Popular science Books
Floris Books The Story of Water Source of Life
Book SynopsisDiscusses all aspects of water and the evolution of life, including how water acts as the medium of communication between all living organisms.Trade Review"Alick Bartholomew has done a great service to us all by putting the fundamental issues of water so clearly and lucidly in front of us. His [book] is a perfect guide to show us the way to put right our broken relationship with water. This is one of those rare books which brings science, spirituality and practicality in one integrated whole."--Satish Kumar, Editor, Resurgence"In a single volume, by analysing and synthesising the insights of recent research into the qualities of water that best support life, Alick has taken us a step closer to answering that most fundamental of questions, 'What is Life?'!" --Chris Weedon, Co-founder The Water Association"Alick Bartholomew's new book: 'The Story of Water: Source of Life' is a passionate attempt to get us to stop taking water for granted and to give it the attention - and respect and even love - it deserves 'The Story of Water' covers just about everything that you would want, or need, to know about this most precious element. The book is encyclopaedic in scope, testament to Bartholomew's long and deeply-researched interest in the subject 'The Story of Water' remains a thought-provoking book which should be read widely."-- Paul Carline, New View, Autumn 2010"In this unique, wide-ranging work, which includes some beautiful colour plates, Bartholomew reiterates the importance and characteristics of water, its purpose in the Cosmos and our solar system, its atmospheric and terrestrial cycles, and its role in nuturing animal and plant life as well as evolutionary progress."-- Ruth Parnell, Nexus"Words cannot describe the extraordinarily comprehensive, deep and lucid treatment of the role of water within our bodies and in the environment. Based on more than a century of scientific study, much of which hasn't been recognized by mainstream scientists, Bartholemew's magnum opus argues convincingly that water is most life-giving and life-enhancing substance known to humanity: we can either destroy ourselves and our surroundings by polluting our water or we can heal through natural processes, positive intention and vortex motion. Water has consciousness and memory. This is the most important book I've read in the new century and will be required reading for all my students."-- Brian O'Leary, Ph.D, author of The Energy Solution Revolution"Through a more profound understanding of the nature of water, Alick has made a very significant contribution to the emergence of a holistic worldview, while not neglecting the ecological and political dimentions of water with which we will have to deal collectively in the next 20 years, This book is essential reading for those who wish to understand the real story of water."-- David Lorimer, Scientific and Medical Network Review, Winter 2010'A rich tapestry that describes the story of water form its many aspects and appearances It helps give a deeper appreciation of water so that we can give it the respect it deserves. The book starts with lovely meditation.'-- Star & furrow, Winter 2011
£19.54
Cambridge University Press Our Genes
Book SynopsisSituated at the intersection of natural science and philosophy, Our Genes explores historical practices, investigates current trends, and imagines future work in genetic research to answer persistent, political questions about human diversity. Readers are guided through fascinating thought experiments, complex measures and metrics, fundamental evolutionary patterns, and in-depth treatment of exciting case studies. The work culminates in a philosophical rationale, based on scientific evidence, for a moderate position about the explanatory power of genes that is often left unarticulated. Simply put, human evolutionary genomics - our genes - can tell us much about who we are as individuals and as collectives. However, while they convey scientific certainty in the popular imagination, genes cannot answer some of our most important questions. Alternating between an up-close and a zoomed-out focus on genes and genomes, individuals and collectives, species and populations, Our Genes argues thTrade Review'Winther's book is a synthesis of philosophical perspectives on modern evolutionary genomics, written by one of the few people in the world who have a sufficiently deep understanding of both philosophy and biology to achieve such an undertaking. It is a remarkable tour de force of the philosophy of genomics that should be essential reading for students and scholars interested in the broader implications of human genomic research. But the book will also appeal to a more general audience interested in understanding genetics and in finding out what genetics and evolutionary biology can, and cannot, tell them about the fundamental question: Who am I?' Rasmus Nielsen, University of California, Berkeley, USA'Our Genes makes a significant and welcome contribution! Race theorists seeking to reconcile humanities training and impulses with the insights of contemporary genomics will find Winther's rigorous but accessible study particularly valuable. This is vital work.' Paul C. Taylor, Vanderbilt University, USA'It's a rare book indeed in which someone from another discipline examines the basic suppositions and habits of thought characteristic of one's own field with equal parts inspiration and care such that it gives you a whole new perspective on what you do and why. Rasmus Winther's Our Genes is one such book. It is a seamless alloy of evolution, genetics, and the philosophy of biology in which each topic is explained in a manner accessible to non-experts. It also subjects these ideas to deep examination and cogent criticism with pressing implications both for how philosophers should approach problems in population genetics and how population geneticists might sharpen their questions. It should be widely and closely read in philosophy and population genetics seminars alike and could well form the foundation for a new generation of fruitful collaborations between philosophers and population geneticists.' Charles S. Roseman, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA'Our Genes isn't the last word, it's the first words you should read on the population genetics, molecular genetics, and gene/environment interaction that shaped Homo sapiens over the last several hundred thousand years. Rasmus Winther has produced a tour de force of scientific synthesis, and philosophical analysis, and wisdom about the uses of both.' Alex Rosenberg, Duke University, USATable of ContentsPreface; 1. Introduction; 2. Origins and Histories; 3. The Mind, the Lab, and the Field: Three Kinds of Populations; 4. Metrics and Measures; 5. Models and Methodologies; 6. Six Patterns of Human Genomic Variation; 7. Natural Selection; 8. Intelligence, Female Orgasm, and Future Discovery; 9. Is Race Real?; 10. The Conscious Universe: Genes in Complex Systems; Bibliography; Index.
£24.29
WW Norton & Co Wild New World
Book SynopsisIn 1908, near Folsom, New Mexico, a cowboy discovered the remains of a herd of extinct giant bison. By examining flint points embedded in the bones, archeologists later determined that a band of humans had killed and butchered the animals 12,450 years ago. This discovery vastly expanded America's known human history but also revealed the long-standing danger Homo sapiens presented to the continent's evolutionary richness. Distinguished author Dan Flores's ambitious history chronicles the epoch in which humans and animals have coexisted in the wild new world of North Americaa place shaped both by its own grand evolutionary forces and by momentous arrivals from Asia, Africa, and Europe. With portraits of iconic creatures such as mammoths, horses, wolves, and bison, Flores describes the evolution and historical ecology of North America like never before. The arrival of humans precipitated an extraordinary disruption of this teeming environment. Flores treats humans not as a species Trade Review"This is a magnificent achievement—a sweeping saga stretching across thousands of years. With his sharp eye for compelling anecdotes, Dan Flores weaves an unfolding story that keeps you turning the pages." -- Dayton Duncan, author of The National Parks: America's Best Idea"Dan Flores has given us a searing and devastating accounting of what has been lost since humans first set foot in North America. This is environmental history at its best: gracefully written, filled with marvelous new details, and infused with a quiet fury that comes across as well-earned and long overdue. It belongs on the same shelf as Barry Lopez’s Of Wolves and Men." -- Nate Blakeslee, author of American Wolf"Flores is a judicious and even-handed writer, and Wild New World provides readers with a sweeping and nuanced look from…a wise writer, disarmingly keen-eyed. Wild New World is full of wonders…Flores does a consistently marvelous job." -- Open Letters Review"An amazing history…Flores at his best." -- Birdfreak"This is the best book I have read on Americans and the amazing wildlife of this amazing continent. Dan Flores is sweeping, bold, and eloquent, weaving together modern genetic science and traditional literature, people and nature, the history of biology and of laws and politics. He informs us about the world that was, the world we have destroyed, while immersing us in his own personal search for the world that is. An inspiring work." -- Donald Worster, author of A Passion for Nature"Wild New World surveys America’s bestiary, teeming and rambunctious. Roaming its pages is like having an all-access pass to the backstory of a continent. Dan Flores is an erudite and indefatigable guide on this multidimensional journey through space, time, natural and human history, overflowing with arcane knowledge and surprising insight that is bolstered by the latest science, and, above all, an abiding love for this land and its creatures, past and present." -- John Vaillant, author of The Jaguar’s Children and The Tiger"I’ve never encountered a work like Wild New World—nothing even close in the scope, depth, and analysis." -- John Miles - National Parks Traveler"Never has there been so complete, so fascinating, and so accessible a telling of the long history of people with American wildlife." -- Obi Kaufmann, author of The California Lands trilogy"[Dan] Flores relates this huge body of information about the birth of America with both style and clarity…It enlightens readers about where we came from and where we might be headed in the future." -- Leslie Doran - Durango Herald"The future of conservation, and our own survival, depends on busting some of the most stubborn myths that have embedded themselves in Western belief systems—ideologies that have, for centuries, steered us down a course of overexploitation of our planet’s resources…In Flores’ deft hands the facts, fortified by the latest findings in ecology, genetics, and archaeology, fly off the pages in vivid and fascinating detail." -- Isabella Tree - Bookpost"To see this book nominated for the National Book Award or nominated for a Pulitzer would not surprise me." -- Steven Rinella, author of American Buffalo"A passionate history of North American animal life and people.... Outstanding." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"[Wild New World is] a tale of wonder at what was and the pathos of extinction, both ancient and current. Flores writes beautifully of how geography shaped the landscape, of the impact of the spread of humans across the land during the Ice Age…. This is an outstanding and invaluable work of popular science." -- Booklist (starred review)"Flores is a skilled raconteur ….Wild New World succeeds in establishing a powerful, and credible, narrative of life and death in North America." -- Michelle Nijhuis - New York Review of Books
£15.19
Orion Publishing Co When We Touch
Book Synopsis''A mind-expanding tour of what touch means.'' DAVID EAGLEMAN, neuroscientist and author of Incognito and LivewiredWhy is a hugged person a healthier person?Why do high-fiving teams win more matches?How does a shared handshake make you more likely to tell the truth?We rely on touch every day of our lives. It makes us who we are. It helps us connect with those around us. And yet touch between individuals can be fraught with confusion and misunderstanding.In When We Touch, social neuroscientist Professor Michael Banissy blends expert scientific insights with anecdotes from 90s rom coms to office politics to explore the new science of human touch. His groundbreaking new book explains how touch impacts every part of our lives, from why touch is essential for healthy development, to how kissing might help us choose a genetically beneficial mate to how holding hands with a loved one can help us feel l
£16.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC How Nature Keeps Time
Book SynopsisAn accessible and thought-provoking introduction to timespans in the natural world, featuring more than 80 beautifully designed diagrams and charts.Which organisms live the longest? How does the natural world recover from wildfires? How long do eggs take to hatch? What are the world's fastest- and slowest- growing plants? Which species invest the most in parental care?The graphic number line is a potent pattern that explains much of our world, from the life cycle of immortal jellyfish to the perfect amount of time for a good sleep'. Beautifully illustrated with reader-friendly infographics and stunning colour photography, How Nature Keeps Time visually maps the amounts of time bounded by growth, distance, age, reproduction, sleep, death and other key behaviours. Join science and comedy writer Helen Pilcher as she examines a broad range of species from across the world and throughout time. As our natural world draws our attention to its plight, this fascinating book offerTrade ReviewA beautifully designed hardback. * BBC Wildlife *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: Evolutionary Spans Chapter Two: Ecological Spans Chapter Three: Life Spans Chapter Four: Growth Spans Chapter Five: Behavioural Spans Chapter Six: Biological Spans Further Reading Index Image Credits
£15.29
Hodder & Stoughton The Skeptics Guide to the Future
Book SynopsisOUT NOW: the new book from the bestselling authors and hosts of the wildy popular ''The Skeptics Guide to the Universe''__________Our predictions of the future are a wild fantasy, inextricably linked to our present hopes and fears, biases and ignorance. Whether they be the outlandish leaps predicted in the 1920s, like multi-purpose utility belts with climate control capabilities and planes the size of luxury cruise ships, or the forecasts of the ''60s, which didn''t anticipate the sexual revolution or women''s liberation, the path to the present is littered with failed predictions and incorrect estimations.The best we can do is try to absorb from futurism''s checkered past, perhaps learning to do a little better.In The Skeptics'' Guide To The Future, Steven Novella and his co-authors build upon the work of futurists of the past by examining what they got right, what they got wrong, and how they came to those conclusi
£17.00
Hodder & Stoughton The Busy Brain Cure
Book SynopsisAn eye-opening guidebook for professionals looking to overcome their chronic stress, burnout and Busy Brain symptoms using a simple eight-week plan by Dr Romie Mushtaq.Traditional methods in neurology and psychiatry treat anxiety, ADD and insomnia as three separate diseases. The results are an addictive cycle that Dr Romie Mushtaq defines as the Busy Brain, using stimulants like caffeine to stay focused and energised during the day and then using sedatives like alcohol or sleeping pills at night.Based on over twenty years of clinical research and experience, The Busy Brain Cure helps to break the addiction of the stimulant-sedative cycle and restore sleep, sanity and a sense of connection.
£15.29
Dorling Kindersley Ltd Science Experiments
Book SynopsisA household name thanks to popular TV series that include The Human Body, which won three British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), Superhuman, Walking with Cavemen, and The Human Mind, Lord Winston's pioneering work in the field of human fertility helped thousands of childless couples have "miracle babies" and earned him an outstanding international reputation. A winner of the Royal Society's prestigious Michael Faraday Gold Award, he was made a life peer in 1995. He is Emeritus Professor of Fertility Studies at Imperial College London, and an active researcher in reproductive physiology. A champion of science education who has appeared on television, such as The Late Late Show With James Corden, Professor Winston's other DK books for children include That's Life, Home Lab, and My Amazing Body Machine.
£13.49
Simon & Schuster What We Believe But Cannot Prove
Book SynopsisWhat do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it? This was the question posed by John Brockman to a group of leading scientists and thinkers via his Edge.org website. The subsequent answers created a media storm and prompted a fiery debate about all aspects of science, technology and even the nature of proof. WHAT WE BELIEVE BUT CANNOT PROVE brings together the very best answers from the most eminent contributors. Here is Ian McEwan on the absence of an afterlife; Richard Dawkins on the relationship between design and evolution; and Jared Diamond on when humans first reached the Americas. Other contributions from luminaries like Steven Pinker, John Horgan and Martin Rees span the whole range of scientific endeavour and human experience, from the future of computing to the origins of intelligence; from insights into childhood behaviour to cutting-edge cosmology. Thought-provoking and hugely compelling, this collection is both a fascinating insight into the instinctive beliefs
£10.79
Pan Macmillan Quirkology
Book SynopsisEver wondered why bad musicians always win the Eurovision Song Contest, or how incompetent politicians get elected?You need some Quirkology in your life.While other scientists beaver away on obvious problems, Richard Wiseman has been busy uncovering the secret ingredients of charisma, exploring how our personalities are shaped by when we are born and examining why people usually miss the obvious signs of their partner's infidelity. Using scientific methods to investigate offbeat topics that interest the general public as well as the scientific community, Quirkology brings a new understanding to the backwaters of the human mind and takes us to places where mainstream scientists fear to tread. Comparable to Freakonomics, but British, far more populist, and a lot funnier.Findings include:How does your surname influence your life?What does the way you walk reveal about your personality?Why should women have men wri
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Shaping of Us
Book SynopsisYou are going to be transported by what Bernheimer has to say. You''ll make different decisions and figure out how your brain is working and what should be prioritized in your life Jo Good, BBC LondonWhat makes everyday spaces work, how do they shape us, and what do they say about us?The spaces we live in - whether public areas, housing, offices, hospitals, or cities - mediate community, creativity, and our very identity, making us who we are. Using insights from environmental psychology, design, and architecture, The Shaping of Us reveals the often imperceptible ways in which our surroundings influence our behaviour.Wide-ranging and global examples cover the differences between personalities and nationalities, explore grass-roots and mainstream efforts to build environments promoting well-being, and look ahead to what will become of us if we don''t listen closely to what we know is good for us.You will learn whether you arTrade Review'An analysis of how we could design the whole of our environment to be better... She sets out to entertainingly chart the 20th-century history of research into how where we are shapes who we are. It's a timely volume given the current level of interest in the relationship between buildings and health' Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs magazine'You are going to be transported by what Bernheimer has to say. You'll make different decisions and figure out how your brain is working and what should be prioritized in your life' Jo Good, BBC London'Just a great book. Few things matter more than the spaces we inhabit, and Bernheimer convincingly states the case for design that accepts humanity as we actually are. You will never look at your neighbour, home or office quite the same way ever again' Tim Wu, author of The Attention Merchants and The Curse of Bigness'Environmental psychologist Bernheimer provides a fascinating introduction to her field in this far-reaching look at how the spaces in which humans live, work, and play affect their behaviour ... Readers will finish this feeling better educated about the role of design and more alert to its impact on everyone's lives' Publishers Weekly'How do our environments - built, natural, and biological - fit or fail to fit our needs as human beings? Lily Bernheimer takes us on a tour, a tour de force, of illuminating cases, with sage advice for those who design spaces for human beings to live humane lives' George Lakoff, author of Where Mathematics Comes From: How the Embodied Mind Brings Mathematics into Being'We have built an urban environment for ourselves, and it shapes us in return. In order to become happier and more effective humans, Bernheimer shows us how we must modify our cities, workplaces, and homes. Her book is an ideal introduction to this essential task' Max Jacobson, co-author of A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction'In this exceptionally readable book, Bernheimer has translated research findings and design practice into a highly engaging account of how we interact with and mold the spaces around us. She shows us that with more thought and imagination, our buildings and cities could provide us with more stimulating, rewarding, and livable environments' David Uzzell, professor of environmental psychology, University of Surrey
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group The Physics of Everyday Things
Book SynopsisMost of us are clueless when it comes to the physics that makes our modern world so convenient. What''s the simple science behind motion sensors, touch screens and toasters? How do we enter our offices using touch-on passes or find our way to new places using GPS? In The Physics of Everyday Things, James Kakalios takes us on an amazing journey into the subatomic marvels that underlie so much of what we use and take for granted.Breaking down the world of things into a single day, Kakalios engages our curiosity about how our refrigerators keep food cool, how a plane manages to remain airborne, and how our wrist fitness monitors keep track of our steps. Each explanation is coupled with a story revealing the interplay of the astonishing invisible forces that surround us. Through this ''narrative physics'' The Physics of Everyday Things demonstrates that - far from the abstractions conjured by terms like the Higgs boson, black holes and gravity waves - sophisticTrade ReviewPhysics is at heart a search for basic underlying principles, whether in comic-book universes or our everyday lives. You won't find a better, more enjoyable tour guide to how the laws of physics explain the world all around us -- Sean Carroll, physicist at Caltech and author of The Big PictureThink how much richer your life would be if you understood how the beloved devices that govern your daily life actually worked. You might be surprised to learn that even the most common ones - like your smartphone and GPS - depend on the wonders of modern physics. A new world awaits you in this accessible and charming volume -- Lawrence M. Krauss, director of the Origins Project and author of A Universe from Nothing and The Greatest Story Ever Told – So FarFrom start to finish, this is a fun and comprehensive introduction to many of the forces that govern how we interact with each other and the world around us . . . Once again, Kakalios makes physics relatable, this time demonstrating how profoundly its principles enable our way of life * Kirkus Reviews *Sure to awaken in readers a new awareness of science operating beneath familiar surfaces, this analysis also opens a historical perspective on the inventions that have reshaped the world - once dependent on little-understood steam engines, now exploiting ingeniously engineered semiconductors. A fascinating inquiry exposing hidden science * Booklist *
£14.24
Little, Brown Book Group Wired For Love
Book SynopsisFrom the world''s foremost neuroscientist of romantic love comes the untold story of what happens in our brains when we are in love.Dr Stephanie Cacioppo shares revelatory insights into how we fall in love, and why; what makes love last; and how we process love lost - all grounded in cutting-edge findings in brain chemistry and behavioural science. You will learn how to make a closer bond in your relationship, how to make sure the spark isn''t lost, how to tell the difference between lust and love, and how to find a path beyond heartbreak or bereavement.Wired for Love is not just a science story, but also a love story. At thirty-seven, Dr. Stephanie Cacioppo was content to be single. She was fulfilled by her work on the neuroscience of romantic love; how finding and growing with a partner literally reshapes our brains. That was, until she met the foremost neuroscientist of loneliness. A whirlwind romance led to marriage, to sharing an office at the UnivTrade Review'This meditation on love is deep in every sense: in scientific richness, in human insight, and in moving personal involvement' Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind Works'When John and Steph met it was electric, consuming, forever. One might even say 'wacky' from the start. But then their love grew to be inseparable, collaborative, joyous and infinitely inventive. And while their scholarship and devotion to science hit new levels, it was their bond in love that was a joy to know. This book captures that joy' Michael Gazzaniga, author of The Consciousness Instinct'Anyone looking for love would be well advised to read her expert tips on how to spark romance and make it last. Don't offer anyone your heart. Offer them your brain and enjoy the fireworks' - Daily Mail'Cacioppo's writing becomes more intimate as her life story stitches closer to her research. Her conclusion is enchanting and uplifting ... A beautiful testament to romantic love, scientific passion and the endless possibility of connection' Kirkus'Filled with a little something for everyone, Wired for Love is a unique take on a memoir that will take you on a journey of grief and healing with a reminder to keep your heart open to all the beauty and pain that life might bring' Mindful'Cacioppo blends memoir and science in her debut, an enlightening testament to love's ability to enhance one's life ... Readers will be both fascinated and moved' Publishers Weekly'...an engaging guide through the scientific portions of the book, and her own experiences of connection and loss enrich the narrative. Together, these intertwined strands of science and personal narrative make for a sprightly, illuminating book' BookPage
£17.00
Headline Publishing Group The Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar
Book SynopsisFor fans of WHAT IF? and NEW SCIENTIST comes this brilliantly funny and informative look at the stranger side of evolution.Featuring:The Zombie ants mind-controlled by a fungusBeautiful salamanders that can regenerate any part of their bodies, including their brainsThe mantis shrimp, which fires its club-like appendage so fast that the surrounding water becomes as hot as the surface of the sunThe Antechinus, whose runaway testosterone levels cause them to have so much sex during their three-week mating season that they bleed internally, go blind, and drop dead...Featuring quirky illustrations and the signature blend of science smarts and humour that make Matt Simon''s Wired column so entertaining, this is an ideal stocking-filler for every popular science aficionado...
£11.69
Headline Publishing Group Ice
Book Synopsis*NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEST TRAVEL BOOKS OF 2020*The curious and vanishing world of ice in Greenland, told through 24 hours in the life of a polar scientist.''Insightful, lyrical, and personal'' - Jon Gertner''Evokes the ice sheet''s magnificence and fragility'' - Elizabeth KolbertOne of the least inhabited and most mysterious parts of the world, Greenland is a singular place on Earth from which to look for the future of our planet and question its history. Polar scientist Marco Tedesco, a world-leading expert on ice and on climate change, takes us along as he and his fellow researchers conduct all-important measurements to understand the dramatic changes afoot on the immense polar ice cap. Following a day in the life of this disappearing world, Tedesco tells us about improbable ''polar camels'', cryoconite holes, gigantic meteorite debris, the epic deeds of great Arctic explorers and the legends of Greenland''Trade ReviewWhen it comes to ice and snow, and to understanding the cold and exotic climates of Greenland and Antarctica, Marco Tedesco is one of the most knowledgeable scientists alive. Ice is a terrific complement to his important academic work - a book that is insightful, lyrical, and personal, and that will help guide readers through the science of a warming world * Jon Gertner, author of The Ice at the End of the World and The Idea Factory *As Marco Tedesco explains, the Greenland ice sheet plays an oversized role in life on earth. Tedesco and Alberto Flores d'Arcais have done a wonderful job evoking the ice sheet's magnificence and fragility * Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction *Tedesco shares scientific and historical insight into Arctic ice, discussing the hardy microorganisms that live in it, the famed explorers behind major discoveries about the ice, and the threat posed by climate change * Publishers Weekly *Imagine a science book that's truly informative but without an intimidating slew of equations, graphs, and references. That book is Ice - a book about ice, climate, Greenland, and the daily life of scientists who study these esoteric topics. It's a beautifully told story that will make you wish you could spend a year alone on the Greenland ice sheet * Henry Pollack, Professor Emeritus at The University of Michigan Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and author of A World Without Ice *In this illuminating narrative, history, science and the deeply personal experiences of living on ice are woven together in a way that offers the reader a unique perspective on the past, present, and future of the Greenland ice sheet. The colors and sounds of migrating ice, the challenges of tent life in one of the planet's harshest settings, the importance of companionship, and the wild world's power to inspire deep reflection and contemplation all make this book a must-read for anyone who is curious about the frozen Arctic landscape or concerned about the impacts of climate change * William E. Glassley, author of A Wilder Time: Notes from a Geologist at the Edge of the Greenland Ice *Marco Tedesco tells us a story we need to hear. Most of us will never see Greenland with our own eyes, but we can see it, in all its splendor, through his. Tedesco teaches us that we are not just caretakers of our home planet, although we need to be that and do that, but also that we are intimately connected to the snow and ice of Greenland. As it melts, all of us, everywhere, are changed. * Susan Hand Shetterly, author of Seaweed Chronicles *Greenland is ground zero for the monumental change sweeping over our world during the Anthropocene. Dr. Tedesco makes a valuable and much-needed contribution toward the dire story unfolding in this great and sometimes enigmatic land * James Balog, A.D. White Professor-at-Large *Glaciologist Marco Tedesco, working with Italian journalist Alberto Flores d'Arcais, does a gripping job of evoking Greenland's ice sheet. * National Geographic, Best Travel Books of 2020 *
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Planet Factory
Book SynopsisTwenty years ago, the search for planets--and life--outside the solar system was a job restricted to science fiction writers. It is now one of the most rapidly growing fields in astronomy, with thousands of these exoplanets discovered so far. The detection of these worlds has only been possible in the last decade, with the number of discoveries increasing enormously over the last year following the findings of the Kepler Space Telescope. These new worlds are more alien than anything in fiction. Planets larger than Jupiter with years lasting one week, planets circling the dead remains of stars, others with two suns lighting their skies or with no sun at all. These locations hint at Earth-sized worlds but with split hemispheres of perpetual day and night, waterworlds drowning under global oceans, and volcanic lava planets spewing seas of magma. The Planet Factory tells the story of exoplanets, planets orbiting stars outside of our solar system. Discover Trade ReviewA precious compendium on what we can say about the formation of planets, and how much our knowledge has progressed in recent years. * Nature *Packed with interesting insights and scientific content that capably captures the current state of exoplanet research. * Sky at Night *If you’ve always been intrigued by extrasolar planets — or even if you haven’t! — you’ll want to move this book to the top of your reading list. * Sky & Telescope *Engaging and informative ... a great introduction to a relatively new and fast-changing aspect of scientific endeavour. * Engineering and Technology *Brilliantly written ... Tasker highlights how difficult the hunt for planets is. I highly recommend this book. * Physics World *This splendidly readable and authoritative book succeeds at the near-impossible task of explaining all you need to know about the revolutionary and fast-moving scientific field that's seeking out these new worlds and what may be lurking on them. -- Caleb Scharf, Directory of Astrobiology, Columbia UniversityElizabeth Tasker is the perfect guide in this astronomical adventure story; she brings the world’s leading planet hunters vividly to life and demystifies the crucial technical details of the research with impressive clarity and a light, engaging touch. -- Michael D. Lemonick, Chief Opinion Editor at Scientific American and the author of Mirror Earth: The Search for Our Planet’s TwinIn a lively science narrative spiced with a sly humour, Elizabeth Tasker makes learning about the planets of our Solar System and beyond into a rich and rewarding pleasure. -- Marc Kaufman, author of First Contact and Mars Up Close, and founder of NASA’S online column ‘Many Worlds’Elizabeth Tasker’s book is a surprisingly complete description of the current state of astronomy of extrasolar planets, presented in a way that is extremely entertaining and accessible. I highly recommend it to everyone who would like to get acquainted with this still-new, fascinating field of science. -- Aleksander Wolszczan, discoverer of the first exoplanetTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: The Blind Planet Hunters PART 1: THE FACTORY FLOOR Chapter 1: The Factory Floor2 Chapter 2: The Record-breaking Building Project Chapter 3: The Problem with Gas Chapter 4: Air and Sea PART 2: DANGEROUS PLANETS Chapter 5: The Impossible Planet Chapter 6: We Are Not Normal Chapter 7: Water, Diamonds or Lava? The Planet Recipe Nobody Knew Chapter 8: Worlds Around Dead Stars Chapter 9: The Lands of Two Suns Chapter 10: The Planetary Crime Scene Chapter 11: Going Rogue PART 3: GOLDILOCKS WORLDS Chapter 12: The Goldilocks Criteria Chapter 13: The Search for Another Earth Chapter 14: Alien Vistas Chapter 15: Beyond the Goldilocks Zone Chapter 16: The Moon Factory Chapter 17: The Search for Life Author’s note Glossary Further Reading Acknowledgements Index
£10.79
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Clearing the Air
Book Synopsis**SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY INSIGHT INVESTMENT SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2019**''Read this book and join the effort to terminate air pollution.'' - Arnold SchwarzeneggerAir pollution has become the world's greatest environmental health risk, and science is only beginning to reveal its wide-ranging effects. Globally, 19,000 people die each day from air pollution, killing more than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and car accidents combined.What happened to the air we breathe?Sustainability journalist Tim Smedley has travelled the world to try and find the answer, visiting cities at the forefront of the fight against air pollution, including Delhi, Beijing, London and Paris. With insights from the scientists and politicians leading the battle against it, and people whose lives have been affected by it, Clearing the Air tells the full story of air pollution for the first time: what it is, which pollutants are harmful, where they come from and most importantly Trade ReviewAir pollution is a serious problem that we all have the power to solve. Tim Smedley's book, Clearing the Air, shows how the fightback against air pollution works. Tim's book is action-packed and his global journey of discovery uncovers the real heroes who are taking a stand and fighting for their right to breathe clean air. Read this book and join the effort to terminate air pollution. -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, 38th Governor of CaliforniaWhether describing Paris's Journee sans Voiture or electric buses in Beijing and Milton Keynes, Clearing the Air not only suggests that tackling pollution is possible, but also shows how, in many places, the work is already being done. In a news cycle that increasingly informs us that all hope is lost, it is uplifting to read that Smedley, an award-winning sustainability journalist, does not think so. * Times Literary Supplement *Clearing the Air is incredibly well researched with plenty of numbers and facts to back up Smedley’s arguments. This is an important book and one that I whole-heartedly recommend. Even if politicians are slow to take measures about the air quality where you live, Clearing the Air will help you to play your part in creating a cleaner and healthier future. * Chemistry World *Clearing the Air sets out in simple terms the monumental damage that dirty air is causing to us and our environment. It also gives us the remarkably simple, logical solutions that need embracing across the world. Compulsory reading. -- Chris Boardman, Olympic Gold Medallist and Greater Manchester's Cycling and Walking CommissionerTim Smedley's indignation about the years of cover-ups and lies by governments and corporations is well founded. There are scientific details packed between the covers of this personal account – atmospheric chemistry, automative engineering, health effects and much more. The technical details are woven seamlessly into the story. It left me with a growing feeling of hope: people around the world are demanding breathable air! -- Mary Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB)A wonderfully written book that takes you through the fascinating and terrifying story of air pollution, and explains how billions of people unwittingly ended up breathing toxic air. What Tim does so well is to articulate a simple truth that ultimately leaves you with hope: it doesn’t have to be this way. Air pollution is a man-made problem and Clearing the Air sets out the simple steps that governments and individuals must take to ensure that everyone can breathe clean air. Read it and take action! -- James Thornton, CEO, ClientEarthA thoughtful, worthwhile book that fulfils the important role of observing air pollution across widespread regions of the world. China is not the first country to experience the environmental impacts of industrialization, and it will not be the last. -- Ma Jun, Director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, Beijing, ChinaTable of ContentsPrologue PART I: ORIGINS Chapter 1: The Greatest Smog? Chapter 2: Life’s a Gas Chapter 3: Particulate Matters Chapter 4: No Smoke Without Fire Chapter 5: The Dash for Diesel Chapter 6: Struggling to Breathe PART II: FIGHTBACK Chapter 7: The Greatest Smog Solution? Chapter 8: Electric Dreams Chapter 9: Road Rage Chapter 10: What Price Fresh Air? Epilogue The Clean Air Blueprint: For Cities The Clean Air Blueprint: For You References Acknowledgements
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John Murray Press Chance
Book SynopsisFor you to be here today reading this requires a mind-boggling series of lucky breaks, starting with the Big Bang and ending in your own conception. So it''s not surprising that we persist in thinking that we''re in with a chance, whether we''re playing the lottery or working out the likelihood of extra-terrestrial life. In Chance, a (not entirely) random selection of the New Scientist''s sharpest minds provide fascinating insights into luck, randomness, risk and probability. From the secrets of coincidence to placing the perfect bet, the science of random number generation to the surprisingly haphazard decisions of criminal juries, it explores these and many other tantalising questions.Following on from the bestselling Nothing and Question Everything, this book will open your eyes to the weird and wonderful world of chance - and help you see when some things, in fact, aren''t random at all.Trade ReviewExcellent . . . it's accessible to anyone with only the most cursory knowledge of science . . . Prepare to be surprised and amazed * Choice *
£10.44
John Murray Press Do Polar Bears Get Lonely
Book SynopsisFrom the phenomenal New Scientist series, with over 2,500,000 copies soldDo Polar Bears Get Lonely? is the third compilation of readers'' answers to the questions in the ''Last Word'' column of New Scientist, the world''s best-selling science weekly. Following the phenomenal success of Does Anything Eat Wasps? (2005) and the even more spectacularly successful Why Don''t Penguins'' Feet Freeze? (2006), Do Polar Bears Get Lonely? includes a bumper crop of wise and wonderful answers never-before-seen in book form.Why does garlic make your breath smell? How toothpaste makers get the stripes in toothpaste? Why do we get ''pins and needles''? Why are some people left-handed and other people right-handed? Can insects get fat? Do elephants sneeze? And do fish get thirsty? What causes cells to stick together in the human body rather than simply fall apart? And why are pears pear-shaped (and not apple-shaped)?This all-new and e
£10.44
John Murray Press Physical Intelligence
Book Synopsis'Authoritative and accessible' Wall Street Journal -- Renowned neuroscientist combines his own gripping stories of survival in the wild, 15 years as a GP and his ground-breaking research in the University of California's 'Action Lab' to explain powerful connections between mind and body that help us be the very best we can be.
£10.44
Hodder & Stoughton Say Why to Drugs
Book SynopsisA definitive and authoritative guide to drugs and why we get high from the creator of the top-rated podcast, Say Why to Drugs. Drugs. We''ve all done them. Whether it''s a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, a cigarette or a sleeping pill. But how well do we understand the effects of the drugs we take - legal or illegal? Say Why to Drugs investigates the science behind recreational drugs- debunking common myths and misconceptions, as well as containing the most recent scientific research. Looking at a range of drugs, this book provides a clear understanding of how drugs work and what they''re really doing to your mind and body. Along the way you will find out why ketamine is on the WHO''s list of essential medicines, why some researchers hope MDMA could treat PTSD, and much more. Enlightening, entertaining, and thought-provoking, Say Why to Drugs is a compelling read that will surprise and educate proponents on both sides of the drugs debatTrade ReviewSuzi Gage cuts through all the sensationalism and goes straight into an erudite, evidence based breakdown. In an area where factual accuracy is often rejected in favour of moralising or panicking this book is a vitally useful and frequently fascinating. -- Robin InceAn essential read. Drugs have a huge impact on our society. Whether you're taking them on not, it's good to be informed. -- Tim LovejoyAn excellently written, ironically clear-headed, and much needed book... that tells you all the important stuff worth knowing about drugs. -- Dean Burnett, author of The Idiot Brain and The Happy Brain It's so refreshing to read a book about drugs which fully acknowledges the complex, nuanced psychological aspects of addiction and that we're all somewhere on that scale. Written without making sweeping moral judgements and faithful to the science, this is a great overview for anyone who wants to educate themselves on a massive (and often emotive) topic. -- Natasha Devon, LBC
£10.44
John Murray Press Super Senses
Book SynopsisHow do you sniff out danger? What is a sense of direction or a gut instinct? You know about your five senses: hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch. But recent research has shown that we actually have at least thirty-two. We take our senses for granted but what would be possible if we properly understood how they all work? Award-winning science writer Emma Young has spent over a decade finding out, and in Super Senses she takes us on an exhilarating sensory journey, revealing how we taste things without using our tongues, why swearing is good for us and why both chocolate and rollercoasters can help you fall in love.Using the very latest cutting-edge research, she explains the exploits of record-breaking freedivers, whirling dervishes, super-tasters, stock market millionaires, and many more. Discover how touch can ease pain, how taking your pulse can make you fitter and why Abba''s Dancing Queen sounds different in Bolivia. Sharing surprising Trade ReviewAfter reading this fascinating book you'll never think about your senses in quite the same way again -- CLAUDIA HAMMONDAbsolutely fascinating . . . meticulously researched, expertly written, and packed with so many engrossing nuggets, every page is a remarkable revelation. Young has given me new understanding - and profound respect - for my incredible sensory body -- GAIA VINCEAn awe-inspiring guide to our sensual world that will leave you in wonder at your own astonishing perceptual powers. With cutting-edge science and extraordinary personal stories, Emma Young offers evidence-based strategies to protect and fine-tune many of those abilities - with potentially life-changing consequences. Along the way, Super Senses busts some of the most enduring myths about the human body and mind -- DAVID ROBSON, author of THE INTELLIGENCE TRAPThis book changed the way I sense the world. I'd say eye-opening but that's too limiting: this is sense-opening stuff -- ROWAN HOOPER, author of SUPERHUMANA vivid, multi-sensory journey through farflung landscapes of human experience . . . packed with scientific revelations and compelling stories . . . A sensory delight that made my world a richer place -- Jo Marchant, author of CURE and THE HUMAN COSMOSFascinating . . . unlocks the secrets of our amazing brains and bodies * Daily Mail *Packed with fascinating information and highly readable * Human Givens vol 28.1 *
£11.69
John Murray Press Maths Unwrapped
Book SynopsisWhy do so many of us struggle to remember the maths we were taught at school? The answer is that we can successfully memorise things for a short period but we only retain those memories long term if we understand them. Mattias Ribbing is a Grand Master of Memory who will show you how to remember maths through truly understanding it. His methods are simple but will last for life, and unwrap the puzzle of maths forever.The key to confidence with numbers is not remembering complex rules surrounding long division or algebra; it''s understanding the critical components of maths and being able to clearly visualise problems and solutions. This illuminating guide to improving your maths provides logical, long-term strategies that will enable you to finally get maths and hold on to that level of confidence thereafter.
£13.49
Orion Publishing Co Pluses and Minuses
Book SynopsisA concise guide to the wonderful world of mathematics, that makes connections with the world around usTrade ReviewAn illuminating history of mathematics that also touches on fascinating philosophical questions surrounding maths. * Publishers Weekly *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Electrified Sheep: Bizarre experiments from the
Book SynopsisBenjamin Franklin was a pioneering scientist, leader of the Enlightenment and founding father of the USA. But perhaps less well known is that he was also the first person to use artificial respiration to revive an electric shock victim. Odder still, it was actually mouth-to-beak resuscitation on a hen that he himself had shocked. Welcome to some of the most weird and wonderful experiments ever conducted in the name of science. Packed full of eccentric characters, irrational obsessions and extreme experiments, Electrified Sheep is the follow-up to the bestselling Elephants on Acid. Watch as scientists attempt to blow up the moon, wince at the doctor who performs a self-appendectomy - and catch the faint whiff of singed wool from an electrified sheep.Trade ReviewEye-popping * Daily Mail *
£12.50
Pan Macmillan Sentient: What Animals Reveal About Our Senses
Book Synopsis'Jackie Higgins’s lyrical, literate style will charm you while her book stuns your imagination with strange, other-worldly truths' Richard DawkinsSentient assembles a menagerie of zoological creatures – from land, air, sea and all four corners of the globe – to understand what it means to be human. Through their eyes, ears, skins, tongues and noses, the furred, finned and feathered reveal how we sense and make sense of the world, as well as the untold scientific revolution stirring in the field of human perception. The harlequin mantis shrimp can throw a punch that can fracture aquarium walls but, more importantly, it has the ability to see a vast range of colours. The ears of the great grey owl have such unparalleled range and sensitivity that they can hear twenty decibels lower than the human ear. The star-nosed mole barely fills a human hand, seldom ventures above ground and poses little threat unless you are an earthworm, but its miraculous nose allows it to catch those worms at astonishing speed – as little as one hundred and twenty milliseconds. Here, too, we meet the four-eyed spookfish and its dark vision; the vampire bat and its remarkable powers of touch; the bloodhound and its hundreds of millions of scent receptors, as well as the bar-tailed godwit, the common octopus, giant peacocks, cheetahs and golden orb-weaving spiders. Each of these extraordinary creatures illustrates the sensory powers that lie dormant within us. In this captivating book, Jackie Higgins explores this evolutionary heritage and, in doing so, enables us to subconsciously engage with the world in ways we never knew possible.Trade ReviewThe first rule of popular science is to reveal the wonder and mystery of the world. For that reason, Sentient, written by photographer and wildlife film-maker Jackie Higgins, is my personal pick of the year. -- Simon Ings * New Scientist Best Books of the Year *Spellbinding . . . More than any other book, [Sentient] has made me think differently about the world this year. -- Alec Russell * Financial Times Best Books of the Year *Higgins makes popular science accessible – Sentient is a dizzying display of the evolutionary ingenuity not only of lifeforms, but also of zoologists, neuroscientists and biologists who have mapped new frontiers of knowledge. You may finish reading it and wish that humans could use that intelligence to stop the destruction of the habitats all of us live in. -- Saskia Baron * Observer *Jackie Higgins’s eye-opening account of the often bizarre or superhuman sensory systems of other animals, from Hades-dwellers to Arctic owls. -- Steven Poole * Telegraph Best New Science Books *Gripping . . . Thanks to Higgins' flair for storytelling, Sentient successfully informs us about our own senses by exploring those of animals. -- Barbara J. King * TLS *[An] epic account of how the senses make sense . . . Higgins’s argument, although colourful, is rigorous and focused. She leads us to adopt an entirely unfamiliar way of thinking about the senses. -- Simon Ings * The Times *How would the First Encounter with an extraterrestrial alien change our view of ourselves? Great science fiction explores the question. But we don’t need science fiction. The aliens are all around us – the octopus with its mysterious body-image, the electric scanner of the platypus’s bill, the magnetic compass of a migrating bird, the moth antenna that can detect the scent of a female in quadrillion-fold dilution. Jackie Higgins’s lyrical, literate style will charm you while her book stuns your imagination with strange, other-worldly truths. -- Richard DawkinsJackie Higgins puts a mirror up to the natural world so we can sense ourselves through our animal relatives. I love this book because it reminds me of our wildness, it reminds me how powerful our senses are, and it celebrates animals and humans in a way that binds us together. The stories are so interesting and well researched, and the language speaks of an author with a deep sense of biological wisdom and wonder -- Craig Foster, filmmaker and subject of the Oscar-winning documentary, My Octopus TeacherSentient is a tour de force of popular science, leading the reader on a whistle-stop tour of the natural world, to show the fascinating parallels between animal and human senses. -- Stephen Moss, naturalist and authorIf we are sentient, how do we know the world? Why presume other species might know it less? In her fantastic new book, Jackie Higgins digs deep to show us star-nosed moles that see what they touch, discovers how great grey owls fly silently in search of their prey, and how sightless humans can see with their faces. You will never see in the same way again. With potentially endless reverberations for our creative and perceptive states, Higgins delivers a series of delicious lessons in what it is to be sensate, and shows how our own brains can emulate the miraculous feat of the animals with whom we share this fragile planet. -- Philip Hoare, Samuel Johnson Prize-winning author of Leviathan and Albert and the WhaleIn Sentient, Jackie Higgins deftly explores the sensory world of animals — the exquisite touch-sense of a mole’s bizarre nose, the magnetic sense of migratory birds, the electric sense of the platypus — as a window onto our human senses, which echo and some cases even exceed their wild counterparts. Extraordinarily rich in detail; there is a miracle on every page. -- Scott Weidensaul, author of A World on the WingI loved Sentient, it's filled with the wonder of knowing and the infinite surprises of nature. -- Stephen Rutt, author of The Seafarers and Wintering Educational, ground-breaking and meticulously well-researched. * Reaction Life Book Digest *Brimming with fascinating, frequently delightful and occasionally freaky trivia this is an entertaining, gentle and easily digestible read with some important and intriguing ideas at its core. -- Louder Than War
£17.00
Pan Macmillan The Book of Minds: Understanding Ourselves and
Book Synopsis‘Combining neurology, philosophy, computer science and artificial intelligence. . . a fascinating and illuminating account’ - The GuardianUnderstanding the human mind and how it relates to the world of experience has challenged scientists and philosophers for centuries. How do we even begin to think about ‘minds’ that are not human? That is the question explored in this ground-breaking book. In The Book of Minds, Award-winning science writer Philip Ball argues 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.Science has begun to have something to say about the properties of mind; the more we learn about the minds of other creatures, from octopuses to chimpanzees, to imagine the potential minds of computers and alien intelligences, the more we can begin to see our own, and the more we can understand the diversity of the human mind, in the widest of contexts. By understanding how minds differ, we can also best understand our own.
£17.00
Vintage Publishing The Social Instinct: What Nature Can Teach Us
Book Synopsis'A phenomenally important book' Lewis Dartnell, author of OriginsWhy do we live in families?Why do we help complete strangers?Why do we compare ourselves to others?Why do we cooperate?The science of cooperation tells us not only how we got here, but also where we might end up. In The Social Instinct Nichola Raihani introduces us to other species who, like us, live and work together. From the pied babblers of the Kalahari to the cleaner fish of the Great Barrier Reef, they happen to be some of the most fascinating and extraordinarily successful species on this planet. What do we have in common with these animals, and what can we learn from them? The Social Instinct is an exhilarating, far-reaching and thought-provoking journey through all life on Earth, with profound insights into what makes us human and how our societies work.'A pleasing juxtaposition of insightful scientific theory with illuminating anecdotes' Richard Dawkins'Surprising, thoughtful and, best of all, endlessly entertaining' Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling'A superb book about how important cooperation is' Alice Roberts, author of AncestorsTrade ReviewA phenomenally important book. The story of why we humans evolved to become such a wonderfully cooperative, social species, and what that means for the world today. Nichola Raihani will change the way we think about ourselves. -- Lewis Dartnell, author of Origins: How the Earth Shaped Human HistoryThis is a superb book about how important cooperation is in biology, from molecules and cells to families and whole societies. -- Alice RobertsThe Social Instinct is surprising, thoughtful and, best of all, endlessly entertaining, examining the puzzle and power of co-operation from the decks of the HMS Bounty to the babbling birds of the Kalahari. Absolutely loved it. -- Will Storr, author of The Science of StorytellingExcellent and illuminating * Wall Street Journal *A well-written book, easy to read - a pleasing juxtaposition of insightful scientific theory with illuminating anecdotes -- Richard Dawkins
£9.49
Bristol University Press The Mutant Project: Inside the Global Race to
Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2021 An anthropologist visits the frontiers of genetics, medicine, and technology to ask: whose values are guiding gene-editing experiments, and what are the implications for humanity? At a conference in Hong Kong in November 2018, Dr. Jiankui He announced that he had created the first genetically modified babies—twin girls named Lulu and Nana—sending shockwaves around the world. A year later, a Chinese court sentenced Dr. He to three years in prison for “illegal medical practice.” As scientists elsewhere start to catch up with China’s vast genetic research programme, gene editing is fuelling an innovation economy that threatens to widen racial and economic inequality. Fundamental questions about science, health, and social justice are at stake. Who gets access to gene-editing technologies? As countries loosen regulations around the globe, can we shape research agendas to promote an ethical and fair society? Professor Eben Kirksey takes us on a groundbreaking journey to meet the key scientists, lobbyists, and entrepreneurs who are bringing cutting-edge genetic modification tools like CRISPR to your local clinic. He also ventures beyond the scientific echo chamber, talking to doctors, hackers, chronically ill patients, disabled scholars, and activists and who have alternative visions of a genetically modified future for humanity. The Mutant Project empowers us to ask the right questions, uncover the truth, and navigate this new era of scientific enquiry.Table of ContentsPrologue: The World on Notice; I’m Quite Glad That I Wasn’t First; A Typical Shenzhen Story; The Best Humans Haven’t Been Produced Yet; Winner Takes All; Look at Those Muscles. Look at That Butt; A Moral Choice; Will I Have to Mortgage My House?; The Cancer Moonshot; Free Health Care for All; Silence = Death; Immorality Has to Be the Goal; I Don’t Want to Walk. I Want to Fly; High-Quality Children; #transracial; American Medicine and Only for You; He Was Busy. Busy. Always Doing Research; A Hammer. Looking for a Nail; Beautiful Lies; Two Healthy Baby Girls?; Mixed Wisdom; They Are Moving Forward; Chinese Scientists Are Creating CRISPR Babies; Bubbles Vanishing Into Air; The Horse Has Already Bolted; Epilogue: We Have Never Been Human.
£14.24
John Murray Press How the Mind Changed: A Human History of our
Book SynopsisThe extraordinary story of how the human brain evolved... and is still evolving. We've come a long way. The earliest human had a brain as small as a child's fist; ours are four times bigger, with spectacular abilities and potential we are only just beginning to understand.This is How the Mind Changed, a seven-million-year journey through our own heads, packed with vivid stories, groundbreaking science, and thrilling surprises. Discover how memory has almost nothing to do with the past; meditation rewires our synapses; magic mushroom use might be responsible for our intelligence; climate accounts for linguistic diversity; and how autism teaches us hugely positive lessons about our past and future.Dr Joseph Jebelli's In Pursuit of Memory was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize and longlisted for the Wellcome. In this, his eagerly awaited second book, he draws on deep insights from neuroscience, evolutionary biology, psychology, and philosophy to guide us through the unexpected changes that shaped our brains. From genetic accidents and environmental forces to historical and cultural advances, he explores how our brain's evolution turned us into Homo sapiens and beyond.A single mutation is all it takes.Trade ReviewHow did humans develop such a runaway mind? Joseph Jebelli masterfully illuminates the neurobiological road by which we arrived, and where it might reach from here -- David Eagleman, bestselling author of Livewired and IncognitoJebelli writes with aplomb and an eye for arresting asides... This is a slim, accessible and thought-provoking book - a springboard to further reading * The Times *an eye for thrilling details makes his approachable, sometimes provocative book an aptly mind-expanding experience for the curious reader * The Mail on Sunday *
£17.00
John Murray Press How the Mind Changed: A Human History of our
Book Synopsis'Thrilling, provocative and mind-expanding' Mail on Sunday'Masterful and illuminating' DAVID EAGLEMAN Dr Joseph Jebelli takes us on a seven-million-year journey through our own heads, drawing on insights from neuroscience, evolutionary biology, psychology, and philosophyto reveal how our brain's evolution turned us into Homo sapiens and beyond.Discover how memory has almost nothing to do with the past; magic mushroom use might be responsible for our intelligence; and how autism teaches us hugely positive lessons about our past and future.A single mutation is all it takes.'Written with aplomb and an eye for arresting asides . . . This is an accessible and thought-provoking book' The TimesTrade ReviewHow did humans develop such a runaway mind? Joseph Jebelli masterfully illuminates the neurobiological road by which we arrived, and where it might reach from here -- David Eagleman, bestselling author of Livewired and IncognitoJebelli writes with aplomb and an eye for arresting asides... This is a slim, accessible and thought-provoking book - a springboard to further reading * The Times *An eye for thrilling details makes his approachable, sometimes provocative book an aptly mind-expanding experience for the curious reader * The Mail on Sunday *
£11.69
John Murray Press How Your Brain Works: Inside the most complicated
Book SynopsisEver wondered what's going on inside your head?You are your brain. Everything that makes you you, and all your experiences of the world, are somehow conjured up by 1.4 kilograms of grey matter inside your skull. That might seem impossible, but science has advanced so much that we now understand not just its structures and inner workings but also how it can give rise to perception, consciousness, emotions, memories, intelligence, sleep and more. HOW YOUR BRAIN WORKS explores the amazing world inside your head. Discover the evolution and anatomy of the brain. Learn how we can peer inside it and watch it at work, and how the latest technology can allow us to control our minds and those of others. ABOUT THE SERIESNew Scientist Instant Expert books are definitive and accessible entry points to the most important subjects in science; subjects that challenge, attract debate, invite controversy and engage the most enquiring minds. Designed for curious readers who want to know how things work and why, the Instant Expert series explores the topics that really matter and their impact on individuals, society, and the planet, translating the scientific complexities around us into language that's open to everyone, and putting new ideas and discoveries into perspective and context.
£10.44
John Murray Press Where the Universe Came From: How Einstein's
Book SynopsisHow did it all begin? Where is it all going?A little over a century ago, a young Albert Einstein presented his general theory of relativity to the world and utterly transformed our understanding of the universe. His theory changed the way we think about space and time, revealed how our universe has been expanding from a hot dense state called the big bang and predicted black holes. WHERE THE UNIVERSE CAME FROM is a 13.8-billiion-year journey through the cosmos. Discover how Einstein's work explains why the cosmos is the way it is, why 95% of the universe is missing, how physicists go to extraordinary lengths to unlock gravity's secrets and how black holes could hold the key to a theory of everything.ABOUT THE SERIESNew Scientist Instant Expert books are definitive and accessible entry points to the most important subjects in science; subjects that challenge, attract debate, invite controversy and engage the most enquiring minds. Designed for curious readers who want to know how things work and why, the Instant Expert series explores the topics that really matter and their impact on individuals, society, and the planet, translating the scientific complexities around us into language that's open to everyone, and putting new ideas and discoveries into perspective and context.
£10.44
John Murray Press A Journey Through The Universe: A traveler's
Book SynopsisThere's a whole universe out there...Imagine you had a spacecraft capable of travelling through interstellar space. You climb in, blast into orbit, fly out of the solar system and keep going. Where do you end up, and what do you see along the way?The answer is: mostly nothing. Space is astonishingly, mind-blowingly empty. As you travel through the void between galaxies your spaceship encounters nothing more exciting than the odd hydrogen molecule. But when it does come across something more exotic: wow!First and most obviously, stars and planets. Some are familiar from our own backyard: yellow suns, rocky planets like Mars, gas and ice giants like Jupiter and Neptune. But there are many more: giant stars, red and white dwarfs, super-earths and hot Jupiters. Elsewhere are swirling clouds of dust giving birth to stars, and infinitely dense regions of space-time called black holes. These clump together in the star clusters we call galaxies, and the clusters of galaxies we call... galaxy clusters.And that is just the start. As we travel further we encounter ever more weird, wonderful and dangerous entities: supernovas, supermassive black holes, quasars, pulsars, neutron stars, black dwarfs, quark stars, gamma ray bursts and cosmic strings.A Journey Through The Universe is a grand tour of the most amazing celestial objects and how they fit together to build the cosmos. As for the end of the journey - nobody knows. But getting there will be fun.ABOUT THE SERIESNew Scientist Instant Expert books are definitive and accessible entry points to the most important subjects in science; subjects that challenge, attract debate, invite controversy and engage the most enquiring minds. Designed for curious readers who want to know how things work and why, the Instant Expert series explores the topics that really matter and their impact on individuals, society, and the planet, translating the scientific complexities around us into language that's open to everyone, and putting new ideas and discoveries into perspective and context.
£10.44
Quercus Publishing The Four Horsemen
Book SynopsisThe Four Horsemen - War, Pestilence, Famine and Death - first appeared in the Book of Revelations a thousand years ago, but they continue to track us in our own time. This original and inspiring study bycelebrated historian Emily Mayhew traces the advances in science, technology and humanitarianism that are enabling us to take them on, one by one.'The beauty of The Four Horsemen is how she takes her quaking readers to the edge of the abyss . . . I was left moved and uplifted . . . [A] first-class example of popular science' The Times'[A] thoughtful and ultimately uplifting analysis of the unsung heroes of our age' IndependentIt begins in Mosul, our oldest surviving city, and the extraordinary coalition created in a matter of days to save its people from the worst horrors of the liberation battle against ISIS. As the city and the humanitarian operation that helped it to survive are restructured for a new age, Mayhew shows other people whose work gives us hope for the future, from the search to find new ways to discover and use antimicrobial medicines and the innovations in preventing the spread of deadly viruses; the laboratory work being taken to protect crops from disease and reduce famine, and why the potato, not the banana is the future; to the unique courage and resolution of those dedicated to securing the rights of the dead and their families. Standing in the way of the Horsemen is what Emily Mayhew calls, 'the most extraordinary alliance ever to come together in defence of our humanity.' These are the doctors, scientists, statisticians, engineers, peace negotiators, pharmacists, historians, forensic scientists, vaccinators and volunteers who are creating solutions to life and death problems which threaten us all. They are the new heroes of our age and this book is about them.Trade ReviewThe most gripping non-fiction book I have read in a very long time -- Mark Haddon, on A Heavy ReckoningA Fascinating book * The Times, on Wounded *An engaging piece of research, history and recollection * The Economist, on The Guinea Pig Club *[A] thoughtful and ultimately uplifting analysis of the unsung heroes of our age * Independent *Mayhew's book is rich in explanation and background detail...Although this is a scary book, it is also one full of hope * Independent *The beauty of The Four Horsemen is how she takes her quaking readers to the edge of the abyss, encouraging them to peek into the darkness below, then gently pulls them back, explaining how the worst can be averted, by dint of carefully accumulated wisdom, generosity of spirit, hard work and sheer ingenuity . . . I was left moved and uplifted . . . [I]n this first-class example of popular science Mayhew demonstrates that's also where salvation lies. * The Times *
£12.34
Quercus Publishing Can Fish Count?: What Animals Reveal about our
Book Synopsis'What I like best about this fascinating book is the detail. Brian Butterworth doesn't just tell us stories of animals with numerical abilities: he tells us about the underlying science. Elegantly written and a joy to read' - Professor Ian Stewart, author of What's the Use? and Taming the Infinite'Full of thought-provoking studies and animal observations' - Booklist'Enlightening and entertaining' - Publishers WeeklyThe Hidden Genius of Animals: Every pet owner thinks their own dog, cat, fish or hamster is a genius. What makes CAN FISH COUNT? so exciting is the way it unveils just how widespread intelligence is in nature. Pioneering psychologist Brian Butterworth describes the extraordinary numerical feats of all manner of species ranging from primates and mammals to birds, reptiles, fish and insects. Whether it's lions deciding to fight or flee, frogs competing for mates, bees navigating their way to food sources, fish assessing which shoal to join, or jackdaws counting friends when joining a mob - every species shares an ability to count.Homo Sapiens may think maths is our exclusive domain, but this book shows that every creature shares a deep-seated Darwinian ability to understand the intrinsic language of our universe: mathematics CAN FISH COUNT? is that special sort of science book - a global authority in his field writing an anecdotally-rich and revelatory narrative which changes the way you perceive something we take for granted.Trade ReviewHis densely detailed but remarkably clear exploration, illuminated by fascinating experiments, maps our understanding of numeration in the animal kingdom * Nature *
£11.69
Quercus Publishing 50 Biology Ideas You Really Need to Know
Book SynopsisEverything you need to know about the most cutting-edge theories in biology.
£9.49
Hampton Roads Publishing Co Physics of the Soul: The Quantum Book of Living,
Book SynopsisAt last, science and the soul shake hands. Writing in a style that is both lucid and charming, mischievous and profound, Dr. Amit Goswami uses the language and concepts of quantum physics to explore and scientifically prove metaphysical theories of reincarnation and immortality. In PHYSICS OF THE SOUL, Goswami helps you understand the perplexities of the quantum physics model of reality and the perennial beliefs of spiritual and religious traditions. He shows how they are not only compatible, but, also, provide essential support for each other. The result is a deeply broadened, exciting and enriched worldview that integrates mind and spirit into science."Dr. Amit Goswami is one of the most brilliant minds in the world of science. His insights into the relationship between physics and consciousness have deeply influenced my understanding, and I am deeply grateful to him. Physics of the Soul is both challenging and brilliant." -Deepak Chopra "...one of the most original contemporary thinkers and writers in the field of physics and consciousness. . . Goswami makes difficult concepts accessible and exciting." -Stanley Krippner
£17.09
Hampton Roads Publishing Co The Everything Answer Book: How Quantum Science
Book SynopsisQuantum physics is not only the future of science, but it is, also, the key to understanding consciousness, life, death, God, psychology and the meaning of life. Quantum physics is an antidote to the moral sterility and mechanistic approach of scientific materialism and is the best and clearest approach to understanding our universe. In short, quantum physics is indeed the theory of everything.Here Dr. Goswami discusses, among other things, how quantum physics affects our understanding of:ZenThoughts, feelings and intuitionsDreamsKarma, death and reincarnationGod''s will, evolution and purposeThe meaning of dreamsThe spiritualisation of economics and business, politics and education and society itselfThis fascinating new book will appeal to a wide array of readers, ranging from those interested in the new physics to those captivated by the spiritual implications of the latest scientific breakthroughs.
£15.19
Visible Ink Press The Handy Chemistry Answer Book
Book SynopsisSimplifying the complex chemical reactions that take place in everyday through the well-stated answers for more than 900 common chemistry questions, this reference is the go-to guide for students and professionals alike. The Handy Chemistry Answer Book covers everything from the history, major personalities and ground-breaking reactions and equations in chemistry to laboratory techniques throughout history and the latest developments in the field. This reference guide breaks down the essentials into an easily understood format.Trade Review"...questions seem typical of those posed by students of all ages/levels/backgrounds and laypersons ... topics range from fairly simple to fairly complex ... a readable, entertaining work on various chemical concepts and subjects. Recommended. High school students, undergraduate students, and general readers." Choice"...like having asked your chemistry buddy to do [a] search and get back to you with the bottom line. This book would be a particularly useful starting point for teachers in upper elementary to high school settings, for high school and general studies university students, and perhaps for parents with inquisitive children." Journal of Chemical Eduction"... easy to scan ... for fascinating tidbits.. highly readable ... makes chemistry fun and appealing to a wide audience. The title will be of use to educators in primary and early high school, who will find it enormously useful in classroom discussions; parents looking to answer the myriad questions children ask; and high school student with a chemistry class requirement." Library Journal
£30.39
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers Inc Mad Science 2: Experiments You Can Do At Home,
Book SynopsisBest-selling author Theodore Gray is back with all-new, spectacular experiments that demonstrate basic principles of chemistry and physics in thrilling, and memorable ways. For nearly a decade, Theodore Gray has been demonstrating basic principles of chemistry and physics through exciting, sometimes daredevil experiments that he executes, photographs, and writes about for his monthly Popular Science column 'Gray Matter.'Theo Gray's Mad Science: Experiments You Can Do at Home, But Probably Shouldn't, published by Black Dog in 2009, collected Gray's Popular Science columns, along with hundreds of photographs, many of which were not published with the original columns.Now comes the second volume of mad-scientist experiments, which includes more dramatic, enlightening, and sometimes daring demonstrations in which Gray dips his hand into molten lead to demonstrate the Leidenfrost effect; crushes a tomato between two small magnets to demonstrate the power of neodymium-iron-boron magnets; and creates trinkets out of solid mercury to demonstrate how the state of matter depends very much on the temperature at which it exists.Other experiments include:A foil boat floating on an invisible sea!DIY X-ray photos!A bacon lance that cuts steel!Charging a smart phone with apples and pennies!And dozens more!
£19.00
Red Wheel/Weiser This Book is from the Future: A Journey Through
Book SynopsisThe idea of time travel has tantalised humans for millennia. We can send humans into space, but roaming through time has eluded us. Do the laws of physics demand that we stay forever trapped in the present?THIS BOOK IS FROM THE FUTURE examines the past, present and future states of time-travel research, but, also, looks at the bizarre anomalies of time itself. In this fascinating new work, you''ll explore:Time travel theories and machines of the past, present and futureTime and the multiverse: why wormholes, parallel universes and extra dimensions might allow for time travelThe paranormal aspects of time: might we already be "mentally" time travelling?Mysterious time shifts, slips and warps that people are reporting all over the world. Are we experiencing coexisting timelines?Time travel conspiracy theories: Are we already walking among real time travellers? Has a real time machine already been created in a top-secret government facility?THIS BOOK IS FROM THE FUTURE is a mesmerising journey through the entire landscape of time and time-travel evolution, where we started, where we now stand and what the future holds for us to discover, out there ...somewhere...in time.
£11.99
Workman Publishing The Field Guide to Citizen Science: How You Can
Book SynopsisLearn how monitoring the night sky, mapping trees, photographing dragonflies, and identifying mushrooms can help save the world. Citizen science is the public involvement in the discovery of new scientific knowledge. A citizen science project can involve one person or millions of people collaborating towards a common goal. It is an excellent option for anyone looking for ways to get involved and make a difference. The Field Guide to Citizen Science, from the expert team at SciStarter, provides everything you need to get started. You’ll learn what citizen science is, how to succeed and stay motivated when you’re participating in a project, and how the data is used. The fifty included projects, ranging from climate change to Alzheimer’s disease, endangered species to space exploration, mean sure-fire matches for your interests and time. Join the citizen science brigade now and start making a real difference!
£13.29
The Experiment LLC Blue: The Science and Secrets of Nature's Rarest
Book SynopsisBlue is the most widely beloved color — but in nature, it’s the rarest hue of all. True, physics paints the sea and sky blue, but we can’t bottle this trick of the light. And blue pigment requires such complex chemistry that blue creatures, plants, and minerals are few indeed. Artists and kings have treasured blue dye like precious gold since the time of the pharoahs — and who today can help but marvel at a morpho butterfly in the rain forest or a blue jay at the window? Science journalist Kai Kupferschmidt has been enraptured by blue since childhood. In his quest to understand the mysteries of his favorite color, he takes readers on a vivid journey — from a biotech lab in Japan and a volcanic lake in Oregon to his native Germany, home of the last blue-feathered Spix’s macaws. Deep underground where blue crystals grow, and miles overhead where astronauts gaze at our “blue marble” planet — wherever he finds this alluring color, it always has a story to tell.
£12.59
Catapult Third Ear
£15.29
WTM Publishing & Communications Pty Ltd A Species in Denial
Book Synopsis
£17.99
NewSouth Publishing Bewilder
£19.00
Hardie Grant Books Why Am I Like This?: The Science Behind Your
Book SynopsisIn Why Am I Like This?, Dr. Jen Martin delves into the science behind our strangest thoughts and habits, from why smells make us homesick to why we stick our tongues out when we’re concentrating. Why can’t I stop taking photos? Why do I always feel like I’m missing out? Why can’t I remember why I walked into this room? Explaining the quirks and oddities of our daily lives in a comprehensive yet accessible way, this book is the perfect gift for anyone who has ever stopped to wonder ‘why?’.
£12.60
