Popular science Books

Book SynopsisRyan North is the (New York Times bestselling, Eisner-award winning) creator of Dinosaur Comics, the co-editor of the Machine of Death series, and the author of To Be or Not To Be, the choose-your-own-path version of Hamlet! He has written the "Adventure Time" comic and writes "The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl" for Marvel Comics, who you might know from their movies about an iron man. He lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife Jenn and his dog Noam Chompsky.Trade ReviewHow to Invent Everything is such a cool book ... essential reading * Randall Munroe, xkcd creator and bestelling author of WHAT IF? and THING EXPLAINER *Ryan North is as funny as he is smart, and he is hilarious ... an almost essential primer on the story so far when it comes to science ... suitable for anyone with a sense of humour and some curiosity. Brilliant stuff * Starburst magazine *A dazzling piece of work that's also genuinely hilarious * Elan Mastai, author of ALL OUR WRONG TODAYS *An essential handbook for any hapless time-traveller * Prof Lewis Dartnell, author of THE KNOWLEDGE: How to Rebuild our World from Scratch *Technically, we are all time travelers and we are all trapped. So, even if you happen to be scanning this blurb in what you perceive to be a 'normal' timeline, I heartily recommend you read this book cover to cover. * Zach Weinersmith, creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal and author of SOONISH *A hilarious and practical guide * Atlas Obscura *Packed with cool, fun, and useful stuff... a friendly and thought-provoking reference, just the thing for the bright kid in the family, to say nothing of the neighbourhood time traveller * Kirkus Reviews *A brilliant conceit ... a slyly funny piece of popular science writing * Glen Weldon, NPR’s Great Reads of 2018 *North is incredibly funny, so you’ll be entertained while inventing fundamental technology for your fellow, albeit less-developed, man ... Avoid the pitfalls of our ancestors with this handy guide * BookPage *whip-smart and hilarious . . . Combine that humour, intelligence and style with the history of human technology and you’ve got How to Invent Everything * Winnipeg Free Press *

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Book SynopsisOVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD ''A remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain'' Oliver Sacks''Utterly wonderful . . . without question one of the most important books about the brain you will ever read; yet it is beautifully written, immensely approachable, and full of humanity'' Iain McGilchrist MA, author of The Master and His EmissaryMeet the ninety-year-old doctor who is still practicing medicine, the stroke victim who learned to move and talk again and the woman with half a brain that rewired itself to work as a whole. All these people had their lives transformed by the remarkable discovery that our brains can repair themselves through the power of positive thinking. Here bestselling author, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge reveals the secrets of the cutting-edge science of ''neuroplasticity''. He introduces incredible case histories - blind people helped to see, IQs raised and memories sharpened - and tells the stories of the maverick scientists who are overturning centuries of assumptions about the brain. This inspiring book will leave you with a sense of wonder at the capabilities of the mind, and the self-healing power that lies within all of us.Trade ReviewAn utterly wonderful book - without question one of the most important books about the brain you will ever read; yet it is beautifully written, immensely approachable, and full of humanity. Its message is one of hope: it is not just our brains that shape our thinking, but our thinking that, very definitely, shapes our brains.Doidge has identified a tidal shift in basic science and a potential one in medicine. The implications are monumental -- Penny Wark * The Times *A remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain -- Oliver Sacks * author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat *A wonderful and engaging way of re-imagining what kind of creatures we are -- Jeanette Winterson * The Guardian *The power of positive thinking finally gains scientific credibility. Miracle-making stuff -- Abigail Zuger * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisTake flight with the secret life of owls.

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Book Synopsis''York is a witty, whip-smart, lithely engaging science storyteller, truly one of our best'' Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Fuzz A playful examination of how science''s silliest research leads to crucial breakthroughs and enduring insights. Why would anyone research how elephants pee? Or study worms who tie themselves into a communal knot? Or quantify the squishability of a cockroach? Carly Anne York shows how unappreciated, overlooked and simply curiosity-driven science has led to breakthroughs big and small. Got wind power? You might have humpback whales to thank. Know anything about particle physics? Turns out there is a ferret close to the heart of it all. And if you want to keep salmon around, be thankful for that cannon! The research itself can seem bizarre, but it drives our economy. York invites us to appreciate the often-unpredictable journey of scientific exploration, highlighting that the heart of science lies in the relentless pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. Emphasizing the hard work of the people behind the discoveries, this is an accessible, story-driven book that shows how important and exciting it is to simply let curiosity run wild.

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Book SynopsisA New York Times bestseller and a Book of the Year for the Evening Standard and The Times. Is getting a little less comfortable the key to living a happier, healthier life? When journalist Scott Carney came across a picture of a man in his fifties sitting on a glacier in just his underwear, he assumed it must be a hoax. Dutch guru Wim Hof claimed he could control his body temperature using his mind and teach others to do the same. Sceptical, Carney signed up to Hof’s one-week course, not realising that it would be the start of a four-year journey to unlock his own evolutionary potential. From hyperventilating in a Polish farmhouse to underwater weight training in California, and eventually climbing Mt Kilimanjaro wearing just shorts and running shoes, Carney travelled the world testing out unorthodox methods of body transformation and discovering the science behind them. In What Doesn’t Kill Us he explains how getting a little less comfortable can help us to unlock our lost evolutionary strength.Trade Review'[Wim Hof] has become a phenomenon, and Carney is an entertaining guide to his world and his followers.’ * The Times 'Book of the Week' *‘I always knew that jumping into freezing water makes you feel brilliant afterwards, but now I know why.’ -- William Leith * The Spectator *‘When it's cold outside, do you turn the heating up? Do you always put a coat on before going out? Do you think your comfortable life is good for you? If so, you have to read Scott Carney's What Doesn't Kill Us. Through some great stories — which often involve Carney in the snow without much on — and some serious research, he shows us how to escape the bland, shuffling gait of our centrally-heated, fleece-jacketed, molly-coddled lives by diving head first into the ice-cold, axe-sharp, scary experiences that made our ancestors' hearts beat faster every day. If we do that, we can awake from the dull slumber of modern life, and open our eyes to a better, healthier dawn of crisp air, better circulation, and the ability to truly mean it when we say: I'm alive. Buy this book, and you'll emerge a stronger, healthier, more human human.’ -- James Wallman * author of Stuffocation: Living More With Less *‘Climbing a mountain in nothing but a pair of shorts seems idiotic to most, but for Wim Hof and his companions, it’s just another day. When investigative journalist and anthropologist Carney heard about Hof’s mind-boggling methods and claims that he could ‘hack’ the human body, he knew he had to venture to Poland to expose this fraud. But in just a few days, Hof changed Carney’s mind, and so began a friendship and a new adventure. Carney now chronicles his journey to push himself mentally and physically using Wim Hof’s method of cold exposure, breath-holding, and meditation to tap into our primal selves. Our ancestors survived harsh conditions without modern technology, while we live in comfortable bubbles with little to struggle against and wonder how they survived. The question is, ‘What happens when we push our bodies to the limit?’ Carney calls on evolutionary biology and other modern scientific disciplines to explore and explain Hof’s unconventional methods. Fresh and exciting, this book has wide appeal for readers interested in health, sports, self-improvement, and extreme challenges.’ * Booklist *‘As this engaging autoethnography relates, anthropologist and investigative journalist Carney was skeptical upon encountering a photo of a nearly naked Wim Hof sitting on a glacier in the Arctic Circle. Hof, a Dutch fitness guru who runs a training camp in Poland’s wilderness, claims he can control his body temperature and immune system solely with his mind; though Carney set out to prove Hof a charlatan, he was instead won over. Carney documents his interactions with Hof and the many others who have learned to control their bodies in seemingly impossible ways: he learned Hof’s breathing techniques for tricking the body into doing things it isn’t evolutionarily designed for, and underwent training to face extreme cold while barely clothed. It is this training that enables Hof and Carney to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in 28 hours while wearing shorts. This is part guide and part popular science book; readers will learn about how Neanderthals used the body’s ‘brown fat’ to keep warm and how exposure nearly reverses the symptoms of diabetes. The accomplishments Carney documents are unbelievable and fascinating; this isn’t a how-to for those looking to perform extraordinary feats, but it is an entertaining account that will appeal to the adventurous.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Scott Carney is so curious about getting to the truth of things that he is willing to endure great pain and suffering to get there. While investigating the controversial methods of Wim Hof and others operating on the scientific fringe, Carney entered a skeptic yet emerged a true believer. In What Doesn't Kill Us, readers get to follow him along on his transformational journey, and the insights are truly fascinating. Informative, fun, and with a healthy degree of danger, this is a book for the adventurer in all of us.’ -- Gabriel Reece * Co-founder of XPT (Extreme Performance Training) *‘The further we get from the harsh environmental conditions that once threatened our existence, the more we need them. I see this every weekend at a Spartan Race somewhere in the world. Millions of otherwise sane people line up to suffer and push themselves to their physical limits, and it feels good. What Doesn't Kill Us is a fascinating investigation into the innate urge that drives people like these, and reveals how some have managed to use environmental conditioning to accomplish truly extraordinary things.’ -- John DeSena * founder of Spartan Race *‘As a Navy SEAL, you live by the mantra ‘What doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.’ We would hear this phrase and repeat it, but we never had any proof that it was factual. Yet through comprehensive study, Scott Carney has brilliantly documented how engaging in environmental conditioning, breathing, meditation, and other techniques can actually make us physically and mentally stronger. What Doesn’t Kill Us is a fascinating book that will captivate all who read it and that will be of immense value to those in the military, those who are active in sports, and those who seek an alternate means of developing greater mental and physical strength.’ -- Don D. Mann * Don D. Mann, New York Times bestselling author, Inside SEAL Team SIX *‘The narrative is filled with personal details that will engage, astonish, and even repel readers … Couch potatoes take warning: the experiences described in this testimonial are often tough to read about, and the conclusions, while sometimes convincing, might best be taken with a touch of skepticism.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Carney writes with considerable narrative verve, slamming home the misery of what he has witnessed with passion and visceral detail.’ * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisLiam Shaw is a biologist researching the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance. He is currently a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Oxford and an Honorary Fellow at the University of Bristol. His writing has appeared in the London Review of Books, Morning Star, and Private Eye. The Healing Earth is his first book.

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Book SynopsisChris Napier is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, with a PhD in running biomechanics and injury prevention. Chris is a practising physiotherapist with Restore Physiotherapy clinic and works with the Athletics Canada team.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Read this book, then look and wonder' Sunday Times *A TLS Book of the Year*We have to learn to live as part of nature, not apart from it. And the first step is to start looking after the insects, the little creatures that make our shared world go round.Insects are essential for life as we know it - without them, our world would look vastly different. Drawing on the latest ground-breaking research and a lifetime's study, Dave Goulson reveals the long decline of insect populations that has taken place in recent decades and its potential consequences.Eye-opening and inspiring, Silent Earth asks for profound change at every level and a passionate argument or us to love, respect and care for our six-legged friends.'Compelling - Silent Earth is a wake-up call' Isabella Tree, author of Wilding'Enlightening, urgent and funny, Goulson's book is a timely call for action' New StatesmanTrade ReviewA powerful book * Mark Cocker, Financial Times *Thoughtful, frightening and yet hugely enjoyable... This book will make you think differently about our right of dominion over the planet * Daily Telegraph *It's remarkable that insect decline has gone largely unnoticed by non-specialists... Keep dreaming, Dave Goulson. We'll need more dreamers like you * The Times *If Silent Earth contains a single incontestable message it is that nature - insects, flowers, plants, trees, birds and mammals, including our species - is a single system... This powerful book tells us that we need to act as if we understand this essential truth * Financial Times *Compelling, penetrating, devastating - Silent Earth is a wake-up call for the world. Dave Goulson matches science with eloquence and passion to spotlight the cataclysmic loss of insect life on our planet. Rachel Carson would be proud. -- Isabella Tree

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE CWA GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION'Gripping from the start, Written in Bone is superb' - Dr Richard Shepherd, author of Unnatural Causes'No Scientist communicates better than Sue Black' - Val McDermid, author of Still Life'Macabre, authoritative and fascinating.' - The Sunday TimesOur bones are the silent witnesses to the lives we lead. Our stories are marbled into their marrow.Drawing upon her years of research and a wealth of remarkable experience, the world-renowned forensic anthropologist Professor Dame Sue Black takes us on a journey of revelation. From skull to feet, via the face, spine, chest, arms, hands, pelvis and legs, she shows that each part of us has a tale to tell. What we eat, where we go, everything we do leaves a trace, a message that waits patiently for months, years, sometimes centuries, until a forensic anthropologist is called upon to decipher it.Some of this information is easily understood, some holds its secrets tight and needs scientific cajoling to be released. But by carefully piecing together the evidence, the facts of a life can be rebuilt.Limb by limb, case by case - some criminal, some historical, some unaccountably bizarre - Sue Black reconstructs with intimate sensitivity and compassion the hidden stories in what we leave behind.Praise for Sue Black:'Sue Black has a rare ability to make blood and bones come alive. A marvellous writer. Ruth Davidson, SMP'The corpse whisperer ... Is it okay for Black, or us, to enjoy this quite so much?''Fascinating' - Spectator'Gripping' - Guardian'Moving' - Scotsman'Engrossing' - Financial Times

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Book SynopsisA journey through the otherworldly science behind Christopher Nolan’s award-winning film, Interstellar, from executive producer and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Kip Thorne.

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of You Are Awesome: Find Your Confidence and Dare to be Brilliant at (Almost) AnythingEssential reading for an astounding summer of sport; If you've ever wondered what makes a champion, Bounce has the answer.What are the real secrets of sporting success, and what lessons do they offer about life? Why doesn't Tiger Woods choke? Why are the best figure skaters those that have fallen over the most and why has one small street in Reading produced more top table tennis players than the rest of the country put together.Two-time Olympian and sports writer and broadcaster Matthew Syed draws on the latest in neuroscience and psychology to uncover the secrets of our top athletes and introduces us to an extraordinary cast of characters, including the East German athlete who became a man, and her husband and the three Hungarian sisters who are all chess grandmasters. Bounce is crammed with fascinating stories and statistics.Looking at controversial questions such as whether talentTrade Review‘A gripping examination of the hidden forces that come together in the making of a champion.' Michael Atherton, former England cricket captain 'A fascinating subject and Syed is a dazzling writer.' Owen Slot, The Times 'I love this book. A must-read if you have ever wondered what sets the super-achievers and the rest of us apart – in any field, not just in sport. I only wish I had read it when I was fifteen.' Gabby Logan, BBC presenter and former international gymnast 'Intellectually stimulating and hugely enjoyable at a stroke … challenged some of my most cherished beliefs about life and success.' Jonathan Edwards, triple jump world record holder

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Book SynopsisA compendium of over 100 astonishing objects related to the story of medicine. Table of ContentsIntroduction • Belief • Birth and Death • Assistive Technologies • Surgery • Diagnosis • Drugs and Pharmacy • Public Health • Hospitals • Understanding Our Bodies • War • Index and Acknowledgements.

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Book SynopsisIn The Secret Life of Bones, Brian Switek frames the history of our species through the importance of bone from instruments and jewellery, to objects of worship and conquest from the origins of religion through the genesis of science up to today.Trade Review'Smart, lively, and hugely informative... the ideal guide to the bones around us and in us' Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction‘A witty, conversational romp through the world of bones, by one of our finest natural history writers. Dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers, human origins, and culture are all woven together into a breezy, beautifully told story that will make you appreciate the wonder of the skeleton hidden inside of us all’ Steve Brusatte, University of Edinburgh palaeontologist and Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs‘A thoughtful, engaging meditation on the origins of the human skeleton, how it functions (or malfunctions) and how we come to terms with our essential but unsettling osseous framework’ Nature‘Compellingly evokes the sheer wonder and complexity of the supporting framework inside you - and the murky human responses it arouses’ Science‘I sit here now crossing my extraordinary kneecaps... I can see them better thanks to Switek’ Rose George, New York Times Book Review'A lyrical love letter to the 206 or so bones in the human skeleton and thecolourful figures who have studied them over the centuries’ Jennifer Ouellette, author of The Calculus Diaries'Switek writes with remarkable grace about the natural world… Every chapterhas some surprise, told in elegant tales, that you will repeat to your friends' Carl Zimmer, author of She Has Her Mother's Laugh

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Book Synopsis**Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2023**A NEW YORK TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, ECONOMIST, MAIL ON SUNDAY and GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEARFrom the dawn of life itself, every being that has ever lived owes its existence to the cell.'Will leave you in awe' GuardianThe discovery of this vital form led to a transformation in medicine but also in our understanding of ourselves - not as bodies or machines but as ecosystems. It has also given us the power to treat a vast array of mortal maladies...and even to create new kinds of human altogether.Rich with stories of scientists, doctors and the patients whose lives may be saved by their work, The Song of the Cell is a stunning ode to the building blocks of life and the cutting-edge science harnessing their power for the better.'Profound...As big a topic as life itself' The Times'Medical magic' Daily Telegraph'Vast...important...optimistic' Mail on SundayTrade ReviewBrilliant ... medical magic ... written with compassionate warmth and humour * Daily Telegraph *Wonderfully ambitious... Cell biology is complex and as big a topic as life itself; I'm not sure a writer could cover it better * The Times *If you are not already in awe of biology, The Song of the Cell might get you there. It is a masterclass * Guardian *Vast, important ... optimistic * Mail on Sunday *Some of the writing in The Song of the Cell is so lovely that you can get caught up in its music * New York Times *A confident, timely - and most importantly, biologically precise - exploration of what it means to be human * Observer *Part mystery, part adventure story, The Song of the Cell is an irresistible foray into the frontiers of medical science [and] a reminder of the power of human ingenuity that is likely to leave readers both enlightened and hopeful. * Jennifer Egan, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning A Visit from the Goon Squad *A passionate, expert guide ... Mukherjee's ambition has once again paid off, creating an encyclopaedic exploration of how we got to this point - and sketching out the questions we must ask about the future * Financial Times *A remarkable achievement - a fascinating and highly readable crash course on the complexities of cellular physiology and of life itself * New Statesman *For anyone who wants to understand the building blocks of their own bodies - which everyone surely should - this is an informative and entertaining introduction * Economist *All of us will get sick at some point. All of us will have loved ones who get sick. To understand what's happening in those moments - and to feel optimistic that things will get better - it helps to know something about cells, the building blocks of life. Mukherjee's latest book will give you that knowledge ... Mukherjee, who's both an oncologist and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, brings all of his skills to bear in this fantastic book * Bill Gates *Deeply researched, The Song of the Cell is an extraordinary journey through the history of discovery to the most innovative cellular medicine practiced today and the promise of what lies ahead. -- Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine 2001Audacious...mesmerizing...reliably engaging... Mukherjee enthusiastically instructs and... delights - all the while hustling us across a preposterously vast and intricate landscape * Wall Street Journal *An extraordinarily gifted storyteller... The author's ideas about the near future of medicine are both convincing and inspiring. This is another winner from Mukherjee. * Publishers Weekly, *Starred Review* *A lively, personal, detailed, often moving account of the cell in medical history and its promise in the present * Heromag *A lively, thought-provoking book... Mukherjee comes across not only as a brilliant researcher but also as a deeply empathetic human being * Literary Review *A masterclass in cell function that will leave you in awe of biology -- Suzanne O'Sullivan * Guardian *This complex portrait illuminates cells' roles in immunity, reproduction, sentience, cognition, repair and rejuvenation * Nature *One of the most admired doctors in the world * The Times *A tour d'horizon of cell theory... part history lesson, part biology lesson and part reminder of how science itself actually proceeds * Economist, *Books of the Year* *Brilliant * The Times *This complex portrait illuminates cells' roles in immunity, reproduction, sentience, cognition, repair and rejuvination, malfunctions such as cancer, and treatments such as blood transfusions, drawing on author Siddhartha Mukherjee's varied experience as an immunologist, stem-cell scientist, cancer biologist and medical oncologist * Nature *The book is, at root, a call for a more integrated biology ... What gives The Song of the Cell its persuasiveness in calling for that new vision is precisely that it comes from a clinician steeped in the traditions of genomic and cell biology, and who has seen both the power and limitations of those approaches to produce actual cures * Lancet *What truly elevates the book are Mukherjee's accounts of his experiences as a clinician and the stories of the patients he has encountered. Some are moving, and all are reflective and insightful * Philip Ball, Lancet *

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Book SynopsisExploring the revolutionary science behind the power of thought, this book will forever change how you think about your own thinking.This new updated and expanded 10th anniversary edition of The Biology of Belief contains stunning new scientific discoveries about the biochemical effects of the brain's functioning that show all the cells of your body are affected by your thoughts. Bruce H. Lipton PhD, a renowned cell biologist, describes the precise molecular pathways through which this occurs. Using simple language, illustrations, humour and everyday examples, he demonstrates how the new science of epigenetics is revolutionizing our understanding of the link between mind and matter, and the profound effects it has on our personal lives and the collective life of our species.It has been 10 years since the publication of The Biology of Belief, Bruce Lipton's seminal book on the relationship between mind and body that changed the way we think about our lives, our health and our planet. During that time, research in this field has grown exponentially - Lipton's ground-breaking experiments have now been endorsed by more than a decade of rigorous scientific study.In this greatly expanded edition, Lipton explores his own experiments and those of other leading-edge scientists that have unravelled in ever greater detail how truly connected the mind, body and spirit are. It is now widely recognized that genes and DNA do not control our biology. Instead, they are controlled by signals from outside the cell, including energetic messages emanating from our thoughts.This profoundly hopeful synthesis of the latest and best research in cell biology and quantum physics puts the power to create a healthy, joyous life back in our own hands. When we transform our conscious and subconscious thoughts, we transform our lives, and in the process help humanity evolve to a new level of understanding and peace.Trade ReviewBruce Lipton offers nothing less than the long sought-after 'missing link' between life and consciousness. [...] I have no doubt that The Biology of Belief will become a cornerstone for the science of the new millennium. -- Gregg Braden, bestselling author of The God Code and The Divine Matrix The Biology of Belief is a milestone for evolving humanity. [...] A definite must read for those dedicated to the mind/body movement and to the true essence of healing. -- Dr John F. Demartini, bestselling author of Count Your Blessings and The Breakthrough Experience Finally, a compelling and easy-to-understand explanation of how your emotions regulate your genetic expression! You need to read this book to truly appreciate that you are not a victim of your genes but instead have unlimited capacity to live a life overflowing with peace, happiness and love. -- Dr Joseph Mercola, bestselling author of Effortless Healing

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Book SynopsisEvery night, above our heads, a drama of epic proportions is playing out. Diamond planets, zombie stars, black holes heavier than a billion Suns. The cast of characters is extraordinary, and each one has its own incredible story to tell.We once thought of our Earth as unique, but we have now discovered thousands of alien planets, and that's barely a fraction of the worlds that are out there. And there are more stars in the Universe than grains of sand on every planet in the Solar System. But amid all this vastness, the Milky Way Galaxy, our Sun and the Earth are home to the only known life in the Universe at least for now.With a foreword from Professor Brian Cox, and access to all the latest stunning NASA photography, Andrew Cohen takes readers on a voyage of discovery, via the probes and telescopes exploring the outer reaches of our galaxy, revealing how it was formed and how it will inevitably be destroyed by the enigmatic black hole at its heart. And beyond our galaxy, the expandinTrade Review‘Wonderful in every sense’ Guardian ‘I wish Brian Cox had been my physics teacher’ The Times ‘Undeniably beautiful’ Daily Mail ‘Engaging and elucidating’ Metro ‘[The Universe] looks spectacular and the science is mind-boggling’ Telegraph Praise for The Planets by Andrew Cohen and Professor Brian Cox: ‘So staggering you go whoa!’ every few seconds … Cox is the Attenborough of the Solar System’ Guardian ‘Spectacular. [Cox’s] ability to convey maximum information in a clear and minimalist style is so softly winning and persuasive’ Sunday Times ‘Professor Brian Cox continues to boggle our minds’ Daily Mail ‘It was life affirming, it was perspective shifting. It was beautifully made’ Fearne Cotton, The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, Radio 2 ‘Amazing work’ Emma Barnett, Adrian Chiles, Radio 5 Live ‘Starry-eyed Brian Cox is the only man for this job’ The Times ‘Wow’ Evening Standard ‘The professor makes us marvel at life on Earth’ iNews ‘Excellent … a blend of enjoyable, accessible science and dreamlike wonder’ The Times ‘Brian Cox breathes life into science again … breath-taking’ Guardian ‘Fascinating … Good science’ Observer ‘Extraordinary – at its best magically fascinating and full of vast, weird drama’ Radio Times Praise for Professor Brian Cox: ‘Cox’s romantic, lyrical approach to astrophysics all adds up to an experience that feels less like homework and more like having a story told to you. A really good story, too’ Guardian ‘He bridges the gap between our childish sense of wonder and a rather more professional grasp of the scale of things’ Independent ‘If you didn’t utter a wow watching the TV, you will while reading the book’ The Times ‘Engaging, ambitious and creative’ Guardian

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Book SynopsisChemistry's most significant chart, the Periodic Table, and its 118 elements, is laid bare in this lively, accessible and compelling expose.The periodic table, created in the early 1860s by Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, marked one of the most extraordinary advances in modern chemistry. This basic visual aid helped scientists to gain a deeper understanding of what chemical elements really were and the role they played in everyday life. Here, in the authoritative Elementary, James Russell uses his engaging narrative to explain the elements we now know about. From learning about the creation of the first three elements, hydrogen, lithium and helium, in the big bang, through to oxygen and carbon, which sustain life on earth – along with the many weird and wonderful uses of elements as varied as fluorine, arsenic, krypton and einsteinium – even the most unscientifically minded will be enthralled by this fascinating subject. This is the story of the building blocks of the universe, and the people who identified, isolated and even created them.

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Book SynopsisA biological and cultural biography of the ubiquitous yet mystical seashell.Seashells, stretching from the deep past into the present day, are touchstones leading into fascinating realms of the natural world and cutting-edge science. In Spirals in Time: The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Seashells, marine biologist Helen Scales shows how seashells have been sculpted by the fundamental rules of mathematics and evolution; how they gave us color, gems, food, and new medicines. The science and natural history of shells are woven into a compelling narrative, revealing their cultural importance and the ways they have been used by humans over the millennia, even as a source of mind-bending drugs. After surviving multiple mass extinctions millions of years ago, mollusks and their shells still face an onslaught of anthropocentric challenges, including climate change and corrosive oceans. But rather than dwelling on all that is lost, Scales emphasizes that Trade ReviewA rewarding glimpse of another world, filled with strange and reclusive creatures ... There is rich detail in all directions. One does not know what will come next. Often the descriptions made me see shafts of sunlight underwater, irradiating extraordinary places and creatures. That is just what the book does itself. * The Guardian *... punctures assumptions with the power of a cone snail dart. * The Spectator *Splendid ... Scales clearly loves snails - she has done an elegant, excellent job of explaining her passion ... she is a most able modern champion of molluscs. * New Scientist *Scales is a charming raconteur with boundless enthusiasm and an eye for detail that make her subject glow with life. Combining biology, history and ecology, this is nature writing at its most engaging. * Sunday Express *The stories in Spirals in Time – which range from slaves being bought for bags of shells in west Africa in the 1770s to ground-breaking medical uses of cone-snail venom – are gripping and unimaginable. * The Telegraph *Helen Scales ... takes us on a fascinating journey into the strange and captivating world of mollusks. Carefully researched and entertaining throughout ... Scales's book is relentlessly interesting. * Science *...an informed introduction to this fascinating group. The author's enthusiasm shines through the prose...This is an ideal book for a summer holiday, and beach finds will take on a new dimension because of it. * Times Literary Supplement *With the soul of a poet and a talent for finding the most intriguing trivia about familiar seaside sights, marine biologist Scales turns the mundane into the magical. * Discover *Table of Contents1. Meet the shell-makers 2. How to build a shell 3. Sex, death and gems 4. Shell food 5. A mollusc called home 6. Spinning shell stories 7. Flight of the argonauts 8. Treasure hunting 9. Bright ideas 10. The sea butterfly effect

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Book SynopsisWhy is life the way it is? Bacteria evolved into complex life just once in four billion years of life on earth-and all complex life shares many strange properties, from sex to ageing and death. If life evolved on other planets, would it be the same or completely different? In The Vital Question, Nick Lane radically reframes evolutionary history, putting forward a cogent solution to conundrums that have troubled scientists for decades. The answer, he argues, lies in energy: how all life on Earth lives off a voltage with the strength of a bolt of lightning. In unravelling these scientific enigmas, making sense of life's quirks, Lane's explanation provides a solution to life's vital questions: why are we as we are, and why are we here at all? This is ground-breaking science in an accessible form, in the tradition of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species, Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene, and Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel.Trade ReviewAn amazing inquiry into the origins of life. I loved it. -- Bill GatesHe is an original researcher and thinker and a passionate and stylish populariser. His theories are ingenious, breathtaking in scope, and challenging in every sense ... intellectually what Lane is proposing, if correct, will be as important as the Copernican revolution and perhaps, in some ways, even more so. -- Peter Forbes * Guardian *Nick Lane...is emerging as one of the most imaginative thinkers about the evolution of life on Earth...a scintillating synthesis of a new theory of life -- Clive Cookson * Financial Times *One of the deepest, most illuminating books about the history of life to have been published in recent years. * The Economist *One of the pleasures of good science writing is that it can awaken, or feed, this kind of curiosity and engagement in the reader, expanding his or her horizons in ways not previously imagined. And, for those willing to make the effort with a sometimes demanding but always clear text, Nick Lane's new book succeeds brilliantly ... I cannot recommend The Vital Question too highly. Lane's vivid descriptions and powerful reasoning will amaze and grip the reader -- Caspar Henderson * Sunday Telegraph *Nick Lane is not just a writer of words about science, he is also a doer of experiments and a thinker of thoughts. And these days he is hot on the trail of one of the biggest ideas in the universe: the meaning of the word "life". In this, his third book about energy and life, he comes triumphantly close to cracking the secret of why life is the way it is, to a depth that would boggle any ancient philosopher's mind. Solving this mystery leads Lane into a world of ideas that only Lewis Carroll could make sense of. Six impossible things become believable before breakfast when you are reading a Lane book, and there are plenty here... Like the best science writers, Lane never glosses over the detail. Instead he turns it into a series of detective stories. Poirot-like he leads you from the crime to the perpetrator, from the puzzle to the solution. The difference from a detective story is that these tales are real, and fundamental to life itself -- Matt Ridley * Times *this is a book of vast scope and ambition, brimming with bold and important ideas...The arguments are powerful and persuasive...If you're interested in life, you should read this book...it does tell an incredible, epic story -- Michael Le Page * New Scientist *Lane highlights what I think should be a fourth grand theory of life, one that is often overlooked as we remain bewitched by DNA and its several powers. Simply, the idea that life is a chemical reaction... The Vital Question is a bold, eloquent, confident book, and not an easy ride...Don't let that put you off; even The Origin of Species has its chewy sections. Like all great works, it requires effort, and Lane offers no quarter for the casual reader...Nick Lane is not only a master storyteller, but this is his research...he's that rare species, a scientist who can illuminate the bewildering complexities of biology with clear, luminous words -- Adam Rutherford * Observer *A tour de force of inventive science -- Philip Ball * Prospect *Intellectually thrilling -- Mark HaddonA potent book, one that not only brings you up to date with biology but also stuns you with the wonder of it all -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BIG SHORT AND FLASH BOYS''A gripping account of how two psychologists reshaped the way we think ... What a story it is'' Sunday Times ''You''ll love it ... full of surprises and no small degree of tragedy'' Tim HarfordIn 1969 two men met on a university campus. Their names were Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. They were different in every way. But they were both obsessed with the human mind - and both happened to be geniuses. Together, they would change the way we see the world.''An enchanted collaboration ... During the final pages, I was blinking back tears'' The New York Times ''My favourite writer full stop. Engages both heart and brain like no other'' Daily Telegraph''Brilliant, a wonderful book, a masterclass'' Spectator ''Psychology''s Lennon and McCartney ... Lewis is exactly the storyteller they deserve'' ObserverTrade ReviewMichael Lewis is a brilliant writer... The Undoing Project is a masterclass in narrative non-fiction -- Steven Poole * Spectator *A new book by Michael Lewis promises an absorbing story, dazzling ideas, journalistic flair and originality. He achieves this with extraordinary consistency. In The Undoing Project he has achieved it again. -- Danny Finkelstein * The Times *Kahneman and Tversky's deep friendship and intellectual collaboration has arguably done as much to define our world as, say, the intertwining between Francis Crick and James Watson... Michael Lewis, with his great gift for humanising complex and abstract ideas, is exactly the storyteller Tversky and Kahneman deserve. -- Tim Adams * Observer *I normally write two or three pages of notes when reviewing a book. On this occasion I scribbled six, often in high excitement. Lewis has a strong journalist's sense of a good story and the book is dotted with hundreds. He also has a feeling for pace and intensity. Although this is an easy read, nothing is wasted and everything seems to be in the right place. And what a story it is! -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *Michael Lewis is perhaps my favourite writer full stop. At his best, Lewis engages both heart and brain like no author, and he tells the story of Tversky and Kahneman beautifully... the final sections will have you weeping -- Robert Colvile * Daily Telegraph *Leaves you feeling cleverer -- Katie Law * Evening Standard *Part biography of a friendship and part account of psychology's impact, while also taking in much of modern Israel's history, this is a fine showcase of Mr Lewis's range ... it is a story of remarkable individuals succeeding through innovative ideas ... Lewis has managed the unusual feat of interweaving psychology and the friendship between two men * Economist *Michael Lewis is perhaps my favourite writer full stop ... he engages both heart and brain like no other author, and he tells the story of Tversky and Kahneman beautifully -- Robert Colville * Telegraph *Gripping ... There is war, heroism, genius, love, loss, discovery, enduring loyalty and friendship. It is epic stuff ... Michael Lewis is one of the best non-fiction writers of our time. The writing has wit, passion and scientific credibility -- Pete Lunn * Irish Times *Michael Lewis could spin gold out of any topic he chose ... his best work ... vivid, original and hard to forget -- Tim Harford * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisConnectome, by Sebastian Seung is ''One of the most eagerly awaited scientific books of the year ... intellectually exhilarating, beautifully written, exquisitely precise yet still managing to be inspirational'' Irish Times What really makes us who we are? In this groundbreaking book, pioneering neuroscientist Sebastian Seung shows that our identity does not lie in our genes, but in the connections between our brain cells - our own particular wiring, or ''connectomes''.Everything about us - emotions, thoughts, memories - is encoded in these tangled patterns of neural connections, and now Seung and a dedicated team are mapping them in order to uncover the basis of personality, explain disorders such as autism and depression, and even enable us to ''upload'' our brains. This book reveals the secrets of the brain, showing how our connectome makes each of us uniquely ourselves. ''With the first-person flavour of James Watson''s Double Helix, ConnecTrade ReviewWith the first-person flavour of James Watson's Double Helix, Connectome gives a sense of the excitement on the cutting edge of neuroscience * New Scientist *Witty and exceptionally clear ... beautifully explained ... the best lay book on brain science I've ever read * Wall Street Journal *Seung is about to revolutionise brain science * The Times *

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Book Synopsis'Required reading for everyone' Adam RutherfordShortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2021 Medicine, education, psychology, economics - wherever it really matters, we look to science for guidance. But what if science itself can't always be relied on?In this vital investigation, Stuart Ritchie reveals the disturbing flaws in today's science that undermine our understanding of the world and threaten human lives. With bias, careless mistakes and even outright forgery influencing everything from austerity economics to the anti-vaccination movement, he proposes vital remedies to save and protect science - this most valuable of human endeavours - from itself.* With a new afterword by the author *'Thrilling... Reminds us that another world is possible' The Times, Books of the Year'Excellent... We need better science. That's why books like this are so important' Evening StandardTrade ReviewThrilling ... Ritchie reminds us that another world is possible * The Times *Fascinating and often shocking * Sunday Times, Best Paperbacks of 2021 *The most important science story of our times ... evocative and engaging ... sometimes funny, sometimes shocking * Unherd *Excellent ... we need better science. That's why books like this are so important * Evening Standard *Entertaining ... revelatory ... brilliantly highlights the problems in current practices and sets out a path towards new ones * Daily Mail *A desperately important book, Science Fictions brilliantly exposes the fragility of the science on which lives, livelihoods and our whole society depend ... Required reading for everyone -- ADAM RUTHERFORD, author of How to Argue With a RacistRitchie's engaging tour of the dark side of research [...] has rumbled science's guilty secret ... the tragedy is that the current system does not just overlook our foibles, it amplifies them ... he's entertaining company ... an illuminating and thoughtful guide. Ultimately, he comes to praise science, not to bury it -- ROGER HIGHFIELD * Literary Review *An engagingly accessible set of cautionary tales to show how science and scientists can be led astray, in some instances with fatal consequences ... clear-eyed and chillingly accurate ... should be compulsory reading for anyone involved in the communication of science to policy makers and to the public -- GINA RIPPON, author of The Gendered BrainGripping tales of increasing recent villainy and bias in the laboratory, which should worry those of us who love science -- MATT RIDLEY, author of How Innovation WorksAll the replication-failure and scientific-misconduct stories you've ever heard are here - along with more that you haven't ... This comprehensive collection of mishaps, misdeeds and tales of caution is the great strength of Ritchie's offering ... Ritchie's four themes carve complex, interconnected issues at natural joints, and allow his case studies to shine -- Fiona Fidler * Nature *He has come to praise science, not to bury it; nevertheless, his analyses of science's current ethical ills - fraud, hype, negligence and so on - are devastating -- Simon Ings * Telegraph *Science Fictions... is a useful account of ten years or more of debate, mostly in specialist circles, about reproducibility -- John Whitfield * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography From the best-selling author of Fermat’s Last Theorem, The Code Book is a history of man’s urge to uncover the secrets of codes, from Egyptian puzzles to modern day computer encryptions. As in Fermat’s Last Theorem, Simon Singh brings life to an anstonishing story of puzzles, codes, languages and riddles that reveals man’s continual pursuit to disguise and uncover, and to work out the secret languages of others. Codes have influenced events throughout history, both in the stories of those who make them and those who break them. The betrayal of Mary Queen of Scots and the cracking of the enigma code that helped the Allies in World War II are major episodes in a continuing history of cryptography. In addition to stories of intrigue and warfare, Simon Singh also investigates other codes, the unravelling of genes and the rediscovery of ancient languages and most tantalisingly, the Beale ciphers, an unbroken code that could hold the key to a $20 million treasure.Trade Review‘A fascinating meander through the centuries; replete with tales of intrigue, political chicanery, military secrecy and academic rivalry.’The Times

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Book SynopsisDiscover the secrets of the minds that built our world – and how they might teach us to think differently and innovate better. 'Smart, insightful, and fascinating.' Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography Dubai’s Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building – looks nothing like Microsoft’s Office Suite, and digital surround sound doesn’t work like a citywide telecommunication grid. Yet these engineering feats have much in common: they are the result of a unique thinking process combining abstract and structured thinking, common sense and great imagination. They are born of the engineering mindset. In this groundbreaking and lively work, Guru Madhavan reveals the extraordinary influence of engineering on society, not just today but throughout history. Drawing on a cast of star engineers like Steve Jobs, the Wright brothers and Thomas Edison, Madhavan explores aspects of this mindset and shows its usefulness to life and business – in areas as varied as traffic congestion to health care to filmmaking. Full of case studies and practical insights spanning the brilliant history of engineering, Think Like an Engineer is in equal parts personal, practical, and profound. It reveals how key engineering concepts can help you make better decisions and create innovative solutions in a complex world.Trade Review‘Smart, insightful, and fascinating. Madhavan shows how engineers turn problems into opportunities. The engineering mindset is something we should all study and embrace. It applies to every aspect of life.’ -- Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography“Guru Madhavan not only dispels any hint of darkness concerning how engineers think, his delightful book explains how the designed world of machines and systems interacts with the social world in which we use the tools that engineers give us.” -- Alvin Roth, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Who Gets What—and Why"Think Like an Engineer will enlighten you about the minds that transform our lives. It beautifully conveys the true vision of engineering and its impact on nearly every aspect of life and global progress. This book is refreshing, most approachable, and highly recommended for anyone interested in understanding engineering." -- C.D. MOTE, Jr., President, US National Academy of Engineering“Guru Madhavan offers a compelling explanation of the engineering perspective. With potent stories that are heartwarming and at times heartrending, Think Like An Engineer is an enjoyable and instructive read.” -- Vinton Cerf, Chief Internet Evangelist, Google; Winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering“The engineering mindset is a transformational mindset. In deftly revealing some of its organizing principles, this book reminds us that behind today’s global challenges are solutions and opportunities waiting to be realized.” -- Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum"This thoroughly engaging book demonstrates that engineering thinking is truly multidisciplinary, multinational, and multicultural. Through its diverse cast of engineers and wide-ranging examples of their achievements, Think Like An Engineer leaves little doubt that our world is a better place because of the engineers who inhabit it." -- Henry Petroski, Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and Professor of History, Duke University; author of To Engineer Is Human and The Essential Engineer

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Book Synopsis'Compelling and wise and rational.' - Jon RonsonMotion sickness.Nightmares.Forgetting people's names.Why did I walk into this room??For something supposedly so brilliant and evolutionarily advanced, the human brain is pretty messy, fallible and disorganised. In The Idiot Brain neuroscientist Dean Burnett celebrates the imperfections of the human brain in all their glory, and the impact of these quirks on our daily lives. Expertly researched and entertainingly written, this book is for anyone who has wondered why their brain seems to be sabotaging their life, and what on earth it is really up to.

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Book SynopsisA WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2022: POLITICSBi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality explores all that we know about the world's largest sexual minority. It is a personal journey that starts with Dr Julia Shaw's own openly bisexual identity, and celebrates the resilience and beautiful diversity of the bi community. From the hunt for a bi gene, to the relationship between bisexuality and consensual non-monogamy, to asylum seekers who need to prove their bisexuality in a court of law, there is more to explore than most have ever realised.Trade ReviewWell-researched, cogent and compelling . . . Shaw is always an engaging guide to the landscape, on everything from the hunt for a bi gene to the sexual habits of giraffes and rams. [She] has achieved what she set out to do: delivered a book that does justice to the important history of bisexuality, bringing the colourful world of bisexual scholarship "out of the shadows" * * Independent * *A tour of the science, culture and history of bisexuality that ranges from the vehemently political to the charmingly weird. Shaw celebrates bisexual bonobos, debunks myths about gay giraffes and contends that "starfish should be the mascots for queerness" . . . The book opens up conversations that might just lead to more visibility, understanding and empathy for all people, however they define themselves. If those conversations could become the latest big thing, we'd all benefit * * Guardian * *A lively rollercoaster ride through all things bisexual. Full of fascinating facts, up-to-date stats, pop culture references and thoughtful analysis, the book covers everything from bi animals to political scandals, from exclusions in queer spaces to threesomes. Julia writes eloquently and engagingly, sharing moments from her own journey along the way. A must-have for every queer bookcase -- MEG-JOHN BARKER * * author of Queer: A Graphic History * *It's fabulous, brilliantly done, and so important. Julia Shaw has written the Bi bible. The hidden history and public face of millions of people. Fun, moving and skilful all at once -- PROFESSOR ANDREW REYNOLDS, founder of Queer Politics at Princeton UniversityEndlessly illuminating, challenging and compelling. Bi is a vivid and vital read -- MUSA OKWONGA, author and co-host of the Stadio PodcastJulia Shaw's book is an incredible resource for anyone wishing to learn more about bisexuality. Whether you're a beginner or expert, this book is certain to teach you something new. Shaw takes her readers on a tour through bisexual history, studies, and data in diverse fields and areas, all presented in an informative and accessible style. This is a fascinating read -- SHIRI EISNER, author of Bi: Notes for a Bisexual RevolutionBisexual erasure - the tendency for the identities and existence of bi people to be overlooked or misunderstood in popular culture and academic discourse - remains an issue, despite the strides made in the acceptance of LGBTQ people in recent decades. This lively book aims to put that right, exploring the changing ways in which bisexuality has been understood, and figures who deserve to be better known * * BBC History Magazine * *Praise for Making Evil: Julia Shaw has crafted a brilliant panorama that elucidates humanity's dark side in her masterpiece, Making Evil -- PHILIP ZIMBARDO, author of The Lucifer EffectWarmly, chattily written . . . Shaw draws knowledgeably on psychological and neuroscientific research * * Guardian * *Most of it is unsettling . . . It's also rational, intelligent and necessary * * Herald * *

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Book SynopsisFrom an award-winning medic and scientist, the game-changing case that genetic females have greater resilience, immunity, endurance and more, compared with males'A powerful antidote to the myth of a weaker sex' Gina Rippon, author of The Gendered BrainFrom birth, genetic females are better at fighting viruses, infections and cancer. They do better at surviving epidemics and famines. They live longer, and even see the world in a wider variety of colours. These are the facts; they are simply stronger than men at every stage of life. Why? And why are we taught the opposite?Drawing on his wide-ranging experience and cutting-edge research as a medic, geneticist and specialist in rare diseases, Dr Sharon Moalem set out to understand why women are consistently more likely than men to thrive. The answer, he reveals, lies in our genetics: the female's double XX chromosomes offer a powerful survival advantage. Moalem explains why genetic females outperform males when it comes to immunity, resi

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Book SynopsisSay 'algae' and most people think of pond scum. What they don't know is that without algae, none of us would exist.; There are as many algae on earth as stars in the universe, and they have been essential to life on our planet for aeons. Algae created our oxygen-rich atmosphere, abundant oceans and coral reefs. Crude oil is made of dead algae, and algae are the ancestors of all plants.; Today, seaweed production is a multi-billion-dollar industry, with algae hard at work to make your sushi, beer, paint, toothpaste, shampoo and so much more. Delving into science and history, in this revelatory book Ruth Kassinger takes readers on an around-the-world, behind-the-scenes, and into-the-kitchen tour. We'll meet the algae innovators working towards a sustainable future: from seaweed farmers in South Korea, to scientists using it to clean the dead zones in our waterways, to the entrepreneurs fighting to bring algae fuel and plastics to market.; Bloom will overturn everything you thought you knew about algae and the immense power that they hold. This could be the future of our rapidly changing world.Trade Review“Truly mind expanding ... science writing at its most engaging and rewarding” -- Tonto Williams, Electronic Scrapbook; "Algae are among the earth's oldest life-forms, pervasive in everything from pond scum to crude oil. Kassinger explains their history and biology, and makes a persuasive case for their future importance." —New York Times Book Review; “Gives a distinct view into these underappreciated organisms and demonstrates our intertwined history with algae. Hopefully, it will help readers see algae in a different light." — Science Magazine; "Fascinating and relevant...As Kassinger finds unique nuggets within algae's backstory and possible future, she unravels amazing, microscopic details of this vital resource...Where it gets really interesting is her detailed explanation of the large role algae played in the complicated, multistep process of human evolution, supplementing our ancestors’ diets with iodine and the omega-3 oil DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), both essential ingredients for developing larger brains. And it has continued to serve as a nutritious food source for many cultures ever since...Kassinger has penned a wondrous story of this multifaceted, often misunderstood microorganism whose existence is vital to our own." —BookPage, starred review; "We often look for big solutions, but the reality is that the smallest things often offer hope. This globetrotting book showcases the 'algae innovators' (the phrase of the month) exploring what we can learn from these often-ignored plants." —EcoWatch; "Deep and enlightening...Readers will learn more about algae than they ever imagined (and relish every minute of it). Comparisons to Mary Roach and Susan Orlean are well-deserved, and Kassinger’s erudite and wide-ranging approach should entice readers with a wide range of interests, from food to fashion, bioengineering, marine biology, farming, and general fascination with the wonders of nature. Gardeners will welcome Kassinger's latest, and everyone else will feel lucky to discover this winsome writer." —Booklist, starred review; "A fun and fascinating deep dive into the natural history, current uses, and vast potential of algae...Accessible and enthralling...Kassinger delivers the powerful and optimistic message that slime just may be our savior...Thorough but not dense, informative but never boring—a delight from start to finish." —Kirkus, starred review; "In chirpy prose chock-full of homespun metaphors...Kassinger turns an obscure subject into delightful reading...Even readers who never expected to enjoy a book about slime will find this an informative and charming primer to 'the world’s most powerful engines.'" —Publishers Weekly; "Compelling ... there is something for everyone, from committed phycologists to people who hitherto (but hopefully no longer) regarded algae as an inconvenience or worse. Blanket weed may never seem the same again" -- Nature; "With brio and great wisdom, Ruth Kassinger demonstrates how the apparently humble and often disregarded algae ("pond scum") are actually amongst the major engines of life on our planet. Bloom is a classic of our environmental crisis, alongside books such as Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction." - Peter Forbes, author of The Gecko's Foot; "A book full of delights and surprises . . . This is a beautiful evocation of the many ways that our past and future are entangled in their emerald strands" - David George Haskell, author of Pulitzer Prize-finalist The Forest Unseen; "Ruth Kassinger is a witty and affable guide throughout this globetrotting celebration of an overlooked life form" - Thor Hanson, author of Buzz, The Triumph of Seeds and Feathers; 'Engaging and deeply informative' - Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural HistoryTable of ContentsContents; Introduction ix; Section I: In the Beginning; 1. Pond Life 3; 2. Something New Under the Sun 13; 3. Algae Get; Complicated 21; 4. Land Ho, Going Once 27; 5. Land Ho, Going Twice 37; 6. Looking for Lichens 43; Section II: Glorious Food; 1. Brain Food 55; 2. Seaweed Salvation 69; 3. On a Grand Scale 79; 4. Welshmen's Delight 89; 5. A Way of Life 99; 6. Flash! 113; 7. Spirulina 123; Section III: Practical Matters; 1. Feeding Plants and Animals 131; 2. In the Thick of It 147; 3. Land Ho, Going Thrice 159; 4. Seaweed Stuff 169; 5. Algae Oil 185; 6. The Algae's Not for Burning 203; 7. Ethanol 215; 8. The Future of Algae Fuel 229; Section IV: Algae and the Changing Climate; 1. Gadzoox 243; 2. Saving the Reefs? 255; 3. A Plague Upon Us 273; 4. Clean-up 283; 5. Making Monsters 295 6. Geoengineering 303; Epilogue 315; Acknowledgements 323; Appendix: Recipes 325; Selected and Annotated Bibliography 341; Index 371

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Book SynopsisUnlock the secrets of atomic science with this accessible and gripping account of all 118 known elements.

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Book SynopsisOur Human Story is a guide to our fossil relatives, from what may be the earliest hominins such as Sahelanthropus, dating back six to seven million years, through to our own species, Homo sapiens.Trade Review`When it comes to human evolution [Chris Stringer] is as close to the horse’s mouth as it gets.’ BBC Focus on The Origin of Our Species `A superlative achievement... pure stimulation from beginning to end.’ Bill Bryson on Homo Britannicus `This is a beautiful book on a fascinating subject, written by the world authority. What more could one ask?’ Richard Dawkins on Homo Britannicus

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Book SynopsisA ''difficult'' subject so simply taught - brilliant book'' - Amazon 5 star review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''This is a great refresher book! Lots of worked out examples, great explanations [and] hundreds of practice problems and solutions'' - Amazon 5 star review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''This book has been very helpful for my calculus class, I recommend it to anyone that needs extra help, or just feel like learning something new.'' - Amazon 5 star review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Calculus: A Complete Introduction is the most comprehensive yet easy-to-use introduction to using calculus. Written by a leading expert, this book will help you if you are studying for an important exam or essay, or if you simply want to improve your knowledge. The book covers all areas of calculus, including functions, gradients, rates of change, differentiation, exponential and logarithm

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Book SynopsisAS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 'A GOOD READ' THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 'GAWANDE'S MOST POWERFUL, AND MOVING, BOOK' MALCOLM GLADWELL 'BEING MORTAL IS NOT ONLY WISE AND DEEPLY MOVING; IT IS AN ESSENTIAL AND INSIGHTFUL BOOK FOR OUR TIMES' OLIVER SACKS For most of human history, death was a common, ever-present possibility. It didn't matter whether you were five or fifty - every day was a roll of the dice. But now, as medical advances push the boundaries of survival further each year, we have become increasingly detached from the reality of being mortal. So here is a book about the modern experience of mortality - about what it's like to get old and die, how medicine has changed this and how it hasn't, where our ideas about death have gone wrong. With his trademark mix of perceptiveness and sensitivity, Atul Gawande outlines a story that crosses the globe, as he examines his experiences as a surgeon and those of his patients and family, and learns to accept the limits of what he can do. Never before has aging been such an important topic. The systems that we have put in place to manage our mortality are manifestly failing; but, as Gawande reveals, it doesn't have to be this way. The ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death, but a good life - all the way to the very end.Trade ReviewAn impassioned, broad-ranging and deeply personal exploration * Guardian *Medicine, Being Mortal reminds us, has prepared itself for life but not for death. This is Atul Gawande's most powerful, and moving, book -- Malcolm GladwellDr Gawande writes very well, his book Is deeply humane and I learnt much from it -- Theodor Dalrymple * Times *In this eloquent, moving book Atul Gawande ... explains how and why modern medicine has turned the end of life into something so horrible ... Many passages in "Being Mortal" will bring a lump to the throat, but Dr Gawande also visits places offering a better way to manage life's end * Economist *We have come to medicalize aging, frailty and death, treating them as if they were just one more medical problem to overcome. It is not just medicine that is needed in one's declining years, but life -a life with meaning, a life as rich and full as possible under the circumstances. Being Mortal is not only wise and deeply moving; it is an essential and insightful book for our times, as one would expect from Atul Gawande, one of our finest physician writers. -- Oliver SacksIt is rare to read a book that sparks so much hard thinking. In my case, it has opened to door to discussions with close relatives about how they wish to spend their final days - conversations that we should surely all be having, however difficult they are to start -- Linda Geddes * New Scientist *Gawande is hoping to change the medical profession, not human nature, and to do so in a way that is important to us all. His book is so impressive that one can believe that it may well contribute to that end... May it be widely read and inwardly digested -- Diana Athill * Financial Times *Atul Gawande's wise and courageous book raises the questions that none of us wants to think about...Gawande's concern and dedication shine from every page... that alliance of human feeling with medical knowledge aptly symbolises this remarkable book -- John Carey * Sunday Times *There is an extraordinary ethical tone to this book and it's a tone that increases and magnifies ... I was in floods of tears, it was so beautifully told. I think this is such an important book.... Everyone needs to read this book -- Alex Preston * Saturday Review BBC Radio 4 *A book that everyone should read -- Razia Iqbal * Saturday Review BBC Radio 4 *Beautifully written, humane, moving. -- Abigail Morris, Director of the Jewish Museum * Saturday Review BBC Radio 4 *This humane and beautifully written book is a manifesto that could radically improve the lives of the aged and the terminally ill -- Leyla Sanai * Independent *It is to his tremendous credit that Gawande has turned his attention to mortality. We need people of such outstanding intelligence and compassion to consider the ever-growing problems associated with our ageing population. -- Cressida Connolly * Spectator *His latest book, written with is customary warmth and panache, is a plea to the medical profession and the rest of us to shift away from simply fighting for longer life towards fighting for the things that make life meaningful -- Geraldine Bedell * Observer *Inspirational and humane, essential reading. * Irish Times *A fascinating blend of memoir, research, philosophy and personal encounters with patients, he crafts precise, scalpel-sharp prose, creating a powerful narrative about end-of-life choices. * Sydney Morning Herald *A deeply affecting, urgently important book - one not just about dying and the limits of medicine, but about living to the last with autonomy, dignity and joy. -- Katherine Boo, author of * Behind the Beautiful Forevers *Moving, principled and though-provoking. * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2020 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science BooksCreating an element is no easy feat. It''s the equivalent of firing six trillion bullets a second at a needle in a haystack, hoping the bullet and needle somehow fuse together, then catching it in less than a thousandth of a second after which it''s gone forever. Welcome to the world of the superheavy elements: a realm where scientists use giant machines and spend years trying to make a single atom of mysterious artefacts that have never existed on Earth.From the first elements past uranium and their role in the atomic bomb to the latest discoveries stretching our chemical world, Superheavy will reveal the hidden stories lurking at the edges of the periodic table. Why did the US Air Force fly planes into mushroom clouds? Who won the transfermium wars? How did an earthquake help give Japan its first element? And what happened when Superman almost spilled nuclear secrets?<Trade ReviewWithout any compromise in accuracy, the book is compelling, conversational and entertaining, full of great stories and insights into the characters behind the quest. * Chemistry World *Making elements that don’t exist in nature is one of the craziest, most painstaking and bold pursuits in all of science, and Superheavy tells that story for the first time, with wit and verve. This deeply researched and engaging tour of the nether reaches of the periodic table will delight and inform everyone from the expert to the reader with only the dimmest memory of the iconic chart of chemical elements on the school lab wall. -- Phillip Ball, author of Beyond WeirdWith meticulous attention to detail and careful research, Chapman masterfully captures the excitement, politics and competition of the transuranic elements. Chapman's energy and enthusiasm is evident in every interaction, whether he is uncovering elaborate experimental details or unearthing scientific rivalries. -- Jess Wade, Physics Research Associate, Imperial College LondonTo anyone who imagines that the romantic age of elemental discovery ended in the 19th century, Kit Chapman’s hugely entertaining account of the discovery of the elements past uranium will be a real eye-opener. Larger than life characters, strange stories of errors, improvisation, and luck (good and bad) abound here. With a solid introduction to the science underpinning the stability and separation of these mysterious and mostly ephemeral species, there is much for everyone to learn and connect with here. -- Andrea Sella, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, UCL, and winner of the Royal Society's Michael Faraday Prize 2014Table of ContentsPrologue Introduction PART I: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM Chapter 1: Modern Alchemy Chapter 2: The Secret of Gilman Hall Chapter 3: How to Build a Nuclear Weapon Chapter 4: Superman vs the FBI Chapter 5: Universitium ofium Californium Berkelium Chapter 6: The Death of Jimmy Robinson Chapter 7: Presidents and Beetles PART II: TRANSFERMIUM WARS Chapter 8: Nobelievium Chapter 9: From Russia with Flerov Chapter 10: The East and the West Chapter 11: Xanthasia and the Magic Numbers Chapter 12: Life at the Edge of Science Chapter 13: The Atoms that Came in from the Cold Chapter 14: Changing the Rules Chapter 15: How to Name your Element PART III: THE END OF CHEMISTRY Chapter 16: After the Wall Came Down Chapter 17: The Ninov Fraud Chapter 18: A New Hope Chapter 19: Beams of the Rising Sun Chapter 20: The Edge of the Unknown Chapter 21: Beyond Superheavy Epilogue References Acknowledgements Index

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Book Synopsis** WINNER OF THE PEN HESSELL-TILTMAN PRIZE 2021 **''Beautiful, evocative, authoritative.'' Professor Brian Cox''Important reading not just for anyone interested in these ancient cousins of ours, but also for anyone interested in humanity.' Yuval Noah HarariKindred is the definitive guide to the Neanderthals. Since their discovery more than 160 years ago, Neanderthals have metamorphosed from the losers of the human family tree to A-list hominins.Rebecca Wragg Sykes uses her experience at the cutting edge of Palaeolithic research to share our new understanding of Neanderthals, shoving aside clichés of rag-clad brutes in an icy wasteland. She reveals them to be curious, clever connoisseurs of their world, technologically inventive and ecologically adaptable. Above all, they were successful survivors for more than 300,000 years, during times of massive climatic upheaval.Much of what defines us was also in Neanderthals, and their DNA is still inside us. PlTrade ReviewImportant reading not just for anyone interested in these ancient cousins of ours, but also for anyone interested in humanity. - Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens * The New York Times *Beautiful, evocative, authoritative. Kindred is a beautifully written exploration of our fast-developing understanding of Neanderthals and their culture and a compelling insight into how modern science is revealing the secrets of an extinct species who, for 350 thousand years before Homo Sapiens became dominant, inhabited a world “as wide and rich as the Roman Empire.” -- Professor Brian Cox, Physicist and TV presenterRebecca Wragg-Sykes's fact-packed but highly readable book puts us right with a superbly authoritative guided tour of much new evidence. It's tempting to say, "If you read only one book about the Neanderthals, read this one" -- except that if the next 20 years provide as many revelations about our ancestors as the past 20 have done, she will need to produce just as weighty a second volume. -- Richard Morrison * The Times *Blending cutting-edge science with lyrical storytelling, Rebecca Wragg Sykes paints a detailed portrait of our enigmatic relatives. -- Professor Alice Roberts, anatomist, author and broadcasterWritten with such pleasing, elegant prose, Kindred is a captivating ode to the subtle complexities of palaeoanthropology – the thrill of discovery, the frustrating gaps in the evidence, the tantalising question marks hovering above our favourite ideas. Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes balances admirable scientific caution with her joyous enthusiasm, and the result is a generous, enthralling history of how we first came to know our ancient cousins, and how we’re still getting to know them today. -- Greg Jenner, historian and author‘Kindred is a thrillingly full account of what we currently know about the Neanderthals… Wragg Sykes' project is to write about Neanderthals as an end in themselves, not as a failed version of humanity.’ * London Review of Books *Rebecca Wragg Sykes’s book paints a vivid portrait of our adaptable ancient relatives ... immersive. -- Josie Glausiusz * Nature *Kindred is a tour de force. A rich and beautiful synthesis of all that is known about Neanderthal biology and culture, it should be required reading for anyone interested in the history of humanity. -- Dr Tori Herridge, palaeontologist and TV presenter‘The knowledge condensed here is certainly impressive … Rebecca Wragg Sykes has studied their landscapes, territories and tools and emerges as an expert and enthusiastic character witness for Neanderthals and their way of life. Neanderthals probably didn’t have PR, but they do now.’ * Guardian *Wragg Sykes paints a fascinating picture of a field transformed almost beyond recognition over the past 30 years. -- Simon Ings * New Scientist *Current, compelling, well researched, beautifully written and poetical, Kindred is like no other book you've read on Neanderthals. -- Professor Lee. R. Berger, University of WitwatersrandTable of ContentsA Note on Names Introduction Chapter 1: The First Face Chapter 2: The River Fells the Tree Chapter 3: Bodies Growing Chapter 4: Bodies Living Chapter 5: Ice and Fire Chapter 6: The Rocks Remain Chapter 7: Material World Chapter 8: Eat and Live Chapter 9: Chez Neanderthal Chapter 10: Into the Land Chapter 11: Beautiful Things Chapter 12: Minds Inside Chapter 13: Many Ways to Die Chapter 14: Time Travellers in the Blood Chapter 15: Denouements Chapter 16: Immortal Beloved Epilogue Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisWhy do some people become radicalized?Who is most susceptible to ideological thinking?Can we unchain our minds from toxic dogmas?Filled with insightful findings, this book shows that ideological extremism and polarization are not just problems to fret about but puzzles that can be studied and understood'Steven PinkerThe human brain faces a set of dilemmas every day: how to achieve coherence from fragmented sensory inputs and how to attain connection with other people in an increasingly atomized and isolating world. Ideologies offer a shortcut, providing easy answers, scripts to follow, and a sense of shared identity. Whether our ideologies are far-right, far-left, nationalist, religious, or even progressive, they simplify our understanding and give us organizing frameworks through which to act and interact with others. But ideologies come at a cost: demanding conformity and suppressing individuality through rigid rules, repetit

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Book SynopsisBJ Fogg is the founder and director of the Behaviour Design Lab at Stanford. In addition to his research, Fogg teaches Boot Camps in Behaviour Design for industry innovators and also leads the Tiny Habits Academy helping people around the world. One of Fortune's 10 New Gurus You Should Know,' he lives in Northern California and Maui.Trade ReviewBJ Fogg is the founding father of habits research, and his advice has already changed my life. Tiny Habits will help anyone have their best year yet; whether you want to sleep better, lose weight, work smarter or be a more present parent * Dr Rangan Chatterjee, author of Feel Better in 5 *Absolutely brilliant ... a 5/5 book. Fantastic things in every paragraph, on every page of the book * Chris Evans *On the subject of behavioural design, there is no one on earth who could author a more informative and anticipated book than BJ Fogg * Robert Cialdini, author of 'Persuasion' *This book is a rare diamond in a vast market: a self-help book that actually helps. That’s because it is informed by scientific enquiry. BJ Fogg is, deservedly, a cult figure not only among behavioural science academics but also in the business world. As a behavioural science fanatic, I cannot wait to read it: as an overweight behavioural science fanatic, I cannot wait to try its prescriptions * Rory Sutherland, Ogilvy VC and author of 'Alchemy' *BJ Fogg is a Stanford and Silicon Valley legend. He teaches people small research-based steps that enable them to make big, good and enduring changes in their lives. Tiny Habits makes his simple secret sauce available to everybody; it is a joy to read and packed with easy steps that will help you do more of what you want – and less of what you don’t * Robert Sutton, author of 'The Asshole Survival Guide' *

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Book Synopsis* * * Winner of the 2014 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books * * *Stuff Matters by Mark Miodnownik is a unique and inspiring exploration of human creativity.''Enthralling. A mission to re-acquaint us with the wonders of the fabric that sustains our lives'' GuardianEverything is made of something...From the everyday objects in our homes to the most extraordinary new materials that will shape our future, Stuff Matters reveals the inner workings of the man-made world, the miracles of craft, design, engineering and ingenuity that surround us every day.From the tea-cup to the jet engine, the silicon chip to the paper clip, from the ancient technologies of fabrics and ceramic to today''s self-healing metals and bionic implants, this is a book to inspire amazement and delight at mankind''s creativity.''A certain sort of madness may be necessary to pull off what he has attempted here, whichTrade ReviewEnthralling . . . A mission to re-acquaint us with the wonders of the fabric that sustains our lives * Guardian *A certain sort of madness may be necessary to pull off what he has attempted here, which is a wholesale animation of the inanimate: Miodownik achieves precisely what he sets out to * The Times *Insightful, fascinating. The futuristic materials will elicit gasps. Makes even the most everyday substance seem exciting * Sunday Times *Expert, deftly written, immensely enjoyable * Observer *Wonderful. Miodownik writes well enough to make even concrete sparkle * Financial Times *I stayed up all night reading this book. Miodownik writes with such knowledge, such enthusiasm, such a palpable love for his subject -- Oliver SacksSuperb storytelling . . . fascinating . . . a delightful book on a subject that is relatively rarely written about * Popular Science *This is a hugely enjoyable marriage of science and art * Independent on Sunday, 'Books of the Year' *

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Book SynopsisTHE PHENOMENAL SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ''Science writing at its best. If only chemistry had been like this at school'' Matt Ridley ____________________ Everything in the universe is made of them, including you. Like you, the elements have personalities, attitudes, talents, shortcomings, stories rich with meaning. Here you''ll meet iron that rains from the heavens and noble gases that light the way to vice. You''ll learn how lead can tell your future while zinc may one day line your coffin. You''ll discover what connects the bones in your body with the Whitehouse in Washington, the glow of a streetlamp with the salt on your dinner table. Unlocking their astonishing secrets and colourful pasts, Periodic Tales is a voyage of wonder and discovery, showing that their stories are inextricable from the stories of our own lives. ____________________ ''A love letter to the chemical elements. Aldersey-Williams is full of good stories and he knows how to tell them well'' Sunday Telegraph ''The history, science, art, literature and everyday applications of all the elements from aluminium to zinc'' The Times ''Great fun to read and an endless fund of unlikely and improbable anecdotes'' Financial TimesTrade ReviewScience writing at its best ... fascinating and beautiful ... if only chemistry had been like this at school ... to meander through the periodic table with him ... is like going round a zoo with Gerald Durrell ... a rich compilation of delicious tales, but it offers greater rewards, too -- Matt RidleyImmensely engaging and continually makes one sit up in ­surprise * Sunday Times *Splendid ... enjoyable and polished * Observer *Full of good stories and he knows how to tell them well ... an agreeable jumble of anecdote, reflection and information * Sunday Telegraph *Great fun to read and an endless fund of unlikely and improbable anecdotes ... sharp and often witty * Financial Times *A joyous romp through the chemical elements * Today, BBC Radio 4 *Not only a cultural history of the elements, it is also a lament to the loss of science as a hobby * Economist *A flashily brainy book, crammed with literary references and held together by a personal quest to collect as many elements as possible * Telegraph *'Elements are fun' is the essential premise of Hugh Aldersey-Williams's new book and by heck he's right ... Aldersey-Williams mourns the fact chemistry isn't really sexy any more; Periodic Tales is a step towards it getting its mojo back * Metro **** *Imaginative and fun ... almost every page yields a nugget * Nature *

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Book Synopsis_______________‘One of the best books yet written on data and algorithms. . .deserves a place on the bestseller charts.’ (The Times) You are accused of a crime. Who would you rather determined your fate – a human or an algorithm?An algorithm is more consistent and less prone to error of judgement. Yet a human can look you in the eye before passing sentence.Welcome to the age of the algorithm, the story of a not-too-distant future where machines rule supreme, making important decisions – in healthcare, transport, finance, security, what we watch, where we go even who we send to prison. So how much should we rely on them? What kind of future do we want?Hannah Fry takes us on a tour of the good, the bad and the downright ugly of the algorithms that surround us. In Hello World she lifts the lid on their inner workings, demonstrates their power, exposes their limitations, and examines whether they really are an improvement on the humans they are replacing.A BBC RADIO 4: BOOK OF THE WEEKSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE AND 2018 ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZETrade ReviewA stylish, thoughtful, and scrupulously fair-minded account of what the software that increasingly governs our lives can and cannot do ... A beautifully accessible guide that leaps lightly from one story to the next without sparing the reader hard questions... deserves a place in the bestseller charts. -- Oliver Moody * The Times *With refreshing simplicity, Fry explains what AI, machine learning and complicated algorithms really mean, providing some succinct explanations of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, driverless cars and many other unnerving modern phenomena…This book illustrates why good science writers are essential. -- Katy Guest * Guardian *Brilliantly clear...Fry succinctly outlines the ethical issues that beset AI -- James McConnaiche * Sunday Times *Hello World is a gem of accessible science writing. With eloquence and charm, Hannah Fry outlines the maths of computer algorithms and explains how they are transforming fields such as health, justice, transport and the arts. She is a wise guide to the benefits - and horrors of our increasingly data-driven world. -- Alex Bellos, author of Alex's Adventures in NumberlandExpertly told, wise and with a lightness of touch, Hannah Fry's brilliant exploration of how we live our lives in the age of AI will prompt arguments in pubs and over dinner tables for years to come. -- Adam Rutherford

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Book SynopsisThe Infinite Monkey Cage, the legendary BBC Radio 4 programme, brings you this irreverent celebration of scientific marvels. Join us on a hectic leap through the grand and bizarre ideas conjured up by human imagination, from dark matter to consciousness via neutrinos and earthworms.Professor Brian Cox and Robin Ince muse on multifaceted subjects involved in building a universe, with pearls of wisdom from leading scientists and comedians peppered throughout.Covering billions of concepts and conundrums, they tackle everything from the Big Bang to parallel universes, fierce creatures to extraterrestrial life, brain science to artificial intelligence. How to Build a Universe is an illuminating and inspirational celebration of science sometimes silly, sometimes astounding and very occasionally facetious.Trade ReviewPraise for the BBC Radio 4 programme The Infinite Monkey Cage: ‘A witty and irreverent look at the world according to science’ Independent Praise for Professor Brian Cox: ‘Cox’s romantic, lyrical approach to astrophysics all adds up to an experience that feels less like homework and more like having a story told to you. A really good story, too.’ Guardian ‘He bridges the gap between our childish sense of wonder and a rather more professional grasp of the scale of things.’ Independent ‘Engaging, ambitious and creative.’ Guardian ‘Professor Cox shows us the cosmos as we have never seen it before – a place full of the most bizarre and powerful natural phenomena.’ Sunday Express

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Book SynopsisIs your heart fluttering in anticipation? Is your stomach tight with nerves? Are you falling in love? Feeling a bit miffed? Are you curious (perhaps about this book)? Do you have the heebie-jeebies? Are you antsy with iktsuarpok? Or giddy with dépaysement? The Book of Human Emotions is a gleeful, thoughtful collection of 156 feelings, both rare and familiar. Each has its own story, and reveals the strange forces which shape our rich and varied internal worlds. In reading it, you'll discover feelings you never knew you had (like basorexia, the sudden urge to kiss someone), uncover the secret histories of boredom and confidence, and gain unexpected insights into why we feel the way we do. Published in partnership with the Wellcome Collection. Wellcome Collection is a free museum and library that aims to challenge how we think and feel about health. Inspired by the medical objects and curiosities collected by Henry Wellcome, it connects science, medicine, life and art. Wellcome Collection exhibitions, events and books explore a diverse range of subjects, including consciousness, forensic medicine, emotions, sexology, identity and death. Wellcome Collection is part of Wellcome, a global charitable foundation that exists to improve health for everyone by helping great ideas to thrive, funding over 14,000 researchers and projects in more than 70 countries. wellcomecollection.orgTrade Review[Watt Smith] treats each emotion with the expertise of a wine taster, showing how it is formed from a mixture of many other emotions -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *So riveting are these miniature essays exploring 156 emotions that if anyone interrupts your reading, you'll probably feel irritated ... Educative, entertaining. * Observer *Delightful * Prima *A brilliant book -- Róisín Ingle * Irish Times *Witty, informative, undogmatic and thought-provoking, this wonderful book should convince us that emotions are never just neural events. -- Jane O'Grady * Times Higher Education *

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Book SynopsisFrom a foremost expert on the science of emotions, a ground-breaking exploration into the history, psychology and meaning of aweSocial psychologist Dacher Keltner has spent his career speaking to different groups of people, from schoolchildren to prisoners to healthcare workers, about the good life. These conversations and his pioneering research into the science of emotion have convinced him that happiness comes down to one thing: finding awe.Awe allows us to collaborate with others, open our minds to wonder, and see the deep patterns of life. In his new book, Keltner presents a radical investigation into this elusive emotion. Drawing on his own scientific research into how awe transforms our brains and bodies, alongside an examination of awe across history, culture and within his own life during a period of immense grief, Keltner shows us how cultivating wonder leads us to appreciate what is most humane in our human nature. The book includes intensely moving, deeply personal stories of awe from people all over the world - doctors and veterans, environmentalists and filmmakers, indigenous scholars and hospice workers, ministers and midwives, poets and prisoners.At turns radical and profound, Awe is our field guide for how to uncover everyday wonder as a vital force within our lives.Trade ReviewFascinating and enjoyable -- Tomiwa Owolade * Sunday Times *Keltner writes movingly... Awe often defies language, but Keltner is highly attuned to its traces -- Edward Posnett, Book of the Day * Guardian *Keltner's core message, imploring us to smell the coffee and whoa at it, is a welcome one in our overscheduled times * Financial Times *Humanity has a lot of loss to work through. Keltner has written the perfect guidebook for this journey, interweaving discoveries that he and his disciples have made since he pioneered the scientific study of awe 20 years ago with highly personal-and at times excruciatingly tender-meditations on the death of his brother Rolf * Harvard Business Review *A gifted storyteller, Keltner draws on the experiences of individuals across the world to document the salutary impact of everyday, wild and mystical encounters with nature, music, visual art, literature, religion, the birth of children, and the death of loved ones * Psychology Today *Awe is awesome in both senses: a superb analysis of an emotion that is strongly felt but poorly understood, with a showcase of examples that remind us of what is worthy of our awe -- Steven PinkerI recommend [Awe] to everyone. Its ideas organized a lot of my experiences, observations, thoughts, and hopes in a powerful new way -- Rebecca Solnit * (X) *It is rare for a book to dive into a single emotion to analyze it from every possible angle. Dacher Keltner's expertise makes it a fascinating and stimulating journey to recognize awe as a mysterious force in our lives -- Frans de WaalAn engaging and insightful exploration of the ordinary magic that connects us to the world, to each other, and to the meanings of our lives. The 'science of wow' has finally arrived -- Daniel GilbertYour goosebumps when you listen to Beethoven; your wonder as you behold the Grand Canyon; your amazement at the sheer perfection of a baby's tiny foot. You've probably sensed that such moments of awe are some of the most profound experiences ever to happen to you. But if you've ever wondered where these moments come from, what they mean, and how to experience them more often: there is no better guide than Dacher Keltner, the great and wise Berkeley psychologist. Read this book to connect with your highest self -- Susan CainWe need more awe in our lives, and Dacher Keltner has written the definitive book on where to find it. As a preeminent expert on the science of awe, he does a masterful job demystifying this powerful emotion and unpacking how it both elevates us and grounds us -- Adam GrantThrough powerful and compelling stories of transformation and passion, Keltner expertly introduces us to feel the mighty emotion of AWE-something we all need more of in our lives -- Pete DocterThis extraordinary book explores the power of awe and amazement in our lives and in the life of this world. It reveals the gift of awe from the perspectives of science, the self, and society. Written with passion and clarity, it is a book that itself nourishes awe and turns us toward our lives with fresh eyes and an open heart -- Roshi Joan HalifaxOur troubling times, our clickbait media, even our own habits of mind, blanket our consciousness with the negative and threatening in life. This book is a counter force. Powerful, erudite, rooted in brilliant research, but always fascinatingly accessible, it uplifts the wonderful in life. From the beauty of movement in sports to the moral courage of a friend, it's a guide to how to see and experience the wonder that is always all around us. It balances consciousness. It has been a long time since I've read anything as inspiring. I'd say race to read it. You won't be disappointed -- Claude M. SteeleDacher Keltner has written a deeply personal, scientifically brilliant treatise on an emotion he convinces us we need to experience more often in our daily lives -- Richard E. NisbettA researcher who has taught us new ways to think about generosity and cooperation has turned his attention to one of the most understudied emotions of all, awe. Eye-opening and mind expanding -- Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

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Book SynopsisIdeal gift and stocking filler for boys and men from bestselling author.

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Book SynopsisEvery night, above our heads, a drama of epic proportions is playing out. Diamond planets, zombie stars, black holes heavier than a billion Suns. The cast of characters is extraordinary, and each one has its own incredible story to tell.We once thought of our Earth as unique, but we have now discovered thousands of alien planets, and that's barely a fraction of the worlds that are out there. And there are more stars in the Universe than grains of sand on every planet in the Solar System. But amid all this vastness, the Milky Way Galaxy, our Sun and the Earth are home to the only known life in the Universe at least for now.With a foreword from Professor Brian Cox, and access to all the latest stunning NASA photography, Andrew Cohen takes readers on a voyage of discovery, via the probes and telescopes exploring the outer reaches of our galaxy, revealing how it was formed and how it will inevitably be destroyed by the enigmatic black hole at its heart. And beyond our galaxy, the expandinTrade Review‘Wonderful in every sense’ Guardian ‘I wish Brian Cox had been my physics teacher’ The Times ‘Undeniably beautiful’ Daily Mail ‘Engaging and elucidating’ Metro ‘[The Universe] looks spectacular and the science is mind-boggling’ Telegraph Praise for The Planets by Andrew Cohen and Professor Brian Cox: ‘So staggering you go whoa!’ every few seconds … Cox is the Attenborough of the Solar System’ Guardian ‘Spectacular. [Cox’s] ability to convey maximum information in a clear and minimalist style is so softly winning and persuasive’ Sunday Times ‘Professor Brian Cox continues to boggle our minds’ Daily Mail ‘It was life affirming, it was perspective shifting. It was beautifully made’ Fearne Cotton, The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, Radio 2 ‘Amazing work’ Emma Barnett, Adrian Chiles, Radio 5 Live ‘Starry-eyed Brian Cox is the only man for this job’ The Times ‘Wow’ Evening Standard ‘The professor makes us marvel at life on Earth’ iNews ‘Excellent … a blend of enjoyable, accessible science and dreamlike wonder’ The Times ‘Brian Cox breathes life into science again … breath-taking’ Guardian ‘Fascinating … Good science’ Observer ‘Extraordinary – at its best magically fascinating and full of vast, weird drama’ Radio Times Praise for Professor Brian Cox: ‘Cox’s romantic, lyrical approach to astrophysics all adds up to an experience that feels less like homework and more like having a story told to you. A really good story, too’ Guardian ‘He bridges the gap between our childish sense of wonder and a rather more professional grasp of the scale of things’ Independent ‘If you didn’t utter a wow watching the TV, you will while reading the book’ The Times ‘Engaging, ambitious and creative’ Guardian

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