Popular science Books

Book SynopsisIs it possible to heal by thought alone—without drugs or surgery?The truth is that it happens more often than you might expect. In You Are the Placebo, best-selling author, international speaker, chiropractor, and renowned researcher of epigenetics, quantum physics, & neuroscience, Dr. Joe Dispenza shares numerous documented cases of those who reversed cancer, heart disease, depression, crippling arthritis, and even the tremors of Parkinson’s disease by believing in a placebo. Similarly, Dr. Joe tells of how others have gotten sick and even died the victims of a hex or voodoo curse—or after being misdiagnosed with a fatal illness. Belief can be so strong that pharmaceutical companies use double- and triple-blind randomized studies to try to exclude the power of the mind over the body when evaluating new drugs.“In his paradigm-altering book, You Are the Placebo, Dr. Joe Dispenza catapults us beyond thinking of the placebo effect as an anomaly. Through 12 concise chapters that read like a true-life scientific thriller, Dispenza gives us rock-solid reasons to accept the game-changer of our lives: that the placebo effect is actually us, proving to ourselves the greatest possibilities of healing, miracles, and longevity! I love this book and look forward to a world where the secret of the placebo is the foundation of everyday life.” — Gregg Braden, New York Times best-selling author of Deep Truth and The Divine MatrixChapters Include: Foreword by Dawson Church, Ph.D.Part I: Is It Possible? A Brief History of the Placebo The Placebo Effect in the Brain The Placebo Effect in the Body How Thoughts Change the Brain and the Body Suggestibility Attitudes, Beliefs, and Perceptions The Quantum Mind Three Stories of Personal Transformation Information to Transformation: Proof That You Are the PlaceboPart II: Transformation Meditation Preparation Changing Beliefs and Perceptions Meditation Becoming Supernatural Dr. Joe does more than simply explore the history and the physiology of the placebo effect. He asks the question: "Is it possible to teach the principles of the placebo, and without relying on any external substance, produce the same internal changes in a person’s health and ultimately in his or her life?" Then he shares scientific evidence (including color brain scans) of amazing healings from his workshops, in which participants learn his consciousness shifting model of personal transformation, based on practical applications of the so-called placebo effect. The book ends with a "how-to" calming meditation for changing limiting beliefs and mental perceptions that hold us back—the first step in healing. You Are the Placebo combines the latest research in neuroscience, biology, psychology, hypnosis, behavioral conditioning, and quantum physics to demystify the workings of the placebo effect . . . and show how the seemingly impossible can become possible.“I discovered that if I could teach people the scientific model of transformation (bringing in a little quantum physics to help them understand the science of possibility); combine it with the latest information in neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, epigenetics, and psychoneuroimmunology; give them the right kind of instruction; and provide the opportunity to apply that information, then they would experience a transformation...This book is about: empowering you to realize that you have all the biological and neurological machinery to do exactly that. My goal is to demystify these concepts with the new science of the way things really are so that it is within the reach of more people to change their internal states in order to create positive changes in their health and in their external world.”— Dr. Joe DispenzaTrade ReviewYou Are the Placebo is the instruction manual for how to produce miracles in your body, with your health, and in your life. It's simply magnificent. This may be the only prescription you'll ever require. -- Christiane Northrup MD New York Times bestselling author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause Your mind is so incredibly important to the success or failure of virtually everything you do, from relationships, school, work and finances to overall happiness. You Are the Placebo is a powerful exploration of your most important resource and offers many practical tools to optimize your mind to enhance your overall success. I love Dr Dispenza's way of communicating complex ideas in a way all of us can understand and benefit from. -- Daniel G. Amen MD founder of Amen Clinics and New York Times bestselling author of Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and Magnificent Mind at Any Age From my experience with patients with life-threatening illnesses, I have learned the truth as shared in You Are the Placebo. The body experiences what the mind believes. I have learned how to deceive people into health for their benefit. Doctors can kill or cure with 'wordswordswords' when they become 'swordswordswords.' We all have the potential for self-induced healing built into us. The key is to know how to achieve your potential. Read and learn. -- Bernie Siegel MD author of A Book of Miracles and The Art of Healing Dr Joe Dispenza weaves scientific studies together to come up with a true revolutionary approach to using our minds to heal our bodies. I was spellbound. Bravo! -- Mona Lisa Schulz MD PhD author of The Intuitive Advisor and All Is Well The placebo effect - our response to the belief that we've received a catalyst for healing - has long been studied in medicine as a curious phenomenon. In his paradigm-altering book You Are the Placebo, Dr Joe Dispenza catapults us beyond thinking of the effect as an anomaly. Through 12 concise chapters that read like a true-life scientific thriller, Dispenza gives us rock-solid reasons to accept the game-changer of our lives: that the placebo effect is actually us, proving to ourselves the greatest possibilities of healing, miracles and longevity! I love this book and look forward to a world where the secret of the placebo is the foundation of everyday life. -- Gregg Braden New York Times bestselling author of Deep Truth and The Divine Matrix Dr Joe Dispenza is a master teacher who has the ability to explain science at a very simple level so that everyone understands. -- don Miguel Ruiz MD author of The Four Agreements You Are the Placebo is a must-read for anyone who wants to experience optimal health in mind, body and spirit. Dr Joe Dispenza dispels the myth that our health is out of our control and restores to us our power and right to expect wonderful health and wellbeing throughout our lives by showing us the way to create it. To read this book is to subscribe to the absolute best health insurance available in the world. -- Sonia Choquette six-sensory consultant and New York Times bestselling author of The Answer Is Simple If you're looking for a practical explanation to the benefits of meditation, look no further. Soul & Spirit

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Book SynopsisA Brief History of Time for the 21st CenturyAt the heart of our galaxy lies a monster so deadly, not even light can escape its grasp. Its secrets lie waiting to be discovered. It's time to explore our universe's most mysterious inhabitantsBlack HolesAt the heart of the Milky Way lies a supermassive black hole 4 million times more massive than our Sun. A place where space and time are so warped that light is trapped if it ventures within 12 million km. According to Einstein, inside lies the end of time. According to 21st-century physics, the reality may be far more bizarre.Black holes lie where the most massive stars used to shine and at the edge of our current understanding. They are naturally occurring objects, the inevitable creations of gravity when too much matter collapses into not enough space. And yet, although the laws of nature predict them, they fail fully to describe them.Black holes are places in space and time where the laws of gravity, quantum physics and thermodynamics collide. Originally thought to be so intellectually troubling that they simply could not exist, it is only in the past few years that we have begun to glimpse a new synthesis; a deep connection between gravity and quantum information theory that describes a holographic universe in which space and time emerge from a network of quantum bits, and wormholes span the void.In this groundbreaking book, Professor Brian Cox and Professor Jeff Forshaw take you to the edge of our understanding of black holes; a scientific journey to the research frontier spanning a century of physics, from Einstein to Hawking and beyond, that ends with the startling conclusion that our world may operate like a giant quantum computer.Trade Review‘An AMAZING thing to read. So SATISFYING, I REALLY RECOMMEND reading this book…FASCINATING’ Jeremy Vine ‘FASCINATING… a MIND BOGGLING new book’ Afternoon Edition with Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio ‘There are few better than Cox at turning tricksy, potentially dense subjects into captivating “edutainment” for the masses – be it in BBC documentaries, live shows or books. Not for nothing did Sir David Attenborough once proclaim: “If I had a torch I would hand it to Brian Cox.”’ Guy Kelly, Daily Telegraph ‘A spellbinding cosmic exploration that resists collapsing under the weight of jargon.’ Kirkus Reviews Praise for Professors Brian Cox & Jeff Forshaw ‘They have blazed a clear trail into forbidding territory, from the mathematical structure of space-time all the way to atom bombs, astrophysics and the origin of mass.’ New Scientist 'Inspirational' Buzz Aldrin ‘A scientific match made in heaven’ Observer ‘Cox and Forshaw stand together at the cutting edge of their discipline … Despite their elevated status, both men remain tiggerishly excitable about their subject’ Financial Times ‘Mindblowing’ Sunday Times ‘I can think of no one, Stephen Hawking included, who more perfectly combines authority, knowledge, passion, clarity, and powers of elucidation than Brian Cox.’ Stephen Fry, 2009 ‘Admirably shies away from dumbing down’ Economist ‘They do a great job of bringing a difficult subject to life’ The Times ‘If you're not a physicist (or not yet a physicist) and you want to understand what Einstein and relativity theory are all about, you would do well to read this book. The writing is clear, sparkling in places, and totally without vanity … [A] delightful little book’ Huffington Post ‘Readers will enjoy this engaging, ambitious and creative tour of our quantum universe’ Guardian

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Book SynopsisSunday Times BestsellerA paradigm-smashing chronicle of joyous entanglement' Charles FosterWaterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month (September)Are trees social beings? How do trees live? Do they feel pain or have awareness of their surroundings?In The Hidden Life of Trees Peter Wohlleben makes the case that the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. Wohlleben also shares his deep love of woods and forests, explaining the amazing processes of life, death and regeneration he has observed in his woodland.A walk in the woods will never be the same again.Trade Review‘Marvellous’ John Banville, Irish Times ‘The Hidden Life of Trees is a wonderful, provocative book that draws together half a century of much-neglected and misunderstood plant science and frames it within field observations by an acute and empathetic forester.’ New Statesman ‘Shafts of light and mossy greens fill The Hidden Life of Trees. The reader does not leave the forest, and this aura intensifies the awareness of intricate natural life that the book has to offer. So much is happening in this one place. The colours, airs and sounds are all connected. They give us contact with the invisible world we now know to be there.' Guardian ‘The matter-of-fact Mr. Wohlleben has delighted readers and talk-show audiences alike with the news long known to biologists that trees in the forest are social beings.’ The New York Times ‘Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees breaks entirely new ground … [Wohlleben] has listened to trees and decoded their language. Now he speaks for them.’ Thomas Pakenham, New York Review of Books ‘A declaration of love and an engrossing primer on trees, brimming with facts and an unashamed awe for nature.’ Washington Post ‘A magical book about fixtures that we walk by every day and take for granted … The Hidden Life of Trees may be the most important environmental book of the year.’ San Francisco Chronicle

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Book SynopsisExploring the revolutionary science behind the power of thought, this book will forever change how you think about your own thinking.This new updated and expanded 10th anniversary edition of The Biology of Belief contains stunning new scientific discoveries about the biochemical effects of the brain's functioning that show all the cells of your body are affected by your thoughts. Bruce H. Lipton PhD, a renowned cell biologist, describes the precise molecular pathways through which this occurs. Using simple language, illustrations, humour and everyday examples, he demonstrates how the new science of epigenetics is revolutionizing our understanding of the link between mind and matter, and the profound effects it has on our personal lives and the collective life of our species.It has been 10 years since the publication of The Biology of Belief, Bruce Lipton's seminal book on the relationship between mind and body that changed the way we think about our lives, our health and our planet. During that time, research in this field has grown exponentially - Lipton's ground-breaking experiments have now been endorsed by more than a decade of rigorous scientific study.In this greatly expanded edition, Lipton explores his own experiments and those of other leading-edge scientists that have unravelled in ever greater detail how truly connected the mind, body and spirit are. It is now widely recognized that genes and DNA do not control our biology. Instead, they are controlled by signals from outside the cell, including energetic messages emanating from our thoughts.This profoundly hopeful synthesis of the latest and best research in cell biology and quantum physics puts the power to create a healthy, joyous life back in our own hands. When we transform our conscious and subconscious thoughts, we transform our lives, and in the process help humanity evolve to a new level of understanding and peace.Trade ReviewBruce Lipton offers nothing less than the long sought-after 'missing link' between life and consciousness. [...] I have no doubt that The Biology of Belief will become a cornerstone for the science of the new millennium. -- Gregg Braden, bestselling author of The God Code and The Divine Matrix The Biology of Belief is a milestone for evolving humanity. [...] A definite must read for those dedicated to the mind/body movement and to the true essence of healing. -- Dr John F. Demartini, bestselling author of Count Your Blessings and The Breakthrough Experience Finally, a compelling and easy-to-understand explanation of how your emotions regulate your genetic expression! You need to read this book to truly appreciate that you are not a victim of your genes but instead have unlimited capacity to live a life overflowing with peace, happiness and love. -- Dr Joseph Mercola, bestselling author of Effortless Healing

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Book SynopsisThe physiologist Benjamin Libet famously demonstrated that activity in the brain''s motor regions can be detected some 300 milliseconds before a person feels that he has decided to move. Another lab recently used fMRI data to show that some conscious decisions can be predicted up to 10 seconds before they enter awareness (long before the preparatory motor activity detected by Libet). Clearly, findings of this kind are difficult to reconcile with the sense that one is the conscious source of one''s actions. The question of free will is no mere curio of philosophy seminars. A belief in free will underwrites both the religious notion of sin and our enduring commitment to retributive justice. The Supreme Court has called free will a universal and persistent foundation for our system of law. Any scientific developments that threatened our notion of free will would seem to put the ethics of punishing people for their bad behaviour in question.In Free Will Harris debates these ideas aTrade Review"In this elegant and provocative book, Sam Harris demonstrates—with great intellectual ferocity and panache—that free will is an inherently flawed and incoherent concept, even in subjective terms. If he is right, the book will radically change the way we view ourselves as human beings." —V. S. Ramachandran, Director of the Center for Brain and Cognition, UCSD, and author of The Tell-Tale Brain"Brilliant and witty—and never less than incisive—Free Will shows that Sam Harris can say more in 13,000 words than most people do in 100,000." —Oliver Sacks"Free will is an illusion so convincing that people simply refuse to believe that we don’t have it. In Free Will, Sam Harris combines neuroscience and psychology to lay this illusion to rest at last. Like all of Harris’s books, this one will not only unsettle you but make you think deeply. Read it: you have no choice."—Jerry A. Coyne, Professor of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, and author of Why Evolution Is True"Many say that believing that there is no free will is impossible—or, if possible, will cause nihilism and despair. In this feisty and personal essay, Harris offers himself as an example of a heart made less self-absorbed, and more morally sensitive and creative, because this particular wicked witch is dead." —Owen Flanagan, Professor of Philosophy, Duke University, and author of The Really Hard Problem"If you believe in free will, or know someone who does, here is the perfect antidote. In this smart, engaging, and extremely readable little book, Sam Harris argues that free will doesn’t exist, that we’re better off knowing that it doesn’t exist, and that—once we think about it in the right way—we can appreciate from our own experience that it doesn’t exist. This is a delightful discussion by one of the sharpest scholars around.” —Paul Bloom, Professor of Psychology, Yale University, and author of How Pleasure Works

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Book SynopsisChris Napier is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, with a PhD in running biomechanics and injury prevention. Chris is a practising physiotherapist with Restore Physiotherapy clinic and works with the Athletics Canada team.

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Book SynopsisA facsimile edition of the seminal scientific work which introduced the theory of evolution and founded the field of evolutionary biology.Trade ReviewJust the right size to hold in the hand, with its classically presented typeface and composition, its bright, hard-finished (but not glossy) paper, and its richly embossed cover that feels exactly like a book of substance should feel, this Origin is one I shall now be turning to both for reference as well as for personal enjoyment. - The Well-Read Naturalist The Dispersal of Darwin ‘This is a small, and handsome facsimile edition of the second edition of Origin from 1860, with a green cover mimicking that of the original first edition from 1859… While there are many current editions of Darwin’s Origin one could have on their shelf, this affordable and highly-pleasing edition would be a great way to go.’ The Dispersal of Darwin

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Book SynopsisA BOOK OF THE YEARGUARDIAN, THE ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, FINANCIAL TIMES, BLOOMBERGAnil Seth's radical new theory of consciousness challenges our understanding of perception and reality, doing for brain science what Dawkins did for evolutionary biology.'A brilliant beast of a book.' DAVID BYRNE'Hugely important.' JIM AL-KHALILI'Masterly . . . An exhilarating book: a vast-ranging, phenomenal achievement that will undoubtedly become a seminal text.'GAIA VINCE, GUARDIANBeing You is not as simple as it sounds. Somehow, within each of our brains, billions of neurons work to create our conscious experience. How does this happen? Why do we experience life in the first person? After over twenty years researching the brain, world-renowned neuroscientist Anil Seth puts forward a radical new theory of consciousness and

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Book SynopsisA Brief History of Time for the 21st CenturyAt the heart of our galaxy lies a monster so deadly, not even light can escape its grasp. Its secrets lie waiting to be discovered. It's time to explore our universe's most mysterious inhabitantsBlack HolesAt the heart of the Milky Way lies a supermassive black hole 4 million times more massive than our Sun. A place where space and time are so warped that light is trapped if it ventures within 12 million km. According to Einstein, inside lies the end of time. According to 21st-century physics, the reality may be far more bizarre.Black holes lie where the most massive stars used to shine and at the edge of our current understanding. They are naturally occurring objects, the inevitable creations of gravity when too much matter collapses into not enough space. And yet, although the laws of nature predict them, they fail fully to describe them.Black holes are places in space and time where the laws of gravity, quantum physics and thermodynamics cTrade Review‘An AMAZING thing to read. So SATISFYING, I REALLY RECOMMEND reading this book…FASCINATING’ Jeremy Vine ‘FASCINATING… a MIND BOGGLING new book’ Afternoon Edition with Nihal Arthanayake, BBC Radio ‘There are few better than Cox at turning tricksy, potentially dense subjects into captivating “edutainment” for the masses – be it in BBC documentaries, live shows or books. Not for nothing did Sir David Attenborough once proclaim: “If I had a torch I would hand it to Brian Cox.”’ Guy Kelly, Daily Telegraph ‘A spellbinding cosmic exploration that resists collapsing under the weight of jargon.’ Kirkus Reviews Praise for Professors Brian Cox & Jeff Forshaw ‘They have blazed a clear trail into forbidding territory, from the mathematical structure of space-time all the way to atom bombs, astrophysics and the origin of mass.’ New Scientist 'Inspirational' Buzz Aldrin ‘A scientific match made in heaven’ Observer ‘Cox and Forshaw stand together at the cutting edge of their discipline … Despite their elevated status, both men remain tiggerishly excitable about their subject’ Financial Times ‘Mindblowing’ Sunday Times ‘I can think of no one, Stephen Hawking included, who more perfectly combines authority, knowledge, passion, clarity, and powers of elucidation than Brian Cox.’ Stephen Fry, 2009 ‘Admirably shies away from dumbing down’ Economist ‘They do a great job of bringing a difficult subject to life’ The Times ‘If you're not a physicist (or not yet a physicist) and you want to understand what Einstein and relativity theory are all about, you would do well to read this book. The writing is clear, sparkling in places, and totally without vanity … [A] delightful little book’ Huffington Post ‘Readers will enjoy this engaging, ambitious and creative tour of our quantum universe’ Guardian

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Book SynopsisEvery night, above our heads, a drama of epic proportions is playing out. Diamond planets, zombie stars, black holes heavier than a billion Suns. The cast of characters is extraordinary, and each one has its own incredible story to tell.We once thought of our Earth as unique, but we have now discovered thousands of alien planets, and that's barely a fraction of the worlds that are out there. And there are more stars in the Universe than grains of sand on every planet in the Solar System. But amid all this vastness, the Milky Way Galaxy, our Sun and the Earth are home to the only known life in the Universe at least for now.With a foreword from Professor Brian Cox, and access to all the latest stunning NASA photography, Andrew Cohen takes readers on a voyage of discovery, via the probes and telescopes exploring the outer reaches of our galaxy, revealing how it was formed and how it will inevitably be destroyed by the enigmatic black hole at its heart. And beyond our galaxy, the expandinTrade Review‘Wonderful in every sense’ Guardian ‘I wish Brian Cox had been my physics teacher’ The Times ‘Undeniably beautiful’ Daily Mail ‘Engaging and elucidating’ Metro ‘[The Universe] looks spectacular and the science is mind-boggling’ Telegraph Praise for The Planets by Andrew Cohen and Professor Brian Cox: ‘So staggering you go whoa!’ every few seconds … Cox is the Attenborough of the Solar System’ Guardian ‘Spectacular. [Cox’s] ability to convey maximum information in a clear and minimalist style is so softly winning and persuasive’ Sunday Times ‘Professor Brian Cox continues to boggle our minds’ Daily Mail ‘It was life affirming, it was perspective shifting. It was beautifully made’ Fearne Cotton, The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, Radio 2 ‘Amazing work’ Emma Barnett, Adrian Chiles, Radio 5 Live ‘Starry-eyed Brian Cox is the only man for this job’ The Times ‘Wow’ Evening Standard ‘The professor makes us marvel at life on Earth’ iNews ‘Excellent … a blend of enjoyable, accessible science and dreamlike wonder’ The Times ‘Brian Cox breathes life into science again … breath-taking’ Guardian ‘Fascinating … Good science’ Observer ‘Extraordinary – at its best magically fascinating and full of vast, weird drama’ Radio Times Praise for Professor Brian Cox: ‘Cox’s romantic, lyrical approach to astrophysics all adds up to an experience that feels less like homework and more like having a story told to you. A really good story, too’ Guardian ‘He bridges the gap between our childish sense of wonder and a rather more professional grasp of the scale of things’ Independent ‘If you didn’t utter a wow watching the TV, you will while reading the book’ The Times ‘Engaging, ambitious and creative’ Guardian

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisEvery night, above our heads, a drama of epic proportions is playing out. Diamond planets, zombie stars, black holes heavier than a billion Suns. The cast of characters is extraordinary, and each one has its own incredible story to tell.We once thought of our Earth as unique, but we have now discovered thousands of alien planets, and that's barely a fraction of the worlds that are out there. And there are more stars in the Universe than grains of sand on every planet in the Solar System. But amid all this vastness, the Milky Way Galaxy, our Sun and the Earth are home to the only known life in the Universe at least for now.With a foreword from Professor Brian Cox, and access to all the latest stunning NASA photography, Andrew Cohen takes readers on a voyage of discovery, via the probes and telescopes exploring the outer reaches of our galaxy, revealing how it was formed and how it will inevitably be destroyed by the enigmatic black hole at its heart. And beyond our galaxy, the expandinTrade Review‘Wonderful in every sense’ Guardian ‘I wish Brian Cox had been my physics teacher’ The Times ‘Undeniably beautiful’ Daily Mail ‘Engaging and elucidating’ Metro ‘[The Universe] looks spectacular and the science is mind-boggling’ Telegraph Praise for The Planets by Andrew Cohen and Professor Brian Cox: ‘So staggering you go whoa!’ every few seconds … Cox is the Attenborough of the Solar System’ Guardian ‘Spectacular. [Cox’s] ability to convey maximum information in a clear and minimalist style is so softly winning and persuasive’ Sunday Times ‘Professor Brian Cox continues to boggle our minds’ Daily Mail ‘It was life affirming, it was perspective shifting. It was beautifully made’ Fearne Cotton, The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, Radio 2 ‘Amazing work’ Emma Barnett, Adrian Chiles, Radio 5 Live ‘Starry-eyed Brian Cox is the only man for this job’ The Times ‘Wow’ Evening Standard ‘The professor makes us marvel at life on Earth’ iNews ‘Excellent … a blend of enjoyable, accessible science and dreamlike wonder’ The Times ‘Brian Cox breathes life into science again … breath-taking’ Guardian ‘Fascinating … Good science’ Observer ‘Extraordinary – at its best magically fascinating and full of vast, weird drama’ Radio Times Praise for Professor Brian Cox: ‘Cox’s romantic, lyrical approach to astrophysics all adds up to an experience that feels less like homework and more like having a story told to you. A really good story, too’ Guardian ‘He bridges the gap between our childish sense of wonder and a rather more professional grasp of the scale of things’ Independent ‘If you didn’t utter a wow watching the TV, you will while reading the book’ The Times ‘Engaging, ambitious and creative’ Guardian

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Book SynopsisCombines the natural history of programmes such as David Attenborough's Planet Earth with the planetary focus of Brian Cox's Universe' GuardianA beautiful, full colour book to accompany the 5 part BBC TV series telling the most important story of all, the deep history of our own planet.With the trademark dramatic storytelling techniques of The Planets and The Universe, Andrew Cohen and Chris Packham narrate the biography of the Earth, revealing the most epic moments from its history, from the first seconds of its existence to the arrival of its most incredible inhabitants, us.But humans take a back seat for this story as the Earth takes centre stage. We'll witness those moments where our planet's future hung in the balance in the face of massive bombardments from space, extreme changes in climate, the collision of whole continents and more, and we'll tell the story of how Earth's most incredible creations life and intelligence are set to have the same lasting impact on Earth's story Trade Review‘Combines the natural history of programmes such as David Attenborough’s Planet Earth with the planetary focus of Brian Cox’s Universe to show how their interconnectivity has created and sometimes almost obliterated life on Earth’ Guardian ‘Enlightenment has always been at the heart of Packham’s activism. His new series, Earth, is nothing less than the biography of our planet … Earth selects five cataclysms from history where our planet’s future hung in the balance, condensing over 4.5 billion years … No mean feat … Earth wouldn’t be a Packham project without the moments of unalloyed wonder’ Radio Times ‘The most epic moments from the Earth’s history … Crammed with loads of interesting trivia’ Closer ‘Traces some of the greatest eruptions, freezes and moments of sheer destruction in Earth’s history … A reminder that the planet is more indifferent to us than we care to admit’ IFL Science ‘This is what the end of the world could look like’ Country and Town House ‘Impassioned’ Mirror

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Book Synopsis‘I have a truly marvellous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain.’ It was with these words, written in the 1630s, that Pierre de Fermat intrigued and infuriated the mathematics community. For over 350 years, proving Fermat’s Last Theorem was the most notorious unsolved mathematical problem, a puzzle whose basics most children could grasp but whose solution eluded the greatest minds in the world. In 1993, after years of secret toil, Englishman Andrew Wiles announced to an astounded audience that he had cracked Fermat’s Last Theorem. He had no idea of the nightmare that lay ahead. In ‘Fermat’s Last Theorem’ Simon Singh has crafted a remarkable tale of intellectual endeavour spanning three centuries, and a moving testament to the obsession, sacrifice and extraordinary determination of Andrew Wiles: one man against all the odds.Trade Review‘If you enjoyed Dava Sobel’s “Longitude” you will enjoy this.’ Evening Standard ‘This is probably the best popular account of a scientific topic I have ever read.’ Irish Times ‘Reads like the chronicle of an obsessive love affair. It has the classic ingredients that Hollywood would recognise.’ Daily Mail ‘To read it is to realise that there is a world of beauty and intellectual challenge that is denied to 99.9 per cent of us who are not high-level mathematicians.’ The Times ‘This tale has all the elements of a most exciting story: an impenetrable riddle; the ambition and frustration of generations of hopefuls; and the genius who worked for years in secrecy to realise his childhood dream.’ Express

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Book SynopsisHave you ever seen something that wasn't really there? Heard someone call your name in an empty house? Sensed someone following you and turned around to find nothing? Hallucinations don't belong wholly to the insane. Much more commonly, they are linked to sensory deprivation, intoxication, illness, or injury. In some conditions, hallucinations can lead to religious epiphanies or even the feeling of leaving one's own body. Humans have always sought such life-changing visions, and for thousands of years have used hallucinogenic compounds to achieve them. In Hallucinations, with his usual elegance, curiosity, and compassion, Dr Oliver Sacks weaves together stories of his patients and of his own mind-altering experiences to illuminate what hallucinations tell us about the organization and structure of our brains, how they have influenced every culture's folklore and art, and why the potential for hallucination is present in us all, a vital pTrade Review‘Oliver Sacks is a neurologist, a man of humane eloquence, and a genuine communicator’ Observer‘Sacks writes, basically, adventure stories, accounts of voyages into the unexplained territory of the brain. In doing so, he reveals a landscape far more complex and strange than anything we could infer from our daily interactions’ Sunday Times‘Sacks is above all a clinician, and writes with compassion and clarity . . . The result is a sort of humane discourse on the fragility of our minds, of the bodies that give rise to them, and of the world they create for us’ Daily Telegraph‘In measured prose with a blessed lack of jargon, Sacks explores the ingenuity with which individuals cope with bizarre neurological conditions . . . humane, empathic, he is the doctor you would want’ Independent‘Oliver Sacks has become the world’s best-known neurologist. His case studies of broken minds offer brilliant insight into the mysteries of consciousness’ Guardian'Sacks is at his most engaging when he brings the ostensibly strange into the realm of normality . . . This is where Sacks triumphs. Not just in the clarity with which he teaches us about the obscure phenomology of the human brain, but in the light his writings casts on even our most ordinary experiences.' Daily Telegraph‘The king of pop-neurology reveals how almost all of us have hallucinations’ GQ‘It’s a feat to bring any specialty in medicine vividly to life, and to do so without relinquishing the sensitivity and empathy that characterise the best doctors is something that few achieve. Oliver Sacks has managed it throughout his career . . . Affable, affectionate, respectful and smart, Sacks could be the David Attenborough of the human mind.’ Independent on Sunday'An enthralling, often guiltily comic insight into the pecularities the brain can conjure.' Irish Examiner'Oliver Sacks is a graceful, lucid and elegant prose stylist. Though perhaps above all, he is the witty, warm, humble and deeply compassionate explorer of how our brains influence our world . . . fascinating.' Lady'Hallucinations is an absorbing study of an exotic subject . . . Hallucinatory literature is either transgressive or presented as a search for enlightenment. This new volume sits elegantly between the two extremes and is more rewarding than either - a continuing investigation into what makes us human.' Literary Review'The greatest living ethnographer of those fascinating tribes qho live on the outer and still largely unchartered shores of the land of Mind-and-Brain.' Observer'A very human insight into what happens when our brains go awry.' Psychologies'Sacks writes in the the great tradition of literary doctors. He is humane, relaxed and amused, and loved a good anecdote.' Spectator'Startling and intriguing' Sunday Times‘No more enlightening science book has appeared this year . . . Miss this at your peril.’ Sunday Times Science Book of the Year 'A superb synthesis of the literature on these arresting, disturbing and sometimes terrifying phenomena, and a profound work of humanity.' TLS'Fascinating' * The Times *‘Wide-ranging, compassionate and ultimately revelatory . . . Hallucinations is the keystone of the amazing edifice that is this remarkable thinker’s oeuvre.’ Will Self, GuardianSacks's trip through the world of hallucinations - and his own LSD experiences - explains some of the mesmerising ways our brains can deceive us -- Best Books of 2013 * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisWith over 150,000 copies sold since its first publication, this is one of the most popular...Trade ReviewPraise for previous editions: 'This is quite possibly the most inviting guidebook ever written to help people with binoculars and small telescopes find, view, understand, and most of all, enjoy everything in the night sky from the Moon and planets to distant star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. And if you think it's only for beginners, think again - every telescope owner should have a copy.' Dennis Di Cicco, Senior Editor, Sky & TelescopePraise for previous editions: 'Turn Left at Orion is an essential guide for both beginners and more experienced amateur astronomers who will find much inside to reinvigorate their passion for the stars. The diagrams are simple, clear and functional, and the text eloquently captures the excitement of observing. Stargazing has never been made so easy, and if you buy just one book on observational astronomy, make sure it's this one.' Keith Cooper, Editor, Astronomy NowPraise for previous editions: 'Since it first appeared in 1989, Turn Left at Orion has been an indispensable guidebook for the amateur astronomer possessing nothing more than a small backyard telescope. This is not only an essential handbook for the novice, it's a useful reference for the seasoned backyard astronomer. Simply put, whatever your level of experience, you must have this book!' Glenn Chaple, Contributing Editor, Astronomy'The book fills a gap between guides to the constellations for newcomers and detailed star atlases. I will have no hesitation in recommending it at outreach events to those who are interested enough in astronomy to buy a small telescope.' Mike Rushton, The ObservatoryTable of Contents1. How do you get to Albireo?; 2. How to use this book; 3. Using your telescope; 4. The Moon; 5. The Sun; 6. Observing planets; 7. Seasonal skies: January–March; 8. Seasonal skies: April–June 90; 9. Seasonal skies: July–September; 10. Seasonal skies: October–December; 11. Northern skies; 12. Southern skies; 13. About this fifth edition; 14. Where do you go from here?; Tables; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe tenth anniversary edition of the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest: the search for the solution of how to calculate longitude and the unlikely triumph of an English genius. With a new Foreword by the celebrated astronaut Neil Armstrong.Sobel has done the impossible and made horology sexy no mean feat' New ScientistAnyone alive in the 18th century would have known that the longitude problem' was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Thousands of lives, and the increasing fortunes of nations, hung on a resolution.The quest for a solution had occupied scientists and their patrons for the better part of two centuries when, in 1714, Parliament upped the ante by offering a king's ransom (20,000) to anyone whose method or device proved successful. Countless quacks weighed in wiTrade ReviewDava Sobel has written a gem of a book…one of the best reads for the non-scientific writing to come along for many a moon." Financial Times "A true life thriller, jam-packed with political intrigue, international warfare, personal feuds and financial skullduggery." Daily Mail "Rarely have I enjoyed a book as much as Dava Sobel's Longitude. She has an extraordinary gift of making difficult ideas clear." Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisThe Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography From the best-selling author of Fermat’s Last Theorem, The Code Book is a history of man’s urge to uncover the secrets of codes, from Egyptian puzzles to modern day computer encryptions. As in Fermat’s Last Theorem, Simon Singh brings life to an anstonishing story of puzzles, codes, languages and riddles that reveals man’s continual pursuit to disguise and uncover, and to work out the secret languages of others. Codes have influenced events throughout history, both in the stories of those who make them and those who break them. The betrayal of Mary Queen of Scots and the cracking of the enigma code that helped the Allies in World War II are major episodes in a continuing history of cryptography. In addition to stories of intrigue and warfare, Simon Singh also investigates other codes, the unravelling of genes and the rediscovery of ancient languages and most tantalisingly, the Beale ciphers, an unbroken code that could hold the key to a $20 million treasure.Trade Review‘A fascinating meander through the centuries; replete with tales of intrigue, political chicanery, military secrecy and academic rivalry.’The Times

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Book SynopsisExplore humanity''s most transformative technology: artificial intelligence...In ten short and informative essays, Professor of AI at University College London, Tim Rocktäschel, reveals everything we need to know about artificial intelligence. From what the futures holds for AI and why it continues to improve with more data, to how superhuman AI is attainable and why we still have to fold our own laundry, discover all of this and much, much more!Artificial Intelligence: 10 Things You Should Know is an illuminating and engaging guide to the most important area of science and technology today.

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Book SynopsisBestselling manifesto on how to improve the lives of the "bottom billion" through revolutions in technology.Trade Review“I’d like readers to read Abundance...because if they did that, they would see that while the headlines are really bad in the world today, the trend lines are pretty good. Extreme poverty is down. [H]ealth care is improving dramatically around the world. There are developments now which make me believe we might be able to do what we did in the 90s which is use technological developments to create more jobs than we lose. For the last few months, for the first time in literally more than a decade, 40% of the new jobs have been in higher wage categories. I think people should read this and get some good ideas.” —President Bill Clinton“At a moment when our world faces multiple crises and is awash in pessimism, Abundance redirects the conversation, spotlighting scientific innovators working to improve people's lives around the world. The result is more than a portrait of brilliant minds—it's a reminder of the infinite possibilities for doing good when we tap into our own empathy and wisdom.” —Arianna Huffington, CEO, Huffington Post“This brilliant must-read book provides the key to the coming era of abundance replacing eons of scarcity, a powerful antidote to today’s malaise and pessimism.” —Ray Kurzweil, inventor, futurist, and author of The Singularity is Near"Now that human beings communicate so easily, I suspect that nothing can stop the inevitable torrent of new technologies, new ideas and new arrangements that will transform the lives of our children. Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler give us a blinding glimpse of the innovations that are coming our way — and that they are helping to create. This is a vital book." —Matt Ridley, author of The Rational Optimist“Diamandis and Kotler challenge us all to solve humanity’s grand challenges. Innovative small teams are now empowered to accomplish what only governments and large corporations could once achieve. The result is nothing less than the most transformative and thrilling period in human history.” —Tim Ferriss, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek“Today, philanthropists, innovators and passionate entrepreneurs are more empowered than ever before to solve humanity’s grand challenges. Abundance chronicles many of these stories and the emerging tools driving us towards an age of abundance. This is an audacious and powerful read!” —Jeff Skoll“Abundance provides proof that the proper combination of technology, people and capital can meet any grand challenge.” —Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of the Virgin Group"Our future depends on optimists like Diamandis...even the most skeptical readers will come away from Abundance feeling less gloomy." —New York Times Book Review"This engaging book is a needed corrective, a whirlwind tour of the latest developments in health care, agriculture, energy, and other fields ...The authors make a compelling case for optimism over dread as we face the exhilarating unknown." —Publisher's Weekly"A manifesto for the future that is grounded in practical solutions addressing the world's most pressing concerns: overpopulation, food, water, energy, education, health care and freedom. " —The Wall Street Journal“In Abundance: Why the Future is Better Than You Think, Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler offer a vision of the future that’s truly awesome in both the most traditional and modern understandings of the word; it’s as big as it as awe inspiring.” —The Futurist

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Book Synopsis'Just the sort of creative prompts any cook could use right now' - The Wall Street Journal'A fascinating, thought provoking, palette-teasing read for anyone interested in food' - New York Journal of Books'We build tools to create culinary happiness' - Foodpairing.com 'There is a world of exciting flavour combinations out there and when they work it's incredibly exciting' - Heston BlumenthalFoodpairing is a method for identifying which foods go well together, based on groundbreaking scientific research that combines neurogastronomy (how the brain perceives flavour) with the analysis of aroma profiles derived from the chemical components of food.This groundbreaking new book explains why the food combinations we know and love work so well together (strawberries + chocolate, for example) and opens up a whole new world of delicious pairings (strawberries + parmesan, say) that will transform the way we eat. With ten times more pairings than any other book on flavour, plus the science behind flavours explained, Foodpairing will become THE go-to reference for flavour and an instant classic for anyone interested in how to eat well.Contributors:Astrid Gutsche and Gaston Acurio - Astrid y Gaston - PeruAndoni Luiz Aduriz - Mugaritz - SpainHeston Blumenthal - The Fat Duck - UKTony Conigliaro - DrinksFactory - UKSang Hoon Degeimbre - L'Air du Temps - BelgiumJason Howard - #50YearsBim - UK/CaribbeanMingoo Kang - Mingles - KoreaJane Lopes & Ben Shewry - Attica - AustraliaVirgilio Martinez - Central - PeruDominique Persoone - The Chocolate Line - BelgiumKarlos Ponte - Taller - Venezuela/DenmarkJoan Roce - El Celler de Can Roca - SpainDan Barber - Blue Hill at Stone Barns - USAKobus van der Merwe - Wolfgat - South AfricaDarren Purchese - Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio - MelbourneAlex Atala - D.O.M - BrazilMaría José San Román - Monastrell - SpainKeiko Nagae - Arôme conseil en patisserie - ParisPeter Coucquyt - Chef and co-founder of Foodpairing™Bernard Lahousse - Bio-engineer and co-founder of Foodpairing™Johan Langenbick - Entrepreneur and co-founder of Foodpairing™

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Book SynopsisProfessor Brian Cox is back with another insightful and mind-blowing exploration of space. This time he shows us our universe as we've never seen it before.Trade ReviewPraise for Professor Brian Cox’s previous books: ‘If you didn’t utter a wow watching the TV, you will while reading the book.’The Times ‘Engaging, ambitious and creative’Guardian ‘In this book of the acclaimed BBC2 TV series, Professor Cox shows us the cosmos as we have never seen it before – a place full of the most bizarre and powerful natural phenomena.’Sunday Express ‘Will entertain and delight … what a priceless gift that would be.’Independent on Sunday

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Book SynopsisThe past few years have seen a revolution in our ability to map whole genome DNA from ancient humans. With the ancient DNA revolution, combined with rapid genome mapping of present human populations, has come remarkable insights into our past. This important new data has clarified and added to our knowledge from archaeology and anthropology, helped resolve long-existing controversies, challenged long-held views, and thrown up some remarkable surprises.The emerging picture is one of many waves of ancient human migrations, so that all populations existing today are mixes of ancient ones, as well as in many cases carrying a genetic component from Neanderthals, and, in some populations, Denisovans. David Reich, whose team has been at the forefront of these discoveries, explains what the genetics is telling us about ourselves and our complex and often surprising ancestry. Gone are old ideas of any kind of racial ''purity'', or even deep and ancient divides between peoples. Instead, we are finding a rich variety of mixtures. Reich describes the cutting-edge findings from the past few years, and also considers the sensitivities involved in tracing ancestry, with science sometimes jostling with politics and tradition. He brings an important wider message: that we should celebrate our rich diversity, and recognize that every one of us is the result of a long history of migration and intermixing of ancient peoples, which we carry as ghosts in our DNA.What will we discover next?Trade ReviewA wonderfully illuminating exposition of how advances in reading ancient DNA have upended our ideas about past population movements and human interaction. * Paul Collier, Books of the Year 2018, The Times Literary Supplement *Hugely impressive. * Robin McKie, Books of the Year 2018: Science, The Observer *Remarkable ... Spectacular ... In making constant new discoveries about humanity, Reich and his Harvard team are now plunging into uncharted academic waters ... Reich's influence in this field has been immense and the output of his department monumental ... Thrilling in its clarity and its scope. * Peter Forbes, The Guardian *This is a compendious book ... its importance cannot be overstated and neither can some of its best stories. * Bryan Appleyard, The Sunday Times *A thrilling account of mapping humans through time and place ... Reich gives us a window into what ancient DNA can tell us about human evolution, the peopling of the world, continent by continent, and the population mixing that makes us who we are today. * Turi King, Nature *Few subjects fascinate us as much as human origins ... If you want to understand our origins over the course of the last 100,000 years, this book will be the best up-to-date account for you. * Jared Diamond, New York Times Book Review *The conclusions of this book are reassuringly complex and nuanced. But they are no less approachable, no less captivating for that. Indeed, the result is to bring prehistory almost disarmingly close. He brings whole societies from that past vividly to life. * Harry de Quetteville, The Daily Telegraph *Gives the first comprehensive account of this newly revealed prehistory ... an astonishing book. * Juliet Sam, The Daily Telegraph *Reich has produced an invaluable resource that is likely to become an enduring intellectual touchstone. * Tom Booth, British Archaeology *Who We Are and How We Got Here provides a marvellous synthesis of the field. * Clive Cookson, The Financial Times *Geneticists such as Reich have shown [...] that the human world has been made by people who move. This is an important lesson in a time when migration and mobility, in both reality and perception, play such a significant role. * Robert Foley, The Times Literary Supplement *In this comprehensive and provocative book, David Reich exhumes and examines fundamental questions about our origin and future using powerful evidence from human genetics. What does "race" mean in 2018? How alike and how unlike are we? What does identity mean? Reich's book is sobering and clear-eyed, and, in equal part, thrilling and thought provoking. There were times that I had to stand up and clear my thoughts to continue reading this astonishing and important book. * Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies *The breakthrough that all archaeologists have been waiting for; a truly exciting account of the way in which ancient DNA is making us rethink prehistory. Essential reading for everyone interested in the past. * Barry Cunliffe, author of The Ancient Celts^ *David Reich uses the power of modern genome analysis to show the fascinating complexity of human migration and history. By letting the data lead him, he treads a narrow path between racists and xenophobes on one side and left-wing ideologues on the other. Although many of his conclusions will be controversial, he starts a necessary conversation about what modern genome analysis can tell us about the variability of human populations. * Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel Laureate and President of the Royal Society, London *This riveting book will blow you away with its rich and astounding account of where we came from and why that matters. Reich tells the surprising story of how humans got to every corner of the planet, which was revealed only after he and other scientists unlocked the secrets of ancient DNA. The courageous, compassionate and highly personal climax will transform how you think about the meaning of ancestry and race. * Daniel E. Lieberman, Professor of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and author of The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease *Who We Are and How We Got Here dramatically revises our understanding of the deep history of our species in our African homeland and beyond. Reich's beautifully written book reads like a detective novel and demonstrates a hard truth that often makes many of us uncomfortable: not only are all human beings mixed, but our intuitive understanding of the evolution of the population structure of the world around us is not to be trusted. * Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Professor of Literature at Harvard University and Executive Producer of "Finding Your Roots" *In just five years the study of ancient DNA has transformed our understanding of world prehistory. The geneticist David Reich, one of the pioneers in this field, here gives the brilliantly lucid first account of the resulting new view of human origins and of the later dispersals which went on to shape the modern world. * Colin Renfrew, Emeritus Disney Professor of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge *This book will revolutionize our understanding of human prehistory. David Reich sheds new light on our past from the vantage of a sparkling new discipline-the analysis of ancient DNA. He places migration in the limelight, demonstrating that humans did not just evolve, they spread, often on dramatic scales. * Peter Bellwood, Professor of Archaeology at Australian National University *Reich's book isn't just a collection of stories about the histories of human populations. It is a fascinating case study of scientific revolution ... Reich also has interesting things to say about the way his discipline has over the years been caught up in politics. * Steven Mithen, The London Review of Books *Whole genome mapping hasn't just revolutionised our world, it has helped us rethink our past. * Simon Ings & Liz Else, New Scientist *A hugely important book and essential reading. * Edward Biddulph, Current Archaeology *The Harvard professor [Reich], who is 43, was recently highlighted by the journal Nature as one of 10 people who mattered in all of science for his role in transforming the field of ancient DNA from "niche pursuit to industrial process". * Paul Rincon, BBC News *The work in [Reich's] lab has reshaped our understanding of human prehistory ... He and his colleagues have shed light on the peopling of the planet and the spread of agriculture, among other momentous events. * Carl Zimmer, The New York Times *Reich's intellectual curiosity and passion for research shine through every page of his book ... This book is required reading for everyone interested in an up-to-date account of the spellbinding story of human prehistory. * Debbie Kennett, Who Do You Think You Are? *I learned a good deal from this book, and I encourage others to do the same. * Bernard Wood, Current Biology *It is an incredibly exciting overview of a revolution in the making. * Leon Vlieger, The Inquisitive Biologist *Who We Are and How We Got Here is both comprehensive and exceptionally well-written ... [a] vast global scope as well as its myriad of fascinating details. * Richard Milner, Minerva *Introduces us to the 21st-century Rosetta Stone: ancient DNA, which will do more for our understanding of prehistory than radiocarbon dating did ... Who We Are and How We Got Here is less than 300 pages of text, but it is packed with startling facts and novel revelations that overturn the conventional expectations of both science and common sense. * The National Review *Professor David Reich of Harvard Medical School [...] is not a disinterested observer of a fast-developing field; he is a participant and, in fact, a driver, of the ancient DNA revolution and it is his and his team's research that has accomplished much of the reshaping of human history. So this book has the feel of a first-hand account from the trenches that also carries with it a high-level perspective of what is going on where and why. * Tony Joseph, The Hindu *David Reich's magisterial book is a riveting account of human pre-history and history, through the new lens provided by ancient DNA data. The story of human populations, as he shows, is ever one of widespread, repeated mixing, debunking the fiction of a "pure" population. * Molly Przeworski, Professor of Biological Sciences at Columbia University *Powerful writing and extraordinary insights animate this endlessly fascinating account, by a world scientific leader, of who we modern humans are and how our ancestors arrived in the diverse corners of the world. I could not put the book down. * Robert Weinberg, Professor of Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology *Reich's book reads like notes from the frontline of the 'Ancient DNA Revolution' with all the spellbinding drama and intrigue that comes with such a huge transformation in our understanding of human history. * Anne Wojcicki, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of 23andMe *Table of ContentsIntroductionPart I - The Deep History of Our Species1: How the Genome Explains Who We Are2: Interbreeding with Neanderthals3: Ancient DNA Opens the FloodgatesPart II - How We Got to Where We Are Today4: Humanity's Ghosts5: The Making of Modern Europe6: The Collision that Formed India7: In Search of American Ancestors8: The Genomic Origins of East Asians9: Rejoining Africa to the Human StoryPart III -The Disruptive Genome10: The Genomics of Inequality11: The Genomics of Race and Identity12: The Future of Ancient DNA

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Book SynopsisA journey through the otherworldly science behind Christopher Nolan’s award-winning film, Interstellar, from executive producer and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Kip Thorne.

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Book SynopsisChemistry's most significant chart, the Periodic Table, and its 118 elements, is laid bare in this lively, accessible and compelling expose.The periodic table, created in the early 1860s by Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, marked one of the most extraordinary advances in modern chemistry. This basic visual aid helped scientists to gain a deeper understanding of what chemical elements really were and the role they played in everyday life. Here, in the authoritative Elementary, James Russell uses his engaging narrative to explain the elements we now know about. From learning about the creation of the first three elements, hydrogen, lithium and helium, in the big bang, through to oxygen and carbon, which sustain life on earth – along with the many weird and wonderful uses of elements as varied as fluorine, arsenic, krypton and einsteinium – even the most unscientifically minded will be enthralled by this fascinating subject. This is the story of the building blocks of the universe, and the people who identified, isolated and even created them.

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Book SynopsisQuantum physics is not mystifying. The implications are mind-bending, and not yet fully understood, but this revolutionary theory is truly illuminating. It stands as the best explanation of the fundamental nature of our world. ‘An authoritative and beautifully written account of the quest to understand quantum theory and the origin of space and time.’ Professor Brian Cox Spanning the history of quantum discoveries, from Einstein and Bohr to the present day, Something Deeply Hidden is the essential guide to the most intriguing subject in science. Acclaimed physicist and writer Sean Carroll debunks the myths, resurrects and reinstates the Many-Worlds interpretation, and presents a new path towards solving the apparent conflict between quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theory of general relativity. In doing so, he fills a gap in the science that has existed for almost a century. A magisterial tour, Something Deeply Hidden encompasses the cosmological and everyday implications of quantum reality and multiple universes. And – finally – it all makes sense. ***** 'Carroll takes us by the hand and with a benign smile and a chatty style, leads us to a place where… at every instant an almost infinite number of copies of you are splitting off to live alternative lives… a wild conceptual ride.' The Sunday Times, BOOKS OF THE YEAR 'Like all great writers, Carroll has the remarkable ability of putting the reader utterly at ease with his lucid and addictive prose. He leads you so gently and comfortably into his quantum world that you quickly forget you are being given access to the most profound ideas about the nature of reality.' Jim Al-Khalili 'Sean Carroll’s immensely enjoyable Something Deeply Hidden brings readers face-to-face with the fundamental quantum weirdness of the universe – or should I say universes? And by the end, you may catch yourself finding quantum weirdness not all that weird.' Jordan EllenbergTrade Review‘Carroll takes us by the hand and with a benign smile and a chatty style, leads us to a place where…at every instant an almost infinite number of copies of you are splitting off to live alternative lives… a wild conceptual ride.’ -- Sunday Times, BOOKS OF THE YEAR‘Tackling huge questions, myths and conundrums about our Universe is no easy task, but Carroll does so elegantly.’ -- BBC Science Focus'An authoritative and beautifully written account of the quest to understand quantum theory and the origin of space and time. Sean Carroll is a rare combination of excellent science writer and excellent research scientist. His writing exhibits a clarity of thought that is only available through a deep understanding of the subject. When the book becomes speculative, as it must because it deals with deep and as yet unsolved questions, we know we are in good hands.' * Brian Cox - Broadcaster and Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester *'Something Deeply Hidden is Carroll’s ambitious and engaging foray into what quantum mechanics really means and what it tells us about physical reality.' -- Science Magazine'As a smart and intensely readable undergraduate class in the history of quantum theory and the nature of quantum mechanics, Something Deeply Hidden could scarcely be improved.' -- Open Letters Monthly * Steve Donoghue *'Readers in this universe (and others?) will relish the opportunity to explore the frontiers of science in the company of titans.' -- Booklist'Fans of popular science authors such as Neil deGrasse Tyson and John Gribbin will find great joy while exploring these groundbreaking concepts.' -- Library Journal'Solid arguments and engaging historical backdrop will captivate science-minded readers everywhere.' -- Scientific Inquirer'Carroll argues with a healthy restlessness that makes his book more interesting than so many others in the quantum physics genre.' -- Forbes'If you want to know why some people take [the Everett] approach seriously and what you can do with it, then Carroll’s latest is one of the best popular books on the market.' -- Physics Today'Be prepared to deal with some equations — and to have your mind blown.' -- Geek Wire'By far the most articulate and cogent defence of the Many-Worlds view in book-length depth with a close connection to the latest ongoing research.' -- Science News'Enlightening and refreshingly bold.' -- Scientific American'What makes Carroll’s new project so worthwhile, though, is that while he is most certainly choosing sides in the debate, he offers us a cogent, clear and compelling guide to the subject while letting his passion for the scientific questions shine through every page.' -- NPR‘Like all great writers, Carroll has the remarkable ability of putting the reader utterly at ease with his lucid and addictive prose. He leads you so gently and comfortably into his quantum world that you quickly forget you are being given access to the most profound ideas about the nature of reality.’ -- Jim Al-Khalili, author of Quantum Mechanics (A Ladybird Expert Book)‘A thrilling tour through what is perhaps humankind’s greatest intellectual achievement – quantum mechanics. With bold clarity, Carroll deftly unmasks quantum weirdness to reveal a strange but utterly wondrous reality.’ -- Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe‘Sean Carroll’s immensely enjoyable Something Deeply Hidden brings readers face-to-face with the fundamental quantum weirdness of the universe – or should I say universes? And by the end, you may catch yourself finding quantum weirdness not all that weird.’ -- Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not to Be Wrong‘Carroll gives us a front-row seat to the development of a new vision of physics: one that connects our everyday experiences to a dizzying hall-of-mirrors universe in which our very sense of self is challenged. It’s a fascinating idea, and one that just might hold clues to a deeper reality.’ -- Katie Mack, theoretical astrophysicist, North Carolina State University, author of The End of Everything (forthcoming)‘Sean Carroll beautifully clarifies the debate about the foundations of quantum mechanics, and champions the most elegant, courageous approach: the astonishing “Many-Worlds” interpretation. His explanations of its pros and cons are clear, even-handed, and philosophically gobsmacking.’ -- Steven Strogatz, author of Infinite Powers‘[A] challenging, provocative book…moving smoothly through different topics and from objects as small as particles to those as enormous as black holes, Carroll’s exploration of quantum theory introduces readers to some of the most groundbreaking ideas in physics today.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Sean Carroll is always lucid and funny, gratifyingly readable, while still excavating depths… A fascinating and important book.’ -- Janna Levin, author of Black Hole Blues‘Irresistible and an absolute treat to read. While this is a book about some of the deepest current mysteries in physics, it is also a book about metaphysics as Carroll lucidly guides us on how to not only think about the true and hidden nature of reality but also how to make sense of it. I loved this book.’ -- Priyamvada Natarajan, theoretical astrophysicist, Yale University, and author of Mapping the Heavens‘A masterpiece…stands along with Feynman’s QED as one of the two best popularizations of quantum mechanics I’ve ever seen.’ -- Scott Aaronson, Professor of Computer Science, University of Texas at Austin, and Director of UT’s Quantum Information Center‘From physicist Sean Carroll comes a history of quantum discoveries, and a guide to a subject that has baffled and blinded with its potential. Tackling huge questions, myths and conundrums about our Universe is no easy task, but Carroll does so elegantly.’ * BBC Science Focus, 70 best science books you need to read in 2021 *

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Book Synopsis''I feared maths when at school - this book is the antidote.'' - Amazon 5 star review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''Wonderful compact book for students''- Amazon 5 star review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Maths does not have to be difficult.This book, complete with exercises and answers, forms a course which will take you from beginner or intermediate level to being a confident mathematician. This book includes: simple step-by-step explanations, to help you grasp new topics or those that have previously confused you; practice questions throughout, to help you embed your learning and improve your confidence; and end of chapter summaries, to help you remember the key points you''ve learned - all in one great-value book, so you don''t need any separate workbooks or coursebooks.Chapters include: number; angles; fractions; two-dimensional shapes

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Book SynopsisOur phones, computers, and appliances are made of hundreds of internal components, each precisely engineered, but none intended to be seen. Through painstakingly executed, vividly detailed cross-section photography, Open Circuits reveals the surprising beauty hiding inside the electronic components that drive our everyday devices. From resistors to LEDs, USB cables to headphone jacks, the book's arresting imagery transforms more than 130 components into delightful works of art. As you visually dissect the components' insides, you'll learn about how they work and how they were made.Trade Review"This book made me fall in love with electronics all over again . . . Part history book, part coffee-table book, and part journey into the inner lives of the electronics, [Open Circuits] is a fascinating journey through the history of electronics." —Haje Jan Kamps, TechCrunch"Its stunning cross-section photography unlocks a hidden world full of elegance, subtle complexity, and wonder. . . . Open Circuits has something for everyone to appreciate, whether you’re a seasoned electrical engineer, an amateur tinkerer, or simply a lover of art and photography."—Lee Goldberg, Electronic Design“Each page is both a dive into technological history and an ode to the evolution and aesthetics of electronics themselves.”—Grace Ebert, Colossal“An eye-catching and educational coffee table tome.”—Gareth Halfacree, Hackster.io"Every page is a new discovery."—New Screwdriver"A celebration of the electronic aesthetic . . . blur[s] the line between engineering and art."—Andrew "bunnie" Huang, Author of The Hardware Hacker and Hacking the Xbox"Excellent pictures of the world's most interesting objects with clear, accessible explanations."—Trevor Blackwell, Founder of Anybots"Anyone interested in electronics and/or macrophotography will enjoy this book from both an aesthetic and informational standpoint. . . . It’s truly a technological and photographic masterpiece."—Jeremy Cook, Embedded Computing Design"Stunningly beautiful . . . While the component images stand alone as works of art, authors Schlaepfer and Oskay pair the pictures with clear and informative text that adds to the reader's knowledge of the circuitry they are looking at. This book is sure to be a staple in many makers, educators, and engineers libraries."—Professor AnnMarie Thomas, University of St. Thomas, School of Engineering"While it will definitely be a 'geek coffee table book' for me, I would very much have appreciated it when I was 12 years old and first getting into electronics."—Mark Eichin, Senior Software Developer at RightHand Robotics"This is the coolest book I've seen in years. Fascinating look inside hundreds of circuits, switches, and mechanical electronic devices that I've never seen before."—Jeff Geerling, @geerlingguy, Author of Ansible for DevOps"What an awesome book! A rare breed of technical content that is appreciable by experts and novices alike."—Chris Lafky, @fluxotronlabs, Electrical Engineer"Without a doubt, the most beautiful electronics book!"—Ben Krasnow, @BenKrasnow, YouTuber at Applied ScienceTable of ContentsIntroductionChapter 1: Passive ComponentsChapter 2: SemiconductorsChapter 3: ElectromechanicsChapter 4: Cables and ConnectorsChapter 5: Retro TechChapter 6: Composite DevicesAfterword: Creating Cross SectionsGlossary

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Book SynopsisFrom the No. 1 bestselling author of What If? - the man who created xkcd and explained the laws of science with cartoons - comes a series of brilliantly simple diagrams (''blueprints'' if you want to be complicated about it) that show how important things work: from the nuclear bomb to the biro. It''s good to know what the parts of a thing are called, but it''s much more interesting to know what they do. Richard Feynman once said that if you can''t explain something to a first-year student, you don''t really get it. In Thing Explainer, Randall Munroe takes a quantum leap past this: he explains things using only drawings and a vocabulary of just our 1,000 (or the ten hundred) most common words.Many of the things we use every day - like our food-heating radio boxes (''microwaves''), our very tall roads (''bridges''), and our computer rooms (''datacentres'') - are strange to us. So are the other worlds around our sun (the solar system), the big flatTrade ReviewA brilliant concept. If you can't explain something simply, you don't really understand it. And Randall Munroe is the perfect guy to take on a project like this . . . If you know Munroe's previous work, it will come as no surprise that parts of Thing Explainer are laugh-out-loud funny . . . filled with cool basic knowledge about how the world works. If one of Munroe's drawings inspires you to go learn more about a subject - including a few extra terms - then he will have done his job. He has written a wonderful guide for curious minds * BILL GATES *Wonderful * Neil Gaiman *In the crowded field of trivia, nothing beats Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe, the physicist-turned-comic-artist, a sequel to What If ? . . . It is very funny and has something quite serious to say about our misplaced faith in long words * Daily Telegraph *Thing Explainer gets to the real essence of things * New Scientist *Like any good work of science writing, [Thing Explainer] is equal parts lucid, funny, and startling * NewYorker.com *In just over a decade Randall Munroe has become firmly established and it's safe to say adored as the author of xkcd. Now, Munroe has produced a book - and Thing Explainer isn't just any book. It's beautiful, packed with facts, figures and richly and simply presented diagrams * Register *Reliably amusing and often enlightening * The Times, Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisOur Human Story is a guide to our fossil relatives, from what may be the earliest hominins such as Sahelanthropus, dating back six to seven million years, through to our own species, Homo sapiens.Trade Review`When it comes to human evolution [Chris Stringer] is as close to the horse’s mouth as it gets.’ BBC Focus on The Origin of Our Species `A superlative achievement... pure stimulation from beginning to end.’ Bill Bryson on Homo Britannicus `This is a beautiful book on a fascinating subject, written by the world authority. What more could one ask?’ Richard Dawkins on Homo Britannicus

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Book SynopsisFrom Indian vultures to Chinese bees, Nature provides the 'natural services' that keep the economy going. From the recycling miracles in the soil; an army of predators ridding us of unwanted pests; an abundance of life creating a genetic codebook that underpins our food, pharmaceutical industries and much more, it has been estimated that these and other services are each year worth about double global GDP. Yet we take most of Nature's services for granted, imagining them free and limitless ... until they suddenly switch off. This is a book full of immediate, impactful stories, containing both warnings (such as in the tale of India's vultures, killed off by drugs given to cattle, leading to an epidemic of rabies) but also the positive (how birds protect fruit harvests, coral reefs protect coasts from storms and how the rainforests absorb billions of tonnes of carbon released from cars and power stations). Tony Juniper's book will change whole way you think about life, the planet and the economyTrade ReviewPraise for Tony Juniper: 'He is by popular consent the most effective of Britain's eco-warriors * Independent *One of the top ten environmental figures of the last thirty years -- The ENDS Report[Tony Juniper] is among the 100 people who are making the decisions that affect your life * Country Life *A brilliant resume of Nature's New Deal: nurture me and I'll nurture you. * Nick Crane *What Has Nature Ever Done For Us? is a brilliant resume of nature¹s new deal: nurture me and I'll nurture you. -- Nick Crane, author and TV presenterJuniper explains how the welfare of the human species rests on the assets and services provided by the rest of nature, and makes the case for natural capital to be integral in a new economy fit for the future. -- Michael Clarke, Chief Executive, RSPBTony Juniper takes us on a highly readable, personal journey of discovery of nature and our reliance upon it. What Has Nature Ever Done For Us? provides the stories and the numbers to convince others that investing in nature¹s balance sheet is good for the corporate balance sheet. -- Jose Lopez, NestléThis book should be on the essential reading list at schools. Without understanding the essence of life - and this is a fantastically modern romp through it - how can our children be expected to make the right decisions? If we ever needed a book to remind us that we are part of nature, not separate from it, this is it. -- Stephanie Hilborne OBE, Chief Executive, The Wildlife TrustsScience Books of the Year ... A readable, timely vision -- Robin McKie * Observer *

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Book SynopsisThe international bestseller that reveals the amazing mind of your favourite friend Is your dog purposefully disobeying you? Probably, and usually behind your back. Should you act like ‘top dog’ to maintain control? No, you’re better off displaying your friendliness – and not just to your dog. Which breed is the cleverest? That’s the wrong question to ask. These are just some of the extraordinary insights to be found in The Genius of Dogs – the seminal book on how dogs evolved their unique intelligence by award-winning scientist Dr Brian Hare. He shares more than two decades of startling discoveries about the mysteries of the dog mind and how you can use his groundbreaking work to build a better relationship with your own dog.Trade Review‘The definitive dog book of our time by the researcher who started a revolution.’ -- Daniel Levitin - James McGill Professor of Psychology, McGill University'Anyone who has ever owned a dog will testify to the intelligence that shines from them and this book provides all the proof needed that owners are right and sceptical scoffers are wrong… You'll love your pet even more, if that’s possible, once you've read this.' * Daily Mail *‘Thoroughly researched and written in the likeable voice of a brainy scientist sitting at your kitchen table, The Genius of Dogs is a fascinating look at what goes on between the ears of the animals we share our lives with. I found it entertaining, fast-moving, and filled with insights that gave me a new appreciation for the complex social intelligence of man’s best friend.’ * John Grogan - author of Marley & Me *‘A masterful account of the way science is revealing just how smart dogs can be. Fascinating and highly readable.’ * John Bradshaw - Foundation Director of the Anthrozoology Institute, University of Bristol, and autho *‘Deliciously enlightening.’ * BBC Wildlife Magazine *‘With the help of some wolves, Russian foxes, New Guinea singing dogs and a Labrador retriever named Oreo, Brian Hare tells us about his fascinating search for an understanding of how dogs think and communicate. This is a book that is well worth reading.’ * Stanley Coren - Professor of Psychology, University of British Columbia, and author of How to Speak *'Excellent.' * BBC Focus *‘Based on Brian Hare’s game-changing research, The Genius of Dogs brilliantly explains the canine mind and in doing so illuminates the natural history of all intelligence. This book will captivate anyone interested in dog, ape or human mentality.’ * Richard Wrangham - Professor of Biological Anthropology, Harvard University, and author of Catching *‘You would be hard-pressed to find a more cheerful, optimistic and warm-hearted read. Difficult, too, to find another book about dogs touching not only on Darwin and Skinner, but also on Stalin. Even Justin Bieber gets a mention…’ * Spectator *‘This is the best book in existence, by far, for learning about the recent revolution in our understanding of the minds of dogs. And it’s fun, too.’ * Mike Tomasello - Co-Director, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology *‘Every dog-lover will enjoy this book; and those who, strangely, do not love dogs might come to see them in a new and more favourable light.’ * Mail on Sunday *‘The Genius of Dogs is fantastic. It makes it very clear that there are different kinds of intelligence. All dog lovers should read this book.’ * Temple Grandin - author of Animals in Translation *

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Book SynopsisBringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Neil deGrasse Tyson, bestselling author ofAstrophysics for People in a Hurry,shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our timewar, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, race, and tribalismin a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all.In a time when our political and cultural perspectives feel more divisive than ever, Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to so much of what divides us, while making a passionate case for the twin engines of enlightenmenta cosmic perspective and the rationality of science.After thinking deeply about how a scientist views the world and about what Earth looks like from space, Tyson has found that terrestrial thoughts change as our brain resets and recalibrates life''s priorities, along with the actions we might take in response. As a result, no outlook on culture, society, or civilisation remains untouched.InStarry Messenger, Tyson reveals just how human the enterprise of science is. Far from a cold, unfeeling undertaking, scientific methods, tools, and discoveries have shaped modern civilisation and created the landscape we''ve built for ourselves on which to live, work, and play. Tyson shows how an infusion of science and rational thinking renders worldviews deeper and more informed than ever beforeand exposes unfounded perspectives and unjustified emotions.With crystalline prose and an abundance of evidence,Starry Messengerwalks us through the scientific palette that sees and paints the world differently. From lessons on resolving global conflict to reminders of how precious it is to be alive, Tyson reveals, with warmth and eloquence, ten surprising, brilliant, and beautiful truths of human society, informed and enlightened by knowledge of our place in the universe.

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Book SynopsisA practical companion to the international bestseller Dopamine Nation, for individuals, families, counsellors, teachers, and anyone who wants to go beyond the narrative and engage in practices that will reset reward pathways for a more flourishing life.In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Lembke introduced readers to her ground-breaking research that demonstrates how abundance itself is a stressor, contributing to rising rates of addiction, depression, and anxiety. Now, she''s written the workbook that we''ve all been waiting for. Full of specific exercises, fill-in tables, and inspiring examples, readers will be able to more clearly identify the substances and behaviors they struggle to moderate. With the warm, authoritative voice we know and love, Dr. Lembke will share her valuable advice on how to undertake your own dopamine fast, reset your own pathways, and live a happier and more fulfilling life.Praise for Dopamine Nation:''Anna Lembke''s stories of guiding people to find a healthy balance between pleasure and pain have the power to transform your life'' - Lori Gottlieb, bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone''Brilliant . . . riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued. Lembke weaves patient stories with research, in a voice that''s as empathetic as it is clear-eyed'' - Beth Macy, bestselling author of Dopesick''Radically changes the way we think about mental illness, pleasure, pain, reward, and stress. Turn toward it. You''ll be happy you did'' - Daniel Levitin, bestselling author of The Organized Mind

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books 2012, the world's leading prize for popular science writing.Trade Review‘An audacious book which offers remarkable insight. Gleick takes us, with verve and fizz, on a journey from African drums to computers, liberally sprinkling delightful factoids along the way. This is a book we need to give us a fresh perspective on how we communicate and how that shapes our world.’ The Royal Society Winton Prize Judges ‘Mind-stretching but enlightening … the power and breadth of the ideas involved cannot but make you marvel.’ Daily Mail ‘Magisterial…It is not merely a history of information, but also a theory and a prospectus. To describe it as ambitious is to engage in almost comical understatement.’ Matthew Syed, The Times ‘A deeply impressive and rather beautiful book.’ Philip Ball, Observer ‘The fascinating story of how humans have transmitted knowledge…broad and occasionally brilliant.’ Sunday Times ‘This is a work of rare penetration, a true history of ideas whose witty and determined treatment of its material brings clarity to a complex subject.’ Tim Martin, Daily Telegraph

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Book Synopsis'A brilliant, authoritative, surprising, captivating introduction to human genetics. You'll be spellbound' Brian CoxThis is a story about you. It is the history of who you are and how you came to be. It is unique to you, as it is to each of the 100 billion modern humans who have ever drawn breath. But it is also our collective story, because in every one of our genomes we each carry the history of our species - births, deaths, disease, war, famine, migration and a lot of sex. In this captivating journey through the expanding landscape of genetics, Adam Rutherford reveals what our genes now tell us about human history, and what history can now tell us about our genes. From Neanderthals to murder, from redheads to race, dead kings to plague, evolution to epigenetics, this is a demystifying and illuminating new portrait of who we are and how we came to be.***'A thoroughly entertaining history of Homo sapiens and its DNA in a manner that displays popular science writing at its best' Observer 'Magisterial, informative and delightful' Peter Frankopan'An extraordinary adventure...From the Neanderthals to the Vikings, from the Queen of Sheba to Richard III, Rutherford goes in search of our ancestors, tracing the genetic clues deep into the past' Alice RobertsTrade ReviewI very much enjoyed and admired . . . A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived -- Bill Bryson * OBSERVER Books of the Year 2016 *An effervescent work, brimming with tales and confounding ideas carried in the "epic poem in our cells". The myriad storylines will leave you swooning . . . Rutherford, a trained geneticist, is an enthusiastic guide -- Colin Grant * GUARDIAN *A thoroughly entertaining history of Homo sapiens and its DNA in a manner that displays popular science writing at its best -- Robin McKie * OBSERVER *A brilliant, authoritative, surprising, captivating introduction to human genetics. If you know little about the human story, you will be spellbound. If you know a lot about the human story, you'll be spellbound. It's that good -- Brian CoxAdam Rutherford's book is well-written, stimulating and entertaining. What's more important, he consistently gets it right -- Richard DawkinsIf you are ethnically British, one thing is certain: your ancestors definitely had sex with Neanderthals. On the other hand, they probably didn't have sex with Vikings, who, it turns out, did a fair bit more pillaging than raping. And, depending on the flakiness of your earwax, it is just conceivable that your relatives' unattractiveness to hairy and horned invaders was related to their body odour. DNA is fragile, confusing and contains a lot of pointless data. But unlike other accounts of human history it doesn't lie. Adam Rutherford's soaring book is an exposition of what this new science really tells us about who we are -- Tom Whipple * THE TIMES *One of the most extraordinary things about this book is its sheer breadth. Rutherford, a writer and geneticist, weaves from our genes a fascinating tapestry of human history from its most primitive origins to its sophisticated present, and beyond ... The writing is concise and often funny, and Rutherford never takes himself or his subject too seriously ... It is one of those rare books that you'll finish thinking you haven't wasted a single second -- Brad Davies * INDEPENDENT *Magisterial, informative and delightful -- Peter FrankopanRutherford takes off on an extraordinary adventure, following the wandering trail of DNA across the globe and back in time. And on the way, he reveals what DNA can - and can't - tell us about ourselves, our history and our deep evolutionary heritage. From the Neanderthals to the Vikings, from the Queen of Sheba to Richard III, Rutherford goes in search of our ancestors, tracing the genetic clues deep into the past . . . Wide-ranging, witty, full of surprises and studded with sparkling insights - Rutherford uncovers the epic history of the human species, written in DNA -- Alice RobertsA captivating delight. With witty, authoritative and profound prose, Adam Rutherford tackles the biggest of issues - where we came from, and what makes us who we are. He does more than any author to cut through the confusion around genetics, and to reveal what modern genetics has to say about our identity, history and future -- Ed YongGenetics is opening up the past as never before - Adam Rutherford puts the genes in genealogy brilliantly -- Matt Ridley

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Book SynopsisWhat is the secret to humanity's evolutionary success? Could it be our strength, our intellector something much nicer?Trade Review‘Brilliant, eye-opening, and absolutely inspiring – and a riveting read. Hare and Woods have written the perfect book for our time.’ -- Cass Sunstein, author of How Change Happens and co-author of Nudge‘An utterly persuasive explanation for why the human psyche has evolved to be dangerous – and what to do about it. It should be read by every politician and every school-child.’ -- Richard Wrangham, author of The Goodness Paradox: The Strange Relationship Between Virtue and Violence in Human Evolution‘Very few books even attempt to do what this book succeeds in doing. It begins in basic behavioural science, proceeds to an analysis of cooperation (or lack thereof) in contemporary society, and ends with implications for public policy. Everyone should read this book.’ -- Michael Tomasello, author of Origins of Human Communication and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University‘Please read this beautiful, riveting, and uplifting book. You will learn the astonishing story of how and why humans evolved a deep impulse to help total strangers but also sometimes act with unspeakable cruelty. Just as importantly, you’ll learn how these insights can help all of us become more compassionate and more cooperative.’ -- Daniel E. Lieberman, author of The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease and Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding‘Survival of the Friendliest is a fascinating counterpoint to the popular [mis]conception of Darwin’s ‘survival of the fittest.’ Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods offer a convincing case that it was not brute strength, raw intelligence, or ruthlessness that allowed modern humans to thrive while our hominin relatives died out. Instead, they argue that friendliness was the key to our flourishing – and that the same kind of cooperative communication is the key to freeing us from the tribalism currently threatening democratic governance around the world. Powerful, insightful, accessible – this book gives me hope.’ -- Megan Phelps-Roper, author of Unfollow‘How can a top predator like the wolf have evolved to become “man’s best friend”? Finally a book that explains in the clearest terms how friendliness and cooperation shaped dogs and humans. This book left me with a happy and optimistic view of nature.’ -- Isabella Rossellini, actress and activist

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Book SynopsisNational BestsellerCNBC and Strategy + Business Best Business Book of the YearIt’s the biggest revolution you’ve never heard of, and it’s hiding in plain sight. Over the past decade, Silicon Valley executives like Eric Schmidt and Elon Musk, Special Operators like the Navy SEALs and the Green Berets, and maverick scientists like Sasha Shulgin and Amy Cuddy have turned everything we thought we knew about high performance upside down. Instead of grit, better habits, or 10,000 hours, these trailblazers have found a surprising short cut. They''re harnessing rare and controversial states of consciousness to solve critical challenges and outperform the competition. New York Times bestselling author Steven Kotler and high performance expert Jamie Wheal spent four years investigating the leading edges of this revolution—from the home of SEAL Team Six to the Googleplex, the Burning Man festival, Richard Branson’s Necker Island, Red Bull’s training center, Nike’s innovation team, and the United Nations’ Headquarters. And what they learned was stunning: In their own ways, with differing languages, techniques, and applications, every one of these groups has been quietly seeking the same thing: the boost in information and inspiration that altered states provide. Today, this revolution is spreading to the mainstream, fueling a trillion dollar underground economy and forcing us to rethink how we can all lead richer, more productive, more satisfying lives. Driven by four accelerating forces—psychology, neurobiology, technology and pharmacology—we are gaining access to and insights about some of the most contested and misunderstood terrain in history. Stealing Fire is a provocative examination of what’s actually possible; a guidebook for anyone who wants to radically upgrade their life.Trade Review“Reading Stealing Fire, Mr. Lang-Willar said, he became convinced that nothing less than a ‘cultural awakening’ was underway.” — The New York Times “A mind-blowing tour along the path from sex and drugs to R&D.” — Financial Times “Stealing Fire is a beautifully written, must-read for anyone interested in living up to their full potential. Kotler and Wheal have produced a user-manual for your hacking your brain to drive high performance.” — Peter Diamandis, founder of the X Prize, co-chairman of Singularity University, bestselling author “Stealing Fire cracks the secret code of peak performance so that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results.” — Cdr. Mark Divine (USN Ret.), New York Times best selling author, founder SEALFIT and Unbeatable Mind “Meticulously researched and innovatively conceptualized, Stealing Fire is not just a bible for the second psychedelic revolution (drugs not required), but a manual to getting more: out of your body, your mind, and your happiness.” — Neil Strauss, New York Times best-selling author of The Game “An electrifying, fast-paced journey into the deep potential of the human brain.” — David Eagleman, Stanford University neuroscientist, bestselling author, presenter of PBS's The Brain “Our linear lives and brains need to be thrown a curve on occasion and this is a masterpiece literary curveball.” — Chip Conley, bestselling author of Peak and Emotional Equations and former Head of Strategy for AirBnB “Captures the unspoken essence of what men and women on the frontier of human experience, think and do to excel in creativity and performance.” — Michael Gervais, High Performance Psychologist to Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks “Stealing Fire lays out exactly how to hack the brain...Kotler and Wheal have taken a major bite out of the unknown. If you’re at all interested in knowing how your mind works, this is imperative reading!” — Salim Ismail, founding executive director of Singularity University and bestselling author of Exponential Organizations “Stealing Fire is a fantastic book about the future of humanity and everything that we can become. Based on incredible stories and cutting edge data, it reveals how our brain and body can be optimized to its greatest potential.” — Andrew Newberg, MD., director of research Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine and author of How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain “The North Star we’ve been waiting for--finally a distillation of the upper reaches of the human experience unveiled! I am so excited for this book to reach the world!” — Jason Silva, artist, futurist, host of National Geographic's Brain Games “[Stealing Fire is] well-written, well-documented, and significant work.” — Library Journal

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Book Synopsis'How Emotions Are Made did what all great books do. It took a subject I thought I understood and turned my understanding upside down' - Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point.When you feel anxious, angry, happy, or surprised, what's really going on inside of you? Many scientists believe that emotions come from a specific part of the brain, triggered by the world around us. The thrill of seeing an old friend, the fear of losing someone we love – each of these sensations seems to arise automatically and uncontrollably from within us, finding expression on our faces and in our behaviour, carrying us away with the experience.This understanding of emotion has been around since Plato. But what if it is wrong? In How Emotions Are Made, pioneering psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett draws on the latest scientific evidence to reveal that our common-sense ideas about emotions are dramatically, even dangerously, out of date – and that we have been paying the price. Emotions aren't universally pre-programmed in our brains and bodies; rather they are psychological experiences that each of us constructs based on our unique personal history, physiology and environment.This new view of emotions has serious implications: when judges issue lesser sentences for crimes of passion, when police officers fire at threatening suspects, or when doctors choose between one diagnosis and another, they're all, in some way, relying on the ancient assumption that emotions are hardwired into our brains and bodies. Revising that conception of emotion isn't just good science, Barrett shows; it's vital to our well-being and the health of society itself.Trade ReviewHow Emotions Are Made did what all great books do. It took a subject I thought I understood and turned my understanding upside down. -- Malcolm GladwellThe definitive field guide to feelings and the neuroscience behind them. -- Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of GritA brilliant and original book on the science of emotion, by the deepest thinker about this topic since Darwin -- Daniel Gilbert, author of the bestseller Stumbling on HappinessMeticulous, well-researched, and deeply thought out . . . For anyone who has struggled to reconcile brain and heart, this book will be a treasure; it explains the science without short-changing the humanism of its topic. -- Andrew Solomon, bestselling author of Far from the Tree and The Noonday DemonRadical and fascinating ... How Emotions are Made defends a bold new vision of the most central aspects of human nature. -- Paul Bloom, author of Against Empathy and How Pleasure WorksEvery lawyer and judge doing serious criminal trials should read this book. -- Baroness Helena Kennedy QC House of Lords, U.K.Barrett's figurative selfie of the brain is brilliant. * Booklist *A provocative, insightful, and engaging analysis ... You won't think about emotions in the same way after you read this important book. -- Daniel L. Schacter, author of The Seven Sins of MemoryThe implications of Lisa Barrett’s work (which ‘only’ challenges two-thousand-year-old assumptions about the brain) are nothing short of stunning. Even more stunning is how extraordinarily well she succeeds. -- Nancy Gertner, Senior Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School, and former U.S. federal judge for the United States District Court of MassachusettsThis is a provocative, accessible, important book. -- Robert Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers and A Primate's MemoirLisa Feldman Barrett illuminates the fascinating new science of our emotions. -- Peggy Orenstein, author of Girls & SexLisa Barrett masterfully integrates discoveries from affective science, neuroscience, social psychology, and philosophy to make sense of the many instances of emotion that you experience and witness each day. -- Barbara Fredrickson, author of Positivity and Love 2.0Fascinating . . . a thought-provoking journey into emotion science * The Wall Street Journal *Lisa Barrett writes with great clarity about how your emotions are not merely about what you're born with, but also about how your brain pieces your feelings together, and how you can contribute to the process. She tells a compelling story. -- Joseph Le Doux, author of Anxious and Synaptic SelfFascinating . . . a thought-provoking journey into emotion science * The Wall Street Journal *Table of ContentsIntroduction - i: Introduction: The Two Thousand Year Old Assumption Chapter - 1: The Search For Emotion's ''Fingerprints'' Chapter - 2: Emotions Are Constructed Chapter - 3: The Myth of Universal Emotions Chapter - 4: The Origin of Feeling Chapter - 5: Concepts, Goals, and Words Chapter - 6: How the Brain Makes Emotions Chapter - 7: Emotions As A Social Reality Chapter - 8: A New View of Human Nature Chapter - 9: Mastering Your Emotions Chapter - 10: Emotions and Illness Chapter - 11: Emotion and the Law Chapter - 12: Is a Growling Dog Angry? Chapter - 13: From Brain to Mind: The New Frontier Acknowledgements - ii: Acknowledgments Section - iii: Appendix A: Brain Basics Section - iv: Appendix B: Supplement for Chapter 2 Section - v: Appendix C: Supplement for Chapter 3 Section - vi: Appendix D: Evidence for the Concept Cascade Section - vii: Bibliography Section - viii: Notes Section - ix: Illustration Credits Index - x: Index

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Book SynopsisWHAT IF... one man decided to answer all the unanswerable questions, using science.The Sunday Times-bestselling author and xkcd creator, Randall Munroe is here to provide the best answers yet to the important questions you probably never thought to ask.The millions of people around the world who read and loved What If? still have questions, and those questions are getting stranger.Planning to ride a fire pole from the moon back to Earth? The hardest part is sticking the landing.Hoping to cool the atmosphere by opening everyone''s freezer doors at the same time? Maybe it''s time for a brief introduction to thermodynamics.Want to know what would happen if you rode a helicopter blade, built a billion-storey building, made a lava lamp out of lava, or jumped on a geyser as it erupted? Okay, if you insist.Welcome (back) to the mind-blowing world of What If?Unfazed by absurdity, RandallTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR WHAT IF?Nerd royalty -- BEN GOLDACREBrilliant * Rolling Stone *With this book you're a kid with a chemistry set all over again...required reading for grown-ups * Register *Smart answers to silly questions: Randall Munroe reveals all * Guardian *PRAISE FOR WHAT IF? 2 Randall Munroe [is] the guru of absurd science questions . . . What If ?2 is stuffed with questions that are fanciful in the asking, but perfectly - and playfully - informative in the answering. The questions throughout are equal parts brilliant, gross, and wonderfully absurd and the answers are thorough, deeply researched, and great fun. Do you need any of this information? No. Are you happy - indeed, delighted - to have it? Almost certainly yes. Science isn't easy, but in Munroe's capablehands, it surely can be fun. -- Jeffrey Kluger * Time Magazine *One of my favourite books of the year. -- Tim Harford * Financial Times *Head-scratching . . . seemingly simple conundrums lead to the most fascinating of rabbit holes. * WIRED **Staff's Favourite Books of 2022* A dense litany of thoroughly researched explanations of intensely silly hypotheticals. Perfect if you enjoy it when stuffy figures of authority crack a smile. Or if you like it when black holes form. That happens a lot. * Newsweek *One of my favourite books of the year -- Tim Harford

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Book SynopsisA Crack in Everything is the story of how black holes came in from the cold and took cosmic centre stage. As a journalist, Marcus Chown interviews many of the scientists who made the key discoveries, and, as a former physicist, he translates the most esoteric of science into everyday language. The result is a uniquely engaging page-turner that tells one of the great untold stories in modern science.What is space? What is time? Where did the universe come from? The answers to mankind''s most enduring questions may lie in science''s greatest enigma: black holes.A black hole is a region of space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. This can occur when a star approaches the end of its life. Unable to generate enough heat to maintain its outer layers, it shrinks catastrophically down to an infinitely dense point.When this phenomenon was first proposed in 1916, it defied scientific understanding so much that Albert Eins

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Book SynopsisA New York Times bestseller and a Book of the Year for the Evening Standard and The Times. Is getting a little less comfortable the key to living a happier, healthier life? When journalist Scott Carney came across a picture of a man in his fifties sitting on a glacier in just his underwear, he assumed it must be a hoax. Dutch guru Wim Hof claimed he could control his body temperature using his mind and teach others to do the same. Sceptical, Carney signed up to Hof’s one-week course, not realising that it would be the start of a four-year journey to unlock his own evolutionary potential. From hyperventilating in a Polish farmhouse to underwater weight training in California, and eventually climbing Mt Kilimanjaro wearing just shorts and running shoes, Carney travelled the world testing out unorthodox methods of body transformation and discovering the science behind them. In What Doesn’t Kill Us he explains how getting a little less comfortable can help us to unlock our lost evolutionary strength.Trade Review'[Wim Hof] has become a phenomenon, and Carney is an entertaining guide to his world and his followers.’ * The Times 'Book of the Week' *‘I always knew that jumping into freezing water makes you feel brilliant afterwards, but now I know why.’ -- William Leith * The Spectator *‘When it's cold outside, do you turn the heating up? Do you always put a coat on before going out? Do you think your comfortable life is good for you? If so, you have to read Scott Carney's What Doesn't Kill Us. Through some great stories — which often involve Carney in the snow without much on — and some serious research, he shows us how to escape the bland, shuffling gait of our centrally-heated, fleece-jacketed, molly-coddled lives by diving head first into the ice-cold, axe-sharp, scary experiences that made our ancestors' hearts beat faster every day. If we do that, we can awake from the dull slumber of modern life, and open our eyes to a better, healthier dawn of crisp air, better circulation, and the ability to truly mean it when we say: I'm alive. Buy this book, and you'll emerge a stronger, healthier, more human human.’ -- James Wallman * author of Stuffocation: Living More With Less *‘Climbing a mountain in nothing but a pair of shorts seems idiotic to most, but for Wim Hof and his companions, it’s just another day. When investigative journalist and anthropologist Carney heard about Hof’s mind-boggling methods and claims that he could ‘hack’ the human body, he knew he had to venture to Poland to expose this fraud. But in just a few days, Hof changed Carney’s mind, and so began a friendship and a new adventure. Carney now chronicles his journey to push himself mentally and physically using Wim Hof’s method of cold exposure, breath-holding, and meditation to tap into our primal selves. Our ancestors survived harsh conditions without modern technology, while we live in comfortable bubbles with little to struggle against and wonder how they survived. The question is, ‘What happens when we push our bodies to the limit?’ Carney calls on evolutionary biology and other modern scientific disciplines to explore and explain Hof’s unconventional methods. Fresh and exciting, this book has wide appeal for readers interested in health, sports, self-improvement, and extreme challenges.’ * Booklist *‘As this engaging autoethnography relates, anthropologist and investigative journalist Carney was skeptical upon encountering a photo of a nearly naked Wim Hof sitting on a glacier in the Arctic Circle. Hof, a Dutch fitness guru who runs a training camp in Poland’s wilderness, claims he can control his body temperature and immune system solely with his mind; though Carney set out to prove Hof a charlatan, he was instead won over. Carney documents his interactions with Hof and the many others who have learned to control their bodies in seemingly impossible ways: he learned Hof’s breathing techniques for tricking the body into doing things it isn’t evolutionarily designed for, and underwent training to face extreme cold while barely clothed. It is this training that enables Hof and Carney to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in 28 hours while wearing shorts. This is part guide and part popular science book; readers will learn about how Neanderthals used the body’s ‘brown fat’ to keep warm and how exposure nearly reverses the symptoms of diabetes. The accomplishments Carney documents are unbelievable and fascinating; this isn’t a how-to for those looking to perform extraordinary feats, but it is an entertaining account that will appeal to the adventurous.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Scott Carney is so curious about getting to the truth of things that he is willing to endure great pain and suffering to get there. While investigating the controversial methods of Wim Hof and others operating on the scientific fringe, Carney entered a skeptic yet emerged a true believer. In What Doesn't Kill Us, readers get to follow him along on his transformational journey, and the insights are truly fascinating. Informative, fun, and with a healthy degree of danger, this is a book for the adventurer in all of us.’ -- Gabriel Reece * Co-founder of XPT (Extreme Performance Training) *‘The further we get from the harsh environmental conditions that once threatened our existence, the more we need them. I see this every weekend at a Spartan Race somewhere in the world. Millions of otherwise sane people line up to suffer and push themselves to their physical limits, and it feels good. What Doesn't Kill Us is a fascinating investigation into the innate urge that drives people like these, and reveals how some have managed to use environmental conditioning to accomplish truly extraordinary things.’ -- John DeSena * founder of Spartan Race *‘As a Navy SEAL, you live by the mantra ‘What doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.’ We would hear this phrase and repeat it, but we never had any proof that it was factual. Yet through comprehensive study, Scott Carney has brilliantly documented how engaging in environmental conditioning, breathing, meditation, and other techniques can actually make us physically and mentally stronger. What Doesn’t Kill Us is a fascinating book that will captivate all who read it and that will be of immense value to those in the military, those who are active in sports, and those who seek an alternate means of developing greater mental and physical strength.’ -- Don D. Mann * Don D. Mann, New York Times bestselling author, Inside SEAL Team SIX *‘The narrative is filled with personal details that will engage, astonish, and even repel readers … Couch potatoes take warning: the experiences described in this testimonial are often tough to read about, and the conclusions, while sometimes convincing, might best be taken with a touch of skepticism.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Carney writes with considerable narrative verve, slamming home the misery of what he has witnessed with passion and visceral detail.’ * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisTwenty years after Stephen Hawking's 9-million-copy selling A Brief History of Time, pioneering theoretical physicist Sean Carroll takes our investigation into the nature of time to the next level. You can't unscramble an egg and you can't remember the future. But what if time doesn't (or didn't!) always go in the same direction? Carroll's paradigm-shifting research suggests that other universes experience time running in the opposite direction to our own. Exploring subjects from entropy and quantum mechanics to time travel and the meaning of life, Carroll presents a dazzling new view of how we came to exist.Trade Review'Forget Stephen Hawking's Brief History: this mind-blowing book is the real deal... Fascinating.' * Times Higher Education, Book of the Week *'Carroll's insight will intrigue anyone... Most enjoyable.' * BBC Focus *

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Book SynopsisOne of the most illuminating, useful and exciting books ever published in the mathematical field Taking only a modicum of knowledge for granted, Lancelot Hogben leads readers of this famous book through the whole course from simple arithmetic to calculus. His illuminating explanation is addressed to the person who wants to understand the place of mathematics in modern civilization but who has been intimidated by its supposed difficulty. Mathematics is the language of size, shape, and order – a language Hogben shows one can both master and enjoy.Trade Review'It makes alive the contents of the elements of mathematics' Albert Einstein'Deals with maths in a way that they never taught us at school' Daily Express'If only I had been brought up on this book, the sense and meaning of mathematics would have been made clear to me... The book combines utmost brilliance with extraordinarily good common sense' A. L. Rowse'A great book of first-class importance' H. G. Wells

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE BRITISH PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY AWARD 2022A SUNDAY TIMES BEST PAPERBACK OF 2023 A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEKA FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2022: HEALTH AND WELLBEINGA WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2022: POPULAR SCIENCE---People who believe ageing brings wisdom live longer.Lucky charms really do improve an athlete's performance.Taking a placebo, even when you know it is a placebo, can still improve your health.Welcome to The Expectation Effect.David Robson takes us on a tour of the cutting-edge research happening right now that suggests our expectations shape our experience. Of course, you can't just think yourself thinner, happier or fitter, but using this book you can reframe many different facets of your life. These easy-to-use skills will help you on your way to becoming the person you want to be, living the life you want to live.Trade ReviewThis book is entertaining, eye-opening, extremely useful and best of all, evidence-based -- CLAUDIA HAMMONDAs David Robson makes plain in this compelling book, the way we think about the world can profoundly shape how we navigate it. Based in science and packed with smart advice, The Expectation Effect will expand your mind - and maybe even extend your life -- DANIEL H. PINKMind-changing science . . . One of Robson's many strengths as a chronicler of science is to take what might seem familiar and show - to his own evident excitement, as well - just how much deeper the rabbit hole goes . . . Compelling -- OLIVER BURKEMAN * * Guardian * *This is an utterly riveting and transformative book. You can't afford not to read it! -- NIGELLA LAWSONA revelatory pop-science book on the idea that it's not so much what happens to us as what we expect to happen that determines our health and wellbeing * * Guardian * *Intriguing . . . Extraordinary stories of the brain and its power to control the body * * Sunday Times * *I have not been able to stop thinking about it . . . Jaw-dropping . . . So many studies in the book left me speechless -- PANDORA SYKES * * Doing It Right * *Already threatening to be book of the year - visionary, original and exciting -- WILL STORRInteresting . . . Robson marshals a huge range of diverse evidence here and describes it very well. I learned a lot and enjoyed the book hugely -- TIM HARFORDAn intriguing account of the role of expectation (and perception in general) in a wide panorama of experience. Beautifully written, science-based and a gripping read. I loved it! -- DR MITHU STORONI, author of STRESS-PROOF

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