Popular science Books

Book Synopsis''A necessary book for our times. But also just great fun'' Saul Perlmutter, Nobel LaureateThe world is awash in bullshit, and we''re drowning in it. Politicians are unconstrained by facts. Science is conducted by press release. Start-up culture elevates hype to high art. These days, calling bullshit is a noble act.Based on a popular course at the University of Washington, Calling Bullshit gives us the tools to see through the obfuscations, deliberate and careless, that dominate every realm of our lives. In this lively guide, biologist Carl Bergstrom and statistician Jevin West show that calling bullshit is crucial to a properly functioning social group, whether it be a circle of friends, a community of researchers, or the citizens of a nation. Through six rules of thumb, they help us recognize bullshit whenever and wherever we encounter it - even within ourselves - and explain it to a crystal-loving aunt or casually racist grandfather.Trade ReviewEssential reading. Even if you feel you can trudge through verbal bullsh!t easily enough, this book will give you the tools to swim through numerical snake-oil. . . -- Simon Ings * The Telegraph *A modern classic that is troubling in some places, sobering in others, and enlightening from beginning to end. . . Bergstrom and West leave the reader feeling a very particular kind of smarter: the empowered kind. . . It works anywhere, for anyone: the academic, the citizen-scientist, citizen-skeptic, and citizen-curious * Wired *A helpful guide to navigating a world full of doubtful claims based on spurious data. Using clever anecdotes, nods to online culture and allusions to ancient philosophy, the book tells ordinary readers how to spot nonsense-even if they are not numerical whizzes * The Economist *Each of us now swims through deception so pervasive that we no longer realize it's there. Calling Bullshit presents a master class in how to spot it, how to resist it, and how to keep it from succeeding -- Paul Romer, Nobel LaureateIf I could make this critical handbook's contents required curriculum for every high school student (thus replacing trigonometry), then I would do so. I highly recommend Calling Bullshit for our modern existence in the age of misinformation -- Cathy O’Neil, author of Weapons of Math DestructionThe information landscape is strewn with quantitative cowflop; read this book if you want to know where not to step -- Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not to be WrongI laughed, I cried -- to read Bergstrom and West's great examples of 'bullshit.' This is a gripping read for anybody who cares about how we are fooled (and how not to be), and the connection to numeracy and science. But it's also just great fun. This is a necessary book for our times -- Saul Perlmutter, Nobel Laureate

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Book SynopsisCatology explores the bizarre and very funny world of feline science.Vital questions answered include: Why do cats have a secret second nose? Why don’t cats fart (but dogs do)? Do cats feel guilt, love, happiness or jealousy? Why are cats’ tongues covered in microscopic hooks? Do cats always land on their feet? Why are cats so scared of cucumbers? Why do cats purr both when happy and when distressed? How do you interpret cat language? Packed with fascinating facts, quirky scientific revelations and weird stories about our furry friends, Catology offers a secret glimpse inside the feline body and mind.

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Book SynopsisThe scientifically-proven practical plan to help reverse Alzheimer’s and prevent cognitive decline from the international bestselling author of The End of Alzheimer's.Following his ground-breaking book that transformed how we think about Alzheimer's and its treatment, world-renowned neurology expert Dale Bredesen provides an unprecedented hands-on guide to achieving complete brain health.In The End of Alzheimer's Programme, he lays out step-by-step his highly sought after, scientifically-proven method that you can follow with a healthcare professional to stop Alzheimer's in its tracks. Alzheimer’s Disease is a protective response to an array of factors that directly affect the brain, such as inflammation, genetic inheritance, nutrients and hormones. In this book, Bredesen will show you which of these factors you need to address to enhance your cognitive abilities by laying out a personalised lifestyle plan. Covering sleep, exercise, diet, brain training and more, Bredesen will show you how to retain, regain and maximise cognitive function for any ability and for any age with extraordinary results.Based on cutting-edge research and full of inspiring success stories from Bredesen’s patients, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to enhance their brainpower and is a vital guide for carers and healthcare professionals.Trade ReviewSanity now prevails with Dr. Bredesen's challenge to the status quo that may well bring an end to Alzheimer's disease. * David Perlmutter, from the foreword *Once in a generation a book comes along that changes the way we think, that sheds light on our darkest struggles, that provides a clear, scientific path to ending the scourge of a disease that robs millions of their minds. The End of Alzheimer's Program is that book. Whether you want to enhance and optimize your brain at any age, prevent cognitive decline and even reverse early dementia, Dr. Bredesen, in breathtakingly simple, scientifically profound steps maps a way to achieve this. If you have a brain, read this book. * Mark Hyman, Head of Strategy and Innovation: Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and author of Food Fix *Dale Bredesen MD has done it again ... he delivers the essential how-to guide for risk reduction and potentially reversal of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. This elegantly written, step-by-step handbook to Dr. Bredesen's revolutionary protocol will help thousands if not millions. I give it my highest recommendation. * Dr Sara Gottfried, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Hormone Cure' *This is THE book to be read by anyone interested in how to prevent Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Bredesen is a world-class neuroscientist, neurologist who brings his expansive experience and brilliance together to provide the best that science has to offer in the prevention of this disease. * Dr Jeffrey Bland, author of 'Disease Delusion' and Founder, Institute for Functional Medicine *Alzheimer's disease is a chronic pandemic that has claimed the lives of millions. In The End of Alzheimer's Program, Dr. Dale Bredesen offers hope based on his decades of research and recent clinical success, with an emphasis on lifestyle factors including sleep, diet, stress, and movement. COVID-19 has ushered in a new era of resilience and disease prevention, and this book offers the very tools and guidelines we all need to stem the rising tide of Alzheimer's disease. * Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global *

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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 SynopsisFor thousands of years, mathematicians have used the timeless art of logic to see the world more clearly. In The Art of Logic, Royal Society Science Book Prize nominee Eugenia Cheng shows how anyone can think like a mathematician - and see, argue and think better. Learn how to simplify complex decisions without over-simplifying them. Discover the power of analogies and the dangers of false equivalences. Find out how people construct misleading arguments, and how we can argue back. Eugenia Cheng teaches us how to find clarity without losing nuance, taking a careful scalpel to the complexities of politics, privilege, sexism and dozens of other real-world situations. Her Art of Logic is a practical and inspiring guide to decoding the modern world.Trade ReviewMind-expanding ... a meaningful contribution to creating a better society as well as happier conversations and relationships * Guardian *A mathematician's thought-provoking attempt to lay out the tools of rational argument -- Michael Brooks * New Statesman Books of the Year *With humour, grace, and a natural gift for making explanations seem fun, Eugenia Cheng has done it again. This is a book to savour, to consult, and to buy for all your friends. You'll think more clearly after reading this book, something that is unfortunately in short supply these days. I am buying several copies to send to heads of state. -- Daniel Levitin, bestselling author of The Organised Mind & A Field Guide to Lies and StatisticsIn an era awash with conflict, exploitation, tribalism and fake news, the "illuminating precision" offered by logic is important. Cheng harnesses the power of abstraction to explore real-life phenomena such as sexism and white privilege. She walks us through the grand terrain of logic, from axioms to proofs. And she reveals how to build arguments as long chains of logical implications - a "virtuosic and masterful" skill that, combined with intelligent emotional engagement, can cut through pervasive irrationality * Nature *A perceptive analysis of logic and its limitations ... Cheng is successful not only in helping readers think more clearly, but in helping them understand why others sometimes appear to be illogical. This book has the potential to help understanding and avoid confrontational arguments that serve only to entrench opposing views * Times Higher Education *Radical and liberating * Emerald Street *We're thankful that someone like Eugenia Cheng is here; someone to eloquently and efficiently expound on concepts like logic and truth at a time when their very basis seems to come under attack ... We're forever on the lookout for someone to make mathematics both fun and accessible, and it looks like we've found that person in Eugenia Cheng * How it Works Magazine *A concert pianist, mathematician, polyglot and YouTube star, Cheng has carved out quite a niche for herself ... she brings an ebullient enthusiasm that's infectious * Guardian *Witty, charming, and crystal clear. Eugenia Cheng's enthusiasm and carefully chosen metaphors and analogies carry us effortlessly through the mathematical landscape -- Ian StewartClear, clever and friendly -- Alex Bellos

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Book SynopsisThe authors trace the formation and breakup of the planets, asteroids, and comets where meteorites originated, their long journey through space, their fall to Earth, their recovery, and what scientists are learning from them. The book contains a great deal of material about the “84001 Martian meteorite,” which has raised provocative new questions about life on the red planet. Looking forward, the authors chart the exciting new era of planetary, asteroidal, and cometary exploration planned for this century.

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Book SynopsisOn July 1, 1959, at Ypsilanti State Hospital in Michigan, the social psychologist Milton Rokeach brought together three paranoid schizophrenics: Clyde Benson, an elderly farmer and alcoholic; Joseph Cassel, a failed writer who was institutionalized after increasingly violent behavior toward his family; and Leon Gabor, a college dropout and veteran of World War II. The men had one thing in common: each believed himself to be Jesus Christ. Their extraordinary meeting and the two years they spent in one another’s company serves as the basis for an investigation into the nature of human identity, belief, and delusion that is poignant, amusing, and at times disturbing. Displaying the sympathy and subtlety of a gifted novelist, Rokeach draws us into the lives of three troubled and profoundly different men who find themselves “confronted with the ultimate contradiction conceivable for human beings: more than one person claiming the same identity.”

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Book Synopsis'Clear and compact ... It's hard to fault as a brief, easily digestible introduction to some of the biggest questions in the Universe' Giles Sparrow, BBC Four's The Sky at Night, Best astronomy and space books of 2019: 5/5All the matter and light we can see in the universe makes up a trivial 5 per cent of everything. The rest is hidden. This could be the biggest puzzle that science has ever faced.Since the 1970s, astronomers have been aware that galaxies have far too little matter in them to account for the way they spin around: they should fly apart, but something concealed holds them together. That 'something' is dark matter - invisible material in five times the quantity of the familiar stuff of stars and planets.By the 1990s we also knew that the expansion of the universe was accelerating. Something, named dark energy, is pushing it to expand faster and faster. Across the universe, this requires enough energy that the equivalent mass would be nearly fourteen times greater than all the visible material in existence.Brian Clegg explains this major conundrum in modern science and looks at how scientists are beginning to find solutions to it.Trade ReviewClear and compact ... It's hard to fault as a brief, easily digestible introduction to some of the biggest questions in the Universe -- Giles Sparrow, BBC Sky at Night * Best astronomy and space books of 2019: 5/5 *

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Book SynopsisLearn about quantum physics, cloning, exoplanets, the number 137 and all of modern science's biggest questions through the crazy adventures of Rick and Morty, the international Netflix success, now airing on Channel 4.What is concentrated Dark Matter?Can we hack memory?Are you living in a simulation operating at 5% capacity?Rick and Morty may seem like the most idiotic show on TV today, but a lot of its crazy adventures are actually based on real-life scientific theories and cutting-edge academic research.Using the biology, chemistry and physics of the series, expert science writer Matt Brady explains the biggest questions occupying the greatest minds today, including: can we have cool cybernetic implants, will we ever be able to alter our basic intelligence, how far will we be able to go with cloning, could we travel to parallel universes, what energy could you get from a microverse battery and can you control a cockroach's nervous system with your tongue?So, become more Rick and less Morty with this wander through the portal of modern-day science. Or just go back to laughing at the stupid jokes.

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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 SynopsisA fully updated edition of one of the most original accounts of evolution ever writtenTrade ReviewIn this extraordinary book, Dawkins turns chronicler. He does so with a clever twist that avoids the perennial problem of evolutionary history-telling ... As a contribution to the history of ideas this book is well worthy of Britain's top public intellectual. The arguments are as sharply honed as we have come to expect from Dawkins -- Matt Ridley * Guardian *THE ANCESTOR'S TALE achieves the almost impossible: it makes biology interesting again -- Steve JonesOne of the richest accounts of evolution ever written * Financial Times *Should be given to all young persons starting out on their exploration of the world. It will excite their curiosity and awe and prove to them that the world is inexhaustible in its fascination * Sunday Telegraph *No other book I have read has given me such a dizzyingly immediate sense of the vastness and strangeness of the changes brought about by evolution over the eons, or how intimately all life is bound together ... THE ANCESTOR'S TALE makes you feel you have seen the world in a fresh, exhilarating way -- Robert Hanks * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisDaniel J. C. Kronauer brings to life the research surrounding army ants, nature’s preeminent social hunters. Without central coordination, army ants march in columns by the thousands and build nests and bridges using their own bodies. They also play a crucial role in promoting and sustaining the biodiversity of tropical ecosystems.Trade ReviewNever before have I read such a comprehensive, engaging history of the exploration and discovery of army ants. Wonderfully written, with superb photographs, Army Ants is a joy to read. -- Bert Hölldobler, coauthor of The Ants and Journey to the AntsAnts are famously ‘the little things that run the world.’ Army ants, with their million-strong colonies, showcase what happens when little things think big. As the world’s leading authority on these supremely social insects, Daniel Kronauer gives us a stunning tour of their extraordinary world. -- Naomi E. Pierce, Hessel Professor of Biology and Curator of Lepidoptera, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard UniversityA rare treat. Army Ants is a modern natural history, with personal stories of tropical fieldwork that reflect the excitement of new discoveries about these spectacular insects. -- Mary Jane West-Eberhard, Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteArmy ants are one of nature’s most spectacular hunters and are cornerstones for many ecological communities. This fascinating and informative book is a must-have for anyone interested in the complex behaviors of social animals. -- Corrie Moreau, Director and Curator, Cornell University Insect CollectionThis book will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about army ants. You will be mesmerized and intrigued as you read this passionate ode to the army ants and their researchers, linger over the stunning photographs, and reflect on what you have learned. -- Raghavendra Gadagkar, author of Survival Strategies: Cooperation and Conflict in Animal SocietiesA phenomenal book on army ant biology that is chock-a-block with jaw-dropping, award-winning photography…This book will show you ants in ways you have never seen them before. * Inquisitive Biologist *Kronauer, a master storyteller, unwraps the bivouac of the army ants to take us along the journey of their raiding swarms, the intricate bridges they construct, and the enigmatic arthropod fauna that live alongside these formidable hunters…Three decades ago, a monumental treatise and Pulitzer Prize winner, The Ants, inspired an entire generation of students to take up myrmecology. Army Ants is set to unfurl the next swarm of myrmecologists. -- Ajay Narenda * Myrmecological News Blog *Kronauer not only brings us up to date on one of the all-time greatest hits of biological exuberance and adaptation, he does so in a spellbinding way that keeps us turning the pages. -- John T. Longino * Current Biology *Beautifully produced, richly illustrated…Army ants are small-bodied denizens of the dark tropical forest understory; the rich macroimages [in] the book bring readers powerfully into their hidden realm…Readers will be enthralled by the bizarre and sometimes surprising caste of army ant intimates, including snakes, presented in stunning photographs. -- Sean O’Donnell * Quarterly Review of Biology *

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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 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 Synopsis‘Revelatory … convey[s] the technical brilliance and political significance of an achievement that hides in plain sight’TelegraphFrom satellites circling the Earth, to weather stations far out in the ocean, through some of the most ingenious minds and advanced algorithms at work today - In this gripping investigation, Andrew Blum takes us on a global journey. Our destination: the simulated models weather scientists have constructed of our planet, which spin faster than time, turning chaos into prediction, offering glimpses of our future with eerie precision.This collaborative invention spans the Earth and relies on continuous co-operation between all nations – a triumph of human ingenuity and diplomacy we too often shrug off as a tool for choosing the right footwear each morning. But in this new era of extreme weather, we may come to rely on its maintenance and survival for our own.Trade ReviewThis fascinating book reveals the existence and origins of surely one of our species’ greatest creations, and Andrew Blum is the perfect writer to share both the remarkable human stories and the astonishing technical wizardry behind it all -- MARK VANHOENACKER, author of SkyfaringIt’s easy to … overlook the monumental achievement [weather forecasts] represent … The Weather Machine asks us to pause and marvel at … one of humankind’s greatest accomplishments * New Yorker *Revelatory … convey[s] the technical brilliance and political significance of an achievement that hides in plain sight. The machine’s complexity alone is off all familiar charts … Blum does an excellent job * Telegraph *I strongly recommend th[is] book, which is a fascinating glimpse of a mysterious world -- Tim Haford, author of The Undercover EconomistBlum’s wonderful book succeeds in making the science and industry of forecasting the weather … at once vitally human, technologically awesome and urgently, thrillingly relevant * Royal Geographical Society *Sharp, stylish and often surprising. In this absorbing book Andrew Blum tracks the development, from wild dream to astonishing reality, of the quietly revolutionary technology that shapes our everyday lives -- PETER MOORE, author of The Weather ExperimentExhilarating ... a hurricane-force tour of one of the most astonishing but under-appreciated facets of the modern world -- LEWIS DARTNELL, author of OriginsWritten with an ease and beauty that will captivate anyone who is simply curious about how things work and came to be' (Literary Review) * Literary Review *

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Book Synopsis'Wonderful' Philosophy Now__________________________When a computer goes wrong, we are told to turn it off and on again. In Am I Dreaming?, science journalist James Kingsland reveals how the human brain is remarkably similar. By rebooting our hard-wired patterns of thinking - through so-called 'altered states of consciousness' - we can gain new perspectives on ourselves and the world around us.From shamans in Peru to tech workers in Silicon Valley, Kingsland takes us on a dazzling tour of lucid dreams, mindfulness, hypnotic trances, virtual reality and drug-induced hallucinations. A startling exploration of perception and consciousness, this is also a provocative argument for using altered states to boost our mental health.'Read this book and take part in one of the greatest intellectual adventures of all time.'Professor J. Allan HobsonTrade ReviewKingsland does a wonderful job of succinctly conveying complex theories. * Philosophy Now *James Kingsland leads us through the wonderful world of modern consciousness science. This book is many splendored - read it so you can take part in one of the greatest intellectual adventures of all time. * Professor J. Allan Hobson, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Emeritus, Harvard Medical School *A fascinating, eye-opening insight into how an alteration of consciousness can reboot our brains and improve our mental health and wellbeing. I highly recommend it. * Amanda Feilding, director of the Beckley Foundation *Compelling and authoritative... Read this book. * Dr Ben Sessa, Senior Research Fellow at Imperial College and Consultant Psychiatrist *Rigorously researched, elegantly crafted, and personally inspired, this is a wonderful contribution to the burgeoning field of neurophenomenology, where science meets spirit. Every page delivers an insight. * Andrew Holecek, Author of The Power and the Pain *Kingsland's book is a cursory but fascinating exploration of the neuroscience behind meditation, and he offers a wonderful starting point for further research and practice. * Publishers Weekly on Siddhartha's Brain *A pleasure to read... This is a smart, accessible balance of philosophical teachings and brain science and how meditation can relate to everything from addiction to Alzheimer's disease. * Washington Times on Siddharta's Brain *Fascinating... Whether you're a sceptic or a true believer, exploring Siddhartha's brain offers compelling insights and invites further questions about the potential of the human mind. * Chicago Tribune on Siddharta's Brain *Brain science and Buddhist lore combine in this compelling treatise on the benefits of meditation and mindfulness * Kirkus Reviews on Siddharta's Brain *Reveals not only how mindfulness meditation can rewire the human brain and help us achieve a sense of spiritual fulfilment but also how we can easily integrate the practice into our daily lives. * Scientific American on Siddharta's Brain *Table of Contents1: Magical Thinking 2: Dream On 3: Holidays from Reality 4: Puppets on a String 5: Wonder Child 6: Mother Ayahuasca 7: Death of the Ego 8: The Wonderful Lightness of Being 9: The Void Between Dreams

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Book SynopsisWith over fifty patents to his name and innumerable awards and accolades, James Lovelock was a distinguished and original thinker, widely recognized by the international scientific community. In this inspiring book, republished in the year of his 100th birthday, Lovelock tells his life story, from his first steps as a scientist to his work with organisations as diverse as NASA, Shell and the Marine Biological Association. Homage to Gaia describes the years of travel and work that led to his crucial scientific breakthroughs in environmental awareness, uncovering how CFCs impact on the ozone layer and creating the concept of Gaia, the theory that the Earth is a self-regulating system. Written in a sharp and energetic style, James Lovelock's book will entertain and inspire anyone interested in science or the creative spirit beyond his legacy.Trade ReviewThere is much more than science in this book ... This is ultimately an uplifting book about the way life ought to be, both at a personal and at a global level * Sunday Times *His 'Gaia hypothesis' is certainly heroic, with all the illusion-busting potential of Gallileo's or Einstein's theories * Independent *The scientist who, more than any other alive today, has changed the way we think of the earth and our place on it -- John Gray * New Statesman *Daring, exciting, original * Scientific American *Lovelock writes beautifully ... Only a genius thinks of the obvious, and Lovelock deserves to be described as a genius * New Scientist *The breath-taking sweep of his central idea - that the earth is a living, self-regulating organism - poses the most dramatic challenge to scientists, politicians, and environmentalists. -- Jonathon PorrittLovelock will go down in history as the scientist who changed our view of the Earth -- John Graya man as inventive and ingenious as he is lively and unorthodox * Scientific American *

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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 Synopsis''A groundbreaking analysis of what used to be an impenetrable mystery: how and why do cultures differ? ... Anyone interested in our cultural divides will find tremendous insight in Rule Makers, Rule Breakers'' - Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Enlightenment NowWhy are clocks in Germany always correct, while those in Brazil are frequently wrong? Why are Singaporeans jailed for selling gum? Why do women in New Zealand have three times the sex of females worldwide? Why was the Daimler-Chrysler merger ill-fated from the start? And why does each generation of Americans give their kids weirder and weirder names? Curious about the answers to these and other questions, award-winning social psychologist Michele Gelfand has spent two decades studying both tight societies (with clearly stated rules and codes of ethics) and loose societies (more informal communities with weak or ambiguous norms). PuTrade Review'A groundbreaking analysis of what used to be an impenetrable mystery: how and why do cultures differ? Gelfand shows that a wide range of divides of class, culture, and coalition are traceable to an intriguing source. Anyone interested in our cultural divides will find tremendous insight in Rule Makers, Rule Breakers' - Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of Enlightenment NowEndlessly impressive . . . In figuring out what causes various tribes and factions to clash and sometime come to blows - whether at the U.N. or in a stadium's upper deck - Gelfand has left no cultural stone unturned. To read this book is to see both yourself and your neighbour for the first time - guided by rules of which you've both been unaware - Susan Cain, bestselling author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking'Remarkable. Not just an enlightening book but a game-changing one. By uncovering the inner workings of tight and loose cultures, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers suddenly makes sense of the puzzling behavior we see all around us-in colleagues, family, and even ourselves' - Carol Dweck, bestselling author of Mindset'A brilliant and timely book . . . Michele Gelfand has exposed a universal fault line running beneath nations, states, organizations, and even families. Cultures that face threat and uncertainty seek order and precision. Cultures with firmer footings revel in ambiguity and risk taking. This idea, at once so simple and so powerful, will forever change how you see the world' - Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of When and Drive'Completely fascinating . . .[Gelfand] reveals how political divides, happiness and suicide rates, and the coexistence of crime and creativity can all be traced to a fundamental but neglected dimension of social norms. You'll never look at a workplace, a country, or a family the same way again' - Adam Grant, bestselling author of Originals, Give and Take and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg"This brilliant book is full of well-documented insights that will change the way you look at yourself and at the world around you. Gelfand presents a wealth of scientific evidence with a light touch that has the reader eager to know what comes next. I can't think of anyone who won't learn something important from this book." - Barry Schwartz, bestselling author of The Paradox of Choice, Practical Wisdom, and Why We Work'Despite their great importance, the hidden factors that influence whether people comply with what is expected of them or write their own script has long gone underappreciated. With this book, Michele Gelfand has done much to unravel the mysteries of human motivation. Anyone interested in how social norms-and, therefore, people-operate will be grateful for her compelling analysis' - Robert Cialdini, bestselling author of Influence and Pre-Suasion 'A fascinating and profound book by one of psychology's most creative researchers. The well-chosen facts and findings about different cultures will make you alternately laugh, nod, and moan-and make you eager to read more. Beautifully written, packed with scientific facts and findings, this important book celebrates and explains the diversity of human culture. It emphasizes a key dimension of cultural difference: Some cultures pressure everyone to follow the same rules, while almost anything goes in other cultures-and Gelfand carefully and impressively lays out the pluses and minuses of both types. Anyone interested in the deep mysteries of human life and cultural diversity will find this book a rich source of information and a thought-provoking challenge to common assumptions. It's quite possibly this year's best book on culture' - Roy F. Baumeister, bestselling co-author of Willpower and author of The Cultural Animal'A delightful, insightful and fascinating look at the remarkable diversity of human customs - where they come from and how they shape our lives' - Daniel Gilbert, bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness'Lucid and fascinating ... achieved that clichéd goal of popular science books: truly changing the way a reader sees the world' - Will Storr, UnHerd'A fantastic book, academically anchored yet also fun to read and filled with practical implications. Its beauty derives from the breadth of its insight as Gelfand focuses in to illuminate, in succession, countries, states, corporations, groups and individuals. How many books pull off the feat of connecting clocks on city streets, to merger and acquisition outcomes, to groups that can both execute and explore? What an achievement!' - Michael L. Tushman, co-author of Winning Through Innovation and Lead and Disrupt'Why do some countries enjoy internal peace, effective governance, and productive economies, while others are dysfunctional and impoverished? In this dazzling book the cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand shows that a large part of the answer lies with social norms - rules of behavior that enable coordination and cooperation in large-scale societies. When people don't abide by socially expected rules, families, businesses, and whole societies splinter apart. But is there a downside to following the rules too closely? Read Rule Makers, Rule Breakers to find out' - Peter Turchin, author of Ultrasociety: How 10,000 Years of War Made Humans the Greatest Cooperators on Earth'Is your world tight, or is it loose? In this smart, provocative, and very entertaining book, Michele Gelfand argues that the tendency to devise and abide by rules, or, alternatively, push behavioral limits is the fundamental distinction between human societies, capturing what really matters in summing up the difference between Germany and Brazil, or Mississippi and California, or rich and poor. Whether the arena is large or small-a superpower summit, a boardroom meeting, or a backyard barbecue - this insightful and stimulating work will help you better understand yourself and those around you' - Paul Bloom, professor of psychology, Yale University, author of Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion'Every decade, it seems, someone identifies a pattern that makes sense of a range of disparate social phenomena. Rule Makers, Rule Breakers is that rare book that gives order to our troubled world, explaining the mystifying divides that increasingly inform politics, business, education, and society in general. If you're going to read one book this year to better understand the world's problems and what can be done to solve them, Gelfand's masterpiece should be it' - Alon Tal, author of The Land Is Full and founder of the Israeli Union for Environmental Defense'I devoured Michele Gelfand's new book. This is not just a lively page-turner about some of the most important and intractable issues of the day but a must-read book that will fundamentally change the way you look at the world, particularly at our bewildering cultural moment, moving you past the simplistic, media-driven binaries of globalist-nationalist, red state-blue state, and rural-urban. You will emerge a smarter, broader person, with a deeper, more informed perspective for thinking and talking about the issues that consume us all' - Todd Kliman, Winner of the MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award and author of The Wild Vine'A thought-provoking look at the contours of modern tribalism - one that uses a deceptively simple dividing line: the split between 'tight' and 'loose' cultures and personalities. By examining everything from communal norms to socio-economic differences, Rule Makers, Rule Breakers will make you see differently the people, places and organizations you think you know, including yourself' - Dante Chinni, co-author of The Patchwork Nation and Director of the American Communities Project at George Washington University'Gelfand shows through clever psychological experiments and sagacious readings of history that the world's societies have generally tended to cluster around tight norms that favor authority and frown on deviance (as with ancient Sparta, Pakistan and Germany) versus loose norms that allow and even encourage people to bend the rules (as with the Inuit of the Central Arctic, Brazil and the United States). She offers a particularly timely analysis for our current Age of Anxiety and uncertainty, where people and nations no longer feel confident in what the next generation and near future will bring (hence an increasing but impractical nostalgia for a mythic past as the guide for tomorrow)' - Scott Atran, co-founder of the Center for the Resolution of Intractable Conflicts at Oxford University, and Research Director in Anthropology at the French National Center for Scientific Research'Rule Makers, Rule Breakers is that wonderful combination of fascinating theory, well expounded with plenty of examples... a compelling, absorbing and timely read.' - The Psychologist'An extremely important book. Gelfand has identified and explored a hugely significant aspect of culture that accounts for why and when we fall into step with a group, or alternatively, set off on our own path-either to our advantage or our detriment. Moreover, she has accumulated fascinating evidence that explains why no subset of the human population, from the nation state to individual, exists outside the sway of this dynamic' - Richard Nisbett, author of The Geography of Thought: How Westerners and Asians Think Differently...and Why'In this brilliant book, Michele Gelfand unveils how cultures - of all sizes, down to small groups - are shaped by ecological and human threats. In particular, her findings, which are backed by massive empirical evidence, go far to explain why the people of different countries have different worldviews. After reading this, you won't see the world in the same way' - Ronald F. Inglehart, Director of the World Values Survey and author of Cultural Evolution'In an ever-shrinking world, understanding and negotiating cultural differences has become essential to daily life and the fate of nations alike. In Rule Makers, Rule Breakers, Gelfand presents a valuable lens for decoding the nature of our cultural conflicts and an intriguing new tool for solving them' - Colin Woodard, Winner of the George Polk Award, Pulitzer finalist, and author of American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America'In this tour-de-force, psychologist Michele Gelfand take us on a fascinating cross-cultural adventure. Human norms are as varied as bird plumage in the Galapagos, and Gelfand unveils one of the key phenomena accounting for the diversity. Tightness-looseness explains everything from how you cross the street to how you cross over from the living. Never a dull moment in this enthusiastic journey' - Susan T. Fiske, Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs, Princeton University and coauthor of The Human Brand'Offers a powerful new way of seeing the world. Gelfand's deceptively simple thesis becomes increasingly compelling as her research unfolds across politics, class and organizational behavior. Best of all, she provides a new toolkit for change' - Anne Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of New America, former director of Policy Planning for the State Department, and author of Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family'Fascinating and illuminating . . . Rule Makers, Rule Breakers sheds light on everything from why we embrace new ideas to how culture makes us who we are. We all build order into our days, but as Gelfand shows, some of us like hewing to a line, and others enjoy crossing it' - Jonah Berger, bestselling author of Contagious and Invisible Influence'Visionary and wildly entertaining . . . Michele Gelfand pulls a very big rabbit out of a very small hat. The distinction between 'tight' and 'loose' cultures may sound familiar, but this way of carving up the social world is surprising powerful, delivering insights for educators, CEOs, politicians, revolutionaries, scientists and curious people-watchers. This brilliant book will sharpen your vision and broaden your horizons' - Joshua Greene, director of the Moral Cognition Laboratory at Harvard University and author Moral Tribes'Everyone should read this book! It is rare that one overarching principle can explain so much, but Michele Gelfand nails it with her brilliant analysis of how tightly or loosely people adhere to social norms. In a fascinating narrative full of entertaining examples, she illuminates and explains this distinction, and by so doing increases our understanding of cultural conflict, the partisan divide, organizational success, happiness, creativity and much more' - Timothy D. Wilson, author of Redirect: Changing the Stories We Live By

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Book SynopsisWho invented zero? Why 60 seconds in a minute? How big is infinity? Where do parallel lines meet? And can a butterfly's wings really cause a storm on the far side of the world? In 50 Maths Ideas You Really Need to Know, Professor Tony Crilly explains in 50 clear and concise essays the mathematical concepts - ancient and modern, theoretical and practical, everyday and esoteric - that allow us to understand and shape the world around us. Packed with diagrams, examples and anecdotes, this book is the perfect overview of this often daunting but always essential subject. For once, mathematics couldn't be simpler. Contents include: Origins of mathematics, from Egyptian fractions to Roman numerals; Pi and primes, Fibonacci numbers and the golden ratio; What calculus, statistics and algebra can actually do; The very real uses of imaginary numbers; The Big Ideas of relativity, Chaos theory, Fractals, Genetics and hyperspace; The reasoning behind Sudoku and code cracking, Lotteries and gambling, Money management and compound interest; Solving of Fermat's last theorem and the million-dollar question of the Riemann hypothesis.Table of ContentsIntroduction. Zero. Number systems. Fractions. Squares and square roots. Pi e. Infinity. Imaginary numbers. Primes. Perfect numbers. Fibonacci numbers. Golden rectangles. Pascal's triangle. Algebra. Euclid's algorithm. Logic. Proof. Sets. Calculus. Constructions. Triangles. Curves. Topology. Dimension. Fractals. Chaos. The parallel postulate. Discrete geometry. Graphs. The four-colour problem. Probability. Bayes's theory. The birthday problem. Distributions. The normal curve. Connecting data. Genetics. Groups. Matrices. Codes. Advanced counting. Magic squares. Latin squares. Money mathematics. The diet problem. The travelling salesperson. Game theory. Relativity. Fermat's last theorem. The Riemann hypothesis. Glossary. Index.

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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 Synopsis'A WITTY BOOK THAT PROVOKES THE IMAGINATION' The Times How many socks make a pair? The answer is not always two. And behind this question lies a world of maths that can be surprising, amusing and even beautiful. Using playing cards, a newspaper, the back of an envelope, a Sudoku, some pennies and of course a pair of socks, Rob Eastaway shows how maths can demonstrate its secret beauties in even the most mundane of everyday objects. If you already like maths you'll discover plenty of new surprises. And if you've never picked up a maths book in your life, this one will change your view of the subject forever.Trade Review'Fascinating and totally accessible' Ham & High ' Exudes a friendly charm which is hard to resist' London Maths Society 'For a non-mathematician, this book is crucial' Plus Magazine

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Book Synopsis'This is the story of how your life shapes your brain, and how your brain shapes your life.' Join renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman on a whistle-stop tour of the inner cosmos. It's a journey that will take you into the world of extreme sports, criminal justice, genocide, brain surgery, robotics and the search for immortality. On the way, amidst the infinitely dense tangle of brain cells and their trillions of connections, something emerges that you might not have expected to see: you.Trade ReviewEntertaining and profound: page-turning neuroscience from a bit of a genius * * GUARDIAN * *On every page of The Brain there is a revelation so fantastic as to make one gasp -- STEPHEN FRYClear, engaging and thought-provoking * * NATURE * *The posterboy of neuroscience with ideas that will stretch your mind * * OBSERVER * *Mind-blowing revelations abound * * FINANCIAL TIMES * *It's no wonder reading David Eagleman's new book, The Brain, made me a little bit giddy. Eagleman tosses about ideas that had my grey matter pushed and pummelled, stimulated and stretched * * SCOTSMAN * *The hottest thing in neuroscience * * THE TIMES * *The rock star of neuroscience * * TELEGRAPH * *Accessible and fascinating * * SUNDAY TIMES * *If neuroscience had a rock legend this would be him -- RUBY WAX

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Book SynopsisGamblers have been trying to figure out how to game the system since our ancestors first made wagers over dice fashioned from knucklebones: in revolutionary Paris, the 'martingale' strategy was rumoured to lead to foolproof success at roulette ; today, professional gamblers are using cutting-edge techniques to tilt the odds in their favour. Science is giving us the competitive edge over opponents, casinos and bookmakers. But is there such a thing as a perfect bet? The Perfect Bet looks beyond probability and statistics to examine how wagers have inspired a plethora of new disciplines - spanning chaos theory, machine learning and game theory - which are not just revolutionising gambling, but changing our fundamental notions about chance, randomness and luck. Explaining why poker is gaming's last bastion of human superiority over AI, how methods originally developed for the US nuclear programme are helping pundits predict sports results and why a new breed of algorithms are losing banks millions, The Perfect Bet has the inside track on any wager you'd care to place.Trade ReviewThis book is full of magic. It's brimming with clever people and clever ideas... The links between betting and science run deep and wide, allowing Kucharski to cover some thrilling intellectual territory. * New Scientist *Terrific: beautifully written, solidly researched and full of surprises * New York Times Numberplay blog *Elegant and amusing ... anyone planning to enter a casino or place an online bet would be advised to keep this book handy * Wall Street Journal *Kucharski's clear prose and eye for an entertaining historical anecdote give his book an accessible feel ... an enjoyable account. * Racing Post *[An] enjoyable... paean to human ingenuity, and a Robin Hood tale of wealth redistribution. * Daily Telegraph *Great stories of how smart people have used maths, statistics and science to try and beat the odds - legally' -- David Spiegelhalter, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk, University of CambridgeA wild ride through the history, psychology, mathematics, and technology of gaming - a remarkable look behind the curtain of what most people think is intuitive, but isn't -- Paul Offit, author of Bad FaithWith an entertaining writing style, Adam Kucharski guides us through the history and state of the art of "The Perfect Bet," showing us how mathematics and computers are used to come up with optimal ways to gamble, play games, bluff, and invest our money. Extremely well-written and carefully researched. I highly recommend it. -- Arthur Benjamin, Author of 'The Magic of Maths'A lucid yet sophisticated look at the mathematics of probability as it's played out on gaming tables, arenas, and fields... Gamblers and math buffs alike will enjoy it for its smart approach to real-world problems * Kirkus Reviews *

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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 SynopsisThe Periodic Table is one of the most recognizable images in science - and in our culture. Its 118 elements make up everything on our planet and in the entire universe. But how many of us actually know how to interpret its distinctive design? And what does its unique arrangement tell us about the behaviour of each element in the world around us? The Periodic Table looks at the fascinating story and surprising history of each of these elements, from the little-known uses of gold in medicine to that of arsenic as a wallpaper dye in the ninteenth-century and the development of the hydrogen bomb. Packed with interesting facts and figures and helpful illustrations, this accessible guide will help the armchair chemist navigate through the different groups of elements - and discover the world afresh.Table of ContentsThe Periodic Table. Introduction. Hydrogen. Helium. Lithium. Beryllium. Boron. Carbon. Nitrogen. Oxygen. Fluorine. Neon. Sodium. Magnesium. Aluminium. Silicon. Phosphorus. Sulphur. Chlorine. Argon. Potassium. Calcium. Scandium. Titanium. Vanadium. Chromium. Manganese. Iron. Cobalt. Nickel. Copper. Zinc. Gallium. Germanium. Arsenic. Selenium. Bromine. Krypton. Rubidium. Strontium. Yttrium. Zirconium. Niobium. Molybdenum. Technetium. Ruthenium. Rhodium. Palladium. Silver. Cadmium. Indium. Tin. Antimony. Tellurium. Iodine. Xenon. Caesium. Barium. Lanthanum. Cerium. Praseodymium. Neodymium. Promethium. Samarium. Europium. Gadolinium. Terbium. Dysprosium. Holmium. Erbium. Thulium. Ytterbium. Lutetium. Hafnium. Tantalum. Tungsten. Rhenium. Osmium. Iridium. Platinum. Gold. Mercury. Thallium. Lead. Bismuth. Polonium. Astatine. Radon. Francium. Radium. Actinium. Thorium. Protactinium. Uranium. Neptunium. Plutonium. Americium. Curium. Berkelium. Californium. Einsteinium. Fermium. The Transfermium Elements. Glossary. Index.

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Book SynopsisWill change your life' Chris EvansCompletely fascinating' Heston BlumenthalImportant and devastating' The TimesFrom a world-leading microbiome scientist and surgeon comes Dark Matter, a pioneering guide to hacking your microbiome for a healthier life.Our microbiome the complex ecosystem of bacteria, viruses and other microbes inside us is vital for our health and wellbeing. An invisible powerhouse whose potential we're only just beginning to understand, it influences our mood and appetite, determines how fast we run and even who we choose as a partner.In this ground-breaking book, microbiome expert Dr James Kinross takes us on a guided tour of our extraordinary inner universe and highlights the damage we inflict when we don't protect it. Showing through cutting-edge research and years of clinical experience, the practical steps we can all take to optimise the microbiome to live better, healthier lives.Now with a new, eye-opening afterword on the rise of home microbiome tests, IBS and FMTs. Addictive and illuminating' Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed, bestselling author of The Kitchen Prescription

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Book SynopsisA guide to the 99% of the Universe our eyes can’t see from a dazzling new voice in popular scienceTrade Review‘Engaging…this book will be of interest to anyone wanting to know more about how we’ve learned what we know about the Universe.’ -- Chris North, BBC Sky at Night‘Matthew Bothwell’s excellent book is a compelling read. He sets the latest fascinating discoveries in their historical context, and highlights the mysteries that challenge future astronomers. The coverage is comprehensive and clear. The book stands out in a crowded field and deserves very wide readership.’ -- Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal‘Matthew Bothwell has opened a new window onto the night sky for his readers… A unique and compelling read that will open your eyes to the beautiful and multifaceted universe that scientists are exploring today.’ -- Emily Levesque, author of The Last Stargazers‘Matt’s book is an excellent introduction to how astronomers have learnt "what’s out there", particularly using radiation invisible to the human eye. He deftly conveys ideas with a cheerful and infectious enthusiasm, using humour, vivid analogies and personal anecdotes to bring our understanding of the Universe to life, without losing any scientific rigour. Highly readable, it offers an increased sense of wonder at the workings of the cosmos.’ -- Carolin Crawford, Emeritus Gresham Professor of Astronomy‘The Invisible Universe shows everything in a new light. In clear language this book takes you from the familiar to the deeply strange, from blue skies to black holes and beyond, showing how much we’ve learned and the immensity of what we have yet to understand.’ -- Ken MacLeod, author of the award-winning Fall Revolution series‘Matt Bothwell guides us through the world of astronomy and astrophysics with an engagingly written, up-to-date view of some of the key current frontiers. He opens our eyes to wavelengths beyond the light we can see. His journey includes galaxies, black holes, star formation, dust, gravitational waves, dark matter and dark energy – all with interesting historical context, accessible explanations and richly peppered with accurate analogies. A compelling read.’ -- Andrew Coates, Professor of Physics at UCL and Deputy Director (Solar System) at UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory‘This book bursts with information without once becoming dull or over-complicated. Ideas are introduced at an accessible level, and unique analogies put abstract concepts and almost inconceivable quantities into a context that we can understand intuitively… Some of the core scientific content of this book may have been covered in other popular astronomy books, but rarely in such an engaging, warm, and readable way. Readers of all ages who want to gain a better understanding of the unseen Universe will find something here to enjoy.’ -- Astronomy Now‘Intriguing… In Dr Bothwell’s fascinating new book, we are taken on a cosmic journey… beautifully presented in a way that makes for compelling reading and opens up your mind to the unseen. A book that fully deserves to be on any curiously minded person’s book shelf.’ * Astronomy Ireland *‘A fascinating account that particularly stands out in the crowded field of scientific literature… Explaining difficult concepts in a digestible way, The Invisible Universe is a must-read for those seeking a straightforward route into the world of astronomy. One can’t help being attracted to Bothwell’s infectious passion for science, prompting us to stare out at the night sky and wonder what other discoveries lie hidden amongst the stars.’ -- Reaction‘A highly recommended and enjoyable read, especially if this is your first guidebook for this armchair trip… Dr. Bothwell examines each topic with the right mix of history, anecdote, analogy, science and implications… captivating.’ -- Starvind‘Matthew Bothwell has opened a new window onto the night sky for his readers, taking us on a sweeping tour of some of the most cutting-edge phenomena in the cosmos and using his knack for clear, precise, and inventive explanations to help us all see the unseen. A unique and compelling read that will open your eyes to the beautiful and multifaceted universe that scientists are exploring today.’ -- Emily Levesque, author of The Last Stargazers‘Excellent… a great read… Matthew Bothwell has a sense of wonder and joy about the concepts and ideas he is explaining. His enthusiasm and marvel are contagious… definitely the best book we have read and reviewed in 2022.’ -- Simon Cocking, Irish Tech News‘This is a beautifully articulated and informative book all about the wonders of our universe and the history behind it all. I was drawn to this book because the concept of space and all that’s in it interested me, and reading this has made me even more fascinated. It is truly a page-turner and was really hard to put down once I started reading.’ -- SMS Non-fiction Book Reviews

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Book SynopsisFor all the selfishness of genes, they team up to survive. Is the history of life in fact a story of cooperation?Amid the violence and brutality that dominates the news, it''s hard to think of ourselves as team players. But cooperation, Jonathan Silvertown argues, is a fundamental part of our make-up, and deeply woven into the whole four-billion-year history of life. Starting with human society, Silvertown digs deeper, to show how cooperation is key to the cells forming our organs, to symbiosis between organisms, to genes that band together, to the dawn of life itself. Cooperation has enabled life to thrive and become complex. Without it, life would never have begun.

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Book SynopsisTea is the world’s most popular beverage. Dive into a cup of tea with a chemist and discover the rich molecular brew that can be extracted from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Tea contains over a hundred different chemical compounds which contribute to its colour, taste and scent – and its stimulating effects. The best-known is caffeine, but how does caffeine end up in tea and how can you get it out? Beginning with the leaves, Steeped explores the chemistry behind different styles of tea, from green teas to pu-erh. It tackles the age-old question of when, or even whether, to add milk. And it puts the chemistry to use with advice on how to brew a better cup.Trade ReviewLike many good teachers, Francl scaffolds her knowledge with sip-sized summaries to go along with some of the deeper dives into the molecular world of tea. -- Matthew R Hartings * Nature Chemistry *Table of ContentsA Cup of Chemistry;Reading the Tea Leaves;The Drug in the Cup;The Taste of Zen;The Agony of the Leaves;Sugar and Spice;Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water

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Book Synopsis'A must-read for all the people who loved Oliver Sacks's books. The ending made me cry' -- Temple Grandin"Dear Dr. Sacks . . . You asked me if I could imagine what the world would look like when viewed with two eyes. I told you that I thought I could . . . But, I was wrong."When Susan Barry first wrote to Oliver Sacks, she never expected a response, let alone the deep friendship that blossomed over ten years of letters.Sue, herself a neuroscientist, wrote to share an extraordinary development in her own medical history. Born with problems with her vision, Sue had been told she would never acquire the ability to see in 3D - and yet she did, a development at odds with decades of research. Within days, Oliver replied, "Your letter fills me with amazement and admiration."Sharing an interest in visual perception and a deep love of science, Sue and Oliver began writing back and forth, delving deeper into the mysteries of sight and marvelling at the adaptive capacity of the human body.But in a painful twist of fate, as Sue's vision improved, Oliver's declined, and his characteristic typed letters shifted to handwritten ones. Sue later recognised this to be an early sign of the cancer that ultimately ended his extraordinary life.A funny, fascinating, and intimate glimpse of the great Oliver Sacks, Dear Oliver is also a love letter to scientific inquiry, and a testimony to the power of friendship at any time in life.Trade Review'A must-read for all the people who loved Oliver Sacks's books. The ending made me cry' -- Temple Grandin'A charming book ... [Sacks' and Barry's] mutual wonder at the physical wonders of the universe is infectious. Their witty, affectionate puns made me laugh ... very moving' * The Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisWhat is 4% of 75?Can you calculate 60 + 60 x 0 + 1?Which is bigger, an 18-inch pizza or two 12-inch pizzas?Join award-winning maths presenter Kyle D Evans on an entertaining tour of viral maths problems that have gone wild on social media in recent years. From the infamous 'Hannah's sweets' exam question to percentages 'life-hacks', viral maths problems seem to capture the public's imagination without fail. In Maths Tricks to Blow Your Mind, Kyle presents over 50 viral maths problems with background information, explanations and solutions to similar problems, all in a humorous, accessible and inclusive manner. Want to dazzle and delight your friends and family? This book shows you how!Trade ReviewA chirpy guide to the most shared maths nuggets on the internet. -- Alex Bellos, author of ALEX'S ADVENTURES IN NUMBERLANDA cornucopia of numerical tricks and other quirky delights. I loved it. -- Tim Harford, author of HOW TO MAKE THE WORLD ADD UPWith wit and wisdom, Kyle Evans has compiled what is - literally - the most popular maths on the planet. And he's brought new insights and back stories to many old favourites. -- Rob Eastaway, author of MATHS ON THE BACK OF AN ENVELOPETable of Contentsi: Introduction 1: THIS ONE COOL MATHS TRICK WILL BLOW YOUR MIND: Maths tricks and 'life hacks' 2: IT WAS DIFFERENT IN MY DAY: Pre-internet viral maths 3: BACK TO SCHOOL: Viral exam questions and classroom conundrums 4: OUT OF ORDER: The trouble with BODMAS 5: BAD MATHS: When Facebook meets algebra 6: GET INTO SHAPE: Genius geometry problems vii: CONCLUSION: A better viral maths future? viii: Solutions

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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 updated and pocket-sized edition of The Cloud Book, featuring 12 new recognised cloud forms. This guide to the clouds helps you identify cloud types and understand their implications for the weather. It follows a logical progression from low clouds to high stratus clouds, and on to special clouds.

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Book SynopsisIf you think baby brain is bad for you, think again - because neuroscientist Dr Sarah McKay (author of The Women''s Brain Book) has looked at studies and talked to experts from all over the world and the proof is in: giving birth is one of the best things to ever happen to a woman''s brain.Moreover, the positive effects of baby brain last well beyond the baby stage - even into old age, with elderly mothers'' brains showing resilience to ageing. Plus, the benefits of baby brain show up for non-birth parents - even fatherhood has a profound effect on the hormones and brains of men.This fascinating book weaves together baby brain research and interviews with neuroscientists and women''s health specialists - many of whom are mothers - with personal experiences from parents concerning baby brain, nesting, maternal instinct, social support, anxiety and sleep. In each aspect the conclusion is clear: having a baby improves a mother''s memory, and makes her smarter and more empathetic, intuitive and socially savvy.Baby Brain contains the ultimate good-news story about mothers'' brains, backed up by scientific research from leading experts and presented in highly readable bite-sized sections by one of Australia''s leading science communicators.

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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 SynopsisUnderstanding the human mind and how it relates to the world that we experience has challenged philosophers for centuries. How then do we even begin to think about ‘minds’ that are not human?Taking a uniquely broad view of minds and where they might be found – including in plants, aliens, and God – prize-winning science writer Philip Ball pulls these multidisciplinary pieces together to explore what sorts of minds we might expect to find in the universe.He offers for the first time a unified way of thinking about what minds are and what they can do, arguing that in order to understand our own minds and imagine those of others, we need to move on from considering the human mind as a standard against which all others should be measured, and to think about the ‘space of possible minds’.Ball sheds new light on a host of fascinating questions. What moral rights should we afford animals, and can we understand their thoughts? Should we worry that AI is going to take over society? If there are intelligent aliens out there, how could we communicate with them? Should we? Ball’s thrillingly ambitious The Book of Minds about the nature and existence of minds is more mind-expanding than we could imagine. In this fascinating panorama of other minds, we come to better know our own.

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Book SynopsisNew concise edition with a new introduction, abridged for the modern reader. The Principia. Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy is one of the most important scientific works ever to have been written and has had a profound impact on modern science. Consisting of three separate books, the Principia states Newton’s laws of motion and Newton’s law of universal gravitation. Understanding and acceptance of these theories was not immediate, however by the end of the seventeenth century no one could deny that Newton had far exceeded all previous works and revolutionised scientific thinking. The FLAME TREE Foundations series features core publications which together have shaped the cultural landscape of the modern world, with cutting-edge research distilled into pocket guides designed to be both accessible and informative.

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Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2023*  ‘This book soars… Parikian is a nature writer at the top of his game.’ Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs ___ This is the miracle of flight as you’ve never seen it before: the evolutionary story of life on the wing. A bird flits overhead. It’s an everyday occurrence, repeated hundreds, thousands, millions of times daily by creatures across the world. It’s something so normal, so entirely taken for granted, that sometimes we forget how extraordinary it is. But take that in for a moment. This animal flies. It. Flies. The miracle of flight has evolved in hugely diverse ways, with countless variations of flapping and gliding, hovering and diving, murmurating and migrating. Conjuring lost worlds, ancient species and ever-shifting ecologies, this exhilarating new book is a mesmerising encounter with fourteen flying species: from the first fluttering insect of 300 million years ago to the crested pterosaurs of the Mesozoic Era, from hummingbirds that co-evolved with rainforest flowers to the wonders of dragonfly, albatross, pipistrelle and monarch butterfly with which we share the planet today. Taking Flight is a mind-expanding feat of the imagination, a close encounter with flight in its myriad forms, urging us to look up and drink in the spectacle of these gravity-defying marvels that continue to shape life on Earth. ‘[Lev Parikian] brings a sense of infectious enthusiasm to his account of the evolution of flight in the natural world, from mayflies and bees to bats and hummingbirds by way of pterosaurs and archaeopteryx, combining a wealth of information with a sense of wonder.’ The Observer ‘This accessible account of the animal kingdom’s development of flight exhibits a layman’s enthusiasm for an everyday wonder.’ Rebecca Foster, TLSTrade Review'[Lev Parikian] brings a sense of infectious enthusiasm to his account of the evolution of flight in the natural world, from mayflies and bees to bats and hummingbirds by way of pterosaurs and archaeopteryx, combining a wealth of information with a sense of wonder.' The Observer 'This accessible account of the animal kingdom's development of flight exhibits a layman's enthusiasm for an everyday wonder.’ Times Literary Supplement ‘Engaging’ Country Life ‘A compelling, chatty and wildly informative look at the various species on Earth with the ability to fly … An evocative, entertaining and educational flight path through the natural histories of various winged creatures.’ BirdGuides ‘This book soars… Parikian is a nature writer at the top of his game.’ Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs ‘I didn't want this flight to end.’ Jon Dunn, author of The Glitter in the Green ‘Magical and uplifting’ Ann Pettifor, author of The Case for the New Green Deal ‘Whether you’re an engineer, a linguist, a historian or just curious, this book has something for you … Get ready to be swept away by the expertly crafted harmony of Taking Flight.’ Professor Lucy Rogers, author of It’s ONLY Rocket Science ‘Lev Parikian explores one of nature’s most astounding evolutionary conjuring tricks ... A work of clarity, levity and joy.’ Caspar Henderson, author of A New Map of Wonders ‘This is a soaring, joyful book, filled with the wit and wonder of aerial gymnastics, deep time, evolution and biology. It might just be the nearest thing to flight in a literary form.’ Patrick Barkham, author of Wild Isles ‘A beautiful concept, flawlessly executed, Taking Flight is among the most charming popular science books I’ve read in years. Parikian is fast becoming one of the finest science writers out there.’ Jules Howard, author of Wonderdog ‘Witty and enlightening. This book may not give you wings, but it will give you a deep appreciation for all those animals that glide, soar, hover and flutter… and penguins.’ Helen Pilcher, author of Life Changing: How Humans are Changing Life on Earth ‘Lev Parikian has produced a clear, crisp and entertaining account of the history of animal flight. A delightful and insightful read.’ Dominic Couzens, author of A Year of Bird Song ‘Had P. G. Wodehouse ghost-written Attenborough’s Life on Earth, we might have had Taking Flight forty years ago. This is a charming book, which – like its author – fizzes with erudition, wordplay and humour.’ Nick Acheson, author of The Meaning of Geese ‘Taking Flight is full of wonders, large and small, and Lev’s own sense of the astounding fact of flight will make you look at the world differently. Those of us who can’t distinguish a pigeon from a pterosaur will learn lots, but it’s also bang up to date and informed by research.’ Chris Lintott, University of Oxford ‘Taking Flight is a triumph of science communication. Full of surprises, insights and connections, I found delights with every turn of the page.’ Amy-Jane Beer, author of The Flow ‘This book is fascinating - packed with “well, I never!” and “who’d have thought?” lines which you feel compelled to share with anyone within earshot - and beautifully written with characteristic warmth and humour.’ Brigit Strawbridge, author of Dancing with Bees

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Book Synopsis*A brand new and updated edition for 2024, including the latest insights on diet and weight management drugs, gene editing, cancer testing, anti-ageing, ultra-processed foods and much more*Professor Tim Spector, number one bestselling author of SPOON FED and FOOD FOR LIFE, reveals the astonishing new science that is changing everything we thought we knew about genes and identity.Since the discovery of DNA, scientists have believed that genes are fixed entities that cannot be changed by environment. Spector''s pioneering epigenetics studies, and the latest genetic research, show that our genes are more like plastic, able to change shape and evolve, and these changes can be passed on to future generations.This dazzling guide to the hidden world of our genes will make you rethink everything from sexuality to religion, cancer to autism, politics to pubic hair, clones to bacteria, and what it is that makes us all so unique and quintessentiall

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