Popular science Books

Book SynopsisWinner of the 2020 British Psychological Society Popular Science PrizeWinner of the 2018 Royal Society Science Book Prize.........................................................................................Up to the minute brain science from a world class scientist. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore explains how the adolescent brain transforms as it develops and shapes the adults we become. 'Beautifully written with clarity, expertise and honesty about the most important subject for all of us. I couldn't put it down.' - Professor Robert Winston Drawing upon her cutting-edge research Professor Blakemore explores:· What makes the adolescent brain different? · Why does an easy child become a challenging teenager? · What drives the excessive risk-taking and the need for intense friendships common to teenagers? · Why it is that many mental illnesses - depression, addiction, schizophrenia - begin during these formative years.And she shows that while adolescence is a period of vulnerability, it is also a time of enormous creativity and opportunity.Trade ReviewThe best science writing helps us to look at ourselves and our world in new ways, and does this by combining compelling storytelling with scientific depth and detail. This book not only has all of these qualities, but also has something to offer every reader - whether you are a teenager, parent of a teenager, or just interested in understanding your former teenage self. -- Professor Brian CoxCompletely captivating ... Blakemore explains the science behind teenage behaviour in a lucid and engaging way, deconstructs the myths that surround it, offers new insight into how we should treat teenagers, and reflects on how our new knowledge might usefully influence policy decisions. …This is truly a book that everyone should read. -- Professor Dame Frances Ashcroft, chair of Royal Society Prize judges and professor of physiology at OxfordAbsolutely fascinating -- Louise Minchin * BBC Breakfast *An engaging and interesting book, written comprehensibly for a non-specialist audience. You will understand your children and your former selves better for reading it and you will bust a few myths as you go. * The Times *There are few people more qualified to explain [adolescence] than the author of this compelling book. What I enjoyed most about this book was the readability and personal style of the narrative. Blakemore manages to present a highly accessible account of the science, without ever compromising on detail or depth…there is almost a sense that the reader is in the lab, listening in on the discussions and taking part in the decisions….This book has something to offer everyone … Blakemore provides a unique and very up-to-date insight into the changes that occur during this intriguing period. -- Dr Catherine Loveday * The Psychologist *Refreshingly and reassuringly light and lucid in both tone and approach ...an enjoyable, accessible, and insightful book by an author at the top of her field. * The Lancet *A very readable book bringing together the up-to-date research about how the adolescent brain develops. This matters to both adolescents and parents but also should be read by everyone who looks after adolescents, be they teachers, doctors or psychologists. -- Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, Department of HealthInventing Ourselves is a gripping celebration of the teenage brain. Essential reading for parents, teachers and teens.Sane, wise, myth busting, this book is a triumph and should be read by every parent and teacher but they should be warned. They’ll have to fight their teenagers to get this gripping book out of their hands. -- Dr Vivienne Parry OBEThe teenage brain is different, but in what way? This beautifully written book tells just how it influences and is influenced by the new challenging demands of a transformational phase of life. There is no sensationalism here. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore is a pioneer in the field and provides a meticulous account of what we know. -- Professors Uta & Chris FrithInventing Ourselves is an accessible introduction bothto neuroscience and experimental psychology, coveringbasic research techniques while providing an overview ofrecent studies of adolescence that will be of interest evento someone familiar with these fields. This balance is inlarge part due to the author’s ability to explain nuancedexperiments with an infectious enthusiasm that engagesthe reader’s curiosity. Blakemore approaches the topic witha sympathy and respect for the adolescents she works withthat is genuinely admirable. For anyone looking back ontheir teenage years, trying to raise a teenager, or workingwith adolescents, this book can help foster understandingabout why adolescents act the way they do and how webecome our adult selves. -- Robert Stirrups * Lancet Neurology *

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Book SynopsisThis collection from scientist and Nobel Peace Prize winner highlights the achievements of a man whose career reshaped the world''s understanding of quantum electrodynamics. The Pleasure of Finding Things Out is a magnificent treasury of the best short works of Richard P. Feynman-from interviews and speeches to lectures and printed articles. A sweeping, wide-ranging collection, it presents an intimate and fascinating view of a life in science-a life like no other. From his ruminations on science in our culture to his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, this book will fascinate anyone interested in the world of ideas.

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.In a moment I was clutched by several hands, and there was no mistaking that they were trying to haul me back . . . You can scarce imagine how nauseatingly inhuman they looked those pale chinless faces and great, lidless, pinkish-grey eyes!An English scientist regales his dinner guests with the tale of his travels to the year 802,701, where he discovers that the human race has evolved into two distinct societies. The Eloi, elegant and peaceful, yet lacking spirit, are terrorised by the sinister, light-fearing Morlocks, who live underground, surrounded by industry. And when his time machine mysteriously vanishes, the scientist must descend to the realm of the Morlocks in order to find his only hope of escape . . .H. G. Wells is considered a founding father of modern science fiction, coining the term time machine' and popularising the idea of time travel in literature.Trade Review‘[Wells’ work is] astonishingly rich in human and historical interest … he foresaw the invention of, among other things, television, tanks, aerial warfare and the atom bomb’ David Lodge ‘[Wells] contrives to give over humanity into the clutches of the Impossible and yet manages to keep it down (or up) to its humanity, to its flesh, blood, sorrow, folly’ Joseph Conrad ‘I personally consider the greatest of English living writers [to be] H. G. Wells’ Upton Sinclair ‘The father of science fiction’ Guardian

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Book SynopsisOliver Sacks was born in 1933 in London and was educated at Queen's College, Oxford. He completed his medical training at San Francisco's Mount Zion Hospital and at UCLA before moving to New York, where he soon encountered the patients whom he would write about in his book Awakenings.Dr Sacks spent almost fifty years working as a neurologist and wrote many books, including The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Musicophilia, and Hallucinations, about the strange neurological predicaments and conditions of his patients. The New York Times referred to him as 'the poet laureate of medicine', and over the years he received many awards, including honours from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Royal College of Physicians. In 2008, he was appointed Commander of the British Empire. His memoir, On the Move, was published shortly before his death in August 2015.Trade ReviewWriting simply and beautifully, Sacks uses individual case histories to reveal the infinite complexities of the human mind. * Daily Mail *Sacks' great gift is his capacity to place himself in the position of his subjects, to see the world the way they see it and to empathize with their condition with great compassion but without patronage or pity. * Daily Telegraph *

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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 SynopsisA bold, provocative exploration of the tension between our evolutionary history and our modern woes and what we can do about itWe are living through the most prosperous age in all of human history, yet we are listless, divided and miserable. Wealth and comfort are unparalleled, but our political landscape is unmoored, and rates of suicide, loneliness and chronic illness continue to skyrocket. How do we explain the gap between these truths? And how should we respond?For evolutionary biologists Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein, the cause of our woes is clear: the modern world is out of sync with our ancient brains and bodies. We evolved to live in clans, but today many people don''t even know their neighbours'' names.Survival in our earliest societies depended on living in harmony with nature, but today the food we eat, the work we do even the light we absorb is radically different from what our minds and bodies evolved to expect.In this book, Heying and Weinstein draw on decades of their work teaching in college classrooms and exploring earth's most biodiverse ecosystems to confront today's pressing social ills from widespread sleep deprivation and dangerous diets to damaging parenting styles and backward education practices. A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century outlines a science-based worldview that will empower you to live a better, wiser life.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Nerd royalty' BEN GOLDACRE 'Totally brilliant' TIM HARFORD'Required reading across the world' NEW YORK TIMESFrom the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask.Millions visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. Fans ask him a lot of strange questions: How fast can you hit a speed bump, driving, and live? When (if ever) did the sun go down on the British Empire? When will Facebook contain more profiles of dead people than living? How many humans would a T Rex rampaging through New York need to eat a day?In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations and consults nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, complemented by comics. They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion.Trade ReviewWith this book and with XKCD, you're a kid with a chemistry set all over again. [Randall Munroe's] enthusiasm for all things scientific is infectious . . . required reading for grown-ups, it's just fun to remember that science is really, really cool * REGISTER *With this book and with XKCD, you're a kid with a chemistry set all over again. [Randall Munroe's] enthusiasm for all things scientific is infectious . . . required reading for grown-ups, it's just fun to remember that science is really, really cool * REGISTER *With this book and with XKCD, you're a kid with a chemistry set all over again. [Randall Munroe's] enthusiasm for all things scientific is infectious . . . required reading for grown-ups, it's just fun to remember that science is really, really cool * REGISTER *Smart answers to silly questions: Randall Munroe reveals all * GUARDIAN *Smart answers to silly questions: Randall Munroe reveals all * GUARDIAN *Smart answers to silly questions: Randall Munroe reveals all * GUARDIAN *What If? maintains a delightfully free-wheeling tone throughout, especially when complicated calculations lead to whimsical results. Despite all the hard facts and gigantic numbers, it never feels like a textbook-and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to enjoy it * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY *What If? maintains a delightfully free-wheeling tone throughout, especially when complicated calculations lead to whimsical results. Despite all the hard facts and gigantic numbers, it never feels like a textbook-and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to enjoy it * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY *What If? maintains a delightfully free-wheeling tone throughout, especially when complicated calculations lead to whimsical results. Despite all the hard facts and gigantic numbers, it never feels like a textbook-and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to enjoy it * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY *The best bathroom book you'll ever buy...Munroe takes inane, useless and often quite pointless questions asked by real humans (mostly sent to him through his website), and turns them into beautiful expositions on the impossible that illuminate the furthest reaches, almost to the limits, of the modern sciences .The first chapter, "Q. What would happen if the Earth and all terrestrial objects suddenly stopped spinning, but the atmosphere retained its velocity?" ends with the anthropomorphized moon worrying over the state of the Earth, and, with the gravity generated by its own rotation around the Earth, saving our dying planet. The physics are real; so is the emotional content. . . The answers are all illustrated with xkcd's trademark stick figures.. . . . and these are eminently approachable * NEWSWEEK *The best bathroom book you'll ever buy...Munroe takes inane, useless and often quite pointless questions asked by real humans (mostly sent to him through his website), and turns them into beautiful expositions on the impossible that illuminate the furthest reaches, almost to the limits, of the modern sciences .The first chapter, "Q. What would happen if the Earth and all terrestrial objects suddenly stopped spinning, but the atmosphere retained its velocity?" ends with the anthropomorphized moon worrying over the state of the Earth, and, with the gravity generated by its own rotation around the Earth, saving our dying planet. The physics are real; so is the emotional content. . . The answers are all illustrated with xkcd's trademark stick figures.. . . . and these are eminently approachable * NEWSWEEK *The best bathroom book you'll ever buy...Munroe takes inane, useless and often quite pointless questions asked by real humans (mostly sent to him through his website), and turns them into beautiful expositions on the impossible that illuminate the furthest reaches, almost to the limits, of the modern sciences .The first chapter, "Q. What would happen if the Earth and all terrestrial objects suddenly stopped spinning, but the atmosphere retained its velocity?" ends with the anthropomorphized moon worrying over the state of the Earth, and, with the gravity generated by its own rotation around the Earth, saving our dying planet. The physics are real; so is the emotional content. . . The answers are all illustrated with xkcd's trademark stick figures.. . . . and these are eminently approachable * NEWSWEEK *Brilliant * ROLLING STONE *Brilliant * ROLLING STONE *Brilliant * ROLLING STONE *What If? includes old favorites, new inquiries and the mix of expert research and accessible wit that has made Munroe a favorite among both geeks and laymen * TIME *What If? includes old favorites, new inquiries and the mix of expert research and accessible wit that has made Munroe a favorite among both geeks and laymen * TIME *What If? includes old favorites, new inquiries and the mix of expert research and accessible wit that has made Munroe a favorite among both geeks and laymen * TIME *Munroe's brilliant What-If? column-which features scientifically rigorous, utterly absurd answers to ridiculous hypotheticals-has been on the bestseller lists since it was announced in March. Today, it hits shelves and: It. Is. A. Triumph * BOINGBOING *Munroe's brilliant What-If? column-which features scientifically rigorous, utterly absurd answers to ridiculous hypotheticals-has been on the bestseller lists since it was announced in March. Today, it hits shelves and: It. Is. A. Triumph * BOINGBOING *Munroe's brilliant What-If? column-which features scientifically rigorous, utterly absurd answers to ridiculous hypotheticals-has been on the bestseller lists since it was announced in March. Today, it hits shelves and: It. Is. A. Triumph * BOINGBOING *[What If?] has solved my annual birthday-present and holiday-gift dilemmas for a large group of people . . . What makes Munroe's work so fantastic is a combination of two elements: his commitment to trying to answer even the weirdest question with solid science, and his undeniable sense of humour. So, here's a "What If?" from me: If everyone on the planet simultaneously bought a copy of this book, stopped what they were doing and read it cover to cover, would modern civilization and our global economy collapse? It's worth trying the experiment. * HUFFINGTON POST *[What If?] has solved my annual birthday-present and holiday-gift dilemmas for a large group of people . . . What makes Munroe's work so fantastic is a combination of two elements: his commitment to trying to answer even the weirdest question with solid science, and his undeniable sense of humour. So, here's a "What If?" from me: If everyone on the planet simultaneously bought a copy of this book, stopped what they were doing and read it cover to cover, would modern civilization and our global economy collapse? It's worth trying the experiment. * HUFFINGTON POST *[What If?] has solved my annual birthday-present and holiday-gift dilemmas for a large group of people . . . What makes Munroe's work so fantastic is a combination of two elements: his commitment to trying to answer even the weirdest question with solid science, and his undeniable sense of humour. So, here's a "What If?" from me: If everyone on the planet simultaneously bought a copy of this book, stopped what they were doing and read it cover to cover, would modern civilization and our global economy collapse? It's worth trying the experiment. * HUFFINGTON POST *For the record, I'm loving XKCD's What If -- 'Dear Abby for mad scientists' * NEIL GAIMAN *For the record, I'm loving XKCD's What If -- 'Dear Abby for mad scientists' * NEIL GAIMAN *For the record, I'm loving XKCD's What If -- 'Dear Abby for mad scientists' * NEIL GAIMAN *Munroe has hit on a wonderful form of science and engineering communication that can do so much-extolling the value of analytical thinking, examining data, and doing back-of-the-envelope calculations-while entertaining readers at the same time . . . an incredibly fun book with quirky, hand-drawn pictures * AMERICAN SCIENTIST *Munroe has hit on a wonderful form of science and engineering communication that can do so much-extolling the value of analytical thinking, examining data, and doing back-of-the-envelope calculations-while entertaining readers at the same time . . . an incredibly fun book with quirky, hand-drawn pictures * AMERICAN SCIENTIST *Munroe has hit on a wonderful form of science and engineering communication that can do so much-extolling the value of analytical thinking, examining data, and doing back-of-the-envelope calculations-while entertaining readers at the same time . . . an incredibly fun book with quirky, hand-drawn pictures * AMERICAN SCIENTIST *Thoughtful, scientific, and highly entertaining * PARADE *Thoughtful, scientific, and highly entertaining * PARADE *Thoughtful, scientific, and highly entertaining * PARADE *If you're the kind of person whose brain whizzes with questions, Munroe's book may calm the noise. He's done all the hard work for you * SHORTLIST *If you're the kind of person whose brain whizzes with questions, Munroe's book may calm the noise. He's done all the hard work for you * SHORTLIST *If you're the kind of person whose brain whizzes with questions, Munroe's book may calm the noise. He's done all the hard work for you * SHORTLIST *XKCD is nerd royalty, the alpha dork, there's no geek more widely cited and loved * BEN GOLDACRE, author of BAD SCIENCE *XKCD is nerd royalty, the alpha dork, there's no geek more widely cited and loved * BEN GOLDACRE, author of BAD SCIENCE *XKCD is nerd royalty, the alpha dork, there's no geek more widely cited and loved * BEN GOLDACRE, author of BAD SCIENCE *It's totally brilliant and everyone who matters already knows that! * TIM HARFORD, THE UNDERCOVER ECONOMIST *It's totally brilliant and everyone who matters already knows that! * TIM HARFORD, THE UNDERCOVER ECONOMIST *It's totally brilliant and everyone who matters already knows that! * TIM HARFORD, THE UNDERCOVER ECONOMIST *Education should aim to teach people to reason confidently about problems that they have never come across before. This book is a great deal of fun, and a masterclass in such reasoning. Like all the best lessons, you only realise you've learnt something once you've finished it * The Economist *Education should aim to teach people to reason confidently about problems that they have never come across before. This book is a great deal of fun, and a masterclass in such reasoning. Like all the best lessons, you only realise you've learnt something once you've finished it * The Economist *Education should aim to teach people to reason confidently about problems that they have never come across before. This book is a great deal of fun, and a masterclass in such reasoning. Like all the best lessons, you only realise you've learnt something once you've finished it * The Economist *Dangerously absorbing . . . if you have ever been gripped by an insatiable, preposterous intellectual curiosity (regardless of actual scientific knowledge), I could not think of a better book to keep you from doing that essay for an extra hour or two * Varsity *Dangerously absorbing . . . if you have ever been gripped by an insatiable, preposterous intellectual curiosity (regardless of actual scientific knowledge), I could not think of a better book to keep you from doing that essay for an extra hour or two * Varsity *Dangerously absorbing . . . if you have ever been gripped by an insatiable, preposterous intellectual curiosity (regardless of actual scientific knowledge), I could not think of a better book to keep you from doing that essay for an extra hour or two * Varsity *The reader is left constantly subject to outbursts of laughter, lin­gering doubts concerning the sanity of the human race, and an ever-growing fascination with the way our world and the universe works . . . Though science geeks will be the first to acknowledge Munroe's greatness, even people suffering from a chronic hatred towards anything concerned with math will find the humour and absurdity of What If? hard to resist * The Student *The reader is left constantly subject to outbursts of laughter, lin­gering doubts concerning the sanity of the human race, and an ever-growing fascination with the way our world and the universe works . . . Though science geeks will be the first to acknowledge Munroe's greatness, even people suffering from a chronic hatred towards anything concerned with math will find the humour and absurdity of What If? hard to resist * The Student *The reader is left constantly subject to outbursts of laughter, lin­gering doubts concerning the sanity of the human race, and an ever-growing fascination with the way our world and the universe works . . . Though science geeks will be the first to acknowledge Munroe's greatness, even people suffering from a chronic hatred towards anything concerned with math will find the humour and absurdity of What If? hard to resist * The Student *Funny and fascinating: brilliant for dinner with mates * Graeme le Saux *Funny and fascinating: brilliant for dinner with mates * Graeme le Saux *Funny and fascinating: brilliant for dinner with mates * Graeme le Saux *It will satisfy the curious and arouse curiosity in anyone who's not - and it's got great jokes * Irish Times *It will satisfy the curious and arouse curiosity in anyone who's not - and it's got great jokes * Irish Times *It will satisfy the curious and arouse curiosity in anyone who's not - and it's got great jokes * Irish Times *An essential holiday companion * Nature *An essential holiday companion * Nature *An essential holiday companion * Nature *

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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 SynopsisNobel laureate Erwin Schrödinger's What is Life? is one of the great science classics of the twentieth century. The philosopher Karl Popper hailed it as a 'beautiful and important book' by 'a great man to whom I owe a personal debt for many exciting discussions'.Table of ContentsPreface; 1. The classical physicist's approach to the subject; 2. The hereditary mechanism; 3. Mutations; 4. The quantum-mechanical evidence; 5. Delbruck's model discussed and tested; 6. Order, disorder and entropy; 7. Is life based on the laws of physics?; Epilogue: on determinism and free will; Mind and Matter: 1. The physical basis of consciousness; 2. The future of understanding; 3. The principle of objectivation; 4. The arithmetical paradox: the oneness of mind; 5. Science and religion; 6. The mystery of the sensual qualities; Autobiographical sketches (translated from the German by Schrödinger's granddaughter Verena).

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Book SynopsisThe Making of Mr Gray's Anatomy tells the story of one of the most iconic scientific books ever published: a textbook of anatomy that is still a household name 150 years since its first edition. It is the story of the remarkable and dedicated characters who created it, of poverty, class, and science and society in Victorian London.Trade ReviewFascinating. * Christopher Hirst, The Independent *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Words: Mr Gray of Belgravia ; 2. The Pictures: Dr Carter of Scarborough ; 3. The Enterprise: J.W.Parker & Son of West Strand ; 4. The Process of Creation: Person or Persons Unknown ; 5. The Raw Material: The Friendless Poor of London ; 6. The Process of Creation ; 7. The Process of Production ; 8. 1858: The Book Appears ; 9. Calamity ; 10. Futurity ; Acknowledgements ; References ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisBrilliant and fascinating. No one is better at making the recondite accessible and exciting' Bill BrysonBritain's most famous mathematician takes us to the edge of knowledge to show us what we cannot know.Is the universe infinite?Do we know what happened before the Big Bang?Where is human consciousness located in the brain?And are there more undiscovered particles out there, beyond the Higgs boson?In the modern world, science is king: weekly headlines proclaim the latest scientific breakthroughs and numerous mathematical problems, once indecipherable, have now been solved. But are there limits to what we can discover about our physical universe?In this very personal journey to the edges of knowledge, Marcus du Sautoy investigates how leading experts in fields from quantum physics and cosmology, to sensory perception and neuroscience, have articulated the current lie of the land. In doing so, he travels to the very boundaries of understanding, questioning contradictory stories and consuTrade Review‘I felt I was being carried off on a wonderful journey, a thrilling research expedition to the teasing and mysterious boundaries of scientific knowledge, and I never wanted to turn back. Du Sautoy is a masterful and friendly guide to these remotest regions … It is absolutely fascinating throughout, and I really loved it’ Richard Holmes ‘I admire and envy the clarity and authority with which Marcus du Sautoy addresses a range of profound issues. His book deserves a wide readership’ Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal ‘I felt I was being carried off on a wonderful journey, a thrilling research expedition to the teasing and mysterious boundaries of scientific knowledge, and I never wanted to turn back. Du Sautoy is a masterful and friendly guide to these remotest regions … It is absolutely fascinating throughout, and I really loved it’ Richard Holmes ‘I admire and envy the clarity and authority with which Marcus du Sautoy addresses a range of profound issues. His book deserves a wide readership’ Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal ‘Du Sautoy makes a lucid and beguiling companion as he guides us along the byways of contemporary science’ Jonathan Ree, Guardian

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"With a focus on the 66 million years since the end-Cretaceous extinction stripped away all dinosaurs but birds, Mr. Prothero's book ably demonstrates that mammalian evolution has been just as circuitous and strange as that of the terrible lizards... [This book shows] the unexpected variety that life is capable of and raise[s] the question of what the next 235 million years will bring."--Brian Switek, Wall Street Journal "In The Princeton Field Guide to Prehistoric Mammals, author Donald Prothero ... introduces readers to an array of real-life, but seemingly fantastic beasts--extinct mammals."--Mindy Weisberger, LiveScience "Written by American paleontologist Donald Prothero and beautifully illustrated by renowned scientific illustrator Mary Persis Williams, this publication is a 'must have' for academics and fans of fossils as well as anyone with an interest in general science... Highly recommended."--Everything Dinosaur blog "One of the most important things about this book is that it is fully up to date, and thus, the only current mammalian evolutionary overview that is available, to my knowledge. In some areas of fossil mammal research there has been a lot of work over recent years, so this is important. I highly recommend this excellent book."--Greg Laden's BlogTable of ContentsPreface 6 1 The Age of Mammals 7 Dating Rocks 8 Clocks in Rocks 10 What's in a Name? 11 How Do We Classify Animals? 12 Bones vs Molecules 15 Bones and Teeth 15 2 The Origin and Early Evolution of Mammals 20 Synapsids (Protomammals or Stem Mammals) 20 Mammals in the Age of Dinosaurs 23 Morganucodonts 23 Docodonts 25 Monotremes (Platypus and Echidna) and Their Relatives 27 Multituberculates 30 Triconodonts 31 Theria 34 3 Marsupials: Pouched Mammals 37 Marsupial vs Placental 37 Marsupial Evolution 38 Ameridelphia 39 Australiadelphia 41 4 Placental Mammals (Eutheria) 47 The Interrelationships of Placentals 50 5 Xenarthra: Sloths, Anteaters, and Armadillos 51 Edentate vs Xenarthran 51 Order Cingulata (Armadillos) 53 Order Pilosa (Anteaters and Sloths) 55 6 Afrotheria: Elephants, Hyraxes, Sea Cows, Aardvarks, and Their Relatives 58 Tethytheres and Afrotheres 58 Order Proboscidea (Elephants, Mammoths, Mastodonts, and Their Relatives) 60 Order Sirenia (Manatees and Dugongs, or Sea Cows) 67 Order Embrithopoda (Arsinoitheres) 72 Order Desmostylia (Desmostylians) 73 Order Hyracoidea (Hyraxes) 75 Order Tubulidentata (Aardvarks) 77 Order Macroscelidia (Elephant Shrews) 78 Order Afrosoricida 79 7 Euarchontoglires: Euarchonta Primates, Tree Shrews, and Colugos 80 Archontans 80 Order Scandentia (Tree Shrews) 82 Order Dermoptera (Colugos, or Flying Lemurs) 82 Order Plesiadapiformes (Plesiadapids) 84 Order Primates (Euprimates) 86 8 Euarchontoglires: Glires Rodents and Lagomorphs 94 Chisel Teeth 94 Order Rodentia (Rodents) 95 Order Lagomorpha (Rabbits, Hares, and Pikas) 101 9 Laurasiatheria: Insectivores Order Eulipotyphla and Other Insectivorous Mammals 103 Order Eulipotyphla 103 Extinct Insectivorous Groups 107 10 Laurasiatheria: Chiroptera Bats 112 Bat Origins 114 11 Laurasiatheria: Pholidota Pangolins, or Scaly Anteaters 117 Order Pholidota (Pangolins) 118 Palaeanodonts 120 12 Laurasiatheria: Carnivora and Creodonta Predatory Mammals 122 Carnivores, Carnivorans, and Creodonts 122 Order Creodonta 124 Order Carnivora 127 13 Laurasiatheria: Ungulata Hoofed Mammals and Their Relatives 146 Condylarths 147 14 Laurasiatheria: Artiodactyla Even-Toed Hoofed Mammals: Pigs, Hippos, Whales, Camels, Ruminants, and Their Extinct Relatives 151 Artiodactyl Origins 153 Suoid Artiodactyls 154 Whippomorpha 160 Tylopods 169 Ruminantia 175 15 Laurasiatheria: Perissodactyla Odd-Toed Hoofed Mammals: Horses, Rhinos, Tapirs, and Their Extinct Relatives 186 Equoids 187 Tapiroids 191 Rhinocerotoids 196 Brontotheres, or Titanotheres 199 16 Laurasiatheria: Meridiungulata South American Hoofed Mammals 203 Order Notoungulata (Southern Ungulates) 205 Order Pyrotheria (Fire Beasts) 206 Order Astrapotheria (Lightning Beasts) 207 Order Litopterna (Litopterns, or Smooth Heels) 207 17 Uintatheres, Pantodonts, Taeniodonts, and Tillodonts 209 Order Dinocerata (Uintatheres) 209 Order Pantodonta (Pantodonts) 212 Order Taeniodonta (Taeniodonts) 214 Order Tillodontia (Tillodonts) 216 18 Mammalian Evolution and Extinction 218 Why Were Prehistoric Mammals So Big? 218 Where Have All the Megamammals Gone? 219 How Did Mammals Diversify after the Dinosaurs Vanished? 222 What about Mass Extinctions? 228 The Future of Mammals 229 Illustration Credits 231 Further Reading 232 Index (with Pronunciation Guide for Taxonomic Names) 234

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Book SynopsisNew updated and expanded edition of the groundbreaking book that ignited a firestorm in the scientific world with its radical approach to evolution • Explains how past forms and behaviors of organisms determine those of similar organisms in the present through morphic resonance • Reveals the nonmaterial connections that allow direct communication across time and space When A New Science of Life was first published the British journal Nature called it “the best candidate for burning there has been for many years.” The book called into question the prevailing mechanistic theory of life when its author, Rupert Sheldrake, a former research fellow of the Royal Society, proposed that morphogenetic fields are responsible for the characteristic form and organization of systems in biology, chemistry, and physics--and that they have measurable physical effects. Using his theory of morphic resonance, Sheldrake was able to reinterpret the regularities of nature as being more like habits than immutable laws, offering a new understanding of life and consciousness. In the years since its first publication, Sheldrake has continued his research to demonstrate that the past forms and behavior of organisms influence present organisms through direct immaterial connections across time and space. This can explain why new chemicals become easier to crystallize all over the world the more often their crystals have already formed, and why when laboratory rats have learned how to navigate a maze in one place, rats elsewhere appear to learn it more easily. With more than two decades of new research and data, Rupert Sheldrake makes an even stronger case for the validity of the theory of formative causation that can radically transform how we see our world and our future.

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Book Synopsis''Quantum mechanics for real. This is the good stuff, the most mysterious aspects of how reality works, set out with crystalline clarity. The place to start'' Sean Carroll, physicist, California Institute of Technology, author of The Particle at the End of the UniverseThis is the ultimate practical introduction to quantum mechanics. World-renowned physicist Leonard Susskind and data engineer Art Friedman give you the basic skills you need to tackle this famously difficult topic yourself.They provide clear, lively explanations of basic concepts, introduce the key fields of quantum mechanics and include step-by-step exercises. Making a complex subject ''as simple as possible, but no simpler'', this is a practical toolkit for amateur scientists that you won''t find anywhere else.Trade ReviewThe writing is fresh and immediate, crisp and satisfying .... A persuasive overview * Nature *

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Book Synopsis Where do our thoughts come from? How can we manipulate our dreams? What is the role of the unconscious? How do we make decisions and trust the judgement of both others and ourselves? In this mind-bending international bestseller by Mariano Sigman, one of the world's leading neuroscientists reveals his life's work exploring the intricacies of the human brain. Building on his awe-inspiring TED talk and drawing on examples in science and the arts, The Secret Life of the Mind offers an accessible guide to how the human brain works and its impact on our everyday life. This informative, lucid book is essential reading for anyone curious about how we perceive, reason and communicate.Trade Review‘Sigman finds the sweet spot between findings and experimental detail, and it makes for a compelling read. Entertaining… with moments of exhileration’Financial Times ‘Mariano Sigman writes and thinks in a uniquely provocative way. He is a gifted cognitive neuroscientist, and we are lucky to have him excavating the secret life of the mind. He makes learning about the mind and brain easy and almost automatic. He is the Richard Feynman of the brain’Andrew Meltzoff, Professor of Psychology, the University of Washington; co-author of ‘The Scientist in the Crib ‘The author takes us on grand tour covering an extraordinarily diverse range of topics that are of interest to readers and specialists alike’ VS Ramachandran FRCP, author of The Tell-Tale Brain ‘The brain is the star of this book, with chapters focussing on its characteristics throughout childhood and youth, identity, decision-making, consciousness, education and its capacity to transform itself. In exploring the psychological element of neuroscience, Mariano Sigman tells the story of the human mind as a journey through some of the least travelled paths of mankind … A wonderful read’ La Nacion ‘The idea of the mind as a tabula rasa is only one of many erroneous notions that Sigman’s brilliant book helps to correct’ El Mundo ‘What differentiates The Secret Life of the Mind from other books about the mind is that it takes on neuroscience from a psychological point of view, as well as taking into account psychoanalysis, behavioural economics and philosophy’ Nosotras ‘Sigman confirms that although we are capable of detecting and manipulating consciousness, science is still not able to physically break it down. The idea of the mind as a tabula rasa is only one of many erroneous notions that Sigman’s brilliant book helps to correct’ El Cultural, El Mundo

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Book SynopsisWas there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries? These are just some of the questions considered in an internationally acclaimed masterpiece by one of the world''s greatest thinkers. It begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time, from the Big Bang to black holes, via spiral galaxies and strong theory. To this day A Brief History of Time remains a staple of the scientific canon, and its succinct and clear language continues to introduce millions to the universe and its wonders.Trade ReviewThis app/book version of Hawking's famous laymen book is just an amazing piece of learning. This makes much more accessible and understandable the complex and awesome topics dealt by Hawking as he explains how our universe works. I am just in awe at how creative he is to produce one of a kind e-book like this. The pace, illustrations and connections of topics within the book are so helpful and so appropriate for the new generation used to tweets and small bites of information. You can flip over some topics when you have some time, learn some amazing fact, and come back later which no rush or worry about how fast you are progressing through the book. Hope other books on complex topics are translated to this format. And I love the updates of the latest science since the publication of the original book. We have learned so much in the last decade that I agree with Hawking, it is an honour to live in this times. * Ribozyme *

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Book SynopsisCombining the literary sensibility of David Quammen with the scientific rigor of Stephen Jay Gould, Carl Zimmer reveals the power, danger, and beauty of the surprising creatures who dominate the earth: parasites.For centuries, parasites have lived in nightmares, horror stories, and the darkest shadows of science. In Parasite Rex, Carl Zimmer takes readers on a fantastic voyage into the secret universe of these extraordinary life-forms—which are not only among the most highly evolved on Earth, but make up the majority of life’s diversity. Traveling from the steamy jungles of Costa Rica to the parasite-riddled war zone of southern Sudan, Zimmer introduces an array of amazing creatures that invade their hosts, prey on them from within, and control their behavior. He also vividly describes parasites that can change DNA, rewire the brain, make men more distrustful and women more outgoing, and turn hosts into the living dead. This comprehensive, gracefully written book brings parasites out into the open and uncovers what they can teach us all about the most fundamental survival tactics in the universe—the laws of Parasite Rex.

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Book SynopsisThe past, present and future of the world''s most popular and beloved pet, from a leading evolutionary biologist and great cat lover.Engaging and wide-ranging The Age of Cats is a readable and informed exploration of the wildcat that lurks within Fluffy' Washington PostWhy don't lions meow? Why does my cat leave a dead mouse at my feet? And why is a pet ocelot a bad idea?Jonathan B. Losos unravels the secrets of the cat using all the tools of modern technology, from GPS tracking (you'll be amazed where they roam) and genomics (what is your so-called Siamese cat, really?) to forensic archaeology. He tells the story of the cat's domestication (if you can call it that) and gives us a cat''s-eye view of the world today. Along the way we also meet their wild cousins, whose behaviours are eerily similar to even the sweetest of house cats.Drawing on his own research and life in his multi-cat household, Losos deciphers complex science and history and explores how selection, both natural and aTrade Review‘Excellent. Losos is an engaging and often funny guide who explains the science clearly and with nuance’ New Scientist ‘Losos is entertaining and anecdotal, learned and chatty … The book, surveying cats’ evolutionary history, behavioural habits and potential future, has a lovely cast list of felines wild and domestic, large and small’ Spectator ‘Cats are amazing. They fascinate and bewilder us … [The] cat stories detailed here will only heighten the reader's amazement. And Losos has done cats at least as proud as we imagine they pride themselves’ Science ‘A must-read’ Marc Bekoff, Psychology Today ‘Reaching back into the evolutionary history of the cat family, brought right up to date with the emergence of new breeds and hybrids, this fascinating book deserves to be on every cat-lover's nightstand’ John Bradshaw, author of Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet ‘If you have ever lived with a feline long enough to reach an accommodation, you’ve probably asked yourself: Am I training the cat, or is the cat training me? That question is a gateway to the labyrinth of fascinating riddles explored by Jonathan Losos – himself a lifelong ailurophile as well as an eminent evolutionary biologist – In this engaging and very smart book.’ David Quammen, author of Spillover and The Song of the Dodo ‘Fascinating, fun and full of facts, this thorough investigation will appeal to general readers and cat lovers alike’ Booklist ‘Not just another cat book, this enthusiastic study traces the evolution of the domesticated house cat from the African wildcat and explores the scientific questions it raises … A vivid, well-rounded treat for anyone interested in cats.’ Kirkus Reviews ‘Splendid … The surprising trivia … and stimulating scientific background shed light on what goes on in the minds of humans’ second-best friend’ Publisher’s Weekly

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

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Book SynopsisUsing humour and real science in the tradition of Mary Roach, this groovy narrative from the author of National Geographic's popular Gory Details blog illuminates the gross, strange, morbid, and outright absurd realities of our bodies, our earth, and our universe. Filled to the brim with far-out facts, this wacky, funny, and informative narrative takes us on a fascinating journey through the astonishing world of science. With Erika Engelhaupt, founding editor of National Geographic's Gory Details blog, as your guide, all your weirdest and wildest fascinations will be illuminated. From the biologist who endured countless honeybee stings to test which spot was the most painful to the dollhouse-sized replicas of crime scenes built to analyze blood splatter to NASA's enduring dilemma--do women need to have their periods in space?--this entertaining book explores oft-ignored but alluring facets of biology, anatomy, space exploration, nature, and more. FeaturinTrade Review"Engelhaupt has a wonderfully unnerving knack for finding the questions everyone ponders but doesn’t dare to ask out loud. Then, she answers them—scientifically, satisfyingly, and, often, humorously. From murderous meerkats to the secrets of earwax, Gory Details has, well, all the gory details your heart could desire. And though you might cringe or squirm as you go through them, you won’t be able to put it down." -- Christie Wilcox, author of VENOMOUS: How the Earth's Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry

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Book SynopsisProfessor Stephen Hawking has been at the heart of this new scientific renaissance.Now, in The Universe in a Nutshell, beautifully illustrated with original artwork commissioned for this project, Stephen Hawking brings us fully up-to-date with the advances in scientific thinking.Trade ReviewA Brief History of Time has now sold an estimated nine million copies worldwide - something of a hard act for its author to follow. In what is being promoted as the 'sequel' to that book, Professor Hawking gives an account of his attempt to combine Einstein's Theory of Relativity with Richard Feynman's idea of multiple histories, in order to reach the grail of a Theory of Everything - or big TOE, as it's charmingly named. This is a book about superstrings and p-branes, holography and supergravity, about how the 'cosmic seed' from which our universe derived was as small as a nut. The publishers are not yet releasing much text, but enough to see that it will be a fascinating (if challenging) read. And one enhanced throughout with 200 striking full colour illustrations and jazzed-up diagrams.

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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 SynopsisA clarion call to save humanity’s most essential fellow creatures – and our health Far beneath our skin exists an unfathomable, ancient universe – an internal ecosystem that is critical to our health. Dr Martin Blaser invites us into the wilds of the human ‘microbiome’, unfurling its inner workings and evolution. For thousands of years, bacteria and human cells have co-existed in a relationship that has ensured the health and equilibrium of our body. But now, much like the natural world outside of us, our internal environment is being irrevocably destroyed. The culprit: some of our most revered medical advances – antibiotics – which appear to be linked to the epidemics of asthma, eczema, obesity, certain forms of cancer, and other diseases plaguing modern society. In a book that stands as the Silent Spring of its day, Blaser sounds a provocative alarm that we ignore at our peril.Trade Review‘Excellent popular science’ * Independent on Sunday *'Eye-opening' * Observer *‘Very readable… frighteningly convincing’ * New Scientist *'A restless intellect... [Blaser] has devoted most of his working life to the study.' * The New Yorker *'Dr Blaser’s credibility as a world class scientist and physician makes this exploration of our body’s microbial world particularly provocative. Missing Microbes will make you rethink some fundamental ideas about infection. Blaser’s gift is to write clearly and to take the reader on a fascinating journey through the paradoxes and insights about the teeming world within us.' * Abraham Verghese MD, bestselling author of CUTTING FOR STONE *'Most bacteria are our friends even if we don't yet realize it. In this book, Martin Blaser opens a window on the unseen microbes who live with us and have made us their home. We should appreciate them for everything they do for us – including keeping many nasty pathogens at bay. I recommend Missing Microbes to everyone, whether scientist or lay reader. Let’s make peace, not war, with the bacteria who support us.' * Sir Richard J. Roberts, Nobel Prize-winning biologist *‘Unlike some books on medicine and microbes, Dr Blaser doesn’t stir up fears of exotic diseases or pandemic “superbugs” resistant to all known drugs. He focuses on a simpler but more profound concern: the damage that modern life inflicts on a vast number of microbes that all of us, even healthy people, carry inside us at all times.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘In a world that turns to antibiotics for every infection of the ear, sinuses, or skin, Dr Blaser makes even the most nervous parent think twice about giving her child these ubiquitous drugs… Blaser delivers a thoughtful, well-written, and compelling case for why doctors need to be more cautious about prescribing these medications and why consumers should consider alternatives before taking them.’ * Nirav R. Shah MD, MPH, Commissioner of Health, New York State *'I have often wondered why kids today seem to have such a high incidence of asthma, ear infections, allergies, reflux oesophagitis and so many other conditions that I rarely saw growing up. This mystery has been solved by the pioneering work of Dr Martin Blaser and is communicated brilliantly in Missing Microbes. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this book to your own health, to the health of your children and grandchildren and to the health of our society. Missing Microbes is truly a must read.' * Arthur Agatston, New York Times bestselling author of THE SOUTH BEACH DIET *'An engrossing examination of the relatively unheralded yet dominant form of life on Earth.' * Publishers Weekly *'A masterful work of preventive health and superb science writing.' * Booklist *'Fascinating and passionate.' * Bookseller *'We live today in a world of modern plagues, defined by the alarming rise of asthma, diabetes, obesity, food allergies and metabolic disorders. This is no accident, argues Martin Blaser, the renowned medical researcher: the common link being the destruction of vital bacteria through the overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Missing Microbes is science writing at its very best—crisply argued and beautifully written, with stunning insights about the human microbiome and workable solutions to an urgent global crisis.' * David M. Oshinsky, Pulitzer prize-winning author of POLIO *‘Blaser presents a sensible plan for reclaiming our microbial balance and avoiding calamity both as a society...and on the individual level.’ * Discover *'Why are you fat, why does your son has asthma, and why is your thireen-year-old daughter six feet tall? Martin Blaser says our bodies are missing vital, beneficial bacteria, and I guarantee that after reading this book you will agree. Take a pass on the antibiotics and read Missing Microbes.' * Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer *‘In Missing Microbes, Martin Blaser sounds [an] alarm. He patiently and thoroughly builds a compelling case that the threat of antibiotic overuse goes far beyond resistant infections.’ * Nature *‘As a world leader in defining the microbiome, Dr Blaser explains how disturbing its natural balance is affecting common conditions such as obesity and diabetes, long thought of as primarily nutrition and lifestyle related problems. Blaser’s carefully and convincingly written book outlines new dimensions that need to be considered in fighting a number of common diseases and in promoting health and well-being.’ * Richard Deckelbaum, Director, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University *

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Book SynopsisIn A Brief History of Black Holes, award-winning University of Oxford researcher Dr Becky Smethurst charts five hundred years of scientific breakthroughs in astronomy and astrophysics.'A jaunt through space history . . . with charming wit and many pop-culture references' – BBC Sky At Night Magazine Right now, you are orbiting a black hole.The Earth orbits the Sun, and the Sun orbits the centre of the Milky Way: a supermassive black hole, the strangest and most misunderstood phenomenon in the galaxy.In this cosmic tale of discovery, Dr Becky Smethurst takes us from the earliest observations of the universe and the collapse of massive stars, to the iconic first photographs of a black hole and her own published findings.She explains why black holes aren’t really ‘black’, that you never ever want to be ‘spaghettified’, how black holes are more like sofa cushions than hoovers and why, beyond the event horizon, the future is a direction in space rather than in time.Told with humour and wisdom, this captivating book describes the secrets behind the most profound questions about our universe – all hidden inside black holes.Trade ReviewA jaunt through space history . . . with charming wit and many pop culture references * BBC Sky At Night Magazine *A lot of astrophysics is packed into this neat little book -- Jim Al-Khalili on Space: 10 Things You Should KnowBite-sized, cutting edge science delivered with enormous enthusiasm -- Chris Lintott on Space: 10 Things You Should KnowA fantastic read . . . there's certainly a lot to suck you in (unlike black holes, of course) * Popular Mechanics *

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Book Synopsis'No one has taught me more about the complexities and mysteries of human decision-making' Malcolm Gladwell'Gary Klein is a living example of how useful applied psychology can be when it is done well' Daniel KahnemanInsight is everything. At its most profound, it can change the world. At its simplest, it can solve everyday problems. It can be used to build businesses, solve crimes, progress science and make many aspects of our lives quicker, easier, bigger or better. Yet remarkably we often unwittingly build barriers to seeing what is in front of us. Both as individuals and organisations we can hold on to flawed beliefs and conform to established processes that can interfere with our perceptions. Having clear insight can transform the way in which we understand things, the decisions we make and the actions we take.In this groundbreaking study, renowned cognitive psychologist Gary Klein uses an eclectic miscellany of real-life stories to bring to life the process of insight. He demonstrates the five key strategies for spotting connections and contractions to ensure you too can see what others don't.Trade ReviewAn insightful guide to insight. Particularly good at identifying the barriers to getting there. Indeed, Klein's book moves our understanding of insight forward by significantly adapting the story we have about it. -- Julian Baggini * Financial Times *Excellent. * Times Higher Education *A brilliant discourse on a fascinating subject. It's written in a crisp, fluent, Gladwellish way and the pages flit by. * Management Today *Seeing What Others Don't sheds light on those sudden realisations that can change the world. * Independent *Klein takes us on a fascinating journey from medical breakthroughs to military strategy. He analyses why IT systems are dumb by design, and examines how Darwin started to understand evolution as well as how Crick and Watson discovered DNA. Seeing What Others Don't rattles along with pace and flair while being appropriately enough, packed with insight. * Engineering & Technology *A timely contribution asking professionals, who want to improve their personal and professional performance, to think radically about the way they work. * The Actuary *Klein has spent the best part of five years investigating the origins of insight. The collected stories are fascinating and help to illstrate the five causes of insight that Klein has discovered - the five Cs - noticing connections, coincidence, investigating curiosities, and capitalising on creative desperation. * Impact Magazine *Vital to marketers looking to understand consumers needs, Seeing What Others Don't explains insight, how it works, why insights still matter, what triggers them and shows tips on how to nurture them. * Contagious *Gary Klein pins down what until now has been the elusive topic of insight in his best and most personal work yet. The examples are memorable and Klein translates them into subtle and powerful lessons for practitioners and academics alike. -- Karl Weick, Rensis Likert Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, University of MichiganA must-read for all leaders. -- General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (ret)PRAISE FOR GARY KLEIN * - *No one has taught me more about the complexities and mysteries of human decision-making than Gary Klein. -- Malcolm GladwellGary Klein is a living example of how useful applied psychology can be when it is done well. -- Daniel Kahneman, author of 'Thinking, Fast and Slow'One the the most influential psychologists living today * Wired *

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Book SynopsisA revolutionary new understanding of the human brain and its changeable nature. The brain is a dynamic, electric, living forest. It is not rigidly fixed but instead constantly modifies its patterns - adjusting to remember, adapting to new conditions, building expertise. Your neural networks are not hardwired but livewired, reconfiguring their circuitry every moment of your life. Covering decades of research - from synaesthesia to dreaming to the creation of new senses - and groundbreaking discoveries from Eagleman's own laboratory, Livewired surfs the leading edge of science to explore the most advanced technology ever discovered.Trade ReviewVivid . . . Since the passing of Isaac Asimov, we haven't had a working scientist like Mr Eagleman, who engages his ideas in such a variety of modes. Livewired reads wonderfully like what a book would be if it were written by Oliver Sacks and William Gibson, sitting on Carl Sagan's front lawn * * Wall Street Journal * *Chockfull of mind-bending ideas and dazzling insights. Eagleman's infectious enthusiasm, his use of fascinating anecdotes and his clear, effortless prose render the secrets of the brain's adaptability into a truly compelling page-turner. Livewired is a fun and whirlwind exploration of the most complex thing in the universe -- KHALED HOSSEINIAn altogether fascinating tour of the astonishing plasticity and interconnectedness inside the cranial cradle of all of our experience of reality, animated by Eagleman's erudite enthusiasm for his subject, aglow with the ecstasy of sense-making that comes when the seemingly unconnected snaps into a consummate totality of understanding -- MARIA POPOVA * * Brain Pickings * *An intellectually exhilarating look at neuroplasticity . . . Eagleman's skill as teacher, bold vision, and command of current research will make this superb work a curious reader's delight * * Publishers Weekly (starred review) * *Gets the science right and makes it accessible . . . completely upending our basic sense of what the brain is in the process . . . Exciting * * Harvard Business Review * *Eagleman brings the subject to life in a way I haven't seen other writers achieve before * * New Scientist * *David's a brilliant writer and thinker, and he knows more about how we tick and why we tick than anyone I know -- NEIL GAIMANLivewired is terrific. If you have a mind, David Eagleman will boggle it for you -- HUGH LAURIEMasterful . . . Outstanding popular science * * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) * *Praise for David Eagleman: The unaccountable, jaw-dropping quality of genius * * Observer * *

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Book SynopsisIf the world as we know it ended tomorrow, how would you survive?A nuclear war, viral pandemic or asteroid strike. The world as we know it has ended. You and the other survivors must start again. What knowledge would you need to start rebuilding civilisation from scratch?How do you grow food, generate power, prepare medicines, or get metal out of rocks? Could you avert another Dark Ages, or take shortcuts to accelerate redevelopment? Living in the modern world, we have become disconnected from the basic processes and key fundamentals of science that sustain our lives.Ingenious and groundbreaking, The Knowledge explains everything you need to know about everything, revolutionising your understanding of the world. A glorious compendium of the knowledge we have lost in the livingthe most inspiring book I've read in a long time' Independent A terrifically engrossing history of science and technology' Guardian<Trade ReviewAs the scouts say – be prepared! Say your prayers that you never need this book -- Bear GryllsA glorious compendium of the knowledge we have lost in the living… This is the most inspiring book I’ve read in a long time -- Peter Forbes * Independent *An extraordinary achievement... It is a great read even if civilisation does not collapse. If it does, it will be the sacred text of the new world — Dartnell that world’s first great prophet * The Times *The ultimate do-it-yourself guide to ‘rebooting’ human civilization * Nature *A terrifically engrossing history of science and technology -- Steven Poole * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThere''s so much we don''t know about what lies deep beneath the ocean''s surface - and the time to find out is growing increasingly precious . . .Professor Alex Rogers is one of the world''s leading experts in marine biology and oceanology, and has spent his life studying the deep ocean - and in particular the impact of human activity on the ecosystems of the oceans. In this timely, galvanising and fascinating book - replete with stunning photography of strange and beautiful creatures - Professor Rogers offers a fundamentally optimistic view of humanity''s relationship with the oceans - and also a very personal account of his own interaction with the seas.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWe can't emphasise how much of a valuable resource this is. * How it Works *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"New Zealand Listener's Best Book of 2019""One of FiveBooks' Best Climate Books of 2019""Oreskes joins a distinguished line of thinkers who explain why we should trust the findings of the scientific community . . . [and] clearly reminds readers that science has consistently brought home the bacon." * Kirkus Reviews *"Why Trust Science? is an optimistic analysis of the opportunities that exist for enhancing public trust in science. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone who is part of the scientific endeavor."---Elisabeth Gilmore, Science"[A] fascinating new book . . . in a field with few reasons to be cheerful, it is both enlightening and encouraging. Once we begin to understand the size of the chasm that separates science’s outsiders and insiders, as Oreskes clearly does, we can at least start to design a bridge."---Michael Brooks, New Scientist"Two features of science, [Oreskes] claims, account for its trustworthiness: its ‘sustained engagement with the world’ together with ‘its social character.’ Her emphasis on the second feature may surprise readers used to thinking of science as a tidy epistemic enterprise neatly insulated from social influence, but this view emerges clearly from her sober review of studies of science by historians, philosophers, sociologists, and anthropologists during the past half century."---Philip Kitcher, Boston Review"A compelling argument in favour of experts."---Hettie O’Brien, New Statesman"For both its evidence-based rigor and striking honesty, Why Trust Science? by Naomi Oreskes should be required reading for everyone in scholarly communications. Addressing the broadest view of science possible — from the experimental to the historical — this book offers crisp, accessible writing and draws important connections to our world of research dissemination and publishing."---Lettie Conrad, The Scholarly Kitchen"Naomi Oreskes challenges easy answers." * New Scientist *"A marvellous, up to date, thorough historical survey of science and its processes."---John R. Helliwell, Journal of Applied Crystallography"The decline of trust in science is one aspect of a much wider social issue, and the author gives a detailed survey of various perspectives from history and philosophy of science including many of the best-known names in the field."---David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer"Oreskes' definition of science provides us with the best knowledge we can philosophically hope to get."---Ed Gibney, The Philosopher"A fascinating and accessible read that considers numerous domains and issues to bring the reader to Oreskes’ ultimate point, that trustworthy science depends on consensus, diversity, and methodological openness and flexibility."---Jeff Share, Journal of Sustainability Education"Why Trust Science? is an incredibly important work, bringing the history of science into something of a thinker’s field guide to the pursuit of knowledge. It is sharply written and, beyond being merely informative, it is sage. Wherever the reader stands on the for or against science divide, Oreskes’ determined and open-minded curiosity is infectious, as is her earned belief in science. Hopefully, it will encourage more scientists and science-lovers to spread the good word."---Katherine Oktober Matthews, Riding the Dragon"Oreskes is eloquent, insightful and bold. At a time where we are still confronted by climate change deniers and the anti-vaccine movement . . . it is easy to see why a book like this is so important. . . . This thought-provoking, timely and comprehensive book is a must-read."---Joanna Florence Sparks, Chemistry World"This book is well worth the effort for anyone concerned about climate change, protection of biodiversity, and other issues that involve science advising policy. Insights from Naomi Oreskes can bolster our arguments countering the anti-science, anti-expertise, anti-intellectual forces at work in the world today."---John Miles, National Parks Traveler

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Book SynopsisA companion to the bestselling book The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe, this beautiful photographic card deck features all 118 elements in the periodic table. One element per card appears as a full-size image on the front and fascinating information about the element on the back.The Photographic Card Deck of The Elements is the most detailed, lush, and beautiful set of cards ever produced on the subject of the periodic table. With 126, 5'X5' cards in all, it includes one card for every one of the 118 elements, plus additional cards that explain the arrangement of the periodic table, present the elements sorted by various properties, and suggest activities and uses for the cards. The front side of each card shows a full-size, photographic image of the element, while the back gives scientific information including atomic weight, density, melting and boiling point, valence, and the percent of the element found in the universe, in the Earth's crust, in oceans, and in humans. Graphics show melting/boiling points, density, electron configuration, and atomic radius. A fascinating fact about the element, as well as the date of its discovery, is also included.The cards are perfect for students but also make an excellent gift for a scientist or anyone who enjoys the beauty and diversity of the natural world.

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Book Synopsis'Profound and utterly absorbing. Kucharski elegantly explores how proof is not just a mathematical concept but a vital tool in decision-making, justice, and survival' CHRIS VAN TULLEKENHow far would you go in your search for certainty? And once you get there, how do you convince others? From the medieval Islamic world to the recent pandemic, scientific progress has relied on different methods of establishing fact from fiction. Today, in the face of ever-increasing disinformation, how we prove things - to ourselves and others - has never felt more urgent. But there is far more to proof than axioms, theories and scientific laws: when demonstrating that an experimental medical treatment works, persuading a jury of someone's guilt, or deciding whether to trust a new type of financial transaction, weighing up evidence is rarely simple. Bestselling author, statistician and epidemiologist Adam Kucharski ranges across science, politics, philosophy and economics to explore how truth emerges - and why it falters.

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate non-technical guide to the fast-developing world of quantum computing Computer technology has improved exponentially over the last 50 years. But the headroom for bigger and better electronic solutions is running out. Our best hope is to engage the power of quantum physics. 'Quantum algorithms' had already been written long before hardware was built. These would enable, for example, a quantum computer to exponentially speed up an information search, or to crack the mathematical trick behind internet security. However, making a quantum computer is incredibly difficult. Despite hundreds of laboratories around the world working on them, we are only just seeing them come close to 'supremacy' where they can outperform a traditional computer. In this approachable introduction, Brian Clegg explains algorithms and their quantum counterparts, explores the physical building blocks and quantum weirdness necessary to make a quantum computer, and uncovers the capabilities of the current generation of machines.Trade ReviewEssential reading for anyone concerned about cyber attacks, specifically ransomware, or simply interested in the next evolution of computing. The big question - what is a Quantum Machine - is answered perfectly. ... [E]xcellently profiles the different quantum approaches ... and readers are made aware of the extreme potential of the Qubit Revolution to support the next evolution of humanity and civilisation. -- Nick Ayton * Irish Tech News *

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Book SynopsisA concise introduction to all the key tenets of electrical and mechanical engineering degree course, written by former NASA engineer Dr David Baker. A Degree in a Book: Electrical and Mechanical Engineering is presented in an attractive landscape format in full-color. With flow charts, infographics, timelines, feature spreads and information boxes, this highly visual guide will help readers quickly get to grips with the fundamentals of electrical and mechanical engineering and their practical applications.Covering Newtonian mechanics, nuclear engineering, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and more, this essential guide brings clarity to complex ideas. David Baker delves into the history and development of this far-reaching subject as well as the challenges of the future such as environmental responsibility. Complete with a useful glossary of key terms, this holistic introduction will equip students and laypeople alike with the knowledge of an engineering graduate. ABOUT THE SERIES: Get the knowledge of a degree for the price of a book with Arcturus Publishing''s A Degree in a Book series. Written by experts in their fields, these highly visual guides feature flow charts, infographics, handy timelines, information boxes, feature spreads and margin annotations, allowing readers to get to grips with complex subjects in no time.

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Book SynopsisIn A Brief History of Black Holes, the award-winning University of Oxford researcher Dr Becky Smethurst charts five hundred years of scientific breakthroughs in astronomy and astrophysics.'A jaunt through space history . . . with charming wit and many pop-culture references' – BBC Sky At Night MagazineRight now, you are orbiting a black hole.The Earth orbits the Sun, and the Sun orbits the centre of the Milky Way: a supermassive black hole, the strangest and most misunderstood phenomenon in the galaxy.In this cosmic tale of discovery, Dr Becky will take you from the earliest observations of the universe and the collapse of massive stars, to the iconic first photographs of a black hole and her own published findings.She explains why black holes aren’t really ‘black’, that you never ever want to be ‘spaghettified’, how black holes are more like sofa cushions than hoovers and why, beyond the event horizon, the future is a direction in space rather than in time.Told with humour and wisdom, this captivating book describes the secrets behind the most profound questions about our universe – all hidden inside black holes.Trade ReviewA jaunt through space history . . . with charming wit and many pop culture references * BBC Sky At Night Magazine *A fantastic read . . . there's certainly a lot to suck you in (unlike black holes, of course) * Popular Mechanics *A lot of astrophysics is packed into this neat little book -- Jim Al-Khalili on Space: 10 Things You Should Know Bite-sized, cutting edge science delivered with enormous enthusiasm -- Chris Lintott on Space: 10 Things You Should Know

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Book SynopsisMedical doctor turned food scientist and author of DK bestsellers The Science of Cooking (2017), The Science of Spice (2018) and The Science of Living (2020), "Dr Stu" is a science and medical writer, presenter and educator. He makes regular appearances on TV, radio, and at public events, and his writing appears in national and international publications. Stuart is also the founder and editor of online lifestyle-science magazine Guru.Trade Review"If you want to know more abou the natural phenomena that control the world of garden plants, then this book is for you." -- Ian Hodgson * Garden News *

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Book SynopsisThe most important investigation of genetic science since The Selfish Gene, from the author of the critically acclaimed and best-selling The Red Queen and The Origins of Virtue. The genome is our 100,000 or so genes. The genome is the collective recipe for the building and running of the human body. These 100,000 genes are sited across 23 pairs of chromosomes. Genome, a book of about 100,000 words, is divided into 23 chapters, a chapter for each chromosome. The first chromosome, for example, contains our oldest genes, genes which we have in common with plants. By looking at our genes we can see the story of our evolution, what makes us individual, how our sexuality is determined, how we acquire language, why we are vunerable to certain diseases, how mind has arisen. Genome also argues for the genetic foundations of free will. While many believe that genetics proves biological determinism, Ridley will show that in fact free will is itself in the genes. Everything that makes us human can be read in our genes. Early in the next century we will have determined the function of every one of these 100,000 genes.

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Book SynopsisA delightful treasure trove of tips on how to hold animals without hurting them.Should you hold a mouse by its tail? A grasshopper by its leg? A butterfly by its wing?How do you pick up a prickly hedgehog? A slithering snake? A hissing cat?Most of us don't have nearly enough experience of being around animals. We feel a bit apprehensive when it comes to touching them. Maybe we're scared we'll hurt them, or that they'll hurt us. That is a huge shame, because connecting with animals is a magical life skill that can make you feel at peace and aligned with nature.Luckily, animal photographer and former zookeeper Toshimitsu Matsuhashi is here to give you advice and show you the very best way to care for the animals in our lives, from beetles to hamsters and from chickens to dogs. Fully illustrated with fascinating information (did you know that you should go for the smaller rather than the bigger horn when you pick up a stag beetle?), How To Hold Animals leaves no stone unturned and teaches us all how to be kind to the animals around us.

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Book SynopsisLearn about the Big Bang theory, astrophysics and gravity in The Physics Book.Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about Physics in this overview guide to the subject, brilliant for beginners looking to learn and experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The Physics Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in. This captivating book will broaden your understanding of physics, with:- More than 100 ground-breaking ideas in this field of science- Packed with facts, charts, timelines and graphs to help explain core concepts- A visual approach to big subjects with striking illustrations and graphics throughout- Easy to follow text makes topics accessible for people at any level of understandingThe Physics Book is the perfect introduction to the sci

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Book Synopsis''In this masterpiece, Jamil Zaki weaves together the very latest science with stories that will stay in your heart forever'' - Angela Duckworth, author of Grit ''Scientific, gripping, groundbreaking and hopeful. The War for Kindness is the message for our times'' - Carol Dweck, author of Mindset Empathy has been on people''s mind a lot lately. Philosophers, evolutionary scientists and indeed former President Obama agree that an increase in empathy could advance us beyond the hatred, violence and polarization in which the world seems caught. Others disagree, arguing it is easiest to empathize with people who look, talk or think like us. As a result, empathy can inspire nepotism, racism and worse. Having studied the neuroscience and psychology of empathy for over a decade, Jamil Zaki thinks both sides of this debate have a point. Empathy is sometimes an engine for moral progress, and other times for moral failure. But Zaki aTrade Review'In this landmark book, Jamil Zaki gives us a revolutionary perspective on empathy: Empathy can be developed, and, when it is, people, relationships, organisations and cultures are changed' - Carol Dweck, author of Mindset'In this masterpiece, Jamil Zaki weaves together the very latest science with stories that will stay in your heart forever' - Angela Duckworth, author of Grit'Zaki is a compelling writer, and even an android could not help but respond to his prose. . . . Zaki's goals go beyond sharing the science of empathy with the masses. He hopes to inspire people to actually practice more kindness in their lives' - Science'Jamil Zaki is one of the brightest lights in psychology, and in this gripping book he shows that kindness is not a sign of weakness but a source of strength' - Adam Grant, author of Give and Take and Originals'Beautifully written and deeply felt, The War for Kindness is an outstanding scientific analysis of our species' best and last hope for survival - our unique ability to care about each other' - Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness'With alarming evidence of our society's rapidly diminishing empathy, Zaki draws on decades of clinical research, along with experiments conducted at his lab, to consider the forces that impact our modern condition... an urgent message' - Kirkus Reviews'Zaki's heart-of-the-matter writing style relates complex emotion in clear, direct language. He walks his own fine line, between significant research findings and his personal emotional and empathic responses. His research and his book are worthy' - Booklist'Seamlessly stitching together his own experiences with fascinating stories and research from around the globe, Jamil lays out the irrefutable evidence for what we may already instinctively be sensing . . . that in these uncertain times, our ability to cultivate empathy for one another is not only possible, it's necessary. A must read for anyone willing to peek under the hood of the human heart' - Amanda Palmer'A wide-ranging practical guide to making the world better' - NPR'Relating anecdotes and test cases from his fellow researchers, news events and the imaginary world of literature and entertainment, Zaki makes a vital case for "fighting for kindness." . . . If he's right-and after reading The War for Kindness, you'll probably think so-Zaki's work is right on time" - San Francisco Chronicle'Lucid, stimulating . . . [The War for Kindness aims] to challenge antiquated views of the brain and human behaviour. . . . Zaki issues a call for concerted action to build empathy in a world he sees as fractured and threatened by escalating tribalism, cruelty, and isolation' - The American Scholar

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Book SynopsisThe Science of Chocolate leads the reader to an understanding of the complete chocolate making process and includes the ways in which basic science plays a vital role in its manufacture, testing and consumption. Originally based upon a talk to encourage school children to study science, the book is now widely used within industry and academia. The third edition of this international best seller has been fully revised and updated. The author has now included methods of sensory evaluation, designing and modifying chocolate flavour to suit the product and the history and manufacture of some well-known confectionery products. Fat, calorie and sugar reduction are also covered including a review of patents in this area. In addition, the section on why chocolate might be good for you has been updated to include some more recent research results. Three new experiments have been added, so there are now twenty of them, which use simple materials and apparatus to demonstrate the scientific and mathematical principles found in the rest of the book. Most are easily adapted to suit different student abilities. This book will appeal to those with a fascination for chocolate and will be of specialist interest to those studying food sciences and working in the confectionery industry. Extracts from reviews of 2nd Edition: "...I found this to be an interesting read, and I think the book would be useful to graduates thinking of a career in the food industry (and not just the chocolate industry specifically), to schoolteachers looking for some interesting experiments, and to lecturers (Chemistry, Biochemistry, Botany, Food science) looking for interesting facts to enliven their lectures." Bioscience Education, Volume 12, 2008, E J Wood. "...very well written and complete book for everyone who wants to learn more about chocolate and its production process." Crystallography Reviews, Volume 15, 2009 – Issue 4, pages 275-277, Henk Schenk. "The easy reading style of the book makes it valuable not only to school and university students, but also to those who are new to working with chocolate or those needing a good summary of chocolate science." Chemistry World, for the Christmas BooksTable of ContentsThe History of Chocolate; Chocolate Ingredients; Cocoa Bean Processing; Liquid Chocolate Making; Controlling the Flow Properties of Liquid Chocolate; Crystallising the Fat in Chocolate; Standard Product Manufacturing Processes; Modifying Chocolate’s Eating Properties: How Do They Make That? (Some Distinctive Products); Analytical Techniques; Legislation, Shelf Life and Packaging; Nutrition and Health; Experiments with Chocolate and Chocolate Products; Glossary; Subject Index

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