worlds. Many historians believe that this collision of ecosystems and cultures - the Columbian Exchange - was the most consequential event in human history since the Neolithic Revolution. And it was the most consequential event in biological history since the extinction of the dinosaurs. Beginning with the world of microbes and moving up the species ladder to mankind, Mann rivetingly describes the profound effect this exchanging of species had on the culture of both continents.

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Book SynopsisMankind''s battle to stay alive is the greatest of all subjects. This brief, witty and unusual book by Britain''s greatest medical historian compresses into a tiny span a lifetime spent thinking about millennia of human ingenuity in the quest to cheat death. Each chapter sums up one of these battlefields (surgery, doctors, disease, hospitals, laboratories and the human body) in a way that is both frightening and elating. Startlingly illustrated, A SHORT HISTORY OF MEDICINE is the ideal presentfor anyone who is keenly aware of their own mortality and wants to do something about it. It is also a wonderful memorial to one of Penguin''s greatest historians.Trade Review'Nobody will be able to put down this short history of medicine... without counting their blessings. Never have I read a book which made me so glad not to have been born before the mid-20th century.' Daily MailTable of ContentsDisease; doctors; the body; the laboratory; therapies; surgery; the hospital; medicine in modern society.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Relationships can be notoriously complicated, and our ancient bond with wheat is no exception. As Zabinski recounts in Amber Waves, it's been a rocky path over the millennia, replete with heartbreak, endless drama, and even an unlikely love affair. If it hadn't been for a capricious interloper named goatgrass mixing into wheat's gene pool half a million years ago, our daily staple of bread-not to mention birthday cakes, mac and cheese, and pepperoni pizza-might never have existed. . . . Amber Waves nimbly segues into a socio-agro primer, providing a crash course in genetics, plant breeding, and agronomy. The author . . . also provides a fascinating retrospective on some of our lesser-known food innovators. . . . Engaging. . . . Zabinksi is a reliably optimistic guide, pointing us toward a hopeful food future. 'As a species,' she observes, 'we have a stunning capacity for creativity and problem solving. Imagine if we focused all that capacity on optimizing agricultural production in the most environmentally sustainable way.' It's a towering opportunity for such a tiny, humble seed-but one that seems tantalizingly close to being within our grasp." * Wall Street Journal * "Wheat is a staple in the diets of cultures across the globe. But when and how did the first societies decide to consume grass seeds? Plant and soil ecologist Zabinski takes the discussion beyond history and anthropology to talk about the science of agriculture and the development of wheat production throughout the modern world. The more practical aspects of the crop are also discussed, such as why grass seeds are easier to store than other early cultivated grains. While the account focuses on wheat's history, there is a section that concentrates on the stress of the crop for a growing population. An abundance of endnotes and references indicate an extensively researched text, while the chronological narrative reads like a biography starting with ancient people and cultivation through the modern practices of manipulating food DNA. . . . This work will appeal to lay scientists, anthropologists, and consumers who wish to know more about the science behind this common dietary staple." * Library Journal * "A pleasant . . . account of the long history of humans and wheat. . . . Zabinski notes how agricultural practices have driven social and political organization, and speculates that wheat cultivation led to militarization, as armies were used to keep laborers in the fields and to protect farmers from outside raiders. In elaborating on the interconnections between wheat production and culture, she shares some worthwhile historical tidbits, such as how the need to grow wheat across North America's 'wide temperature and precipitation gradients' gave rise, in the nineteenth century, to breeding as a modern science, or how Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union was motivated by his desire for Ukraine's fertile soils." * Publishers Weekly * "Deftly surveys both the biological and the social perspective in nine concise chapters, starting in deep time, with a quick summary of the evolution of plants, then moving swiftly through the first agricultural societies, the growth of city-states, the great empires of the classical and medieval world, and on into the modern era. Wheat is a silent but salient character, providing the energy needed to maintain growing concentrations of population, shaping systems of social organization needed to manage production and distribute food, and driving innovations in agriculture, such as crop rotation, irrigation, and the moldboard plow of the Middle Ages. . . . It's clearly an open-ended story, not just a tale of how humans have used a nutritious plant, writes Zabinski, but 'how that plant used us to take over the world.'" -- Laurence A. Marschall * Natural History * "The human relationship with wheat is the subject of Zabinski's short book Amber Waves, which presents itself as a 'biography' of the grain. . . . Zabinski, a plant and soil ecologist at Montana State University, seeks to tell 'a story of a group of grasses whose existence became complicated by its convergence with our own species and our never-ending need for more food'. The vast consumption of wheat today is linked to the fact that it is the main ingredient in so many convenience foods. If you want to satisfy hunger quickly and cheaply, the odds are that you will turn to a wheat-based food (unless you opt for potatoes, in the form of crisps or chips). You might buy a healthy wrap or an unhealthy burger or a pie or a sandwich or a slice of pizza or a tub of instant ramen or a samosa or a slice of toast or a bowl of bran flakes. Whichever choice you make, you will end up eating the same industrial wheat. No other grain comes in such a vast range of ready-to-eat foods. Yet it must have taken great perseverance and ingenuity for our Neolithic ancestors to add wheat to their diets." -- Bee Wilson * London Review of Books * "In this high-fiber read, plant ecologist Zabinski follows the evolution of wheat, from its wild origins to its highly modified existence as a staple of modern agriculture." * LitHub * "Zabinski has produced a tour de force with Amber Waves. From her work as a soil and plant ecologist at Montana State University she pulls together the fascinating biological and social history of wheat. It is a story of human ingenuity across thousands of years." -- Jenny Willan * Resurgence and Ecologist * "Wheat was among the first grains to be cultivated and it is now one of the most important staple crops in the world. In Amber Waves, Zabinski . . . tells the story of wheat from its origin, domestication, and genetic improvement, and the history of its production, processing, and trade. Moreover, Zabinski proposes that the biography of wheat is not simply the story of a crop-it is a thread in the history of humans seeking food security. . . . This story about the complex relationship between humans and crops should appeal to plant scientists in particular, and indeed the general public." * Nature Food * "For a sustainability-conscious readership, Zabinski looks at how wheat both enabled the food security necessary for civilization and created new ecological problems." * Publishers Weekly, "Spring 2020 Announcements: Science Top 10" * "Skillfully done. . . . I urge you to read Amber Waves by Zabinski, which is an excellent example of plants-and-people writing-and is also pretty good SciComm . . . " * Botany One * "Zabinski explores the history of wheat and society, and argues we must focus on optimizing agriculture in environmentally sustainable ways." * Climate & Capitalism * "The story of wheat is inextricably linked with that of humans. Zabinski's Amber Waves tells both. In fact, the author suggests this might be the tale of how wheat used humans to take over the world. . . . Zabinski's warm, down-to-earth style and whimsical analogies are so engaging that readers might not notice how much archaeology, soil chemistry, and molecular genetics they are absorbing. Biology students who found photosynthesis boring didn't have Zabinski as their instructor. . . . She tosses delicious tidbits into her literary soup, such as origin stories for Turkey Red and Red Fife, formerly the dominant types of wheat grown in the United States and Canada, respectively. . . . Amber Waves would make a good text for an introductory agriculture course-and for anyone who wants to understand how today's food is grown. Zabinski does not rail against current agricultural systems; nor does she give checklists of actions for readers to follow to become better food citizens. Instead, she starts at the beginnings of agriculture to explain why contemporary wheat has turned out the way it has, why humans now grow it as they do, and why these methods might not work so well in the future. She suggests that readers listen to the story carried in the whisper of the wheat stalks and think hard about how to make food systems more sustainable and equitable." * Issues in Science and Technology * "In a friendly and accessible style, Amber Waves rather cleverly integrates material about plant evolution and physiological processes into a narrative of the development of wheat, concentrating heavily on the early stages of the process of plant domestication, with asides into evolution, genetics, plant nutrition, gluten-related health issues, and the role of wheat in history and power politics. A balanced discussion of the Green Revolution and the future possibilities of wheat breeding bring the story up to date for anyone who wishes to learn more about the history of farming and about plants." -- Noel Kingsbury, author of "Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding" and "Garden Flora: The Natural and Cultural History of the Plants in Your Garden" "Zabinski not only offers a biography of the multiple species known as 'wheat' but presents their story in the context of the rise of civilization itself." -- Norman C. Ellstrand, author of "Sex on the Kitchen Table: The Romance of Plants and Your Food" and "Dangerous Liaisons? When Cultivated Plants Mate with Their Wild Relatives"Table of ContentsIntroduction. A Biography of Wheat? Chapter One. The Whispering of the Grasses Chapter Two. The First Encounter Chapter Three. Intertwined Lives Chapter Four. From Villages to Cities Chapter Five. Relationships Are Hard Work Chapter Six. Nurture and Nature Chapter Seven. War and Peace and Wheat Chapter Eight. Order in Chaos Chapter Nine. A Love-Hate Relationship Epilogue. An Eternal Harvest Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis'A dazzlingly original picture of our relentlessly mobile species’ NAOMI KLEIN ‘Fascinating . . . Likely to prove prophetic in the coming months and years’ OBSERVER ‘A dazzling tour through 300 years of scientific history’ PROSPECT 'A hugely entertaining, life-affirming and hopeful hymn to the glorious adaptability of life on earth' SCOTSMAN __________________ We are surrounded by stories of people on the move. Wild species, too, are escaping warming seas and desiccated lands in a mass exodus. Politicians and the media present this upheaval of migration patterns as unprecedented, blaming it for the spread of disease and conflict, and spreading anxiety across the world as a result. But the science and history of migration in animals, plants, and humans tell a different story. Far from being a disruptive behaviour, migration is an ancient and lifesaving response to environmental change, a biological imperative as necessary as breathing. Climate changes triggered the first human migrations out of Africa. Falling sea levels allowed our passage across the Bering Sea. Unhampered by borders, migration allowed our ancestors to people the planet, into the highest reaches of the Himalayan Mountains and the most remote islands of the Pacific, disseminating the biological, cultural and social diversity that ecosystems and societies depend upon. In other words, migration is not the crisis – it is the solution. __________________ Tracking the history of misinformation from the 18th century through to today’s anti-immigration policies, The Next Great Migration makes the case for a future in which migration is not a source of fear, but of hope.Trade ReviewThis fascinating study debunks false narratives about immigration and finds that, in common with other species, the urge to move is written in our genes . . . This book – a wandering narrative about why people wander – is likely to prove equally prophetic in the coming months and years, since it asks two questions that are already shaping our geopolitics: what causes human beings to migrate? And is such mass movement beneficial to more settled communities and nations? -- Book of the Week * Observer *Shah [tackles] with compassion and insight a deeply complex and challenging subject . . . Shah effectively shows that understanding human migration is fundamentally an intersectional problem, incorporating race, ethnicity, religion, gender, class, economic inequality, politics, nationalism, colonialism and health, not to mention genetics, evolution, ecology, geography, climate, climate change and even plate tectonics . . . Her work addresses issues of fundamental importance to the survival and well-being of us all * New York Times Book Review *A deeply researched and counterintuitive history . . . [Anti-immigration] arguments may indeed be hollow but they spread their spores nonetheless: we need books such as this to expose them * Guardian *Sonia Shah’s life-affirming celebration of migration is an antidote to the naysayers . . . A hugely entertaining, life-affirming and hopeful hymn to the glorious adaptability of life on earth. Always, the argument is threaded through with delicious descriptions of the natural world and its endless mobility, from butterflies to hungry bears . . . [Shah’s] luminous love for this changing world is surely a far better guide, as we face an uncertain future, than the dreary fear-mongering and lies of those she condemns . . . A rich measure of gaiety, humour, and hope * Scotsman *A book that captivates on many levels . . . Part travel journal, part reportage, part investigative journalism, it’s a work impeccably researched but heartfelt and driven by eloquent descriptive storytelling . . . Shah takes the reader on a fascinating kaleidoscopic historical and geographical journey . . . Fascinating, and extremely well written, this is a book of our times * Herald *An examination of relocation in all its forms – human and wild – in the context of impending climate-related disruption. Shah delves into the origins of anti-immigrant rhetoric and unpicks the notion of a static world . . . It’s a dazzling tour through 300 years of scientific history . . . Engrossing * Prospect Magazine *Illuminating . . . This work's beguiling synergy of science, history, and contemporary politics is impressive enough, but it is this intuitive author's captivating narration that makes this such a bracingly intelligent and important title * Booklist *Shah convincingly argues that politicians against immigration distort and misuse data to create unnecessary and cruel barriers, [and that] we must face the inevitable: our social, political and ecological world is changing substantially. The altered communities that result won’t just be different, they’ll often be better adapted to thrive in our warming world * Nature *An incisive examination of migration, which she considers a phenomenon both biological and cultural . . . A scientifically sophisticated, well-considered contribution to the literature of movement and environmental change * Kirkus Reviews *In this striking look at a planet on the move, Sonia Shah provides a bold new way of looking at the ecological and political turbulence of our time - a vision that is as full of hope as it is of understanding -- Charles C. Mann, New York Times bestselling author of '1491'Could hardly be more timely . . . A lively, rigorously researched and highly informative read -- Praise for 'Pandemic' * Wall Street Journal *Grounded, bracingly intelligent . . . Lucidly layers history into a tour of transmission hotspots, from incubators of ‘spillover’ animal-borne illnesses such as China’s wild-animal markets to globalized transport and hyperdense cities -- Praise for 'Pandemic' * Nature *

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Book SynopsisAn astonishing tour of the key astronomical events of the past century, and of all the accidents and human error involved in our pursuit of asteroids, radio waves, new stars and alien life.''A riveting real-life Hitchhiker''s Guide to the Galaxy.'' Telegraph''An enjoyable tour of astronomical discoveriesHis excellent book is a layman's guide to the surprises' - Daily Mail''Lintott''s boundless enthusiasm for everything cosmic makes it hard to put this book away once you start reading.'' BBC Sky at Night Magazine''Entertaining and enlightening'' - The Idler.....................................................................................................................................................................................................The BBC presenter of ''Sky at Night'', and Gresham Professor of Astronomy, Chris Lintott, takes us on an astonishing tour of bizarre accident

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Book SynopsisA copiously illustrated global history of magic books, from ancient papyri to pulp paperbacksTrade Review“A richly illustrated study that ranges from ancient Greek and Egyptian papyri to Japanese encyclopaedias of demons.”—Apollo Magazine“A beautiful production: a typographic and calligraphic treat as treasurable as a rare magical text itself. Almost every page is filled with wonder.”—Suzi Feay, The Spectator“This is simply the best illustrated history of magical texts yet written, covering the whole of history and of the planet with equal erudition.”—Ronald Hutton, Bristol University“An utterly compelling and timely exploration of a neglected artistic tradition, with vast implications for our understanding of magic’s visual history and the role of material culture in shaping its transmission across the centuries.”—Bruce Holsinger, University of Virginia“Through its innovative focus on magical texts and images, Art of the Grimoire presents an admirably global survey of the history of magic across space and time.”—Michael D. Bailey, Iowa State University

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Book SynopsisWhat is ''nothing''? What remains when you take all the matter away? Can empty space - a void - exist? This Very Short Introduction explores the science and the history of the elusive void: from Aristotle who insisted that the vacuum was impossible, via the theories of Newton and Einstein, to our very latest discoveries and why they can tell us extraordinary things about the cosmos. Frank Close tells the story of how scientists have explored the elusive void, and the rich discoveries that they have made there. He takes the reader on a lively and accessible history through ancient ideas and cultural superstitions to the frontiers of current research. He describes how scientists discovered that the vacuum is filled with fields; how Newton, Mach, and Einstein grappled with the nature of space and time; and how the mysterious ''aether'' that was long ago supposed to permeate the void may now be making a comeback with the latest research into the ''Higgs field''. We now know that the vacuum is far from being empty - it seethes with virtual particles and antiparticles that erupt spontaneously into being, and it also may contain hidden dimensions that we were previously unaware of. These new discoveries may provide answers to some of cosmology''s most fundamental questions: what lies outside the universe, and, if there was once nothing, then how did the universe begin? ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition All in all, this book makes for some fascinating reading. * Chemistry World, Dennis Rouvray. *An accessible and entertaining read for layperson and scientist alike. * Physics World *The Void is well worth reading. * Robert Cailliau. CERN Courier. *It covers very complicated concepts in a mostly accessible way. * Lawrence Rudnick, Nature *A fascinating subject covered by a fascinating book. * Marcus Chown, Focus *Table of Contents1. Much Ado About Nothing ; 2. How Empty is an Atom? ; 3. Space ; 4. Waves in What? ; 5. Travelling on a Light Beam ; 6. The Cost of Free Space ; 7. The Infinite Sea ; 8. The Higgs Vacuum ; 9. The New Void ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisDrawing upon art, science, philosophy, and the history of culture, this title explains the origin of the machine age and traces its social results, asserting that the development of modern technology had its roots in the Middle Ages rather than the Industrial Revolution.Trade Review"The questions posed in the first paragraph of Technics and Civilization still deserve our attention, nearly three-quarters of a century after they were written." - Technology and Culture "A brilliant historical and critical account of the effect of the artificial environment on man and of man on the environment, a necessary account, one for which we have waited too long in English." - New York Times"

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Book SynopsisAgainst the backdrop of unprecedented concern for the future of health care, this Very Short Introduction surveys the history of medicine from classical times to the present. Focussing on the key turning points in the history of Western medicine, such as the advent of hospitals and the rise of experimental medicine, Bill Bynum offers insights into medicine''s past, while at the same time engaging with contemporary issues, discoveries, and controversies.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Bedside Medicine ; 2. Library Medicine ; 3. Hospital Medicine ; 4. Social Medicine ; 5. Laboratory Medicine ; 6. Technological Medicine ; References and Further Reading

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Book SynopsisAn in-depth and unified exploration of genius in the arts and sciences through the life and works of five seminal intellectual and cultural figures: Leonardo da Vinci, William Shakespeare, Isaac Newton, Ludwig von Beethoven, and Albert Einstein.Who among us hasn't read Hamlet, listened to the Fifth Symphony, gazed at the Mona Lisa, or marveled at the three laws of physics and the Theory of Relativity and been struck with the same simple question: how on Earth did they do it? Where did these masters draw inspiration to produce some of the most stunning achievements in human history? Were their brains wired differently than ours? Did they have special traits or unique experiences that set them on the path to greatness? Genius is a broad and elusive concept, one that is divisive and hard to define—and gravely misunderstood. There are “ordinary” geniuses who achieve remarkable feats of brilliance, as well as “magicians” (a term James Gleick invoked to describe Richard Feynman) who make an outsize impact on their given field. But highest among them are transformative geniuses, those rare individuals who redefine their fields or open up new universes of thought altogether. These are the masters whose genius Bulent Atalay decodes in his engrossing, enlightening, and revelatory book. No, Atalay doesn’t have a road map for how we might become the next Einstein or Leonardo, but his revolutionary study of genius gives us a stunning new lens through which to view humanity’s most prolific thinkers and creators and perhaps pick up some inspiration along the way. At first, it seems that transformative geniuses don’t follow any sort of topography. Their prodigious output looks effortless, they leap from summit to summit, and they probably couldn’t explain exactly how they went about solving their problems. They might not even recognize themselves in the ways we talk about them today. Atalay argues that these heroes fit more of a mold than we might think. As evidence, he rigorously dissects the lives, traits, habits, and thought patterns of five exemplars—Leonardo, Shakespeare, Newton, Beethoven, and Einstein— to map the path of the transformative genius. How did Beethoven, who could not perform basic multiplication, innately encode the Fibonacci Sequence in his symphonies? Is it possible that we understate Shakespeare’s poetic influence? How did Leonardo become equally prolific in both the arts and the sciences? How did Newton formulate the universal laws of physics, the basis of so many other sciences? And what prompted TIME Magazine to declare Einstein, a man whose very name is synonymous with genius, the “Individual of the 20th Century”? With great clarity and attention to detail, Atalay expertly traces how these five exemplars ascended to immortality and what their lives and legacies reveal about how transformative geniuses are madeTrade Review“A well-informed deep dive into genius. Atalay explores the lives of Shakespeare, Leonardo, Beethoven, Newton, and Einstein. Readers will enjoy his account of their accomplishments, accompanied by portraits of rival immortals who didn’t make the cut. His digressions into phrenology, Einstein’s brain, geniuses' physical maladies, and rankings of various sorts of greatness throughout history are entertaining and enlightening.” -- Kirkus Reviews“As only he can do, Professor Atalay presents a fascinating analysis of the similarities and differences in genius in the arts versus the sciences. While his book examines the lives and works of hundreds of gifted men and women, the focus is on just five unrivaled geniuses. Through his unique lens as both a physicist and artist, the author engages with readers of different backgrounds. Having taught the general education course 'Changing Views of the Universe' for many years, I found Beyond Genius a captivating read. A true masterpiece.” -- Teresa L. Larkin, Physics Professor and Advisor for Women in Science, American University"Bulent Atalay writes about music with the same effervescence, conviction, and illumination that he brings to physics, the visual arts, and all the realms of genius he traverses. He presents to us a Beethoven who is vivid, human, troubled, and even ornery, at the same time that he is unutterably inspired.” -- Alan Fletcher, composer, President of the Aspen Music Festival and School"This is an absolutely brilliant and profoundly fascinating book about the nature of true genius and the causes of creativity. Weaving together scientific studies with historical insights, Atalay explains how the greatest minds work. * Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs *Praise for Math and the Mona Lisa“Bulent Atalay takes us on a delightful romp through millenia and across continents, bringing together art, architecture, science, and mathematics. His writing is informed by his artist's eye for beauty, his historian's appreciation of context, and his scientist's love of order and symmetry. Leonardo is the prototype for the renaissance man—artist, architect, philosopher, scientist, writer. There are few like him today, but Atalay is indeed a modern renaissance man, and he invites us to tap the power of synthesis that is Leonardo's model.” * William D. Phillips, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. *“The broad sweep of Professor Atalay's brilliant mind brings us an approach to understanding the Vincian genius that is so insightful, so original, and so well-reasoned that it immediately becomes an essential volume in the canon of Leonardiana. I read this monumental achievement in awe of the author's perceptions.” * Sherwin Nuland, author of Leonardo da Vinci and winner of the National Book Award for How We Die *“A masterful examination of the differences and similarities in the sciences and the arts, as embodied by that genius of both fields: Leonardo da Vinci. Professor Bulent Atalay has penetrated Leonardo's mind, in a way that is both highly readable and very informative.” -- Jamie Wyeth

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Book SynopsisA BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK An original and revelatory journey through the three-billion-year history of slime - a substance upon which we and our world depend. Slime is an ambiguous thing. It exists somewhere between a solid and liquid. It inspires revulsion even while it compels our fascination. It is a both a vehicle for pathogens and the strongest weapon in our immune system. Most of us know little about it and yet it is the substance on which our world turns. Slime exists at the interfaces of all things: between the different organs and layers in our bodies, and between the earth, water, and air in the environment. It is often produced in the fatal encounter between predator and prey, and it is a vital presence in the reproductive embrace between female and male. In this ground-breaking and fascinating book, Susanne Wedlich leads us on a scientific journey through the 3 billion year history of slime, from the part it played in the evolution of life on this planet to the way it might feature in the post-human future. She also explores the cultural and emotional significance of slime, from its starring role in the horror genre to its subtle influence on Art Nouveau. Slime is what connects Patricia Highsmith's fondness for snails, John Steinbeck's aversion to hagfish, and Emperor Hirohito's passion for jellyfish, as well as the curious mating practices of underwater gastropods and the miraculous functioning of the human gut. Written with authority, wit and eloquence, Slime brings this most nebulous and neglected of substances to life. Rich and strange... a deft cultural history of the idea of slime as well as an up-to-the-minute exegesis of its science - Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewSusanne Wedlich is your smart and genial guide through the curious realms of natural goop, how we think of it, treat it and need it. An illuminating and eloquent story of slime, it will leave you appreciating in whole new ways the sticky stuff that covers our world, inside and out -- Helen Scales, marine biologist and author of The Brilliant AbyssRich and strange... a deft cultural history of the idea of slime as well as an up-to-the-minute exegesis of its science * Daily Telegraph *An enjoyably icky guide * Telegraph *Packed with disarming facts... Wedlich is a modest and understated guide * Spectator *Remarkable... [Wedlich] takes delight in the ooze, revels in the squidge, and brings it together in admirably well-organised form to create a rollicking read -- Cal Flyn * Prospect *

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Book SynopsisThe revolution is here. In breakthrough after breakthrough, pioneering physicists are unlocking a new quantum universe which provides a better representation of reality than our everyday experiences and common sense ever could. The birth of quantum computers - which, like Schrödinger's famous dead-and-alive cat, rely on entities like electrons existing in a mixture of states - is starting to turn the computing world on its head.In his fascinating study of this cutting-edge technology (first published as Computing with Quantum Cats and now featuring a new foreword), John Gribbin updates his previous views on the nature of quantum reality, arguing for a universe of many parallel worlds where 'everything is real'. Looking back to Alan Turing's work on the Enigma machine and the first electronic computer, Gribbin explains how quantum theory developed to make quantum computers work in practice as well as in principle. He takes us beyond the arena of theoretical physics to explore their practical applications - from machines which learn through 'intuition' and trial and error to unhackable laptops and smartphones. And he investigates the potential for this extraordinary science to allow communication faster than light and even teleportation, as we step into a world of infinite possibility.

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Book SynopsisChronicling the development of scientific ideas, practices, and institutions from pre-Socratic Greek philosophy to late-medieval scholasticism, this title surveys the themes in the history of science, including developments in cosmology, astronomy, mechanics, optics, alchemy, natural history, and medicine.Trade Review"As entertaining and educational as that organized by the best tour operator." - Charles Burnett, New York Times Book Review "Solidly based on a competent knowledge of a huge variety of primary sources and secondary studies, engagingly written, and well produced, it provides us for the first time with an authoritative account of Western science from its beginnings to the height of medieval scientific achievement." - Richard C. Dales, American Historical Review"

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Book SynopsisThe weird and wonderful life of John Whiteside Parsons - a pioneering rocket scientist who also delved into the occult'Forget geek stereotypes. Parsons' life seems straight out of a Hollywood thriller ' Los Angeles MagazineTrade ReviewPendle's superbly detailed and addictively readable book makes the reader fall in love with these young men's energy and enthusiasm, and the blazing trail that Parsons left behind him as he finally fell to earth * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Readable and engrossing -- Bryan Appleyard * LITERARY REVIEW *Elegantly written ... Pendle with his graceful, measured prose... skilfully steers us through the quagmire of Parson's personal life to place him on the pedestal that he deserves, so that we may admire his remarkable legacy to modern rocket science * OBSERVER *You couldn't make it up * PHYSICS WORLD *A case of truth being stranger than fiction in all its glory. The whole mix is fascinating. Parsons' struggle to achieve a working rocket would make a good story in its own right, but add in the science fiction, add in the strange religion and characters like Hubbard - and finally, throw into the mix Parsons' horrendous death in an apparently accidental explosion at home ... It's a cracker, that rarest of things a popular science book that's a page turner too * POPULARSCIENCE.CO.UK *Fascinating ... we are introduced to a surreal 1930s world where dreams of space flight were inspired by popular science fiction * FOCUS *Entertaining... intriguing * CHEMISTRY WORLD *As a history of space travel, STRANGE ANGEL is a cornerstone ... Highly recommended -- Ray BradburyForget geek stereotypes. Parsons' life seems straight out of a Hollywood thriller ... Pendle's book leaves us with a taste of genius's energy and fragility * LOS ANGELES MAGAZINE *Fascinating ... he deftly and seemingly effortlessly leads his readers through the technical aspects of Parsons' work. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to enjoy it * SEATTLE TIMES *A riveting tale of rocketry, the occult, and boom-and-bust 1920s and 1930s Los Angeles * BOOKLIST *An engaging treatment of a time when the modern world moved at the same speed as crazed mania * THE ONION *Offers glimpses not only of the history of a lab, a science and a group of extraordinary people but also of America's rapidly changing political and cultural assumptions ... Parsons' story is an intriguing one, full of contradictions that seem quintessentially of their time * NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW *Spellbinding ... STRANGE ANGEL has a strong narrative drive and reads like a novel - except that novels need to be plausible, whereas the life of Jack Parsons, poet, magician and rocket pioneer, had no such constraint * AMERICAN SCIENTIST *STRANGE ANGEL could be a hybrid sired by GRAVITY'S RAINBOW out of FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM. Explosively fascinating * GLOBE & MAIL *

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Book SynopsisBased on meticulous research in original sources Goodman illustrates vividly how adept [Banks] was Shining a light on individuals whose achievements are relatively uncelebrated'Jenny Uglow, New York Review of BooksA bold new history of how botany and global plant collecting centred at Kew Gardens and driven by Joseph Banks transformed the earth.Botany was the darling and the powerhouse of the eighteenth century. As European ships ventured across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, discovery bloomed. Bounties of new plants were brought back, and their arrival meant much more than improved flowerbeds it offered a new scientific frontier that would transform Europe's industry, medicine, eating and drinking habits, and even fashion.Joseph Banks was the dynamo for this momentous change. As botanist for James Cook's great voyage to the South Pacific on the Endeavour, Banks collected plants on a vast scale, armed with the vision as a child of the Enlightenment that to travel physically was to advance intellectually. His thinking was as intrepid as Cook's seafaring: he commissioned radically influential and physically daring expeditions such as those of Francis Masson to the Cape Colony, George Staunton to China, George Caley to Australia, William Bligh to Tahiti and Jamaica, among many others.Jordan Goodman's epic history follows these high seas adventurers and their influence in Europe, as well as taking us back to the early years of Kew Gardens, which Banks developed devotedly across the course of his life, transforming it into one of the world's largest and most diverse botanical gardens.In a rip-roaring global expedition, based on original sources in many languages, Goodman gives a momentous history of how the discoveries made by Banks and his collectors advanced scientific understanding around the world.Trade Review PRAISE FOR PLANTING THE WORLD ‘Goodman turns his attention to the “adventurous history” of the botanists, naturalists, gardeners, and ship captains who carried out his vicarious plant-hunting across the world, shining a light on individuals whose achievements are relatively uncelebrated. The book is particularly strong on the minutiae of planning, negotiating, and financing these ventures, and on the disasters that so often beset them … For each expedition, Goodman builds up a picture based on meticulous research in original sources … Goodman illustrates vividly how adept [Banks] was, all through his career, at piggybacking on different government, diplomatic, and mercantile ventures … Planting the World tracks Banks’s projects in detail and illustrates dramatically how difficult it was to move plants around the world’Jenny Uglow, New York Review of Books ‘A brilliant and authoritative insight into the global reach of Joseph Banks, one of the great figures of the Enlightenment, through the lives of the intrepid botanists, gardeners, and nurserymen whose explorations and adventures made it all possible’Peter Crane 'The story of 18th century European botanists, their ships and voyages, united by the mind and extraordinary energy of Joseph Banks as he developed both the science and gardens of England. It is a marvellous history packed with naval explorations, plant collecting, and the role of individuals in making Britain a major centre for global botany'Janet Browne

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Book SynopsisThe story of Isaac Newton's decades in London - as ambitious cosmopolitan gentleman, President of London's Royal Society, Master of the Mint, and investor in the slave trade.Trade ReviewAnyone interested in a detailed account of the later part of Newton's life, focusing on its social, political, and moral dimensions, will find this an especially illuminating book. * J W Dauben *Fara's story is full of colour... she is not just writing about Newton, she is painting a portrait of the age in which he lived, worked, schmoozed and manoeuvred... she also writes with an elegance and a wit you don't generally associate with history books. * Marcus Berkmann, Daily Mail *Science is always part of society, as Fara entertainingly shows. * BBC History Magazine *... fresh, fascinating study of his [Newton's] London career. * Andrew Robinson, Nature *... a highly unorthodox and groundbreaking book... revealing and beautifully written... * Vitali Vitaliev, E&T Magazine *Fara is a pleasingly lively historical guide... the sheer energy of the book shines through, giving readers a messier and more thornily human Newton than the cartoon renditions to which he's so often reduced. * Steve Donoghue, Christian Science Monitor *... impressively broad and multifaceted, making for an interesting, penetrating slice of history, personal and generally. * M A Orthofer, Complete Review *The rich historical background provided... is to be welcomed... this is an excellent account of Newton in London. * Brad Baxter, British Numismatic Journal *Table of ContentsList of illustrations Introduction Prologue Act I: The Theatre: Isaac Newton moves to the Metropolis 1: Living in Style 2: The Tower of London 3: Family Trees 4: The Rise and Rise of John Conduitt Act II: The Audience: Isaac Newton In London society 5: Fortune Hunters 6: The Royal Society 7: Hanover-upon-Thames Act III: The Play: Isaac Newton and English Imperialism 8: Making Money 9: Knowledge and Power 10: Going Global Epilogue Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed such fervent investigations of the natural world that the period has been called the ''Scientific Revolution.'' New ideas and discoveries not only redefined what human beings believed, knew, and could do, but also forced them to redefine themselves with respect to the strange new worlds revealed by ships and scalpels, telescopes and microscopes, experimentation and contemplation. Driven by religious devotion, by practical need, by the promise of fame and profit, or by the simple desire to know, a broad range of thinkers and workers explored and reconceptualized the world around them. Explanatory systems were made, discarded, and remade by some of the best-known names in the entire history of science - Copernicus, Galileo, Newton - and by many others less recognized but no less important. In this Very Short Introduction Lawrence M. Principe explores the exciting developments in the sciences of the stars (astronomy, astrology, and cosmoloTable of ContentsIntroduction: science and natural philosophy ; 1. New worlds and old worlds ; 2. The connected world ; 3. The superlunar world ; 4. The sublunar world ; 5. The microcosm and the living world ; 6. The artificial world ; 7. Building a world of science ; Conclusion

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Book SynopsisFrom popular fiction to modern biomedicine, the tropics are defined by two essential features: prodigious nature and debilitating illness. That was not always so. In this engaging and imaginative study, Hugh Cagle shows how such a vision was created. Along the way, he challenges conventional accounts of the Scientific Revolution. The history of ''the tropics'' is the story of science in Europe''s first global empire. Beginning in the late fifteenth century, Portugal established colonies from sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia and South America, enabling the earliest comparisons of nature and disease across the tropical world. Assembling the Tropics shows how the proliferation of colonial approaches to medicine and natural history led to the assemblage of ''the tropics'' as a single, coherent, and internally consistent global region. This is a story about how places acquire medical meaning, about how nature and disease become objects of scientific inquiry, and about what is at stake wTrade Review'Assembling the Tropics is a powerful, passionate, and beautifully realized piece of scholarship. It makes an exceptionally important intervention by at long last placing Portugal and the Lusophone world where they belong - right at the heart of early modern global science and medicine.' James Delbourgo, Rutgers University, New Jersey'Assembling the Tropics provides a richly empirical and compellingly dynamic perspective on medicine and natural history across the early modern Portuguese empire. Mobilizing case studies from Africa, India, and Brazil, Cagle shows how diverse cultures of natural inquiry in metropolitan Lisbon and its colonies fitfully converged on a coherent vision of the tropics.' Florence C. Hsia, University of Wisconsin, Madison'… wide-ranging, richly researched and closely reasoned … Assembling the Tropics builds upon the extensive secondary literature that has grown up around the early Portuguese empire in recent decades…' David Arnold, Social History of MedicineTable of Contents1. Reading between the lines: a prologue; Part I. The Coast of Africa, 1450–1550: 2. Dead reckonings; Part II. The Indian Ocean World, 1500–1600: 3. Itineraries and inventories; 4. Drug traffic; 5. Facts and fictions; Part III. The Portuguese Atlantic, 1550–1700: 6. Moral hazards; 7. Split decisions; 8. Fault lines; 9. Epilogue: South-South exchanges.

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Book SynopsisIsaac Newton was accorded a semi-divine status in the 18th and 19th centuries, whereby his image linked together religion and science. The real human being behind the demi-god image has tended to be lost. He was a person who took credit from others, and crushed the reputations of those to whom he owed most. This most brilliant of mathematicians could alas be devious, deceptive and duplicitous. This work doesn''t go looking at unpublished alchemical musings as is nowadays fashionable, rather it sticks to the historical record. At the time when the new science was born, we scrutinise the ways in which he failed to discover the law of gravity or invent calculus. What exactly did Leibniz mean by describing him as ''a mind neither fair nor honest''? Why did Robert Hooke describe him as ''the veriest knave in all the house'' and why was the astronomer Flamsteed calling him SIN (Sir Isaac Newton)?We are here concerned to give him credit for what he did discover, which may not be quite what yo

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Book SynopsisDisease is the true serial killer of human history: the horrors of bubonic plague, cholera, syphilis, smallpox, tuberculosis and the like have claimed more lives and caused more misery than the depredations of warfare, famine and natural disasters combined. Murderous Contagion tells the compelling and at times unbearably moving story of the devastating impact of diseases on humankind - from the Black Death of the 14th century to the Spanish flu of 1918-19 and the AIDS epidemic of the modern era. In this book Mary Dobson also relates the endeavours of physicians and scientists to understand and identify the causes of diseases and find ways of preventing them.This is a timely and revelatory work of popular history by a writer whose knowledge of, and enthusiasm for, her subject shines through her every word.Trade Review'This is an amazing book ... written in clear and concise chapters and free of scientific jargon ... lively and easily understandable essays' Western Daily Press. * Western Daily Press *

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Book Synopsis‘This is a history of intellectual courage, hard work, occasional inspiration and every conceivable form of human failing. It is also an extended invitation to wonder, to pleasure’How far have we come in our understanding of the world around us? In this eye-opening collection, Ian McEwan looks back at the history of scientific discovery from Darwin to Dawkins as well as exploring, with brilliant originality, what a future with AI and climate change could hold for us. Selected from Solar, Enduring Love, Machines Like MeVINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS.A series of short books by the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us humanAlso in the Vintage Minis 'Great Ideas' series:Religion by Karen ArmstrongArt by Simon SchamaTrade ReviewThey look good and read well. That’s win/win in our book * Stylist *Literature for the Twitter generation * Big Issue *

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Book SynopsisTracing uranium's past, and how it intersects with our understanding of other radioactive elements, this book aims to disentangle our attitudes and to unpick the atomic mindset. Chain Reactions looks at the fascinating, often-forgotten, stories that can be found throughout the history of the element. Ranging from glassworks to penny stocks; medicines to weapons; something to be feared to a powerful source of energy, this global history not only explores the development of our scientific understanding of uranium, but also shines a light on its cultural and social impact. By understanding our nuclear past, we can move beyond the ideological opposition to atomic technology and encourage a more nuanced dialogue about whether it is feasible - and desirable - to have a genuinely nuclear-powered future.

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a considered yet entertaining reflection on the progress of modern scientific research. The winding path of science can only be understood by revealing the personal, human side of scientific research, demystifying the actions of the scientist and exposing the human drama on the stage of science. The book looks at the true nature of contemporary science and scientists through the lens of the personal experiences of the author, a renowned and leading materials scientist, over the last half century. It examines the positive threads of modern scientific progress in sober juxtaposition to the manifest negative developments arising from stiff competition within the current academic landscape. A collection of stories and real-life anecdotes is presented in parallel to the career of the author, providing a first-hand account of important achievements in the field of materials science. As a result, this book provides fascinating reading for students, seasoned scientists, and anybody else interested in the workings and machinations of modern science.Trade Review“This is a fascinating book that should appeal to anyone wanting to have a view of the life of a typical academic scientist. … this book is thought provoking and should be of interest to anyone already working in science, especially those intending to work in science. There are many warnings and, at the same time, delights to be found in the numerous anecdotes and descriptions provided by the author. It is a generally good and entertaining read.” (A. Mike Glazer, Journal of Applied Crystallography, Vol. 56, 2023)“The book is a mixture of family history, the history of science, an insight into the politics of science, impressions of the publishing world … . It is recommended reading for researchers at all levels who are interested in materials-science research, funding and politics. … This book is a gem. A gem in the rough perhaps, but all the more genuine and valuable (to many) for that.” (C. Barry Carter, Journal of Materials Science, Vol. 58, 2023)Table of ContentsThe Parents.- Growing Up.- Touching Science; School Years.- The Notions Science and Physical Law.- The Becoming of a Scientist.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books A Best Science Book of the Year for the Guardian, Financial Times, and New Scientist It was the universe’s most elusive particle, the linchpin for everything scientists dreamed up to explain how physics works. It had to be found. But projects as big as CERN’s Large Hadron Collider don’t happen without incredible risks – or occasional skulduggery. In the definitive account of the greatest science story of our time, acclaimed physicist Sean Carroll reveals the insights, rivalry, and wonder that fuelled the Higgs discovery, and takes us on a riveting and irresistible ride to the very edge of physics today.Trade Review‘An authoritative account of science’s discovery of the year. Remarkable.’ * Financial Times *‘This book is so hard to put down. That’s testament to Carroll, a practising scientist, also being a gifted writer.’ * New Scientist *‘Compelling.’ * Independent *‘A very good – and very accessible – guide to all the theoretical physics, precision engineering, data handling, probability-measuring and other marvels.’ * Guardian *‘Delightful… for anyone excited by the particle at the end of the universe, start here.’ * BBC Focus *‘Carroll keeps it real, getting at the complex guts of cutting-edge cosmology in discussions that will challenge fans of Hawking’s A Brief History of Time.’ * Washington Post *‘The science is authoritative, yet bold and lively. The narrative is richly documented, yet full of human drama. Carroll’s saga pulls you aboard a modern voyage of discovery.’ -- Frank Wilczek, Nobel Laureate in Physics and author of A Beautiful Question‘In this superb book, Sean Carroll provides a fascinating and lucid look at the most mysterious and important particle in nature, and the experiment that revealed it. Anyone with an interest in physics should read this, and join him in examining the new worlds of physics to which this discovery may lead.’ -- Leonard Mlodinow, internationally bestselling author of Subliminal and Elastic

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Book SynopsisVolume 3 of three-volume set containing complete English text of all 13 books of the Elements plus critical apparatus analyzing each definition, postulate, and proposition in great detail. Covers textual and linguistic matters; mathematical analyses of Euclid''s ideas; classical, medieval, Renaissance and modern commentators; refutations, supports, extrapolations, reinterpretations and historical notes. Vol. 3 includes Books X-XIII: Commensurable magnitudes, solids, cones, cylinders.

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Book SynopsisFor six centuries the Republic of Venice was a maritime empire, its sovereign power extending throughout much of the eastern Mediterranean an empire of coasts, islands and isolated fortresses by which, as Wordsworth wrote, the mercantile Venetians ''held the gorgeous east in fee''. Jan Morris reconstructs the whole of this glittering dominion in the form of a sea-voyage, travelling along the historic Venetian trade routes from Venice itself to Greece, Crete and Cyprus. It is a traveller''s book, geographically arranged but wandering at will from the past to the present, evoking not only contemporary landscapes and sensations but also the characters, the emotions and the tumultuous events of the past. The first such work ever written about the Venetian Stato da Mar', it is an invaluable historical companion for visitors to Venice itself and for travellers through the lands the Doges once ruled.

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Book SynopsisIn Pathfinders: The Golden Age of Arabic Science, Jim al-Khalili celebrates the forgotten pioneers who helped shape our understanding of the world. For over 700 years the international language of science was Arabic. Surveying the golden age of Arabic science, Jim Al-Khalili reintroduces such figures as the Iraqi physicist Ibn al-Haytham, who practised the modern scientific method over half a century before Bacon; al-Khwarizmi, the greatest mathematician of the medieval world; and Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, a Persian polymath to rival Leonardo da Vinci. ''Jim Al-Khalili has a passion for bringing to a wider audience not just the facts of science but its history ... Just as the legacy of Copernicus and Darwin belongs to all of us, so does that of Ibn Sina and Ibn al-Haytham''  Independent ''He has brought a great story out of the shadows''   Literary Review ''His command of Arabic and mathemaTrade ReviewBrings alive the bubbling invention and delighted curiosity of the Islamic world ... his command of Arabic mathematical physics invests his story with sympathy as well as authority -- Tim Radford * Guardian *A fascinating and user-friendly guide to this whole scientific movement -- Noel Malcolm * Seven, Sunday Telegraph *Jim Al-Khalili has a passion for bringing to a wider audience not just the facts of science but its history ... Just as the legacy of Copernicus and Darwin belongs to all of us, so does that of Ibn Sina and Ibn al-Haytham. To think otherwise, as this book so powerfully reveals, is to do disservice to the tradition to which they belong -- Kenan Malik * Independent *Spry, informative and timely ... Al-Khalili takes the reader through a brisk survey of the highlights of the period -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *A fascinating introduction to a neglected area. His approachable style and ability to distil extensive knowledge into simple narrative makes Pathfinders an absorbing read -- Siobhan Murphy * Metro *Enjoyable and informative ... provides ample evidence for the compatibility of Islam and science -- Sameer Rahim * Daily Telegraph *He has brought a great story out of the shadows * Literary Review *This captivating book is a timely reminder of the debt owed by the West to the intellectual achievements of Arab, Persian and Muslim scholars * The Times *

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Book SynopsisFor many centuries, Aristotle''s Physics was the essential starting point for anyone who wished to study the natural sciencesThis book begins with an analysis of change, which introduces us to Aristotle''s central concepts of matter and form, before moving on to an account of explanation in the sciences and a defence of teleological explanation. Aristotle then turns to detailed, important, and often ingenious discussions of notions such as infinity, place, void, time, and conintuity. He ends with an argument designed to show that the changes we experience in the world demand as their cause a single unchanging cause of all change, namely God.This is the first complete translation of Physics into English since 1930. It presents Aristotle''s thought accurately, while at the same time simplifying and expanding the often crabbed and elliptical style of the original, so that it is very much easier to read. A lucid introduction and extensive notes explain the general structure of each sectionTrade Reviewthe editions deserve great credit for the enthusiasm of their approach ... The introductions by eminent scholars put the thoughts of the author and the history of the time into clear perspective. Oxford should be given credit for making the classics accessible for all rather than just crib notes for students. * Jonathan Copeland, Lincolnshire Echo *

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Book SynopsisTHE PERFECT GIFT FOR ALL BIBLIOMANIACS A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, SPECTATOR AND DAILY MAIL A WATERSTONES BEST POPULAR SCIENCE BOOK Plunge into this rich and thought-provoking A-Z compendium to discover how our fixations have taken shape, from the Middle Ages to the present day, as bestselling author Kate Summerscale deftly traces the threads between the past and present, the psychological and social, the personal and the political. 'Fascinating' Malcolm Gaskill, author of the No. 1 bestseller The Ruin of All Witches 'Fascinating' Observer 'An endlessly intriguing book ... All the bibliomanes (book nutters) I know will love it' Daily MailTrade ReviewFascinating ... Summerscale uses the same talent for elaborating on psychological tics that made her non-fiction thriller The Suspicions Of Mr. Whicher a top bestseller * Mail on Sunday *This fascinating compendium traces phobias and manias through their rich social, cultural and medical history -- Hannah Beckerman * Observer *An endlessly intriguing book * Daily Mail *Magnificent -- Marcus BerkmannThought-provoking, eloquent and entertaining * Fortean Times *Endlessly fascinating. It's a tantalising glimpse into the labyrinth of the human unconscious -- The TabletAmusing and oddly unsettling * The Times *Fascinating ... Phobias and manias create a magical space between us and the world -- Malcolm Gaskill, author of the No. 1 bestseller The Ruin of All WitchesWe are all, in some way or other, plagued by fears and desires beyond our control ... Fascinating, beautifully written and thoroughly researched * Irish Times *Thought-provoking and such fun -- Ian Mortimer, bestselling author of The Time Traveller's GuidesA fascinating book -- David CrystalA new book from Summerscale is always a treat. She does vast amounts of research, and then manages to let go of it, and take flight in prose that is both forensic and conversational ... Her sub-title - 'A History of the World in 99 Obsessions' - might echo Neil MacGregor, but this reads more like a book by Oliver Sacks, with dashes of Roald Dahl * Spectator *An intriguing guide to human fixations * Guardian *Fascinating... Exquisitely detailed and consistently insightful, this is an entertaining guide to humanity's compulsions * Publishers Weekly *99 hard-to-stop-reading histories ... from the familiar (homophobia) to surprising fears of eggs, hair, silence and everything (pantophobia) * Chicago Tribune *Informative, witty, and unique ... Summerscale, author of The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher and other well-regarded books, lists 99 fears and compulsions, and the result is a peculiarly engaging book * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisAs a new wave of interplanetary exploration unfolds, a talented young planetary scientist charts our centuries-old obsession with Mars.''Beautifully written, emotive - a love letter to a planet'' DERMOT O''LEARY, BBC Radio 2Mars - bewilderingly empty, coated in red dust - is an unlikely place to pin our hopes of finding life elsewhere. And yet, right now multiple spacecraft are circling, sweeping over Terra Sabaea, Syrtis Major, the dunes of Elysium and Mare Sirenum - on the brink, perhaps, of a discovery that would inspire humankind as much as any in our history. With poetic precision and grace, Sarah Stewart Johnson traces the evocative history of our explorations of Mars. She interlaces her personal journey as a scientist with tales of other seekers - from Galileo to William Herschel to Carl Sagan - who have scoured this enigmatic planet for signs of life and transformed it in our understanding from a distant point of light into a compTrade ReviewBeautifully written, emotive - a love letter to a planet -- Dermot O'Leary * BBC Radio 2 *Elegantly written and boundlessly entertaining * Sunday Telegraph *Beguiling * The Times *Johnson's prose swirls with lyrical wonder, as varied and multi-hued as the apricot deserts, butterscotch skies and blue sunsets of Mars -- Anthony Doerr * New York Times Book Review *The inside story of the exploration of Mars. A young woman scientist shows what it is like to be in the thick of exciting and ground-breaking research. -- Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Professor of Astrophysics, University of OxfordExhilarating, informative, always engaging... beautiful in its descriptions -- Andrew Crumey * Literary Review *This elegantly crafted book conveys what it's like to be a young scientist involved in the quest. -- Lord Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal and author of On the Future: Prospects for HumanityA celebration of human curiosity, passion and perseverance. Superb in its storytelling, majestic in its vision, The Sirens of Mars will give readers a new appreciation for the preciousness of life in the cosmos. -- Alan Lightman, author of Einstein's DreamsThe Sirens of Mars provides the prospect of great discovery, and an introduction to a writer of the first rank. -- Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor Emeritus, Harvard UniversityThere's no better guide to what NASA's various Mars missions have revealed ... A true love letter to geology, on this world and others * Nature *A must-read for fans of our Martian neighbour and humanity's longstanding search for life elsewhere in the Universe * BBC Sky At Night *Mars is an exceptionally inhospitable place. The coldest Antarctic winter, the windiest Everest December - each is as nothing compared with an unremarkable day on the red planet. That is precisely why Mars is such a good place to look for life. If it exists there, Sarah Stewart Johnson writes, "the smallest breath in the deepest night", then the only conclusion is there must be life throughout the universe. This beguiling book is about the search for life on Mars - from those who thought the planet was criss-crossed with canals to those, like the author, who just hope for a microbe or two. * Times (best books of the year) *Brilliantly realised... Full of joy and existential curiosity, the book's images and metaphors take up residence in our minds and burn there, connecting scientific inquiry with deep questions about human existence. In every line Johnson makes us feel the passion for discovery and the desire to connect * The Whiting Award Selection Committee *

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Book SynopsisMaths 100 Ideas in 100 Words offers the essential facts at your fingertips, satisfying your mathematical curiosity and helping you to understand the biggest concepts in maths in concise, 100-word summaries. One of the first titles in a cutting-edge new series created in partnership with The Science Museum, this book introduces 100 key areas of maths - such as prime numbers, algebra, probability, algorithms and pure maths - and explains each topic in just 100 words. Perfect for getting your head around big ideas clearly and quickly, or refreshing your memory of the fundamentals of maths, this book covers the most up-to-date terms and theories and inspires a heightened level of understanding and enjoyment to the core areas of maths you can discover in The Science Museum.

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Book SynopsisThe first book to chronicle how innovation in laboratory designs for botanical research energized the emergence of physiological plant ecology as a vibrant subdiscipline

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Book SynopsisWhat happened to the European mind between 1605, when an audience watching Macbeth at the Globe might believe that regicide was such an aberration of the natural order that ghosts could burst from the ground, and 1649, when a large crowd, perhaps including some who had seen Macbeth forty-four years earlier, could stand and watch the execution of a king? Or consider the difference between a magus casting a star chart and the day in 1639, when Jonathan Horrock and William Crabtree watched the transit of Venus across the face of the sun from their attic, successfully testing its course against Kepler's Tables of Planetary Motion, in a classic case of confirming a scientific theory by empirical testing.In this turbulent period, science moved from the alchemy and astrology of John Dee to the painstaking observation and astronomy of Galileo, from the classicism of Aristotle, still favoured by the Church, to the evidence-based, collegiate investigation of Francis Bacon. And if tTrade ReviewBritain’s most eminent publicly engaged philosopher * Scotland on Sunday *If there is any such person in Britain as The Thinking man, it is A. C. Grayling * The Times *Grayling is particularly good at illuminating the knottiness of moral discourse * Sunday Times *There is an immense depth of human wisdom on display here, and five minutes with any passage will have you contemplating all day * Independent on The Good Book *Very interesting … His account of the transition from magic to science is fascinating, and he demonstrates persuasively that the 17th century did indeed see a revolution in habits of thought and understanding of the physical world -- Allan Massie * Scotsman *This sprint from the tenets of superstition to an increasingly revealed reality is a wonderful subject * Glasgow Herald *Grayling is a natural educator … He provides concise and helpful summaries of pertinent events and ideas * Spectator *His chapters on Bacon’s freethinking, on Newton’s scientific method and on Locke’s political theory are models of their craft * Tablet *A fascinating look at where we come from * Western Mail *Anyone who can steer this particular reader through the labyrinth of diets and edicts and treaties that populate The Thirty Years’ War deserves the highest praise. And Grayling is a model of clarity … As a survey of the period, The Age of Genius is fascinating [and] as an account of the development of ideas during one of the most exciting periods in Western history, The Age of Genius excels. Its scope is remarkable and it wears its learning lightly * Literary Review *A characteristically lucid but impassioned account of the power of ideas to change the way we see the world -- P.D. Smith * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA hugely entertaining exploration of unintentional world-changing discoveries in science, for fans of ELEMENTAL and HUMANS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW WE F*CKED IT ALL UP.

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Book SynopsisFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author of Elephant's on Acid comes a collection of the wackiest theories from science and history.What if we’re living inside a black hole? What if we’ve already found extraterrestrial life? What if the dinosaurs died in a nuclear war? What if Jesus Christ was actually a mushroom?In Psychedelic Apes, bestselling author Alex Boese delves into the curious scientific subculture of weird theories. Thoroughly bizarre and contrary to the established norm, these ideas are often vehemently rejected by the intellectual community.From the creation of the universe to the evolution of humans, the birth of civilization right through to our more recent past, Psychedelic Apes explores some of the craziest ideas from science and history and shows that, sometimes, even the weirdest theories may be proved true . . .Trade ReviewEye-popping -- Daily Mail on Electrified SheepVery well researched and engaging . . . this will likely be enjoyed equally by science buffs and casual aficionados of the curious. One of the finest science/history bathroom books of all time. -- Kirkus Reviews on Elephants on Acid

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Book SynopsisA geneticist tells the stories of men, women, and children whose genes have shaped their lives in unexpected ways. It was while listening to a colleague tell the parents of a newborn girl that their daughter was going to die that a lifelong interest in genetic medicine was sparked in Dr Edwin Kirk. Warmth and gentleness tempered a direct, sure manner — this was the medicine he wanted to practise, where the most advanced science and the most deeply human meet. Twenty-five years later, Dr Kirk works both with patients and in the lab, and he spearheads a campaign that will change the way we think about having babies. His experience is without parallel, but it is his humour and insight that make all the difference. Find out why Dr Kirk found himself among hundreds of people, each with a glass of poison in front of them — and how you might perform the same experiment yourself (without the poison). Learn how the realisation that a young boy wasn’t short ended up saving the life of his mother — and how Angelina Jolie has saved the lives of many more. Sit in the room with Dr Kirk and his patients as they navigate the world of heartbreaking uncertainties, tantalising possibilities, and thorny questions of morality. In genetics, it is the particularities of an individual’s history that matter, and here, in clear and considerate writing, those individual stories are given voice.Trade Review‘This is an excellent book that explores the history, ethics, patient stories, and explanations of science in a sensitive and relatable way. It is a very readable book that does not overwhelm the reader with scientific facts. It takes a complicated topic in medicine and makes genetics accessible to a wider audience.’ -- Judges’ citation from the 2022 BMA medical book awards‘Admirable … With great precision and detail, Dr Kirk explores the unexpected ways in which our genes shape our lives … A renowned geneticist, Kirk is also a capable writer. He is humorous, modest, insightful, and humane.’ -- Kevin O’Sullivan * Irish Examiner *‘This new book sets out to share the experiences and anecdotes of a career in genetic medicine more than two-decades long, while narrating segments of the history of genetic pathology and exploring the world of genes today and to come … Kirk makes effective use of footnotes to deflate the academic style and maintain a sense of personality and fun.’ -- David Ferrell * Canberra Times *‘Both an account of the human stories at the heart of Kirk’s practice and a beginner’s guide to genetic medicine, The Genes That Make Us tells of the significant progress that has been made in genetics over the past two decades, while also signalling how far there is left to travel.’ -- Diane Stubbings * Australian Book Review *

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