Popular science Books

Book SynopsisIf there is one dominant myth about the world, one huge mistake we all make it is that we all go around assuming the world is much more of a planned place than it is.'From the industrial revolution and the rise of China, to urbanisation and the birth of bitcoin, Matt Ridley demolishes conventional assumptions that the great events and trends of our day are dictated by those on high. On the contrary, our most important achievements develop from the ground up. In this wide-ranging and erudite book, Matt Ridley brilliantly makes the case for evolution as the force that has shaped much of our culture, our minds, and that even now is shaping our future.As compelling as it is controversial, as authoritative as it is ambitious, Ridley's deeply thought-provoking book will change the way we think about the world and how it works.Trade Review‘He argues we live in a bottom-up world…a compelling argument and in this fascinating work, an evolution from Ridley’s other books, such as The Rational Optimist of The Origins of Virtue, he takes it to all realms of knowledge and how new ideas emerge… Ridley has amassed such a weight of fascinating evidence and anecdote that the pages fly by’ Ed Conway, The Times ‘Intriguing and artfully argued’ Ian Critchly, The Sunday Times ‘This is a book of remarkable scope (when Ridley says everything, he isn’t exaggerating), clearly written by a polymath who reads whatever is interesting, old and new. What’s more, it does not have the feel of a book written on commission so much as one that has been slowly assembling its own emergent thesis over time, tentatively testing and sometimes rejecting ideas along the way. As so often in nature, something wonderful has thereby come about’ Literary Review ‘The book displays his wide and deep knowledge of many different fields. It is fast paced and elegantly written. Few readers will come away without fresh information and a challenge to their preconceptions’ Prospect ‘Readable, provocative and infuriating’ New Statesman Praise for Matt Ridley: ‘What a superb writer he is, and he seems to get better and better.' Richard Dawkins, author of ‘The Selfish Gene’ Praise for ‘The Rational Optimist’: ‘A triumphant blast on the vuvuzela of common sense’ Boris Johnson ‘A glorious defence of our species… a devastating rebuke to humanity's self-haters’ Sunday Times ‘No other book has argued with such brilliance against the automatic pessimism that prevails’ Ian McEwan ‘His theory is, in a way, the glorious offspring that would result if Charles Darwin’s ideas were mated with those of Adam Smith’ The Economist ‘As a work of bold historical positivity it is to be welcomed. At every point cheerfulness keeps breaking through’ The Times

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Book SynopsisJust 28,000 years ago, the blink of an eye in geological time, the last of Neanderthals died out in their last outpost, in caves near Gibraltar. Thanks to cartoons and folk accounts we have a distorted view of these other humans - for that is what they were. We think of them as crude and clumsy and not very bright, easily driven to extinction by the lithe, smart modern humans that came out of Africa some 100,000 years ago. But was it really as simple as that? Clive Finlayson reminds us that the Neanderthals were another kind of human, and their culture was not so very different from that of our own ancestors. In this book, he presents a wider view of the events that led to the migration of the moderns into Europe, what might have happened during the contact of the two populations, and what finally drove the Neanderthals to extinction. It is a view that considers climate, ecology, and migrations of populations, as well as culture and interaction. His conclusion is that the destiny of thTrade ReviewA refreshing new perspective on this old debate....should be essential reading for everyone interested in human origins. * Fortean Times, Mark Greener *Lively, revelatory, and salutary book. * The Independent *Table of Contents1. The road to extinction is paved with good intentions ; 2. Once we were not alone ; 3. Failed experiments ; 4. Stick to what you know best ; 5. Being in the right place at the right time ; 6. If only... ; 7. Africa in Europe - a Mediterranean Serengeti ; 8. One small step for man... ; 9. Forever opportunists ; 10. The pawn turned player ; Epilogue: Children of chance ; Endnotes

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Book SynopsisFor generations, the ground beneath the feet of our ancestors seemed solid and unchanging. Around 30 years ago, two things happened that were to revolutionize the understanding of our home planet. First, geologists realized that the continents themselves were drifting across the surface of the globe and that oceans were being created and destroyed. Secondly, pictures of the entire planet were returned from space. As the astronomer Fred Hoyle had predicted, this ''let loose an idea as powerful as any in history''. Suddenly, the Earth began to be viewed as a single entity; a dynamic, interacting whole, controlled by complex processes we scarcely understood. It began to seem less solid. As one astronaut put it, ''a blue jewel on black velvet; small, fragile and touchingly alone''. Geologists at last were able to see the whole as well as the detail; the wood as well as the trees. This book brings their account up to date with the latest understanding of the processes that govern our planet. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1. Dynamic Planet ; 2. Deep Time ; 3. Deep Earth ; 4. Under the Sea ; 5. Drifting Continents ; 6. Volcanoes ; 7. When the Ground Shakes ; Epilogue

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Book SynopsisPublisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.Understanding PHYSICS just got a whole lot EASIER!Stumped trying to make sense of physics? Here's your solution. Physics Demystified, Second Edition helps you grasp the essential concepts with ease.Written in a step-by-step format, this practical guide begins by covering classical physics, including mass, force, motion, momentum, work, energy, and power, as well as the temperature and states of matter. Electricity, magnetism, and electronics are discussed as are waves, particles, space, and time. Detailed examples, concise explanations, and worked problems make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce learning.It's a no-brainer! You'll learn about:Table of ContentsAcknowledgments; How to Use This Book; Part I: Classical Physics; Chapter 0. Review of Scientific Notation; Chapter 1. Units and Constants; Chapter 2. Mass, Force, and Motion; Chapter 3. Momentum, Work, Energy, and Power; Chapter 4. Particles of Matter; Chapter 5. Basic States of Matter; Chapter 6. Temperature, Pressure, and Changes of State;Test: Part I; Part II: Electricity, Magnetism, and Electronics; Chapter 7. Direct Current; Chapter 8. Alternating Current; Chapter 9. Magnetism; Chapter 10. More About Alternating Current; Chapter 11. Semiconductors; Test: Part II; Part III: Waves, Particles, Space, and Time; Chapter 12. Wave Phenomena; Chapter 13. Forms of Radiation; Chapter 14. Optics; Chapter 15. Relativity Theory; Test: Part III; Final Exam; Answers to Quizzes, Tests, and Final Exam; Suggested Additional Reading; Index

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Book SynopsisIn this lively and illuminating discussion of his landmark research, esteemed primatologist Frans de Waal argues that human morality is not imposed from above but instead comes from within. Moral behavior does not begin and end with religion but is in fact a product of evolution.Trade Review"Frans de Waal’s new book carries the important message that human kindness is a biological feature of our species and not something that has to be imposed on us by religious teaching." -- Desmond Morris, author of The Naked Ape"De Waal’s decades of patient work documenting the ‘building blocks’ of morality in other animals has revolutionized not just primatology but moral psychology. By revealing our commonalities with other species, he gives us more compassion for them and also for ourselves. It’s impossible to look an ape in the eye and not see oneself, de Waal tells us, and this beautifully written book is one long riveting gaze." -- Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion"Frans de Waal offers us a wealth of inspiring observations from the animal realm, combined with thoughtful reflections on the evolution of morality. He makes a convincing case for the natural foundations of a secular ethics that is fully independent of religion without being dogmatically against it." -- Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist monk, scientist, and author of Happiness and The Quantum and the Lotus"The perpetual challenge to atheists is that moral behavior requires religion—all that prevents tsunamis of depravity is a deity or two, some nice hymns, and the threat of hellfire and damnation. De Waal shows that human morality is deeply rooted in our primate legacy, long predating the invention of that cultural gizmo called religion. This is an immensely important book by one of our most distinguished thinkers." -- Robert Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers and Monkeyluv"A well-composed argument for the biological foundations of human morality." -- Kirkus Reviews"This is a writer marshaling the evidence of his life, particularly his life as a scientist, to express a passionately held belief in the possibility of a more compassionate society." -- Meehan Crist - New Republic"A primatologist who has spent his career studying chimpanzees and bonobos, two of humanity’s closest living relatives, Mr. de Waal draws on a lifetime of empirical research. His data provides plenty of evidence that religion is not necessary in order for animals to display something that looks strikingly like human morality." -- The Economist

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Book SynopsisOliver Sacks was born in 1933 in London and was educated at Queen's College, Oxford. He completed his medical training at San Francisco's Mount Zion Hospital and at UCLA before moving to New York, where he soon encountered the patients whom he would write about in his book Awakenings.Dr Sacks spent almost fifty years working as a neurologist and wrote many books, including The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Musicophilia, and Hallucinations, about the strange neurological predicaments and conditions of his patients. The New York Times referred to him as 'the poet laureate of medicine', and over the years he received many awards, including honours from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Royal College of Physicians. In 2008, he was appointed Commander of the British Empire. His memoir, On the Move, was published shortly before his death in August 2015.Trade ReviewThis is a wonderful book, made better by Sacks' exceptionally gentle descriptions of patients. He also captures the unimaginable sadness of the Pacific. * Spectator *There is no one at the present time who writes like Oliver Sacks . . . He is a superb clinician who can take a seemingly arid and obscure medical condition, and convert it into a moving, personal odyssey, a testament of tenacity, courage and will. * Literary Review *Dr Sacks is an elegant and beguiling writer, and when he describes a condition such as achromatopsia (total colour-blindness), he is not content merely to describe it from the outside, but he tries to imagine what the world is like to a person with the condition. * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisPeter Atkins captures the heart of chemistry in this book, through an innovative, closely integrated design of images and text, and his characteristically clear, precise, and economical exposition. Explaining the processes involved in chemical reactions, he begins by introducing a ''tool kit'' of basic reactions, such as precipitation, corrosion, and catalysis, and concludes by showing how these building blocks are brought together in more complex processes such as photosynthesis, to provide a concise and intellectually rewarding introduction to the private life of atoms.Trade Reviewthe perfect antidote to science phobia. * Booklist *Table of ContentsPREFACE; A PRELIMINARY COMMENT: WATER; THE BASIC TOOLS; ASSEMBLING THE WORKSHOP; BUILDING FOR DESIGN; A RETROSPECTIVE: BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER; GLOSSARY; INDEX

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Book SynopsisHow can something as complex as a human body create itself from a single fertilized egg? Drawing on ideas from physics and network theory as well as genetics and embryology, Jamie Davies describes the fascinating picture emerging from the latest research, in which complexity builds up through 'adaptive self-organization'.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition A demanding but wonder-filled account of the simple interactions that create complex structures * New Scientist *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; Ethical Statement ; Introduction ; 1. Confronting an alien technology ; 2. From one cell to many ; 3. Making a difference ; 4. Laying down a body plan ; 5. Beginning a brain ; 6. Long division ; 7. Fateful conversations ; 8. Great migrations ; 9. Plumbing ; 10. Organizing organs ; 11. Taking up arms ; 12. The Y and how ; 13. Wired ; 14. Dying to be human ; 15. Making your mind up ; 16. A sense of proportion ; 17. Making friends and facing enemies ; 18. Maintenance mode ; 19. Perspectives ; Glossary ; Further reading ; References

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Book SynopsisAn awe-inspiring journey through the eons and across the globe in search of visible traces of evolution in the living creatures that have survived from earlier times.In this groundbreaking book, prize-winning science writer Richard Fortey chronicles life's history not through the fossil record, but through the stories of organisms that have survived, almost unchanged, through geological time.Fortey takes us on a journey to ancient worlds: on a moonlit beach in Delaware where the horseshoe crab shuffles its way through a violent romance, we catch a glimpse of life 450 million years ago. Along a stretch of Australian coastline, we bear witness to the sights and sounds that would have greeted a Precambrian dawn. And, in the dense rainforests of New Zealand, where the secretive velvet worm burrows into the rotting timber of the jungle floor, we marvel at a living fossil which has survived unchanged since before the break-up of Gondwana, the ancient supercontinent, over 150 million years agTrade Review‘I was thrilled by Survivors…. Reading Richard Fortey is always pure pleasure.’ Bill Bryson ‘Fortey has a unique way with the most humble of lifeforms and an infectious curiosity that can slide into near rapture’ Evening Standard ‘An epic, globe-circling scientific adventure story … intriguing. Entertaining, accessible and intensely stimulating – and highly recommended’ Sunday Times ‘A great story, and no one is better equipped than Fortey to tell it. Excellent natural history’ Guardian ‘Unequivocally my book of the year, a happy mix of global travel, high art and very low life’ Tim Radford, Books of the Year, Guardian ‘An elegant celebration’ TLS

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times Book of the Year From the author of the international bestseller How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog Your humble alarm clock, digital cameras, the smell of coffee, the glow of a grill, fibre broadband, smoke detectors… all hold secrets about quantum physics. Beginning at sunrise, Chad Orzel reveals the extraordinary science that underpins the simplest activities we all do every day, from making toast to shopping online. It’s all around us, the wonderful weirdness of quantum – you just have to know where to look.Trade Review‘[A] fine example of scientific passion.’ * Sunday Times, Books of the Year *‘Informative and friendly.’ * New York Times *‘Physics is everywhere and in everything, and no one explains physics better than Chad Orzel. This book is a meal for your mind.’ -- John Scalzi, author of The Rough Guide to the Universe‘Orzel is the perfect guide to the world of atoms and photons, demonstrating that even our morning breakfast rituals are not possible without the wonders of modern physics.’ -- James Kakalios, author of The Physics of Superheroes and The Physics of Everyday Things‘As Chad Orzel wonderfully shows in Breakfast with Einstein, a full gamut of our commonplace daily activities – from boiling water [on the stove]…to taking and exchanging photos with our electronic cameras and phones – depends on quantum rules… A must-read for anyone fascinated with how the quantum revolution explains how things work.’ -- Paul Halpern, author of The Quantum Labyrinth

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Book SynopsisThrough lively prose and photos, this revised edition of Uncorked unlocks the door to what champagne is all about.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2005 Best Book in the World on French Wine, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Winner of the 2004 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Physics and Astronomy, Association of American Publishers Praise for the previous edition: "[This] jewel-of-a-book makes the perfect companion gift to a bottle of bubbly... Written by a passionate, wine-loving physicist with just the proper level of jargon for non-scientists, the birth, rise and bursting of a Champagne bubble is scrutinized, rhapsodized, diagrammed, photographed and, finally, demystified... Knowing more about a bubble's lowly birth (formed from debris on the side of the glass) and ephemeral rise to fame will only serve to make you love it more."--Claudia Conlon, Wine News Praise for the previous edition: "This book presents the birth, life and death of a champagne bubble with such gusto, good humor and clarity that you will devour its delicious contents in one gulp. Whereas good champagne is to be sipped, this book is not. You will never experience the sensual elegance of champagne in quite the same way again once you have read this entertaining account of its history and 'fizzics.'"--Richard N. Zare, Nature Praise for the previous edition: "A highly entertaining introduction to the science of champagne bubbles... Uncorked is very readable, and Liger-Belair's clear and simple descriptions of the physics are superbly suitable for a general audience. The book is also very aesthetically pleasing, making it an ideal present for wine lovers and bores alike."--Stuart West, Science Praise for the previous edition: "Uncorked is an interesting, enjoyable read for anyone who has gazed too long upon a champagne-filled flute."--Gregory Mone, Popular Science Praise for the previous edition: "Liger-Belair, a physicist inspired to study bubbles by a brainstorm over a beer, delves into a champagne flute with a curiosity as strong as his microscope. The result is a book as informative as it is engaging, boosted by the gorgeous, up-close photos of bubbles in motion."--Tara Q. Thomas, Denver Post Praise for the previous edition: "A delightfully readable little book."--Joanna Simon, Sunday Times--London Praise for the previous edition: "[A] convivial examination of the party season's favorite tipple."--Paul Nettleton, Guardian Praise for the previous edition: "The ultimate guide to the 'fizzics' of sparkling wine."--Deborah Scoblionkov, Philadelphia InquirerTable of ContentsForeword ix 1 Introduction 1 2 The History of Champagne 7 3 The Making of Champagne 19 4 A Flute or a Goblet? 31 5 The Birth of a Bubble 37 6 The Bubble Rises 59 7 The Bubble Bursts 85 8 The Future of Champagne Wines 133 Afterword 143 Glossary 183 Bibliography 185 Acknowledgments 188 Index 189

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Book SynopsisGerd Gigerenzer''s Reckoning with Risk: Learning to Live with Uncertainty illustrates how we can learn to make sense of statistics and turn ignorance into insight. However much we want certainty in our lives, it feels as if we live in an uncertain and dangerous world. But are we guilty of wildly exaggerating the chances of some unwanted event happening to us? Are we misled by our ignorance of the reality of risk? Far too many of us, argues Gerd Gigerenzer, are hampered by our own innumeracy, while statistics are often presented to us in highly confusing ways. With real world examples, such as the incidence of errors in tests for breast cancer or HIV, or in DNA fingerprinting, and the manipulation of statistics for evidence in court, he shows that our difficulty in thinking about numbers can easily be overcome. ''Indispensable ... The book will change the attentive reader''s way of looking at the world''  Sunday TelegraphTrade Review"This is an important book, full of relevant examples and worrying case histories. By the end of it, the reader has been presented with a powerful set of tools for understanding statistics...anyone who wants to take responsibly for their own medical choices should read it" - New ScientistTable of ContentsPart I Dare to know: uncertainty; the illusion of certainty; innumeracy; insight. Part II Understanding uncertainties in the real world: breast cancer screening; (un)informed consent; AIDS counselling; wife battering; experts on trial; DNA fingerprinting; violent people. Part III From innumeracy to insight: how innumeracy can be exploited; fun problems; teaching clear thinking.

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Book SynopsisDonald R. Prothero’s Evolution is an entertaining and rigorous history of the transitional forms and series found in the fossil record. In this second edition, Prothero describes new transitional fossils from various periods, and reframes creationism as a case study in denialism and pseudoscience.Trade ReviewIf you're one of these people who likes to read Dawkins, Gould and Darwin, I would highly recommend this book. If you doubted that evolution was true before, and then you looked at this book, I don't see how you could possibly continue to question it. -- Jerry Coyne, author of Faith Versus Fact: Why Science and Religion Are IncompatibleTable of ContentsForeword: Why People Do Not Accept EvolutionTo the Reader: Is Evolution a Threat to Your Religious Beliefs?Prologue: Fossils and EvolutionPreface to the Second EditionAcknowledgmentsPart I: Evolution and the Fossil Record1. The Nature of Science2. Science and Creationism3. The Fossil Record4. The Evolution of Evolution5. Systematics and EvolutionPart II: Evolution? The Fossils say YES!6. Life’s Origins7. Cambrian “Explosion”—or Slow Fuse?8. Spineless Wonders of Evolution9. Fish Tales10. Fish Out of Water11. Onto the Land and Back to the Sea: The Amniotes12. Dinosaurs Evolve—and Fly13. Mammalian Explosion14. Bossies and Blowholes15. The Ape’s Reflection?16. Why Does It Matter?BibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis''Astonishing ... beautiful, compelling and terrifying'' Observer''Wadhams'' writing sparkles ... a lyrical sense of wonder at the natural world ... essential reading ... may be the best reader-friendly account of the greenhouse effect available to date'' John Burnside, New StatesmanIce is beautiful and complex. It regulates our planet''s temperature. And it is vanishing - fast. Peter Wadhams, the world''s leading expert on sea ice, draws on his lifetime''s research in the Arctic region to illuminate what is happening, what it means for the future, and what can be done.''This most experienced and rational scientist states what so many other researchers privately fear but cannot publicly say'' John Vidal, Guardian''Wadhams brings huge expertise to his subject - and he is an excellent writer'' Martin Rees''Utterly extraordinary'' Jonathon PorrittTrade ReviewWadhams's particular combination - of scientific passion, a lyrical sense of wonder at the natural world, an ability to pluck clear analogies from the air, and outspoken analysis of consumer-capitalist politics - marks out A Farewell to Ice as essential reading. -- John Burnside * New Statesman *A passionate, authoritative overview of the role of ice in our climate system, past, present and, scarily, the future. -- Carl Wunsch, Professor Emeritus of Physical Oceanography, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Why is it that Tony Blair always wore the same pair of shoes when answering Prime Minister's Questions? That John McEnroe notoriously refused to step on the white lines of a tennis court between points? And that President-elect Barack Obama played a game of basketball the morning of his victory in the Iowa primary, and continued the tradition the day of every following primary? Superstitious habits are common. Do you ever cross your fingers, knock on wood, avoid walking under ladders, or step around black cats? Sentimental value often supersedes material worth. If someone offered to replace your childhood teddy bear or wedding ring with a brand new, exact replica, would you do it? How about £20 for trying on a jumper owned by Fred West? Where do such feelings come from and why do most of us have them? Humans are born with brains designed to make sense of the world and that need for an explanation can lead to beliefs that go beyond reason. To be true they would have to be supernatural. With scientific education we learn that such beliefs are irrational but at an intuitive level they can be resistant to reason or lie dormant in otherwise sensible adults.It now seems unlikely that any effort to get rid of supernatural beliefs or superstitious behaviours will be completely successful. This is not all bad news - such beliefs are a useful glue that binds us together as a society. Combining brilliant insight with witty example Hood weaves a page-turning account of our 'supersense' that navigates a path through brain science, child development, popular culture, mental illness and the paranormal. After reading SuperSense, you will realize why you are not as reasonable as you might like to think - and why that might be no bad thing.

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Book SynopsisAre all evolutionary changes due to natural selection? Do we inherit behaviour? How can we regrow damaged body parts? Are all living things part of a super-organism? This book provides succinct answers to these questions - and many more - in 50 lucid and engaging essays. From mass extinction to immunity, and from sociobiology to swarm behaviour, 50 Biology Ideas You Really Need to Know will open you eyes to the fundamental biological processes that are essential to all life on earth. Beginning with innovations unique to animals - such as the development of muscles and importance of circulation - and moving through to genetics, cells, tissues and, finally, the nature of groups of organisms, this book will give you a complete overview ofthis fascinating subject. Featuring short biographies of iconic biologists, explanatory diagrams and timelines showing discoveries within their historical context, this is the perfect guide to the fundamental concepts of biology, m

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Book SynopsisThe name "Allium" is said to come from the Greek word to avoid because of its offensive smell. The genus Allium includes more than 800 species of which only a few have been cultivated as foods. Many of the other members of this genus are popular with gardeners as easy to maintain perennials, although the smell of some members of the genus can be off-putting. The smell is a consequence of breakdown of sulfur-containing compounds which is a characteristic of this family of plants. Garlic, onions, leeks, chives and other members of the genus Allium occupy a unique position both as edible plants and herbal medicines, appreciated since the dawn of civilization. Alliums have been featured through the ages in literature, where they are both praised and reviled, as well as in architecture and the decorative arts. Garlic pills are top-selling herbal supplements while garlic-based products show considerable promise as environmentally friendly pesticides. The remarkable properties of the alliums can be understood based on the occurrence of a number of relatively simple sulfur-containing chemical compounds ingeniously packaged by nature in these plants. This unique book, with a foreword by 1990 Nobel Laureate E.J. Corey, outlines the extensive history and the fascinating past and present uses of these plants, sorting out fact from fiction based upon detailed scrutiny of historic documents as well as numerous laboratories studies. Readers will be entertained and educated as they learn about early cultivation of garlic and other alliums while being introduced to the chemistry and biochemistry. They will learn how alliums have been portrayed and used in literature, poetry, the arts and how alliums are featured in the world's oldest cookbook. Technical material is presented in a manner understandable to a general audience, particularly through the use of illustrations to simplify more difficult concepts and explain how experimental work is conducted. The book is heavily illustrated with examples of alliums in art, literature, agriculture, medicine and other areas and includes rare botanical drawings of many members of the genus Allium. Essential reading for anyone with a general interest in science, the book is written at a level accessible to experts and non-experts alike. It has sufficient additional detail and references to satisfy both those wanting to know more, as well as researchers in disciplines as diverse as archaeology, medicine, ecology, pharmacology, food and plant sciences, agriculture, and organic chemistry.Trade ReviewThis book brings to mind the poet Horace's formula for successful writing: He wins every hand who mingles profit with pleasure, by delighting and instructing the reader at the same time. Eric Block has certainly mixed the useful and the sweet in his book.I started BlockÆs book as a reviewer and became an admirer. A book that contributes so richly to my teaching and understanding of chemistry is a rare pleasure. -- Stephen R Pruett * ASAPDOI: 10.1021/ed2001889Publication Date (Web): April 18, 2011 *Block writes well and passionately...gives a very balanced assessment of the claims and evidence for the health benefits of eating or taking allium supplements, primarily garlic.The book is well written and illustrated: a particular bonus is the inclusion of 27 coloured botanical prints from a volume of Flora Germanica. It will probably be of most interest to students and researchers familiar with plant biochemistry, but there is also something for those curious about this group of plants that play a prominent role in cooking, culture and chemistry. -- Ian J McEwan * Biochemist e-volution *'Both entertaining, and at the same time a challenging read, there is a lot of valuable information in this book.My hat is off to Eric for the amazing contribution to the world's collection of allium science.' -- Bob Dunkel * The Garlic Press *'Block presents an entertaining and informative account of the history of garlic, onions, and other alliums. This ethnobotanic work is truly interdisciplinary, intended for a wide audience of historians, sociologists, chemists, cooks, botanists, and naturalists.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic, professional, and general libraries, all levels.' -- L Swatzell, Southeast Missouri State University * Choice, v 47, No 10 *'...well organized, and presents something for everyone. It should be said right away that this is far from a typical ôchemistryö book due to both the varied content and the style of presentation....it all works rather well together; it is a fine example of how complex chemistry can be contextualized in a fascinating and often entertaining way.' -- Derek A Pratt * Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49, 2 *'There is some fascinating chemistry told here. Both the chemistry itself and the story of its revelation are given in detail.Within the book there are some fascinating anecdotes - a town in America where it is illegal to attend a theatre after eating raw onions, the resigned reflection that despite its benefits 'garlic mouthwash is unlikely to be a winning consumer product' and the warning that garlic in your socks will come out on your breath. Now there's an experiment any of us can try.' -- David Quick * Education in Chemistry *'...enjoyment of this book should not be limited to scientists. The book is a virtual encyclopedia of garlic and onion facts, and while it may make a necessary addition to the food chemistÆs library, it is something that any foodie, especially a garlic lover, can enjoy.' -- Thomas J Mansell * Food and Foodways, 18: 3, 170-172 *This is a fascinating book written by an authority on the chemistry of the edible alliums, which include garlic, onions, leeks and chives. The book is well written and up-to-date. I can thoroughly recommend this book not just to natural product chemists but also to all those who have grown these plants in the garden or enjoyed eating them. It contains many anecdotes and quotations to enliven a chemist's dinner party. -- Jim Hanson * Chemistry World *What do garlic and onions have in common with gunpowder? A lot. TheyÆre incendiary. They can do harm and they delight. Sulfur is central to their powers. And they helped inspire the work of a chemist who has just published a welcome treatise on the smelly yet indispensable allium family. Dr. BlockÆs book may be the definitive word on the alliums for the moment, but as it and he make clear, there are new flavors to look forward t. -- Harold McGee * The New York Times *This book by Eric Block is a synthesis of his four decades of distinguished work with alliums.His account of this ever-increasing knowledge is accessible and will even entertain readers without a deep knowledge of chemistry.Block may look at the world through garlic-tinged lenses, but in this book he is very good at getting readers to see it his way -- Meriel Jones * Chemistry and Industry *Table of Contents1. Allium Botany and Cultivation, Ancient and Modern; 2. All Things Allium: Alliums in Literature, the Arts and Culture; 3. Allium Chemistry 101: Historical Highlights, Fascinating Facts and Unusual Uses for Alliums; 4. Chemistry in a Salad Bowl: Allium Chemistry and Biochemistry; 5. Alliums in Folk and Complementary Medicine; 6. Alliums in the Environment: Allelopathy and Allium-Derived Attractants, Antibiotics, Herbicides, Pesticides and Repellents

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Book SynopsisIn this groundbreaking new book, one of the world''s greatest living scientists argues for the fundamental unity of all knowledge and the need to search for what he calls consilience, the composition of the principles governing every branch of learning. Edward O Wilson, the pioneer of sociobiology and biodiversity, once again breaks out of the conventions of current thinking. He shows how our explosive rise in intellectual mastery of the truths of our universe has its roots in the ancient Greek concept of an intrinsic orderliness that governs our cosmos. It is a vision that found its apogee in the Age of Enlightenment, then gradually was lost in the increasing fragmentation and specialisation of knowledge in the last two centuries. Professor Wilson shows why the goals of the original Enlightenment are surging back to life, why they are reappearing on the very frontiers of science and human scholarship, and how they are beginning to sketch themselves as the blueprint of our world.

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Book SynopsisSome 250 million years ago, the earth suffered the greatest biological crisis in its history. Around 95 percent of all living species died out--a global catastrophe far greater than the dinosaurs' demise 185 million years later. How this happened remains a mystery. But there are many competing theories. Some blame huge volcanic eruptions that coverTrade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2006 "Theories and mysteries can be dispelled with good data from the geologic record, and Erwin (a paleobiologist at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History) offers an authoritative account of the search for these data and for the cause of the extinction... Extinction provides a great reference for researchers and the interested lay reader alike."--Andrew M. Bush, Science "Extinction is a very enjoyable read... It provides a thoroughly up-to-date account of the causes of the end-Permian event and the developments in the field since 1993 as seen through the eyes of one of the key players... Extinction leaves the reader with the (accurate) picture that here is a scientist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of the greatest extinction event known to science... [A] readable and scholarly account."--Richard J. Twitchett, American Scientist "Douglas Erwin's geological mystery story is engrossing. It contains a tribute to the scientific method--and also the collaborations of research. The book ends with Erwin warning that the Earth is arguably entering another mass extinction period, this time unnatural and man-made. And this time the destruction may well be total."--Lucy Sussex, The Age (Sunday edition) "Douglas H. Erwin, a Smithsonian paleobiologist and one of the leading experts on the Permian extinction has meticulously sifted through the evidence... His accessible new book, Extinction--written, it seems, both to persuade his colleagues and to educate a lay audience--is told from the perspective of a forensic scientist trying to piece together a quarter-billion-year-old crime scene."--Joshua Foer, Washington Post Book World "Douglas Erwin describes how life on Earth was nearly destroyed at the end of the Permian period, 250 million years ago... The author ... explain[s] what this paleontological, as well as geological, evidence can tell scientists about the dramatic and deadly shift in the Earth's environment."--Science News "No one can tell this story better than Douglas Erwin. His book is a superbly written account of what we know about the Permian extinctions... More than a geological story, this book is an excellent model of how science addresses complicated questions."--Choice "This book does not justify a single, accepted causal sequence of events ... to account for the end-Permian extinction. Instead, Erwin dissects the evidence for and against each hypothesis, impartially weighing their strengths and weaknesses. Although this book may frustrate readers expecting to learn how life nearly ended 250 million years ago, it will reward them with a fascinating case study in scientific inference, a case that remains very much open."--John P. Hunter, Quarterly Review of Biology "Erwin's book is science writing for the general public at its best and most lucid. Entertaining, informative, and thought provoking."--Northeastern Naturalist "Erwin offers a thorough overview of one of the most interesting problems in earth history... Erwin takes the readers on an insider's journey that includes adventures in the field, tedious hours in the laboratory, and stimulating but sometimes contentious exchanges among colleagues at scientific meetings. He gives rigorous consideration to every reasonable hypothesis... Erwin's short course is a professional service for geologists (like me) who have read only some of the primary literature on the end-Permian extinction."--Stephen O. Moshier, Books & Culture "For scientists as well as general educated readers, this book enlightens its readers to the complexity of the largest biological crisis the earth has yet seen."--H.J.M. Meijer, PalArch's Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology "I recommend Extinction: How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250 Million Years Ago to scientists and nonscientists alike. It provides a clear, comprehensive, and compelling introduction to the greatest catastrophe in the history of animal life and proposes a reasonable hypothesis for the cause of the extinction that will undoubtedly be tested vigorously with new data in the coming decade."--Jonathan L. Payne, ComplexityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Preface to the New Paperback Edition ix CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1 CHAPTER 2: A Cacophony of Causes 17 CHAPTER 3: South China Interlude 59 CHAPTER 4: It's a Matter of Time 77 CHAPTER 5: Filter Feeding Fails 98 CHAPTER 6: South African Eden 124 CHAPTER 7: The Perils of Permian Seas 161 CHAPTER 8: Denouement 187 CHAPTER 9: Resurrection and Recovery 218 CHAPTER 10: The Paradox of the Permo-Triassic 245 Notes 263 References 275 Index 293

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Book SynopsisYou can change your genes - and this revelatory, cutting-edge popular science book will explain how.Trade ReviewFascinating and Highly accessible. * Sunday Times *Sharon Moalem peels away at the complex discussion of nature and nurture. * Dan Ariely, bestselling author of Predictably Irrational *In his new book, Moalem describes riveting dramas emerging from both defective genes and reparative epigenetics...fascinating. * The New York Times Book Review *Dr. Moalem is an eloquent guide through the astonishing new world of genetic discovery - with all its implications for both personal health and public policy. If you've wondered about the impact of genetics on your life- read this book! * Kinney Zalesne, New York Times bestselling author of Microtrends *

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Book SynopsisArranged in chronological order from the early Greek mathematicians, Euclid and Archimedes through to present-day Nobel Prize winners, 100 Science Discoveries That Changed the World charts the great breakthroughs in scientific understanding. Each entry describes the story of the research, the significance of the science and its impact on the scientific world. There is also a resume of each scientist’s career along with their other achievements, sometimes – in the case of Isaac Newton – in a completely unrelated field (laws of motion and the component parts of light). The book covers all branches of science: geometry, number theory, cosmology, the laws of motion, particle physics, electricity, magnetism, the laws of gasses, optical theory, cell biology, conservation of energy, natural selection, radiation, quantum theory, special relativity, superconductivity, thermodynamics, genomes, plate tectonics, and the uncertainty principal. Scientists include: Albert Einstein, Alessandro Volta, Alexander Fleming, Amedeo Avogrado, Andre Geim, Antoine Lavoisier, Antony van Leeuwenhoek, Archimedes, Benoit Mandelbrot, Carl Friedrich Gauss, Charles Darwin, Christian Doppler, Copernicus, Crick and Watson, Dmitri Mendeleev, Edwin Hubble, Enrico Fermi, Ernest Rutherford, Erwin Schrodinger, Euclid, Fermat, Frederick Sanger, Galileo Galilei, Georg Ohm, Georges Lemaitre, Heike Kamerlingh, Isaac Newton, Jacques Charles, James Clerk Maxwell, James Prescott Joule, Jean Buridan, Johanes Kepler, John Ambrose Fleming, John Dalton, John O’Keefe, Joseph Black, Josiah Gibbs, Lord Kelvin, Lord Rayleigh, Louis Pasteur, Marie Curie, Martinus Beijerinck, Michael Faraday, Murray Gell-Mann & George Zweig, Neils Bohr, Nicholas Steno, Peter Higgs, Pierre Curie, Ptolemy, Robert Boyle, Robert Brown, Robert Hooke, Roger Bacon, Rudolf Clausius, Seleucus, Shen Kuo, Stanley Miller, Tyco Brahe, Werner Heisenberg, William Gilbert, William Harvey, William Herschel, William Rontgen, Wolfgang Pauli.Trade ReviewPraise for Colin Salter’s 100 Posters that Changed the World: 'Showcase[s] an extensive collection of the images and slogans that have shaped society as we know it.’ – Country Life 'This journey through images that can inspire, shock or just leave the viewer laughing is never less than fascinating… A beautifully produced volume that will find a very broad readership.' – All About History 'This engaging book is a vivid tapestry of poster styles with diverse commercial, cultural and political applications supplemented by informative single-page essays that stimulate curiosity page after page.’ – Morning Star

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Book SynopsisIngrid S Clay is a Celebrity Fitness Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Figure Bodybuilder, and Plant-Based Chef. She has over 10 years' experience in the Health and Wellness space. She has been featured on Fabletics Fitness App, Livestrong, and Popsugar. She has spent several years designing and teaching HIIT classes. Ingrid has a background in Physics & Electrical Engineering. Her science background influences the way she approaches creating HIIT based programs. Insta: @ingridsclay www.ingridsclay.com

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Book SynopsisUnderstand how our immune system fights disease and enables the body to heal itself.'Thrilling... Reads like the best kind of adventure story' STEPHEN FRY'Excellent' TIM SPECTOR, Sunday Times bestselling author of Spoon-Fed Here, Professor Daniel Davis charts the groundbreaking scientific quest to understand how it fights disease and enables the body to heal itself. He explains how it is affected by stress, sleep, age and our state of mind, and reveals how all of this knowledge is now unlocking a revolutionary approach to medicine and well-being. The Beautiful Cure tells a dramatic story of detective work and discovery, of puzzles solved and of the mysteries that remain, and of lives sacrificed and saved. SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 'Wonderful... recounts in exceptionally clear and sympathetic prose how research into the immune system has resulted in a health revolution' HENRY MARSH 'Thoroughly absorbing... Davis is a wonderful storyteller' BILL BRYSONTrade ReviewThrilling ... An eye-opening tour de force of scientific writing that reads like the best kind of adventure story -- Stephen FryOne of the best accounts I have yet come across of the nature of biological science … Daniel Davis’s wonderful book recounts in exceptionally clear and sympathetic prose how research into the immune system has resulted in a health revolution -- Henry Marsh * New Statesman *Thoroughly absorbing ... Davis is a wonderful storyteller -- Bill BrysonTerrific ... Davis relates the extraordinary modern developments in supercharging the body’s own immune system to fight disease, and one day maybe even eliminate cancer -- Steven Poole * *****Telegraph *Thrilling … Do not underestimate the importance of immunology. This field relates to you personally -- Adam Rutherford * Guardian *An inspirational book that not only reveals the secret joys of scientific discovery but is jam-packed full of revelations for non-scientists * Mail on Sunday *Forget AI, robotics, the internet of things. This is where the future feels strange and exciting: in the 'inner universe' of our immune system, and in the radically new therapies that are using it to conquer disease * Sunday Times *Highly readable, beautifully researched, backed up with notes, references and interviews by Davis himself, whose status as an immunology professor confers added credibility. He believes that we now know enough about the major components and interactions of the immune system to begin manipulating them to cure diseases such as cancer. We stand, he predicts, on the threshold of a medical revolution * New Scientist *A sweeping tour d’horizon … lucid and entertaining … Much as Siddhartha Mukherjee did in his book The Gene, Davis expertly weaves together human stories and scientific endeavour * The Times *New ways to treat cancer, diabetes, arthritis and other age-related diseases … Davis is a sure and engaging guide to these developments * Observer *

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Book SynopsisWhat makes an engaging presentation or a useful meeting? How can companies motivate and inspire people to do their best at work? Who are the most effective leaders? Bestselling author and scientist Dr John Medina uses peer-reviewed research to answer the most important questions about the workplace today, providing answers that will help you get ahead. The author of international bestseller Brain Rules, Medina here turns his expertise to the professional world, guiding the reader through what brain science and evolutionary biology have to say on topics ranging from office space and work—life balance to power dynamics and work interactions. He examines why taking breaks in nature during the workday improves productivity; how planning a meeting beforehand makes it more effective; why open plan isn’t a good office plan; how a more diverse team is a better team; why allowing for failure is vital to a company’s success; and much more. Breaking down the science to practical applications that every reader can understand and benefit from, Brain Rules for Work is the essential guide to modern office life.

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Book Synopsis'A rich feast of his essays, reviews, forewords, squibs and conversations, in which talent and passion are married to deep knowledge.' Matt Ridley'Enjoy the unfailing clarity of his thought and prose, as well as the grandeur of his vision of life on Earth.' - Mark Cocker, Spectator'Richard Dawkins is a thunderously gifted science writer.' Sunday TimesIncluding conversations with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Steven Pinker, Matt Ridley and more, this is an essential guide to the most exciting ideas of our time and their proponents from our most brilliant science communicator.Books Do Furnish a Life is divided by theme, including celebrating nature, exploring humanity, and interrogating faith. For the first time, it brings together Richard Dawkins' forewords, afterwords and introductions to the work of some of the leading thinkers of our age - Carl Sagan, Lawrence Krauss, Jacob Bronowski, Lewis Wolpert - with a selection of his reviews to provide an electrifying celebration of science writing, both fiction and non-fiction. It is also a sparkling addition to Dawkins' own remarkable canon of work.Plenty of other scientists write well, but no one writes like Dawkins... here is Dawkins the teacher, the scholar, the polemicist, the joker, the aesthete, the poet, the satirist, the man of compassion as well as indignation, the slayer of superstition and, above all, the scientist. - Areo MagazineTrade ReviewMuch more than just a collection of journalism, this has an overarching unity and presents a panoramic survey of his intellectual career. There are occasional moments of delicious savagery as Dawkins dismantles an opponent. Much more often he celebrates the work of fellow scientists and throughout the entire 460 pages, one can enjoy the unfailing clarity of his thought and prose, as well as the grandeur of his vision of life on Earth. -- Mark Cocker * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisFrom the world''s foremost neuroscientist of romantic love comes a personal story of connection and heartbreak that brings new understanding to an old truth: it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.At thirty-seven, Dr. Stephanie Cacioppo was content to be single. She was fulfilled by her work on the neuroscience of romantic love; how finding and growing with a partner literally reshapes our brains. That was, until she met the foremost neuroscientist of loneliness. A whirlwind romance led to marriage, to sharing an office at the University of Chicago. After seven years of being inseparable at work and home, she lost her beloved husband following a devastating battle with cancer.In Wired for Love, Dr. Stephanie Cacioppo tells not just a science story, but also a love story. She shares revelatory insights into how we fall in love, and why; what makes love last; and how we process love lost - all grounded in cutting-edge fTrade Review'This meditation on love is deep in every sense: in scientific richness, in human insight, and in moving personal involvement' Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind Works'When John and Steph met it was electric, consuming, forever. One might even say 'wacky' from the start. But then their love grew to be inseparable, collaborative, joyous and infinitely inventive. And while their scholarship and devotion to science hit new levels, it was their bond in love that was a joy to know. This book captures that joy' Michael Gazzaniga, author of The Consciousness Instinct'Anyone looking for love would be well advised to read her expert tips on how to spark romance and make it last. Don't offer anyone your heart. Offer them your brain and enjoy the fireworks' - Daily Mail'Cacioppo's writing becomes more intimate as her life story stitches closer to her research. Her conclusion is enchanting and uplifting ... A beautiful testament to romantic love, scientific passion and the endless possibility of connection' Kirkus'Filled with a little something for everyone, Wired for Love is a unique take on a memoir that will take you on a journey of grief and healing with a reminder to keep your heart open to all the beauty and pain that life might bring' Mindful'Cacioppo blends memoir and science in her debut, an enlightening testament to love's ability to enhance one's life ... Readers will be both fascinated and moved' Publishers Weekly'...an engaging guide through the scientific portions of the book, and her own experiences of connection and loss enrich the narrative. Together, these intertwined strands of science and personal narrative make for a sprightly, illuminating book' BookPage

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Book SynopsisThe spellbinding stories of the scientists whose eureka! breakthroughs in modern physics reveal science's astonishing predictive power.'An excellent popular science book.'DARA Ã? BRIAIN'A thoroughly informative and entertaining read.'ANNA BURNS, Booker Prize-winning author of Milkman'One of the best-written books about phsyics I have ever come across.'POPULAR SCIENCE'Highly entertaining and accessible.' IRISH TIMES'Fascinating, life enhancing entertainment.' PROSPECT'Thoroughly enjoyable . . . Chown has done it again.' BBC SKY AT NIGHTBreakthrough takes us on a breathtaking, mind-altering tour of the eureka! moments of modern physics. Charting the spellbinding stories of the scientists who predicted and discovered the existence of unknown planets, black holes, invisible force fields, ripples in the fabric of space-time,

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Book SynopsisMillion Dollar Maths is an invaluable guide to the straightforward and outlandish mathematical strategies that can make you rich. ____________How can you turn $1000 into $1 million? What is the best way to beat the lottery odds? When is the best time to take out a loan?How did one group of gamblers bet on hole-in-ones to win £500,000? How can maths help you set up a successful tech start-up? What about proving the Goldbach Conjecture for $1 million?Learn the techniques for growing your everyday finances, as well as the common mistakes to avoid. Discover the skills, both fair and foul, that offer an additional edge when investing and gambling. And discover why we often misunderstand probability and statistics - with troubling financial costs. From making the most of special offers to utilising the power of exponential growth in your investments; from the art of card counting, to inventing the next Google, Million Dollar Maths is the quintessential primer to the myriad ways maths and finance intersect.Trade ReviewGreat fun. A clear, original and highly readable account of the curious relationship between mathematics and money. * Professor Ian Stewart – author of Significant Figures *A lively crash course in the mathematics of gambling, investing, and managing. Hugh Barker makes deep ideas fun and profitable. * William Poundstone – author of How to Predict the Unpredictable *Table of Contents1: The Power of Exponential Growth 2: Beating the Casino 3: Gambling Systems and Strategies 4: The Successful Investor 5: Hacking, Cracking and Gaming the System 6: Designing the Next Google 7: Use Maths to Improve Your Performance 8: Proving the Impossible

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Book SynopsisArtificial intelligence has long been a mainstay of science fiction and increasingly it feels as if AI is entering our everyday lives, with technology like Apple's Siri now prominent, and self-driving cars almost upon us.But what do we actually mean when we talk about 'AI'? Are the sentient machines of 2001 or The Matrix a real possibility or will real-world artificial intelligence look and feel very different? What has it done for us so far? And what technologies could it yield in the future?AI expert Yorick Wilks takes a journey through the history of artificial intelligence up to the present day, examining its origins, controversies and achievements, as well as looking into just how it works. He also considers the future, assessing whether these technologies could menace our way of life, but also how we are all likely to benefit from AI applications in the years to come.Entertaining, enlightening, and keenly argued, this is the essential one-stop guide to the AI debate.

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Book SynopsisKeep your feet on the ground and experience the night sky to the fullest by exploring planets, satellites, and constellations with this all-inclusive reference guide to space. 100 Things to See in the Night Sky, Expanded Edition is full of information on the many amazing things you can see with a telescope, or just your naked eye! From shooting stars to constellations and planets to satellites, this book gives you a clear picture of what you can see on any given night. Learn about the celestial bodies that have captured people’s imaginations for centuries, with specific facts alongside traditional myths and beautifully illustrated photographs and star charts that will help you know where to look for the best view. With this illuminating guide, you’ll enjoy hours of stargazing, whether you’re travelling, camping, sitting in your back garden, or simply flipping through the beautiful images in this book. Trade Review“Mesmerizing.” —Sierra“[Regas’s] book points to an unexpected source of entertainment, and even solace, in the skies above … As the world roils, the stars spin on.” —The Washington Post “The photographs are fabulous, and the charts are informative.” —Books for Young Readers“A handy field guide for the best stargazing experience.” —Book of the Day“A perfect companion book for any child who enjoys marveling at the stars.” —Cincinnati Family Magazine“The ultimate stargazing book … this beautifully illustrated guide details everything you need to know.” —RV Life

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Book Synopsis'Why is there a world rather than nothing at all?' remains the most curious and most enduring of all metaphysical mysteries. Moving away from the narrower paths of Christopher Hitchens, Roger Penrose and Stephen Hawking, the celebrated essayist Jim Holt now enters this fascinating debate with his broad, lively and deeply informed narrative that traces all our efforts to grasp the origins of the universe. With sly humour and a highly original personal approach Holt takes on the role of cosmological detective. Suggesting that we might have been too narrow in limiting our suspects to God and the Big Bang, he tracks down, among others, an eccentric Oxford philosopher, a Nobel Laureate physicist, a French Buddhist monk, and John Updike just before he died, to pursue this cosmic puzzle from every angle. As he pieces together a solution - while offering useful insights into time, consciousness, and eternity - he sheds fascinating new light on the meaning of existence. A New York Times bestseller on first publication, this new paperback edition provides a much-needed new take on history's greatest conundrum, in the vein of previous bestsellers like Michael Brooks' 13 Things that Don't Make Sense.Trade ReviewWhy Does The Word Exist? is more fun than a book this serious has any right to be. Holt has written a metaphysical page-turner and a triumph of intellectual liveliness. -- Rebecca Goldstein, author of 36 Arguments for the Existence of GodThere is no more entertaining, sure-footed, and witty guide to the big questions that we must all ponder than Jim Holt. Join him * Daily Beast *Praise for Stop Me If You've Heard This: 'Sweet, witty and intelligent ... I only wish that, unlike a good joke, it was longer. -- William Leith * Guardian *If Jim Holt's deft and consuming "Why Does the World Exist?: An Existential Detective Story" has anything to tell us, it's that such a comment is less about literary riffing than deep philosophy. * LA Times *Holt brings both complexity and clarity to his subject ... it does what real science writing should: It helps us feel the fullness of the problem. * Vulture *There is no more entertaining, sure-footed, and witty guide to the big questions that we must all ponder than Jim Holt. Join him. * The Daily Beast *It's philosophy of a high level, pursued in an unusual and personal manner, and it's a pleasure to follow along with the author as he tells a fascinating and thought-provoking story. -- Peter Woit, Department of Mathamatics, ColumbiaHumorous yet deeply profound * New Scientist *There's no denying the pleasures to be had from tagging along as Holt soars away into the heavens of our cosmic enigmas ... a wonderful book * Daily Express *An elegant and witty writer...I can imagine few more enjoyable ways of thinking than to read this book -- Sarah Bakewell, author of How to LiveWhat is special about Why Does the World Exist? is that Holt and the experts he talks to apply humour, good sense and a dose of incredulity and wonder to the problem * Independent *An eclectic mix of theology, cutting-edge science (of the cosmological and particle-physics variety) and extremely abstract philosophising, rendered (mostly) accessible by Mr Holt's facility with analogies and clear, witty language * Economist *

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Book SynopsisYou are surrounded by stickiness. With every step you take, air molecules cling to you and slow you down; the effect is harder to ignore in water. When you hit the road, whether powered by pedal or engine, you rely on grip to keep you safe. The Post-it note and glue in your desk drawer. The non-stick pan on your stove. The fingerprints linked to your identity. The rumbling of the Earth deep beneath your feet, and the ice that transforms waterways each winter. All of these things are controlled by tiny forces that operate on and between surfaces, with friction playing the leading role. In Sticky, Laurie Winkless explores how friction shapes both the manufactured and natural worlds, and describes how our understanding of surface science has given us an ability to manipulate stickiness, down to the level of a single atom. But this apparent success doesn't tell the whole story. Each time humanity has pushed the boundaries of science and engineering, we've discovered that friction still hTrade ReviewI am in awe of Laurie Winkless: of her ability to take something as seemingly plain as a tire, as overlooked as the dimples on a golf ball, and produce from it a surprising, fascinating narrative, one that effortlessly reveals the astonishing science of the world around us. * Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Fuzz *An absolutely wild ride ... bright and interesting. [Sticky] is a book for the 2020s ... truly great popular science for anyone who wants to know more about how we interact with our world -- young or old, beginner or experienced scientist. * Nature *Through a wide range of topics, including some that are likely to be less well known, Sticky offers readers an insider’s guide to the secret science of surfaces. * Science *A beautifully-written, utterly fascinating book that had me glued throughout. Like the very best science writing, Sticky helps you see the world from a different perspective. I couldn't recommend it more. * Angela Saini, science journalist and author *If you’ve ever wondered why some glues work better than others, or been puzzled why there are so many different types of car tire, or been amazed at the ease in which a gecko can run up the wall, then this wonderful book is for you. * Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff Matters *The excellence of [Sticky] shines through. Stickiness may not be something that we often think of as a science issue, but Winkless both shows how interesting it can be, and also how much there is still to learn in this topic that affects all our everyday lives. * Brian Clegg, PopScienceBooks *An enthusiastic exploration of how surfaces interact. * Nature *Table of ContentsHello 1 To Stick or Not to Stick 2 A Gecko’s Grip 3 Gone Swimming 4 Flying High 5 Hit the Road 6 These Shaky Isles 7 Break the Ice 8 The Human Touch 9 Close Contact Further Reading Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisOur fates lie in our genes and not in the stars, said James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA. But Watson could not have predicted the scale of the industry now dedicated to this new frontier. Since the launch of the multibillion-dollar Human Genome Project, the biosciences have promised miraculous cures and radical new ways of understanding who we are. But where is the new world we were promised? Now updated with a new afterword, Genes, Cells and Brains asks why the promised cornucopia of health benefits has failed to emerge and reveals the questionable enterprise that has grown out of bioethics. The authors, feminist sociologist Hilary Rose and neuroscientist Steven Rose, examine the establishment of biobanks, the rivalries between public and private gene sequencers, and the rise of stem cell research. The human body is becoming a commodity, and the unfulfilled promises of the science behind this revolution suggest profound failings in genomics itself.Trade ReviewFascinating, lucid and angry. -- Steven Poole * Guardian *On my must-read list! Genes, Cells, Brains ... the rundown on the hype. -- Margaret AtwoodWhatever else we may need for the public understanding of science, we certainly do need the facts contained in this book. The Roses show how rapidly the ideal of disinterested scientific research has been evaporating since Mammon has been welcomed into the laboratory. Immense and still increasing profits have been made by people who have repeatedly promised various holy grails-discoveries expected to arise from genetic and cerebral research-but comparatively little of real use has emerged from that quarter. In particular, Genes, Cells and Brains shows how the recent expansion of the neurosciences, which was widely hailed as the dawn of a new psychiatry, has actually had little effect. Plainly this research has done little to check the steadily continuing increase in mental illness. Altogether, this is a rather blood-curdling but fascinating book and a much-needed alarm call! -- Mary Midgley, author of Animals and Why They MatterGenes, Cells and Brains is an angry book. It is also an important one ... contains wonderful descriptions of the science behind the new biology. -- W. F. Bynum * Times Literary Supplement *While I generally turn down requests for an endorsement of a book, I must make an exception for the superb analysis of a very important topic by Hilary Rose and Steve Rose. Genes, Cells and Brains refutes with authority the extravagant claims that everything that ails us will be cured by modern molecular and cellular biology. They show that despite the self-serving hype produced by both academic and entrepreneurial science, we still do not understand how the brain works nor can we avoid the thousand shocks that flesh is heir to. -- Richard Lewontin, author of The Triple HelixA scathing account of the failure of recent projects in biology to provide significant new knowledge ... the Roses provide thought-provoking and interesting contrasts to the secular, neoliberal view that predominates at present. * Nature *Rose and Rose provide incisive analyses of the successes of the new biology at improving corporate profits while failing to do much to improve human health. This is a valuable therapy for all of us suffering from the inflated promises and huge costs of the new biology, and a splendid resource for reinvigorating the Radical Science Movement in today's global political economy. -- Sandra Harding, UCLA Professor and author of The Science Question in FeminismGenes, Cells and Brains offers a complex, compelling picture of the social and political challenges emerging around biotechnological investment, promise and hype. -- Maureen McNeil, Professor and Associate Director, Cesagen: ESRC Centre for Economic and Social Aspects of GenomicsI have just started Genes, Cells and Brains and I can hardly put it down. What clarity and insights, what history and up to the minute perceptiveness. And what brilliant and unpretentious writing. I think this is an important book. -- Sian Ede, Director of the Gulbenkian FoundationWhat brilliant and energetic warriors Hilary Rose and Steven Rose have been! Reading this book is to visit the innumerable battlefields on which they have fought over half a century. The battle cries have now softened into gentler irony, but the pace of the writing is superb. Anybody who wants an incisive and radical perspective on the excessive claims made for human genome project, sociobiology, neurosciences, or human discrimination against other humans, should read this book. -- Patrick Bateson, author (with Peter Gluckman) of Plasticity, Robustness, Development and Evolution[The Roses] unwind the myriad assumptions about technology as the engine of improvement in our lives and offer a powerful argument against the sociopolitical machinery behind these dream disciplines. -- Michael Thomsen * The Daily Beast *[Hilary Rose and Stephen Rose] unwind the myriad assumptions about technology as the engine of improvement in our lives and offers a powerful argument against the sociopolitical machinery behind these dream disciplines. -- Michael Tomsen * The Daily Beast *The authors (professors emeriti of sociology and neuroscience at, respectively, Bradford U. and the Open U., England) place contemporary developments in the biotechnosciences of genomics, regenerative medicine, and the neurosciences (the 'genes, cells, and brains' of their title) within the context of the global neoliberal economy and culture of the 21st century. * Book News *[Genes, Cells and Brains is] a detailed and acerbic history of 20th-century genetics: its uneasy dance in and out of the arms of eugenics, its stumbles on the envisioned road to decoding and commodifying human nature, and its upstaging-after the Human Genome Project disappointed hopes for disease cures-by neuroscience, which, in turn, has fallen short of its promises to find and fix the psyche in the brain. * The Scientist *

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Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Extinction is a natural process. In geological time there have been several periods of mass extinction. One of these periods is unfolding right now but all the evidence suggests that current extinction rates are between a hundred and a thousand times greater than the background rate. To put this in to context, a quarter of all known mammalian species is at risk. The current extinction crisis is unique, because it is caused by the impact of one species, humans, on all others. This acceleration of species loss, and the much more widespread reductions in the populations of many species, is not merely a tragedy in aesthetics, it is also a threat to the quality of human life, indeed to the entire human enterprise. Biodiversity, the diversity of life, is not only fascinating and beautiful, it is the engine of all the world''s natural cycles, and the source of many of the resources on which humanity depends. Concern about biodiversity conservation is, therefore, not merely the preoccupation of a few enthusiastic naturalists - it is the lifeline business of everybody. In this Very Short Introduction, David Macdonald introduces the concept of biodiversity and the basic biological processes that it involves - evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral. He considers the various threats to biodiversity, their impacts, and some of the solutions to the problems; concluding by considering the future of biodiversity conservation.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1: What is biodiversity, and why does it matter? 2: What's the problem? 3: What is the purpose of biodiversity conservation? 4: Invasive species 5: Wildlife trade 6: Zoonotic disease 7: Human wildlife conflict and coexistence 8: Climate change 9: Who pays, and how? 10: Restoring the balance - what next?

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Book SynopsisAn offbeat guided tour of the Universe, focusing on weird and wonderful facts.Astrophysicist Dr Jillian Scudder knows more than most of us what a surreal place the Universe can be. In this light-hearted book she delves into some of the more arcane facts that her work has revealed, and tells us how we have actually managed to discover these amazing truths.Did you know: the galaxy is flatter than a credit card; supermassive black holes can sing a super-low B flat; it rains iron on a brown dwarf, and diamonds on Neptune; you could grow turnips on Mars if its soil weren't full of rocket fuel; the Universe is beige, on average; Jupiter's magnetic field will short-circuit your spacecraft - and, of course, the Milky Way smells of rum and raspberries.Trade Review[An] entertaining romp ... Armchair astronomers will come away with a renewed sense of wonder at the strangeness of the universe. * Publishers Weekly *Aiming to intrigue general readerships about astrophysics, The Milky Way Smells of Rum and Raspberries is full of the energy and excitement of discovery. * Foreword Reviews *

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Book SynopsisA Guardian Science Book of the Year 2022 ‘When science hits the headlines, Fiona Fox ... is at the heart of the action’ Financial Times ‘This is how to talk about science’ Justin Webb Do you remember the ‘Climategate’ email leak? Or the ‘Frankenfood’-style headlines about the perils of GM foods? What about the time the government sacked its own science advisor for challenging drug laws? Beyond the Hype takes us behind the scenes of some of the most contentious stories in science over the past two decades. From animal research and genetically modified foods to hybrid embryos and a global pandemic, it demonstrates the vital importance of scientists talking to the media – and warns of the damage to public understanding when scientists are silenced on the defining issues of our times PRAISE FOR BEYOND THE HYPE ‘The way the media covers science stories and breakthroughs has never been more important or relevant . . . This book should be recommended reading’ Jim Al-Khalili, presenter of The Life Scientific ‘The pandemic has repeatedly shown the vital necessity for accurate reporting of science . . . Fox provides some riveting stories about the ups and downs of this continuing struggle.’ David Spiegelhalter, author of The Art of Statistics ‘Engaging, illuminating, important’ Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Director of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism ‘A vivid account of how journalists and scientists interact’ David Willetts, former Minister for Universities and Science ‘A lively insider’s account’ Times Literary Supplement ‘A candid inside account . . . [Fox] reveals how frontline science can be just as messy, complex and feudal as any political drama.’ Anjana Ahuja, co-author of Spike: The Virus Versus the PeopleTrade Review‘A lively insider’s account’ Times Literary Supplement ‘When science hits the headlines, Fiona Fox ... is at the heart of the action’ Financial Times ‘This is how to talk about science’ Justin Webb ‘A candid inside account . . . [Fox] reveals how frontline science can be just as messy, complex and feudal as any political drama.’ Anjana Ahuja, co-author of Spike: The Virus Versus the People ‘The way the media covers science stories and breakthroughs has never been more important or relevant . . . This book should be recommended reading’ Jim Al-Khalili, presenter of The Life Scientific ‘The pandemic has repeatedly shown the vital necessity for accurate reporting of science . . . Fox provides some riveting stories about the ups and downs of this continuing struggle.’ David Spiegelhalter, author of The Art of Statistics ‘Engaging, illuminating, important’ Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Director of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism ‘A vivid account of how journalists and scientists interact’ David Willetts, former Minister for Universities and Science

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Book SynopsisAn immersive and fascinating journey into deep time, charting the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana througha billion years of Earth's history.Gondwana' is a mystery of geological history; a lost supercontinent and a place woven into the consciousness of all who inhabit its scattered fragments. Today, the people who live in Africa, South America, India, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Arabia spend their lives walking around on what's left of Gondwana. But what was life like when it was whole?The Road to Gondwanatraces the steps science took to find Gondwana, and the evolutionary journey of Gondwana itself. Our tour guide on this journey is Glossopteris an extinct tree that dominated the supercontinent for 50 million years, before vanishing in the most devastating event ever to strike life on this planet, the Permian mass extinction.Thisis a story about deep time and the challenges that face those who venture there. It's about the importance of imagination in science, and the reasons that the journey towards understanding is sometimes more important than the destination.

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Book SynopsisThink of a number between one and ten.No, hang on, let's make this interesting. Between zero and infinity. Even if you stick to the whole numbers, there are a lot to choose from - an infinite number in fact. Throw in decimal fractions and infinity suddenly gets an awful lot bigger (is that even possible?) And then there are the negative numbers, the imaginary numbers, the irrational numbers like pi which never end. It literally never ends.The world of numbers is indeed strange and beautiful. Among its inhabitants are some really notable characters - pi, e, the "imaginary" number i and the famous golden ratio to name just a few. Prime numbers occupy a special status. Zero is very odd indeed: is it a number, or isn't it?How Numbers Work takes a tour of this mind-blowing but beautiful realm of numbers and the mathematical rules that connect them. Not only that, but take a crash course on the biggest unsolved problems that keep mathematicians up at night, find out about the strange and unexpected ways mathematics influences our everyday lives, and discover the incredible connection between numbers and reality itself.ABOUT THE SERIESNew Scientist Instant Expert books are definitive and accessible entry points to the most important subjects in science; subjects that challenge, attract debate, invite controversy and engage the most enquiring minds. Designed for curious readers who want to know how things work and why, the Instant Expert series explores the topics that really matter and their impact on individuals, society, and the planet, translating the scientific complexities around us into language that's open to everyone, and putting new ideas and discoveries into perspective and context.

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Book SynopsisTestosterone is neither the biological essence of manliness nor even the “male sex hormone.” It doesn’t predict competitiveness or aggressiveness, strength or sex drive. Rebecca Jordan-Young and Katrina Karkazis pry testosterone loose from more than a century of misconceptions that undermine science while making social fables seem scientific.Trade ReviewA beautifully written and important book. The authors present strong and persuasive arguments that demythologize and defetishize T as a molecule containing quasi-magical properties, or as exclusively related to masculinity and males. -- Linda Roland Danil * Los Angeles Review of Books *A critique of both popular and scientific understandings of the hormone, and how they have been used to explain, or even defend, inequalities of power. * The Observer *A deeply researched and thoughtful book that adds a fresh perspective to a growing body of work aiming to debunk myths about hormones. * Nature *In [the authors’] hands, testosterone provides fruitful ground for understanding what it means to be human, not as isolated physical bodies but as dynamic social beings. -- Erika Lorraine Milam * Science *Eye-opening…Readers interested in the messiness of the relationship between hormones and behavior, and willing to consider that science can be far from neutral and objective, will find high-density food for thought in [this] stimulating work. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Given the increasing attention to these issues, the book’s auspicious timing and deeply researched foundations are already having a huge effect on an important cultural conversation today. * TechCrunch *Jordan-Young and Karkazis tear through influential studies, ripping apart notions such as that high levels of testosterone help businessmen make the risky deals that win fortunes…Fascinating. -- Jessica Hamzelou * New Scientist *Karkazis and Jordan-Young seek to expose several false narratives about their subject…Testosterone is an extended exercise in myth busting. * Outside *Debunks common myths about the functions and foibles of testosterone. -- Mary Rosillo * Cooper Square Review *A refreshing counternarrative to the urban legends that have muddied the waters between fact and fiction…A powerful testament to the continued need for an interdisciplinary dialogue surrounding the study of sex hormones. -- Wendy Kline * Journal of Interdisciplinary History *A fascinating attempt to cast doubt on some of the more popular ideas about testosterone, but the book is really more about the messy complexity of science itself, and how science interacts with the wider culture and is shaped by it. -- Robert Stirrups * The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology *Tells not only a more accurate story about testosterone but also an infinitely more interesting one…An excellent book. -- Lisa Wade * Men and Masculinities *Offers an intricately researched and fresh illustration of testosterone’s narrative, one that has been long overdue for a makeover…Testosterone is insightful scholarship for critical researchers and an approachable read for enthusiasts. -- Anna Posbergh * Sociology of Sport Journal *It’s stimulating fun when the assumptions and interpretations of scientific findings must undergo major revision. It’s more than just fun when that revisionism concerns a subject rife with sociopolitical implications with a history of doing harm. Jordan-Young and Karkazis ably take on this task with respect to the perpetual misinterpretation of what testosterone has to do with behavior, a subject at the intersection of masculinity, gender, aggression, hierarchy, race, and class. This subtle, important book forces rethinking not just about one particular hormone, but about the way the scientific process is embedded in social context. -- Robert M. Sapolsky, author of BehaveWith Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography, we can add testosterone folklore to the mythology claiming that biology determines our character, behavior, and status. Jordan-Young and Karkazis brilliantly show how a wide range of popular beliefs and scientific research about testosterone support dangerous gender, race, and class stereotypes that blame biological differences for inequalities of power. They compel us to think more critically not only about T, but also, more broadly, about the fraught relationship between biology and social identity. -- Dorothy Roberts, author of Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First CenturyA brilliant book. With a rare combination of meticulous scholarship and page-turner style, Jordan-Young and Karkazis unravel, dissect, and ultimately explode the traditional story of testosterone. This book provides a revelation on every page, and readers will finish with a far richer understanding of the complexities of both testosterone and science. -- Cordelia Fine, author of Testosterone Rex: Myths of Sex, Science, and SocietyTestosterone: An Unauthorized Biography shines an urgently needed light on our collective, troubling myth-making about a hormone blamed for everything from male aggression to unfair advantage in athletic competition. Through rigorous analysis and a transcendent examination of cultural narratives, it not only reexamines and challenges some of our core beliefs about T; it also traces the way bias about gender is foundational to the science used to uphold those narratives. Eye-opening, accessible, and intelligent, this book will change the way you think about masculinities, race and class, and maybe even your own body. -- Thomas Page McBee, author of Amateur: A Reckoning with Gender, Identity, and MasculinityTestosterone science does not mix well with biases, social preconceptions, and politics of all sorts. Jordan-Young and Karkazis provide a thoughtful overview of testosterone myths—their deep roots and grave consequences. -- John P. A. Ioannidis, Stanford UniversityEveryone knows that testosterone is what makes men men, and too much testosterone is what makes some men toxic—or is it? In this timely and urgent book, Jordan-Young and Karkazis take us on a roller-coaster ride through what we know, what we think we know, and what we need to know about that most quixotic of substances: testosterone. -- Sari van Anders, Queen’s University

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Book SynopsisWho is the ''Devil''? And what is he due? The Devil is anyone who disagrees with you. And what he is due is the right to speak his mind. He must have this for your own safety''s sake because his freedom is inextricably tied to your own. If he can be censored, why shouldn''t you be censored? If we put barriers up to silence ''unpleasant'' ideas, what''s to stop the silencing of any discussion? This book is a full-throated defense of free speech and open inquiry in politics, science, and culture by the New York Times bestselling author and skeptic Michael Shermer. The new collection of essays and articles takes the Devil by the horns by tackling five key themes: free thought and free speech, politics and society, scientific humanism, religion, and the ideas of controversial intellectuals. For our own sake, we must give the Devil his due.Trade Review'Michael Shermer is our most fearless explorer of alternative, crackpot, and dangerous ideas, and at the same time one of our most powerful voices for science, sanity, and humane values. In this engrossing collection, Shermer shows why these missions are consistent: it's the searchlight of reason that best exposes errors and evil.' Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress'This is a rather difficult book for me to blurb, given that an entire chapter is devoted to criticizing my claims about pragmatic truth vis-à-vis scientific truth. However, Dr. Michael Shermer is a very clear thinker, and the kind of skeptic that is always necessary to ensure that public thought, scientific and otherwise, maintains a certain clarity. He's a passionate advocate of free speech, for this and many other reasons - to the point of entitling his new book Giving the Devil His Due, which is devoted to many worthwhile topics, but to free speech above all. Despite our disagreements, this is a necessary book for our times. Read it. And thank God and the powers that be that you have the right to do so.' Jordan B. Peterson, University of Toronto, and author of 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos'Michael Shermer is a fearless defender of free speech, open inquiry, and freedom of thought and conscience, including - and especially - for those with whom he disagrees. Giving the Devil His Due is one of the strongest bulwarks against the tyranny of censorship that I have read.' Nadine Strossen, New York University, former President of the ACLU, and author of Hate: Why We Should Resist it with Free Speech, Not Censorship'… a detailed roadmap for thinking well and clearly about interesting and challenging ideas. This vivid, erudite, broad, and deep collection of essays is marvelously written - so much so that, as you finish one essay, you cannot resist starting the next. And the range - from ancient civilizations to the colonization of Mars, from free speech on campus to gun control in cities - is as astonishing as it is engaging.' Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, Ph.D, author of Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society'As always, Michael Shermer is hard-hitting, thought-provoking, and brilliant. The fascinating essays in this wide-ranging book will make you think - and then rethink.' Amy Chua, Yale University, and author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations'Michael Shermer is the voice of reason, and this is a book of his best essays - the ones we most need to read to understand the madness of our time and to imagine a more reasonable future. The range of questions Shermer addresses and the breadth of his knowledge make this book a delight to read.' Jonathan Haidt, New York University, author of The Righteous Mind, and co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind'Giving the Devil His Due is a treasure trove for lovers of the humanities and society at large as viewed through the perspective of scholarly minds, treatises, and essays. It's marvelously ripened and full of wonderful tales… ' Robert Hunziker, Counterpunch'A powerful case is made here for why free speech is the best way to drive out bad ideas and fake news.' The Times'A collection of skilful elucidations of academic ideas.' Christopher Silvester, The Critic'Each essay is well crafted to provoke thoughtful reflection and amply referenced for those who wish to dig deeper into each topic … However, for any reader new to scepticism, Giving the Devil his Due would be an auspicious place to start.' Don Carpenetti, Chemistry WorldTable of ContentsIntroduction. Who is the Devil and what is he due?; Part I. The Advocatus Diaboli: Reflections on Free Thought and Free Speech: 1. Giving the Devil his due: why freedom of inquiry and speech in science and politics is inviolable; 2. Banning evil: in the shadow of the Christchurch massacre, myths about evil and hate speech are misleading; 3. Free speech even if it hurts: defending Holocaust denier David Irving; 4. Free to inquire: the evolution-creationism controversy as a test case in equal time and free speech; 5. Ben Stein's blunder: why intelligent design advocates are not free speech martyrs; 6. What went wrong? Campus unrest, viewpoint diversity, and freedom of speech; Part II. Homo Religiosus: Reflections on God and Religion: 7. E pluribus unum for all faiths and for none; 8. Atheism and liberty: raising consciousness for religious skepticism through political freedom; 9. The curious case of Scientology: is it a religion or a cult?; 10. Does the Universe have a purpose?; 11. Why is there something rather than nothing?; Part III. Deferred Dreams: Reflections on Politics and Society: 12. Another dream deferred: how identity politics, intersectionality theory, and tribal divisiveness are inverting Martin Luther King, Jr's dream; 13. Healing the bonds of affection: the case for classical liberalism; 14. Governing mars: lessons for the red planet from experiments in governing the blue planet; 15. The Sandy Hook effect: what we can and cannot do about gun violence; 16. On guns and tyranny; 17. Debating guns: what conservatives and liberals really differ on about guns (and everything else); 18. Another fatal conceit: the lesson from evolutionary economics is bottom-up self-organization, not top-down government design; Part IV. Scientia Humanitatis: Reflections on Scientific Humanism: 19. Scientific naturalism: a manifesto for Enlightenment humanism; 20. Mr Hume: tear. Down. This. Wall.; 21. Kardashev's types and Sparks' law: how to build civilization 1.0; 22. How lives turn out: genes, environment, and luck – what we can and cannot control; Part V. Transcendent Thinkers: Reflections on Controversial Intellectuals: 23. Transcendent man: an elegaic essay to Paul Kurtz – a skeptic's skeptic; 24. The real hitch: did Christopher Hitchens really keep two sets of books about his beliefs?; 25. The skeptic's chaplain: Richard Dawkins as a fountainhead of skepticism; 26. Have archetype – will travel: the Jordan Peterson phenomenon; 27. Romancing the past: Graham Hancock and the quest for a lost civilization.

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Book SynopsisSince the early 1990s, advances in toxicology have allowed scientists to detect traces of adulterant substances in everyday products – even down to parts per billion concentrations. We can now detect the presence of harmful ingredients at levels so low that they actually cause no harm. Nonetheless, we get scared. We are now able to overreact to harmless, negligible sources of contamination and flock to ‘natural’, ‘organic’ and ‘chemical-free’ alternative products at elevated prices instead. This urge is driven in part by a set of interesting psychological quirks called the naturalness preference or biophilia. While exposure to many aspects of nature improves our physical and mental wellbeing, marketers are taking advantage of our naturalness preference by selling us ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ products with no functional advantage, sometimes to the detriment of the environment, and that have the unfortunate added effect of peddling a fear of conventional products that do not make such natural connotations. This fear of chemicals, exaggerated by marketers, has led some of us to seek nature in the form of expensive consumer product, which offer almost none of the benefits of spending time outdoors in real nature (which is free of charge). We thus chase nature in the wrong form. We feel guilt, anxiety and mental stress from being coaxed into paying a hefty premium price for "natural" products that are neither safer nor more effective than conventional ones, and forget to appreciate real nature in the process. This book explores the history of chemical fears and the recent events that amplified it. It describes how consumers, teachers, doctors, lawmakers and journalists can help make better connections with the public by telling stories that are more engaging about chemistry and materials science. Written in a sympathetic way, this book explains both sides of the argument for anyone with an interest in science.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Yearning for Nature; The Natural Delusion; The Naturalness Preference; Chemistry, Chemicals and Chemists; Bad Reputations; Chemophobia as a Weapon; Fighting Chemophobia; Earthrise

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2018 BRAGE PRIZE''[T]his lovely book. An enjoyable sweep through topics ranging from respiration to space exploration -solid science presented in an engagingly human way'' Andrew Crumey, author of The Great Chain of Unbeing''Perfect popular science . . . not just a well-written story about the elements, but a book about being human in the world today''Åsmund H. Eikenes, author of Splash: A History of Our BodiesWe all know that we depend on elements for survival - from oxygen in the air we breathe to carbon in the molecular structures of all living things. But we seldom appreciate how, say, phosphorus holds our DNA together or how potassium powers our optic nerves enabling us to see.Physicist and award-winning author Anja Røyne takes us on an astonishing journey through chemistry and physics, introducing the building blocks from which we humans - and everything else in the world - are madeTrade Review[T]his lovely book. An enjoyable sweep through topics ranging from respiration to space exploration -solid science presented in an engagingly human way. -- Andrew Crumey, author of The Great Chain of Unbeing

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Book SynopsisThe Mesozoic era ranged from 240 million to 65 million years ago. In British Mesozoic Fossils 365 species from this period are classified and illustrated with accurate line drawings. This new edition has been fully revised and updated, reflecting advances in our understanding of the fossil record over the past years.

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Book SynopsisPublished amid a firestorm of controversy in 1859, this is a book that changed the world. Reasoned and well-documented in its arguments, it offers coherent views of natural selection, adaptation, the struggle for existence, survival of the fittest, and other concepts that form the foundation of evolutionary theory.

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