History of science Books
Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press Science and Islam
Book SynopsisText in Arabic. From Musa Al-Khwarizmi who developed algebra in 9th-century Baghdad to Al-Jazari, a 13th-century Turkish engineer whose achievements include the crank, the camshaft and the reciprocating piston, Science and Islam tells the story of one of historys most misunderstood yet rich and fertile periods in science: the extraordinary Islamic scientific revolution between 700 and 1400 CE. Science writer Ehsan Masood weaves the stories of these and other scientists into a compelling narrative, taking the reader on a journey through the Islamic empires of the Middle Ages, and their contributions to science in Western Europe.
£9.49
Columbia University Press The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks
Book SynopsisEvery rock is a tangible trace of the earth’s past. This book tells the fascinating stories behind the discoveries that shook the foundations of geology. In twenty-five chapters—each about a particular rock, outcrop, or geologic phenomenon—Donald R. Prothero recounts the scientific detective work that shaped our understanding of geology.Trade ReviewA natural follow-up to the author’s The Story of Life in 25 Fossils . . . [A] useful introduction to geology. * Kirkus Reviews *In 25 short and enjoyable chapters, [Prothero] explores issues that have been at the center of geology since long before geology was a science... Prothero provides thought-provoking historical context for each subject and presents information about the individuals responsible for advancing geological knowledge—including James Hutton, Charles Lyell, and Alfred Wegener—while explaining the underlying science in an accessible manner. * Publishers Weekly *Geologist Donald Prothero has crafted a rock-solid premise for this delightful book. -- Barbara Kiser * Nature *I learned something and gained a deeper appreciation for the history of Earth science from reading The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks. I recommend it to anyone interested in tales of scientific discovery and natural marvels. * Physics Today *Skillfully presents a vast array of facts that should appeal to readers newly acquainted with Earth science who are interested in learning a bit more. * Choice *The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks provides twenty-five well-lit doorways into the sometimes dark and imposing edifice of the geologic past. Colorful characters welcome the reader in, revealing the very human nature of scientific inquiry and our long and complicated relationship with rocks. -- Marcia Bjornerud, author of Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of EarthTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments 1. Volcanic Tuff: Vulcan’s Wrath: The Eruption of Vesuvius2. Native Copper: The Iceman and the Island of Copper3. Cassiterite: The “Isles of Tin” and the Bronze Age4. Angular Unconformity: “No Vestige of a Beginning”: The Immensity of Geologic Time5. Igneous Dikes: The “Earth’s Great Heat Engine”: The Origin of Magmas6. Coal: The Rock That Burns Fires the Industrial Revolution7. Jurassic World: The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Rocks of Britain8. Radioactive Uranium: Clocks in Rocks: Arthur Holmes and the Age of the Earth9. Chondritic Meteorites: Messengers From Space: The Origin of the Solar System10. Iron-Nickel Meteorites: The Cores of Other Planets 11. Moon Rocks: Green Cheese or Anorthosite: The Origin of the Moon12. Zircons: Early Oceans and Life? Evidence in a Grain of Sand13. Stromatolites: Microbial Condos: Cyanobacteria and the Oldest Life14. Banded Iron Formation: Mountains of Iron: The Earth’s Early Atmosphere15. Turbidites: Archean Sediments and Submarine Landslides16. Diamictites: Tropical Glaciers and the Snowball Earth17. Exotic Terranes: Paradox in Rocks: Wandering Fossils and Traveling Landmasses18. Jigsaw-Puzzle Bedrock: Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift19. Chalk: The Cretaceous Seaway and Greenhouse Planet20. The Iridium Layer: The Death of the Dinosaurs21. Lodestones: How Paleomagic Launched Plate Tectonics22. Blueschists: The Puzzle of Subduction Zones23. Transform Faults: Earthquake! The San Andreas Fault24. Messinian Evaporites: The Mediterranean Was a Desert25. Glacial Erraticts: A Poet, a Professor, a Politician, a Janitor, and the Discovery of the Ice AgesIndex
£19.00
Princeton University Press The Einsteinian Revolution
Book SynopsisTrade Review"[Provides] an excellent overview of Einstein’s major discoveries, from his early work on quantum theory to general relativity, the new law of gravity that overturned Newton. It is a welcome addition to any collection of books on modern physics."---Marcia Bartusiak, Wall Street Journal"In The Einsteinian Revolution, two eminent experts on Einstein’s life and his theory of relativity . . . offer an original and penetrating analysis of Einstein’s revolutionary contributions to physics and our view of the physical world. . . . The Einsteinian Revolution is an important and thought-provoking contribution to the scholarly literature on Einstein and his astounding scientific creativity between 1905 and 1925. Gutfreund and Renn might not have given the final answer as to why Einstein, of all people, revolutionized physics in the way that he did. But they argue in fascinating detail that, to understand his genius, one must take into account not just the earlier history of physics but also the history of knowledge more broadly.” – Helge Kragh, Nature"---Helge Kragh, Nature
£25.20
Princeton University Press A History of Biology
Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""Compelling. . . . Morange simultaneously manages to present the facts with authority and to challenge the reader to think more deeply about what he writes."---Andrew Saintsing, Integrative and Comparative Biology
£29.75
Dorling Kindersley Ltd Books That Changed History
Book SynopsisTable of Contents 1: Foreword 2: Introduction 3: 3000BCE – 999CE 1: Ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead 2: I Ching 3: The Art of War 4: Mahabharata 5: Dead Sea Scroll 6: Vienna Dioscoride 7: Book of Kells 8: The Blue Qur’an 9: Diamond Sutra 10: The Exeter Book 11: Directory 4: 1000-1449 1: The Tale of Genji 2: The Canon of Medicine 3: The Domesday 4: The Gospels of Henry the Lion 5: Les Très Riches 6: Heures du Duc de Berry 7: Directory 5: 1450 – 1649 1: Gutenberg Bible 2: Elementa Geometriae 3: Nuremberg Chronicle 4: Divine Comedy 5: Hypnerotomachia Poliphili 6: Harmonice Musices Odhecaton 7: The Codex Leicester 8: Vier Bücher vonmenschlicher Proportion 9: Il Principe 10: Epitome 11: Cosmographia 12: Les Prophéties 13: Aubin Codex 14: The Discoverie of Witchcraft 15: Don Quixote 16: King James Bible 17: Hortus Eystettensis 18: Tutte l’opere d’architettura 19: Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies 20: Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo 21: Bay Psalm Book 22: Directory 6: 1650-1899 1: Micrographia 2: Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica 3: Systema Naturae 4: L’Encyclopédie… des Sciences, des Arts et des Métiers 5: A Dictionary of the English Language 6: Bucolica, Georgica, et Aeneis 7: Tristram Shandy 8: Fables in Verse 9: The Wealth of Nations 10: Rights of Man 11: Songs of Innocence and of Experience 12: Birds of America 13: Procedure for Writing Words, Music, and Plainsong in Dots 14: Baedeker guidebooks 15: The Pickwick Papers 16: The Holy Land 17: Photographs of British Algae: 18: Cyanotype Impressions 19: Uncle Tom's Cabin 20: Leaves of Grass 21: On the Origin of Species 22: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 23: Das Kapital 24: The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer Now Newly Imprinted 25: Un Coup de Dés Jamais N’Abolira Le Hasard 26: Directory 7: 1900 Onwards 1: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 2: The Tale of Peter Rabbit 3: The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm 4: General Theory of Relativity 5: Pro Dva Kvadrata 6: Penguin’s First 10 Paperback Books 7: The Diary of a Young Girl 8: Le Petit Prince 9: Le Deuxième Sexe 10: The Feminine Mystique 11: Silent Spring 12: Quotations from Chairman 13: Mao Tse-tung 14: Directory 8: Index 9: Acknowledgements
£21.25
The University of Chicago Press The Scientific Revolution
Book SynopsisIn this classic of science history, Shapin takes into account the culture the variety of beliefs, practices, and influences that in the 1600s shaped the origins of the modern scientific worldview.
£16.00
Harvard University Press The Copernican Revolution
Book SynopsisFor scientist and layman alike this book provides vivid evidence that the Copernican Revolution has by no means lost its significance today. Few episodes in the development of scientific theory show so clearly how the solution to a highly technical problem can alter our basic thought processes and attitudes.Trade ReviewReading this book in the current age of extrasolar planets, genetics and string theory is eye-opening. -- Caleb Scharf * Nature *An illuminating account of the intellectual transformation which laid the foundations of modern science and philosophy, and which may therefore be said to have created the modern world. * Scientific American *No other book is so patient, so comprehensive, so sensitive, in its recovery of the experience and the outlook from which the older scientific theories emerged. No other book so enables us to see the intellectual hurdles that existed and to relive something of the process of actual scientific discovery. * American Historical Review *In this study of the Copernican Revolution, [Thomas Kuhn] brings to a common focus the considered approach of the historian, the technical understanding of the scientist and the skill and experience of an able teacher. No careful reader of this well-wrought volume can fail to appreciate the nicely balanced interplay of these elements in the full explication of one of the major turning points in the evolution of scientific thought. For those concerned with the teaching of the history of science, Dr. Kuhn’s discussion of the issues involved in the Copernican Revolution will prove to be indispensable, a superb analysis of the ‘anatomy of revolution.’ Those drawn to the question of meaning which the historian of science can give to the evolution of ideas will find this book equally valuable, a paradigm of synthesis and interpretation. * Isis *Table of Contents* Foreword by James Bryant Conant *1. The Ancient Two-Sphere Universe *2. The Problem of the Planets *3. The Two-Sphere Universe in Aristotelian Thought *4. Recasting the Tradition. Aristotle to the Copernicans *5. Copernicus' Innovation *6. The Assimilation of Copernican Astronomy *7. The New Universe * Technical Appendix * References * Bibliographical * Notes * Index
£25.16
Pluto Press A History of Anthropology
Book SynopsisThoroughly updated and revised edition of a popular classic of modern anthropology.Trade Review'A well written and informative book on a subject of great importance for all social anthropologists. A work which offers a sober and balanced account of the historical growth of anthropology'. It certainly deserves to be widely read' -- The European Journal of Developmental Research'The authors describe this book as an ambitious but unpretentious attempt to 'cover all the major traditions in social and cultural anthropology'. They achieve this in nine pithy chapters that follow the development of anthropological ideas from the ancient Greeks to the end of the 1990s. -- The Australian Journal of AnthropologyTable of ContentsSeries preface Preface 1. Proto-Anthropology Introduction Herodotus and other Greeks After Antiquity The European Conquests and their Impact Why All This is not Quite Anthropology Yet The Enlightenment Romanticism 2. Victorians, Germans and a Frenchman Introduction Evolutionism and Cultural History Morgan Marx Bastian and the German Tradition Tylor and Other Victorians The Golden Bough and the Torres Expedition German Diffusionism The New Sociology Durkheim Weber 3. Four Founding Fathers Introduction The Founding Fathers and their Projects Malinowski and the Trobriand Islanders Radcliffe-Brown's Natural Science of Society Boas and Historical Particularism Mauss and the Total Social Prestation Anthropology in 1930: Parallels and Divergences 4. Expansion and Institutionalisation Introduction A Marginal Discipline? Oxford and LSE, Columbia and Chicago The Dakar-Djibouti Expedition Culture and Personality Cultural History Ethnolinguistics The Chicago School 'Kinshipology' Functionalism's Last Stand Some British Outsiders 5. Forms of Change Introduction Neo-evolutionism and Cultural Ecology Formalism and Substativism Methodological Individualists at Cambridge Role Analysis and System Theory 6. The Power of Symbols Introduction From Function to Meaning Ethnoscience and Symbolic Anthropology Geertz and Schneider Levi-Strauss and Structuralism Early Impact The State of the Art in 1968 7. Questioning Authority Introduction The Return of Marx Structural Marxism The Not-Quite-Marxists Political Economy and the Capitalist World System Feminism and the Birth of Reflexive Fieldwork Ethnicity Practice Theory The Sociobiology Debate and Samoa 8. The End of Modernism? Introduction The End of Modernism? The Postcolonial World A New Departure or a Return to Boas? Other Positions 9. Global Networks Introduction Towards an International Anthropology? Trends for the Future Biology and Culture Globalisation and the Production of Locality Bibliography Index
£21.84
Northgate Publishers Hathors Alchemy
Book Synopsis
£24.75
Princeton University Press Cosmologys Century
Book SynopsisTrade Review"James Peebles, Co-Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics""Finalist for the PROSE Award in Cosmology and Astronomy, Association of American Publishers""It's hard to imagine anyone better placed to recount the inside story of modern cosmology. . . . For anyone seriously interested in the ways of science and how we came to understand our place in the Universe, this is essential reading."---Giles Sparrow, BBC Sky at Night Magazine"As expected, the quality is top-notch. . . . [Cosmology's Century] is also very well written. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in the first hundred years of modern cosmology."---Phillip Helbig, The Observatory
£19.80
Rutgers University Press Ignition An Informal History of Liquid Rocket
Book SynopsisTells the story of the search for a rocket propellant which could be trusted to take man into space. Acclaimed scientist and sci-fi author John D. Clark writes with irreverent and eyewitness immediacy about the development of the explosive fuels strong enough to negate the relentless restraints of gravity.Trade Review"This insider's account of the early years of rocketry captures the excitement of researching and developing technologies that lie outside the realm of computer science. While we're accustomed to think of technological progress in terms of Moore's law, in a few short years these engineers went from launching metal tubes small enough to hold in your hand to propelling a two ton metal capsule containing three humans all the way to the moon."— Inc., 9 Powerful Books Elon Musk Recommends "A good book on rocket stuff...that's a really fun one." — Elon Musk "Ignition! is a history of liquid rocket propellants, but it's also a history of cold war and the space race, told from a particular point of view....That humor helps the accessibility, and as long as you remember some high school chemistry you shouldn't have a problem with the science either."— Ars Technica "Ignition!, originally written in 1972, is back in print after a long hiatus. A classic book, it tells a rollicking story of an era when space was the frontier. An informative history, it reads like an adventure story."— Galveston County Daily News "Read this book. You’ll find plenty about John and all the other sky-high crackpots who were in the field with him and you may even get (as I did) a glimpse of the heroic excitement that seemed to make it reasonable to cuddle with death every waking moment—to say nothing of learning a heck of a lot about the way in which the business of science is really conducted." — Issac Asimov, from the foreword "Ignition! is a hard-to-get-your-hands-on account of early rocket science...Clark was an American chemist active in the development of rocket fuels back in the 1960s and 1970s, and the book is both an account of the growth of the field and an explainer of how the science works." — Business InsiderTable of ContentsContents In Re John D. Clark - foreword by Issac Asimov Preface 1 How It Started 2 Peenemunde and JPL 3 The Hunting of the Hypergol . . . 4 . . . and Its Mate 5 Peroxide – Always a Bridesmaid 6 Halogens and Politics and Deep Space 7 Performance 8 Lox and Flox and Cryogenics in General 9 What Ivan Was Doing 10 “Exotics” 11 The Hopeful Monoprops 12 High Density and the Higher Foolishness 13 What Happens Next Glossary Index
£24.29
Penguin Books Ltd The Invention of Medicine
Book SynopsisLonglisted for the RUNCIMAN AWARD, 2021Medicine is one of the great fields of achievement of the Ancient Greeks. Hippocrates is celebrated worldwide as the father of medicine and the Hippocratic Oath is admired throughout the medical profession as a founding statement of ethics and ideals. In the fifth century BC, Greeks even wrote of medicine as a newly discovered craft they had invented.Robin Lane Fox''s remarkable book puts their invention of medicine in a wider context, from the epic poems of Homer to the first doctors known to have been active in the Greek world. He examines what we do and do not know about Hippocrates and his Oath and the many writings that survive under his name. He then focuses on seven core texts which give the case histories of named individuals, showing that books 1 and 3 belong far earlier than previously recognised. Their re-dating has important consequences for the medical awareness of the great Greek dramatists and the historians Herodotus and Thucydides. Robin Lane Fox pieces together the doctor''s thinking from his terse observations and relates it in a new way to the history of Greek prose and ideas.This original and compelling book opens windows onto many other aspects of the classical world, from women''s medicine to street-life, empire, art, sport, sex and even botany. It fills a dark decade in a new way and carries readers along an extraordinary journey form Homer''s epics to the grateful heirs of the Greek case histories, first in the Islamic world and then in early modern Europe.Trade ReviewIn this engaging history by the biographer of Alexander the Great, lightened with wry donnish wit... readers can enjoy a vivid ride through a part of Greece little visited in either body or mind. -- Peter Stothard * Financial Times *an exciting addition to a flurry of books on ancient medicine in recent years ... Lane Fox, who is known for his originality and his exceptionally broad interests as a historian, which range from Alexander the Great to Augustine, built The Invention of Medicine: From Homer to Hippocrates on a decades' worth of impressive scholarship ... His account of early Greek medicine is an engaging, well informed introduction to the complex reality of the world of healing in ancient Greece. Drawing on as many sources as possible, yet making complex data accessible to a wide audience, Lane Fox describes the skills of doctors and the experiences of their patients with gusto ... groundbreaking -- Caroline Petit * The Lancet *My favourite book from our lock-down times is The Invention of Medicine by Robin Lane Fox, a great Oxford classicist's contribution to the most needed discipline of the day. By original and skilful argument, it shows how some of the direct observations attributed to Hippocrates, the 'father of medicine', dated by him earlier than most of us had thought before, influenced Thucydides and other writers at the very birth of reasoned history. -- Peter Stothard * Aspects of History Books of the Year *a most welcome contribution to this ever-growing field by one of today's most eminent voices in ancient history. In his latest book, Robin Lane Fox, probably best known for his work on Alexander the Great and Augustine, offers a refreshing and at points ground-breaking revision of the beginnings of ancient Greek medicine ... In his attempt to disentangle and revise the 'invention of medicine' as a highly complex and multifaceted phenomenon in early medical history Robin Lane Fox succeeds brilliantly in constructing a narrative that is, at the same time, innovative and introductive, informative and entertaining, thoroughly historical yet with the occasional contemporary twist. Writing in an accessible style, aimed at both a general and informed readership and abounding in donnish wit, Lane Fox takes his reader on a scholarly joyride -- Michiel Meeusen * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Radically, Lane Fox is keen to date Books One and Three of the Epidemics very early in the story of the development of Greek medicine, much earlier than anyone else has done ... The case is ingenious ... He knows how to pace a narrative and he has a raconteur's eye for detail. -- Alastair Blanshard * Times Literary Supplement *Lane Fox leads us down intriguing paths of epigraphy, political history, philology and archaeology -- James Romm * London Review of Books *Robin Lane Fox's remarkable The Invention of Medicine brings to vivid life the island city of Thasos in the fifth century bc, when it was home to the author of books of case studies now called Epidemics I and 3, whose details are so forensic that we can diagnose his patients' ailments and pinpoint their addresses in the modern city. Around these works Lane Fox weaves a compelling history of Greek medicine, before arguing that they betray such scientific rigour that their author can be none other than Hippocrates himself. -- David Stuttard * Aspects of History Books of the Year *
£12.34
Penguin Books Ltd Fundamentals
Book SynopsisOne of our great contemporary scientists reveals the ten profound insights that illuminate what everyone should know about the physical worldIn Fundamentals, Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek offers the reader a simple yet profound exploration of reality based on the deep revelations of modern science. With clarity and an infectious sense of joy, he guides us through the essential concepts that form our understanding of what the world is and how it works. Through these pages, we come to see our reality in a new way--bigger, fuller, and stranger than it looked before.Synthesizing basic questions, facts, and dazzling speculations, Wilczek investigates the ideas that form our understanding of the universe: time, space, matter, energy, complexity, and complementarity. He excavates the history of fundamental science, exploring what we know and how we know it, while journeying to the horizons of the scientific world to give us a glimpse of what we may soon discover. Brilliant, lucid, and accessible, this celebration of human ingenuity and imagination will expand your world and your mind.Trade ReviewA gorgeous and inviting overview of the fundamental facts of physical reality. -- Steven Pinker, Johnson Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Enlightenment NowIf you were to go back just two hundred years and tell people what we knew, from the origins of the universe to the molecular basis of life, and how weird and unintuitive nature is at the atomic scale, they would think we were crazy. But if you showed them what we have created with that knowledge, they would think we were magicians. In this engaging and highly accessible book, Frank Wilczek shows how the vast edifice that is modern science was constructed with only a few ingredients and assumptions, but depended crucially on a way of thinking--about the nature of evidence and how it applied to the world around us. Anyone interested in the underlying basis of the complexity of today's science will enjoy this book. -- Venki Ramakrishnan, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and author of Gene MachineFrank Wilczek is not only one of the world's greatest physicists; he's also one of its greatest explainers. Fundamentals is lucid, beautiful, and revelatory. -- Steven Strogatz, professor of mathematics, Cornell University, and author of Infinite PowersWhether or not you're accustomed to reading physics for pleasure, the Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek's Fundamentals might be the perfect book for the winter of this plague year... Wilczek writes with breathtaking economy and clarity, and his pleasure in his subject is palpable... What a reader gets in Fundamentals is the native language of physics - mathematics - precisely translated by someone who has spent a lifetime (about a billion thoughts!) on these forces that shape our physical world -- Nell Freudenberger * The New York Times *This is an exuberant, gorgeously crafted, and intellectually thrilling book, written by one of our greatest living scientists yet hospitable to all. To be reminded that time and space, mystery and order, are so much stranger and more generous than we can comprehend-this is a gift to public life and moral imagination in a young century where what is visible and tangible feels chaotic and constricting. This book is also unexpectedly spiritually thrilling. Wilczek makes the remarkable move of picking up and evolving the classic scientists' faith that their investigations would reveal the mind of our maker, as well as Einstein's self-described 'cosmic spiritual sensibility.' What began as an exposition, as Wilzcek writes, 'grew into a contemplation.' The result is a profoundly enriched understanding, accessible to the religious and non-religious alike, of what it means to be human-and what we might be pointing at when we use the word God. -- Krista Tippett, host of On Being and author of Becoming Wise[Wilczek] turns out to be a true visionary * The Times *For those with more scientific yearnings, and who regret not taking a few courses in college to learn about the physical world, theoretical physicist Frank Wilczek offers a way to catch up . . . With his clear and joyful voice, Wilczek succeeds very well, and for good reason . . . There is no calculus required; this is not Physics 101. Instead, Wilczek talks about modern physics and cosmology from a more broad-brush and philosophical perspective, often linking their findings to the real world - how they affect us. In this age of rising skepticism, he wants his readers - whom he imagines to be lawyers, doctors, artists, parents or simply curious people - to be 'born again, in the way of science'. * Washington Post *A lucid and riveting narrative of the fundamentals-what Wilczek calls 'the central messages of modern physics,' which are not just facts about how the world works but also 'the style of thought that allowed us to discover them. * Scientific American *Mr. Wilczek's prose pulses with enthusiasm for its subject -- Christopher Levenick * Wall Street Journal *The universe at its grandest and most minuscule is explored in this beguiling meditation on physics. . . a stimulating and very readable scientific tour of the cosmos. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *...breathtaking feat . . . the narrative is a mind-bender of the first order-in the best way possible-but what makes it so engrossing is that the author does far more than just present the facts and speculations, however fascinating; on every page, readers will glean his exhilaration and joy in discovery . . . Another winner from Wilczek, who invites us to be born again into a richer, deeper understanding of the world. * Kirkus,starred review *This is a book about deep ideas, not passing fancies. It will teach you profound principles, not dry lists of facts. It's a rare treat indeed to get a glimpse into the mind of one of the world's leading physicists, presented in an engaging style that will be enjoyed by anyone at all. -- Sean Carroll, author of Something Deeply HiddenHow is the universe put together? Beneath the bewildering clamor of the world around us, there lies a hidden realm of subtle mathematical beauty, a bedrock of fundamental principles in which all of nature is grounded. Few living scientists have accomplished more than Frank Wilczek in helping unveil that deeper layer of existence. With poetry and fervor, Wilczek takes us on a breathtaking journey to the frontiers of physics, and reminds us of just how privileged we human beings are to glimpse the foundations of reality. -- Paul Davies, Regents' Professor at Arizona State University and author of The Demon in the MachineA delightful book . . . Frank Wilczek is that rare creature: a first-class scientist who is also an extremely talented communicator. . . Wilczek constantly finds fresh ways to present such ideas, so that you emerge with new insight into what they mean. . . . Fundamentals is, then, not only an exceptional piece of science communication but also a deeply humanistic book * Physics World *Fundamentals is an engaging account of the history of humankind's understanding of reality, told by one of the key contributors to recent parts of that story. Wilczek's grasp on the physics he relates is comprehensive and authoritative; he conveys technicalities with a rare combination of accuracy and accessibility . . . Wilczek provides an exceptionally clear guide to the state of physical knowledge in the early 21st century, much in the spirit of the sort of explanation that the ancient Greeks desired * Science News *It's hard to imagine a better tour of fundamental physics than the one I got from Frank Wilczek here. Loved it -- Sam Harris, Twitter
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Climate Change in Human History
Book SynopsisClimate Change and Human History provides a concise introduction to the relationship between human beings and climate change throughout history. Starting hundreds of thousands of years ago and going up to the present day, this book illustrates how natural climate variability affected early human societies and how human activity is now leading to drastic changes to our climate. Taking a chronological approach the authors explain how climate change created opportunities and challenges for human societies in each major time period, covering themes such as phases of climate and history, climate shocks, the rise and fall of civilizations, industrialization, accelerating climate change and our future outlook. This 2nd edition includes a new chapter on the explosion of social movements, protest groups and key individuals since 2017 and the implications this has had on the history of climate change, an improved introduction to the Anthropocene and extra content on the basic dynamics oTrade Review“A superb work of historical and scientific synthesis. Lieberman and Gordon show how fruitful collaborative efforts between scientists and humanists can be.” * Frank Zelko, Associate Professor of History, University of Hawaii, USA *“Climate Change in Human History demonstrates just how fundamentally a changing climate has worked its way through into the pores of the historical record. This impressive and vastly important volume lays out, in an accessible and stimulating way, a comprehensive narrative from human origins to what may become our anthropogenic twilight. Essential reading not just for historians but students of all disciplines!” * Mark Levene, Emeritus Fellow, History, University of Southampton, UK *They say that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. When it comes to climate change, understanding the impact of past climate changes on human civilization is critical to assessing the unprecedented threat we face with human-caused climate change. Now updated to include key movements and events since 2017, there is no better treatment of the topic than Climate Change in Human History. It is a must-read for anyone seeking greater knowledge of climate history and what it can teach us. * Michael E. Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science, Penn State University, USA *Climate Change and Human History remains easily the best introduction to this topic for students. Each chapter combines up-to-date climate science and apt historical interpretation with a global scope. The new edition brings the story up to the present, with a concise explanation of climate change impacts, adaptations, and policies. I recommend it to anyone seeking historical perspectives on our current crisis. * Sam White, Professor of Environmental History, Ohio State University, USA *Table of ContentsGlossary Timeline Introduction 1. A Fragile Start: Ice Ages 2. The Rise of Farming 3. Complex Societies 4. Climate and Civilizations of the Middle Ages 5. Little Ice Age and Regional Climate Change 6. Humans Take Over: Industrialization and Climate Change 7. The Future is Now: Climate Change and Human Societies in the 21st Century 8. Climate Change and Human Responses: Projections and Controversies 9. Declarations, Rebellions and Marches: The Climate Change Emergency Bibliography Index
£20.69
Quercus Publishing The Story of Astronomy
Book SynopsisFrom the ancient origins of astronomy to the Copernican revolution, and from Galileo to Hawking''s research into black holes, The Story of Astronomy charts the discoveries of some of the greatest minds in human history, and their attempts to unveil the secrets of the stars. Peter Aughton''s trademark narrative style is to the fore, demystifying some of the biggest breakthroughs in the history of science, and packed full of fascinating nuggets such as why we have 60 minutes in an hour, how the Romans bodged the invention of the leap year and when people really discovered the Earth wasn''t flat (a thousand years before Columbus). And explaining in the most straightforward and compelling of ways what Newton, Einstein, Hubble and Hawking really achieved. Richly informative and readable, The Story of Astronomy is a fascinating journey through 3000 years of stargazing. Included are chapters on: The Origins of Astronomy; From Babylon to Ancient Greece; The Almagest; PersianTable of ContentsIntroduction. The Origins of Astronomy. From Babylon to Ancient Greece. The Almagest. Astronomy in the Dark Ages. The Copernican Revolution. Chasing the Paths of the Planets. Galileo: The Great Telescope Maker. Jeremiah Horrocks: Father of English Astronomy. The Clockwork Universe. English and French Rivalry. Finding Longitude. William Herschel: Gazing Deeper into Space. Understanding the Forces of Nature. Albert Einstein: Relativity Redefines Astronomy. The Hubble Universe. From Microcosm to Macrocosm. Beyond the Visible Spectrum. Black Holes, Quasars and the Universe. Stephen Hawking: Exploring the Boundaries of Space. Astronomy in the Space Age. The Big Bang and the Creation of the Universe. Dark Matter and Dark Energy. Planets, Moons and the Search for Life. Glossary. Further Reading. Index.
£11.69
Cambridge University Press Understanding EvoDevo
Book SynopsisWhy do the best-known examples of evolutionary change involve the alteration of one kind of animal into another very similar one, like the evolution of a bigger beak in a bird? Wouldn''t it be much more interesting to understand how beaks originated? Most people would agree, but until recently we didn''t know much about such origins. That is now changing, with the growth of the interdisciplinary field evo-devo, which deals with the relationship between how embryos develop in the short term and how they (and the adults they grow into) evolve in the long term. One of the key questions is: can the origins of structures such as beaks, eyes, and shells be explained within a Darwinian framework? The answer seems to be yes, but only by expanding that framework. This book discusses the required expansion, and the current state of play regarding our understanding of evolutionary and developmental origins.Trade Review'Wallace Arthur treats his readers to an eminently readable but still deeply rooted introduction into one of the most significant achievements of evolutionary biology: how evolutionary developmental biology put the organism back into the centre of evolutionary thinking.' Günter P. Wagner, Yale University, USA'Evo-devo deals with the multiple connections that exist between the biological processes of evolution and development. However, as an interface subject, there is a plurality of views on its content and its boundaries. In spite of that, Wallace Arthur has succeeded in writing an extremely clear and highly accessible guide to this fascinating, multifaceted discipline. Using the concept of 'developmental repatterning' as a common thread, the book provides a balanced view of evo-devo, covering its main achievements and future challenges. This is an ideal entry point for the non-specialist, but also a stimulating read for the practitioner who wants to consider her/his research in a wider perspective.' Giuseppe Fusco, University of Padova, Italy'Occasionally I feel that the field of Evolution and Development has lost its way, becoming submerged in myriad examples and details that don't expand our understanding of life. Wallace's book expounds the intellectual underpinnings of Evolution and Development, leads us through the key questions, and finally shows how the details and examples inform our future understanding. This book provides not just a guide to Evolution and Development, but also a spur to refocus and redouble our efforts to use development to help understand the evolution of life on Earth.' Peter Dearden, University of Otago, New ZealandTable of ContentsPreface; Acknowledgements; 1. What is evo-devo and why is it important?; 2. Antecedents of evo-devo; 3. Evolutionary and developmental essentials; 4. Evo-devo essentials; 5. The evolution of variations on a theme; 6. The evolutionary origins of themes and novelties; 7. The evolutionary origins of body plans; 8. Body plan features and toolkit genes; 9. Bringing it all together; Concluding remarks; Summary of common misunderstandings; References; Index.
£13.94
Harvard University Press The New Biology
Book SynopsisThe New Biology argues that mechanical reductionism, though helpful in answering many biological questions, cannot on its own explain complex biological systems. Promoting a more holistic approach, the authors contend that both mechanistic and organicist views are invaluable frameworks for understanding life.Trade ReviewA feisty, engaging, and highly readable exploration of contemporary trends in biology. This book makes a compelling case for recovering organicist approaches to biology if we are to understand the complexity of life and biological systems. -- Alister McGrath, Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion, University of Oxford Since the time of Aristotle, the nature of living systems has been a topic of major philosophical and scientific debate, enhanced by the rise of molecular biology and the sciences of emergent complexity during the twentieth century. In lucid prose, Reiss and Ruse reveal how the debate is extremely relevant to our lives today. -- Bruce Weber, coauthor of Darwinism Evolving The mechanism-holism debate undergirds much of the history and philosophy of biology, but it is often cast as a stale topic fraught with abstractions about the properties of life. This book offers us a lively, engaging, and occasionally provocative rethink about an age-old topic that is very much alive and relevant to contemporary biology today. -- Vassiliki Betty Smocovitis, University of Florida A fascinating exploration. Reiss and Ruse offer a clear roadmap for a better understanding of complexity and emergence across the life sciences, vital for evolution, behavioral science, science education, and science's conversation with faith. -- Joe Cain, Professor, University College London Science is often portrayed as an objective quest for truth, not influenced by the social, cultural, historical, and religious contexts in which it is practiced. In this splendid book, Michael Ruse and Michael Reiss show that science has always been, and will likely always be, in reciprocal influence, and in continuous interaction, with the many ways through which we perceive the world. Reading this book will make you see science in a brand new way. -- Kostas Kampourakis, coauthor of Uncertainty: How It Makes Science Advance This is an informative, clearly written, and timely exploration of the historical roots and the current uses and misuses of the notions of mechanism and organicism. The insights in this book could lead to richer methodologies and better coping mechanisms across health, gender, race, ecological sustainability, and religion. -- Eva Jablonka, author of Picturing the Mind: Consciousness through the Lens of Evolution
£32.26
The University of Chicago Press Shaping Science
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Vertesi has lifted the curtain for all to see. Embedded with various NASA projects for years, she takes readers into the heart of two of them. . . . [She] does not simply describe the nuts and bolts of how these missions operate. Rather, she draws sweeping conclusions about the very nature of scientific discovery—what gets found—and how it depends on the ways in which scientists collaborate. That has implications for just about any group of researchers in any field. . . . In the end, science from both missions flowed directly from the people involved. No matter how the lakes on Titan shimmer, or what the mineralogy of a particular Martian rock turns out to be, it was the people behind the spacecraft, keyboards and endless tele-conferences that drove what these interplanetary robots discovered. I’m glad to have come to know them even better through this book." * Nature *"A highly intelligent and well-structured book. . . . Vertesi provides some brilliant explanations, which are so masterful that they alone would make taking up the book worth the price. . . . It ofers a plethora of new information which enriches the discourse of organization science. It will likely serve as a blueprint for similar research programs in ethnographic studies of space science in the future." * Metascience *"Vertesi masterfully, and with intricate detail, shows how spacecraft take on a life nurtured by scientists and engineers who, by their very actions and approaches, embody them with sociological characteristics. . . . This work by Vertesi, with its enunciation of organized science, stands out as one of the most detailed studies on the sociology of scientific organizations, and their impact on the resulting science. It will be of great interest to all historians of science." * Technology and Culture *"Based on years of ethnographic observations, in Shaping Science: Organizations, Decisions, and Culture on NASA’s Teams Janet Vertesi tells the story of how this unruly combination of grand-scale missions to know more about space through robots, photos, and particles by multi-national distanced collaborations are made to work. . . . Shaping Science shows that science is an art—a collective act that organizes scientists, engineers, politics, robots, data, and the public. All these elements interact to create the output that then becomes our shared knowledge about the space beyond us." * Symbolic Interaction *"This carefully referenced work often cites how characteristics of these missions parallel other areas of STS. Among the many topics included are the role of 'personalities' on a mission, the value of the data to career success and mobility, and reflections on her own methodology. . . . Recommended." * Choice *"A fascinating, inside look at NASA missions to Saturn (Helen) andMars (Paris). . . . Vertesi has produced a compelling exploration of organizations’ influence on the production of scientific knowledge. The book makes a bold argument, supported by rich ethnographic detail. It is a fun, illuminating read, and scholars of science, technology, work, and organizations will find much to appreciate in its pages." * American Journal of Sociology *“In this important work, Princeton University sociologist Janet Vertesi amalgamates science and technology studies (STS) and more traditional sociology and anthropology to explore the manner in which science teams working on NASA planetary probes go about their work, create knowledge, and disseminate understanding about the evolution of the cosmos. . . . A path-breaking work and recommended for all seeking to understand the manner in which science teams operate in the modern era.” * Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly *"In this fascinating book focused on planetary science, the sociologist Janet Vertesi directs our attention to the organizational structure of scientific teams . . . Vertesi’s book is a fascinating intervention into questions about the relationship between organizational order and knowledge production." * Isis *"Vertesi takes us on a mission. Based on extraordinary access among the research teams of interplanetary spacecraft, she makes a convincing case that organizational differences make a difference in the types of knowledge produced by these scientists. The analysis is solid, the argument bold, and the writing lively." -- David Stark, Columbia University"Shaping Science is a masterful ethnography of work and organization. Vertesi shows us what ethnomethodological fieldwork can and should be. On top of that, the book transports us to one of the most significant and consequential space missions ever attempted by NASA. If you study science, technology, work, or organizations, this book is a must read." -- Stephen R. Barley, Christian A. Felipe Professor of Technology Management, University of California, Santa Barbara"What could be more fascinating than the social life of planetary science? Vertesi's book is among the very first to make legible and compare scientific collaborations in Big Science—while also showing how they affect knowledge work and epistemic outcomes. It shines important light on the people involved, the robots they create, and the way scientists and robots have intimate relationships in a highly organized science. The book is a must read in several fields, from organizational sociology and STS to human-machine interaction." -- Karin Knorr Cetina, University of Chicago"In this magnificent book, Vertesi reveals how even planetary science, the science of other worlds, is shaped by organizational dynamics here on earth. Drawing on a decade of rich ethnography with NASA's robotic spacecraft teams, she vividly illuminates the social life of these projects and how different organizational models produce different kinds of knowledge about planets. Anyone interested in how science is made in practice will be riveted, as I was." -- Judy Wajcman, Anthony Giddens Professor of Sociology, London School of EconomicsTable of ContentsPreface IntroductionPart 1: Orders Chapter 1: The Context Chapter 2: The Integrators Chapter 3: The Resolutions Chapter 4: The Collective Chapter 5: The EnvironmentPart 2: Outcomes Chapter 6: The Science Chapter 7: The Spacecraft Chapter 8: The Data Chapter 9: The Personalities Chapter 10: The Iterative Loop Conclusion Postscript: Methodological Reflections Acknowledgments Appendix: Acronym and Technical Dictionary Notes References Index
£23.75
Harvard University Press Medical Writings from Early Medieval England: Volume I
Book SynopsisMedical Writings from Early Medieval England presents vernacular texts on health and healing—unique local remedies and translations of late antique Latin treatises—and offers insights into the history of science and medicine, scribal practices, and culture. This is first comprehensive edition and translation from Old English in more than 150 years.
£26.96
Princeton University Press Psychology of Yoga and Meditation
Book Synopsis
£19.80
Royal Society of Chemistry The Chemists' War: 1914-1918
Book SynopsisWithin months of the start of the First World War, Germany began to run out of the raw materials it needed to make explosives. As Germany faced imminent defeat, chemists such as Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch came to the rescue with Nobel Prize winning discoveries that overcame the shortages and enabled the country to continue in the war. Similarly, Britain could not have sustained its war effort for four years had it not been for chemists like Chaim Weizmann who was later to become the first president of the State of Israel. Michael Freemantle tells the stories of these and many other chemists and explains how their work underpinned and shaped what became known as The Chemists’ War. He reveals: • how chemistry contributed to the care of the sick and wounded and to the health and safety of troops; • how coal not only powered the war but was also an important source of the chemicals needed for the manufacture of explosives, dyes, medicines and antiseptics; • how Britain’s production of propellants relied on the slaughter of tens of thousands of whales; • how a precious metal played a critical role in the war; • how poisonous chemicals were used as weapons of mass destruction for the first time in the history of warfare and how chemists developed gas masks for protection against these weapons; • how the British naval blockade of Germany imperilled agricultural production in the United States. The book will appeal to the general reader as well as the many scientists and historians interested in the Great War.Trade ReviewThis is an interesting book offering a different view from the large number that have been written on the politics and strategies of the war. It is well written, extensively referenced and includes a useful last chapter on the top 50 chemicals of the Great War. There is a lot of interesting chemistry but the human story is also strong. -- School Science Review - Alex Chaplin"this is a highly professional account" "he explains - in approachable, layman's terms - the basic ingredients of wartime gas chemistry" "the book's most original contribution lies in drawing attention to the "metals of war", such as nickel, tin, tungsten, chromium, manganese, and zinc" "such metals took a "starring role" on the battlefield" "well worth including in any working library" "Like its predecessor, The Chemists’ War is a good introduction to the subject in its widest dimensions." -- Roy MacLeod * Bulletin for the History of Chemistry *"...a remarkably diverse collection of essays..." "The book will appeal to the general reader as well as the many scientists and historians interested in the Great War" -- Brian Clegg * Popular Science *Table of ContentsMore than Chemical Warfare; The Neglected Face of the War; A Single Round of Firearm Ammunition; Whaling for World War One; Acetone and the Birth of a State; An Element of War; The Synthesis of War; Khaki and Indigo; Chemistry and the Zepellins; Chemistry and the Sinking of the Lusitania; The Potash Problem; Bacilli Killed More than Bullets; The Chemists of War; War, the Mother of Invention?; Images of War; Periodic Table of War; The Scientific Legacy of the War; Subject Index
£18.99
Oxford University Press Deadly Companions
Book SynopsisEver since we started huddling together in communities, the story of human history has been inextricably entwined with the story of microbes. They have evolved and spread amongst us, shaping our culture through infection, disease, and pandemic. At the same time, our changing human culture has itself influenced the evolutionary path of microbes. Dorothy H. Crawford here shows that one cannot be truly understood without the other. Beginning with a dramatic account of the SARS pandemic at the start of the 21st century, she takes us back in time to follow the interlinked history of microbes and man, taking an up-to-date look at ancient plagues and epidemics, and identifying key changes in the way humans have lived - such as our move from hunter-gatherer to farmer to city-dweller -- which made us vulnerable to microbe attack. Showing how we live our lives today -- with increasing crowding and air travel -- puts us once again at risk, Crawford asks whether we might ever conquer microbes completely, or whether we need to take a more microbe-centric view of the world. Among the possible answers, one thing becomes clear: that for generations to come, our deadly companions will continue to shape human history.Oxford Landmark Science books are ''must-read'' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think.Trade ReviewAdmirably clear and engaging. * BBC History *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1: How It All Began 2: Our Microbial Inheritance 3: Microbes Jump Species 4: Crowds, Filth, and Poverty 5: Microbes Go Global 6: Famine and Devastation 7: Deadly Companions Revealed 8: The Fight Back Conclusion: Living Together Glossary Notes and References Index
£11.39
Johns Hopkins University Press Alfred Wegener
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA magnificent, definitive, and indefatigable tribute to an indefatigable man . . . Greene beautifully puts the record straight with a portrait of Wegener as a respected 'cosmic physicist.'—NatureIn this book Mott Greene has ably explained every detail of Wegener’s ideas and research and has created a well-deserved tribute to one of the most creative and energetic scientists of the twentieth century.—MetascienceA remarkably detailed and wonderfully well-written biography of Alfred Wegener . . . Includes insight into what makes a person such as Wegener a genius—what it was about him that led to an ability to create such a novel and correct view of nature. That is the true value of this exceptional book, to be able to feel as though one can literally experience the scientific genius that was Alfred Wegener.—ChoiceMott Greene's magnificent book reveals deep themes and connections to Wegener's many fruitful ideas and extraordinary scientific accomplishments, even as it examines the many distinct dimensions of thought and action that emanated from Wegener's apparently heedless embrace of all manner of risk-taking . . . Anglophone readers, especially, have never had such an opportunity to understand Alfred Wegener.—ScienceDirectThis biography is clearly a labor of love for its author. Greene worked on this book for more than twenty years, conducting archival research, visiting libraries and collections across Europe and in North America, and conducting interviews with key figures, including Wegener’s surviving family members . . . I came away with a renewed appreciation for Wegener as an engaged scientist who refused to let the boundaries of academic disciplines dampen his enthusiasm for scientific endeavor.—AAG Review of BooksMott Greene spent twenty years working on Alfred Wegener, a masterpiece in which he revolutionizes our understanding of Wegener, just as Wegener revolutionized our understanding of the Earth . . . a brilliant and compelling account of the life of one of the most talented, versatile, and remarkable scientists in history.—IsisGreene has created an important work that gives context to one of the most recent paradigm shifts in science . . . Greene tells the story with enough documentation to keep the story grounded in reality, yet uses his prose to maintain interest even after the 'eureka' moment, even after Wegener’s death on the ice.—Science & EducationTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. The Boy2. The Student3. The Astronomer4. The Aerologist5. The Polar Meteorologist6. The Arctic Explorer (1)7. The Atmospheric Physicist (1)8. The Atmospheric Physicist (2)9. At a Crossroads10. The Theorist of Continental Drift (1)11. The Theorist of Continental Drift (2)12. The Arctic Explorer (2)13. The Soldier14. The Meteorologist15. The Geophysicist16. From Geophysicist to Climatologist17. The Paleoclimatologist18. The Professor19. Theorist and Arctic Explorer20. The Expedition LeaderEpilogueNotesBibliographical EssayIndex
£25.17
Princeton University Press Calculus Reordered
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Princeton University Press Gods and Robots
Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of BookAuthority’s Three Best New Robotics Audiobooks To Read in 2019"
£15.19
Oxford University Press The Many Worlds of Hugh Everett III
Book SynopsisHugh Everett III's "Many Worlds" theory is now considered a hugely important breakthrough in the history of physics. This book tells the story of the physics establishment's rejection of his theory, his subsequent Pentagon career in nuclear strategy, and his difficult personal life and eventual death from alcoholism.Trade ReviewThe Many Worlds of Hugh Everett III deserves to be widely read. It is comprehensive as a biography; satisfactory as an introduction to Everettian Quantum Mechanics; illuminating as a study in the psychology of physicists and of operations researchers; and engaging as a human story. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in quantum theory. * Alastair Wilson, Metascience *The book provides new insights into the development and the later Renaissance of the "many worlds" theory. I am recommending the anthology to anyone interested in the theory's physical or philosophical implications, and in the pro and con arguments [...] * Alexander Pawlak, Physik Journal *Byrne's narrative compels serious attention, contains much important new material, is greatly enlivened and enhanced by his eagle eye for the telling quotation, and is always interesting and often convincing. It should intrigue any student of twentieth century physics, and is also a valuable resource for anyone concerned with the broader eduction of the scientists and the impact narrowly scientific ways of thinking can have on scientists themselves and on the wider world. * Adrian Kent, American Journal of Physics *Vivid and thoroughly researched. Byrne does an admirable job of weaving together quantum mechanics, nuclear war games and the disintegration of a dysfunctional family in this tale of a talented scientist, but morally compromised man. * Manjit Kumar *The book offers a valuable source of primary information about Everett's life and work, with much material not available elsewhere, [and] fleshes out an important part of the quantum physics story. * Science News *Peter Byrne's meticulously researched biography provides a detailed and intimate look at one of the most seminal figures in 20th century physics and mathematics ... it is a remarkable and long-overdue biography. * Ian T. Durham, The Quantum Times *Offers a valuable source of primary information about Everetts life and work, with much material not available elsewhere ... this book fleshes out an important part of the quantum physics story. * Tom Siegfried, ScienceNews *The many worlds theory is still garish after all these years. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to read the story of its creator, himself too obsessed with models to intersect effectively with the real world. * Robert P. Crease, Nature *Byrne does an excellent job of explaining the theory, why it is necessary and the difficulties it solves (and doesn't). [...] Byrne does not patronise his readers with superficial pen portraits of his characters. We get to know the characters by what they say and what they do. And they say and do some truly remarkable things. [...] This is a strangely beautiful story, expertly told with the dignity, candour and attention to detail it deserves. * New Scientist *The effort Byrne has put in to understanding the man is impressive ... * Robert Matthews, BBC Focus Magazine *In this biography, Peter Byrne bravely explores both the life and the science of Hugh Everett, the brilliant creator of the "many worlds" concept who burned himself out at an early age. As Byrne makes clear, Everett's startling achievements in physics stood against his startling deficiencies as a husband and father. * Kenneth W. Ford, retired director, American Institute of Physics *This book has the potential to become the definitive biography of one of the finest minds of the twentieth century. * David Deutsch FRS, Oxford University *In this extraordinarily personal biography, Peter Byrne masterfully conveys the life, struggles, achievements, and failures of this fascinating man, whose insights in physics created a new understanding of quantum mechanics, whose secret work helped usher us through the Cold War, and whose inner battles led to his own destruction. * A. Garrett Lisi, physicist, author of 'An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything' *We are grateful to Peter Byrne for this remarkable and remarkably sad story of the life and science of Hugh Everett III. Gifted, but late-to-be-recognized, Everett, while still in his twenties, proposed a new, now somewhat fashionable, interpretation of the quantum theory--the often rediscovered and often misinterpreted, so called, many worlds theory. Byrne gives a lucid and accessible account of many aspects of what has been an extraordinarily puzzling question that has bedeviled the quantum theory since its origin. And he does this with a warts and all reconstruction of Everett's life. An impressive achievement. * Leon N. Cooper, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1972 *Peter Byrne has the skills of a seasoned journalist: an eye for a story, a knack for turning up improbable interviews and previously undiscovered manuscripts, and a thoroughly engaging style. His target here is inherently interesting, and the resulting story is a remarkable achievement. * Jeff Barrett, Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science; University of California, Irvine *This is an exciting book about a man who was ahead of his time by decades, although he did no more than logically apply a well-established theory against all prejudice. Peter Byrne has done an excellent job in unearthing documents, most of them unknown, about the history of Everett's ideas, their reception by the leading physicists from 1957 until today, and the consequences this had for Everett's life. * H. Dieter Zeh, University of Heidelberg *Table of ContentsBOOK 1: BEGINNINGS; BOOK 2: GAME WORLD; BOOK 3: QUANTUM WORLD; BOOK 4: EVERETT AND WHEELER; BOOK 5: POSSIBLE WORLD FUTURES; BOOK 6: CROSSROADS; BOOK 7: ASSURED DESTRUCTION; BOOK 8: TRANSITIONS; BOOK 9: BELTWAY BANDIT; BOOK 10: MANY WORLDS REBORN; BOOK 11: AMERICAN TRAGEDY; BOOK 12: EVERETT'S LEGACY; BOOK 1: BEGINNINGS; BOOK 2: GAME WORLD; BOOK 3: QUANTUM WORLD; BOOK 4: EVERETT AND WHEELER; BOOK 5: POSSIBLE WORLD FUTURES; BOOK 6: CROSSROADS; BOOK 7: ASSURED DESTRUCTION; BOOK 8: TRANSITIONS; BOOK 9: BELTWAY BANDIT; BOOK 10: MANY WORLDS REBORN; BOOK 11: AMERICAN TRAGEDY; BOOK 12: EVERETT'S LEGACY
£26.99
Cornell University Press Standards and Their Stories
Book SynopsisStandardization is one of the defining aspects of modern life, its presence so pervasive that it is usually taken for granted. However cumbersome, onerous, or simply puzzling certain standards may be, their fundamental purpose in streamlining...Trade Review"Standards and Their Stories is an important, well-written, and extraordinarily provocative examination of a part of the world usually hidden from any sort of public view. The authors show how much of what we take for granted is the result of negotiation, compromise, and occasionally coercion. They do so by inventing a suite of new and innovative research methods. As a result, this book is likely to become not only 'the standard' for studies of this sort but also the starting point for new ways of investigating sociotechnical processes."—Lawrence Busch, Michigan State University"I sat down to read the book, read the first page, and paused while my face broke into a smile and a comfortable warm feeling came over my body. Yup, this was going to be a great book. Further reading confirmed the impression. Standards rule our lives. Yeah, standards, that dull, frustrating, topic studied by 'The Society of People Interested in Boring Things.' But this book proves that far from being dull, the stories behind standards are interesting, insightful, and revealing of the workings of bureaucracy. Standards are essential for different stuff made by different companies in different countries to work well together. Whether it is bananas or chocolate, application forms for terrorist training, or the sizes of people's rear ends (critical for airline seats), standards are essential part of life today (all these are covered in the book). This engaging book serves several purposes. It explains much of the history, rationale, and politics of standards. It shows why they have huge social impact, far beyond what most of us realize, often far beyond what was intended. And best of all, it is fun to read."—Don Norman, Northwestern University, author of The Design of Future Things
£20.79
Harvard University Press The History of Statistics
Book SynopsisStigler shows how statistics arose from the interplay of mathematical concepts and the needs of several applied sciences. His emphasis is upon how methods of probability theory were developed for measuring uncertainty, for reducing uncertainty, and as a conceptual framework for quantitative studies in the social sciences.Trade ReviewOne is tempted to say that the history of statistics in the nineteenth century will be associated with the name Stigler. -- Morris Kline * New York Times Book Review *An exceptionally searching, almost loving, study of the relevant inspirations and aberrations of its principal characters James Bernoulli, de Moivre, Bayes, Laplace, Gauss, Quetelet, Lexis, Galton, Edgeworth, and Pearson, not neglecting a grand supporting cast… The definitive record of an intellectual Golden Age, an overoptimistic climb to a height not to be maintained. -- M. Stone * Science *In this tour de force of careful scholarship, Stephen Stigler has laid bare the people, ideas, and events underlying the development of statistics… He has written an important and wonderful book… Sometimes Stigler’s prose is so evocative it is almost poetic. -- Howard Wainer * Contemporary Psychology *The book is a pleasure to read: the prose sparkles; the protagonists are vividly drawn; the illustrations are handsome and illuminating; the insights plentiful and sharp. This will remain the definitive work on the early development of mathematical statistics for some time to come. -- Lorraine J. Daston * Journal of Modern History *Stigler’s book exhibits a rare combination of mastery of technical materials, sensitivity to conceptual milieu, and near exhaustive familiarity with primary sources. An exemplary study. -- Lorraine DastonTable of ContentsIntroduction PART 1: The Development of Mathematical Statistics in Astronomy and Geodesy before 1827 1. Least Squares and the Combination of Observations Legendre in 1805 Cotes's Rule Tobias Mayer and the Libration of the Moon Saturn, Jupiter, and Enter Laplace's Rescue of the Solar System Roger Boscovich and the Figure of the Earth Laplace and the Method of Situation Legendre and the Invention of Least Squares 2. Probabilists and the Measurement of Uncertainty Jacob Bernoulli De Moivre and the Expanded Binomial Bernoulli's Failure De Moivre's Approximation De Moivre's Deficiency Simpson and Bayes Simpson's Crucial Step toward Error A Bayesian Critique 3. Inverse Probability Laplace and Inverse Probability The Choice of Means The Deduction of a Curve of Errors in 1772-1774
£32.36
Duke University Press Code
Book SynopsisIn Code Bernard Dionysius Geoghegan reconstructs how Progressive Era technocracy as well as crises of industrial democracy and colonialism shaped early accounts of cybernetics and digital media by theorists including Norbert Wiener, Warren Weaver, Margaret Mead, Gregory Bateson, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Roman Jakobson, Jacques Lacan, Roland Barthes, and Luce Irigaray. His analysis casts light on how media-practical research forged common epistemic cause in programs that stretched from 1930s interwar computing at MIT and eugenics to the proliferation of seminars and laboratories in 1960s Paris. This mobilization ushered forth new fields of study such as structural anthropology, family therapy, and literary semiology while forming enduring intellectual affinities between the humanities and informatics. With Code, Geoghegan offers a new history of French theory and the digital humanities as transcontinental and political endeavors linking interwar colonial ethnography in Trade Review“Straying away from the familiar itineraries of intellectual history, Bernard Dionysius Geoghegan invites us to take a path less trodden: a detour that allows the reader to revisit famous milestones in the development of cybernetics and digital media, and to connect them to scholarly debates stemming from fields of study as distant as structural anthropology, family therapy, and literary semiology." * The Duke Reader *“Bernard Geoghegan’s Code presents a strong history of how the humanities of the 20th century worked in close connection with communication and information sciences … a rich and insightful analysis.” -- Jussi Parikka * Leonardo Reviews *"Anyone interested in the political and ethical dimensions of cybernetics and contemporary social networking will be fascinated by Geoghegan's rich historical and interpretive account of these important and timely subjects. Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students and faculty. Students in two-year technical programs." -- J. W. Dauben * Choice *"Geoghegan’s rich and surprising account of the common inheritance shared by information theory and French Theory in the era of liberal technocracy, industrial capitalism, and colonial crisis will change how we think about the nature, risks, and possibilities of data analytics, critical theory, and the digital humanities now and for years to come." -- Carolyn Pedwell * Theory, Culture & Society *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction. Codification 1 1. Foundations for Informatics: Technocracy, Philanthropy, and Communications Sciences 21 2. Pattern Recognition: Data Capture in Colonies, Clinics, and Suburbs 53 3. Poeticizing Cybernetics: An Informatic Infrastructure for Structural Linguistics 85 4. Theory for Administrators: The Ambivalent Technocracy of Claude Lévi-Strauss 107 5. Learning to Code: Cybernetics and French Theory 133 Conclusion. Coding Today: Toward an Analysis of Cultural Analytics 169 Notes 181 Bibliography 221 Index 245
£18.89
HarperCollins Publishers 100 Science Discoveries That Changed the World
Book SynopsisArranged in chronological order from the early Greek mathematicians, Euclid and Archimedes through to present-day Nobel Prize winners, 100 Science Discoveries That Changed the World charts the great breakthroughs in scientific understanding. Each entry describes the story of the research, the significance of the science and its impact on the scientific world. There is also a resume of each scientist’s career along with their other achievements, sometimes – in the case of Isaac Newton – in a completely unrelated field (laws of motion and the component parts of light). The book covers all branches of science: geometry, number theory, cosmology, the laws of motion, particle physics, electricity, magnetism, the laws of gasses, optical theory, cell biology, conservation of energy, natural selection, radiation, quantum theory, special relativity, superconductivity, thermodynamics, genomes, plate tectonics, and the uncertainty principal. Scientists include: Albert Einstein, Alessandro Volta, Alexander Fleming, Amedeo Avogrado, Andre Geim, Antoine Lavoisier, Antony van Leeuwenhoek, Archimedes, Benoit Mandelbrot, Carl Friedrich Gauss, Charles Darwin, Christian Doppler, Copernicus, Crick and Watson, Dmitri Mendeleev, Edwin Hubble, Enrico Fermi, Ernest Rutherford, Erwin Schrodinger, Euclid, Fermat, Frederick Sanger, Galileo Galilei, Georg Ohm, Georges Lemaitre, Heike Kamerlingh, Isaac Newton, Jacques Charles, James Clerk Maxwell, James Prescott Joule, Jean Buridan, Johanes Kepler, John Ambrose Fleming, John Dalton, John O’Keefe, Joseph Black, Josiah Gibbs, Lord Kelvin, Lord Rayleigh, Louis Pasteur, Marie Curie, Martinus Beijerinck, Michael Faraday, Murray Gell-Mann & George Zweig, Neils Bohr, Nicholas Steno, Peter Higgs, Pierre Curie, Ptolemy, Robert Boyle, Robert Brown, Robert Hooke, Roger Bacon, Rudolf Clausius, Seleucus, Shen Kuo, Stanley Miller, Tyco Brahe, Werner Heisenberg, William Gilbert, William Harvey, William Herschel, William Rontgen, Wolfgang Pauli.Trade ReviewPraise for Colin Salter’s 100 Posters that Changed the World: 'Showcase[s] an extensive collection of the images and slogans that have shaped society as we know it.’ – Country Life 'This journey through images that can inspire, shock or just leave the viewer laughing is never less than fascinating… A beautifully produced volume that will find a very broad readership.' – All About History 'This engaging book is a vivid tapestry of poster styles with diverse commercial, cultural and political applications supplemented by informative single-page essays that stimulate curiosity page after page.’ – Morning Star
£13.49
Oxford University Press Inc The Periodic Table Its Story and Its Significance
Book SynopsisThe periodic table of elements is among the most recognizable image in science. It lies at the core of chemistry and embodies the most fundamental principles of science. In this new edition, Eric Scerri offers readers a complete and updated history and philosophy of the periodic table. Written in a lively style to appeal to experts and interested lay-persons alike, The Periodic Table: Its Story and Its Significance begins with an overview of the importance of the periodic table and the manner in which the term element has been interpreted by chemists and philosophers across time. The book traces the evolution and development of the periodic table from its early beginnings with the work of the precursors like De Chancourtois, Newlands and Meyer to Mendeleev''s 1869 first published table and beyond. Several chapters are devoted to developments in 20th century physics, especially quantum mechanics and and the extent to which they explain the periodic table in a more fundamental way. Other chapters examine the formation of the elements, nuclear structure, the discovery of the last seven infra-uranium elements, and the synthesis of trans-uranium elements. Finally, the book considers the many different ways of representing the periodic system and the quest for an optimal arrangement.Trade ReviewAs a whole, this book is not highly technical, and it has the attractiveness of providing material that doesn't appear in typical school textbooks ... This book will appeal to scholars and science readers alike, especially those interested in history of science, chemistry, physics, and philosophy. * Maria Elvira Callapez, ChemTexts *This second edition comprises 14 chapters, four of them new or modified versions of chapters in the first edition. The periodic table has evolved over the last 150 years, even over the last decade, so both editions of this book are valuable. * R. E. Buntrock, Choice *In this second edition of his classic tome, there is depth, lucidity, and comprehensiveness, making this book a must-buy for anyone who wants to completely understand the history and implications of the Periodic Table. Many of the readers of this review will already own a copy of the first edition and will wonder whether it is necessary to purchase the second edition. In the opinion of this reviewer, the answer is an emphatic "Yes." * Geoff Rayner-Canham, Memorial University, Canada, Centaurus *The concentrated wave of scholarship accompanying 150-year celebrations of the discovery of the periodic system, of course, is of value for those who want to expand their knowledge on a staple icon such as the periodic table ... * Karoliina Pulkkinen, Metascience *As a whole, this book is not highly technical, and it has the attractiveness of providing material that doesn't appear in typical school textbooks. Generally, those textbooks present the last triumphant version, not the unsuccessful episodes' history and context. Only a few experts know the "dark side" of the story, so this book fills in many useful parts of that bigger picture. This book will appeal to scholars and science readers alike, especially those interested in history of science, chemistry, physics, and philosophy. * Maria Elvira Callapez, ChemTexts *Scerri's book is one that I trust will find its way on to the shelves of all libraries, be they real or virtual, and no doubt it will be consulted by generations to come, as it well it deserves to be. * John Emsley, Foundations of Chemistry *The periodic table continues to generate new thoughts as the list of elements grows, its foundations are refined, and new portrayals are developed. Eric Scerri captures all these innovations in this timely updating of his very readable account of the origin, structure, and interpretation of the table. * Peter Atkins, University of Oxford *The 2nd edition of Eric's Scerri's journey through the periodic table is up-to-date, readable, and intellectually enticing. This icon of chemistry has never had a better expositor! * Roald Hoffmann, Cornell University *This second edition is a revised and expanded take on the philosophical and historical aspects of the periodic table that made his first edition such a worthy successor to van Spronsen's classic history. * Carmen Giunta, , Le Moyne College *Written to a high standard of scholarship, The Periodic Table is the best book on this subject currently available. It gives both an historical and philosophical perspective to the development of this key to the elements, as well as including all the recent additions to the table. * John Emsley, author of Nature's Building Blocks *Since Eric Scerri's The Periodic Table was the definitive book on the topic when it first appeared, it is wonderful to see that status claimed anew by this second edition during the International Year of the Periodic Table. The story is still unfolding, thanks in large part to the ingenuity of today's element-makers, and the additions bring this volume right up to date. It remains as clear, balanced and thoughtful as ever, and is the best guide to this iconic formulation of nature's atomic building blocks. * Philip Ball, author of Elements: A Very Short Introduction *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: The Periodic System Chapter 2: Quantitative Relationships among the Elements and the Origins of the Periodic Table Chapter 3: Discoverers of the Periodic System Chapter 4: Mendeleev Chapter 5: Prediction and Accommodation: The Acceptance of Mendeleev's Periodic System Chapter 6: The Nucleus and the Periodic Table: Radioactivity, Atomic Number, and Isotopy Chapter 7: The Electron and Chemical Periodicity Chapter 8: Electronic Explanations of the Periodic System Developed by Chemists Chapter 9: Quantum Mechanics and the Periodic Table Chapter 10: Astrophysics, Nucleosynthesis Chapter 11: The Missing Seven Elements Chapter 12: Synthetic Elements Chapter 13: Alternative Forms of the periodic table Chapter 14: More Chemistry Appendix Index Bibliography
£33.24
Springer Nature Switzerland AG Star Maps: History, Artistry, and Cartography
Book SynopsisExplore the beauty and awe of the heavens through the rich celestial prints and star atlases offered in this third edition book. The author traces the development of celestial cartography from ancient to modern times, describes the relationships between different star maps and atlases, and relates these notions to our changing ideas about humanity’s place in the universe. Also covered in this book are more contemporary cosmological ideas, constellation representations, and cartographic advances.The text is enriched with 226 images (141 in color) from actual, antiquarian celestial books and atlases, each one with an explanation of unique astronomical and cartographic features. This never-before-available hardcover edition includes two new chapters on pictorial style maps and celestial images in art, as well over 50 new images. Additionally, the color plates are now incorporated directly into the text, providing readers with a vibrant, immersive look into the history of star maps.Trade Review“I found this to be a very fascinating aspect of this comprehensive work. I have read a number of books on the history of celestial cartography, but none with the depth and wealth of information on this important part of the history of astronomy. … I highly recommend this book to students of the history of astronomy or anyone interested in observing the night sky.” (Robert Garfinkle, Journal of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, Vol. 63 (4), 2021)“This third edition has certainly profited from the changes and additions, all of which ensure that Kanas’s work remains the primary reference compendium for celestial cartography, just as it continues to offer an enjoyable initiation into the history of astronomy.” (Thomas Horst and Luís Tirapicos, Imago Mundi, Vol. 73 (1), 2021)“As an often-awe-struck observer of the heavens and a map enthusiast who has always admired the beauty of celestial maps, I think Nick Kanas’s book is a useful resource for any collector of celestial maps, anyone with more than a passing or casual interest in astronomy, anyone with a keen interest in the history of astronomy and astronomical instruments, or any combination thereof.” (Gretchen Hause, The Portolan, Issue 110, Spring, 2021)“This is a work that contains many items of relevance to astronomers, who will find the illustrations of atlases and charts of particular interest, albeit with many failings in the text and descriptions. It is probably of more interest to collectors of antiquarian maps (and even they will have some problems using it).” (Storm Dunlop, The Observatory, Vol. 140 (1278), October, 2020)“You get a real bang for your buck with Kanas’s tome. Now in its third edition, the book is well written, thoroughly researched, and beautifully illustrated with 226 images (141 in color) from actual antiquarian books and atlases. … Star Maps should greatly appeal to amateur astronomers, map collectors, and historians of astronomy and art.” (Peter Tyson, Sky & Telescope, August, 2020)“Star Maps’s comprehensiveness, for all its jackdaw tendencies, is on balance a virtue. Like a curiosity shop packed to the rafters, it almost certainly has what you’re looking for tucked away somewhere.” (Jonathan Crowe, Calafia Journal, Issue 01, 2020)“Star Maps excels in the clarity of its writing, is highly accurate throughout, and will serve as the authoritative work on its subject for a very long time to come. This reviewer has a growing collection of astronomy books of well over a thousand in number now, and would include Star Maps as one among a small selection of books from his library he would say deserves to be read by every person interested in the history of astronomy.” (Alan Agrawal, Diablo Moonwatch, January, 2020)Table of ContentsPreface to Third Edition.- Foreword to First Edition.- Preface to First Edition.- Acknowledgments.- List of Figures.- List of Tables.- List of abbreviations and acronyms.- Chapter 1: What is a star map?.- Chapter 2: Non-European cosmology and constellation development.- Chapter 3: European cosmology.- Chapter 4: European constellation development.- Chapter 5: Early European star maps.- Chapter 6: The "Big Four" of the Golden Age of imaged star maps.- Chapter 7: Other important star maps of the Golden Age.- Chapter 8: Special topics.- Chapter 9: Mapping the stars in early America.- Chapter 10: The transition to non-imaged star maps.- Chapter 11: Terrestrial and celestial pictorial maps.- Chapter 12: Celestial images in artistic paintings.- Appendices.- Appendix A: Collecting celestial maps and prints.- Appendix B: Supplementary reference catalog.- Appendix C: Indices of major constellation atlases.- Appendix D: The British Library "Kings's" edition.- Appendix E: Glossary.- Index.
£42.74
Oxford University Press Our Changing Views of Photons A Tutorial Memoir
Book SynopsisAdvances in technology often rely on a world of photons as the basic units of light. Increasingly one reads of photons as essential to enterprises in Photonics and Quantum Technology, with career and investment opportunities. Notions of photons have evolved from the energy-packet crowds of Planck and Einstein, the later field modes of Dirac, the seeming conflict of wave and particle photons, to the ubiquitous laser photons of today. Readers who take interest in contemporary technology will benefit from learning what photons are now considered to be, and how our views of photons have changed -- in learning about the various operational definitions that have been used for photons and their association with a variety of quantum-state manipulations that include Quantum Information, astronomical sources and crowds of photons, the boxed fields of Cavity Quantum Electrodynamics and single photons on demand, the photons of Feynman and Glauber, and the photon constituents of the Standard Model of Particle Physics. The narrative points to contemporary photons as causers of change to atoms, as carriers of messages, and as subject to controllable creation and alteration -- a considerable diversity of photons, not just one kind. Our Changing Views of Photons: A Tutorial Memoir presents those general topics as a memoir of the author''s involvement with physics and the photons of theoretical Quantum Optics, written conversationally for readers with no assumed prior exposure to science. It offers lay readers a glimpse of scientific discovery -- of how ideas become practical, as a small scientific community reconsiders its assumptions and offers the theoretical ideas that are then developed, revised, and adopted into technology for daily use. For readers who want a more detailed understanding of the theory, three substantial appendices provide tutorials that, assuming no prior familiarity, proceed from a very elementary start to basics of discrete states and abstract vector spaces; Lie groups; notions of quantum theory and the Schrödinger equation for quantum-state manipulation; Maxwell''s equations for electromagnetism, with wave modes that become photons, possibly exhibiting quantum entanglement; and the coupling of atoms and fields to create quasiparticles. The appendices can be seen as a companion to traditional textbooks on Quantum Optics.Trade ReviewUnderstandable by anyone with an interest in science. * Christian Brosseau, Optics and Photonics News, Nov 2021 *Table of ContentsPreface The Cartoons Introduction Section 1: Basic Background: Everyday Physics and Its Maths Section 2: The Photons of Planck, Einstein and Bohr Section 3: The Photons of Dirac Section 4: Photons as Population Changers Section 5: Photon Messengers Section 6: Manipulating Photons Section 7: Overview; Ways of Regarding Photons Section 8: Finale Appendix A: Atoms and Their Mathematics Appendix B: Radiation and Photons Appendix C: Couples Atom and Field Equations References Index
£27.50
Penguin Books Ltd The Facemaker
Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERBest Books of the Year, GuardianThe poignant story of the visionary surgeon who rebuilt the faces of the First World War''s injured heroes, and in the process ushered in the modern era of plastic surgeryFrom the moment the first machine gun rang out over the Western Front, one thing was clear: mankind''s military technology had wildly surpassed its medical capabilities. The war''s new weaponry, from tanks to shrapnel, enabled slaughter on an industrial scale, and given the nature of trench warfare, thousands of soldiers sustained facial injuries. Medical advances meant that more survived their wounds than ever before, yet disfigured soldiers did not receive the hero''s welcome they deserved.In The Facemaker, award-winning historian Lindsey Fitzharris tells the astonishing story of the pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies, who dedicated himself to restoring the faces - and the identities - of a brutalized generation. Gillies, a Cambridge-educated New Zealander, became interested in the nascent field of plastic surgery after encountering the human wreckage on the front. Returning to Britain, he established one of the world''s first hospitals dedicated entirely to facial reconstruction in Sidcup, south-east England. There, Gillies assembled a unique group of doctors, nurses and artists whose task was to recreate what had been torn apart. At a time when losing a limb made a soldier a hero, but losing a face made him a monster to a society largely intolerant of disfigurement, Gillies restored not just the faces of the wounded but also their spirits.Meticulously researched and grippingly told, The Facemaker places Gillies''s ingenious surgical innovations alongside the poignant stories of soldiers whose lives were wrecked and repaired. The result is a vivid account of how medicine and art can merge, and of what courage and imagination can accomplish in the presence of relentless horror.Trade ReviewIn this fascinating book, Fitzharris reminds us there is nothing superficial about plastic surgery's ability to heal minds as well as bodies. Five stars -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *Scholarly yet deeply moving... This is a fascinating book about a remarkable man, and of how teamwork is such an important part of good surgery. Despite the grim subject matter, it is a deeply moving and uplifting story -- Henry Marsh * New Statesman *Careful... sensitive... [Fitzharris] has successfully pieced together the story of a team of doctors, hospital workers and patients "battling" together during the First World War to modernize reconstructive plastic surgery... Fitzharris constructs a variegated and tender account of the First World War, its brutality and its narratives of human redemption... Tenderness and pathos pervade the personal stories of surgery and recovery, as well as Fitzharris's engagement with the ethics of facial difference and display -- Christine Slobogin * TLS *The Facemaker is an engaging biography of a masterful surgeon as well as a heartening account of medical progress * Economist *Meticulously researched... Five stars -- Catharine Arnold * Telegraph *Sometimes distressing, sometimes thrilling, The Facemaker had me gripped; it is elegantly written and endlessly fascinating. Employing just the right balance between diligent research and ingenious reanimation, Fitzharris brings to life a neglected slice of medical history, telling both Gillies' story as well as that of many of the men whose faces - and lives - he saved -- Lucy Scholes * Financial Times *Engrossing... Fitzharris presents an intensely moving and hugely enjoyable story about a remarkable medical pioneer and the men he remade -- Wendy Moore * Guardian *A skilled storyteller, Fitzharris takes the reader back to the front, making them trudge and slide through mud filled with missing limbs to find the people who stagger into Gillies's casebooks... Properly contextualised, these faces become not objects of horror or surgery, as they have been all too often used, but pathways into understanding what it is to lose a face, and with it, not only the ability to eat, drink and breathe, but also social acceptance and love -- Fay Bound Alberti * The Lancet *With rich, glossy strokes The Facemaker restores a sense of immediacy to the daily struggles facing Gillies and his colleagues as they improvised under constant pressure -- James Riding * The Times *Out of war's most awful wounds, out of gore and terror and pain, Lindsey Fitzharris has - like Sir Harold Gillies himself - crafted something inspiring and downright miraculous. I cannot imagine the sweat and sleuthing and doggedness that went into gathering the details and building the narratives of these men's struggles. This book is riveting. It is gruesome but it is also uplifting. For as much as there is blood and bone and pus in these pages, there is heart. As Fitzharris shows us, the scalpel is mightier than the grenade, and the pen is mightiest of all. What a triumph this book is -- Mary RoachLike Harold Gillies himself, Lindsey Fitzharris has taken something we might think of as grim and transformed it into something beautiful. Gillies will be an unsung hero no more -- Sam KeanWow, what a book. Enthralling. Harrowing. Heartbreaking. And utterly redemptive. Lindsey Fitzharris hit this one out of the park -- Erik Larson, author of THE SPLENDID AND THE VILEHere is that rare thing: a little-known story of the Great War, featuring a pioneering surgeon every bit as daring as the soldiers he saved. Beautifully written, illuminating, and bursting with fascinating detail, The Facemaker is a groundbreaking work that deserves its own genre: medical noir. You won't be able to put it down -- Karen Abbott, author of THE GHOSTS OF EDEN PARKI was an admirer of Fitzharris's award-winning first book, The Butchering Art, about Joseph Lister. This is her absorbing account of another surgeon: Harold Gillies, who established one of the world's first hospitals dedicated entirely to facial reconstruction -- Editor's pick * The Bookseller *Equal parts devastating and inspiring. The horrors of war are laid bare here, but the stories of each of the soldiers, doctors, nurses, and artists are incredibly poignant and fascinating. I couldn't put it down -- Jenny LawsonAn extraordinary story about a remarkable man whose work, determination and skill changed countless lives -- Peter Frankopan, author of THE SILK ROADSGraphic yet inspiring, engaging... [Fitzharris] delivers a consistently vivid account... An excellent biography of a genuine miracle worker -- Starred review * Kirkus *Wonderful... It was written with a clarity that I loved - although the book is packed with fascinating information, it read as easily as a novel... It is really inspiring and beautifully written -- Lucy Nathan * Bookbrunch *A fascinating portrait of pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies and the soldiers whose faces he rebuilt during WWI... Meticulously researched and compulsively readable, this exceptional history showcases how compassion and innovation can help mitigate the terrible wounds of war * Starred Review, Publishers Weekly *Sometimes, you just know. From the moment I read The Facemaker's excellent prologue, I knew I had a book on my hands... Fitzharris is a gifted storyteller and delights in just about the right amount of detail -- Matthew Shipsey * Irish Times *Informative... A powerful portrait of a gifted man -- Oliver-James Campbell * New Scientist *The Facemaker conveys the emotional, physical and psychical effects of having an injured and altered face, directly from those who had to deal with them... Powerful -- Sharrona Pearl * Washington Post *In The Facemaker, Fitzharris rescues another vital yet largely forgotten figure from history. Blending scrupulous research with a novelist's eye, the author charts Gillies's extraordinary contribution to reconstructive surgery and weaves in touching accounts of the soldiers he treated. Stark and occasionally unsettling, the book reveals Gillies as both a craftsman and an artist, and underlines how by restoring the faces of the maimed Gillies was also restoring their lives and identities -- Brendan Daly * Business Post *Vividly thrilling * Nature *
£10.44
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd The Scientific Way of Warfare: Order and Chaos on
Book SynopsisBousquet’s landmark book examines the impact of key technologies and scientific ideas on the theory and practice of warfare and the handling of the perennial tension between order and chaos on the battlefield. Spanning the entire modern era, from the Scientific Revolution to the present, it offers a systematic account of modern warfare as the constitution of increasingly complex assemblages of bodies and machines whose integration rests upon a military assimilation of scientific thought. Reflecting the pervasive influence of scientific conceptual frameworks upon warfare, modern armies have been successively organised by reference to the paradigmatic technologies of the clock, engine, computer, and network. Conversely, major scientific developments and technological breakthroughs have become intertwined with the experience of war, especially since the Second World War’s unprecedented mobilisation of scientific rationality and technical expertise. This increasingly tight symbiosis between science, technology, and war is at the heart of both the tremendous powers and enduring pathologies displayed by the contemporary military machine. In this new and revised edition, Bousquet extends the analysis to encompass the latest developments in the scientific way of warfare in the midst of renewed great power competition and a wave of technological innovation in artificial intelligence and robotics.Trade Review'The most lucid and well-developed history of the growing affinity between science and military practice available. Essential reading for the student of modern military affairs.' -- Army History'The Scientific Way of Warfare is a remarkable work of synthesis, drawing on the contemporary writing of Manuel Castells, Paul Edwards, John Arquilla, and (especially) Martin Van Creveld. The book's broad historical sweep doesn't get caught up in the finer details, though, which might frustrate readers looking for a more detailed military history. Instead, it boils its subject down to "four distinct regimes of the scientific way of warfare, each of which is characterized by a specific theoretical and methodological constellation: mechanistic, thermodynamic, cybernetic, and chaoplexic warfare." At the heart of each, he writes, "we find an associated paradigmatic technology, respectively the clock, the engine, the computer and the network." * Wired *'This is a remarkable work. Bousquet does for the history of science as military metaphor what Marc Buchanan in Nexus: The Groundbreaking Science of Networks does for complexity science and networks in a social context: he translates a series of profound scientific developments and thought into an accessible and engaging narrative of technology as artefact and metaphor. Bousquet writes with greater eloquence and texture, while simultaneously treating complex theoretical issues with the light touch that will ensure this book a larger audience.' * Michael Innes, Syracuse University *'An intellectual feast to which we are all invited, an intellectual frontier we are free to explore. The range of this work is truly impressive, yet it never obscures the unifying theme: the quest through the centuries for order on the battlefield. In Iraq and Afghanistan the West has found such order more elusive than ever, yet the quest has never been more urgent.' * Christopher Coker, London School of Economics *Table of Contents1: Introduction 2: Technoscientific Regimes of Order in Warfare - A Theoretical and Methodological Framework 3: Mechanistic Warfare and the Clockwork Universe 4: Thermodynamic Warfare and the Science of Energy 5: Cybernetics and the Genesis of the Computer 6: Cybernetic Warfare: Computers at War 7: A New Informational Paradigm: Chaos Theory and Complexity Science 8: Towards Chaoplexic Warfare? Network-Centric Warfare and the Non-Linear Sciences
£17.09
John Wiley and Sons Ltd A History of Solitude
Book SynopsisSolitude has always had an ambivalent status: the capacity to enjoy being alone can make sociability bearable, but those predisposed to solitude are often viewed with suspicion or pity. Drawing on a wide array of literary and historical sources, David Vincent explores how people have conducted themselves in the absence of company over the last three centuries. He argues that the ambivalent nature of solitude became a prominent concern in the modern era. For intellectuals in the romantic age, solitude gave respite to citizens living in ever more complex modern societies. But while the search for solitude was seen as a symptom of modern life, it was also viewed as a dangerous pathology: a perceived renunciation of the world, which could lead to psychological disorder and anti-social behaviour. Vincent explores the successive attempts of religious authorities and political institutions to manage solitude, taking readers from the monastery to the prisoner’s cell, and explains how western society’s increasing secularism, urbanization and prosperity led to the development of new solitary pastimes at the same time as it made traditional forms of solitary communion, with God and with a pristine nature, impossible. At the dawn of the digital age, solitude has taken on new meanings, as physical isolation and intense sociability have become possible as never before. With the advent of a so-called loneliness epidemic, a proper historical understanding of the natural human desire to disengage from the world is more important than ever. The first full-length account of its subject, A History of Solitude will appeal to a wide general readership.Trade Review"Superb ... a remarkably versatile study."—Terry Eagleton, The Guardian "[A] beautifully written, nuanced and now topical history."—The Spectator "Totally absorbing."—Sydney Morning Herald "[B]ursts with fascinating information and chewy ideas."—The Telegraph "[An] elegantly written and acute history ... It is characteristic of Vincent's insight that he detects mirrors everywhere."—Yorkshire Times "In this well-judged history of a currently pressing preoccupation ... Vincent performs a useful public service: he recognises the uniqueness of our contemporary problems, but gives them the calming and edifying perspective of context."—Times Higher Education "Are we living in a lonely age and, if so, when did it begin? In this riveting history, David Vincent tackles this timely question by bringing to light everyday experiences of solitude and loneliness from the late eighteenth century to the present. Here we meet solitary walkers, spiritual recluses, sailors on long solo voyages, but also men and women locked up in asylums or prisons where unremitting isolation broke minds and spirits. Solitude could be nourishing but it could also madden or even kill. Vincent gives us the stories in rich detail, in a pathbreaking book that will fascinate anyone interested in solitariness, past or present."—Barbara Taylor, Queen Mary University of London "This is a superb book. David Vincent has mobilized texts that he has mastered over fifty years of scholarship and supplemented these – poetry, novels, memoirs, and autobiography – with a dazzling range of sources on everything from stamp-collecting to dog-walking to prison reform. He manages the intractable distinction between solitude and loneliness over a large domain. This will become the standard work on a topic of both academic and general interest."—Thomas Laqueur, University of California at Berkeley "This is a deeply researched book that sheds light on many aspects of modern history, from leisure to penology. While exploring rich historical cases, the book also provides an explicit backdrop for contemporary concerns about loneliness but also about modern barriers to achieving solitude. A real gem."—Peter Stearns, George Mason University "Original, bang up-to-date, and impressive in its scholarship. This is a fine piece of work from an experienced historian."—Colin Heywood, University of Nottingham "Vincent's new book, [….] examines how our attitudes to being alone – physically and mentally – have changed over time. The breadth of his study is impressive. Vincent is refreshingly sceptical about the UK's supposed 'loneliness epidemic'."—David Robson, The IndependentTable of ContentsAcknowledgements 1 Introduction: Solitude Considered 2 Solitude, I’ll Walk with Thee 3 Home Alone in the Nineteenth Century 4 Prayers, Convents and Prisons 5 Solitude and Leisure in the Twentieth Century 6 The Spiritual Revival 7 The ‘Epidemic of Loneliness’ Revisited 8 Conclusion: Solitude in the Digital Era Notes Index
£18.75
Oxford University Press Inc How the World Flows
Book SynopsisHow the World Flows acts like a microscope that pulls the reader into the barely noticeable, Lilliputian world of fluids at small scales--the microfluidic world-and answers the question What is microfluidics? in non-technical language.Microfluidics is the field of science that studies fluids constrained to spaces that are smaller than one millimeter wide, and by extension, the engineering field which builds devices that exploit the unique properties of fluids at these scales. Author Albert Folch explores this micro science which has inspired engineers to build devices such as engines, spray cans, ballpoint pens, inkjet and 3D printers, pregnancy and Covid tests, glucometers, asthma nebulizers, kidney dialysis machines, and DNA analyzers. This book also shows that many processes essential to life on Earth - such as the formation of raindrops, the rise of sap in plants, and the percolation of water through soil - are all microfluidic marvels. It examines how our cells breathe, feed, and fight diseases through small capillaries. Many ancient human inventions, ranging from soaps and sauces to the candle wick, the gauze, and the ink brush, rely on microfluidics, but the size of the fluid interactions in these systems, natural and human-made, has prevented most people from appreciating their inner workings. Through engaging and digestible stories, Folch takes a lens to this tiny science and demonstrates how big a role microfluidics play in life as we know it.
£21.84
Vintage Publishing Looking For Spinoza
Book SynopsisJoy, sorrow, jealousy and awe - these and other feelings are the stuff of our daily lives. Presumed to be too private for science to explain and not to be essential for comprehending human rationality and understanding, they have largely been ignored. But not by the great seventeenth-century Dutch philosopher Spinoza. And not by Antonio Damasio. In this book Dr. Damasio draws on his innovative research and on his experience with neurological patients to examine how feelings and the emotions that underlie them support the governance of human affairs.Trade ReviewBig claims, well made: it is a rare pleasure to pick up such a rigorous and readable book about scientific advance that is so firmly anchored in philosophical history * Time Out *Virtually all the interesting philosophy today is done, not by professional philosophers, but by scientists like Damasio... The map may be incomplete, but thanks to Damasio we do at least know the principal landmarks * New Humanist *Damasio's book interweaves lucid and fascinating explanations of neurological findings with historical and philosophical ruminations on Spinoza... Rich and informative * New Scientist *There is much in this book to please Damasio's fans. He is a lively and humane writer, and ranges easily across a wide variety of topics * Independent *
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd Autobiographies Charles Darwin Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisA glimpse into the mind of one of the world's intellectual giantsThe Autobiographies of Charles Darwin (1809-82) provide a fascinating glimpse into the mind and experiences of one of the world's intellectual giants. They begin with engaging memories of his childhood and youth and of his burgeoning scientific curiosity and love of the natural world, which led to him joining the expedition on the Beagle. Darwin follows this with survey of his career and ends with a reckoning of his life's work. Interspersed with these recollections are fascinating portraits - from his devoted wife Emma and his talented father, both bullying and kind, to the leading figures of the Victorian scientific world he counted among his friends, including Lyell and Huxley. Honest and illuminating, these memoirs reveal a man who was isolated by his controversial beliefs and whose towering achievements were attained by a life-long passion for the discoveries of science.For more than sevTable of ContentsAutobiographies " cellpadding="0" cellspacing="5" border="0"AcknowledgmentsChronologyIntroductionFurther ReadingNote on the TextsAn autobiographical fragment1876 May 31 - Recollections of the Development of my Mind and CharacterCambridge, 1828-1831Voyage of the Beagle: from Dec. 27, 1831 to Oct. 2, 1836From my return to England Oct. 2 1836 to my marriage Jan. 29 1839Religious BeliefFrom my marriage, Jan. 29 1839, and residence in Upper Gower St. to our leaving London and settling at Down, Sep. 14 1842Residence at Down from Sep. 14 1842 to the present time 1876My Several PublicationsBibliographical Register
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Euclids Window The Story of Geometry from
Book SynopsisIn Euclid''s Window, Leonard Mlondinow takes us on a brilliantly entertaining journey through 3,000 years of genius and geometry, introducing the people who revolutionized the way we see the world around us. Ever since Pythagoras hatched a ''little scheme'' to invent a set of rules describing the entire universe, scientists and mathematicians have tried to seek order in the cosmos: Euclid, who in 300BC defined the nature of space; Descartes, a fourteenth-century gambler and idler who invented the graph; Gauss, the fifteen-year-old genius who discovered that space is curved; Einstein, who added time to the equation; and Witten, who ushered in today''s weird new world of extra, twisted dimensions. They all show how geometry is the key to understanding the universe. Once you have viewed life through Euclid''s Window, it will never be the same again... ''Elegant, attractive and concise ... also very readable. Buy it'' Ian Table of ContentsPart 1 The story of Euclid: the first revolution; the geometry of taxation; among the seven sages; the secret society; Euclid's manifesto; a beautiful woman, a library, and the end of civilization. Part 2 The story of Descartes: the revolution in place; the origin of latitude and longitude; the legacy of the rotten Romans; the discreet charm of the graph; a soldier's story; iced by the snow queen. Part 3 The story of Gauss: the curved space revolution; the trouble with Ptolemy; a Napoleonic hero; the fall of the fifth postulate; lost in hyperbolic space; some insects called the human race; a tale of two aliens; after 2000 years, a face-lift. Part 4 The story of Einstein: revolution at the speed of light; relativity's other Albert; the stuff of space; probationary technical expert, third class; a relatively Euclidean approach; Einstein's apple; from inspiration to perspiration; blue hair triumphs. Part 5 The story of Witten: the weird revolution; ten things I hate about your theory; the necessary uncertainty of being; clash of the Titans; a message in a Kaluza-Klein bottle; the birth of strings; particles, schmarticles!; the trouble with strings; the theory formerly known as strings.
£10.44
Oxford University Press The Elements
Book SynopsisThis Very Short Introduction traces the history and cultural impact of the elements on humankind, and examines why people have long sought to identify the substances around them. Looking beyond the Periodic Table, the author examines our relationship with matter, from the uncomplicated vision of the Greek philosophers, who believed there were four elements - earth, air, fire, and water - to the work of modern-day scientists in creating elements such as hassium and meitnerium. Packed with anecdotes, The Elements is a highly engaging and entertaining exploration of the fundamental question: what is the world made from? 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 ReviewBall is one of the most prolific and imaginative of contemporary science writers. He has plenty of attitude, boasts a fine knowledge of visual art and a literary sensibility, and his science is encyclopaedic. * Chemistry in Britain *A delight of a book.... Elegantly written...it's far-reaching, entertaining and salted with anecdote.... It could become a classic. Hold on to your first edition * Roy Herbert, New Scientist *engaging tour of the chemical elements * Sunday Telegraph *Philip Ball's book is an excellent introduction. I would have loved the book as an enthusiastic sixteen year-old and I would recommend it as a Christmas present to anyone at that age, and to journalists who may occasionally wish to appear smarter than they actually are. * Simon Robinson, Chemistry and Industry *a series of invigorating dips * Guardian *Ball's choices are sound, his style is attractive * Evening Standard *Ball brings the periodic table to life * Maia Weinstock, Discover *A beautifully written and elegantly illustrated synthesis of chemistry and culture. Popularization of science at its very best. * Sir John Meurig Thomas, University of Cambridge *The book contains some delightful anecdotes * David Johnson, Times Higher Educational Supplement *Table of Contents1. Aristotle's Quartet: The elements in antiquity ; 2. Revolution: How oxygen changed the world ; 3. Gold: The most desirable element ; 4. The Eightfold Path: Organizing the elements ; 5. The Atom Factories: Making new elements ; 6. The Chemical Brothers: Why isotopes are useful ; 7. For All Practical Purposes: Technologies of the elements ; End notes ; Futher reading
£999.99
Oxford University Press Molecules
Book SynopsisThe processes in a single living cell are akin to that of a city teeming with molecular inhabitants that move, communicate, cooperate, and compete. In this Very Short Introduction, Philip Ball explores the role of the molecule in and around us - how, for example, a single fertilized egg can grow into a multi-celled Mozart, what makes spider''s silk insoluble in the morning dew, and how this molecular dynamism is being captured in the laboratory, promising to reinvent chemistry as the central creative science of the century.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 If the intimate workings of molecules seem invisible, through Philip Ball's lively pros we see them--coming to life, helping us live. A special delight of this excellent book is the tie that emerges between the wondrous molecules of nature and those chemists make in the laboratory. * Ronald Hoffmann, Chemistry Nobel Laureate 1981 *Almost no aspect of the exciting advances in molecular research studies at the beginning of the 21st Century has been left untouched and in so doing, Ball has presented an imaginative, personal overview, which is as instructive as it is enjoyable to read. * Harry Kroto, Chemistry Nobel Laureate 1996 *At no point does Stories of the Invisible sacrifice sound science for sound bites - we are in the hands of a scholar and true believer. * John Emsley Nature 20/08/2001 *This is a very readable and non-technical survey . . . All of the ingredients of a good work of ficiton are here. It really is a good bedtime read for all. * THES 04/01/2002 *Stories of the Invisible is a lucid account of the way that chemists see the molecular world . . . the text is enriched with many historical and literature references, and is accessible to the reader untrained in chemistry * THES, 04/01/2002 *Table of Contents1. Engineers of the Invisible: Making molecules ; 2. Vital Signs: The molecules of life ; 3. Take the Strain: Materials from molecules ; 4. The Burning Issue: Molecules and energy ; 5. Good Little Movers: Molecular motors ; 6. Delivering the Message: Molecular communication ; 7. The Chemical Computer: Molecular informatoin ; Notes and Further Reading
£9.49
Oxford University Press Eclipse and Revelation
Book SynopsisTwo questions guide this seven-year project: First, how can we approach the phenomenon, representation, and interpretation of total solar eclipses? Second, how can we heal the historical divide separating the natural sciences from the humanities, arts, history, and theology? The result of this interdisciplinary investigation into eclipses is an exciting look behind the scenes - into labs, archives, and museums, as well as around fieldwork in astronomy, meteorology, animal behaviour, and ecophysiology.Carefully prepared for readers from all backgrounds, these voices invite us to imagine a liberated mode of discovery, perception, creativity, and knowledge-production across the traditional academic divisions. A uniquely prismatic representation of total solar eclipses emerges, itself rising to a model of communal thinking, together, across disciplinary borders. This book is Tom McLeish''s final project and scholarly testament. Dedicated to him and to astrophysicist Jay M. Pasachoff (contrTrade ReviewWonderful and wonder-full! This splendidly illustrated book explores total solar eclipses and their effect on us through art, music and words. * Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell DBE FRS FRSE FRAS FInstP, Astrophysics, University of Oxford *A courtside seat to watch scientists, scholars, artists, and musicians toss ideas right (awesome!) and wrong (interesting!) back and forth over centuries of wonder. Nothing as real and completely out of human control or influence as the total solar eclipse has been so endlessly fascinating, provocative, and compelling; get your ticket here. * Michael O'Hare, Professor of the Graduate School at the University of California and Goldman School of Public Policy *Superb! This book touched my soul! Fabulous stuff and the first of its kind! So rich in thought with delectable prose on the history, art and science of the ages that surround eclipses. Henrike Lange and Tom McLeish have done something extraordinary: From one momentary cosmic event they virtuously generated lasting inspiration to chase knowledge and wisdom... Even the most experienced eclipse chasers will feel enriched and further enlightened by an eclipse after delving into this book... A true tome on the total solar eclipse. * Mike Kentrianakis, American Astronomical Society 2017 Total Solar Eclipse Project Manager, Amateur Astronomers Association of New York, IAU's Working Group on Solar Eclipses *I enjoyed the book... I emerged with my over 30 eclipse experiences freshly anchored in mysticism, history, and legend while clothed in new garments of art, music and literature. For both the scientist and the artist, Eclipse and Revelation gives view of the "other side"... The work becomes a tapestry that stitches history, passion, nature, weather, art, and music with a thread of mysticism and wonder. This ambitious volume welds so many dissimilar views of a shared experience: One chapter explains the physics behind the glow of the corona; another, Dante's eclipse muse. Ancient and medieval history... blend with the magnificence of art and poetry; animal and atmosphere respond in muted sympathy, all bound by the glory of the total eclipse. * Jay Anderson, Canadian meteorologist and eclipse chaser *A total solar eclipse is a spectacle without equal. Henrike Christiane Lange and Tom McLeish study the human and cultural impact of totality. Every human culture has a mythology about solar eclipses. These stories should be told and this book is an excellent survey of many cultures across the continents and throughout the centuries. I especially enjoyed the excerpts from Tom McLeish's travel diary from August 2017 which capture the thrill of the chase and the allure of the corona in the co-authored Introduction. Chapter 2 by my late friend Jay Pasachoff on the solar corona is a masterclass in science communication. I highly recommend Eclipse & Revelation to anyone interested in solar eclipses and their many interactions with humanity. * Michael Zeiler, Cartographer and Eclipse Chaser *Genius! Truly marvelous and relevant work, beautifully illustrated and delivered: an utterly brilliant new take on interdisciplinary collaborations between the arts, humanities, and sciences exploring a gripping natural phenomenon across human history. Unlike any other, this book includes fascinating perspectives and early science from ancient Asia, Assyria, Babylonia, India, China, Greece and Rome, the scientific revolution to the present... - all topped off with the latest meteorological methods and a conclusion that creates a poetic awareness of the entire cosmos... Lange and McLeish deliver a passionate defence of the liberal arts and a delightful account of the perpetual curiosity, excitement, joy, and enduring love of wisdom at the core of the scientific and scholarly life. * Andrew Stewart, Professor emeritus, History of Art and Classics at the University of California, Berkeley *Table of ContentsHenrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley) & Tom McLeish (University of York): Preface - "Cosmos" is for Harmony Henrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley) & Tom McLeish (University of York): Introduction - Chasing the Total Solar Eclipse: On the Road and in the Archive PART I - COSMOS 1: Tom McLeish (University of York) and Mike Frost (British Astronomical Association): The Cosmic Clockwork: The How and When of Total Solar Eclipses 2: Jay Pasachoff (Williams College): The Unveiling of the Corona 3: Philipp Nothaft (All Souls College Oxford): Pre-Modern Astronomies of Eclipses in the Near-East and Europe 4: Mike Frost (British Astronomical Association): From Science to Story: Testimony of an Eclipse Chaser PART II - HISTORY AND RELIGION 5: John Steele (Brown University): Solar Eclipses Across Early Asia 6: Giles Gasper (Durham University): 'The Face of the World Was Wretched, Horrifying, Black, Remarkable: Solar Eclipses in the Middle Ages 7: Anna Marie Roos (University of Lincoln): Annus Tenebrosus: Black Monday, Faith, and Political Fervour in Early Modern England 8: David Bentley Hart (NDIAS): Signs and Portents: Reflections on the History of Solar Eclipses PART III - ARTS AND LITERATURE 9: Alison Cornish (New York University): Dante's Total Eclipses 10: Roberta J.M. Olson (Wheaton College, Massachusetts, and The New-York Historical Society Museum & Library): Eclipsed? The Nineteenth-Century Quest to Capture Solar Eclipses in Art, Science, and Technology 11: Henrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley): Total Eclipse of the Art: Vision, Occlusion, Representation 12: Elaine Stratton Hild (Universität Würzburg): When Words Fail: Eclipse, Music, and Sound PART IV - ANIMALS, WEATHER, ENVIRONMENT 13: Steven Portugal (Royal Holloway): Animal Behaviour and Eclipse 14: Giles Harrison (Department of Meteorology, University of Reading): Weather and the Solar Eclipse: Nature's Meteorological Experiment Henrike Christiane Lange (University of California, Berkeley) and Tom McLeish (University of York): Conclusion - The Moon and the Sun in the Afternoon Mike Frost (British Astronomical Association): APPENDIX - The Eclipse Chaser's Toolkit
£23.75
Oxford University Press Civilization and the Culture of Science Science
Book SynopsisHow did science come to have such a central place in Western culture? How did our ways of thinking, and our moral, political, and social values come to be modelled around scientific values? Stephen Gaukroger traces the story of how these values developed, and how they influenced society and culture from the 19th to the mid-20th century.Trade ReviewThis is a remarkable work of scholarship and the fifty-page bibliography is a testament to the author's breadth of knowledge and reading, which forms the scientific basis for his outstanding contribution to the field. * Dr. Arpan K. Banerjee, Hektoen International *The question the author has set out to answer is, on the face of it, quite simple: How is it that science, utterly marginal in Europe's medieval culture, has become central to our modern culture? It is this very question that, for many a historian but also philosopher or sociologist of science, has stood in the background or even at the forefront of their decision to become one. Yet no one so far has had the courage, and the stamina, and the scholarly experience, and the vast erudition, and the organizing power, and the familiarity with a number of indispensable languages that Stephen Gaukroger displays and that are needed to engage the question on anything like the scale it deserves. . . . there are many reasons for profoundly admiring Gaukroger's achievement. * H. Floris Cohen, Isis *This is the much-awaited fourth volume of a series, Science and the Shaping of Modernity, that canvasses the history of science with a keen eye to the broader cultural context.... The erudition and dense attention to detail are breathtaking at times. I marvel to think that one scholar could command so much knowledge of the subject, both primary and secondary sources, and bring to bear such sophisticated philosophical judgment. * Margaret Schabas, University of British Columbia *This is a remarkable work of scholarship and the fifty-page bibliography is a testament to the author's breadth of knowledge and reading, which forms the scientific basis for his outstanding contribution to the field. * Arpan Banerjee, Hektoen International Journal *Table of ContentsPreface List of Illustrations List of Plates Introduction Part I: Civilization 1: Science and the Origins of Civilization 2: The Evolution of Civilization Part II: The Unity of Science 3: The Promotion of Unification 4: The Unity of the Physical Sciences 5: The Autonomy of the Material Sciences 6: The Autonomy of the Life Sciences 7: The Unity of the Life Sciences Part III: The Expansion of Scientific Understanding 8: The Problem of the Human Sciences 9: Understanding the World: Science versus Philosophy Part IV: The Pursuit of Science by Other Means: 'Applied' and 'Popular Science' 10: Technology and the Limits of Scientific Theorizing 11: Science For and By the Public Part V: Science and the Civilizing Process 12: The Modernization of the Population: Accommodating the Human to the Scientific Image Conclusion 13: Science and the Shaping of Modernity Bibliography of Works Cited Index
£28.45
Oxford University Press The GenesEye View of Evolution
Book SynopsisThe central aim of this accessible book is to show how the gene's-eye view differs from the traditional organismal account of evolution, trace its historical origins, clarify typical misunderstandings and, by using examples from contemporary experimental work, show why so many evolutionary biologists still consider it an indispensable heuristic.Trade ReviewThis is the first time a conceptually and historically complete book on the subject has been published. It definitely merits reading and careful study by anyone interested in grand questions of evolutionary theory. * Evolution *I hope that his fascinating book is read widely; it is unmissable for anyone interested in evolution—and in life itself. * Areo *Even though Ågren is an avid supporter of the gene's-eye view of evolution, his coverage of the topic remains commendably unbiased throughout. * Chemistry and Industry *'Science needs ingenious points-of-view that help us understand the world. Few perspectives are more famous – or notorious – than that of the selfish gene. Merging biology and history of science, Ågren unravels its origins, explains why it is useful, and when its utility has been overstretched. Whether you're a fan or a critic, this is an essential guide to the gene's eye view.' * Tobias Uller, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sweden *'Arvid Ågren has undertaken the most meticulously thorough reading of the relevant literature that I have ever encountered, deploying an intelligent understanding to pull it into a coherent story. As if that wasn't enough, he gets it right.' * Richard Dawkins *'Since its inception in the 1970s, the "gene's eye view of evolution" has been a controversial idea in evolutionary biology. In this lucid and scholarly book, Arvid Ågren provides a masterful treatment of the intricate and often confusing debates over the value and limitations of the gene's eye view. I highly recommend his book to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this important issue.' * Samir Okasha, Professor of Philosophy of Science, University of Bristol, UK *'The idea of the selfish gene revolutionised evolutionary thinking and led to many new insights. But from the outset it received strong criticism, not all of it baseless. In the first dedicated book on the idea since it was proposed, Arvid Ågren expertly explores the power and nuances of the selfish gene concept. At times taking sides, at others leaving history to decide, he is always perceptive, scholarly, balanced and good natured. Interwoven with asides on the principal players, this fine book succeeds in being both enlightening and engaging.' * Andrew Bourke, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, University of East Anglia, UK *'Somewhat like evolution itself, argumentation in evolutionary biology has proceeded along one path in a sea of possibilities. The past and present players all have their own backgrounds - where they were trained and whose writings had impressed them. Meanwhile, the basics are simple: Once there's variation that is linked to fitness, as well as heritability, evolution is bound to happen. The result is a fascinating tension: undisputed principles coexist with strong opinions, and depending on who you ask, pondering 'if I were that gene, what would I do to improve my success?' either offers deep insight or is a serious waste of time. If you want to know why, read this masterful book.' * Hanna Kokko, Professor, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Switzerland *'This book's conversational style, clear presentation and well-planted surprises make it ideal for both general readers and students in a broad range of fields. The selfish gene is alive and well and continues to inspire and irritate, which is why we see gene level arguments of fans and critics alike in past and present debates. Best of all, as we follow the gene's eye view around in Agren's book, we find ourselves educated about current views in exciting subfields-from evolutionary systems theory to Major Transitions and Selfish Genetic Elements- and rewarded with a treasure trove of references.' * Ullica Segerstrale, author of Defenders of the Truth and Nature's Oracle, Professor of Sociology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA *Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: A New Way to Read Nature 1: Historical Origins 2: Defining and Refining Selfish Genes 3: Difficulties of the Theory 4: Inclusive Fitness and Hamilton's Rule 5: Empirical Implications Conclusion: The Gene's-Eye View Today
£23.99
Oxford University Press Inc On the Fringe
Book SynopsisEveryone has heard of the term pseudoscience, typically used to describe something that looks like science, but is somehow false, misleading, or unproven. Many would be able to agree on a list of things that fall under its umbrella-- astrology, phrenology, UFOlogy, creationism, and eugenics might come to mind. But defining what makes these fields pseudo is a far more complex issue. It has proved impossible to come up with a simple criterion that enables us to differentiate pseudoscience from genuine science. Given the virulence of contemporary disputes over the denial of climate change and anti-vaccination movements--both of which display allegations of pseudoscience on all sides-- there is a clear need to better understand issues of scientific demarcation.On the Fringe explores the philosophical and historical attempts to address this problem of demarcation. This book argues that by understanding doctrines that are often seen as antithetical to science, we can learn a great deal aboutTrade ReviewGordin's book should be mandatory reading for all those interested in the nature of science and pseudoscience. On the Fringe provides an excellent exposition of a wide diversity of pseudoscientifc doctrines, something which certainly can help to devise more useful demarcation criteria. * Juan Gefaell, Metascience *Michael Gordin's book adds at least two important aspects to the literature. First, as a historian, he puts some of the pseudosciences in a historical perspective that is seldom presented. Secondly, he contributes to the systematic treatment of pseudosciences by introducing four groups of such teachings. * SVEN OVE HANSSON, Society for US Intellectual History *Gordin's discussion offers critical tools for students confronting a cultural context in which claims of scientific expertise carry significant—even unprecedented—consequence. * J. D. Martin, Durham University *A fascinating exploration of the line between science and pseudoscience. * PD Smith, The Guardian *Fascinating... a very effective and readable analysis. * Brian Clegg, Popular Science blog *This will be helpful to anyone curious about how to separate the wheat of science from the chaff of pseudoscience. * Publishers Weekly Review *Illuminating * Ross McFarlane, Fortean Times *Gordin's book can best be approached as a first sketch of a very useful and promising way of studying pseudoscience rather than as a definitive account of it. * Juan Gefaell, Metascience *Table of ContentsChapter 1: The Demarcation Problem Chapter 2: Vestigial Sciences Chapter 3: Hyperpoliticized Sciences Chapter 4: Fighting "Establishment" Science Chapter 5: Mind over Matter Chapter 6: Controversy Is Inevitable Chapter 7: The Russian Questions Notes Further Reading
£16.19
Oxford University Press Inc The Icy Planet
Book SynopsisThis book takes readers to Antarctica, the Arctic and the high mountains, to see what is happening to their ice, snow and permafrost. Ice and snow reflect solar energy back to space, keeping the planet cool. As global overheating melts them away, we are losing this refrigeration factor, which adds to global overheating. The author begins by laying out the evidence for carbon dioxide as the control knob of climate, and hence of sea level, for the past 1000 million years, before exploring the effects of climate change in the three main icy regions. He shows us how climate change will likely affect us and the planet as we approach the end of this century and beyond. His story ends by analysing how politics and economics are determining our response to global overheating, reminding readers of the enormous global challenges inherent in changing from a fossil fuel to a renewable energy infrastructure. There is no overnight solution. Can we save Earth''s refrigerator? Will Net Zero work? Addressing these key questions Summerhayes is cautiously optimistic about our chances provided we have the collective will to act on what we know.Trade ReviewIn The Icy Planet, apart from offering the reader all they need to know about the world's coldest places, Colin Summerhayes addresses in well-researched and readable detail the role of ice as the bellwether of global warming. Fascinating and sometimes frightening, it examines the speed with which the frozen environment is being depleted, and the signals that sends out for the future of us all. This is a book both arresting and alarming. * Sir Michael Palin, Writer and Presenter of Travel Documentaries including Pole-to-Pole and Erebus: The Story of a Ship *'Out of sight, out of mind' is the view that most people have of Earth's vast expanses of ice. This book takes us on a fascinating tour of our icy realms, the critical role they play in the functioning of the Earth System, and the startling human-driven changes that are afflicting them—essential reading for anyone interested in the future of our planet. * Will Steffen, Professor, Australian National University, Canberra *Colin Summerhayes introduces readers to the significance of the changing character of ice within the regions of the 'three poles.' His unique perspective comes from a career in science leadership roles, where he was a keen observer of and synthesizer of emerging research. Along with a narrative related to his travels, the book provides a holistic understanding of ice and climate in a world which has only recently begun to realize the power of both. * Paul Andrew Mayewski, Professor and Director, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, USA *Colin Summerhayes condenses the wisdom of a long career in polar and climate research to reveal the fundamental importance of Earth's refrigerator. The huge blocks of frozen water that cap the polar regions and high mountains may be remote from where most of us live, but have profound implications for all of us, in shaping our planet's climate, weather, water supply, and even food security, while also sustaining fascinating and unique wildlife. His first-hand account takes readers on a unique journey of appreciation for our world's coldest places. * Tony Juniper CBE, Environmentalist *Due to global climate change the large ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland influence the height of sea levels, while mountain glaciers influence the water supplies for surrounding populations. Melting permafrost changes ecosystems and creates significant natural hazards. Using his vast field experience, Colin Summerhayes draws attention to these dynamics and their effects on nature and society in an important book with a popular orientation. * Heinz Wanner, Professor, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern *The increasing loss of the Earth's cryosphere is one of the most significant problem's facing humanity today. Dr Summerhayes has written a comprehensive book introducing the reader to the world of ice on our planet, how it responds and impacts climate, how it is the home to unique ecosystems, and most importantly, how ice and permafrost loss will lead to dramatic changes to our world. * W. Berry Lyons, Professor, Ohio State University *The book provides an excellent, well-referenced overview of Earth's cryosphere, including valid concerns about its near-term evolution. * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Icehouse Climates Chapter 3: East Antarctica - the World's Biggest Ice Cube Chapter 4: West Antarctica and Dry Valleys Chapter 5: The Antarctica Peninsula, the Falklands and South Georgia Chapter 6: The Arctic Chapter 7: The Third Pole - Mountain Ice Chapter 8: Rising Seas Chapter 9: Our Future Epilogue End Notes (references) List of Figure Permissions Index
£29.92
Oxford University Press Inc Unlocking the Moons Secrets
Book SynopsisThe Moon is the most viewed object in the sky, the Sun being too bright to look at directly and the planets too far away. The Greeks deduced everything that could be learned about the Moon using only the naked eye, including that it has no light of its own but reflects that of the Sun. They understood the cause of eclipses and used the Earth''s shadow on the Moon to conclude that our planet is a sphere and to calculate the size of both the Moon and the Earth. The invention of the telescope some two millennia later offered the opportunity for much greater understanding, but the early observers became sidetracked onto a dead end: First, they fooled themselves into believing that they saw evidence of life on the Moon, even the works of a civilization. Second, they became convinced that the craters of the Moon were volcanoes like those we have on the Earth. These wrong-headed beliefs took centuries to dispel. The origin of the Moon itself has proven an even more difficult question, but scientists have now closed in on the answer. They find that our placid and seemingly unchanging Moon was born in colossal violence as a planet the size of Mars crashed into the primordial Earth and flung off a blob that solidified to become our heavenly companion. Unlocking the Moon''s Secrets follows these developments to show how science evolves, complete with misunderstandings, contentious arguments, difficult to relinquish assumptions, and shifting views as new facts come to light. Thanks to the work of generations of determined scientists, we understand our Moon, at last.
£22.99
