Popular science Books

Book Synopsis'A must-read for all athletes, from the professional to the weekend warrior.'Wall Street JournalThe NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING account of the new frontier of sports recovery science, which shows what we should and shouldn't be doing between exercising to achieve maximum performance.All athletes, from Olympians to weekend warriors, must find the balance between training and recovery to maximize the benefits of workouts and reach optimal performance. For the longest time, coaches and training manuals have emphasized training above all else. However, science shows that recovery is a crucial component of exercise training and it may even be the most important one.Good to Go is the first definitive account of this new frontier in sports and exercise science. Christie Ashwanden takes you on a first-person tour through the science of exercise recovery, from ice baths and cryogenic freezing chambers to the science behind Usain Bolt’s love of chicken nuggets and Tom Brady’s recovery pyjamas.Full of eye-opening revelations, Aschwanden takes us on an invigorating journey through the science and potions of sports recovery and debunks the junk to give a clear picture of what we should actually be doing to achieve peak performance.Trade ReviewChristie Aschwanden is simply one of the best science writers in the world. Whether you’re striving for a personal best or simply wondering about that post-workout beer, Good to Go is the definitive tour through a bewildering jungle of scientific (and pseudo-scientific) claims that comprise a multi-billion dollar recovery industry. -- David Epstein, bestselling author of The Sports GeneRecovery is the great athletic obsession of our time. But how much do we really understand about it? Christie Aschwanden cuts through the hype to explore the topic with nuance, humor, and – most important – scientific rigor. The result is a much-needed reappraisal of how we should think about recovery, making Good to Go the most important book about training you’ll read this year. -- Alex Hutchinson, bestselling author of EndureThis authoritative, delightful, and much-needed book slices through the hype around athletic recovery, and will surely cement Christie Aschwanden’s status as one of the world’s top science writers. Even if you’ve never run a race in your life, you’ll sprint through it. I laughed a lot, and learned even more. -- Ed Yong, bestselling author of I Contain Multitudes'A fascinating, whirlwind investigation into recovery techniques. The book offers a useful introduction to how scientific research works - and why, in sports science, it often doesn’t. Such insights make Good to Go appealing to more than just gym rats and weekend warriors. It’s for anyone who wonders how scientific studies happen, and how they influence the claims on products found in grocery stores and athletic stores alike.' * Science News *Deeply researched and artfully written. . . a must-read for all athletes, from the professional to the weekend warrior. * The Wall Street Journal *As buzzy as recovery is among athletes right now, the question of how to best adapt to and benefit from training is still fraught with confusion…Christie Aschwanden offers much-needed clarity on the subject in Good to Go. * Runner's World *Table of ContentsIntroduction - Introduction: Introduction Chapter - 1: Just-So Science Chapter - 2: Be Like Mike Chapter - 3: The Perfect Fuel Chapter - 4: The Cold War Chapter - 5: Flushing the Blood Chapter - 6: Calming the Senses Chapter - 7: The Rest Cure Chapter - 8: Selling Snake Oil Chapter - 9: Losing Your Zoom Chapter - 10: The Magic Metric Chapter - 11: Hurts So Good Section - Conclusion: Conclusion Acknowledgements - Acknowledgements: Acknowledgements Section - Notes: Notes Index - Index: Index

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Book Synopsis''Scheel brings the world of the octopus vividly alive. The best nature books do not just describe animals: they give us a sense of what it might be like to shape-shift ourselves and live in their skins.'' Financial Times''Fascinating. The deepest of octopus books'' Peter Godfrey-Smith''Octopuses are deeply, gloriously weird... The book abounds with wonders.'' Kathleen Jamie, New Statesman''Mind-blowing and soul-expanding.'' Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus_________________The octopus is a highly intelligent and deeply mysterious creature. It can communicate in sophisticated ways, change colour and texture in a split second, and sense aspects of the world that we cannot.Marine biologist David Scheel''s lifelong preoccupation with these animals has led to a career of groundbreaking research. Here he shares his latest scientific understanding of octopuses and recounts

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Book SynopsisIn his highly anticipated sequel to The Elements, Theodore Gray demonstrates how the elements of the periodic table combine to form the molecules that make up our world.Everything physical is made up of the elements and the infinite variety of molecules they form when they combine with each other. In Molecules, Theodore Gray takes the next step in the grand story that began with the periodic table in his best-selling book, The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe. Here, he explores through fascinating stories and trademark stunning photography the most interesting, essential, useful, and beautiful of the millions of chemical structures that make up every material in the world.Gray begins with an explanation of how atoms bond to form molecules and compounds, as well as the difference between organic and inorganic chemistry. He then goes on to explore the vast array of materials molecules can create, including: soaps and solvents; goops and oils; rocks and ores; ropes and fibers; painkillers and dangerous drugs; sweeteners; perfumes and stink bombs; colors and pigments; and controversial compounds including asbestos, CFCs, and thimerosal.Big, gorgeous photographs, as well as diagrams of the compounds and their chemical bonds, rendered with never before seen beauty, fill the pages and capture molecules in their various states.As he did in The Elements, Gray shows us molecules as we've never seen them before. It's the perfect book for his loyal fans who've been eager for more and for anyone fascinated with the mysteries of the material world.Trade Review"I am so bowled over by Molecules that I can only express my feelings with a one-word blurb: "WONDERFUL!" -- Oliver Sacks. "Molecules is like dipping your toe in a clear shallow pool--with transparent explanations, shimmering graphics, and luminous photography--then suddenly realizing you are happily swimming in deep waters, relaxed and having fun! The science here is presented so elegantly you'll feel like you are holding a jewelry catalog, and it's impossible to put down. A must have for anyone of any age or education."Jamie Hyneman, Host, MythBusters

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Book SynopsisOn Solid Ground is intended to inform a general audience about what geologists know about the earth. It will do so by telling the stories of the people who made the discoveries. It will also chronicle the doubters and nay-sayers who have worked so hard to undermine our understanding of the earth. We know, for example, that the earth is old, in part because William Smith created our modern system of dating fossils to win a bar bet. The warming properties of atmospheric carbon dioxide were first discovered by Eunice Newton Foote, when she wasn’t pursuing her other passion –fighting for women’s rights at Seneca Falls. We are sure the earth is round despite the efforts of Samuel Birley Rowbotham, a conman who convinced thousands of people that it was flat before moving on from science to sell bogus health tonics .Each of its nine chapters will contain three things: the human story of a geologic controversy, an explanation of why geologists are so sure about the right answer to that controversy, and a short discussion of the logical fallacies being used by those still unwilling to accept geologic expertise

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Book SynopsisLook around. Clearly, we humans are radically different from the other creatures on this planet. But why? Where are the Bronze Age beavers? The Iron Age iguanas? In Stories, Dice, and Rocks That Think, Byron Reese argues that we owe our special status to our ability to imagine the future and recall the past, escaping the perpetual present that all other living creatures are trapped in. Envisioning human history as the development of a societal superorganism he names Agora, Reese shows us how this escape enabled us to share knowledge on an unprecedented scale, and predict - and eventually master - the future. Thoughtful, witty, and compulsively readable, Reese unravels our history as an intelligent species in three acts: Act I: Ancient humans undergo “the awakening,” developing the cognitive ability to mentally time-travel using language Act II: In 17th century France, the mathematical framework known as 'probability theory' is born - a science for seeing into the future that we used to build the modern world Act III: Beginning with the invention of the computer chip, humanity creates machines to gaze into the future with even more precision, overcoming the limits of our brains A fresh new look at the history and destiny of humanity, readers will come away from Stories, Dice, and Rocks that Think with a new understanding of what they are—not just another animal, but a creature with a mastery of time itself.

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Book SynopsisAn entertaining pop-sci narrative investigating ice patch archaeology and the role of glaciers in the development of human culture.Glaciers figure prominently in both ancient and contemporary narratives around the world. They inspire art and literature. They spark both fear and awe. And they give and take life. In The Age of Melt, environmental journalist Lisa Baril explores the deep-rooted cultural connection between humans and ice through time. Thousands of organic artifacts are emerging from patches of melting ice in mountain ranges around the world. Archaeologists are in a race against time to find them before they disappear forever. In entertaining and enlightening prose, Baril travels from the Alps to the Andes, investigating what these artifacts teach us about climate and culture. But this is not a chronicle of loss. The Age of Melt explores what these artifacts reveal about culture, wilderness, and what we gain when we rethink our relationsh

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Book SynopsisCreatively and intellectually there is no other species that has ever come close to equalling humanity’s achievements, but nor is any other species as suicidally prone to internecine conflict. We are the only species on the planet whose ingrained habit of conflict constitutes the chief threat to our own survival. Human history can be seen as a catalogue of cold-hearted murders, mindless blood-feuds, appalling massacres and devastating wars, but, with developments in forensic science and modern psychology, and with raised education levels throughout the world, might it soon be possible to reign in humanity’s homicidal habits? Falling violent crime statistics in every part of the world seem to indicate that something along those lines might indeed be happening. Colin and Damon Wilson, who between them have been covering the field of criminology for over fifty years, offer an analysis of the overall spectrum of human violence. They consider whether human beings are in reality as cruel and violent as is generally believed and they explore the possibility that humankind is on the verge of a fundamental change: that we are about to become truly civilised. As well as offering an overview of violence throughout our history – from the first hominids to the twenty-first century, touching on key moments of change and also indicating where things have not changed since the Stone Age – they explore the latest psychological, forensic and social attempts to understand and curb modern human violence. To begin with, they examine questions such as: Were the first humans cannibalistic? Did the birth of civilisation also lead to the invention of war and slavery? Priests and kings brought social stability, but were they also the instigators of the first mass murders? Is it in fact wealth that is the ultimate weapon? They look at slavery and ancient Roman sadism, but also the possibility that our own distaste for pain and cruelty is no more than a social construct. They show how the humanitarian ideas of the great religious innovators all too quickly became distorted by organised religious structures. The book ranges widely, from fifteenth-century Baron Gilles de Rais, ‘Bluebeard’, the first known and possibly most prolific serial killer in history, to Victorian domestic murder and the invention of psychiatry and Sherlock Holmes and the invention of forensic science; from the fifteenth-century Taiping Rebellion in China, in which up to 36 million died to the First and Second World Wars and more recent genocides and instances of ‘ethnic cleansing’, and contemporary terrorism. They conclude by assessing the very real possibility that the internet and the greater freedom of information it has brought is leading, gradually, to a profoundly more civilised world than at any time in the past.

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Book SynopsisHave you ever wondered how plants attract certain insects, or how insects communicate with each other? This book explains the natural chemical compounds that determine the fascinating interactions between plants and insects providing a gentle and absorbing introduction to organic chemistry that is highly relevant to everyday life and to the natural world. Specific organic compounds and intriguing chemistry determine whether insects are keen on feeding on plants or avoid certain plants altogether. Some insects have learned to use plant compounds as their own defences, and some plants use digestive processes to use insects as nutritional supplements. Plant-insect interactions are vital for our food supply, for pollination of orchards or detrimentally in insect infestations of crops, as well as in applications like silk production. By the author of the popular book, The Chemistry of Plants: Perfumes, Pigments, and Poisons, this book benefits from Margareta Séquin’s vast experience leading field trips and seminars to botanical gardens and nature reserves, and teaching chemistry to beginners. Organic chemistry is often seen as a challenging, sometimes abstract field. This book makes chemistry exciting and accessible for readers interested in a deeper understanding of the natural world. The book is organized according to the increasing complexity of compounds introduced, and so it also serves as a useful teaching aid for undergraduate chemistry or biology courses, and as a supplementary text for students in plant sciences, ecology, and entomology, and in horticultural programs.Trade ReviewThis fluently written book is illustrated by well-chosen colour photos and numerous chemical formulae as well as some tabulation of data such as one showing the composition of the synthetic medium used to feed pea aphids. This involves having a detailed knowledge of insects’ dietary needs, which are surprisingly complex. I found it interesting to read that the reason that pheromones have odd numbers of carbon atoms in each molecule is because of the mechanism by which insects synthesise them. After reading this book one comes away with the feeling that there is a lot more to be learned from this topic, particularly by those who would like to move away from using environmentally unfriendly sprays in favour of more targeted approaches. -- John Edmondson, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK * Chromatographia, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10337-019-03787-w *Table of ContentsThe Chemistry of Plants and Insects; Plants Attracting Insects; Plants That Eat Insects; Plants' Defence Against Insects; Insects and Their Chemistry; Insects Feeding on Plants; Plant Galls: Protection and Food for the Young; Insects That Use Plant Defenses for Their Own Protection; Insects That Provide Protection for Plants; Human Uses; Plant-Insect Interactions and the Human Role

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Book SynopsisOne of the world's most celebrated cosmologists presents her breakthrough explanation of our origins in the multiverse.'Fascinating' ROGER PENROSE, Nobel laureate'What if our universe is but an infinitesimal fragment of reality? What would this "multiverse" be like? There is no better guide to the bizarre, and sometimes paradoxical, cosmic super-realm than Laura Mersini-Houghton' Paul Davies, author of What's Eating the Universe?In recent years, Laura Mersini-Houghton's ground-breaking theory, spectacularly vindicated with observational evidence, has turned the multiverse from philosophical speculation to one of the most compelling and credible explanations of our universe's origins. In Before the Big Bang, she interweaves the story of how she arrived at this theory with her journey from communist Albania, where she was born and brought up, to the West, showing how her unconventional path helped her to challenge orthodoxies and become one of the most courageous thinkers on the world stage of theoretical physics.'A riveting tour of the cosmos from the one of the brightest minds in astrophysics' Washington Post'A fascinating and unusual hybrid of pop science and memoir' 5*, Stephen Poole, Daily Telegraph'One of the world's most renowned cosmologists offers insights into the majestic world of the quantum multiverse' Stephon Alexander, author of Fear of a Black Universe*A DAILY TELEGRAPH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022*Trade ReviewA fascinating account -- SIR ROGER PENROSE, Nobel laureateWhat if our universe, vast though it may be, is but an infinitesimal fragment of reality? What would this 'multiverse' be like? And how could we possibly test the idea? There is no better guide to the bizarre, and sometimes paradoxical, cosmic super-realm than Laura Mersini-Houghton -- PAUL DAVIES, author of What’s Eating the Universe?From one of the world's most renowned cosmologists, Before the Big Bang offers insights into the Big Bang and, beyond it, into the majestic world of a quantum multiverse -- STEPHON ALEXANDER, author of Fear of a Black UniverseA fascinating and unusual hybrid of pop science and memoir... The author's explanation of such exotic ideas is vivid and good-humoured, and much enlivened by tableaux from her education in Albania -- Stephen Poole * Daily Telegraph, 5* *The age-old cosmological question of how and why the Big Bang happened has never been tackled with such aplomb * Daily Telegraph, *Books of the Year* *

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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 *

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Book SynopsisDreams, schemes and opportunity as space opens for tourism and commerce.Twentieth century space exploration may have belonged to state-funded giants such as NASA, but there is a parallel history which has set the template for the future.Even before Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, private companies were exploiting space via communication satellites - a sector that is seeing exponential growth in the internet age. In human spaceflight, too, commercialisation is making itself felt. Billionaire entrepreneurs Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson have long trumpeted plans to make space travel a possibility for ordinary people and those ideas are inching ever closer to reality. At the same time, other companies plan to mine the Moon for helium-3, or asteroids for precious metals.Science writer Andrew May takes an entertaining, in-depth look at the triumphs and heroic failures of our quixotic quest to commercialise the final frontier.Trade ReviewWe enjoyed this book, and it is a thought provoking read as we move into an exciting new phase of space activity. * Irish Tech News *Easy to read, detailed and extremely well-researched - and fascinating to boot. * How it Works *

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Book SynopsisAN INTRIGUING AND BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF YORICK WILKS' INSIDERS GUIDE TO AIThe benefits and potential nightmares of artificial intelligence have long inspired science-fiction writers, but in a world where most of us carry a portable device that knows infinitely more than we do, these are increasingly real concerns.Artificial Intelligence is the essential companion to this unsettling science. It surveys the history, philosophies, and current state of AI, and asks key questions such as how should robots think, and can machines really learn? With subjects ranging from the World Wide Web to artificial companions, the book considers such ethical issues as automated warfare, internet surveillance, and fake news, speculating on just how far robots will infiltrate our future.This illustrated edition combines compelling photographs with 'circuit-board' infographics to lift the curtain on the hidden world of AI.

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Book SynopsisProvocative, ground-breaking and entertaining, the world’s leading expert on sexuality and the ovulation cycle reveals the hidden intelligence of hormones. In this paradigm-shifting book, Martie Haselton explains how hormonal intelligence works - both its strengths and its weaknesses - and shows women how to track and understand their desires, fears and perceptions with a radical new understanding of the biological processes that profoundly influence our behaviour. Rigorously researched, entertaining and empowering, Hormonal offers women deep new insights into their bodies, brains and relationships, and will encourage women everywhere to embrace the genius of female biology.Trade Review‘Such common sense is, sadly, remarkable.’ * Evening Standard *'Haselton is part of a new conversation that is emerging; she is a pioneering researcher pushing the politics of hormones in a new direction.' * Observer *'In her book she shows that there are no simple answers, but lots of fascinating possibilities, when we start to think about the biological aspects of our sexual lives.' * The Sunday Times *‘What a refreshing book. Finally, a feminist with the courage to discuss women not as victims of their hormones but as elegantly built captains of their minds and lives.’ * Helen Fisher, author of The First Sex and Why Him? Why Her? *'A very detailed and fascinating book which explores hormones to different level. Many women (and men) should read this to understand how women’s hormones can have both negative and positive effects on our lives.' * Dr Louise Newson, the Menopause Doctor *'Anchored in deep science, Haselton takes the reader on a mesmerizing tour from the stirrings of puberty to the aftermath of menopause, from sexual fantasies to the ways in which women often call the shots in the game of mating.' * David M. Buss, author of The Evolution of Desire *'Haselton shows there are no simple answers - but lots of fascinating possibilities - when we start to think about the biological aspects of our sexual lives.’ * Alice Dreger, author of Galileo's Middle Finger *'In Hormonal, Martie Haselton gives us a brave and fascinating tour of what we know we know about sex differences, but are often afraid to discuss. Read it, whether or not you have a uterus.' * am Harris, author of five New York Times bestsellers and host of the Waking Up podcast *'This book is essential reading for both women and men...Hormonal is engaging, clever, very funny at times, and always scientifically impeccable.' * Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, author of New York Times bestseller Zoobiquity *‘Your hormones have a lot to answer for, and you'll struggle to find someone to give you a better schooling than UCLA professor Martie Haselton.’ * Women's Health *'Deep, thoughtful, and eye-opening, this book teaches us that the more we know about hormones, the more we can manage our lives.' * Maria Shriver, author of I've Been Thinking... *'A smart and engaging scientific story about the amazing molecules that drive our behaviour.' * Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness *'Written with passion and wit, Hormonal provides important insights about the female experience.' * Joan Silk, professor, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, and co-author of How Humans Evolved *

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Book SynopsisMany times through deep history Earth’s magnetic poles have switched places, leaving our planet’s protective shield weaker and life vulnerable to devastating solar storms. The last time it happened was 780,000 years ago, long before humans emerged, but it won’t be long until it happens again. And when it does, will it send us back to the Stone Age? The Spinning Magnet is a fascinating insight into what may lie ahead. From the pivotal discoveries of Victorian scientists to the possibility of solar radiation wiping out power grids, and the secrets of electromagnetism, Alanna Mitchell reveals the truth behind one of the most powerful forces in the universe.Trade Review‘Stokes the reader’s curiosity about one of the most critical but invisible forces in the universe.’ * BBC Sky at Night *‘Mitchell’s portrait gallery is researched with a depth and breadth that make its protagonists’ triumphs and failures compelling. She also gives entertaining accounts of today’s working geoscientists… Her interviews provide insights into their thoughts and actions that transcend the stereotypes of inscrutable nerd or heroic explorer.’ * Nature *‘The Earth’s magnetic field…tends to be taken for granted. In reality it’s a fickle, ill-understood phenomenon. Alanna Mitchell delves into the mystery, in an engrossing book that features a new surprise on every page.’ -- Sean Carroll, author of The Big Picture‘A fascinating untold story of science that is full of mystery and intrigue, and written with a great deal of style.’ -- Mark Miodownik, New York Times bestselling author of Stuff Matters, winner of the Royal Society Winton Prize‘A compelling yarn describing our historical efforts to understand the force that created the world, and as the subtitle warns, could bring about its end…Destined to become a classic of popular science.’ * E&T Magazine *‘Captivating scientific history…an invaluable contribution to the popular science shelf.’ * Booklist *‘A compelling tale of unseen and unforeseen natural forces – and a reminder that we’ve staked our home on a planet that remains infinitely strange, dangerous – and ever full of wonder.’ -- Deborah Blum, author of The Poisoner’s Handbook‘In The Spinning Magnet, Alanna Mitchell pulls off the rare trifecta in science writing: an engrossing plot of a planetary mystery, authentic character portraits of scientists and their passion for their work, and explanations of complex physics in easily understandable terms.’ -- Sabine Stanley, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Applied Physics Lab, Johns Hopkins University‘Mitchell draws us into a spellbinding scientific detective story, told over the ages, as she nimbly explains magnetism’s role in everything that matters. Each chapter is filled with exciting new revelations written in clear crisp prose. A skilled writer, Mitchell puts magnetism on the map!’ -- Timothy J. Jorgensen, author of Strange Glow: The Story of Radiation, winner of the American Institute of Physics’ Science Communication Award

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Book SynopsisThe brain is considered the most complex structure in all of creation. But recent discoveries in neuroscience are now revealing the inner secrets of the brain - how it works, why it makes us who we are and what happens when it goes wrong. This cutting-edge and comprehensive guide explains why the human brain became so clever; how it controls everything from breathing, sleeping and seeing to identity, imagination, pleasure and pain; and what will happen when the brain integrates with computers or the latest genetic discoveries. Award-winning science writer Rita Carter also demystifies amnesia, multiple personalities, psychopathy, dreaming, hallucinations, addiction, autism, dyslexia, schizophrenia, dementia, and numerous other conditions of the mind.The Brain in Minutes covers: the origin and anatomy of the brain; control of the body; mood and emotions; perception; consciousness; memory and learning; personality; intelligence and other higher functions; language; strange states of the mind; malfunctions, disease and treatments; and the future of the brain. It also includes 200 high-tech scans, images and diagrams that detail and explain the structure and workings of the amazing human brain.

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Book SynopsisWhy are some plants so important to humans? The chemistry of the plants has a lot to do with it! The plant world offers a fascinating way to explore basic chemistry concepts. The spectacular variety of colors, fragrances and other characteristics of plants are driven by the seemingly subtle differences in the structure and properties of organic compounds. Well-known flowers, like daffodils and narcissus, are examples of plants that provide ample perfumes, pigments and poisons as part of their intricate and fascinating chemistry. This second edition retains it accessibility, expanding on the first edition and combining scientific concepts with colorful pictures and stories in simple, clear language. Readers will find introductory information on some chemistry and plant biology. This prepares them for the more complex chemical structures that compose plant substances, many of them of vital importance to humans. The final chapter has been expanded, in particular the sections on medicinal plants and on genetic modification. The end-of chapter references have been thoroughly updated with articles, books, and relevant websites that illustrate the topics discussed. Dr Margareta Sequin, an organic chemist and plant enthusiast, has taught popular undergraduate college level courses on plant chemistry to non-chemistry majors and has led numerous field seminars for the general public. The comments and questions from these audiences and the topics that especially captured people's interest have greatly shaped this book. The Chemistry of Plants addresses an audience with little previous chemistry knowledge, but will appeal to the expert reader looking for an understanding of more complex plant compounds. It can be used both as a text to introduce organic chemistry as it relates to plants and as a text of reference for more advanced readers.Table of ContentsBasic Plant Chemistry Concepts; The Molecular Building Blocks; Perfumes, Volatile Plant Scents; Colorful Plant Pigments; Poisons and Other Plant Defenses; Plants and People

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Book SynopsisA SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 'A thrilling deep-dive through our evolutionary past, and a witty and learned commentary on why we are the way we are - and what wisdom we've lost along the way' Cal Flynn, author of Islands of Abandonment 'A wild ride: brave, outrageous, hilarious, helpful and urgent ... essential reading' Merlin Sheldrake, author of Entangled Lives What kind of creature is a human? If we don't know what we are, how can we know how to act? Charles Foster sets out to understand what a human is, inhabiting the sensory worlds of humans at three pivotal moments in our history. Foster begins his quest with his son in a Derbyshire wood, trying to find a way of experiencing the world that recognises the deep expanse of time when we understood ourselves as hunter-gatherers, and when modern consciousness was first ignited. From there he travels to the Neolithic, a way of being defined by fences, farms, sky gods and slaughterhouses, and finally to the Enlightenment, when we decided that the universe was a machine and we were soulless cogs within it.Trade ReviewDazzling and, yes, eccentric ... Foster is a beautiful writer and an engaging companion throughout this ... wonderfully fun if entirely bonkers read -- Alex Preston * Observer *Being a Human: Adventures in Forty Thousand Years of Consciousness is not the book its subtitle would have us believe. It's a better one. It's a lesson in what to watch for in nature. It's a discourse on the sentience we may have had as early humans and that, over millennia, we've somehow roasted into a crisp. It's funny. It's moving. It's mind-expanding. It's a collection of thoughts to read again and again ... Foster is a writer of extraordinary ability -- Rebecca Coffey * Forbes *Foster's daringly imaginative exploration of alternative models of selfhood is an original and beneficial way of grappling with history ... There is an increasing awareness today of the limitations of individualist models of selfhood, which many consider the root cause of some of our most urgent crises. The kinds of new and old imaginaries that Foster explores here, empirically and otherwise, are precisely what we need to remind us that there are many alternatives to the "I, me, mine" mindset -- Anna Katharina Schaffner * TLS *Foster is an amiable narrator. He is self-deprecating, feminist, in awe of what the natural world has to teach him. His observations - that it is hard to say where humans stop and aurochs begin; that the great disaster of the Enlightenment was its reduction of the universe to a machine - align firmly with those of Donna Haraway and Amitav Ghosh in recalling us to the epic mysticism of existence. He is, I think, also an optimist, still hopeful for humanity, even if we are never again going to run around Derbyshire in a deerskin loincloth -- Rachel Andrews * Irish Times *Controversial, yet oddly compelling * Nature *A wonderful, wild, dazzling book. You will feel more human for having read it -- Tom Whyman * Literary Review *A wild ride: brave, outrageous, hilarious, helpful, and urgent. Foster has no time for decaying paradigms; he tunnels underneath their crumbling foundations with a pickaxe to help them on their way. Being a Human will deepen and expand your sense of self. Essential reading -- Merlin Sheldrake, author * Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, & Shape Our Futures *Being a Human is a work of shaggy genius. Its subject is gargantuan in scale; its humour has a reckless panache; its argument is brilliantly original and above all it is written with a matchless audacity of soul. It is one of the most important books I have ever read -- Jay Griffiths, author * Why Rebel? *This is the most wonderful book - deftly written, highly imaginative, and a delight to read - and its message is such that its importance simply cannot be overstated. It gives a devastatingly clear portrait of humanity as we have become, and of what we once had - and still could have - but instead are in the process of throwing away, perhaps forever -- Iain McGilchrist, author * The Master and his Emissary *I'll read anything Charles Foster writes, and this is his most ambitious book yet. It is a historical investigation, a short story collection, a humour primer, a sheaf scientific papers and a work of philosophy all rolled into one, with a side helping of religious ecstasy and badger shit. It will tell you many things you didn't know about who you are. You should read it -- Paul Kingsnorth, author * The Wake *Being a Human is one of the most original inquiries into the who, what, and why of human existence to appear in recent years. Charles Foster writes with inspiring brilliance, originality, and simplicity. I love this book. It should be widely read, for the benefit of all us humans -- Larry Dossey, author * One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters *A fascinating book of immense scope and proportions ... The evolution of the mind makes for a labyrinthine investigation worthy of Sherlock Holmes -- James Crowden, author * The Frozen River: Seeking Silence in the Himalaya *Monstrously great: book of the year from where I'm sitting. But I'm not sitting, I'm up and waving my arms about for the sustained achievement of this magical, brilliant thing. Being a Human contains a hundred things we desperately need to know. Hugely moving, filled with intelligence, it scurries between centuries with us between its teeth. Charles Foster has invoked a living presence in these pages, a contract with the uncanny. To know a thing about the future we need to retrace our steps into our old mind. We could start here -- Martin Shaw, author * Smoke Hole: Looking to the Wild in the Time of the Spyglass *What a mad, brilliant, mind-expanding book. Being a Human offers a thrilling deep dive through our evolutionary past, and a witty and learned commentary on why we are the way we are-and what wisdom we've lost along the way. Foster is a true modern polymath who writes with wit, humour and heart: I'll be pressing this book into other people's hands -- Cal Flyn, author * Islands of Abandonment *Charles Foster has created a book of immense, deeply felt intelligence. This book is a startling reset on our understanding of the journey of human thought. Approaching the question from a totally new perspective of lived experience, Foster shows us how we came to be the people we are, with the values we exert in the world. Not only are the revelations startling, but the metaphoric power of Foster's language is frequently astonishing. I wish I'd written this book, and that's my highest praise -- Carl Safina, author * Becoming Wild: How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace *Profound, erudite, provocative and funny, this outrageously brilliant and wise book is a challenge to the reductive materialism that dominates current understandings of the human animal-and the natural world. Foster draws on his empathy with the animist Palaeolithic to argue for a return to non-dogmatic forms of Enlightenment values that might take seriously the affective dimension of human nature and experience-to recover 'enchantment' and express the 'vertiginous wonder of the world' ... Wildly eccentric and ranging widely, but always in control -- Steve Ely, author * Englaland *Charles Foster has written the unwritable - gifting us a perspective-tumbling insight into other worlds. Being a Human is both challenging and entertaining. By the time you have finished reading it you will not look in the mirror and see quite the same person as before -- Hugh Warwick, author * Linescapes: Remapping and Reconnecting Britain's Fragmented Wildlife *Few of us have given much thought to the dazzling human journey from hunter-gatherer to now. In a 10,000 year odyssey fizzing with masterful revelation, Professor Foster makes us relive our nature-centric past, shows us how much we have lost and makes us startlingly aware of who we really are -- Sir John Lister-Kaye OBE, author * The Dun Cow Rib *More turned-down page corners than any other recent book on my shelves. A brilliant, inventive, and unsettling exploration of our glorious and broken nature. Foster's work shakes us out of dozy estrangement from our own humanity and welcomes us into the mysteries of belonging ... Its richness demands careful reading -- David George Haskell, Pulitzer finalist * The Forest Unseen *A daredevil read. Once again, Charles Foster has journeyed to places most of us wouldn't dare; and emerged with a book that is passionate and kind, deeply intelligent and uproariously funny -- Helen Jukes, author * A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings *How to enact a visceral archaeology of the human animal, not merely by ingesting and metabolizing the finest research, but by excavating the layers of one's own creaturely soul? Charles Foster journeys barefoot toward the tastes, textures, and rhythms that enveloped our early ancestors, the ecstasies and terrors that shivered the bones of our Paleolithic progenitors. Only someone fairly mad - possessed of a sensorial imagination verging on clairvoyance, an alarming appetite for physical duress, and an uncanny gift for wyrding his way into other shapes of sentience - would undertake such an impossible endeavor, dropping down and down into the depths within, spelunking in his soul's bone hollows, stirring up old, old ghosts in order to discover how thoroughly haunted our present existence really is -- David Abram, author * Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology *Charles Foster's writing is matchless. He approaches intellectual enquiry with heart, body and mind in that order - the only correct one. No-one else could tackle the whole of human evolution, the history and implications of our 'inadequate mutations' with such wit and elegance. Being a Human is both panoramic and intimate: an experiment in living, a manifesto, a brilliant synthesis, a conversation you'd have in a pub after hours of walking on a wind-scoured moor. Brace yourselves for a thrilling encounter with the other, with the marvellous, terrifying spectacle of the self. This book will leave you changed: both wiser and more bewildered. Which is to say more alive -- Helen Mort, author * Never Leave the Dog Behind: Our Love of Dogs and Mountains *An exhilarating book that asks all the big questions about our past, present and future, Being A Human contributes to the growing field of literature that tasks us with thinking, and behaving, like Earthlings. That Foster has managed to produce this clarion call for 'a vibrant scientific mysticism' whilst being funny and entertaining is little short of a marvel -- Gregory Norminton, author * The Devil's Highway *This made me feel good about being a Palaeolithic archaeologist; it's an exquisitely irreverent celebration of how best to be a human, and an exemplary lesson in the elemental nature we've so often left behind in lives that are, as Foster suggests, suffocatingly simple in relation to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. As a Palaeolithic specialist I am bound to agree with his thesis that the quality of life declined with the increasingly urban nature of early agricultural life, and plummeted significantly with the industrialisation that accompanied the enlightenment. Foster writes with a unique voice that is full of soul; a paean to our wild selves that could not come at a better time in Earth history. His central thesis - that we repurpose enlightenment scepticism and empiricism in order to rediscover the enchantment of our wilder selves is delivered with the observational panache and intelligence that is drawn from his own human nature, the wildness of nature, and the very wildness of academe. At times hilarious (check out page 105), at times revelatory, at all times with a prose red in tooth and claw, this is a glorious celebration of the shameful behaviour of humans. -- Paul B. Pettit, Professor of Palaeolithic ArchaeologyFoster is a wonderful prose stylist, and knows how to build a case and support it with plentiful detail. This powerful account is a remarkable achievement -- Starred review * Publishers Weekly *A spirited romp through human history ... This is a magpie book full of intriguing anthropological sketches ... Fits neatly into the growing library of modern British natural history writing, alongside the best of Nan Shepherd, Robert Macfarlane, and Roger Deakin -- Starred review * Kirkus *Foster is an amiable narrator. He is self-deprecating, feminist, in awe of what the natural world has to teach him. His observations ... align firmly with those of Donna Haraway and Amitav Ghosh in recalling us to the epic mysticism of existence * Irish Times *Clever, funny and wise ... Being a Human delivers mind-expanding revelation and glorious originality and colour ... This is my book of the year -- Patrick Barkham, author * The Butterfly Isles *Breathtaking ... Foster's writing style is deceptively modest and often funny ... buy copies as presents to yourself and your friends and donate at least one to a school library * Fortean Times *

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Book SynopsisIn this humane and important exploration of modern medicine, Druin Burch examines the future of medicine, our changing physicalities and the implications of longer life. From birth to death and through the exploration of topics such as disease, sex, mind, eating and drinking, Burch tracks the future of medicine by looking at what is already possible today. Weaving in insights from literature, art and history, The Shape of Things to Come considers the cultural complexity surrounding medicine as well as its impact on the humanities. As a specialist in geriatric medicine Burch writes with a keen understanding of the medical profession. He outlines the areas of medicine which have seen the greatest improvements and optimistically offers insight into further advancements. Praise for Druin Burch: 'A writer of searing intelligence and lively wit' GOOD BOOK GUIDE 'Each chapter is a self-contained pleasure to read' SUNDAY TIMES 'Intriguing and informed' THE TIMESTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR TAKING THE MEDICINE: 'Each chapter is a self-contained pleasure to read, like mini-fables on the perils of medicine' Sunday Times. 'Intriguing and informed' The Times. 'A gripping history of the blundering progress of medicine' Independent. 'A fascinating and irreverant history of medicine and those who've claimed to understand it, written by an NHS doctor with searing intelligence and lively wit' * Good Book Guide *

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Book SynopsisAs major actors in the unfolding drama of climate change, glaciers feature prominently in Earth’s past and its future. Wherever on the planet we live, glaciers affect each of us directly. They control the atmospheric and ocean circulations that drive the weather; they supply drinking and irrigation water to millions of people; and they protect us from catastrophic sea-level rise. The very existence of glaciers affects our view of the planet and of ourselves, but it is less than 200 years since we realised that ice ages come and go, and that glaciers once covered much more of the planet’s surface than they do now. An inspiration to artists, a challenge for engineers, glaciers mean different things to different people. Crossing the boundaries between art, environment, science, nature and culture, this book uniquely considers glaciers from a myriad perspectives, revealing their complexity, majesty and importance, but also their fragility.

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Book SynopsisGravity is the weakest of the natural forces and yet it dominates our lives. We know how to make use of its properties and how to overcome it. But we can’t control it. To do that we must be able to generate and control gravity’s hidden companion force field, called gravitomagnetism. For those people not wanting to bother with mathematics they can skip over the equations and just enjoy the unfolding scientific adventure story. It begins with the history of gravity research, from the discovery that gravity holds the Solar System together, through special relativity, then a brief look at quantum mechanics and on to an outline of Einstein’s general relativity. Analogues with gravity, particularly electromagnetism, are examined in the search for a breakthrough in understanding how to control gravity, followed by a review of Faraday’s gravity experiments. Finally, a number of ground-based experiments to detect gravitomagnetism are proposed. Hopefully Gravitomagnetism will stimulate a few scientists and engineers to carry out some of the experiments in the first step towards the ultimate goal of gravity control.

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Book SynopsisIntuition follows basic rules, and Pearson explains that by understanding these rules and when and how to apply them, we can better train ourselves to use our intuition productively, supercharging this incredible human ability and harnessing it toward better decision-making and actions.

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Book SynopsisDangerous, dark and difficult to detect, poisons have been a common character in literature from ancient times to the modern day. Their ability to perform deadly deeds at a distance is a common device for creating dramatic tension and playing on our real life fears. But what is fact and what is pure fiction? From Shakespeare and Dickens to Hugo and Poe, the macabre world of literary poisonings is as large as it is fascinating. Utilising real forensic science Poisonous Tales explores the real science inspiring the toxins and tinctures in our favourite works. Could a poison really mimic death in Romeo and Juliet? What is the cause of the mad Hatter’s malady in Alice in Wonderland? And could a stone from the stomach of a goat really have been used as an antidote in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? Through these and many more ‘cases’ we discover the captivating truth in the texts and how real-life tragedies can replicate themselves in fiction.Table of ContentsUseful Herb or Dreadful Poison;The Cry of Death;A Ghostly Encounter with Poison;The Flattering Truth of Sleep;The Queen of Poisons;Outfoxed by Digitalis;Poison for a Broken Heart;The Power to Heal as well as Harm;Beautiful but Deadly;Nature’s Toxic Gift;Mad as a Hatter;The Silent Killer

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Book Synopsis'TIMELY AND IMPORTANT' JIM AL-KHALILIIn Our Own Image by Dr George Zarkadakis explores one of humankind’s oldest love–hate relationships – our ties with Artificial Intelligence or AI. Zarkadakis traces AI’s origins in ancient myth, through literary classics such as Frankenstein, to today’s sci-fi blockbusters, arguing that a fascination with AI is hardwired into the human psyche. He explains AI’s history, technology and potential; its manifestations in intelligent machines; its connections to neurology and consciousness, as well as – perhaps most tellingly – what AI reveals about us as human beings. In Our Own Image argues that we are on the brink of a fourth industrial revolution – poised to enter the age of Artificial Intelligence as science fiction becomes science fact. Ultimately, Zarkadakis observes, the fate of AI has profound implications for the future of science and humanity itself…Trade ReviewZarkadakis is an exciting and original thinker in the field of Artificial Intelligence and has written a book that is timely and important. * Jim Al-Khalili PhD OBE, author of Paradox *A mindful and historical look at the hope, hype and reality of artificial consciousness -- Stuart Hameroff, co-author of Consciousness and the UniverseFascinating [and] rich...interweaves sci-fi visions with explorations of the philosophy, technology and deep history of artificial super-intelligence -- Steve Cave * Financial Times *Ingenious...A delightfully lucid combination of the history, philosophy, and science behind thinking machines. * Kirkus Reviews *fascinating...the most comprehensive history of AI for our digital age [and] highly accessible * Publisher’s Weekly *

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Book SynopsisTimothy Leary's advice to "tune in, turn on and drop out" was a 1960s exhortation to experiment with LSD, but humans had been consuming ergot alkaloids related to lysergic acid diethylamide for at least a thousand years. Opium has been around even longer with its medicinal uses being known to the Ancient Sumerians as long ago as 3400 BC. This is the first book to cover all of the major psychoactive drugs (both natural and synthetic) in one volume, and the only one to cover all aspects of these drugs from their anthropological and sociological influences through to their chemistry and pharmacology. It covers a range of substances including LSD, opium, heroin, cocaine, cannabis, peyote, belladonna, mandrake, and absinthe. The book is highly readable and concentrates on the characters (e.g. authors, painters, pop stars, hippies, politicians and drug barons), both famous and infamous, who have ensured that psychoactive drugs hold an enduring fascination and interest for everyone. The basic chemistry and pharmacological activity covered together with a brief account of useful drugs that have emerged from a study of the psychoactive ones.Trade Review"This fascinating book...introduces us to the history of the various groups of mind-altering chemicals, beginning with ergot and LSD.""The book is beautifully produced and well illustrated.""...would make excellent background reading for pharmacy students." * The Pharmaceutical Journal, April 2010 *Table of ContentsChapter 1: From Ergotism to LSD; Chapter 2: From Opium to Heroin; Chapter 3: Coca and Cocaine; Chapter 4: Cannabis: Hashish, Marijuana, Chaeas and Bhang; Chapter 5: Belladonna, Mandrake and Daturas; Chapter 6: Peyote and Amphetamines; Chapter 7: Fly Agaric; Chapter 8: Absinthe

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Book SynopsisIs it in our best interest to compete or to cooperate?Some have argued that humans are fundamentally competitive and that pursuing our self-interest is the best way to get ahead. Others believe that we are hard-wired to cooperate and are most successful when we collaborate with others.In Friend and Foe, leading psychologists Adam Galinsky and Maurice Schweitzer draw on original, cutting-edge research to explain why this debate misses the mark. They argue that it is only by learning how to strike the right balance between competition and cooperation that we can improve long-term relationships and maximise success in work and life.Galinsky and Schweitzer show how holding these two forces in the right balance can enable us to turn weaknesses into strengths, to recognise deception and build trust, and to improve our powers of negotiation without alienating our counterparts. Along the way, they also offer answers to a number of perplexing puzzles, from how too much talent can undermine a team’s success, to why ending an auction at 2am can get you the best outcome, to when acting less competently can help you gain status.This book is a guide for better navigating your social world by learning when to cooperate as a friend and when to compete as a foe – and how to be better at both.Trade ReviewThis book is a treasure trove of golden nuggets of information and gem-like insights into the processes that govern social exchange. We all have to cooperate and compete to succeed. Friend and Foe provides the best roadmap I've ever seen for doing so—by a mile. -- Robert B. Cialdini, author of INFLUENCEGalinsky and Schweitzer are star researchers and teachers. Here they use their talents to bring order to the often contradictory research on when to cooperate and compete, and they distill their insights into practical tips that anybody can use. -- Chip Heath, co-author of MADE TO STICK and SWITCHTwo of the most respected scholars on success explain how you can get along and get ahead. Their guided tour of how to cooperate and how to compete is authoritative, entertaining, and eminently practical! -- Angela Duckworth, University of PennsylvaniaFriend and Foe is a fascinating voyage through the science of cooperation and competition. Discover why we compare ourselves to our Facebook friends, many gender differences are really due to power differences, and it’s usually best to make the first offer in a negotiation. -- Adam Grant, author of GIVE AND TAKE

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Book SynopsisThe Science of Self-Empowerment invites you on a journey beyond Darwin's theory of evolution, beginning with the fact that we exist as we do, even more empowered and connected with ourselves and the world than scientists ever believed possible.In this book, New York Times bestselling author and 2017 Templeton Award nominee Gregg Braden crosses the traditional boundaries of science and spirituality to answer the timeless question at the core of our existence - who are we? Join Gregg as he crosses the traditional boundaries of science and spirituality to reveal specific tools, techniques and practices to awaken our deep intuition for self-healing and longevity. He also offers concrete solutions to the social issues that are destroying our families and dividing us as people, including bullying, hate crimes, the growing suicide epidemic and religious extremism.Please note: This title was previously published as Human by Design (ISBN: 978-1-4019-4931-0).

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Book SynopsisIn Born Liars, Ian Leslie takes the reader on an exhilarating tour of ideas that brings the latest news about deception back from the frontiers of psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, and explores the role played by lies - both black and white - in our childhoods, our careers, and our health, as well as in advertising, politics, sport and war. Drawing on thinkers as varied as Augustine, Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud and Joni Mitchell, the author argues that, far from being a bug in the human software, lying is central to who we are; that we cannot understand ourselves without first understanding the dynamics of deceit. After reading Born Liars you'll never think about lies - or life - in quite the same way again.Trade Review'An absolutely fascinating tour of this most uniquely human of talents: the ability to lie' Jonah Lehrer. * Jonah Lehrer *'an illuminating, surprising and highly entertaining investigation of our daily lies' Kate Fox. * Kate Fox *'Born Liars is a genuine achievement: a lively, engaging read that also makes a bold argument about the role of lying in our lives' Steven Johnson. * Steven Johnson *'A consistently startling and fascinating book ... It's erudite yet wears its learning lightly and is full of terrific stories.' Daily Mail. * Daily Mail *'You'll be stimulated, surprised, and thoroughly entertained. Believe me' Richard Wiseman. * Richard Wiseman *'His range of references is fascinating ... I loved the irony and ingenuity of this book' The Times. * The Times *Table of ContentsIntroduction. The Lying Animal: What our intelligence owes to deceit. First Lies: How our children learn to lie (and why we should be impressed when they do). Confabulators: Liars, artists, madmen. Tells and Leakages: What are the signs of a lie? The Dream of a Truth Machine: The past, present and future of lie detectors. I Me Lie: Why we're designed to deceive ourselves. I Am Nice and In Control: The benefits and the dangers of self-deception. Lies We Live By - Part One: The medicine of deceit. Lies We Live By - Part Two: The power of stories to shape our lives. The Murderer at the Door: Is there any such thing as a white lie? Afterword - How to Be Honest: Three principles of living honestly. Notes. Further Reading. Bibliography. Acknowledgements. Index.

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Book SynopsisHand cream, detergent, shower gel, toothpaste, toilet cleaner, air freshener, lipstick, perfume, low-fat spread, painkiller, diet drink, insect repellent… hundreds of everyday products that make our lives so much better than those of our forebears. And yet most of us know little about the ingredients they contain and why they deliver the benefits we enjoy. Some people find it worrying when they examine the list of ingredients on a packaging label, because all they read may be unintelligible names or E numbers. It appears to be just chemicals, chemicals, chemicals. The aim of this book is to examine the ingredients more closely and explain the reasons for their being used. Start reading and stop worrying. Chemistry at Home has been written by award-winning popular science writer and chemist, John Emsley, using non-technical language. The book has 12 chapters, each devoted to the kinds of products we are likely to find around the home, including in the garage and the garden shed. Chemistry at Home also includes a glossary which gives more technical information about the molecules mentioned in the book.Trade ReviewThis book is highly recommended, not least to teachers, and is an anidote to smear stories in the media -- Simon Cotton * Chemistry World *'an outstanding book by British chemist John Emsley' -- Joe Schwarcz * CJAD 800 radio *We should all have a copy on our shelves - it is very browsable, and you never know when some of the many bits of information it contains will come in handy -- Simon Cotton * Chemistry World *Table of ContentsMedicine chest; Utility room; Bathroom; The Desk; Toilet; The Cupboard under the Stairs; Bedroom; Kitchen; Dining room; Living room; Garage; Garden shed; Glossary

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Book SynopsisA highly entertaining, myth-busting read for anyone with even a passing interest in science. Hot on the heels of the fascinating compendium Everything You Know About London Is Wrong, this next book in the series, written by author Matt Brown in his trademark humourous style, debunks the scientific myths we all take for granted. Does nothing travel faster than the speed of light? Well, in certain circumstances, a winded tortoise can go faster. Are there actually seven colours in a rainbow? Think again. And our author merrily explains why our hair and nails don't keep growing after we die and why chemicals in our diet might not be the toxic threats we are led to believe. Covering everything from pseudoscience to phenomena of physics, scandals of space and scientific misquotes, Everything You Know About Science is Wrong shatters a range of illusions we have accepted unquestioningly since childhood and demystifies this most puzzling of subjects.

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Book SynopsisA wonderfully wry, erudite and altogether charming investigation into the most rarely discussed of bodily functions: defecation!

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Book SynopsisThis book presents the reader with some of the earliest classic SF short stories – all of them published between 1858 and 1934, featuring both well-known and long-forgotten writers – dealing for the first time with topics to which science had (some) answers only at much later stages. This includes aspects of alien life forms, transmogrification, pandemics, life on Mars, android robots, big data, matter transmission and impact events to name but a few. The short stories are reprinted in full alongside extensive commentaries which also examine some of the latest scientific thinking surrounding the story’s main theme and provide the reader with suggestions for further reading. Table of ContentsLife … but not as we know.- Transmogrification.- Pandemic.- Life on Mars.- Artificial Intelligence.- Attractive Androids.- Big Data.- Faster Than Light Travel.- Antigravity.- Matter Transmission.- The Sub-microscopic World.- Impact Events.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a superposition of two distinct narratives: the first is historical, discussing the evolution of astronomical knowledge since the dawn of civilizations; the second is scientific, conveying mathematical and physical content of each advancement. Great scientists of antiquity, Middle Ages and modern times until the 18th century, are presented along with their discoveries, through short biographies and anecdotes. Special care is taken to explain their achievements using mathematical and physical concepts of their time, with modern perspective added only when ancient methodology is too cumbersome or its language hardly understandable to contemporary readers.The book conveys a lot of astronomical facts and data in a pleasant and accessible manner. Almost all findings and discoveries made in ancient times are followed by simple mathematical exercises using basic knowledge, so that the reader can check the assertions himself. The book contains a lot of inedited illustrations. Geometrical schemes are given extra attention to make the examples clear and understandable. The language is simple and accessible to the young audience.

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Book Synopsis'This brief book offers an interesting, fun, and widely accessible first-person tour of CERN, the European Center for Nuclear Research, the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. The facilities at CERN include the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a 27-kilometer particle accelerator that straddles the border between Switzerland and France. The LHC was famously used to discover the Higgs boson, a long-sought fundamental particle. Physics historian Depambour (University of Paris) is enthusiastic about all aspects of CERN, especially its role as an agent for peace and international cooperation. The book focuses mainly on the physical layout of the CERN campus and its experimental facilities, but Depambour also includes an introduction to the standard model of particle physics and a history of the search for the Higgs boson. Supporting illustrations and interviews help convey the atmosphere and culture of CERN. The book can be read and enjoyed by virtually anyone interested in modern science, starting with students currently in high school. It will also be welcome as a useful orientation for undergraduates and graduate students whose research interests might eventually take them to CERN. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.'CHOICEWhat lies within CERN's entrails? What is the path followed by the particles that are accelerated before they collide? What does the ATLAS detector look like? Does research at CERN find applications in everyday life?From the accelerator control room to the huge Computing Centre, via the auditorium where the discovery of the Higgs boson was announced in July 2012, I invite you to experience for one day an immersion in the world of research in particle physics! Discovering emblematic installations at CERN, walking through the places where people spend every working day, meeting with researchers in various fields, descending into the ATLAS cavern ... Our visit, whose path will mimic that of the particles during their journey, will be full of anecdotes and surprises.Follow me for a guided tour of CERN, the largest scientific collaboration in the world!

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Book SynopsisEnigma of the Skies is a joint endeavor by a scientist and a photographer to present to readers everything there is to know about auroras in an easy-to-understand matter. It explains the phenomena and describes how to predict when auroras occur using simple physics alongside a collection of beautiful photos taken both from Earth and from space.Table of ContentsPreface; Auroras Around the World; Various Types, Colors, Forms, and Motions of Auroras; Auroras seen from Space; Unveiling the Secrets of Auroras: Science for Beginners; Implications of the Delicate Balance between the Sun and the Earth; Expressing Auroras; Appendix; References;

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Book SynopsisThis book can serve as a missing guide for technical features of digital photography that many enthusiasts are unaware of or remain bewildered about. An interesting example is that cameras with sensor sizes differing by a factor of three or four can have the same size resolution. The advantages of sensors — found in larger and more expensive cameras — are elucidated to readers. Another example is the explanation to why the depth of field increases as the lens aperture becomes smaller. The transition from diffraction-limited to sensor-limited resolution is also discussed. Through these examples, one discovers that the optics of practical, thick compound lenses can be understood using the formulas for the more familiar thin lenses.The book further expounds on procedures that are necessary to obtain true color images. For example, CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensors are equipped with color filters such that the intensity of the red, green and blue colors are recorded separately. Since the colors must be combined for print and digital displays, the separate colors recorded in the camera must somehow be merged. This process known as demosaicing is vividly explained. In fact, the technology for defining colors is a separate issue that is also treated in this book.Readers will learn that both our vision and computer displays respond in a nonlinear fashion that requires an operation known as gamma mapping, which is built into all monitors. An important takeaway for camera and photography enthusiasts is that in order to avoid moiré effects in certain types of photographs, most cameras have an anti-aliasing filter that has the unfortunate effect of smearing the resolution. This filter can, however, be removed in certain high-end cameras.

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Book SynopsisThis is a mathematics book written specifically for the enjoyment of non-mathematicians and those who “hated math in school.” The book is organized into two sections: (I) Beauty for the Eye (shallow water for the non-swimmer); and (II) A Feast for the Mind (slowly getting deeper for the more adventurous).The author covers beautiful infinite series beginning with those that a young child can understand to one that even Isaac Newton, Gottfried Liebniz and the famous Bernoulli brothers could not sum.Trade Review"Written in a warm and graceful style, this unusual book has the feel of a journey through time interspersed with historical references and interesting anecdotes. Using infinite series as a thread, the book reveals the beauty and elegance as well as the intellectual challenges in mathematics. The Pleasures of Pi,e takes its readers through a tantalizing mathematical adventure. This book should appeal to the young from pre-teen to pre-university, in addition to grown-ups with an interest in mathematics."Professor Shih Choon Fong, MS, PhD (Harvard)President, National University of SingaporeForeign Associate, US National Academy of EngineeringForeign Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and SciencesChevalier, Order of "Legion d' Honneur""Dr Y E O Adrian ... has written an interesting book on infinite series, a subject which has attracted the attention of many mathematicians throughout the ages. He has managed to point out very clearly the key features of each series, which is his major contribution. Anyone who has a serious interest in infinite series will find his book a good reference. Another interesting feature is the numerous quotations by famous writers, philosophers, scientists and mathematicians from Plato to Albert Einstein. They provide a number of refreshing views of mathematics. I find his book really fascinating."Professor Cham Tao Soon, BE, BSc, PhD (Cambridge)University Distinguished Professor(Former President, 1981 - 2002)Nanyang Technological University, Republic of SingaporeFellow, Royal Academy of Engineering, UKMember, Swedish Royal Academy of EngineeringHonorary Fellow, St. Catharine's College, Cambridge"This book nicely complements the standard texts on mathematics, offering a very different perspective from other math books that I have come across. Written like a story book with an easy command of English, Dr Y E O Adrian delivers the content in a clear, lucid and delightful style. This book is as light a reading as a math book can be -- a much appreciated breath of fresh air. Enticing and entertaining, it makes for a good weekend read for both young and old, children and parents, and even grandparents."Professor Li Cheng, BEng, MS, PhD (Tsinghua University)Associate Professor of Mechanical EngineeringOutstanding Educator Award Winner (2000, 2005)National University of Singapore"This is an interesting book on mathematics. The author presents various mathematical series and proofs in an easy to comprehend and fun style ... This is meant to be an entertaining read on a traditionally tedious subject -- mathematics. Anyone who is interested in mathematics and number series would find this book to be informative, enlightening, and entertaining."IEEE Electrical Insulation MagazineTable of ContentsBeauty for the Eye: Infinity and Infinite Series; -Series; e-Series; Other Interesting Number Series; Feast for the Mind: Easy Proofs; Less Easy Proofs; Not-So-Easy Proofs.

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Book SynopsisWhat does mathematics have to do with poetry? Seemingly, nothing. Mathematics deals with abstractions while poetry with emotions. And yet, the two share something essential: Beauty. “Euclid alone has looked on beauty bare,” says the title of a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay.A winner of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2015, “Mathematics, Poetry and Beauty” tries to solve the secret of the similarity between the two domains. It tries to explain how a mathematical argument and a poem can move us in the same way. Mathematical and poetic techniques are compared, with the aim of showing how they evoke the same sense of beauty.The reader may find that, as Bertrand Russell said, “Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty — a beauty hold and austere, like that of sculpture … sublimely pure, and capable of a stern perfection such as only the greatest art can show.”Table of ContentsThe Magic of Poetry and of Mathematics; Condensation; Order; How Mathematicians and Poets Think; Poetic Image; Mathematical Image; Paradoxes and Oxymorons; Self Reference and Godel's Theorem;

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Book SynopsisThis book won the INDIEFAB 2015 Bronze Award for Science (Adult nonfiction).Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) including plants and the foods made from them, are a hot topic of debate today, but soon related technology could go much further and literally change what it means to be human. Scientists are on the verge of being able to create people who are GMOs.Should they do it? Could we become a healthier and 'better' species or might eugenics go viral leading to a real, new world of genetic dystopia? GMO Sapiens tackles such questions by taking a fresh look at the cutting-edge biotech discoveries that have made genetically modified people possible.Bioengineering, genomics, synthetic biology, and stem cells are changing sci-fi into reality before our eyes. This book will capture your imagination with its clear, approachable writing style. It will draw you into the fascinating discussion of the life-changing science of human genetic modification.Table of ContentsIntroduction: GMO OMG; The History of GMOs; GMO People; The Possible Risks of GMO People; The Potential Benefits of Human Genetic Modification; The Cloning Connection; Stem Cells and GMOs; GMO Sapien Economics; Gene Therapy; GMO People in Pop Culture; GMO Myths; Big Green Men: Designer People and Eugenics; The Ethics of Human Genetic Modification;

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Book SynopsisFreeman Dyson has designed nuclear reactors and bomb-powered spacecraft; he has studied the origins of life and the possibilities for the long-term future; he showed quantum mechanics to be consistent with electrodynamics and started cosmological eschatology; he has won international recognition for his work in science and for his work in reconciling science to religion; he has advised generals and congressional committees. An STS (Science, Technology, Society) curriculum or discussion group that engages topics such as nuclear policies, genetic technologies, environmental sustainability, the role of religion in a scientific society, and a hard look towards the future, would count itself privileged to include Professor Dyson as a class participant and mentor. In this book, STS topics are not discussed as objectified abstractions, but through personal stories.The reader is invited to observe Dyson's influence on a generation of young people as they wrestle with issues of science, technology, society, life in general and our place in the universe. The book is filled with personal anecdotes, student questions and responses, honest doubts and passions.Table of ContentsWalking with Grandfather; Living in the Questions; A Hexagonal Mountain; Martha and Mary; Engines With Souls; Steered From Afar; The Swamp Angel; Rapid Rupture; Arsenals of Folly; To Touch the Face of the Stars; Silence; The Chainsaw and the White Oak; "Why Should I Care?"; Playing God; Bonds of Kinship; Two Windows; Doubt and Faith; Dreams of Earth and Sky; Family First;

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Book Synopsis'This is a thought-provoking book that would be of interest to anyone wanting to ponder the concept of time, and to develop more critical thinking skills that may be useful when reading popular science books or articles.'IEEE Electrical Insulation MagazineThe aim of this book is to explain in simple language what we know about time and about the history of time. It is shown that the briefest (as well as the lengthiest) history of time can be described in one or two pages.The second purpose of the book is to show that neither entropy, nor the Second Law of Thermodynamics has anything to do with time. The third purpose is to educate the lay reader how to read popular science books, critically. Towards this goal, detailed reviews of four books on time are presented.There are many popular science books on Time, on the beginning of Time and the end of Time. This book is unique in the following two senses:Table of ContentsPreface; List of Abbreviations; Acknowledgements; What is Time?; What is a History of Something?; The Briefest History of Space; The Briefest History of Time; Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics; The History of Histories of Time; Epilogue; Notes; Bibliography; Index;

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Book SynopsisNeutron stars, the ultra-dense remnants of exploded stellar giants, are among the most fascinating objects in the cosmos. Katia Moskvitch introduces readers to their astonishing qualities and follows the scientists who are discovering what neutron stars can tell us about the mysteries of dark matter, black holes, and general relativity.Trade ReviewTaking us behind the scenes of scientific exploration, Katia Moskvitch introduces the people responsible for advancing our understanding of neutron stars and communicates the feeling of amazement that accompanies unexpected discovery. -- Jocelyn Bell Burnell, codiscoverer of pulsarsNeutron stars, super-dense balls of nuclear matter at the end-points of stellar evolution, are detectable from Earth through their emission of radio and gravitational waves. Katia Moskvitch provides a fascinating tour of the world’s most sensitive detectors for such radiation, the prediction and discovery of neutron stars, their place in the grand cosmic scheme, and up-close views of many of the gifted astrophysicists behind these discoveries. -- Joseph H. Taylor, Jr., winner of the Nobel Prize in PhysicsMoskvitch offers riveting explanations of what astronomers have learned so far using radio telescopes, starting with Jocelyn Bell’s discovery in 1967 of the first pulsar, and what puzzles remain in the tantrums as well as quiet murmur of neutron stars. -- Priyamvada Natarajan * New York Review of Books *Enthralling…Moskvitch skillfully explicates these bizarre celestial objects, memorably dubbing them ‘cosmic zombies’ for the way they send radio waves, gamma rays, and x-rays after the ‘death’ of the stars from which they originate…Carl Sagan devotees will relish this portrayal of a new frontier in science. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Fantastic…Not only are there great insights into the physics that underpin these zombie stars, but they are often explained using anecdotes from scientists all over the globe…Moskvitch has written a beautiful book of personal stories, entwined with an exploration of these exotic stellar objects. -- Amber Hornsby * BBC Sky at Night *For astronomers, neutron stars are the gift that keeps on giving. For more than fifty years, a crescendo of discoveries has amazed us and led us to probe the laws of physics to the breaking point. Katia Moskvitch recounts the key advances and clearly explains the underlying science. And she has the journalistic skills to offer readers a real feel for what it's like to be part of the international community of astronomers—experiencing triumphs and disappointments in the quest to discover exotic cosmic phenomena. -- Martin Rees, author of On the FutureIf watching Tom Cruise in Top Gun made some want to be navy pilots, this book will make many young scientists want to become detectives of the universe. Katia Moskvitch takes us through the history of our understanding of the enigmatic neutron stars in a book that is punctuated with human stories, crazy ideas, novel instrumentation, and profound discoveries. This rich tale is an inspiring account of the process of science. -- France A. Córdova, former Director of the National Science FoundationA remarkable encounter with remote radio observatories, mind-boggling theories, and the most bizarre objects in the universe. Packed with information but accessible throughout, this fast-paced book is a wonderful introduction to the most exciting topics in current astronomy. -- Govert Schilling, author of Ripples in SpacetimeAn extraordinary blending of scales and disciplines, from astrophysics to particle physics, Neutron Stars faithfully describes one of the most active frontiers of science today, and introduces the exciting new field of multi-messenger astronomy. -- Stavros Katsanevas, Director of the European Gravitational ObservatoryKatia Moskvitch takes the reader on a breakneck tour of the last century of thought and observation into neutron stars. Her research is impeccable, with complicated concepts presented in an easily understood manner. I highly recommend Neutron Stars to anyone who wants to learn not only about the history of neutron star research, but also the current race to understand fast radio bursts, magnetars, and colliding neutron stars. -- Stephen R. Taylor, Vanderbilt UniversityWith journalistic flair, unlimited enthusiasm, and enviable travel funds, Moskvitch has visited radio telescopes on five continents, spoken to many of the key researchers including Jocelyn Bell, and managed to connect a surprising number of dots to give a big picture view of the Universe. -- Michael Gross * Chemistry & Industry *A detailed overview of what we know, and have yet to find out, about neutron stars and their place in the universe…Engaging. -- Jeff Foust * Space Review *An enjoyable read about an area of science in which remarkable advances-in-insight have been made in recent years—and where much promising work looks to be possible. * Complete Review *

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