Popular science Books

Book SynopsisHailed as "superior" by Nature, this landmark volume is available in a collectible, boxed edition.Trade Review"...will bring the wonders of Darwin to a wide audience. [Darwin] was not only great in his time, but if anything he is even greater today." John Tyler Bonner, The Times Literary Supplement "Anyone who wishes to start the new year with a real intellectual feast will buy the four 'great books' of Darwin, published in one volume by W.W. Norton." A.N. Wilson, The Daily Telegraph

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Book Synopsis“With…evidence from recent genetic and anthropological research, [Zuk] offers a dose of paleoreality.” —Erin Wayman, Science NewsTrade Review"Much-needed…Zuk’s nutritionally rich scientific fodder…will certainly bring intellectual benefits far greater than those provided by the pseudoscientific confections with which we are so often tempted." -- Cordelia Fine - Wall Street Journal"Ably presents a skeptical and light-hearted view of a long list of paleofantasies and supposed solutions." -- John Hawks - Nature"Briskly dismisses…misunderstandings about how evolution works and…offers a lively, lucid illustration of the intricacies of this all-important natural process." -- Laura Miller - Salon"Thoroughly engaging and witty…Whether [Zuk is] shredding the underlying premises of the paleo diet, the paleo exercise regimen, or the structure of the paleo family, she does so via cogent discussions of the nature of evolution and accessible elucidations of cutting-edge science." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Zuk’s take on the many controversies and uncertainties surrounding evolution is both wise and measured." -- Guardian"Marlene Zuk’s quest to understand prehistory is an elegant guide for the perplexed. Paleofantasy cuts through a confusing tangle of facts and claims to give us a trustworthy road map to the glorious problems of who we are and where we come from." -- Richard Wrangham, author of Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human"We tend to idealize our ancestors, as if they had the perfect life and perfect diet. In highly readable style, Marlene Zuk downplays our paleo-heritage. Not only did we change culturally, we are also genetically a different animal." -- Frans de Waal, author of Mama's Last Hug

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Book SynopsisA scientist’s exploration into the mysteries of the human mind.Trade Review"Daniel Siegel widens our world with this mind-opening - and mind-bending - exploration of mind itself. From a journey through Mind emerges a compelling sense of our connection to each other, and to the universe." -- Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence and A Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World "Dan Siegel is in my opinion one of the most knowledgeable persons on the mind. His insights into the mind as an embodied and relational process that regulates the flow of energy and information in the ecosystem of life have had a deep impact on my own understanding of mind and life and have impacted the way I practice and understand the healing process. His latest book takes the understanding of interpersonal neurobiology and self regulation to a new level. If you are interested in the science of healing, this book is a must read." -- Deepak Chopra, author of Super Genes "Dan Siegel is a true pioneer in applying the latest science to well-being, education and public policy. In Mind, he takes us on a scientific and philosophical journey far beyond the view that the mind is just brain activity, with profound implications on how we think, how we feel, and how we live." -- Arianna Huffington, author of The Sleep Revolution "With a graceful blend of humility and certainty, Dan Siegel ushers us through one of life's biggest questions: "what is the mind?" The book invites us to consider who we are as humans, our value systems, and to explore some of life's most confounding questions. Defining myriad aspects of being human with clarity, poetry, and accessible academic intelligence, this book is a philosophical, neurobiological, scientific and spiritual tour de force. Its clarity and brazen innovation puts it in a category all its own." -- Alanis Morissette, songwriter, artist, writer, activist "Mind is a book only the inimitable Dr. Siegel could write, a rich fusion of science, personal narrative, mindfulness teachings, and new metaphors for picturing the wraithlike mind at work, as it quests for certainty in an uncertain world, and busily tailors a sense of self from the fabric of its varied relationships. It's no surprise that Siegel has improved the lives of many thousands of people the world over; this new book promises to open the eyes of even more." -- Diane Ackerman, author of The Human Age "A leading scientist's visionary journey, a creative and compelling exploration of mind itself." -- Jack Kornfield, PhD, author of A Path With Heart "At once erudite and highly readable, with the proper mix of science and speculation, this book takes the reader on a journey from mind as simply brain activity to mind as energy and information flow to mind as embodied and relational with emergent properties. It shows how exciting possibilities can unfold for us "simply" by changing our minds. This interdisciplinary book elucidates the power of mind and delineates delicately the personal, interpersonal and societal implications of creating a creative and a healthy mind." -- Ellen J. Langer, Professor of psychology, Harvard University, Author of Mindfulness "[A]n outstanding and inspirational volume that will appeal to a wide audience. It will unequivocally transport the reader into a spiritual voyage with scientific blend combined with personal reflections, perceptions, and intentionality constituting an electrifying and illuminating reading." -- The Inquisitive Mind

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Book SynopsisDid the human race almost go extinct? Can genetics explain a cat lady''s love for felines? How does DNA lead to people with no fingerprints or humans born with tails? And how did the right combination of genes create the exceptionally flexible thumbs and fingers of a truly singular violinist?Unravelling the genetic code hasn''t always been easy - from its earliest days, genetics has been rife with infighting, backstabbing and controversial theories - but scientists can now finally read the astounding stories inscribed in our DNA. As we make advances into DNA mapping and modification, genetics will continue to be the hottest topic in science, shaping the very make-up of our bodies and the world around us.With the same masterful combination of science, history and culture he brought to The Disappearing Spoon, Sam Kean untangles the secrets of our genetic code, explaining how genetics has shaped our past and how DNA will determine humankind''s future.Trade ReviewSummer’s must-read non-fiction book * Huffington Post *The Violinist's Thumb is one of the Ten Books to Look Out for in 2012 * New Scientist *A fast-paced, breezy romp through history using DNA as a unifying theme... it’s nerd-vana * New Scientist *Explored in his Bryson-esque style, [The Violinist's Thumb] provokes fascinating stuff, full of oddball stories and amazing facts. Kean's book is full of wonderfully weird anecdotes, but it's also an accessible history of the discovery and mapping of DNA... compellingly entertaining * Daily Mail *Sam Kean is the best science teacher you never had * Entertainment Weekly *

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Book SynopsisJohn Brockman is the founder and publisher of the influential science salon Edge.org. He is the CEO of the literary agency Brockman Inc., and lives in New York City.Trade ReviewThe world's smartest website... Edge is a salon for the world's finest minds * Guardian *Imagine inviting some of the world's top thinkers round to your place and asking them to tell you one thing that would make you smarter. No need to imagine: John Brockman has done it, by getting 150 of the planet's smartest minds to offer a neat insight each * BBC Focus magazine *

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Book SynopsisRobert Winston is one of the country's best-known scientists. As Professor of Fertility Studies at Imperial College, University of London, and Director of NHS Research and Development and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Hammersmith Hospital, he has made advances in fertility medicine and been a leading voice in the debate on genetic engineering. His television series, including Your Life in Their Hands, Making Babies, The Human Body, Superhuman and A Child Against All Odds have made him a household name across Britain. He became a life peer in 1995.Trade ReviewWide-ranging and thoroughly entertaining * New Scientist *Devastaingly good...Every chapter bursts with clear logic, style, wit and imagination. * Brian May, Guitarist for Queen *

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Book SynopsisA succinct, startling and lavishly illustrated guide to discoveries that are altering our understanding and threatening some of our most cherished belief systems, The Grand Design is a book that will inform - and provoke - like no other.Trade ReviewThis is mind-blowing stuff * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisSeven-Tenths is James Hamilton-Paterson''s classic exploration of the sea. A beautifully-written blend of literature and science, it is here brought back into print in a revised and updated edition which includes the acclaimed essay Sea Burial.Trade Review"'Informative, arcane, sometimes poetic, and always articulate.' William Golding"

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Book SynopsisLook around you. The reflection of your face in a window tells you that the universe is orchestrated by chance. The iron in a spot of blood on your finger tells you that somewhere out in space there is furnace at a temperature of 4.5 billion degrees. Your TV tells you that the universe had a beginning. In fact, your very existence tells you that this may not be the only universe but merely one among an infinity of others, stacked like the pages of a never-ending book.Marcus Chown, author of Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You, What a Wonderful World and The Solar System, takes familiar features of the world we know and shows how they can be used to explain profound truths about the ultimate nature of reality. His new book will change the way you see the universe: with Chown as your guide, cutting-edge science is made clear and meaningful by a falling leaf, or a rose, or a starry night sky... We Need To Talk About Kelvin: What Everyday Things Tell

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Book SynopsisExplains how to set up and use a home chemistry lab, with step-by-step instructions for conducting experiments in basic chemistry. This book shows how to do real lab work: purify alcohol by distillation; produce hydrogen and oxygen gas by electrolysis; smelt metallic copper from copper ore you make yourself; and much more.

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Book SynopsisWhy have island ecosystems always suffered such high rates of extinction? Over the past eight years, David Quammen has followed the threads of island biogeography on a globe-encircling journey of discovery.Trade ReviewNot only is this book compulsively readable - a masterpiece - it is maybe the masterpiece of science journalism -- Bill Mckibben * Audobon Magazine *A moving book... Quammen is a good writer who has taken the time to master an important subject and do it justice -- Richard Dawkins * The Times *Not since Gerald Durrell's books 30 years ago have I encountered such writing about the natural world. The witty, pithy, modest prose and the clever interweaving of science and storytelling are of a quality unrivalled in th field -- Matt Ridley * Sunday Telegraph *Impressive and deeply moving...blends first-rate science journalism with superb travel and nature writing * Financial Times *David Quammen is a brilliant young star of nature writing... His book is an important example of the genre, written in an enchanting style. His knowledge, based on years of research and adventure around the world, is truly impressive -- Edward O. Wilson, author of 'The Diversity of Life'

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Book SynopsisIn a masterful combination of historical sleuthing and journalistic exploration on four continents, Lawler reframes the way we feel and think about all domesticated animals and even nature itself.Trade Review'Setting the record straight, Lawler's latest tome recasts the chicken as a "feathered Swiss Army knife" - a bird that has fuelled cultural, economic and scientific growth for several thousand years' Guardian'Lawler's book goes a long way toward restoring chickens to their respected position within human history and our modern world. Both chickens and people will benefit as a result' Science'Science journalist Adrian Lawler explores the chicken's multipronged place in human civilization in his rip-roaring, erudite How the Chicken Crossed the World' Nature

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Book SynopsisLearn how to navigate the living world through mind maps

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Book SynopsisBruce isn’t pretending that science isn’t tricky, but in simple, maths-free explanations and just-the-good-parts historical recaps, he shows us that the greatest scientific discoveries and theories don’t have to remain beyond our grasp.

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Book Synopsis''Quite simply the best book about science and life that I have ever read'' - Alice Roberts How does life begin? What drives a newly fertilized egg to keep dividing and growing until it becomes 40 trillion cells, a greater number than stars in the galaxy? How do these cells know how to make a human, from lips to heart to toes? How does your body build itself?Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz was pregnant at 42 when a routine genetic test came back with that dreaded word: abnormal. A quarter of sampled cells contained abnormalities and she was warned her baby had an increased risk of being miscarried or born with birth defects. Six months later she gave birth to a healthy baby boy and her research on mice embryos went on to prove that as she had suspected the embryo has an amazing and previously unknown ability to correct abnormal cells at an early stage of its development. The Dance of Life will take you inside the incredible worlTrade ReviewOne of the World's Top 10 Thinkers of 2020 -- ProspectQuite simply the best book about science and life that I have ever read * Alice Roberts *How an entire human can emerge from a single cell is one of the great mysteries of life. This book is a wonderful exposition of that amazingly complicated process, and combines Zernicka-Goetz’s research and expert perspective with the clear and engaging narrative that is a hallmark of Highfield’s science writing * Venki Ramakrishnan, President of the Royal Society and Nobel-prize winning scientist *A touching, detailed portrait of a life in science. Beautifully written, it’s a reminder that scientists are human and their humanity affects every part of their work * Angela Saini, bestselling author of INFERIOR and SUPERIOR *How does a single fertilised egg know how to develop into the trillions of different cells that making up a human? This book provides you with much more than the answer – it is story-telling at its very best. Together with Highfield, Zernicka-Goetz leads us through her life scientific, intertwining the exciting field of 21st biology with a joyous personal journey of discovery at the cutting edge of research * Jim Al-Khalili *

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFrom the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt Sugar Fat comes a gripping (The Wall Street Journal) exposé of how the processed food industry exploits our evolutionary instincts, the emotions we associate with food, and legal loopholes in their pursuit of profit over public health. The processed food industry has managed to avoid being lumped in with Big Tobacco-which is why Michael Moss''s new book is so important.-Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of HabitEveryone knows how hard it can be to maintain a healthy diet. But what if some of the decisions we make about what to eat are beyond our control? Is it possible that food is addictive, like drugs or alcohol? And to what extent does the food industry know, or care, about these vulnerabilities? In Hooked, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Michael Moss sets out to answer these questions and to find the true perilTrade ReviewExcellent... blends investigative reporting, science and foodie writing to argue that the processed food industry is no different from tobacco companies * New York Times *Chilling ... succeed[s] brilliantly in evidencing the systematic venality of corporate junk food and drink interests * The Guardian *Gripping * Wall Street Journal *Hooked shows how food manufacturers have taken advantage of our habits, our biology, our psychological quirks, and our ignorance to transform foods into addictive substances. He takes us into laboratories and courtrooms, kitchens and legislatures-and shows us how we can win our freedom back * Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit *Michael Moss delivers again with a deep, well-written investigation into food addiction and mass food production. With so many companies competing for our attention, dollars, and stomachs, it's more important than ever to educate ourselves about food and arm ourselves against efforts to get us hooked. This is a very important read for anyone who cares about their health * Sylvia Tara, author of THE SECRET LIFE OF FAT *No one has done more to reveal the intentional and underhanded ways in which food companies manipulate our desires and eating habits than Michael Moss. In Hooked, he shows how these ongoing crimes must be challenged and stopped. A must-read for anyone who cares about food, general well-being, and justice * Mark Bittman, author of ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, JUNK *Hooked is smoothly written, with just the right amount of fascinating scientific detail * NPR *Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Moss is a powerhouse when it comes to research and analysis, and much like his contemporary Michael Lewis, he possesses the ability to maintain a solid narrative arc ... He explores the often devious and potentially dangerous ways that manufacturers manipulate foods to trigger addictive behavior, spark sense memories of foods from our childhoods, and treat addiction and dependence as a corporate strategy ... Another clear-eyed inquiry into the companies that feed us, hook us, and leave us wanting more * Kirkus Reviews *Moss brings the same keen-eyed, lucid reporting to Hooked, illuminating the science of addiction to show that processed food is a drug ... If knowledge is power, then Hooked provides the facts we need to free ourselves from remaining unwitting conspirators in Big Food's ruse * San Francisco Chronicle *

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Book SynopsisJakob Thomä is a leading global expert on sustainability risks to financial markets. He is the co-Founder of several think tanks (2 Investing Initiative, Theia Finance Labs) and incubator of sustainability initiatives and companies (PACTA, tilt, MyFairMoney). Jakob is Professor in Practice at SOAS, University of London, where he teaches a course on Green Finance, columnist at Responsible Investor, and author of multiple books on sustainability and existential risks.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Aventis Science Book Prize. 'A scientific detective story, a brilliant cross between Edgar Allan Poe and Gray's anatomy' J G Ballard, New Stateman Books of the YearTrade ReviewA fascinating and immensely readable exploration of the whole topic * NEW SCIENTIST *A scientific detective story, a brilliant cross between Edgar Allan Poe and Gray's anatomy * NEW STATESMAN BOOKS OF THE YEAR *Limpidly written, dryly witty and extraordinarily wide-reaching, this is surely the most inclusive and erudite popular account of asymmetry yet produced * SPECTATOR *A fascinating study of the origins of asymmetry in life, culture and myth * TLS *Spanning disciplines from genetics to folklore, McManus's account of 'handedness' must be one of the most intellectually capricious science books this year * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY *Wonderful book...He has done a marvellous job of summarising and integrating a wide range of findings from various disciplines addressing questions on the nature of right and left * NATURE *An excellent mix of hard science and engaging games and tricks, and a treasury of anecdotes -- Margaret Drabble

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Book SynopsisFrom the presenter of the brilliant BBC podcast Parentland', and drawing on the most up-to-date scientific research, here are the answers to everything you've ever wondered about having a baby from the first pregnancy symptoms to birth and the baby's first twelve months.What a BRILLIANT book! The antidote to anecdote, a great survey of current evidence. Just what the midwife ordered!' Professor Alice RobertsAnswers the questions that tantalise every mother' Daily MailTrade ReviewThis book answers all the common pregnancy, birth and newborn questions... Thought-provoking and never boring, I loved it. * Mother and Baby *Finally! A book on pregnancy, birth and babies that cuts through the myths, side-steps preachy prescriptions, and turns to the evidence. Bumpology transforms common parental anxieties into fuel for a fascinating journey through the science of the bump. * Hannah Devlin, Science Editor of The Times *This lovely book tackles everything you'd want to know. It also provides lots of solid evidence in the form of studies and expert advice. Easy to read... I'll definitely be keeping it on my coffee table to flick through during my nine months. * Pregnancy & Birth Book of the Month *The book is refreshingly frank and often funny. It also benefits from Geddes' constructive outrage over the misinformation and sensationalism that she says plague much of the writing about the subject. * Washington Post *Linda Geddes is not afraid to ask anyone about anything! From the stream of contradictory advice to pregnant women and new parents to those little moments of wonder, Geddes digs into all of them, looking for the evidence and exploring the science. In this book she shares what she's found, with the straightforward answers and easy-going humour that is so welcome in early parenthood. Don't get pregnant without it! * Tracey Brown, Sense About Science *

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Book Synopsis''His clarity, wit and determination are evident, his understand and good humour moving'' New ScientistMy Brief History recounts Stephen Hawking's improbable journey, from his post-war London boyhood to his years of international acclaim and celebrity. Lavishly illustrated with rarely seen photographs, this concise, witty and candid account introduces readers to a Hawking rarely glimpsed in previous books: the inquisitive schoolboy whose classmates nicknamed him Einstein'; the jokester who once placed a bet with a colleague over the existence of a black hole; and the young husband and father struggling to gain a foothold in the world of academia.Writing with characteristic humility and humour, Hawking opens up about the challenges that confronted him following his diagnosis of motor neurone disease aged twenty-one. Tracing his development as a thinker, he explains how the prospect of an early death urged him onwards through numerous intellectual breakthroughs, and talks about the genesis of his masterpiece A Brief History of Time one of the iconic books of the twentieth century.Clear-eyed, intimate and wise, My Brief History opens a window for the rest of us into Hawking's personal cosmos.''Read it for the personal nuggets . . . but above all, it''s worth reading for its message of hope'' Mail on SundayTrade ReviewStephen Hawking [has] a brain of enviable vastness, seeing and understanding things that lie way beyond most of us... His modesty is engaging * Daily Mail *Hawking writes movingly... we hear his voice radiating directly from the black hole of his motor neuron disease, without the amplification and elaboration supplied by the co-authors with whom he wrote his last few books * Financial Times *A concise, gleaming portrait * Nature *Powerful... [his] brevity makes for a bold picture * Guardian *Read it for the personal nuggets... But above all, it's worth reading for its message of hope * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisBill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. His bestselling books include The Road to Little Dribbling, Notes from a Small Island, A Walk in the Woods, One Summer and The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. In a national poll, Notes from a Small Island was voted the book that best represents Britain. His acclaimed work of popular science, A Short History of Nearly Everything, won the Aventis Prize and the Descartes Prize, and is the biggest selling non-fiction book of the 21st century. The Body: A Guide for Occupants was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize and is an international bestseller.Bill Bryson was Chancellor of Durham University 2005-2011. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society. He lives in England.Trade Review'Classic, wry, gleeful Bryson... richly interesting... an entertaining and absolutely fact-rammed book. If it sells hundreds of thousands of copies, like the last one, it will be no bad thing.' * Sunday Times *A directory of wonders. Extraordinary stories about the heart, lungs, genitals ... plus some anger and life advice - all delivered in the inimitable Bryson style -- Gavin Francis * Guardian *SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019: 'so packed with arresting facts (you eat 60 tons of food in a lifetime) and unlikely anecdotes (such as Isambard Kingdom Brunel's six weeks with a half-sovereign lodged in his throat) that you barely notice the sheer volume of anatomical knowledge you're digesting ... makes complex subjects simple and eminently entertaining.' * The Sunday Times *Bryson feeds the pith, pulp and bitter pips of a subject into his brain and produces a sweet, zingy quantity of juice - this book is a delight. * The Spectator *Remarkable ... Every page is dense with scientific facts written as vividly as a thriller, as well as answers to conundrums such as why we don't fall out of bed when we are asleep ... It is woven through with the kind of human stories that Bryson has made his trademark. * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisWilliam Hartston is a Cambridge-educated mathematician and industrial psychologist. Between 1962 and 1987 he played chess competitively, becoming an international master and winning the English chess championship in 1973 and 1975. He also writes the off-beat Beachcomber column for the Daily Express and and is one of the viewers on Channel 4's Gogglebox.Trade ReviewEach mystery is delightfully penned in bite-sized chunks that often includes humorous repertoire... highly enjoyable... Captivating and inspiring * New Scientist *Properly researched, and the elegance of its pop-cosmology or pop-biology mini-narratives rivals that of many specialists. It is slyly witty, and pleasingly optimistic. -- Steven Poole * Guardian *Discovering the many undiscovered things that one thought had been discovered already is one of the joys of this book... You might have thought that wallowing in ignorance is a tedious and fruitless occupation. As Hartston proves entertainingly, how wrong you would be. * Daily Express *A rigorous and playful exploration of human limits in scientific knowledge about the planet, its history and culture, and the universe beyond * Publishers Weekly *A delightful collection for trivia buffs and browsers. * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisIt’s time to stop thinking in straight lines…Trade Review'This is a wonderfully fascinating book with answers to so many everyday questions you never knew you needed to know. The explanations are lucid and so clear that the one thing it doesn’t do is cause your head to spin.' -- Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff Matters‘More than a few authors have found success with books that look at a broad swath of history, ideas or science through the lens of a single topic… Roland Ennos elevates this approach to dizzying heights in The Science of Spin… The physics are fascinating.’ -- Wall Street Journal'An original and highly engaging insight into how our universe works, encompassing black holes, the cotton mills of the industrial revolution, the biomechanics of walking and more!' -- Paul Sen, author of Einstein's Fridge‘The Science of Spin is a delightful book, equally entertaining and enlightening. Read it and you will come away with a better understanding of our world and how it works.’ -- Ricochet

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Book SynopsisPresents a wider science based on counterspace, which offers important new ways of understanding phenomena such as gravity and light, and which can also address issues of human consciousness and values.Trade Review'There is a kinship between the principles inherent in natural phenomena and the ideas of our inner world. This is shown very well, nowhere better perhaps, in the use of projective geometry in science. This book is an excellent example of that … This book requires a certain effort on the part of the reader - effort that he or she will surely find worthwhile. Thomas' approach will I feel certain turn out to be ground-breaking in the future.'-- Archetype magazine

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Book SynopsisDiscusses all aspects of water and the evolution of life, including how water acts as the medium of communication between all living organisms.Trade Review"Alick Bartholomew has done a great service to us all by putting the fundamental issues of water so clearly and lucidly in front of us. His [book] is a perfect guide to show us the way to put right our broken relationship with water. This is one of those rare books which brings science, spirituality and practicality in one integrated whole."--Satish Kumar, Editor, Resurgence"In a single volume, by analysing and synthesising the insights of recent research into the qualities of water that best support life, Alick has taken us a step closer to answering that most fundamental of questions, 'What is Life?'!" --Chris Weedon, Co-founder The Water Association"Alick Bartholomew's new book: 'The Story of Water: Source of Life' is a passionate attempt to get us to stop taking water for granted and to give it the attention - and respect and even love - it deserves… 'The Story of Water' covers just about everything that you would want, or need, to know about this most precious element. The book is encyclopaedic in scope, testament to Bartholomew's long and deeply-researched interest in the subject… 'The Story of Water' remains a thought-provoking book which should be read widely."-- Paul Carline, New View, Autumn 2010"In this unique, wide-ranging work, which includes some beautiful colour plates, Bartholomew reiterates the importance and characteristics of water, its purpose in the Cosmos and our solar system, its atmospheric and terrestrial cycles, and its role in nuturing animal and plant life as well as evolutionary progress."-- Ruth Parnell, Nexus"Words cannot describe the extraordinarily comprehensive, deep and lucid treatment of the role of water within our bodies and in the environment. Based on more than a century of scientific study, much of which hasn't been recognized by mainstream scientists, Bartholemew's magnum opus argues convincingly that water is most life-giving and life-enhancing substance known to humanity: we can either destroy ourselves and our surroundings by polluting our water or we can heal through natural processes, positive intention and vortex motion. Water has consciousness and memory. This is the most important book I've read in the new century and will be required reading for all my students."-- Brian O'Leary, Ph.D, author of The Energy Solution Revolution"Through a more profound understanding of the nature of water, Alick has made a very significant contribution to the emergence of a holistic worldview, while not neglecting the ecological and political dimentions of water with which we will have to deal collectively in the next 20 years, This book is essential reading for those who wish to understand the real story of water."-- David Lorimer, Scientific and Medical Network Review, Winter 2010'A rich tapestry that describes the story of water form its many aspects and appearances… It helps give a deeper appreciation of water so that we can give it the respect it deserves. The book starts with lovely meditation.'-- Star & furrow, Winter 2011

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Book SynopsisSituated at the intersection of natural science and philosophy, Our Genes explores historical practices, investigates current trends, and imagines future work in genetic research to answer persistent, political questions about human diversity. Readers are guided through fascinating thought experiments, complex measures and metrics, fundamental evolutionary patterns, and in-depth treatment of exciting case studies. The work culminates in a philosophical rationale, based on scientific evidence, for a moderate position about the explanatory power of genes that is often left unarticulated. Simply put, human evolutionary genomics - our genes - can tell us much about who we are as individuals and as collectives. However, while they convey scientific certainty in the popular imagination, genes cannot answer some of our most important questions. Alternating between an up-close and a zoomed-out focus on genes and genomes, individuals and collectives, species and populations, Our Genes argues thTrade Review'Winther's book is a synthesis of philosophical perspectives on modern evolutionary genomics, written by one of the few people in the world who have a sufficiently deep understanding of both philosophy and biology to achieve such an undertaking. It is a remarkable tour de force of the philosophy of genomics that should be essential reading for students and scholars interested in the broader implications of human genomic research. But the book will also appeal to a more general audience interested in understanding genetics and in finding out what genetics and evolutionary biology can, and cannot, tell them about the fundamental question: Who am I?' Rasmus Nielsen, University of California, Berkeley, USA'Our Genes makes a significant and welcome contribution! Race theorists seeking to reconcile humanities training and impulses with the insights of contemporary genomics will find Winther's rigorous but accessible study particularly valuable. This is vital work.' Paul C. Taylor, Vanderbilt University, USA'It's a rare book indeed in which someone from another discipline examines the basic suppositions and habits of thought characteristic of one's own field with equal parts inspiration and care such that it gives you a whole new perspective on what you do and why. Rasmus Winther's Our Genes is one such book. It is a seamless alloy of evolution, genetics, and the philosophy of biology in which each topic is explained in a manner accessible to non-experts. It also subjects these ideas to deep examination and cogent criticism with pressing implications both for how philosophers should approach problems in population genetics and how population geneticists might sharpen their questions. It should be widely and closely read in philosophy and population genetics seminars alike and could well form the foundation for a new generation of fruitful collaborations between philosophers and population geneticists.' Charles S. Roseman, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA'Our Genes isn't the last word, it's the first words you should read on the population genetics, molecular genetics, and gene/environment interaction that shaped Homo sapiens over the last several hundred thousand years. Rasmus Winther has produced a tour de force of scientific synthesis, and philosophical analysis, and wisdom about the uses of both.' Alex Rosenberg, Duke University, USATable of ContentsPreface; 1. Introduction; 2. Origins and Histories; 3. The Mind, the Lab, and the Field: Three Kinds of Populations; 4. Metrics and Measures; 5. Models and Methodologies; 6. Six Patterns of Human Genomic Variation; 7. Natural Selection; 8. Intelligence, Female Orgasm, and Future Discovery; 9. Is Race Real?; 10. The Conscious Universe: Genes in Complex Systems; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn 1908, near Folsom, New Mexico, a cowboy discovered the remains of a herd of extinct giant bison. By examining flint points embedded in the bones, archeologists later determined that a band of humans had killed and butchered the animals 12,450 years ago. This discovery vastly expanded America's known human history but also revealed the long-standing danger Homo sapiens presented to the continent's evolutionary richness. Distinguished author Dan Flores's ambitious history chronicles the epoch in which humans and animals have coexisted in the wild new world of North Americaa place shaped both by its own grand evolutionary forces and by momentous arrivals from Asia, Africa, and Europe. With portraits of iconic creatures such as mammoths, horses, wolves, and bison, Flores describes the evolution and historical ecology of North America like never before. The arrival of humans precipitated an extraordinary disruption of this teeming environment. Flores treats humans not as a species Trade Review"This is a magnificent achievement—a sweeping saga stretching across thousands of years. With his sharp eye for compelling anecdotes, Dan Flores weaves an unfolding story that keeps you turning the pages." -- Dayton Duncan, author of The National Parks: America's Best Idea"Dan Flores has given us a searing and devastating accounting of what has been lost since humans first set foot in North America. This is environmental history at its best: gracefully written, filled with marvelous new details, and infused with a quiet fury that comes across as well-earned and long overdue. It belongs on the same shelf as Barry Lopez’s Of Wolves and Men." -- Nate Blakeslee, author of American Wolf"Flores is a judicious and even-handed writer, and Wild New World provides readers with a sweeping and nuanced look from…a wise writer, disarmingly keen-eyed. Wild New World is full of wonders…Flores does a consistently marvelous job." -- Open Letters Review"An amazing history…Flores at his best." -- Birdfreak"This is the best book I have read on Americans and the amazing wildlife of this amazing continent. Dan Flores is sweeping, bold, and eloquent, weaving together modern genetic science and traditional literature, people and nature, the history of biology and of laws and politics. He informs us about the world that was, the world we have destroyed, while immersing us in his own personal search for the world that is. An inspiring work." -- Donald Worster, author of A Passion for Nature"Wild New World surveys America’s bestiary, teeming and rambunctious. Roaming its pages is like having an all-access pass to the backstory of a continent. Dan Flores is an erudite and indefatigable guide on this multidimensional journey through space, time, natural and human history, overflowing with arcane knowledge and surprising insight that is bolstered by the latest science, and, above all, an abiding love for this land and its creatures, past and present." -- John Vaillant, author of The Jaguar’s Children and The Tiger"I’ve never encountered a work like Wild New World—nothing even close in the scope, depth, and analysis." -- John Miles - National Parks Traveler"Never has there been so complete, so fascinating, and so accessible a telling of the long history of people with American wildlife." -- Obi Kaufmann, author of The California Lands trilogy"[Dan] Flores relates this huge body of information about the birth of America with both style and clarity…It enlightens readers about where we came from and where we might be headed in the future." -- Leslie Doran - Durango Herald"The future of conservation, and our own survival, depends on busting some of the most stubborn myths that have embedded themselves in Western belief systems—ideologies that have, for centuries, steered us down a course of overexploitation of our planet’s resources…In Flores’ deft hands the facts, fortified by the latest findings in ecology, genetics, and archaeology, fly off the pages in vivid and fascinating detail." -- Isabella Tree - Bookpost"To see this book nominated for the National Book Award or nominated for a Pulitzer would not surprise me." -- Steven Rinella, author of American Buffalo"A passionate history of North American animal life and people.... Outstanding." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"[Wild New World is] a tale of wonder at what was and the pathos of extinction, both ancient and current. Flores writes beautifully of how geography shaped the landscape, of the impact of the spread of humans across the land during the Ice Age…. This is an outstanding and invaluable work of popular science." -- Booklist (starred review)"Flores is a skilled raconteur ….Wild New World succeeds in establishing a powerful, and credible, narrative of life and death in North America." -- Michelle Nijhuis - New York Review of Books

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Book Synopsis''A mind-expanding tour of what touch means.'' DAVID EAGLEMAN, neuroscientist and author of Incognito and LivewiredWhy is a hugged person a healthier person?Why do high-fiving teams win more matches?How does a shared handshake make you more likely to tell the truth?We rely on touch every day of our lives. It makes us who we are. It helps us connect with those around us. And yet touch between individuals can be fraught with confusion and misunderstanding.In When We Touch, social neuroscientist Professor Michael Banissy blends expert scientific insights with anecdotes from 90s rom coms to office politics to explore the new science of human touch. His groundbreaking new book explains how touch impacts every part of our lives, from why touch is essential for healthy development, to how kissing might help us choose a genetically beneficial mate to how holding hands with a loved one can help us feel l

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Book SynopsisAn accessible and thought-provoking introduction to timespans in the natural world, featuring more than 80 beautifully designed diagrams and charts.Which organisms live the longest? How does the natural world recover from wildfires? How long do eggs take to hatch? What are the world's fastest- and slowest- growing plants? Which species invest the most in parental care?The graphic number line is a potent pattern that explains much of our world, from the life cycle of immortal jellyfish to the perfect amount of time for a good sleep'. Beautifully illustrated with reader-friendly infographics and stunning colour photography, How Nature Keeps Time visually maps the amounts of time bounded by growth, distance, age, reproduction, sleep, death and other key behaviours. Join science and comedy writer Helen Pilcher as she examines a broad range of species from across the world and throughout time. As our natural world draws our attention to its plight, this fascinating book offerTrade ReviewA beautifully designed hardback. * BBC Wildlife *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: Evolutionary Spans Chapter Two: Ecological Spans Chapter Three: Life Spans Chapter Four: Growth Spans Chapter Five: Behavioural Spans Chapter Six: Biological Spans Further Reading Index Image Credits

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Book SynopsisOUT NOW: the new book from the bestselling authors and hosts of the wildy popular ''The Skeptics Guide to the Universe''__________Our predictions of the future are a wild fantasy, inextricably linked to our present hopes and fears, biases and ignorance. Whether they be the outlandish leaps predicted in the 1920s, like multi-purpose utility belts with climate control capabilities and planes the size of luxury cruise ships, or the forecasts of the ''60s, which didn''t anticipate the sexual revolution or women''s liberation, the path to the present is littered with failed predictions and incorrect estimations.The best we can do is try to absorb from futurism''s checkered past, perhaps learning to do a little better.In The Skeptics'' Guide To The Future, Steven Novella and his co-authors build upon the work of futurists of the past by examining what they got right, what they got wrong, and how they came to those conclusi

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Book SynopsisAn eye-opening guidebook for professionals looking to overcome their chronic stress, burnout and Busy Brain symptoms using a simple eight-week plan by Dr Romie Mushtaq.Traditional methods in neurology and psychiatry treat anxiety, ADD and insomnia as three separate diseases. The results are an addictive cycle that Dr Romie Mushtaq defines as the Busy Brain, using stimulants like caffeine to stay focused and energised during the day and then using sedatives like alcohol or sleeping pills at night.Based on over twenty years of clinical research and experience, The Busy Brain Cure helps to break the addiction of the stimulant-sedative cycle and restore sleep, sanity and a sense of connection.

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Book SynopsisA household name thanks to popular TV series that include The Human Body, which won three British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), Superhuman, Walking with Cavemen, and The Human Mind, Lord Winston's pioneering work in the field of human fertility helped thousands of childless couples have "miracle babies" and earned him an outstanding international reputation. A winner of the Royal Society's prestigious Michael Faraday Gold Award, he was made a life peer in 1995. He is Emeritus Professor of Fertility Studies at Imperial College London, and an active researcher in reproductive physiology. A champion of science education who has appeared on television, such as The Late Late Show With James Corden, Professor Winston's other DK books for children include That's Life, Home Lab, and My Amazing Body Machine.

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Book SynopsisWhat do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it? This was the question posed by John Brockman to a group of leading scientists and thinkers via his Edge.org website. The subsequent answers created a media storm and prompted a fiery debate about all aspects of science, technology and even the nature of proof. WHAT WE BELIEVE BUT CANNOT PROVE brings together the very best answers from the most eminent contributors. Here is Ian McEwan on the absence of an afterlife; Richard Dawkins on the relationship between design and evolution; and Jared Diamond on when humans first reached the Americas. Other contributions from luminaries like Steven Pinker, John Horgan and Martin Rees span the whole range of scientific endeavour and human experience, from the future of computing to the origins of intelligence; from insights into childhood behaviour to cutting-edge cosmology. Thought-provoking and hugely compelling, this collection is both a fascinating insight into the instinctive beliefs

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Book SynopsisEver wondered why bad musicians always win the Eurovision Song Contest, or how incompetent politicians get elected?You need some Quirkology in your life.While other scientists beaver away on obvious problems, Richard Wiseman has been busy uncovering the secret ingredients of charisma, exploring how our personalities are shaped by when we are born and examining why people usually miss the obvious signs of their partner's infidelity. Using scientific methods to investigate offbeat topics that interest the general public as well as the scientific community, Quirkology brings a new understanding to the backwaters of the human mind and takes us to places where mainstream scientists fear to tread. Comparable to Freakonomics, but British, far more populist, and a lot funnier.Findings include:How does your surname influence your life?What does the way you walk reveal about your personality?Why should women have men wri

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Book SynopsisYou are going to be transported by what Bernheimer has to say. You''ll make different decisions and figure out how your brain is working and what should be prioritized in your life Jo Good, BBC LondonWhat makes everyday spaces work, how do they shape us, and what do they say about us?The spaces we live in - whether public areas, housing, offices, hospitals, or cities - mediate community, creativity, and our very identity, making us who we are. Using insights from environmental psychology, design, and architecture, The Shaping of Us reveals the often imperceptible ways in which our surroundings influence our behaviour.Wide-ranging and global examples cover the differences between personalities and nationalities, explore grass-roots and mainstream efforts to build environments promoting well-being, and look ahead to what will become of us if we don''t listen closely to what we know is good for us.You will learn whether you arTrade Review'An analysis of how we could design the whole of our environment to be better... She sets out to entertainingly chart the 20th-century history of research into how where we are shapes who we are. It's a timely volume given the current level of interest in the relationship between buildings and health' Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs magazine'You are going to be transported by what Bernheimer has to say. You'll make different decisions and figure out how your brain is working and what should be prioritized in your life' Jo Good, BBC London'Just a great book. Few things matter more than the spaces we inhabit, and Bernheimer convincingly states the case for design that accepts humanity as we actually are. You will never look at your neighbour, home or office quite the same way ever again' Tim Wu, author of The Attention Merchants and The Curse of Bigness'Environmental psychologist Bernheimer provides a fascinating introduction to her field in this far-reaching look at how the spaces in which humans live, work, and play affect their behaviour ... Readers will finish this feeling better educated about the role of design and more alert to its impact on everyone's lives' Publishers Weekly'How do our environments - built, natural, and biological - fit or fail to fit our needs as human beings? Lily Bernheimer takes us on a tour, a tour de force, of illuminating cases, with sage advice for those who design spaces for human beings to live humane lives' George Lakoff, author of Where Mathematics Comes From: How the Embodied Mind Brings Mathematics into Being'We have built an urban environment for ourselves, and it shapes us in return. In order to become happier and more effective humans, Bernheimer shows us how we must modify our cities, workplaces, and homes. Her book is an ideal introduction to this essential task' Max Jacobson, co-author of A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction'In this exceptionally readable book, Bernheimer has translated research findings and design practice into a highly engaging account of how we interact with and mold the spaces around us. She shows us that with more thought and imagination, our buildings and cities could provide us with more stimulating, rewarding, and livable environments' David Uzzell, professor of environmental psychology, University of Surrey

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Book SynopsisMost of us are clueless when it comes to the physics that makes our modern world so convenient. What''s the simple science behind motion sensors, touch screens and toasters? How do we enter our offices using touch-on passes or find our way to new places using GPS? In The Physics of Everyday Things, James Kakalios takes us on an amazing journey into the subatomic marvels that underlie so much of what we use and take for granted.Breaking down the world of things into a single day, Kakalios engages our curiosity about how our refrigerators keep food cool, how a plane manages to remain airborne, and how our wrist fitness monitors keep track of our steps. Each explanation is coupled with a story revealing the interplay of the astonishing invisible forces that surround us. Through this ''narrative physics'' The Physics of Everyday Things demonstrates that - far from the abstractions conjured by terms like the Higgs boson, black holes and gravity waves - sophisticTrade ReviewPhysics is at heart a search for basic underlying principles, whether in comic-book universes or our everyday lives. You won't find a better, more enjoyable tour guide to how the laws of physics explain the world all around us -- Sean Carroll, physicist at Caltech and author of The Big PictureThink how much richer your life would be if you understood how the beloved devices that govern your daily life actually worked. You might be surprised to learn that even the most common ones - like your smartphone and GPS - depend on the wonders of modern physics. A new world awaits you in this accessible and charming volume -- Lawrence M. Krauss, director of the Origins Project and author of A Universe from Nothing and The Greatest Story Ever Told – So FarFrom start to finish, this is a fun and comprehensive introduction to many of the forces that govern how we interact with each other and the world around us . . . Once again, Kakalios makes physics relatable, this time demonstrating how profoundly its principles enable our way of life * Kirkus Reviews *Sure to awaken in readers a new awareness of science operating beneath familiar surfaces, this analysis also opens a historical perspective on the inventions that have reshaped the world - once dependent on little-understood steam engines, now exploiting ingeniously engineered semiconductors. A fascinating inquiry exposing hidden science * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisFrom the world''s foremost neuroscientist of romantic love comes the untold story of what happens in our brains when we are in love.Dr Stephanie Cacioppo 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 findings in brain chemistry and behavioural science. You will learn how to make a closer bond in your relationship, how to make sure the spark isn''t lost, how to tell the difference between lust and love, and how to find a path beyond heartbreak or bereavement.Wired for Love is not just a science story, but also a love story. 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 UnivTrade 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 SynopsisFor fans of WHAT IF? and NEW SCIENTIST comes this brilliantly funny and informative look at the stranger side of evolution.Featuring:The Zombie ants mind-controlled by a fungusBeautiful salamanders that can regenerate any part of their bodies, including their brainsThe mantis shrimp, which fires its club-like appendage so fast that the surrounding water becomes as hot as the surface of the sunThe Antechinus, whose runaway testosterone levels cause them to have so much sex during their three-week mating season that they bleed internally, go blind, and drop dead...Featuring quirky illustrations and the signature blend of science smarts and humour that make Matt Simon''s Wired column so entertaining, this is an ideal stocking-filler for every popular science aficionado...

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Book Synopsis*NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEST TRAVEL BOOKS OF 2020*The curious and vanishing world of ice in Greenland, told through 24 hours in the life of a polar scientist.''Insightful, lyrical, and personal'' - Jon Gertner''Evokes the ice sheet''s magnificence and fragility'' - Elizabeth KolbertOne of the least inhabited and most mysterious parts of the world, Greenland is a singular place on Earth from which to look for the future of our planet and question its history. Polar scientist Marco Tedesco, a world-leading expert on ice and on climate change, takes us along as he and his fellow researchers conduct all-important measurements to understand the dramatic changes afoot on the immense polar ice cap. Following a day in the life of this disappearing world, Tedesco tells us about improbable ''polar camels'', cryoconite holes, gigantic meteorite debris, the epic deeds of great Arctic explorers and the legends of Greenland''Trade ReviewWhen it comes to ice and snow, and to understanding the cold and exotic climates of Greenland and Antarctica, Marco Tedesco is one of the most knowledgeable scientists alive. Ice is a terrific complement to his important academic work - a book that is insightful, lyrical, and personal, and that will help guide readers through the science of a warming world * Jon Gertner, author of The Ice at the End of the World and The Idea Factory *As Marco Tedesco explains, the Greenland ice sheet plays an oversized role in life on earth. Tedesco and Alberto Flores d'Arcais have done a wonderful job evoking the ice sheet's magnificence and fragility * Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction *Tedesco shares scientific and historical insight into Arctic ice, discussing the hardy microorganisms that live in it, the famed explorers behind major discoveries about the ice, and the threat posed by climate change * Publishers Weekly *Imagine a science book that's truly informative but without an intimidating slew of equations, graphs, and references. That book is Ice - a book about ice, climate, Greenland, and the daily life of scientists who study these esoteric topics. It's a beautifully told story that will make you wish you could spend a year alone on the Greenland ice sheet * Henry Pollack, Professor Emeritus at The University of Michigan Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and author of A World Without Ice *In this illuminating narrative, history, science and the deeply personal experiences of living on ice are woven together in a way that offers the reader a unique perspective on the past, present, and future of the Greenland ice sheet. The colors and sounds of migrating ice, the challenges of tent life in one of the planet's harshest settings, the importance of companionship, and the wild world's power to inspire deep reflection and contemplation all make this book a must-read for anyone who is curious about the frozen Arctic landscape or concerned about the impacts of climate change * William E. Glassley, author of A Wilder Time: Notes from a Geologist at the Edge of the Greenland Ice *Marco Tedesco tells us a story we need to hear. Most of us will never see Greenland with our own eyes, but we can see it, in all its splendor, through his. Tedesco teaches us that we are not just caretakers of our home planet, although we need to be that and do that, but also that we are intimately connected to the snow and ice of Greenland. As it melts, all of us, everywhere, are changed. * Susan Hand Shetterly, author of Seaweed Chronicles *Greenland is ground zero for the monumental change sweeping over our world during the Anthropocene. Dr. Tedesco makes a valuable and much-needed contribution toward the dire story unfolding in this great and sometimes enigmatic land * James Balog, A.D. White Professor-at-Large *Glaciologist Marco Tedesco, working with Italian journalist Alberto Flores d'Arcais, does a gripping job of evoking Greenland's ice sheet. * National Geographic, Best Travel Books of 2020 *

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Book SynopsisTwenty years ago, the search for planets--and life--outside the solar system was a job restricted to science fiction writers. It is now one of the most rapidly growing fields in astronomy, with thousands of these exoplanets discovered so far. The detection of these worlds has only been possible in the last decade, with the number of discoveries increasing enormously over the last year following the findings of the Kepler Space Telescope. These new worlds are more alien than anything in fiction. Planets larger than Jupiter with years lasting one week, planets circling the dead remains of stars, others with two suns lighting their skies or with no sun at all. These locations hint at Earth-sized worlds but with split hemispheres of perpetual day and night, waterworlds drowning under global oceans, and volcanic lava planets spewing seas of magma. The Planet Factory tells the story of exoplanets, planets orbiting stars outside of our solar system. Discover Trade ReviewA precious compendium on what we can say about the formation of planets, and how much our knowledge has progressed in recent years. * Nature *Packed with interesting insights and scientific content that capably captures the current state of exoplanet research. * Sky at Night *If you’ve always been intrigued by extrasolar planets — or even if you haven’t! — you’ll want to move this book to the top of your reading list. * Sky & Telescope *Engaging and informative ... a great introduction to a relatively new and fast-changing aspect of scientific endeavour. * Engineering and Technology *Brilliantly written ... Tasker highlights how difficult the hunt for planets is. I highly recommend this book. * Physics World *This splendidly readable and authoritative book succeeds at the near-impossible task of explaining all you need to know about the revolutionary and fast-moving scientific field that's seeking out these new worlds and what may be lurking on them. -- Caleb Scharf, Directory of Astrobiology, Columbia UniversityElizabeth Tasker is the perfect guide in this astronomical adventure story; she brings the world’s leading planet hunters vividly to life and demystifies the crucial technical details of the research with impressive clarity and a light, engaging touch. -- Michael D. Lemonick, Chief Opinion Editor at Scientific American and the author of Mirror Earth: The Search for Our Planet’s TwinIn a lively science narrative spiced with a sly humour, Elizabeth Tasker makes learning about the planets of our Solar System and beyond into a rich and rewarding pleasure. -- Marc Kaufman, author of First Contact and Mars Up Close, and founder of NASA’S online column ‘Many Worlds’Elizabeth Tasker’s book is a surprisingly complete description of the current state of astronomy of extrasolar planets, presented in a way that is extremely entertaining and accessible. I highly recommend it to everyone who would like to get acquainted with this still-new, fascinating field of science. -- Aleksander Wolszczan, discoverer of the first exoplanetTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: The Blind Planet Hunters PART 1: THE FACTORY FLOOR Chapter 1: The Factory Floor2 Chapter 2: The Record-breaking Building Project Chapter 3: The Problem with Gas Chapter 4: Air and Sea PART 2: DANGEROUS PLANETS Chapter 5: The Impossible Planet Chapter 6: We Are Not Normal Chapter 7: Water, Diamonds or Lava? The Planet Recipe Nobody Knew Chapter 8: Worlds Around Dead Stars Chapter 9: The Lands of Two Suns Chapter 10: The Planetary Crime Scene Chapter 11: Going Rogue PART 3: GOLDILOCKS WORLDS Chapter 12: The Goldilocks Criteria Chapter 13: The Search for Another Earth Chapter 14: Alien Vistas Chapter 15: Beyond the Goldilocks Zone Chapter 16: The Moon Factory Chapter 17: The Search for Life Author’s note Glossary Further Reading Acknowledgements Index

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Book Synopsis**SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY INSIGHT INVESTMENT SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2019**''Read this book and join the effort to terminate air pollution.'' - Arnold SchwarzeneggerAir pollution has become the world's greatest environmental health risk, and science is only beginning to reveal its wide-ranging effects. Globally, 19,000 people die each day from air pollution, killing more than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and car accidents combined.What happened to the air we breathe?Sustainability journalist Tim Smedley has travelled the world to try and find the answer, visiting cities at the forefront of the fight against air pollution, including Delhi, Beijing, London and Paris. With insights from the scientists and politicians leading the battle against it, and people whose lives have been affected by it, Clearing the Air tells the full story of air pollution for the first time: what it is, which pollutants are harmful, where they come from and most importantly Trade ReviewAir pollution is a serious problem that we all have the power to solve. Tim Smedley's book, Clearing the Air, shows how the fightback against air pollution works. Tim's book is action-packed and his global journey of discovery uncovers the real heroes who are taking a stand and fighting for their right to breathe clean air. Read this book and join the effort to terminate air pollution. -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, 38th Governor of CaliforniaWhether describing Paris's Journee sans Voiture or electric buses in Beijing and Milton Keynes, Clearing the Air not only suggests that tackling pollution is possible, but also shows how, in many places, the work is already being done. In a news cycle that increasingly informs us that all hope is lost, it is uplifting to read that Smedley, an award-winning sustainability journalist, does not think so. * Times Literary Supplement *Clearing the Air is incredibly well researched with plenty of numbers and facts to back up Smedley’s arguments. This is an important book and one that I whole-heartedly recommend. Even if politicians are slow to take measures about the air quality where you live, Clearing the Air will help you to play your part in creating a cleaner and healthier future. * Chemistry World *Clearing the Air sets out in simple terms the monumental damage that dirty air is causing to us and our environment. It also gives us the remarkably simple, logical solutions that need embracing across the world. Compulsory reading. -- Chris Boardman, Olympic Gold Medallist and Greater Manchester's Cycling and Walking CommissionerTim Smedley's indignation about the years of cover-ups and lies by governments and corporations is well founded. There are scientific details packed between the covers of this personal account – atmospheric chemistry, automative engineering, health effects and much more. The technical details are woven seamlessly into the story. It left me with a growing feeling of hope: people around the world are demanding breathable air! -- Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB)A wonderfully written book that takes you through the fascinating and terrifying story of air pollution, and explains how billions of people unwittingly ended up breathing toxic air. What Tim does so well is to articulate a simple truth that ultimately leaves you with hope: it doesn’t have to be this way. Air pollution is a man-made problem and Clearing the Air sets out the simple steps that governments and individuals must take to ensure that everyone can breathe clean air. Read it and take action! -- James Thornton, CEO, ClientEarthA thoughtful, worthwhile book that fulfils the important role of observing air pollution across widespread regions of the world. China is not the first country to experience the environmental impacts of industrialization, and it will not be the last. -- Ma Jun, Director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, Beijing, ChinaTable of ContentsPrologue PART I: ORIGINS Chapter 1: The Greatest Smog? Chapter 2: Life’s a Gas Chapter 3: Particulate Matters Chapter 4: No Smoke Without Fire Chapter 5: The Dash for Diesel Chapter 6: Struggling to Breathe PART II: FIGHTBACK Chapter 7: The Greatest Smog Solution? Chapter 8: Electric Dreams Chapter 9: Road Rage Chapter 10: What Price Fresh Air? Epilogue The Clean Air Blueprint: For Cities The Clean Air Blueprint: For You References Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisFor you to be here today reading this requires a mind-boggling series of lucky breaks, starting with the Big Bang and ending in your own conception. So it''s not surprising that we persist in thinking that we''re in with a chance, whether we''re playing the lottery or working out the likelihood of extra-terrestrial life. In Chance, a (not entirely) random selection of the New Scientist''s sharpest minds provide fascinating insights into luck, randomness, risk and probability. From the secrets of coincidence to placing the perfect bet, the science of random number generation to the surprisingly haphazard decisions of criminal juries, it explores these and many other tantalising questions.Following on from the bestselling Nothing and Question Everything, this book will open your eyes to the weird and wonderful world of chance - and help you see when some things, in fact, aren''t random at all.Trade ReviewExcellent . . . it's accessible to anyone with only the most cursory knowledge of science . . . Prepare to be surprised and amazed * Choice *

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Book SynopsisFrom the phenomenal New Scientist series, with over 2,500,000 copies soldDo Polar Bears Get Lonely? is the third compilation of readers'' answers to the questions in the ''Last Word'' column of New Scientist, the world''s best-selling science weekly. Following the phenomenal success of Does Anything Eat Wasps? (2005) and the even more spectacularly successful Why Don''t Penguins'' Feet Freeze? (2006), Do Polar Bears Get Lonely? includes a bumper crop of wise and wonderful answers never-before-seen in book form.Why does garlic make your breath smell? How toothpaste makers get the stripes in toothpaste? Why do we get ''pins and needles''? Why are some people left-handed and other people right-handed? Can insects get fat? Do elephants sneeze? And do fish get thirsty? What causes cells to stick together in the human body rather than simply fall apart? And why are pears pear-shaped (and not apple-shaped)?This all-new and e

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Book Synopsis'Authoritative and accessible' Wall Street Journal -- Renowned neuroscientist combines his own gripping stories of survival in the wild, 15 years as a GP and his ground-breaking research in the University of California's 'Action Lab' to explain powerful connections between mind and body that help us be the very best we can be.

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Book SynopsisA definitive and authoritative guide to drugs and why we get high from the creator of the top-rated podcast, Say Why to Drugs. Drugs. We''ve all done them. Whether it''s a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, a cigarette or a sleeping pill. But how well do we understand the effects of the drugs we take - legal or illegal? Say Why to Drugs investigates the science behind recreational drugs- debunking common myths and misconceptions, as well as containing the most recent scientific research. Looking at a range of drugs, this book provides a clear understanding of how drugs work and what they''re really doing to your mind and body. Along the way you will find out why ketamine is on the WHO''s list of essential medicines, why some researchers hope MDMA could treat PTSD, and much more. Enlightening, entertaining, and thought-provoking, Say Why to Drugs is a compelling read that will surprise and educate proponents on both sides of the drugs debatTrade ReviewSuzi Gage cuts through all the sensationalism and goes straight into an erudite, evidence based breakdown. In an area where factual accuracy is often rejected in favour of moralising or panicking this book is a vitally useful and frequently fascinating. -- Robin InceAn essential read. Drugs have a huge impact on our society. Whether you're taking them on not, it's good to be informed. -- Tim LovejoyAn excellently written, ironically clear-headed, and much needed book... that tells you all the important stuff worth knowing about drugs. -- Dean Burnett, author of The Idiot Brain and The Happy Brain It's so refreshing to read a book about drugs which fully acknowledges the complex, nuanced psychological aspects of addiction and that we're all somewhere on that scale. Written without making sweeping moral judgements and faithful to the science, this is a great overview for anyone who wants to educate themselves on a massive (and often emotive) topic. -- Natasha Devon, LBC

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