Popular science Books
Reaktion Books Uranus and Neptune
Book SynopsisThe most distant planets in our solar system, Uranus and Neptune were unknown by the ancients – Uranus was discovered in the 1780s and Neptune only in the 1840s. Our discovery and observation of both planets has been hampered by their sheer distance from Earth: there has only been one close encounter, Voyager 2 in the late 1980s. The Voyager mission revealed many enticing details about the planets and their moons, but also left many more questions unanswered. This book is an informative and accessible introduction to Uranus, Neptune and their moons. It takes the reader on a journey from discovery to the most recent observations made from space- and ground-based telescopes, and will appeal to amateur and professional astronomers alike.
£22.50
Reaktion Books Jupiter
Book SynopsisNow available in paperback, this beautifully illustrated volume ranges across the entire history of Jupiter studies, from the naked-eye observations of the Babylonians and the Greeks, through the telescopic discoveries of Galileo and T.E.R. Phillips, to the explosion of information received from space probes. It brings our understanding of Jupiter right up to date and includes preliminary findings from the Juno space probe, while also providing valuable practical information for those who wish to make their own observations of the planet. Introducing planetary science in an accessible and engaging way, Jupiter will appeal to those who wish to have a better understanding of this magnificent planet and its unique place in the solar system.Trade Review'The scope of this book is very wide-ranging, including chapters on ancient observations of Jupiter, the origin and structure of the planet, features in its atmosphere, its satellites and the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impacts. It also features results from spacecraft – including some initial results from the current Juno mission . . . well written and easy to follow. It is also well illustrated, with numerous colour and blackand-white illustrations. There are a number of spacecraft images, plus amateur images and drawings . . . I enjoyed reading the book and it provides a good overview of the Jovian system for a general reader.' – Journal of the British Astronomical Association; 'In this superbly researched and illustrated guide to the giant planet, the authors have trawled through centuries of humanity's archives for documentation of Jupiter, looking for engaging ways to explain what astronomers know about the planet, and how they found out . . . the illustrations are exceptional, reproducing one archive gem after another . . . reading this comprehensive primer on Jupiter – and on planetary astronomy itself – is as enlightening as it is thoroughly enjoyable.' – BBC Sky at Night Magazine; 'The gas giant planet Jupiter, with its red spot and ever-changing meteorology, has fascinated human curiosity since as far back as records exist thousands of years ago. William Sheehan and Thomas Hockey add to the Kosmos series of books exploring our Solar System and beyond by looking not only at the historical and cultural context of Jupiter’s continued significance but also by exploring its parts, from its atmosphere and weather patterns, to its rings and moons. They present the knowledge accumulated from the earliest observations by Galileo to the Juno mission’s latest discoveries' – Nature Astronomy; 'a glossy coffee-table title, packed with more than 100 images and illustrations. The opening chapters do a good job in tackling the birth of the solar system and all the Jovian planets; describing how they formed; before delving into Jupiter itself, layer by layer, from atmosphere to core . . . Sheehan and Hockey’s language is clear . . . the book is well-paced . . . a useful and practical planetary-science primer', – Physics World; 'For more about the largest planet in our solar system, check out the beautiful hardcover book Jupiter by William Sheehan and Thomas Hockey, from the Kosmos series. We handpick reading recommendations we think you may like' – Curiosity.com; 'This book is especially strong on a survey of amateur observations of Jupiter, and for that reason alone it is a useful addition to the literature.', Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage
£18.00
Reaktion Books Simulating the Cosmos: Why the Universe Looks the
Book SynopsisSimulating the Cosmos is a behind-the-scenes look into one of the hottest and fastest-moving areas of astrophysics today: simulations of cosmology and galaxy formation, which illustrate how everything we see in the universe arose out of the primordial soup of the Big Bang. Leading cosmologist Romeel Davé guides you through the trials and tribulations of what it takes to put the universe into a computer, the amazing new insights revealed by cosmological simulations, and the many mysteries yet to be solved. This rollicking and extraordinary journey is a rare glimpse into science in action, showing how cosmologists are using the laws of physics and supercomputers to uncover the secrets of why the universe looks the way it does."
£15.15
Reaktion Books Wind: Nature and Culture
Book SynopsisBy turns creative and destructive, wind spreads seeds, fills sails and disperses the energy of the sun. Worshipped since antiquity, wind has moulded planets, decided the outcome of innumerable battles and shaped the evolution of humans and animals – yet it remains intangible and unpredictable. In this book Louise M. Pryke explores the science behind wind, as well as how it has been imagined and portrayed in myth, religion, art and literature since ancient times. Its formative effect on the Earth’s environment is reflected in its prominent role in myths and religions of antiquity. In the modern day, wind has inspired ground-breaking scientific innovations, and appeared in artistic works as diverse as the art of Van Gogh, the poetry of Keats and the blockbuster film Twister.
£16.10
Reaktion Books Stones: A Material and Cultural History
Book SynopsisFrom small beach pebbles to huge megaliths, stones have been revered, collected, enhanced, sculpted or engraved for practical and artistic purposes throughout the ages. They have been used to delineate boundaries and to build homes and shelters, and utilized for cooking, games and competitions. This surprising and fascinating compendium of stone facts, myths and stories reveals the impact and importance of stones in our history and culture. Cally Oldershaw introduces the science in an accessible way and covers the aesthetic appeal of stones, their practical uses and metaphysical properties. With an eclectic mix of examples from the Stone Age to the present, Stones engagingly excavates the story of this essential matter.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Geology and the Science of Stones Chapter 1: Stone Tools, Weapons, Implements and Building Stones Chapter 2: Testimony in Stone Chapter 3: Stones and the Creative Mind Chapter 4: Medicinal, Health and Healing Stones Chapter 5: Collectors, Collections and Collecting Stones Appendix: Starting Your Collection References Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index
£22.50
Troubador Publishing Drowning by Accident: Why So Many People Drown
Book SynopsisDrowning By Accident explains why it is so easy to drown, where accidents happen, and how to save lives by early rescue and resuscitation. More than 600 people die by drowning in Britain every year. Swimming is promoted as a particularly safe form of exercise, so that swimmers forget or ignore the dangers of frigid lakes, swollen rivers, incoming tides or outgoing rip currents. Drowning accidents take place because we don't recognise water as a hostile environment. We overestimate the strength and endurance of our bodies and underestimate the power and deceptiveness of water. Year after year, victims lose their lives in typical drowning accidents, often sinking so quickly and silently that nearby family, friends and onlookers fail to notice the tragedy taking place close beside them. Babies drown in baths. Toddlers drown in garden ponds. School children fall off rafts. Teenagers strike too far from the shore. Pensioners wade into rivers to save their dogs. Victims often die within minutes of sinking beneath the surface. A quarter of those who reach hospital alive will also die, while others survive with severe permanent brain damage. This means that it is vitally important for parents, grandparents, teachers, lifeguards and lawmakers to recognise the risks and prevent drowning accidents before they take place.
£11.69
World Scientific Europe Ltd Man Versus Microbe: What Will It Take To Win?
Book SynopsisThe COVID-19 pandemic that swept the planet in the early 2020s killed more than six million, delivered unimaginable human suffering and $22 trillion in lost global growth. We weren't prepared and should have been.Unraveling the secrets of microbes, an invisible parallel universe of tiny life forms all around us, is central to managing the big twenty-first-century challenges of pandemics, bioterrorism, food security and climate change. Scientists, technologists, entrepreneurs and political leaders are racing to decode this biological realm with powerful new tools to extend human lifespans and make the world safer and more prosperous. Yet such technologies need to be handled with care. The price of getting this wrong will be unbearable.Man Versus Microbe is about humanity's competitive, symbiotic and precarious relationship with the microbial world. Brian Bremner (Senior Executive Editor, Bloomberg) offers a book on the exhilarating fields of synthetic biology and genetics, abundant with material on emerging technologies to deepen one's understanding of how virus hunters chase bugs or how geneticists unlock the workings of a microbe's constituent DNA. This book is for readers who want to learn more about humanity's fight to contain future pandemics and better understand the risks and opportunities of living in the world of microbes. After navigating through a disruptive pandemic, we are all amateur epidemiologists now.
£23.75
World Scientific Europe Ltd Reinvention Of Science, The: Slaying The Dragons
Book SynopsisThroughout the history of science, different thinkers, philosophers and scientists postulated the existence of entities that, in spite of their not being visible or detectable in their time, or perhaps ever, were nevertheless useful to explain the real world. We started this book by looking at a handful of these entities. These included phlogiston to account for fire; the luminiferous ether for propagation of radiation; the homunculus to provide for heredity; and crystalline spheres to carry the wandering planets around the earth. Many of these erroneous beliefs had held up progress, just as dragons drawn on the edges of a map discouraged exploration. This pattern of science evolution continued through the centuries up to the present day.The book evolved into a more extensive history of how science evolved through controversy, suppression, and the desire to maintain the status quo. Our story passes from the Babylonians and Greeks through the middle ages, the renaissance and the scientific revolution to almost current events. We discuss the evolution of our world, the controversy about the extinction of dinosaurs, and open questions in contemporary science such as dark matter, black holes and the origin of the Universe, including how we understand the subatomic world of elementary particles.Most of the chapters deal with astronomy, cosmology and physics, but there are brief ventures into geosciences (continental drift), biosciences (the homunculus), atmospheric physics (Heaviside layer), paleontology (the extinction of dinosaurs), and computer science (artificial intelligence). The authors present a sequence of how mistakes and fallacies have been purged from our quest to understand nature. The way these changes have come about are skillfully set in their relevant historical contexts.
£72.00
World Scientific Europe Ltd Reinvention Of Science, The: Slaying The Dragons
Book SynopsisThroughout the history of science, different thinkers, philosophers and scientists postulated the existence of entities that, in spite of their not being visible or detectable in their time, or perhaps ever, were nevertheless useful to explain the real world. We started this book by looking at a handful of these entities. These included phlogiston to account for fire; the luminiferous ether for propagation of radiation; the homunculus to provide for heredity; and crystalline spheres to carry the wandering planets around the earth. Many of these erroneous beliefs had held up progress, just as dragons drawn on the edges of a map discouraged exploration. This pattern of science evolution continued through the centuries up to the present day.The book evolved into a more extensive history of how science evolved through controversy, suppression, and the desire to maintain the status quo. Our story passes from the Babylonians and Greeks through the middle ages, the renaissance and the scientific revolution to almost current events. We discuss the evolution of our world, the controversy about the extinction of dinosaurs, and open questions in contemporary science such as dark matter, black holes and the origin of the Universe, including how we understand the subatomic world of elementary particles.Most of the chapters deal with astronomy, cosmology and physics, but there are brief ventures into geosciences (continental drift), biosciences (the homunculus), atmospheric physics (Heaviside layer), paleontology (the extinction of dinosaurs), and computer science (artificial intelligence). The authors present a sequence of how mistakes and fallacies have been purged from our quest to understand nature. The way these changes have come about are skillfully set in their relevant historical contexts.
£42.75
Swift Press Never Mind the B#Ll*Cks, Here's the Science: A
Book SynopsisA number one Irish bestseller, and winner of the Popular Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the Irish Book AwardsIn this fascinating and thought-provoking book, Professor Luke O'Neill grapples with life's biggest questions and tells us what science has to say about them.Covering topics from global pandemics to gender, addiction to euthanasia, Luke O'Neill's easy wit and clever pop-culture references deconstruct the science to make complex questions accessible. Arriving at science's definitive answers to some of the most controversial topics human beings have to grapple with, Never Mind the B#ll*ocks, Here''s the Science is a celebration of science and hard facts in a time of fake news and sometimes unhelpful groupthink.''A celebration of scientific fact in an era characterised by nebulous subjectivity'' Irish Times
£9.49
Flame Tree Publishing Special & General Relativity (Concise Edition)
Book SynopsisA new, popular edition with a clear introduction, Special & General Relativity by Albert Einstein contains his core paper, 'Relativity, The Special & The General Theory: A Popular Exposition', which established his reputation as one of the greatest thinkers of our (and perhaps any) age. Also included are two of the Princeton University lectures he gave to explain his findings in more detail, on 'The Meaning of Relativity', as well as the early paper which led to his famous equation E = mc2. 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.
£9.49
Troubador Publishing How Great Thinkers Transformed Our Ideas
Book SynopsisThis book represents a slice of the history of ideas, science and philosophy and how the lives of great thinkers drove the evolution of science, mathematics and philosophy over 300 years.
£16.99
Reaktion Books The Man Who Lost His Head
Book Synopsis
£15.19
Icon Books The Alien Perspective
Book Synopsis'Often-complex ideas are explained with clarity and precision, but this is clearly a passion project for the author, and the book soars where he deploys more poetic language, as when musing on the deeper themes that arise from his central question. ... If you've ever looked up at the sky and pondered on the big questions of life in the Universe, this is essential reading.' BBC Sky at Night magazineAstronomer and science writer David Whitehouse takes us on a journey through the evolving cosmos as he considers humankind's place in the universe - and how our survival depends on otherworldly perspectives. From the Earth to the depths of outer space, this inspiring book shows how human evolution has been intertwined with the workings of the cosmos from the very beginning, and what the far-distant future may hold, both for the universe and for ourselves. Given enough time, Whitehouse contends, we must communicate with intelligent aliens whose divergent perspective will transf
£10.44
Icon Books Ten Tantalising Truths: Why the Sky is Blue, and
Book SynopsisObvious questions do not always have obvious answers. John Gribbin is known for giving us simple explanations of big concepts in science. But there is another way to probe the mysteries of the Universe and our place in it. Faced with persistent enquiries from his grandchildren, Gribbin realised that simple questions, such as 'Why is the sky blue?', sometimes require big answers, understandable in straightforward language. In answering those simple questions, he discovered that he was telling the story of our place in the Universe, from the Big Bang to the evolutionary reasons why men are, on average, bigger than women. The questions may be obvious, but the answers are sometimes surprising and highlight one of the main joys of science - discovering the unexpected. In this book, Gribbin invites the reader to join him on this voyage of discovery, where you may think you already know the answers but should be prepared to be surprised - or at least, tantalised by the truth.Trade ReviewGribbin takes each point and uses it both to bring in some history of science and to dive into a little more depth, while staying approachable * Popular Science *Gribbin's answers are knowledgeable, stimulating and sometimes entertaining * Nature *
£11.69
Icon Books Eyes in the Sky: Space Telescopes from Hubble to
Book SynopsisOver 50 years ago, astronomers launched the world's first orbiting telescope. This allowed them to gaze further into outer space and examine anything that appears in the sky above our heads, from comets and planets to galaxy clusters and stars. Since then, almost 100 space telescopes have been launched from Earth and are orbiting our planet, with 26 still active and relaying information back to us.As a result of these space-based instruments, such as NASA's iconic Hubble Space Telescope, we know much more about the universe than we did half a century ago. But why is Hubble, orbiting just 540 kilometres above the Earth, so much more effective than a ground-based telescope? How can a glorified camera tell us not only what distant objects look like, but their detailed chemical composition and three-dimensional structure as well? In Eyes in the Sky, science writer Andrew May takes us on a journey into space to answer these questions and more. Looking at the development of revolutionary instruments, such as Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope, May explores how such technology has helped us understand the evolution of the Universe.
£10.44
Canongate Books The Reality Bubble: Blind Spots, Hidden Truths
Book SynopsisWhat are we not seeing?Our naked eyes see only a thin sliver of reality. We are blind in comparison to the x-rays that peer through skin, the mass spectrometers that detect the dead inside the living, or the high-tech surveillance systems that see with artificial intelligence.And we are blind compared to the animals that can see in infrared, or ultraviolet, or with 360-degree vision. These animals live in the same world we do, but they see something quite different when they look around. In The Reality Bubble, Ziya Tong illuminates this hidden world and takes us on a journey to examine ten of humanity's biggest blind spots. What she reveals is not on the things we didn't evolve to see but, more dangerously, the blindness of modern society. Fast-paced, utterly fascinating and deeply humane, this vitally important new book gives voice to the sense we've all had - that there is more to the world than meets the eye.Trade ReviewStunning . . . Considering how much she gets through, the tone is light and accessible. It feels like being shown around a fascinating exhibit by an enthusiastic curator . . . It is not just a book that tells a story of humanity; it is a gentle but highly effective wake-up call * * Guardian * *In a time of mounting global crisis, the kind of radical curiosity that fills this book - a commitment to probing the unseen, unknowable and unthinkable - has become essential to our survival. In Ziya Tong's hands, we learn that it can be joyous, too, with thrilling facts, questions and juxtapositions on every page. A kaleidoscopic guide to everything we're missing -- NAOMI KLEINA brilliant, eye-opening work of wonder -- MATT HAIGThis book will tear through your preconceptions like a meteor through space. Ziya Tong is a wonderfully erudite companion on a tour of reality, from the very smallest to the size of the universe and everything in between. It's an incredibly illuminating and challenging but ultimately empowering book, and reading it delivers a shock . . . Prepare to have your bubble well and truly burst * * New Scientist * *[Tong's] point . . . is made with devastating force, her argument . . . a clever and effective way to jolt readers out of their indifference * * Herald * *A skillful weaving-together of disparate threads from many disciplines, set out in evocative language that expresses a profound love for our species and the other living things we share our only habitable world with. It's not just a wake-up call, it's a recipe for survival - alarming yet hopeful -- CORY DOCTOROWZiya Tong takes readers on an important and entertaining scientific journey, as she breaks open all the hidden ways we interact with the natural world every day. Read this book to start seeing - with new eyes - how we can transform our relationship with the extraordinary planet we live on -- JANE GOODALLFilled with entertaining, often surprising, information . . . Ziya Tong's book should be required reading for all who care about what we are doing to the planet -- DAVID SUZUKI
£13.49
Atlantic Books Headscratchers: The New Scientist Puzzle Book
Book Synopsis'A fantastic and varied collection of problems authored by some of the best puzzle setters around' - Alex Bellos'A book of delightful puzzles. It's just as good as you'd expect.' - Tim Harford'A marvellous miscellany of mysteries' - Simon Singh'Hours of arguing and puzzling. I loved it.' - Matt ParkerThis highly engaging collection of 70 puzzles comes from the popular weekly column in New Scientist magazine. You'll find puzzles that are great for sharing with friends at a pub, problems drawn from real-life situations, games with intriguing strategies, and puzzles with such creative and whimsical storylines that they need to be explained to be believed. With the solutions you'll read the untold back stories behind the puzzles, and a fascinating exploration of related puzzles and mathematical ideas. You'll learn why a particular puzzle adaptation involved talking to an expert in sheep genetics, which solution was thought up by the BBC Radio 5 Drive team, and outside-the-box solutions to apparently straightforward challenges. This book is a must for any lover of puzzles or recreational mathematics.Trade ReviewA marvellous miscellany of mysteries -- Simon SinghThe ultimate collection of modern puzzles [...] Hours of arguing and puzzling. I loved it. -- Matt ParkerThe wonderful Rob Eastaway has a book of delightful puzzles out this week. It's just as good as you'd expect if you know his work. * Tim Harford *A fantastic and varied collection of problems authored by some of the best puzzle setters around. -- Alex Bellos * Guardian *Table of Contentsi: Introduction PART I: THE PUZZLES 1: Pub Puzzles: Puzzles you could do in the pub 1: Creative Addition 2: The H Coins Problem 3: The Book of Numbers 4: Late for the Gate 5: Bus Change 6: Darts Challenge 7: Evening Out 8: Caesar Cipher 9: Symmetric-L 10: Which Door? ii: Virtual(ly) Reality: Puzzles inspired by situations that really happened 11: Bone Idle 12: Sunday Drivers 13: League of Nations 14: Fastest Fingers 15: Reshuffling the Cabinet 16: Amveriric's Boat 17: Express Coffee 18: Seventh Time Lucky? 19: The Two Ewes Day Paradox 20: The Hen Party Dorm iii: All Things Considered: Puzzles featuring everyday objects 21: Cutting the Battenberg 22: A Jigsaw Puzzle 23: The Nine Minute Egg 24: Murphy's Law of Socks 25: Rearranging Books 26: Hidden Faces 27: Birthday Candles 28: Lightbulb Moment 29: BLOXO Cubes 30: Knight Numbers iv: Figuring It Out: Problems that need some calculation 31: Sum Thing Wrong 32: Car Crash Maths 33: Soccerdoku 34: All Squares 35: Squarebot 36: Christmas Gifts 37: Tightwad's Safe 38: The Card Conundrum 39: Martian Food 40: Diffy v: A Matter of Time.: Clocks, time and dates 41: Pieces of Eight 42: Which Flipping Year 43: Six Weeks of Seconds 44: Lara's Birthday 45: The Mountain Pass 46: A Well-Timed Nap 47: Triplet Jump 48: Half Time 49: Seeing Red 50: One of These Days vi: Mind Games: Games with intriguing strategies 51: Catch Up 5 52: Taking the Biscuit 53: A Mexican Standoff 54: My Fair Ladybug 55: Dungeons and Diagrams 56: Ant on a Tetrahedron 57: Chopping Board 58: Éclair-Voyance 59: The Goblin Game 60: Weather or Not vii: Eccentric Tales: Puzzles with peculiar characters 61: The Cake and the Candles 62: Vive la Différence 63: Diamonds are Forever 64: Changing the Guard 65: Yam Tomorrow 66: Blurri-Ness 67: No Time to Try 68: Paintings by Numbers 69: A Piazza of Dominoes 70: Trouble Brewing viii: PART II: Solutions, Back Stories and Commentary ix: PART III x: Hints xi: Contributor Biographies xii: Acknowledgments xiii: Notes
£13.49
Arcturus Publishing Ltd Science: 50 Essential Ideas
Book SynopsisHow did life emerge? What are the smallest elements of matter? How are planets formed?Over the centuries, brilliant men and women have sought to develop theories to answer the most compelling questions about the world around us. Through their amazing insights and conscientious efforts they helped to create the world we know today. In this beautifully illustrated book, Anne Rooney introduces you to the fascinating world of science and its greatest practitioners.Ranging from evolutionary biology to quantum physics to chaos theory and featuring the ideas of such pivotal scientists as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Marie Curie, this essential guide will bring you up to speed on all of the world''s most important scientific discoveries.ABOUT THE SERIES: The 50 Essential Ideas series brings together entertaining, highly visual guides to different disciplines, from philosophy to physics. It explores the subject''s 50 greatest ideas, giving readers an accessible overview of its defining theories and breakthroughs.
£15.29
Verso Books Internet for the People: The Fight for Our
Book SynopsisIn Internet for the People, leading tech writer Ben Tarnoff offers an answer. The internet is broken, he argues, because it is owned by private firms and run for profit. Google annihilates your privacy and Facebook amplifies right-wing propaganda because it is profitable to do so. But the internet wasn't always like this-it had to be remade for the purposes of profit maximization, through a years-long process of privatization that turned a small research network into a powerhouse of global capitalism. Tarnoff tells the story of the privatization that made the modern internet, and which set in motion the crises that consume it today.The solution to those crises is straightforward: deprivatize the internet. Deprivatization aims at creating an internet where people, and not profit, rule. It calls for shrinking the space of the market and diminishing the power of the profit motive. It calls for abolishing the walled gardens of Google, Facebook, and the other giants that dominate our digital lives and developing publicly and cooperatively owned alternatives that encode real democratic control. To build a better internet, we need to change how it is owned and organized. Not with an eye towards making markets work better, but towards making them less dominant. Not in order to create a more competitive or more rule-bound version of privatization, but to overturn it. Otherwise, a small number of executives and investors will continue to make choices on everyone's behalf, and these choices will remain tightly bound by the demands of the market. It's time to demand an internet by, and for, the people now.Trade ReviewBen Tarnoff is the best kind of visionary: deeply knowledgeable, intensely practical, and utterly committed to the transformation of an abusive and corrupt status quo. We are profoundly fortunate to have his fine mind focussed on reimagining the tools that have remade our lives. An extraordinary and urgent book. -- Naomi Klein, author of No Is Not EnoughThe privacy-invading, throttled, and ad-filled Internet we have is not the Internet we deserve. But as Ben Tarnoff lucidly lays out, if we want to manifest the latent democratic potential of our communications infrastructure, we will have to wrest control from the privatizers and profiteers and transform the underlying political economy. Internet for the People provides an engaging and enraging account of how the online world was hijacked by corporate interests, excavating the past so we can envision and organize for a better future. Ben Tarnoff has done a public service writing this book. Now we need to get busy building the movements and popular power that can fight for an Internet in the public interest. -- Astra Taylor, author of Democracy May Not Exist But We’ll Miss it When It’s Gone and The People’s PlatformTarnoff offers not only an eloquent and essential guide to the history of our capitalist internet, he also charts the myriad ways in which alternatives are emerging. A key book for imagining a better digital future. -- Nick Srnicek, author of Platform CapitalismThroughout this easy-reading narrative history, Tarnoff weaves his thesis that the internet must be de-privatized for the good of users....Tarnoff's politically infused history and critical analysis of the privatized internet is a useful, brief primer. -- Grace O'Hanlon * Library Journal *A helpful reframing-from thinking about how to avoid a horrible internet to how to create a good one....Tarnoff wants to bring the internet back to its publicly owned, civically oriented roots, and whether or not that's the right thing to do, it's the right question to ask. -- Gabriel Nicholas * Washington Post *Strikes a happy middle ground between technical history and polemic. -- Evan Malmgren * The Nation *In this stalled conversation, Ben Tarnoff's new book, Internet for the People, makes a striking intervention....his book reveals the hidden history of the internet and expands our ideas about its possible futures. -- Sarah Leonard * New Republic *
£14.24
Little, Brown Book Group The Plastic Mind
Book SynopsisFor decades, the conventional wisdom of neuroscience held that the hardware of the brain is fixed - that we are stuck with what we were born with. But recent pioneering experiments in neuroplasticity reveal that the brain is capable not only of altering its structure but also of generating new neurons, even into old age. The brain can adapt, heal, renew itself after trauma and compensate for disability. In this groundbreaking book, highly respected science writer Sharon Begley documents how this fundamental paradigm shift is transforming both our understanding of the human mind and our approach to deep-seated emotional, cognitive and behavioural problems. These breakthroughs show that it is possible to reset our happiness meter, regain the use of limbs disabled by stroke, train the mind to break cycles of depression and OCD and reverse age-related changes in the brain.Trade ReviewThere are two great things about this book. One is that it shows us how nothing about our brains is set in stone. The other is that it is written by Sharon Begley, one of the best science writers around. This is a terrific book. -- Robert Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don't Get UlcersIt is very seldom that a science in its infancy is so skilfully unpacked that it reads like a detective novel.Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Coming to Our Senses -- Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Coming to Our SensesBrilliant * Health Writer *
£11.69
Granta Books Teenagers: A Natural History
Book SynopsisDuring the second decade of human life, the body and brain undergo a profound and complex transformation, with emotions and intellect changing as rapidly and unpredictably as weight and height. These changes can be baffling - to teenagers and to those around them alike - but adolescence plays an important evolutionary role in who we become as adults and there are hard scientific facts behind the spots, the smells and the sexual experimentation, as well as the existential angst, the anger and the irresistible attraction to all the things that are bad for you. In clear, engaging and amiable prose, David Bainbridge explains the strange and wonderful science of the teenage years. And tells us just exactly what teenagers are for.Trade ReviewA completely fresh take on adolescence with great potential for newspaper family pages, radio and TV interviews and festival/ bookshop appearances. 'Fresh and engaging' Sunday Telegraph 'At a time when youth culture is feared and demonised, here is a welcome antidote. A highly readable account and a thought-provoking thesis.' New Scientist 'Teenagers is an entertaining book full of quotA--able Did you know ... ?A" facts.' New Statesman 'The tone in Teenagers is chatty and energetic and the chances are you will find something really useful here' Guardian
£8.54
Profile Books Ltd An Optimist's Tour of the Future
Book SynopsisMark Stevenson has been to the future a few years ahead of the rest of us - and reckons it has a lot going for it. His voyage of discovery takes him to Oxford to meet Transhumanists (they intend to live forever), to Boston where he confronts a robot with mood swings, to an underwater cabinet meeting in the Indian Ocean, and Australia to question the Outback's smartest farmer. He clambers around space planes in the Mojave desert, gets to grips with the potential of nanotechnology, delves deep into the possibilities of biotech, sees an energy renaissance on a printer, a revolution in communications, has his genome profiled, and glimpses the next stage of human evolution ... and tries to make sense of what's in store. Insightful and often very funny, An Optimist's Tour of the Future is a book that tracks one curious man's journey to find out what's in store.Trade ReviewCertainly one of the most interesting science books I've read for a long time. * New Statesman *A rollicking roller-coaster ride around the cutting edge of science with dozens of laugh-out-loud moments * Scotsman *[A] grand tour of charismatic technologies and their prophets ... Stevenson bags an impressive list of interviewees * Financial Times *Infectiously enthusiastic * Sunday Times *His tools are curiosity, open-mindedness, clarity and reason. That makes his journey intriguing ... and ultimately exhilarating. -- Chris Anderson, Curator TED.com
£9.49
John Murray Press Powers of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation
Book SynopsisAll of us have experienced creative connection, and glimpsed its power. Yet, for centuries, the myth of the lone genius has obscured the critical story of the power of collaboration. In Powers of Two, Joshua Wolf Shenk argues that creative pairs are the exemplars for innovation. Drawing on years of research on great partnerships in history - from Lennon and McCartney to Marie and Pierre Curie, plus hundreds more in fields including literature, popular culture, art and business - Shenk identifies the common journey pairs take from the spark of initial connection, through the passage to a cognitive 'joint identity' to competition and the struggle for power. Using scientific and psychological insights, he uncovers new truths about epic duos - and sheds new light on the genesis of some of the greatest creative work in history. He reveals hidden partnerships among people known only for their individual work (like C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien), and even 'adversarial collaborations' among those who are out to beat each other. This revelatory and lyrical book will make us see creative exchange as the central terrain of our psyches.Trade ReviewFascinating . . . highly readable. We may like to think that we live in a world of creative individualism, but this insightful books should convince even the sceptical that when it comes to creating something new and exciting, it really does take two * Sunday Business Post *An interesting thesis * The Economist *If - as Harry Nilsson sang - one is the loneliest number, then two might very well be the awesomest. This book proves that if you're interested in doing anything creative - whether that's writing a book, making a film or even starting your own business - you're better off doing it in a pair. So if you and your mate are a fledgling Lennon and McCartney, Shenk says two is better than one * FHM *Fascinating * Irish Daily Mail *We sometimes think of creativity as coming from brilliant loners. In fact, it more often happens when bright people pair up and complement each other. Shenk's fascinating book shows how to spark the power of this phenomenon * Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs *In this surprising, compelling, deeply felt book, Joshua Wolf Shenk banishes the idea of solitary genius by demonstrating that our richest art and science come from collaboration: we need one another not only for love, but also for thinking and imagining and growing and being * Andrew Solomon *Descriptions of creative life too often focus on individual genius or the wisdom of crowds. The great wit of this book is to reveal a seam hidden between those poles. All future accounts of artistry and innovation will be enriched by the treasures Joshua Wolf Shenk has uncovered in the creativity of pairs * Lewis Hyde *Fascinating . . . [a] provocative thesis on the genesis of creative innovation * Kirkus Reviews *This is a book about magic; about the Beatles; about the chemistry between people; about neuroscience; and about the buddy system; it examines love and hate, harmony and dissonance, and everything in between. The result is wise, funny, surprising, and completely engrossing * Susan Orlean *Powers of Two is filled with keen insights into the human condition and terrific examples of creativity at work. This is an inspiring book that also happens to be a great read * Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Who Am I and If So How Many?: A Journey Through
Book SynopsisThere are many books about philosophy, but Who Am I? And If So How Many? is different from the rest. Never before has anyone introduced readers so expertly and, at the same time, so light-heartedly and elegantly to the big philosophical questions.Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, history, and even pop culture, Richard David Precht deftly elucidates the questions at the heart of human existence: What is truth? Does life have meaning? Why should I be good? and presents them in concise, witty, and engaging prose. The result is an exhilarating journey through the history of philosophy and a lucid introduction to current research on the brain.Who Am I? And If So, How Many? is a wonderfully accessible introduction to philosophy. The book is a kaleidoscope of philosophical problems, anecdotal information, neurological and biological science, and psychological research.The books is divided into three parts: 1) What Can I Know? focuses on the brain and the nature and scope of human knowledge, starting with questions posed by Kant, Descartes, Nietzsche, Freud, and others.2) What Should I Do? deals with human morals and ethics, using neurological and sociological research to explain why we empathize with others and are compelled to act morally. Discusses the morality of euthanasia, abortion, cloning, and other controversial topics.3) What Can I Hope For? centers around the most important questions in life: What is happiness and why do we fall in love? Is there a God and how can we prove God's existence? What is freedom? What is the purpose of life?Trade ReviewWhen you read this book, you've taken the first step on the way towards happiness ... This book is indispensable. * Elke Heidenreich, Lesen! *A sweeping guide for getting to the bottom of things - for searching for answers and critically examining those answers. In short: narrated philosophy. * buchjournal *Precht's rhetorically fine train of thought ranges beyond a spirit of the time and traverses its own limits. He poses systematic questions pertaining to everyday life. He casts a net of philosophical insights, scientific discoveries, and political events that broadens the perspective of the total human phenomenon. * West German Broadcasting (WDR) *A good introduction to some pretty big ideas. * Big Issue *I found myself getting sucked into this book. * Evening Standard *Precht offers a uniquely enriching and thought-provoking experience. * Good Book Guide *
£10.44
Whittles Publishing Understanding Animal Behaviour
Book SynopsisThis accessible introduction to animal behaviour provides an authoritative yet reader-friendly guide for the interested naturalist. It presents current knowledge about the way animals behave and will enable the reader to derive more pleasure from their observations of animals by gaining a deeper understanding of their behaviour. The concepts are presented in an easily appreciated way with which everyone can associate.In the first part of the book, the author explores how animals behave by considering the physical processes involved in the way animals perceive their environment and what determines how they respond to it. This is followed by the 'why' of animal behaviour in which the author examines many topics under the overall issue of expressing behaviour, and the evolutionary forces that have shaped - and continue to shape - the detailed form of more complex behaviours. Therefore questions such as why animals forage in the way they do and how that foraging pattern may be refined to optimal efficiency; why animals adopt a particular reproductive strategy and breeding behaviour and why some animals live as solitary individuals, while others live in groups and so on.The book is copiously illustrated throughout in support and interpretation of the text. While the pictures enhance understanding of the written text, the text also showcases the exquisite illustrations of wildlife artist Catherine Putman.Trade Review`…he has set out to give a broad understanding and knowledge resulting from what is out there after generations of scientific research. This book contains surprises even for the most experienced… It is designed to give insight into what to expect from animals: knowledge that must surely reward both humans and other life on this planet’. Appropriate Technology -------------------- `...the author looks not just at how animals behave, but considers as well what actually motivates and drives them, bringing together current understanding of a wide complex topic. The result is comprehensive, enlightening and immersive, ranging across a wide variety of species from butterflies to lions, with a few surprises along the way. There is a wealth of knowledge packed into its pages. This is a very readable book...This book comes highly recommended and will be valuable to anyone with an interest in animal behavior, be it academic or casual, adding a new insight to a fascinating subject'. Deer Journal -------------------- `I particularly recommend this book to students minoring in biology, ecology, environmental and veterinary sciences: Putman's clearly written and easy to understand style is sure to explain the complex concepts without relying on hard to decipher terminology'. 10,000 Birds -------------------- `...the book provides an engaging and educational read'. Inside Ecology -------------------- `The book finishes with an extremely valuable question and answer section. This is a book that would seriously augment any type of study of animals, and amateur naturalists like me will also learn much from its pages'. Wildlife Detective. The blog of Alan Stewart -------------------- `...comprehensive treatment of the subject will suit a range of practitioners including naturalists. ...he brings the subject alive in this engaging book'. ECOSTable of ContentsPart 1: Mechanisms of animal behaviour - Understanding animal behaviour. Reflex behaviours. Linking responses and the coordination of more complex behaviours. Receiving stimuli and analysing the incoming information. Motivation and its capacity to modify simple response patterns. Learning and its effects in modifying behaviour. 'Unpredictable' behaviours: redirected behaviour and displacement activities. Behaviour genetics and the evolution of behaviour.Part 2: The adaptation of behaviour - Adaptiveness of behaviour; optimising the returns. Living in groups and the advantages of sociality. Reproductive behaviour and reproductive strategies. Courtship displays and mate choice. Cooperative breeding and arguments about altruism . Territoriality and aggression. Animal navigation. 'If we could talk to the animals...'
£18.04
Profile Our Posthuman Future
Book SynopsisIs a baby whose personality has been chosen from a gene supermarket still a human? If we choose what we create what happens to morality? Is this the end of human nature? The dramatic advances in DNA technology over the last few years are the stuff of science fiction. It is now not only possible to clone human beings it is happening. For the first time since the creation of the earth four billion years ago, or the emergence of mankind 10 million years ago, people will be able to choose their children's' sex, height, colour, personality traits and intelligence. It will even be possible to create 'superhumans' by mixing human genes with those of other animals for extra strength or longevity. But is this desirable? What are the moral and political consequences? Will it mean anything to talk about 'human nature' any more? Is this the end of human beings? Our Posthuman Future is a passionate analysis of the greatest political and moral problem ever to face the human race.
£9.99
Profile Books Ltd 13 Things That Don't Make Sense: The Most
Book SynopsisScience starts to get interesting when things don't make sense. Even today there are experimental results that the most brilliant scientists can neither explain nor dismiss. In the past, similar anomalies have revolutionised our world: in the sixteenth century, a set of celestial irregularities led Copernicus to realise that the Earth goes around the sun and not the reverse. In 13 Things That Don't Make Sense Michael Brooks meets thirteen modern-day anomalies that may become tomorrow's breakthroughs. Is ninety six percent of the universe missing? If no study has ever been able to definitively show that the placebo effect works, why has it become a pillar of medical science? Was the 1977 signal from outer space a transmission from an alien civilization? Spanning fields from chemistry to cosmology, psychology to physics, Michael Brooks thrillingly captures the excitement and controversy of the scientific unknown.Trade ReviewFascinating ... Brooks reawakens us to the astonishing fact of our mere existence, the strangeness of the world around us, and the astonishing amount that science has yet to discover -- Christopher Hart * Sunday Times *Outstanding non-fiction reading * Esquire *Impressively knowledgeable, articulate -- Christopher Hirst * Independent *An admirably clear and clever writer * Evening Standard *Proof that science gets interesting when things get weird * Weekend Australian *
£10.44
Virtual Image Gravity: Cracking the Cosmic Code
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Collective Ink Punk Science – Inside the Mind of God
Book Synopsis"Punk Science" demonstrates that ideas from the cutting-edge of science actually explain phenomena that have previously been thought of as "paranormal". Inspired by the "Gnostic Gospels" and the history of the sacred feminine, Dr Samanta-Laughton offers a new model of the universe, where consciousness generates life, where black holes exist inside our bodies as well as far out in space, and where the same science explains galaxies and planets as well as human evolution, auras and chakras. Drawing on the very latest in scientific understanding, the Black Hole principle outlined by Dr Samanta-Laughton represents the next leap forward in both human understanding and living, and gives a closer approximation to scientific reality than the macho-approach of the old-style physics.
£12.34
Temple Lodge Publishing Colour: Seeing, Experiencing, Understanding
Book Synopsis
£18.00
Legend Press Ltd The Butterfly Hunter: The Life of Henry Walter
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Saraband Incandescent: We Need to Talk About Light
Book SynopsisLight is changing, dramatically. Our world is getting brighter - you can see it from space. But is brighter always better? Artificial light is voracious and spreading. Vanquishing precious darkness across the planet, when we are supposed to be using less energy. The quality of light has altered as well. Technology and legislation have crushed warm incandescent lighting in favour of harsher, often glaring alternatives. Light is fundamental - it really matters. It interacts with life in profound yet subtle ways: it tells plants which way to grow, birds where to fly and coral when to spawn. It tells each and every one of us when to sleep, wake, eat. We mess with the eternal rhythm of dawn-day-dusk-night at our peril. But mess with it we have, and we still don't truly understand the consequences. In Incandescent, journalist Anna Levin reveals her own fraught relationship with changes in lighting, and she explores its real impact on nature, our built environment, health and psychological well-being. We need to talk about light, urgently. And ask the critical question: just how bright is our future?Trade Review'A vital account of an increasing hazard.' Dr John Lincoln, Trustee, LightAware charity; 'This is an issue whose time has come.' Kevin Gaston, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter; 'Details the disruptive effects of light pollution on the natural world, from the humble dog whelk to turtles … Incandescent will make you more appreciative of “the ultimate low-energy lighting source”: daylight.' Suzi Feay, Financial Times; 'Incandescent is a well-researched and written book, with accessible analysis and explanations supported by technical details about LED lighting’s potential impact on human health and the wider environment. It throws an intriguing new light on an unanticipated problem that is only now becoming recognised.' Clive Simpson; Praise for Anna Levin's previous book, Otters: Return to the River: 'Stunning . . . a unique insight into these elusive animals.' BBC Wildlife Magazine; 'Captivating . . . a beautiful insight into behaviour that the rest of us would barely glimpse.' BBC Countryfile Magazine; 'Anna has caught the master at his trade and the rippling River Tweed and its lissom otters, and blended them together in these pages so that we can all be out there, with the dew forming on Laurie's long vigils, silent as snow, watching, watching...' Sir John Lister-Kaye;Table of ContentsMy Light Year; Other People’s Stories; This Stuff of Physics, Metaphors and Mysteries; Body and Mind; In the Natural World; The World We’ve Created; Banning the Bulb; The Language of Light and an Ideological Tangle; Now What?; Reflections and Refractions
£9.49
Myriad Editions Science Tales: Lies, Hoaxes and Scams
Book SynopsisA new paperback edition of Darryl Cunningham's celebrated myth-debunking graphic novel.
£999.99
Notting Hill Editions Brainspotting: Adventures in Neurology
Book SynopsisAs a trainee doctor, Andrew Lees was enthralled by his mentors: esteemed neurologists who combined the precision of mathematicians, the scrupulosity of entomologists and the solemnity of undertakers in their diagnoses and treatments. For them, there was no such thing as an unexplained symptom or psychosomatic problem-no difficult cases, only interesting ones-and it was only a matter of time before all disorders of the brain would be understood in terms of anatomical, electrical, and chemical connections. Today, this kind of "holistic neurology" is on the brink of extinction as a slavish adherence to protocols and algorithms-plus a worship of machines-runs the risk of destroying the key foundational clinical skills of listening, observation and imagination that have been at the heart of the discipline for over 150 years. In this series of brilliant, insightful, and autobiographical essays, Andrew Lees takes us on a kind of Sherlock Holmes tour of neurology, giving the reader insight into-and a defense of-the deep analytical tools that the best neurologists still rely on to diagnose patients: to heal minds and to fix brains.Trade Review‘A. J. Lees’s exquisitely produced Brainspotting is a gem… Alongside this genial recounting of his approach to his work, Lees offers sketches of neurologists by whom he was taught or who have influenced his thinking and recollections of institutions where he has worked… I loved this book. If ever I fall victim to a neurological disorder, I can only hope to God I come under the benign and intelligent care of Lees.’ Sally Vickers, Literary Review -- Salley Vickers * Literary Review *"A fascinating and riveting book. A.J. Lees is that rare phenomenon: a literary stylist of the first rank who combines a fine aesthetic sensibility with deep scientific knowledge... After reading this book, you will never feel the same about the words mind, body and soul." —Andrew Hussey “An exceptional compendium of marvellous phenomena that can captivate the imagination of students and neurologists to this day. . . . Lees’ writing style combines anatomical precision with ethereal poetry, which is reflected in his practice and teachings. . . . Brainspotting is a vibrant testimony of Lees’ love for clinical neurology, the value of observation in a world of randomised trials, and a melancholic battle cry against hasty, profit-driven, virtual, touchless, ‘scan-negative’ medicine. The book reminds us that the art of clinical neurology allows for remarkable discoveries nearly everywhere, provided that our senses remain open and clear.” —The Lancet “The inevitable comparison of Lees with the late, great Oliver Sacks is entirely just.” —Raymond Tallis “A subtle, brilliant and unputdownable appeal for the place of the human factor in the practise of neurology during the age of fMRI and Google. . . . A remarkable book.” —Robert McCrum
£14.24
Amba Press Seriously Fun Maths: The Complete Guide to
Book SynopsisIn Seriously Fun Maths, Dr Laura Tuohilampi changes the narrative of mathematics education into something fascinating, intriguing and something that touches every human. Based on her cutting-edge research she challenges the outdated ways of motivating students around maths. This engaging book provides teachers with research, resources and activities to teach a lesson a month. The rich activities are accessible to young students and deep enough for secondary students. Even adults! This book will help mathematics educators reflect on their skills of orchestrating mathematical discussions and problem-solving. They will learn how to increase students'' engagement in ways that reduce stress-inducing expectations around what a ''good'' student in maths can and cannot do. Teachers will improve their grasp of what''s important - making mathematics a meaningful experience.Everyone will have serious fun while learning maths!
£22.75
J.Boles FLASH TIME: THE DISCOVERY & MEANING OF CYCLIC
Book SynopsisThe prevailing scientific view of the world just doesn't work! Our most precious and accepted scientific principles, built over millennia by luminaries including Einstein, Darwin and Hawking, are all built on one basic idea, that time is a straight line. However, logical contradictions that arise are given ever-more improbable explanations to fill the gaps - string theory, dark matter, parallel universes. It just doesn't add up. But what if time is not a straight line? What if time is a circle with a relatively short repeating cycle? Then everything falls neatly into place. Welcome to Flash Time: a revolutionary new world view Flash Time is a revolutionary new way of looking at the universe and our place in it by seeing time as a cycle rather than a line. As a result, our most persistent scientific inconsistencies are swept away, along with all our biggest scientific assumptions, and a new `Theory of Everything' that really works is presented. A truly mind-bending book that will change how you think about the world around you.
£16.96
Springer Nature Switzerland AG How to Drive a Nuclear Reactor
Book SynopsisHave you ever wondered how a nuclear power station works? This lively book will answer that question. It’ll take you on a journey from the science behind nuclear reactors, through their start-up, operation and shutdown. Along the way it covers a bit of the engineering, reactor history, different kinds of reactors and what can go wrong with them. Much of this is seen from the viewpoint of a trainee operator on a Pressurised Water Reactor - the most common type of nuclear reactor in the world. Colin Tucker has spent the last thirty years keeping reactors safe. Join him on a tour that is the next best thing to driving a nuclear reactor yourself!Trade Review“The book is great with the perfect mid-point of useful technical detail and easily understandable explanations. An excellent read for anyone interested in something a bit more in-depth than most popular science books, just so long as you go in with your brain switched on.” (Popular Science, popsciencebooks.blogspot.com, September 7, 2020)“It should be of interest to both general readers wanting to know how a nuclear reactor works, those new to the industry, and specialists wanting a broader overview. … The book is well produced, well written and the author’s enthusiasm and sense of humour come over.” (Nigel Buttery, Nuclear Future, May-June, 2020)Table of ContentsOne Man and His Dog.- Physics is Phun.- Being Friendly to Neutrons.- Criticality is Not as Bad as it Sounds.- What Makes Nuclear Special?.- The Thing you put your Reactor in.....- Pull the Rods Out and Stand Back.- Watt Power?.- Your Reactor is Stable (Part One).- You've got to do Something with all that Steam....- The Big Red Button.- Your Reactor is Stable (Part Two).- Putting a Spin on it.- Going Up!.- Power, and How to Change it.- Steady Power with Nothin to do?.- It's All About Safety.- What Can Go Wrong (and what you can do about it...).- Smaller isn't Always Easier.- What Else Can Go Wrong?.- When you run out of Oomph.- Other Reactor Designs are Available.- How to Build your own Reactor.- And there's more....- Conclusion.
£22.99
Springer International Publishing AG The Stumbling Progress of 20th Century Science:
Book SynopsisThe 70 years from 1880 to 1950 witnessed the final ascent of humankind into the modern age. Historically, this period is characterized by deep political, social and economic crises. However, parallel to this and much less known in the public, rational scientific thinking also experienced the darkest and deepest crisis of its own history. All the great modern scientific discoveries like quantum theory, genetics and neurology are products of this. Ground-breaking discoveries, profound crises, revolutionary thoughts, refutation of previously unshakable beliefs - these years are marked by scientific achievements of numerous great minds, who overturned our understanding of the world, of space, time and infinity, of life, logic and calculability almost overnight. The "intuitive genius" of these pioneers still forms the foundation of today’s scientific thinking and technological progress. In fact, tackling and overcoming those deep scientific crises shaped our modern life like nothing else. The resulting reorientation of our understanding of nature and ourselves allowed ancient philosophical questions to appear in a new light: "What is reality?", "What can we know about the world?" or "What is man's place in nature?". The most exciting period in the history of science is retold here in an entertaining way.Table of ContentsNewton's World Formula that was not a World Formula - How the Speed of Light Shook up Classical Physics.- The Battle about the Atom: From Boltzmann to Einstein – How Pure Chance Broke into the Well-Ordered World of Physics.- Mathematics Becomes Paradoxical - Georg Cantor and the Insurmountable Contradictions in Infinity.- Darwin's Hesitation and Mendel's Diligence - Life as a Plaything of Molecular Elements.- No more Ground Beneath our Feet - The Collapse of Classical Sciences.
£19.99
World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd Conjuring With Computation: A Manual Of Magic And
Book SynopsisThe team behind Computer Science for Fun (CS4FN), brings you Conjuring with Computation: A Manual of Magic and Computing for Beginners. Develop your skills as a magician while also learning the basics of computer science by exploring its links to magic. Each chapter explains how to do a simple magic trick, step-by-step, then uses the trick to introduce linked fundamental ideas in computer science in a fun way.By reading the book you will learn to do self-working tricks, be able to hold magic shows, create your own versions of tricks, and with creativity even invent your own. We cover:The book includes profiles of computer scientists, alongside magicians with links to technology, through history.Master conjuring and thinking computationally.
£52.50
Little, Brown Book Group Y The Descent Of Men
Book SynopsisMen, towards the end of the last millennium, felt a sudden tightening of the bowels with the news that the services of their sex had at last been dispensed with. Dolly the Sheep - conceived without male assistance - had arrived. Her birth reminded at least half the population of how precarious man''s position may be. What is the point of being a man? For a brief and essential instant he is a donor of DNA; but outside that glorious moment his role is hard to understand.This book is about science not society; about maleness not manhood. The condition is, in the end, a matter of biology, whatever limits that science may have in explaining the human condition. Today''s advances in medicine and in genetics mean at last we understand why men exist and why they are so frequent. We understand from hormones to hydraulics how man''s machinery works, why he dies so young and how his brain differs from that of the rest of mankind.Trade ReviewThis is science communication at its best: up-to-date, authoritative, witty and packed with human interest. Not just a book for blokes: required reading, too, for every woman who wants to know her enemy * New Scientist *A sure-fire hit * Independent *Steve Jones's ideas drive me almost mad with wonder * Bob Geldof *Stacked full of wonderful anecdotes and vignettes * THES *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Stopping the Next Pandemic
Book Synopsis''Excellent . . . analyses clearly and authoritatively how the coronavirus pandemic played out, what governments should have done, and what we need to do when it happens again - as it undoubtedly will'' Financial Times''You could not hope for a better guide to the pandemic world order than Debora MacKenzie, who''s been on this story from the start. This is an authoritative yet readable explanation of how this catastrophe happened - and more important, how it will happen again if we don''t change''Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist, Adapt and Messy''This definitely deserves a read - the first of the post mortems by a writer who knows what she''s talking about''Laura Spinney, author of Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the WorldIn a gripping, accessible narrative, a veteran science journalist lays out the shocking story of how the COVID-19 coronavirus panTrade ReviewYou could not hope for a better guide to the pandemic world order than Debora MacKenzie, who's been on this story from the start. This is an authoritative yet readable explanation of how this catastrophe happened - and more important, how it will happen again if we don't change -- Tim Harford, author of THE UNDERCOVER ECONOMIST, ADAPT and MESSYThis definitely deserves a read - the first of the post mortems by a writer who knows what she's talking about -- Laura Spinney, Author of PALE RIDER: THE SPANISH FLU OF 1918 AND HOW IT CHANGED THE WORLDImpressively paced and comprehensive * New Statesman *Excellent . . . analyses clearly and authoritatively how the coronavirus pandemic played out, what governments should have done, and what we need to do when it happens again - as it undoubtedly will * Financial Times *I loved this book. Fast-paced, engaging, couldn't put it down. A heart-pounding telling of the misadventures that led to one of the worst pandemics in history. A story that we all think we know, but don't. And a story whose lessons, if unlearned, we will be condemned to repeat -- Dr Paul Offit, Author of PANDORA'S LAB and VACCINATED, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaA fascinating behind the scenes look ... If someone asks you why the COVID-19 epidemic happened and how we can prevent the next one, hand them this book -- Steffanie Strathdee, PhD, Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences, University of California San Diego, and co-author of THE PERFET PREDATOR: A SCIENTIST'S RACE TO SAVE HER HUSBAND FROM A DEADLY SUPERBUGA vivid account of the origins and fortunes of coronavirus, warning that worse may be yet to come ... Charting the etiology and course of the virus, MacKenzie observes that nearly everything about its origins and spread offers lessons on how not to act when the next pandemic comes ... Essential, enlightening reading in a time of panic and plague -- Starred review * Kirkus *MacKenzie wisely leaves the specifics of who got what wrong when for another day. Instead, she focuses on the scientists and philanthropists, such as Bill Gates, who tried to alert the world to the threat ... Until we repair our injured planet and address the linked issues of globalisation and the disruption of animal habitats, Sars-CoV-2 is unlikely to be the last pandemic virus; MacKenzie also cautions that "hindsight helps you win the next battle, not the last one" * Observer *Debora MacKenzie is a leading science journalist, with vast experience writing about pandemic threats and neglected diseases. She uses her background to hit the ground running on one of the first books written on the emergence of COVID-19. As politicians and elected leaders increasingly work to change the narrative on COVID-19 on their steps to first contain and mitigate the pandemic, Debora's efforts lay it all out in stark terms -- Dr Peter Hotez, Author of VACCINES DID NOT CAUSE RACHEL’S AUTISM, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of MedicineSo often, people look at the nature of disease in the midst of an outbreak when, really, it's the interaction between the disease and people that matters. That is at the heart of epidemiology, and it's what MacKenzie does beautifully in her book. Whether it's cultural practices with animals like bats, or the fear and delay in labeling it pandemic, to a woeful lack of funding for public health and vaccine research, or the misguided notion that disease will recognize boundaries just because people do-MacKenzie's fascinating book gives us the scope and scale to be able to put this pandemic in perspective and, it begs the question, will we learn from this in time to prevent to next one -- Molly Crosby, author of THE AMERICAN PLAGUE, ASLEEP and THE GREAT PEARL HEISTSome people write interesting autobiographical recollections of people, places, and events, while others offer an extensive and comprehensive anthology of a topic area. Deborah Mackenzie has not only succeeded in doing both in a single volume, but in a manner that is immensely engaging ... an excellent work for general consumption as well as for those already involved in communicable disease control, microbiology, epidemiology, and medical journalism. In our present climate of regrettable tweets, unverified facts, and deliberate misinformation, this timely book provides a delightful and important excursion into the world of outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics -- Tim Sly, epidemiologist and Professor Emeritus at Ryerson University's School of Public HealthQuickly spiralling from a local outbreak to a global crisis, Debora MacKenzie provides a down-to-earth account of how the COVID-19 pandemic has played out so far and, crucially, how the world can be better prepared for the ever-present risk of another epidemic -- Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineScience journalist MacKenzie delivers a wise and accurate account of the COVID-19 pandemic, supplying readers with an objective assessment of where we are, how we got here, and how to prepare for future emerging infections * Booklist *It's difficult for any fellow journalist not to feel a deep professional respect, tinged with awe, for the sheer depth of knowledge and expertise she brings to what is her first book, and for the fast-paced, well-structured and highly accessible style in which she tells the Covid-19 story * Scotsman *For deep understanding of the years of policy mistakes, the ignored warnings and the viruses lurking as we invade ever more ecosystems, turn to Debora MacKenzie's magnificent COVID-19. Read about the Nipah virus and see what a civilisation-threatening pandemic might be like. Be afraid. * New Scientist *
£8.49
Hodder & Stoughton How to Eat to Change How You Drink
Book SynopsisAre you sober curious? With Dr Brooke Scheller''s new programme you can eat your way to a better relationship with drinking. How to Eat to Change How You Drink gives you all you need to know to understand and improve your drinking habits.People are drinking more than ever. Dr Scheller demonstrates that alcohol intake affects many health problems from fatigue to hormonal imbalances and weight gain, but your health can also contribute to cravings.Based on cutting-edge new science combined with her own personal experience, Dr Scheller will teach you how to use foods, meal timing and supplementation to manage your cravings and reduce your alcohol intake. This comprehensive book includes tips and tricks on mindfulness, meditation and complementary therapies and a 30-day plan that you can put into practice to change your lifestyle for the better and cut back for good. Eat yourself sober!Trade ReviewA helpful addition for anybody taking a holistic approach to changing their relationship to alcohol. -- Ruby Warrington, author of Sober CuriousAs a functional medicine expert, I have seen first-hand the powerful grip alcohol can have on a person's wellbeing. In Scheller's groundbreaking new book, her easy-to-follow 4-week plan shows us how we can use food to reset our health and our relationship with alcohol. Drinking doesn't have to be all or nothing, but by understanding the impact alcohol has on our overall health, we can learn better ways to support our needs - physically and emotionally - so that we can walk away with a better sense of what truly fuels us. -- Dr Will Cole, author of Ketotarian, The Inflammation Spectrum, Intuitive Fasting and Gut FeelingsThis compelling book takes us through how our body changes 'on alcohol'. Alcohol replaces nutrient dense foods in our diet, causing nutritional deficiencies that cause us to crave more alcohol. This affects our brain, gut, ability to regulate glucose and insulin, and sense of self. Dr Scheller asks you to explore your own relationship with alcohol and your drinking triggers. She provides a 30-day plan of food, supplements and herbs, and lifestyle modifications which build your awareness and cut your desire to drink. Join Dr Scheller in this journey of self-discovery to live an alcohol-free life. When one door closes, another opens. -- Liz Lipski, PhD, CNS, BCHN, IFMCP, Professor and Director of Academic Development for the Nutrition programs at Maryland University of Integrative Health, Author of Digestive Wellness and Digestive Wellness for ChildrenFor too long, alcohol has been treated as a health tonic in the wellness space. Dr Brooke's book so eloquently shows us what alcohol really does to our bodies, gut, and overall wellbeing. When alcohol is no longer aligned with your values of a healthy lifestyle, pick up this book. -- Karolina Rzadkowolska, coach, and author of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident YouDr Brooke perfectly captures the future of healthy living as a low-alcohol or alcohol free lifestyle. I continue to see this movement grow as my clients focus on quality, nourishing food and mindful or minimal drinking as a way to care for one's body and glow from the inside out. -- Brooke “Chef Bae” Baevsky, Cooking Show Host, Celebrity Private Chef, and Professional Recipe DeveloperDr Brooke Scheller offers a very in depth approach to quitting drinking that is different from anything I've seen. As someone who is very passionate about the science side of things, I loved Brooke's spin on the science by approaching it from a nutrition standpoint. It's hard to choose a favourite section of this book - from the discussion on different supplements, to the drinker archetypes, to the recommendations on creating a dietary plan that works for you - How to Eat to Change How You Drink is a must-read for anyone who is evaluating their relationship with alcohol. -- Gillian Tietz, MS. Sober Powered Podcastan unusually holistic and potentially more sustainable approach to sobriety. * Daily Express *
£15.29
John Murray Press How Long is Now
Book SynopsisA Sunday Times bestsellerHow long is ''now''? The short answer is ''somewhere between 2 and 3 seconds''. The long answer involves an incredible journey through neuroscience, our subconscious and the time-bending power of meditation. Living in the present may never feel the same. Ready for some more? Okay. Why isn''t Pluto a planet? Why are dogs'' noses wet? Why do hens cluck more loudly after laying an egg? What happens when one black hole swallows another? Do our fingerprints change as we get older? How young can you die of old age? And what is at the very edge of the Universe?Life is full of mind-bending questions. And, as books like What If? and Why Don''t Penguins'' Feet Freeze? have shown, the route to find each answer can take us on the weirdest and most wonderful journeys. How Long is Now? is a fascinating new collection of questions you never thought to ask, along with answers that will change the way you seeTrade ReviewIf you're one of those people (and I am) who often find yourself wondering about the "whys" and "whats" of random phenomena for no apparent reason, your hopes have been answered. How Long is Now? is the book I didn't know I needed until I read it - with the answers I didn't know I craved until I had them. It's funny and endlessly fascinating. I have one question left: when's the follow-up coming out? I'm sure to have many queries saved up -- Maria Konnikova New York Times bestselling author of Mastermind and The Confidence Game
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton The Good Virus: The Untold Story of Phages: The
Book SynopsisCHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 BY WATERSTONES AND THE TIMES'The book that might change the world ... This is luxury-class science writing'TELEGRAPH'One of the best books of any genre that I've read in 2023, this superbly-written book ... will fascinate absolutely everyone.'FORBES'A delight. To learn more about phages is to discover fascinating details about a hidden world'NATURE'Outstanding'CLIVE MYRIE__________Not all viruses are out to get us - in fact, the viruses that do us harm are vastly outnumbered by viruses that can actually save lives.At every moment, within your body and all around you, trillions of microscopic combatants are fighting an invisible war. Countless times per second, 'good' viruses known as phages are infecting and destroying bacteria. These phages are the most abundant life form on the planet and have an incredible power to heal rather than harm. So why have most of us never even heard of them?The Good Virus reveals how personalities, power and politics have repeatedly crashed together to hinder our understanding of these weird and wonderful life forms. We explore why Stalin's Soviet Union embraced using phages to fight disease but the rest of the world shunned the idea. We find out why scientists only recently realised phages are central to all ecosystems on Earth. And we meet the often eccentric phage heroes who have shaped the strange history of this field and are unlocking its exciting future.Faced with the threat of antibiotic resistance, we need phages now more than ever. The Good Virus celebrates what phages could do for us and our planet if they are at last given the attention they deserve.Trade ReviewMost viruses do no harm to humans - and, as this fascinating book explains, a large class of them might even prove our saviours ... [Phages] regulate our gut microbiome, are crucial to marine ecosystems, and inspired the modern Crispr technique of gene-editing ... All this and more is thrillingly recounted in Tom Ireland's superb book. This is real luxury-class science writing, exploring how a "Stalin-tainted" idea from long ago can be rehabilitated, alternating scientist interviews and vivid case studies of miraculous-seeming cures with historical narrative and limpid biotechnological explanations ... He also demonstrates excellent comic timing. -- Steven Poole * Telegraph *One of the best books of any genre that I've read in 2023, this superbly-written book relies on exquisite story-telling to interweave science and history and politics into an engaging and readable account that will fascinate absolutely everyone. Whether you are looking for something unique to enthrall your book club friends, something educational to enlighten or inspire ... or insights into the complex and subtle ways that politics, history, medicine, science and individual personalities all feedback on and influence each other, you will find it in this remarkable and extraordinarily readable book. Even scientists and medical doctors will find much in this book to intrigue and delight them, and non-specialists will find this eye-opening book is unlike anything they've ever read before. * Forbes *This engaging book highlights the brighter side of the viral world ... a delight. To learn more about phages is to discover fascinating details about a hidden world ... Ireland offers riveting accounts ... The Good Virus is timely ... It's an exciting time for a field that has, for too long, been unfairly overlooked. * Nature *Outstanding. The Good Virus is a fascinating, original and timely work. -- Clive MyrieTom Ireland's compelling and original book makes a strong case for revisiting phage therapy ... richly detailed and absorbing, and well balanced between the biological details and the personalities and scientific politics involved ... The Good Virus is original, eye-opening and grippingly told. * New Scientist *A new scientific frontier that couldn't be more fascinating or vital. Phages are critical to our health, and the health of the whole planet. Brilliantly written and profound, this book is ahead of the curve and deserves to become a classic. -- Daniel M. Davis, author of The Beautiful Cure and The Secret BodyAbsolutely smashing. It's really beautifully written, it's a really, really fascinating account. * BBC 5 Live Science podcast *This thrilling book will amaze you. Viruses have been attacking bacteria since the dawn of time, but in the last century some scientists have been able to enlist them in the fight against bacterial infections. Tom Ireland's limpid writing tells the exciting story of the past and future of "phage therapy", balanced by a sober exploration of the problems involved in turning the good viruses into treatments. Highly recommended. -- Professor Matthew CobbFascinating * Today programme, BBC Radio 4 *The book that might change the world ... Ireland's superb book introduces us to Covid's friendly little cousin, the phage. It feasts on bacteria, was used to treat soldiers at Stalingrad, and might just be the future of medicine. * Telegraph *It is rare to find such a rich seam of science that is so pertinent to modern health concerns yet feels so under recognised. Everybody knows about good bacteria but I doubt they have heard of good viruses (I hadn't). Environmental pollution and antibiotic resistance are two of the world's biggest problems and to think the solution to those may have been with us all along is both fascinating and exciting to learn. This book is full of gems of information and hope for the future. I thoroughly enjoyed it. -- Suzanne O'SullivanIncredible and thought provoking. Phages are the superheroes of the human biome. A truly enlightening read that makes you realise what we really don't yet know. -- Professor Dame Sue BlackA masterful blend of jaw-dropping science and absorbing storytelling shows that we live on a planet run by super-abundant, sub-microscopic biological entities. Besides revealing a fundamental aspect of how life on Earth really works, this book reminds us of the missed opportunities we simply cannot afford to miss again. It is both incredibly well researched and very timely. -- George McGavinA fascinating and absorbing guide to this abundant but rarely studied life form, the book takes us through the discovery of bacteriophages, their use in laboratory research and highlights their increasingly likely future as a weapon against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. -- Professor Dame Sarah GilbertNot all viruses are out to get us ... This read reveals the good guys - phages. These ultra-helpful but microscopic viruses infect and fight bacteria - this book tells the story of their discovery and use in our health, plus what the future might hold for them. * Woman's Weekly *In the wake of the Covid pandemic, the idea of a virus being beneficial may seem strange, even implausible. But science journalist Tom Ireland is admirably determined to show us just how potent this disease-fighting approach can be and to persuade us of its importance. As engaging as it is expansive, The Good Virus describes the distinctive biology and murky history of bacteriophage (generally shortened to "phage"), a form of life that is remarkably abundant yet obscure enough to have been termed the "dark matter of biology." * Wall Street Journal *The Good Virus is a colorful redemption story for the oft-neglected yet incredibly abundant phage, and its potential for quelling the existential threat of antibiotic resistance ... Ireland, an award-winning science journalist, approaches the subject of his first book with curiosity and passion, delivering a deft narrative that is rich and approachable ... Ireland tells the fascinating story of how phages harvested from German corpses helped the Soviets defeat the Nazis when cholera broke out during the siege of Stalingrad. * New York Times *[An] intriguing history ... incredibly timely * Science magazine *
£18.75
Quercus Publishing How to Expect the Unexpected: The Science of
Book SynopsisA Waterstones Best Popular Science Book of 2023'Delightfully clear and vivid to read...A splendid book! Philip Pullman'Absolutely fascinating' James O'Brien'An exceptional book - readable, funny and more needed than ever' Dr Chris van Tulleken, bestselling author of Ultra-Processed PeopleAre you more likely to become a professional footballer if your surname is Ball?· How can you be one hundred per cent sure you will win a bet?· Why did so many Pompeiians stay put while Mount Vesuvius was erupting?· How do you prevent a nuclear war?Ever since the dawn of human civilisation, we have been trying to make predictions about what's in store for us. We do this on a personal level, so that we can get on with our lives efficiently (should I hang my laundry out to dry, or will it rain?). But we also have to predict on a much larger scale, often for the good of our broader society (how can we spot economic downturns or prevent terrorist attacks?). For just as long, we have been getting it wrong. From religious oracles to weather forecasters, and from politicians to economists, we are subjected to poor predictions all the time. Our job is to separate the good from the bad. Unfortunately, the foibles of our own biology - the biases that ultimately make us human - can let us down when it comes to making rational inferences about the world around us. And that can have disastrous consequences.How to Expect the Unexpected will teach you how and why predictions go wrong, help you to spot phony forecasts and give you a better chance of getting your own predictions correct.Trade ReviewA vivid, wide-ranging and delightful guide to the light and the dark side of prediction * Tim Harford, bestselling author of How to Make the World Add Up *Kit Yates presents maths as it should be taught to everyone: accessible, fun, stimulating, and deeply relevant to our lives. Spend some time with this book and you're likely to make better judgements and decisions, to see through the charlatans and snake-oil salespeople - and perhaps even to fool yourself a little less. * Philip Ball, author of the award-winning Critical Mass *Fascinating and fun. From the everyday to global challenges, Kit Yates explores how changing your mind - so often thought to be a weakness - is the best life skill we can all acquire. A brilliant book * Professor Alice Roberts *Yates' writing is a beacon of clarity sorely needed in a complicated and confusing world. How do we overcome our biases, understand coincidences or tackle the unreliability of our intuition? With bountiful familiar examples, he effortlessly overturns so many of our deep-rooted wrong-headed notions gently and persuasively. I'll be quoting from this book * Jim Al-Khalili *I'm a Yates fan. His style is all-clarity-no-bullshit * Aperiodical *Seriously good * Caroline Lucas MP *Absolutely fascinating * James O'Brien *An exceptional book - readable, funny and more needed than ever * Dr Chris van Tulleken, bestselling author of Ultra-Processed People *Yates' writing style imbues the subjects covered with an infectious enthusiasm, artfully dispelling the dry, stuffy perceptions many people have of maths * Physics World *HOW TO EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED is fascinating and (very much to the point) delightfully clear and vivid to read. Like many people, I like reading about maths without actually knowing how to do it, and part of the pleasure of reading this came from its many examples from everyday life. A splendid book! * Philip Pullman *
£18.75
Icon Books Turing and the Universal Machine (Icon Science):
Book SynopsisThe history of the computer is entwinedwith that of the modern world and with the life of one man, the brilliant buttroubled Alan Turing.How did the computer come to structureand dominate our lives so totally? In Jon Agar's enlightening story of the'universal machine', we discover how Turing's groundbreaking work not onlyhelped break German codes during the Second World War but also founded the beginningsof the modern computer.Persecuted by the authorities for hishomosexuality, and ultimately hounded to suicide, Turing's personaltribulations are as relevant to the modern world as his work on computing, asindicated by his posthumous royal pardon of 2013 and the recent film The Imitation Game, which focuses onTuring's turbulent life.
£8.09
Icon Books Nikola Tesla and the Electrical Future
Book Synopsis'[This] crisply succinct, beautifully synthesized study brings to life Tesla, his achievements and failures...and the hopeful thrum of an era before world wars.' - NatureNikola Tesla is one of the most enigmatic, curious and controversial figures in the history of science. An electrical pioneer as influential in his own way as Thomas Edison, he embodied the aspirations and paradoxes of an age of innovation that seemed to have the future firmly in its grasp. In an era that saw the spread of power networks and wireless telegraphy, the discovery of X-rays, and the birth of powered flight, Tesla made himself synonymous with the electrical future under construction but opinion was often divided as to whether he was a visionary, a charlatan, or a fool. Iwan Rhys Morus examines Tesla's life in the context of the extraordinary times in which he lived and worked, colourfully evoking an age in which anything seemed possible, from capturing the full energy of Niagara to communicating with Mars.Shattering the myth of the 'man out of time', Morus demonstrates that Tesla was in all ways a product of his era, and shows how the popular image of the inventor-as-maverick-outsider was deliberately crafted by Tesla - establishing an archetype that still resonates today.Trade ReviewSuperb * Nick Smith, Engineering and Technology magazine *[This] crisply succinct, beautifully synthesized study brings to life Tesla, his achievements and failures...and the hopeful thrum of an era before world wars. -- NatureThere have been other Tesla biographies, but this is the one I have been waiting for ... Tesla, he shows us, was - like his one-time boss and rival Thomas Edison - inventing nothing less than the electrified future. -- Philip Ball, author of Invisible: The Dangerous Allure of the UnseenClear and engaging ... a pleasure to read * Physics Today *
£8.99
