Science: general issues Books
Random House USA Inc The Strange Order of Things Life Feeling and the
Book Synopsis“Damasio undertakes nothing less than a reconstruction of the natural history of the universe. . . . [A] brave and honest book.” —The New York Times Book Review The Strange Order of Things is a pathbreaking investigation into homeostasis, the condition that regulates human physiology within the range that makes possible not only survival but also the flourishing of life. Antonio Damasio makes clear that we descend biologically, psychologically, and even socially from a long lineage that begins with single living cells; that our minds and cultures are linked by an invisible thread to the ways and means of ancient unicellular existence and other primitive life-forms; and that inherent in our very chemistry is a powerful force, a striving toward life maintenance that governs life in all its guises, including the development of genes that help regulate and transmit life. The Strange Order of Things is a landmark refle
£12.99
HarperCollins ITS A GAS
Book Synopsis
£18.98
Random House USA Inc The Next Fifty Years
Book SynopsisA brilliant ensemble of the world’s most visionary scientists provides twenty-five original never-before-published essays about the advances in science and technology that we may see within our lifetimes.Theoretical physicist and bestselling author Paul Davies examines the likelihood that by the year 2050 we will be able to establish a continuing human presence on Mars. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi investigates the ramifications of engineering high-IQ, geneticially happy babies. Psychiatrist Nancy Etcoff explains current research into the creation of emotion-sensing jewelry that could gauge our moods and tell us when to take an anti-depressant pill. And evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins explores the probability that we will soon be able to obtain a genome printout that predicts our natural end for the same cost as a chest x-ray. (Will we want to read it? And will insurance companies and governments have access to it?) This fascinating and unprecedented boo
£14.40
Random House USA Inc The Origin of Species Modern Library By Means of
Book SynopsisIntroduction by Edward J. Larson Perhaps the most readable and accessible of the great works of scientific inquiry, The Origin of Species sold out its first printing on the very day it was published in 1859. Theologians quickly labeled Charles Darwin the most dangerous man in England and, as the Saturday Review noted, the uproar over the book quickly “passed beyond the bounds of the study and lecture-room into the drawing-room and the public street.” Based largely on Darwin’s experience as a naturalist while on a five-year voyage aboard H. M. S. Beagle, The Origin of Species set forth a theory of evolution and natural selection that challenged contemporary beliefs about divine providence and the immutability of species. This Modern Library edition includes a Foreword by the Pulitzer Prize–winning science historian Edward J. Larson, an introductory historical sketch, and a glossary Darwin later added to th
£13.50
Random House Publishing Group The Voyage of the Beagle Modern Library Journal
Book SynopsisIn 1831, Charles Darwin embarked on an expedition that, in his own words, determined my whole career. The Voyage of the Beagle chronicles his five-year journey around the world and especially the coastal waters of South America as a naturalist on the H.M.S. Beagle. While traveling through these unexplored countries collecting specimens, Darwin began to formulate the theories of evolution and natural selection realized in his master work, The Origin of Species. Travel memoir and scientific primer alike, The Voyage of the Beagle is a lively and accessible introduction to the mind of one of history's most influential thinkers.
£13.29
WW Norton & Co Ethology The Mechanisms and Evolution of Behavior
Book SynopsisEthology is the study of the mechanisms and evolution of behavior. Now more than ever before ethology poses some of the most exciting intellectual challenges in modern biology while it offers the most powerful conceptual tools for answering them.
£90.19
WW Norton & Co The Elegant Universe
Book SynopsisA new edition of the New York Times bestseller—now a three-part Nova special: a fascinating and thought-provoking journey through the mysteries of space, time, and matter.Trade Review"As rewarding as it gets....A thrilling ride through a lovely landscape." -- Los Angeles Times"Compulsively readable....Greene threatens to do for string theory what Stephen Hawking did for black holes." -- New York"Brian Greene...makes the terribly complex theory of strings accessible to all. He possesses a remarkable gift for using the everyday to illustrate what may be going on in dimensions beyond our feeble human perception." -- Publishers Weekly"Greene does an admirable job of translating a wholly mathematical endeavor into visual terms. Throughout his work, he writes with poetic eloquence and style." -- Marcia Bartusiak - Washington Post Book World"[A] beautifully crafted account of string theory—a theory that appears to be a most promising waystation on the road to an ultimate theory of everything. His book gives a clear, simple, yet masterful account that makes a complex theory very accessible to nonscientists but is also a delightful; read for the professional." -- David M. Lee, professor of physics, Cornell University"Everyone who is curious about the horizons of theoretical physics—past, present, and future—will enjoy this book." -- Edward Witten, Institute for Advanced Study"[A] delightful, lucid introduction to the greatest problem in all of physics, the quest to unify all the laws of nature. Greene does a masterful job in presenting complex materials in a lively, engaging manner. Highly recommended to anyone who has ever gazed at the heavens and wondered, as Einstein did, if God had a choice in making the universe." -- Michio Kaku, author of Hyperspace and Visions"[A] tour-de-force of science writing. Perhaps more than any other popular-level account, this book peels away layers of detail and reveals the stunning essence of cutting-edge physics. With a rare blend of scientific integrity and literary flair, the author takes us on a whirlwind journey to the forefront of the search for the ultimate theory of the universe." -- Shing-Tung Yau, Harvard University; Fields Medalist, winner of the National Medal of Science
£22.79
W. W. Norton & Co. A Natural History of Seeing
Book Synopsis
£18.99
WW Norton & Co Space Chronicles Facing the Ultimate Frontier
Book SynopsisA thought-provoking and humorous collection on NASA and the future of space travel.
£20.82
WW Norton & Co The Tide The Science and Stories Behind the
Book SynopsisA rich and sweeping exploration into the science and history behind the most mysterious, primal, and powerful force on earth: the tide.Trade Review"This fascinating book deftly explores the dramatic history, critical importance, and scientific wonder of the tides. Hugh Aldersey-Williams is a marvelous guide who takes the reader on a sweeping and thought-provoking adventure into the heart of one of the most captivating, mysterious, and elemental forces of nature." -- Eric Jay Dolin, author of Brilliant Beacons"Prepare for a voyage with the best of companions—Hugh Aldersey-Williams is a storyteller supreme, and he’s found a subject worthy of his talents." -- Edward Dolnick, author of The Clockwork Universe"A wonderfully enjoyable exploration of the mysterious rhythms of the sea. I loved the combination of literary, historical, scientific, and experiential accounts of the tides, each ebbing and then flowing to allow the others to wash up on the pages of this remarkable book." -- Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff Matters"A superb book [and] a delight to read. . . . Imagine, if possible, a gently studious Bill Bryson crossed with an upbeat and relaxed WG Sebald." -- James McConnachie - Sunday Times"Exposes new facts and ideas every other page." -- Horatio Clare - Observer
£20.89
WW Norton & Co DNA Is Not Destiny The Remarkable Completely
Book SynopsisOne of the world’s leading cultural psychologists debunks the hype surrounding DNA testing and puts to rest our mistaken anxieties about our genes.Trade Review"Steven Heine is one of the leading cultural psychologists in the world. In DNA Is Not Destiny, Heine serves as a trustworthy guide through the moral minefield of genetic differences and lays out a new way to think rationally about our genes." -- Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business and author of The Righteous Mind "Steven Heine is one of the leading cultural psychologists in the world. In DNA Is Not Destiny, Heine serves as a trustworthy guide through the moral minefield of genetic differences and lays out a new way to think rationally about our genes." -- Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business and author of The Righteous Mind "At some point everyone wonders: 'Who am I and where did I come from?' Is there any question more fascinating? In this important book, Steve Heine tells us what our DNA can and cannot reveal about our nature, our origins, and our futures. The material is fascinating, and Heine's vibrant writing makes it come alive with personal significance for every reader." -- Carol Dweck, Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and author of Mindset "At some point everyone wonders: 'Who am I and where did I come from?' Is there any question more fascinating? In this important book, Steve Heine tells us what our DNA can and cannot reveal about our nature, our origins, and our futures. The material is fascinating, and Heine's vibrant writing makes it come alive with personal significance for every reader." -- Carol Dweck, Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and author of Mindset "Your genes contribute to your beliefs, behaviors, and life outcomes. Only in rare cases are they determinative. This brilliant, invaluable book sets straight crucial matters of heredity and environment and their interaction-and does so in lively and lucid prose." -- Richard Nisbett, Theodore M. Newcomb Distinguished Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Michigan and author of Mindware "Your genes contribute to your beliefs, behaviors, and life outcomes. Only in rare cases are they determinative. This brilliant, invaluable book sets straight crucial matters of heredity and environment and their interaction-and does so in lively and lucid prose." -- Richard Nisbett, Theodore M. Newcomb Distinguished Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Michigan and author of Mindware "A highly accessible and entertaining guide to genes: what they are, how they work, and most important, what they can and cannot explain. For all the dinner table or classroom conversations on the genetic bases of gender, race, or intelligence; the morality of genetic engineering; or the hardest question of all, 'Who am I?,' DNA Is Not Destiny is the new must-read." -- Hazel Markus, Davis-Brack Professor in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and author of Clash!: How to Thrive in a Multicultural World "A highly accessible and entertaining guide to genes: what they are, how they work, and most important, what they can and cannot explain. For all the dinner table or classroom conversations on the genetic bases of gender, race, or intelligence; the morality of genetic engineering; or the hardest question of all, "Who am I?," DNA Is Not Destiny is the new must-read." -- Hazel Markus, Davis-Brack Professor in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and author of Clash!: How to Thrive in a Multicultural World "Heine ranges broadly, discussing both historical and ethical concerns, and draws heavily on social science research to investigate how people's beliefs about the power of genes influence their behavior. Heine also makes a strident critique of the direct-to-consumer genetic testing industry and a robust defense of most genetically modified organisms... Enjoyable and informative." -- Publishers Weekly "An accessible contribution to what the author calls 'genetic literacy' and a satisfyingly hard-edged work of popular science." -- Kirkus Reviews
£999.99
WW Norton & Co Flavor
Book SynopsisA journey into the surprising science behind our flavor senses.Trade Review"Fascinating…Flavor, as Bob Holmes demonstrates elegantly, exists nowhere but in the mind of the eater." -- Wall Street Journal"Endlessly fascinating. A terrific book." -- Bill Bryson"I learned a lot while reading Flavor. Bob Holmes is a genial, well-informed guide to the rapidly evolving world of flavor and food design. From microbreweries to research labs, he captures all the key players: their personalities and passions come through clearly in this engaging tour of the field." -- Avery Gilbert, author of What The Nose Knows: The Science of Scent in Everyday Life""In this mouthwatering work....Holmes turns the kitchen into a laboratory....As [he] runs through terrific experiments and describes strange technologies, he makes food science fun and approachable."" -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Fascinating....Foodies who enjoyed Mark Schatzker’s The Dorito Effect, Michael Pollan’s Cooked, and Michael Moss’s Salt Sugar Fat will gravitate toward this scientific yet accessible and humorous take on food and wine." -- Library Journal
£19.94
WW Norton & Co Grunt
Book SynopsisA New York Times / National Bestseller "America's funniest science writer" (Washington Post) Mary Roach explores the science of keeping human beings intact, awake, sane, uninfected, and uninfested in the bizarre and extreme circumstances of war.Trade Review"A mirthful, informative peek behind the curtain of military science." -- Washington Post"From the ever-illuminating author of Bonk and Stiff comes an examination of the science behind war. Even the tiniest minutiae count on the battlefield, and Roach leads us through her discoveries in her inimitable style." -- Elle"Our most consistently entertaining science journalist…Roach goes where other writers wouldn’t dare….And her search produces images—a kind of technopoetry—that are hard to forget." -- O Magazine"[Roach] takes on the challenges the military faces to keep its fighters safe and healthy with her trademark flair (and zingy footnotes)." -- Entertainment Weekly"Roach is a tenacious investigative journalist with an appetite for the unappetizing...Grunt ranks high in the Roach repertoire." -- USA Today"Mary Roach’s latest bit of brilliance….As meticulously researched, beautifully written, and disturbingly funny as her previous books…Grunt examines the science behind war, as well as the researchers who are leading the charge in these state-of- the-art developments. Roach’s prose is a triumph—an engaging blend of anecdote, research, and reflection." -- Boston Globe"[Roach] writes exquisitely about the excruciating….wildly informative and vividly written" -- Los Angeles Times"Nobody does weird science quite like [Roach], and this time, she takes on war. Though all her books look at the human body in extreme situations (sex! space! death!), this isn’t simply a blood-drenched affair. Instead, Roach looks at the unexpected things that take place behind the scenes." -- Wired"Roach...applies her tenacious reporting and quirky point of view to efforts by scientists to conquer some of the soldier’s worst enemies." -- Seattle Times"Extremely likable…and quick with a quip….[Roach’s] skill is to draw out the good humor and honesty of both the subjects and practitioners of these white arts among the dark arts of war." -- San Francisco Chronicle"Covering these topics and more, Roach has done a fascinating job of portraying unexpected, creative sides of military science." -- New York Post
£19.94
WW Norton & Co Now The Physics of Time
Book Synopsis“Now” is a simple yet elusive concept.Trade Review"Mind-blowing ideas demand to be shared.…[Muller] posits a theory that seems at once plausible and—surprisingly, for a book with equations—one worth not spoiling." -- Time"Richard Muller is a leading physicist, but he’s also intellectually restless. That’s a potent combination, with the power to generate transformative ideas about ourselves and our relationship to the universe. In Now: The Physics of Time, Muller hypothesizes how time itself might be created or destroyed. Maybe it’s right. Maybe it’s wrong. But along the way he’s given you a master class in what time is and how and why we perceive it the way we do." -- Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and host of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey"Muller has taken a remarkably fresh and exciting approach to the analysis of time. With his usual clarity and wit, he proceeds from solidly established principles—each a fascinating story in its own right—but when he gets to the meaning of the flow of time and now, he forges a new path. I expect controversy!" -- Saul Perlmutter, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics"Can science shed light on time’s dark mysteries? Richard Muller thinks it can, making his case in this clear, evocative, and wide-reaching investigation of how nature may generate the flow of time. Must-reading for all concerned with the why behind when." -- Timothy Ferris, author of Coming of Age in the Milky Way"A provocative, strongly argued book on the fundamental nature of time. As an experimental cosmologist who has initiated some of the most important experiments of our time, Muller knows well where the limits of science are, and he keeps us interested by his ability to work close to that edge." -- Lee Smolin, author of Time Reborn"The strength of this book lies in Muller’s experience as a lecturer and teacher, which has enabled him to describe and explain difficult concepts with simplicity.… [Now] provides a concise master class in understanding the essentials of physics." -- Science"Time spent with Muller will transform readers' understanding of time itself.…A mind-expanding venture to the frontiers of science—and beyond!" -- Booklist (starred review)"The kind of mind-expanding read that will give you something to think about late at night. Muller's passion for his topic shines through on every page." -- The Independent
£22.79
WW Norton & Co Dwellings A Spirtual History of the Living World
Book SynopsisAward-winning Chickasaw poet and novelist Linda Hogan explores her lifelong love of the living world and all its inhabitants.
£11.39
WW Norton & Co The Seven Daughters of Eve The Science that
Book SynopsisThe national bestseller that reveals how we are descended from seven prehistoric women.Trade Review"A lovely, rollicking book, direct and clear.... [A] fascinating glimpse into anthropology in the era of the genome." -- Wall Street Journal"Sykes recounts his tale of discovery with the drama it warrants...gripping." -- New York Times Book Review"Scientifically accurate and understandable to the layperson.... [The Seven Daughters of Eve] will be recognized as an important work, bringing molecular anthropology to a mass audience." -- Nature"A natural storyteller, [Sykes] relates the history of developing genetics up to contemporary times as the DNA of genes is decoded.... A riveting account showing how archeological evidence and molecular biology findings complement one another in the challenge to unearth our past and our beginnings." -- Choice"Sykes has solved some of the hottest debates about human origins." -- Publishers Weekly
£13.29
WW Norton & Co Remarkable Trees of the World
Book Synopsis"A stunning volume" (Time) and the most magnificent book on the world's trees published in years.Trade Review"Informative and inspiring." -- American Gardener"Spectacular...the specimens photographed here are surpassingly bizarre and varied....[An] astonishing collection." -- Janet Maslin - New York Times
£26.59
WW Norton & Co Six Degrees
Book SynopsisThe pioneering young scientist whose work on the structure of small worlds has triggered an avalanche of interest in networks.Trade Review"Accessible and engaging…A good introduction to the topic." -- Nature"Duncan Watts is so clear and so readable about one of the world's most mystifying subjects that he will probably leave you with your thinking changed forever." -- Alan Alda"Here is a wonderful science book you won't want to put down...relevant to an amazing variety of subjects, including epidemics, markets, scientific collaboration, and terrorism." -- Murray Gell-Mann, Nobel Laureate in physics, cofounder of the Santa Fe Institute"Written in as accessible and jaunty a fashion as James Watson's Double Helix, Six Degrees provides a deft, informative, and deeply engaging story of how the multidisciplinary science of networks has come into being." -- Robert K. Merton, University Professor Emeritus, Columbia University"This is a story that is both personal and remarkable for its ability to convey the wonder of complex science." -- Bill Miller, CEO, Legg Mason Funds"Watts's insights into the interconnections that bind us together...offer a vital new framework for understanding our global society." -- Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University"Watts smoothly combines a historical survey of the field with real-world examples. Well-done [and] comprehensive." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
£13.29
WW Norton & Co The Creation
Book SynopsisThe book that launched a movement: “Wilson speaks with a humane eloquence which calls to us all” (Oliver Sacks).Trade Review"A contemporary jeremiad ... at times searing, at times soaring." -- Tom Levinson - Chicago Tribune"Rarely has the divide between secular science and revealed religion been bridged so gracefully." -- Robert Lee Holtz - Los Angeles Times Book Review"The wise and lovely work of a truly learned man." -- Matthew Scully - New York Times Book Review"Beautiful and passionate." -- David B. Williams - Seattle Times"One of our greatest thinkers says we can only rescue the earth by starting with its smallest inhabitants. ... Read this book." -- The Times (London)"If humankind finds a way to live in peace together, and in harmony with nature, E. O. Wilson will have played a unique role in that deliverance." -- Jeffrey Sachs
£11.39
WW Norton & Co Life Ascending
Book Synopsis“Original and awe-inspiring . . . an exhilarating tour of some of the most profound and important ideas in biology.”—New ScientistTrade Review"The emergence of life itself remains obscure. But as Lane shows with clarity and vigor, fascinating studies on the subject abound." -- The New York Times"Excellent and imaginative and, similar to life itself, the book is full of surprises." -- Nature"Lane lays out processes of dizzying complexity in smooth, nimble prose." -- Kirkus Reviews"If Charles Darwin sprang from his grave, I would give him this fine book to bring him up to speed." -- Matt Ridley, author of The Red Queen
£12.99
WW Norton & Co 100 Essential Things You Didnt Know You Didnt
Book Synopsis“Where else does math become a romp, full of entertaining tricks and turns?”—Bryce Christensen, BooklistTrade Review"I suspect the craft behind this fun book will only really come to light as we attempt to tell Barrow’s stories to our friends. Suddenly, we will realize how much effort Barrow has expended in explaining difficult things simply." -- Simon Ings - The Telegraph"John Barrow’s wonderfully informative book should charm both lovers and haters of mathematics." -- Sheldon Lee Glashow, Boston University, Nobel Laureate
£12.34
W. W. Norton & Company Packing for Mars The Curious Science of Life in the Void
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£14.93
WW Norton & Co Delusions of Gender
Book Synopsis“[Fine’s] sharp tongue is tempered with humor. . . . Read this book and see how complex and fascinating the whole issue is.”—The New York TimesTrade Review"Starred Review, Pick of the Week. A fabulous combination of wit, passion, and scholarship. . . . This marvelous and important book will change the way readers view the gendered world." -- Publishers Weekly"Forceful, funny. . . . These are the right questions to be asking." -- Boston Globe"Fine turns the popular science book formula on its head. Chapter-by-chapter, she introduces ideas about innate differences between the sexes… and then tartly smacks around studies supposedly supporting them." -- Dan Vergano - USA Today"[Fine] effectively blows the lid off of old tropes… Weaving together anecdotes, dense research and quotes from numerous experts, she offers a well-balanced testament to the many ways in which cultural rules inform behaviors often mistaken as organic to our brains, as opposed to learned… [An] informative and often surprising study." -- Kirkus Reviews"Cordelia Fine has a first-rate intellect and writing talent to burn. In her new book, Delusions of Gender, she takes aim at the idea that male brains and female brains are ‘wired differently,’ leading men and women to act in a manner consistent with decades-old gender stereotypes. Armed with penetrating insights, a rapier wit, and a slew of carefully researched facts, Fine lowers her visor, lifts her lance, and attacks this idea full-force. Whether her adversaries can rally their forces and mount a successful counter-attack remains to be seen. What’s certain at this point, however, is that in Delusions of Gender Cordelia Fine has struck a terrific first blow against what she calls ‘neurosexism.’" -- William Ickes, author of Everyday Mind Reading: Understanding What Other People Think and Feel"In Delusions of Gender Cordelia Fine does a magnificent job debunking the so-called science, and especially the brain science, of gender. If you thought there were some inescapable facts about women’s minds—some hard wiring that explains poor science and maths performance, or the ability to remember to buy the milk and arrange the holidays—you can put these on the rubbish heap. Instead, Fine shows that there are almost no areas of performance that are not touched by cultural stereotypes. This scholarly book will make you itch to press the delete button on so much nonsense, while being pure fun to read." -- Uta Frith FBA, FMedSci, FRS; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London
£16.59
WW Norton & Co Energy for Future Presidents The Science Behind
Book SynopsisPolicymakers and casual readers alike can benefit . . . eye-opening . . . sheds lots of light with little wasted heat.Publishers Weekly
£16.24
WW Norton & Co Mathletics
Book SynopsisAn entertaining, eye-opening guide to what math and physics can reveal about sports.Trade Review"“[A] fast-paced, lighthearted book that revels in the brainier side of brawn." -- Fangfei Shen - Discover"Barrow delivers the math and science goods for every sports fan who’s ever wondered how to ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ or what the best positions are to reduce air resistance while sky-diving…Accessible and entertaining, just the thing for mathematically minded sports fans." -- Publishers Weekly"An illuminating mix for sports fans and math buffs looking to hone their skills." -- Kirkus Reviews"Readers will marvel at how much mathematics can illuminate athletes’ most amazing feats. . . . Sports fans and nerds will fight over this book!" -- Bryce Christensen - Booklist
£12.34
WW Norton & Co Chimp the River How AIDS Emerged from an
Book SynopsisIn this "frightening and fascinating masterpiece" (Walter Isaacson), David Quammen explores the true origins of HIV/AIDS.Trade Review"Compelling…[an] utterly gripping story." -- Abigail Zuger - The New York Times"To call David Quammen one of our greatest science writers is to belittle him. He is one of our greatest writers, period." -- Hampton Sides, best-selling narrative historian and editor at large at Outside magazine"[An] intense study of the origins of AIDS. With Sherlockian verve… Quammen’s portrait of the real ‘Patient Zero’… is a masterful summing-up of the evidence." -- Nathan Wolfe - Nature
£11.99
WW Norton & Co Applied Minds
Book Synopsis“Engineers are titans of real-world problem-solving. . . . In this riveting study of how they think, [Guru Madhavan] puts behind-the-scenes geniuses . . . center stage.”—NatureTrade Review"Anyone trying to interest America’s young people in technical careers should read Applied Minds…. Writing with a liveliness that reflects the energized, creative, problem-solving people he talks about, Madhavan, a biomedical engineer, presents a completely engaging survey of what engineers do—and why you wish you could do it, too." -- Nancy Szokan - Washington Post"An accessible and very human story of innovators." -- Gemma Tarlach - Discover"Engaging…[and] insightful." -- Sybil Derrible - Science"The heroes of Guru Madhavan’s compact book about the logical habits of engineers are not the usual suspects of the iPhone era. With barely a mention of Wozniak or Jobs, the author takes us back to an earlier time so that we can witness the solving of problems that have long since gone away." -- Jon Gertner - Wall Street Journal"A real pleasure to read, and lots to learn." -- Tim Harford, The Financial Times's Undercover Economist and presenter of BBC Radio 4's More or Less"This thoroughly engaging book demonstrates that engineering thinking is truly multidisciplinary, multinational, and multicultural. Through its diverse cast of engineers and wide-ranging examples of their achievements, Applied Minds leaves little doubt that our world is a better place because of the engineers who inhabit it." -- Henry Petroski, author of To Engineer Is Human and The Essential Engineer"An unabashed celebration of engineers and their ‘plug and play’ thinking tool kit…. Applied Minds is worth sharing with young engineering students." -- Robin Tatu, Prism Magazine, American Society of Engineering Education"In this smart, insightful, and fascinating book, Madhavan shows how engineers turn problems into opportunities. The engineering mind-set is something we should all study and embrace. It applies to every aspect of life." -- Walter Isaacson, author of The Innovators and Steve Jobs
£13.29
WW Norton & Co A Brief History of Creation Science and the
Book SynopsisThe epic story of the scientists through the ages who have sought answers to life’s biggest mystery: How did it begin?Trade Review"A fascinating, fast-paced tour through the ages of how some of the greatest minds and characters in history have pondered one of the greatest questions in science…[A] rich, masterfully woven tale of our still-evolving ideas about life and how it came to be." -- Sean B. Carroll, author of Brave Genius and Remarkable Creatures"Far more accurate and up-to-date than any previous work targeted to the general public." -- James Strick - Science"A wonderful new history of debates about the origin of life." -- Adam Frank - NPR"Thoroughly engaging…An absorbing account…A Brief History of Creation reveals as much about the process of science as it does about the puzzle of the origin of life. That’s no mean achievement." -- John Farrell - Wall Street Journal"A well-written and lively account of the science and history behind one of the most fascinating questions in science—how animate matter emerged from inanimate matter—enriched by engaging portraits of the scientists involved and a feel for the very human scientific enterprise at work." -- Alan Lightman, Professor of the Practice of the Humanities, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and author of Einstein’s Dreams"A joyous and infinitely readable history of our ongoing quest to know how we came to be. Mesler and Cleaves elegantly narrate the evolution of philosophical and scientific inquiry, infusing the subject with all the dramatic intrigue it deserves and bringing historical figures to life as vividly as characters in a novel. A thrilling read." -- Nina Siegal, author of The Anatomy Lesson"With fully accessible and engaging prose, artfully weaving history, philosophy, and science, Bill Mesler and H. James Cleaves II tell what is perhaps the greatest of all scientific stories, the quest to understand the origin of life." -- Marcelo Gleiser, Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy, Dartmouth College, and author of The Island of Knowledge
£12.34
WW Norton & Co Climbing Mount Improbable
Book SynopsisA brilliant book celebrating improbability as the engine that drives life, by the acclaimed author of The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker.Trade Review"Mount Improbable is Dawkins’s metaphor for natural selection: its peaks standing for evolution’s most complex achievements . . . a perfect, elegant riposte to a great deal of fuzzy thinking." -- Observer"Dazzling," -- David Attenborough
£12.99
WW Norton & Co Pinpoint
Book Synopsis"One of the most mesmerizing and exhilarating, yet alarming modern technology books…an extraordinary tale." —Gillian Tett, Financial TimesTrade Review"GPS guides our world. Here at last is the amazing and well-told story of where it came from, how it works, and where it—and we—are going." -- Richard Rhodes, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Energy"Gripping…GPS is an engineering marvel, a global utility and a source of new threat all at once." -- New York Times Book Review"[Milner] delves deep into the dense web of intersections between GPS—'the world’s only free utility'—and all those other utilities we vitally depend on, with interesting side excursions into earthquake-detection and the GPS-assisted monitoring of offenders." -- Guardian"[A] compelling exploration of how GPS became so ubiquitous—and what we lose when it's all we know of navigation." -- Matthew Daddona - Outside"Milner is a brisk and funny guide." -- Konstantin Kakaes - Wall Street Journal"A compelling exploration of how GPS became so ubiquitous—and what we lose when it’s all we know of navigation." -- Outside"Fascinating…Milner expertly deconstructs the implications of this monumental shift in human life." -- Tim Adams - Observer"Milner's detailed examples will leave you questioning the ways in which GPS has infiltrated our lives." -- Science"In Pinpoint, Greg Milner gives us a much-needed account of GPS, its history, philosophy, and the overwhelming consequences of its success. Funny, scary, and tremendously readable, Pinpoint will be an eye-opening thrill for anyone who has watched their blue dot dance around an online map." -- Andrew Blum, author of Tubes"Whenever people theorize about the collision of technology and culture, the Internet tends to consume all the oxygen in the room. But there is another global system that's taking over our lives in an even more insidious fashion, with stranger implications for the future of humanity. Pinpoint dissects the modern age of mapping and shows the hidden dangers of a world where nothing is hidden at all." -- Chuck Klosterman"[An] entirely brilliant history of that most loved-and-loathed new technology, GPS. Every page was a treasure-house of fascinations: my temptation after finishing was to begin the book all over again, there being so much to absorb, all of it crucially important to understanding our world’s dependence on one of modern civilization’s new-made fundamentals." -- Simon Winchester"The reason that brains are so good at storing maps is because the brain is a map, and our collective internal map is now migrating somewhere else. Greg Milner’s Pinpoint is a fascinating chronicle of how this happened and why—captured before the details had a chance to escape." -- George Dyson
£15.60
WW Norton & Co Now The Physics of Time
Book SynopsisFrom the celebrated author of the best-selling Physics for Future Presidents comes “a provocative, strongly argued book on the fundamental nature of time” (Lee Smolin).Trade Review"Mind-blowing…[Muller] posits a theory that seems at once plausible and—surprisingly, for a book with equations—one worth not spoiling." -- Time"[A] concise master class in understanding the essentials of physics." -- Lisa Jardine-Wright - Science"Muller has taken a remarkably fresh and exciting approach to the analysis of time. With his usual clarity and wit, he proceeds from solidly established principles—each a fascinating story in its own right—but when he gets to the meaning of the flow of time and now, he forges a new path. I expect controversy!" -- Saul Perlmutter, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics"Can science shed light on time’s dark mysteries? Richard Muller thinks it can, making his case in this clear, evocative, and wide-reaching investigation of how nature may generate the flow of time. Must-reading for all concerned with the why behind when." -- Timothy Ferris, author of Coming of Age in the Milky Way"Richard Muller is a leading physicist, but he’s also intellectually restless. That’s a potent combination, with the power to generate transformative ideas about ourselves and our relationship to the universe. In Now: The Physics of Time, Muller hypothesizes how time itself might be created or destroyed. Maybe it’s right. Maybe it’s wrong. But along the way he’s given you a master class in what time is and how and why we perceive it the way we do." -- Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and host of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey"A provocative, strongly argued book on the fundamental nature of time. As an experimental cosmologist who has initiated some of the most important experiments of our time, Muller knows well where the limits of science are, and he keeps us interested by his ability to work close to that edge." -- Lee Smolin, author of Time Reborn"The kind of mind-expanding read that will give you something to think about late at night. Muller's passion for his topic shines through on every page." -- Dennis Green - The Independent"Entertaining and at times refreshingly idiosyncratic…Richard Muller’s new theory deserves a serious look, and his book presents important lessons in physics and beyond." -- Martin Bojowald - Physics Today"A thoughtful, thought-provoking and accessible book that blends concepts from relativity, thermodynamics and quantum theory to elucidate how physics got where it is, and the missteps that might have led it there." -- Richard Webb - New Scientist
£12.99
WW Norton & Co A Most Improbable Journey A Big History of Our
Book Synopsis"A thrilling synthesis from a brilliant scientist who discovered one of the most important chapters in our history." —Sean B. CarrollTrade Review"[Alvarez] revels in the unlikely reality of life on Earth…enabling readers to experience the power of Big History." -- Science"Fans of Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything will appreciate Alvarez’s enthusiastic, clearly written tour of contingencies that have shaped our world, starting with the origins of life on Earth." -- Science News"For the past three decades, Walter Alvarez has been at the center of a revolution in how scientists think about the history of life and the Earth. In A Most Improbable Journey he gives us the biggest history of all, going from the Big Bang to our own place on the planet. Lively and profound and flavored with his infectious enthusiasm, Alvarez shows how each of us has won a truly massive lottery just to be a sentient being on this planet." -- Neil Shubin, best-selling author of Your Inner Fish"A wonderful account of Big History by a geologist. And not just any geologist, but the geologist who showed that the dinosaurs were done in by an unlucky asteroid strike! Alvarez writes with precision and great charm. And he reminds us how absurdly improbable is the role we play in this colossal story, and how many things had to go right for you and me to exist." -- David Christian, founder of the field of Big History and author of Maps of Time"Engaging." -- Nature
£12.34
W. W. Norton & Company Swearing Is Good for You The Amazing Science of
Book Synopsis
£749.99
WW Norton & Co Happy Brain Where Happiness Comes From and Why
Book Synopsis“You should read this funny, stimulating and rewarding book. You’ll be happy you did.” —GuardianTrade Review"Dean Burnett approaches the complex, often fleeting, state of mental satisfaction with ebullient curiosity and wonder." -- Salon"You should read this funny, stimulating and rewarding book. You’ll be happy you did." -- The Guardian"A pleasing tour of the brain and its feel-good longings." -- Kirkus Reviews"Dean Burnett is a real funny cat, and I adore him and his brain." -- Whoopi Goldberg
£13.90
WW Norton & Co The Last Cowboys A Pioneer Family in the New
Book Synopsis"A can't-put-it-down modern Western." —Kirk Siegler, NPR Longlisted for the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports WritingTrade Review"The Last Cowboys is a beautiful book, threading deep reporting into a gorgeously written narrative. It is American portraiture at its best." -- Susan Orlean"One hell of a ride." -- Carson Vaughan - Washington Post"Remarkable.… [The Last Cowboys] has an uncommon ambition: it’s a story not just of rodeo, but of the contemporary West." -- John Swansburg - New York Times Book Review"Gripping.… What Branch focuses on so beautifully is how one remarkable American family navigates the situation of wanting to do dangerous, peculiar and deeply impressive kinds of work." -- Nathan Deuel - Los Angeles Times"The Last Cowboys is informed by scrupulous and compassionate reporting, casting light on a side of the sporting world typically hidden from view." -- Andrew Graybill - Wall Street Journal"The Last Cowboys is a humble but sweeping portrait of a humble but highly accomplished family." -- Chris Vognar - Dallas Morning News"Keenly observed and artfully conveyed." -- Michael Berry - San Francisco Chronicle"A fascinating dive into what it’s like to make a living by horseback, both on the range and at the rodeo." -- Christopher Collins - Texas Observer"Branch does a beautiful job chronicling a family as it navigates old traditions in a new, fast-paced century.… The Last Cowboys is an excellent, compassionate book." -- Michael Schaub - Minneapolis Star Tribune"[The Last Cowboys] isn’t just about winning saddle bronc titles.… It’s about the Old West becoming new." -- Associated Press
£11.99
WW Norton & Co Hello World
Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2018 Baillie Gifford Prize and the 2018 Royal Society Investment Science Book Prize "A beautifully accessible guide.…One of the best books yet written on data and algorithms." —Times (UK)Trade Review"With refreshing simplicity, Fry explains what AI, machine learning and complicated algorithms really mean." -- Guardian"Fascinating and funny. I learned something on every page." -- Tom Chivers - Buzzfeed"An action-packed read during which you will be outraged, provoked, and challenged." -- Cathy O’Neil, author of Weapons of Math Destruction"This short, sharp book on the power and dangers of algorithms offers one of the clearest explanations of a complex subject." -- Financial Times"Hannah Fry is one of the best STEM explainers and popularizers today." -- Forbes"For a reader unfamiliar with the technical aspects of AI, this book offers among the best lay explanations of how algorithms work." -- Science"Hannah Fry makes algorithms sound not only quite interesting but an idea that we must understand better as they dominate more and more of our daily lives in ways we see and in many ways we don’t." -- Amazon Book Review"Mixing mathematics and storytelling, this book asks the big questions about algorithms and humans—and their future together." -- Literary Hub"A well-constructed tour of technology and its discontents?timely, too, given the increasing prominence of AI in our daily lives." -- Kirkus Reviews"A lucid and timely analysis." -- Booklist (starred review)
£12.85
WW Norton & Co Cosmological Koans
Book Synopsis“Playful and enchanting.” —Priyamvada Natarajan, Wall Street JournalTrade Review"[A] gem of a book." -- Carlo Rovelli, author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics"There is nothing like Cosmological Koans on the shelves.… I can think of no other book that so effectively elicits a sense of wonder." -- Jenann T. Ismael, author of How Physics Makes Us Free"[A] unique and beautifully written masterpiece." -- Max Tegmark, author of Life 3.0"[Cosmological Koans] will stretch your imagination almost to the breaking point, and your understanding of reality will come away more healthy and flexible than before." -- Sean Carroll, author of The Big Picture
£14.24
WW Norton & Co Symphony in C
Book SynopsisA Science News Favorite Book of 2019 An earth scientist reveals the dynamic biography of the most resonant—and most necessary—chemical element on Earth.Trade Review"A fascinating read." -- Science News"A valuable and welcome explanation of why we would do well to pay more attention to the sixth element?and of how much more remains to be discovered about its planetary role through time." -- Ted Nield - Nature"A symphonic masterpiece that reveals how the primitive life that began on our planet four billion years ago has evolved into Darwin’s ‘endless forms most beautiful.’" -- David W. Deamer, author of Assembling Life"Hazen’s enthusiasm, the string of shareable facts presented, and the introduction of so many interesting scientists… make this book such a fascinating read.… Hazen brings a distinct and intentionally personal perspective to this topic.… Throughout Symphony in C, science is presented as a living and very human endeavor." -- Nicola Pohl - Science"Hazen sets the record straight in this thoughtful love letter to [carbon]." -- Gemma Tarlach - Discover"[A] lively, expert overview.… Hazen [is] a smooth stylist.… A skillful account of the central element in our lives." -- Kirkus Reviews"Hazen brings the process of scientific investigation to life.… [He] conveys the delight he finds in the process of understanding the world around him.… [This] enthusiastic survey also shows the limits of existing knowledge and the potential for future discoveries in an exciting field." -- Publishers Weekly"Probing.… Science that burrows into issues of profound interest." -- Booklist"From the Big Bang to coal, carbohydrates, and ultra-strong high-tech nanofibers, Robert M. Hazen provides an illuminating and enjoyable guide to the remarkable odyssey of carbon, the element of life. Enjoy the trip!" -- Andrew Knoll, Fisher Professor of Natural History, Harvard University"Robert M. Hazen’s virtuoso performance captures the wonder of the sixth element?from volcanic gases to al dente pasta to life’s very beginnings?while telling the wonderful stories about the people behind the discoveries." -- Terry Plank, Arthur D. Storke Memorial Professor of Geochemistry, Columbia University
£13.29
WW Norton & Co Friendship
Book SynopsisA Next Big Idea Club Must-Read Nonfiction Book of Winter 2020 and a Real Simple Best Book of 2020 “Accessible and enlightening.… Denworth has crafted a worthy call to action.” —Washington PostTrade Review"[Denworth] has a solid command of the complex material before her and a seemingly effortless ability to make it not just digestible but engaging.… [She] sticks to the science, calmly telling us the truth no matter what we think we need to hear. What else are friends for?" -- Daniel Akst - Wall Street Journal"A fascinating deep dive into the societal, emotional, and health benefits of our everyday relationships." -- Real Simple"Exploring friendship’s opposite—loneliness—throws the topic into poignant relief.… [I]nformative." -- Kathryn Bowers - New York Times Book Review"A mind-blowing book about the science and power of friendship." -- Dax Shepard - Armchair Expert"Friendship is one of my favorite books of the year; it delivers that rare combination of storytelling, research, and affirmation that friendships should be nurtured and treasured." -- Jessica Lahey, author of The Gift of Failure"Compelling." -- Susannah Cahalan - New York Post"[One of] my top picks for books that have the potential to have a lasting impact on your thoughts and actions." -- Adam Grant - Marker"Hopeful.… [Lydia] Denworth blends her reportage with occasional asides about her friendships.… [A] useful reminder that each friendship is different, perhaps impossible for any scientist to parse completely." -- Danny Heitman - Washington Examiner"[A] lively, accessible look at what makes the universal bond so essential." -- Hephzibah Anderson - Mail on Sunday"The power of friendship—in many ways the most essential of our relationships—has long been underestimated. It’s an absolute pleasure to see Lydia Denworth do it justice in this lovely, insightful, and important book." -- Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Poison Squad
£12.99
WW Norton & Co A Silent Fire
Book SynopsisA riveting investigation of inflammation—the hidden force at the heart of modern disease—and how we can prevent, treat or even reverse it
£22.79
WW Norton & Co A Sense of Self
Book SynopsisHow do our brains store—and then conjure up—past experiences to make us who we are?Trade Review"[A] roving, riverine inquiry into memory, experience, the brain…O'Keane does not try to dazzle us with interpretations and cures, but dazzle she does with the science, the clarity with which she can conjure something as ordinary, as bafflingly complex and beautiful, as a memory forming in the brain." -- Parul Sehgal, The New York Times"These passages are vivid and immediate, and all the more affecting for the measured and unemphatic manner in which they are set down. If O’Keane is as fine a doctor as she is a prose stylist, her patients are fortunate indeed." -- John Banville, Guardian"[O'Keane's] unforgettable trip down memory’s many lanes leaves you with a marvelling awareness of what humans collectively share as memory makers and, at the same time, reminds us that each one of us is a singular translator of our world." -- London Observer"Rich, revelatory and, in the best way, unsettling." -- London Sunday Times"A comprehensive tour of the current state of knowledge about how memory operates in the brain." -- Elizabeth Landau, Undark"[O'Keane] delivers interesting observations on nearly every page…A welcome new voice in the literature of consciousness and neuroscience." -- Kirkus Reviews"O'Keane offers no shortage of intriguing insights and accounts…[A]n immersive and informative look at how memory works, and what happens when it doesn't." -- Publishers Weekly"Wonderful. I love the way Veronica O’Keane writes…difficult concepts made comprehensible with rich case studies. A must read for every counselor, psychotherapist, life coach and psychiatrist." -- Philippa Perry, author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read"Veronica O’Keane distills what she has learned about people in her life as a psychiatrist and neuroscientist. The reader will appreciate Dr. O’Keane’s beautiful prose and her caring attitudes, and will effortlessly pick up knowledge about how the brain determines our behavior." -- Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research, King’s College, London
£20.89
WW Norton & Co A World on the Wing
Book SynopsisNew York Times Bestseller Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize A Library Journal Best Science and Technology Book of the Year An exhilarating exploration of the science and wonder of global bird migration.Trade Review"[A] gripping journey alongside the world’s feathered wanderers and the people who study them.... Brims with spectacle.... As the birds flit through these pages, but with ever less frequency through our lives, we can only hope that birders and non-birders alike take inspiration and a call to action from A World on the Wing. This is the kind of book we’ve been waiting for." -- Christian Cooper - New York Times"A World on the Wing is a paean to the beauty of data, viewed in masses, and to citizen science taking ornithology by storm.... Mr. Weidensaul offers the astonishment of birds’ travels, deep concern for their populations and hope for their future in well-measured, beautifully realized doses." -- Julie Zickefoose - Wall Street Journal"I’m not a birder, but Weidensaul persuades me that I could be, and that a greater appreciation of the movement and behaviour of migratory birds might bring me into closer contact with what it means to be a living thing on Earth.... [Weidensaul is] a master storyteller.... What emerges is an emphatic statement of confidence in nature’s resilience—a vision of nature as a force that we and our science are irrefutably a part of." -- Ashish Ghadiali - The Guardian"In vivid prose that conjures up the rich spell of each landscape, Scott Weidensaul takes us on exhilarating expeditions that crisscross the globe and travel deep into the heart of nature. For lifelong experts and backyard birders alike, he’s a superb guide to the winged marvels that share our planet and our lives." -- Diane Ackerman, author of The Zookeeper’s Wife"Scott Weidensaul, one of our finest nature writers, has produced another instant classic. In A World on the Wing he takes a pair of highly complex subjects—global patterns of bird migration, and the research into those patterns—and brings them to life with his own amazing adventures around the world. Here is proof that a book of solid science can also be a page-turner. Highly recommended for anyone curious about the natural world." -- Kenn Kaufman, author of the Kaufman Field Guides"Weidensaul’s dispatches are fascinating. Chapter by chapter, my jaw dropped and my eyes widened. The science of bird migration has reached a golden age, and we’re lucky to have such a graceful guide. This book is instantly among my all-time favorites, and one I’ll keep to reread." -- Noah Strycker, author of Birding Without Borders"The miracle of birds meets the miracle of technology in Scott Weidensaul’s wondrous new book, A World on the Wing. While there are huge gaps in our knowledge of migration and there is despair in our race to save species, advances in technology from microscopic transmitters to agile drones are changing the equation and making the future look hopeful. This is a book you won’t want to put down." -- Jane Alexander, actress, writer and wildlife conservationist"Weidensaul addresses migratory birds’ changing reality and the scientists who work tirelessly to learn more about them and advocate on their behalf.... The plight and toughness of both birds and their human defenders will move you in lasting ways." -- BookPage, starred review"Weidensaul is a peerless guide, sharing his intoxicating passion and decadeslong experience with countless bird species all over the world.... Another winner from Weidensaul that belongs in every birder’s library." -- Kirkus, starred review"Many mysteries of bird life and migration are revealed in this compelling and illuminating in-the-field narrative complete with maps and photographs." -- Booklist, starred review
£23.74
WW Norton & Co Mamas Last Hug
Book SynopsisA New York Times Bestseller and winner of the PEN / E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Primatologist Frans de Waal explores the fascinating world of animal and human emotions.Trade Review"Through colorful stories and riveting prose, de Waal firmly puts to rest the stubborn notion that humans alone in the animal kingdom experience a broad array of emotions....De Waal contributes immensely to an ethical sea change for animals." -- Barbara J. King - NPR"De Waal’s eye-opening observations argue for better treatment and greater appreciation of animals, even as he ensures that you’ll never look at them—or yourself—the same way again." -- People"Game-changing....For too long, emotion has been cognitive researchers’ third rail....But nothing could be more essential to understanding how people and animals behave. By examining emotions in both, this book puts these most vivid of mental experiences in evolutionary context, revealing how their richness, power and utility stretch across species and back into deep time....The book succeeds most brilliantly in the stories de Waal relates." -- Sy Montgomery - The New York Times Book Review"An original thinker, [de Waal] seems to invite us to his front-row seats, sharing the popcorn as he gets us up to speed on the plot of how life works, through deeply affecting stories of primates and other animals, all dramas with great lessons for our own species." -- Vicki Constantine Croke - Boston Globe"De Waal’s conversational writing is at times moving, often funny and almost always eye-opening....It’s hard to walk away from Mama’s Last Hug without a deeper understanding of our fellow animals and our own emotions." -- Erin Wayman - Science News"A captivating and big-hearted book, full of compassion and brimming with insights about the lives of animals, including human ones." -- Yuval Noah Harari, New York Times best-selling author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind"Before I realized Frans de Waal’s connection to Mama’s actual last hug, I sent the online video link to a large group of scientists saying, ‘I believe it is possible to view this interaction and be changed forever.’ Likewise, I believe that anyone reading this book will be changed forever. De Waal has spent so many decades watching intently and thinking deeply that he sees a planet that is deeper and more beautiful than almost anyone realizes. In these pages, you can acquire and share his beautiful, shockingly insightful view of life on Earth." -- Carl Safina, author of Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel"I doubt that I've ever read a book as good as Mama's Last Hug, because it presents in irrefutable scientific detail the very important fact that animals do have these emotions as well as the other mental features we once attributed only to people. Not only is the book exceedingly important, it's also fun to read, a real page-turner. I can't say enough good things about it except it's utterly splendid." -- Elizabeth Marshall Thomas"Frans de Waal is one of the most influential primatologists to ever walk the earth, changing the way we think of human nature by exploring its continuity with other species. He does this again in the wonderful Mama’s Last Hug, an examination of the continuum between emotion in humans and other animals. This subject is rife with groundless speculation, ideology, and badly misplaced folk intuition, and de Waal ably navigates it with deep insight, showing the ways in which our emotional lives are shared with other primates. This is an important book, wise and accessible." -- Robert Sapolsky, author of Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst"In Mama’s Last Hug, Frans de Waal marshals his wealth of knowledge and experience, toggling expertly between rigorous science and captivating anecdote to explain animal behavior—humans included. While doing so, he rebukes the common conceit that we are necessarily better, or smarter, than our closest relatives." -- Jonathan Balcombe, author of What a Fish Knows
£20.89
WW Norton & Co Friendship
Book SynopsisA Next Big Idea Club Must-Read Nonfiction Book of Winter 2020 and a Real Simple Best Book of 2020 (So Far) A revelatory investigation of friendship, with profound implications for our understanding of what humans and animals alike need to thrive across a lifetime.Trade Review"Accessible and enlightening...By highlighting the importance of human connection, Denworth has crafted a worthy call to action." -- Barbara King - Washington Post"[Denworth] has a solid command of the complex material before her and a seemingly effortless ability to make it not just digestible but engaging... [She] sticks to the science, calmly telling us the truth no matter what we need to hear. What else are friends for?" -- Daniel Akst - Wall Street Journal"The power of friendship—in many ways the most essential of our relationships—has long been underestimated. It's an absolute pleasure to see Lydia Denworth do it justice in this lovely, insightful, and important book." -- Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Poison Squad"Friendship was once mocked as a naive notion, irrelevant in our species and nonexistent in others. In her lively, personable style, Lydia Denworth reviews what we know about the benefits of close relationships and their long evolutionary history" -- Frans de Waal, author of Mama’s Last Hug"The science of friendship has grown remarkably rich in recent years, with scientists studying everything from the chemicals that create bonds in our brains to the friendships animals make for years on end. There's a deep evolutionary story to friendship now, and Lydia Denworth tells it in clear, lyrical prose." -- Carl Zimmer, author of She Has Her Mother's Laugh"Critical and convincing... Denworth’s work achieves the best of science writing by making complicated concepts clear. She uses intelligent observation, empathy, and curiosity to offer a friendship manifesto that will absolutely affect readers' own personal approaches to friendship." -- Booklist (starred review)"In addition to examining the scientific underpinnings of friendship, Denworth capably demonstrates how loneliness...is truly a health- and life-threatening condition, and there are things to be done to avoid it. Convincing evidence that evolution endowed us with a need for friends, support, comfort, stimulation, and, ultimately, happiness." -- Kirkus Reviews"Denworth draws several striking conclusions...[Friendship] provide[s] an effective introduction to its subject." -- Publishers Weekly"A sweeping, precise, and engaging narrative about our primordial capacity for friendship. If you care about what really matters in life, read this fantastic natural history of human friendship." -- Nicholas A. Christakis, author of Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society"I can think of no better rebuke to today’s success-obsessed brand of parenting than Denworth’s clarion call for friendship. Her convincing narration of the science shows that for our kids to live happily ever after, and successfully too, we must let them spend many more afternoons with friends." -- Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of How to Raise an Adult
£19.94
WW Norton & Co Case Studies in Cancer
Book SynopsisA case-based approach to cancer biology.
£70.93
WW Norton & Co How to Make a Killing Blood Death and Dollars in
Book SynopsisHow did a lifesaving medical breakthrough become a for-profit enterprise that threatens the people it’s meant to save?
£23.39
WW Norton & Co Planta Sapiens
Book SynopsisAn astonishing window into the inner world of plants, and the cutting-edge science in plant intelligence.Trade Review"A fascinating description of how plants interact with the environment in myriad ways." -- Temple Grandin - New York Times Book Review"Provocative.... Science, at its best, progresses through a reciprocal interplay between speculation and experimentation. Calvo’s stimulating book draws us into that process." -- David George Haskell - Scientific American"Calvo raises some fascinating questions." -- Barbara J. King - Washington Post"Remarkable.... Calvo has a wonderfully infectious enthusiasm for his subject that makes this book, for all its complex science, a joy to read. He challenges us to set aside our ‘zoocentric’ perspective and to change our view of plants radically: from mechanisms akin to robots to complex organisms with a range of behaviours, responding to and anticipating their environments. In doing so, he has written a genuinely mind-expanding book." -- PD Smith - The Guardian"Planta Sapiens is [a] bold and brave paean to our planet’s ligneous, leafy kingdom. I mostly relished the intellectual interrogation, the maverick thinking, and add my voice to his call to think beyond our prejudices and our anthropocentric indoctrination." -- Jackie Higgins - Daily Telegraph"We are unimaginable without plants, yet surprisingly blind to their powers and behaviors. Planta Sapiens weaves science and history into an absorbing exploration of the many ways that plants rise to the challenge of living." -- Merlin Sheldrake, author of Entangled Life"Planta Sapiens presents ‘fertile possibilities’ to the public and in doing so it has put science on notice. All plants are juggling to respond to climatic change. They are encoded to anticipate this, with their attentive neurobiochemistry driven by a helix that is so similar to that of the human family. Should we be surprised? No! We should be delighted with Professor Calvo’s seeding of scientific curiosity for the hope that it offers." -- Diana Beresford-Kroeger, author of To Speak for the Trees"Deeply thought-provoking. Planta Sapiens is a mind-opening meditation about the inner lives of plants. Whether you come away convinced that plants are conscious, or not, this book will change—and enrich—the way you look at the green life all around you." -- Anil Seth, author of Being You: A New Science of Consciousness"Mind-blowing.... This impressive addition to the growing literature on how plants experience the world will change how readers see the flora around them." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review"Are plants sentient? ... Along with fascinating examples, Calvo devotes equal space to arguments with philosophers and fellow scientists over the meaning of intelligence. Readers will find it difficult to resist his claim that plants tailor their forms and experiences to their environments in a way that animals simply cannot.... Persuasive evidence for plant intelligence." -- Kirkus Reviews
£21.59
WW Norton & Co Virology
Book SynopsisFinalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Nonfiction Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Literary Hub A leading microbiologist tackles the scientific and sociopolitical impact of viruses in eleven striking essays.Trade Review"Osmundson writes with the disarming voice of that teacher who makes science cool, even radical. His thought is discursive, his questioning accretive. He contains — and covers — multitudes: How are white people to stop spreading the lethal disease of “whiteness”? How does capitalism limit the imagination? Is evolution quintessentially queer? The task of following his leaps and swerves, while occasionally challenging, is its own reward, a chance to collaborate with a mind at work." -- John Okrent - New York Times Book Review"Virology is a brilliant book, both playful and serious, showing us all how viruses live with us, as we live with them. Drawing on queer theory, Osmundson offers a way of understanding care in the midst of anguish and anxiety as well as desire and hope. The viral world is the ordinary world of life and death, of caring for one another in our vulnerability and persistence. This book explains the science of virology for our times, offering a compassionate education for all of us disoriented in pandemic times. This book is queer pedagogy at its best: non-patronizing, thoroughly smart, and full of urgent and caring knowledge that beckons us to get closer again with caution and passion." -- Judith Butler"Joe Osmundson’s Virology is an incisive look at our relationship to earth’s most plentiful life form — how we live with viruses and how viruses live in and through us. But more than this, it is a compelling examination of the tension between avoidance and exposure, safety and risk, preservation of the self and openness to evolution and change. This book is a potent medicine for our times." -- Lacy M. Johnson, author of The Reckonings"Joseph Osmundson's Virology made me gay for viruses. Seriously. Virology is a tour de force that uses queer theory to teach us about the science of viruses. Along the way, we are forced to reckon with the reality that far from being villainous little creatures, viruses are actually fascinating almost-life forms. Virology brilliantly revises the frameworks we use to talk about life in a world filled with viruses and reminds us that our relationship with science and scientific phenomena is always social." -- Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, author of The Disordered Cosmos"I have absolutely no idea how Osmundson made a book this timely, this timeless, this packed with contents and styles we aren't supposed to experience in one text. Virology is devastating in its soulful brilliance. Rigor just became cool as **** and pleasurable again." -- Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy"Inquisitive, bold, and lyrical, Virology offers a captivating and very queer look at our present moment through the lens of someone who knows more than most of us about the science behind our shared catastrophe." -- Melissa Febos, author of Girlhood"To read Joseph Osmundson’s mind at work is such a pleasure. The tendrils of Virology go deep: to the pandemic, queerness, memes, futurity, and what it means to hold both love and despair, to live awake to both the world’s beauty and its harm. This is a profoundly necessary, urgently of-the-moment collection, one I’ll keep thinking about for a long time to come." -- Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, author of The Fact of a Body"The essays in Virology are beyond impressive. This is precision work, cutting and thoughtful, done with the deft hand of a wildly skilled writer. Joseph Osmundson has given us something precious with this important collection. It is a tribute to humanity. It is an ode to life." -- Kristin Arnett, author of With Teeth"Virology is a powerhouse of a collection, the work of a colossal mind, and these essays about viruses, risk, science, life, safety, queerness, and more are as urgent as they will prove lasting. Hallelujah for this book and for Joseph Osmundson." -- R.O. Kwon, author of The Incendiaries"Both [Joseph Osmundson’s] science and his writing chops are on full display in this stunner of an essay collection, which elegantly illustrates how microscopically tiny viruses like COVID-19 and HIV, which lead a simple existence, can have enormously complicated effects on the sociopolitical (and ultimately interpersonal) human worlds. The way Osmundson draws meaning from a queer experience of viruses is incredibly moving, ultimately resulting in a rage-filled call to action. Not to mention, it’s some of the most beautiful writing I’ve read in a long time." -- Sarah Neilson - them"Joseph Osmundson uses his training as a virologist to illustrate how viruses have shaped and will continue to shape our lives, with language that is gripping and straightforward. Scientifically sound and exceptionally perceptive" -- David Vogel - Vulture"Osmundson has created a stunningly beautiful and important book." -- Sarah Neilson - Shondaland"Luckily, we have Joseph Osmundson—an actual virologist—who writes with elegance and insight about the intersection of the real and the metaphorical, moving through topics like the legacy of HIV/AIDS, the long-term impact of Covid variants, and the effects of a prolonged pandemic on our systems of power. This is very much a book of our times." -- Literary Hub"In this scrupulous and impassioned manifesto, Osmundson, a microbiologist and activist (and podcaster!), looks at the nature of disease—and its impact on individuals and communities—through a distinctly queer lens." -- Michelle Hart - Electric Literature"A unique and singular archive of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), HIV/AIDS, queer theory, sociopolitical criticism, and a record of the viruses that are present in our guts, on our skin, and in our blood…Osmundson turns hard science into juicy, racy-queer reality accessible to anyone who decides to buy the book, read it, and live it." -- Mark William Norby - Bay Area Reporter"This wide-ranging collection of essays is a meditation on society’s complicated relationship with viruses. In pondering SARS-CoV-2, HIV and more, Osmundson calls for more equitable access to medical care." -- Science News (a Top Book of 2022)"Joseph Osmundson brings both his background in microbiology and a deft approach to language to a meditation on how viruses have affected — and continue to affect — even the smallest of quotidian moments." -- Tobias Carroll - InsideHook"Virology is an ambitious book that succeeds in its efforts to shed light on viruses with science writing, yes, but also to shed light on the messy realities of life with queer theory, journey entries, archival data, personal essays, and above all else, naked honesty…The lessons I need — the lessons we all need — exist in this book." -- Vanessa Friedman - Autostraddle"A welcome, well-informed, queer-positive study of the blind spots a pandemic reveals." -- Kirkus (starred review)"Original and bubbling with curiosity, this is a masterful achievement." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Osmundson writes with hope for a world where racial inequities are addressed and people treat each other with love and kindness. Just as viruses change and mutate, so, too, can people." -- Ragan O'Malley - Library Journal (starred review)"A collection that weaves together the raggedness of the personal with the chaos of the political, Virology will take its place next to Susan Sontag’s Illness as Metaphor and Audre Lorde’s The Cancer Journals as a model for cultural criticism. Sparkling prose, glittering insights, lucid thinking and accessible writing about sometimes difficult topics makes Virology a must-read. It’s one of the best science and medicine books of the year." -- Bookpage (starred review)
£12.99
