Science: general issues Books
MIT Press The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist
Book Synopsis
£14.44
MIT Press Ltd Attention Is Discovery
Book Synopsis
£25.60
MIT Press Ltd Galaxies
Book SynopsisAn eminently readable overview of the history and physics of galaxies. In Galaxies, Or Graur offers a brief and fascinating overview of the history, physics, and astrophysical uses of galaxies. Starting with the history of the last two thousand years of galaxy studies, Graur discusses the types of galaxies we observe and the physics that drive them; the myths and physical structure of the Milky Way; how galaxies were used to discover and study the mysterious phenomena of dark matter and dark energy; and how scientists think galaxies formed shortly after the Big Bang and evolved to their present forms. Tracing galaxy studies back thousands of years ago to their beginnings, Graur describes their origin in Ptolemy's book Almagest, which was written in the first century CE. Almagest catalogued hundreds of stars and a few hazy cloud-like objects, one of which was the Andromeda galaxy. The reader will also encounter in this book well-known figures such as William Herschel, who, along wit
£15.29
Columbia University Press The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries
Book SynopsisDonald R. Prothero explores the most fascinating breakthroughs in piecing together the evidence for evolution. In twenty-five vignettes, he recounts the dramatic stories of the people who made crucial discoveries, placing each moment in the context of what it represented for the progress of science.Trade ReviewThis compelling presentation of the undeniable evidence for evolution offers stunning and engaging reading for the enormous explanatory power of Darwin’s great idea. Written by Donald R. Prothero, a leading paleontologist of our times, this book promises to enlighten even the staunchest skeptics of the theory of evolution. -- Don Johanson, discoverer of Lucy and founder of the Institute of Human OriginsA hallmark of a truly great scientific insight is its ability to make sense of wildly different kinds of evidence, even kinds undreamed of when the insight first originated. Evolution is such an insight, and Prothero's survey of the field, in 25 short and lively chapters, illustrates the many lines of evidence for evolution from Darwin's day to our own, debunking misconceptions galore along the way. The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries is a fine introduction for any reader who wants to appreciate the evidence behind the science. -- Ann Reid, executive director, National Center for Science EducationThis is an informative and engaging work about the discovery process, mainly centered around evolution. Readers will be well informed about why biologists think evolution is not only real but also important for discovering who we are. Prothero provides a useful service in clearing up many misconceptions about evolution. -- Norman Johnson, author of Darwinian Detectives: Revealing the Natural History of Genes and GenomesDonald Prothero has emerged as our foremost defender of evolutionary theory against creationists and intelligent design theorists and our most articulate expositor of the theory to the general public since Stephen Jay Gould, his mentor. The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries is the best single volume I have read that captures the reality and grandeur of this grand theory of who we are, where we came from, and how we know all this about our species. A tour de force of science and reason. -- Michael Shermer, publisher, Skeptic magazineAn outstanding update on evolution. * Kirkus [Starred Review] *Accessible overview of the history of the idea of evolution. Prothero is skilled at translating specialist material into entertaining stories. * Publishers Weekly *With 'The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries,' Donald Prothero provides a masterful, lively primer on the abundant evidence for evolution, including the latest fossil findings at digging sites and laboratories around the world—all furthering to close this case, once and for all. * Foreword Reviews *Don’t Miss ‘The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries.’ [It] is palaeontologist and geologist Donald Prothero’s entertaining guide to the past, present and future of living things – with nature’s more bizarre aspects to the fore. * New Scientist *This book accomplishes a nearly impossible double-task: it conveys enough information to serve as an introductory undergraduate text in evolution while also fascinating the general reader. In the light of Mr. Prothero’s fine book, the reading public is better equipped than ever before to make sense of evolution itself. * The Wall Street Journal *An engaging style that is accessible to anyone. * Choice *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart I: In the Beginning: Everything Evolves, and Earth Is Very Old1. Everything Evolves and Changes: Discovery of the Evolving Universe2. The Abyss of Time: The Immense Age of the EarthPart II: Darwin’s Evidence for Evolution3. Evolution in Action: Transformation in Real Time4. Our Common Body Plan: Homology5. Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny: Evidence in Embryos6. The Sinking of Noah’s Ark: Biogeography7. The Branching Tree of Life: Phylogeny8. The Case of the Cruel Wasps: Nature Is Not Moral9. Jury-Rigged Contrivances: Nature Is Not Optimally DesignedPart III: Great Transitions in the History of Life10. A Whale of a Tale: Vestigial Organs and Walking Whales11. Invasion of the Land: Amphibians Crawl Out of the Water12. Missing Links Found: Macroevolution and Transitional Fossils13. Birds with Teeth: The Dinosaurs Among Us14. A Horse! A Horse! My Kingdom for a Horse! The Evolution of Equines15. How the Giraffe Got Its Neck: Lamarck, Darwin, and the Left Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve16. How the Elephant Got Its Trunk: The Evolution of the ProboscideansPart IV: Eyes and Genes17. A Warm Little Pond: How Did Life Originate?18. Genetic Junkyard: Most of Our DNA Is Useless19. Legs on Their Heads: Homeotic Mutants and Evo-Devo20. The Eyes Have It: The Evolution of PhotoreceptionPart V: Humans and Evolution21. A Tinkerer, Not an Engineer: Are Humans Well Designed?22. The Third Chimpanzee: Are We Really 99 Percent the Same?23. The Ape’s Reflection: Are Humans Really That Different from Other Animals?24. Bones of Our Ancestors: The Human Fossil Record25. The Once and Future Human: Are Humans Still Evolving?Index
£19.00
Columbia University Press So You Want to Be a Neuroscientist
Book SynopsisSo You Want to Be a Neuroscientist? is a contemporary and engaging guide for aspiring neuroscientists of diverse backgrounds and interests. Ashley Juavinett provides a candid look at the field, offering practical guidance that explores everything from programming to personal stories.Trade ReviewA wealth of practical wisdom and cordial wit fills this book. Every lab will want to have a bin-full ready for all, from undergraduates, to graduate students, postdocs, techs, and, yes, faculty. Juavinett has a faultless and streamlined take on the entire range of the neurosciences, as well as a winning insight into the convoluted social and ethical customs shaping lab life. -- Patricia S. Churchland, Salk Institute and University of California, San DiegoYou might not know it yet, but you do want to be a neuroscientist, and this compelling book will show you why and how. A wonderful, entertaining, yet eminently practical guide to joining the quest to solve our deepest, richest scientific challenge—understanding the brain. -- Mark D. Humphries, University of NottinghamSo You Want to Be a Neuroscientist? is an invaluable resource for those applying to graduate programs. Juavinett’s conversational style and well-placed humor demystifies the process while also reducing the anxiety that comes with taking on such a task. Anyone, at any stage in their neuroscience career, would be better for reading this book. -- Nikki Keisler, prospective graduate student and University of California, San Diego alumnaSo You Want to Be a Neuroscientist? is an absolute must-read for any aspiring neuroscientist and should be a rallying call for our field. -- Steve Ramirez, Boston UniversityIf you are considering a career in neuroscience and find the world in front of you bewildering with too many choices I recommend this book as a guide. * Watercooler Neuroscience *Table of ContentsPart I. Why Should You Study the Nervous System?1. Why Did You Pick up This Book?2. This Isn’t Your Grandmother’s Neuroscience3. Who Are All of the Neuroscientists?4. Where Neuroscience Is HeadedPart II. Graduate School in Neuroscience5. Why You Should (or Shouldn’t) Get a PhD in Neuroscience6. What Is a Neuroscience Graduate Degree, Anyway?7. Paths to Graduate School8. Choosing a Graduate School and Advisor9. Herding Cats, or Making the Most of Your Committee10. The Beauty of Self-Care11. The DissertationPart III. Research, Research, Research12. Types of Neuroscience Research13. Good Research Habits14. You Can Learn How to Code (and You Probably Should)15. No One Wants to Talk About Authorship16. Communicating Your Science17. Networking Is Not a Bad Word18. Finding Good MentorsPart IV. Where Do All the Neuroscientists Go?19. General Tips for Getting a Job After Graduate School20. Academia21. Industry Research22. Consulting23. Data Science24. Science Communication and Policy25. A Cast of Neuroscience CharactersAcknowledgmentsGlossaryNotesBibliographyIndex
£16.14
Columbia University Press Humans
Book SynopsisThis book brings together more than a hundred top experts, who share their insights on the study of human evolution and what it means for understanding our past, present, and future.Trade ReviewSergio Almécija has produced a most intriguing book that describes the hypotheses, hopes, fears, and beliefs of an extraordinary gathering of scientific scholars in the field of human evolution. Debate is lively among those who wrestle with the details of our origins, and it is certain that this fascinating, remarkable and insightful book will be welcomed by all. -- Don Johanson, discoverer of Lucy and founder of the Institute of Human OriginsHumans is an extraordinary book. It is unlike anything I have ever previously encountered and is fascinating as well as important from a scholarly perspective. -- John G. Fleagle, Distinguished Professor, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook UniversityThis wide-ranging compendium... deliver[s] intriguing insights. The result is a panoramic view of the state of evolutionary science. * Publishers Weekly *A fascinating new book edited by a leading researcher at the American Museum of Natural History. Provides an insightful analysis into the origins and the future of our species. Research scientist Sergio Almécija has compiled an eminent list of contributors. A remarkable book … designed to permit the reader to dip in and out of it, to explore a variety of topics and to gain fresh insights and perspectives. * Everything Dinosaur *I can heartily recommend this book to any fellow human. However, those of us who have long been enthralled by our species’ place within nature and our evolution as primates will be especially interested. * Trilobite Tales *[The] organization and the choice of interviewees is a refreshing one—it’s rare you can directly compare thoughts on some of the most profound questions on human nature from scientists raised in sharply differing traditions of thought. * Paleontological Society *Table of ContentsPreface: What Is This Book?Introduction: User ManualAn Illustrated Guide to Human EvolutionPart I: Prelude1. David Alba2. Peter Andrews3. David Begun4. Brenda Benefit5. Michael “Mike” Benton6. Matt Cartmill7. Yaowalak Chaimanee8. Glenn Conroy9. Simon Conway Morris10. Eric Delson11. Marc Furió12. Dan Gebo13. Jay Kelley14. Yutaka Kunimatsu15. Laura MacLatchy16. Salvador Moyà-Solà17. Masato Nakatsukasa18. Martin Pickford19. David PilbeamPart II: Beginnings20. Leslie Aiello21. Berhane Asfaw22. Anna “Kay” Behrensmeyer23. René Bobe24. Tim Bromage25. Jeremy “Jerry” DeSilva26. Steve Frost27. Yohannes Haile-Selassie28. Ashley Hammond29. Sonia Harmand30. Ralph Holloway31. Kevin D. Hunt32. William “Bill” Kimbel33. Fredrick “Kyalo” Manthi34. Mary Marzke35. Emma Mbua36. Robyn Pickering37. J. Michael “Mike” Plavcan38. Kaye Reed39. Brigitte Senut40. Richard “Rich” Smith41. David Strait42. Randall “Randy” Susman43. Peter Ungar44. Carol Ward45. Tim White46. Bernard WoodPart III: Becoming Human47. Eudald Carbonell48. Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo49. Dean Falk50. Katerina Harvati51. Yousuke Kaifu52. Richard Klein53. Carles Lalueza-Fox54. Richard Leakey55. Daniel “Dan” Lieberman56. Bienvenido Martínez-Navarro57. Briana Pobiner58. Marcia Ponce de León59. Mary Prendergast60. Lorenzo Rook61. Antonio Rosas62. Chris Ruff63. Jeffrey “Jeff” Schwartz64. John Shea65. Tanya Smith66. Ian Tattersall67. Matt Tocheri68. Milford Wolpoff69. Christoph ZollikoferPart IV: Now70. Susana Carvalho71. Frans de Waal72. Rolando González-José73. Kristen Hawkes74. Leslea Hlusko75. Sarah Hrdy76. Nina Jablonski77. Clifford “Cliff” Jolly78. Jon Kaas79. Leah Krubitzer80. Susan Larson81. Zarin Machanda82. Tomàs Marquès-Bonet83. Robert “Bob” Martin84. Priya Moorjani85. Mark Pagel86. Herman Pontzer87. Holger Preuschoft88. Joan Richtsmeier89. Robert Sapolsky90. Chet Sherwood91. Craig Stanford92. Jack Stern93. Andrea B. Taylor94. Kenneth “Ken” Weiss95. Richard WranghamPart V: Outro96. Daniel Gilbert97. Henry T. “Hank” Greely98. Kevin Kelly99. David Krakauer100. Misia Landau101. Geoffrey Miller102. Eugenie “Genie” Scott103. Anil SethAcknowledgmentsRecommended ReadingsNotesIndex
£26.60
Columbia University Press Every Brain Needs Music
Book SynopsisLarry S. Sherman, a neuroscientist and lifelong musician, and Dennis Plies, a professional musician and teacher, collaborate to show how our brains and music work in harmony. Written for both musical and nonmusical people, including newcomers to brain science, this book is a lively and easy-to-read exploration of the neuroscience of music.Trade ReviewEngaging and insightful, Every Brain Needs Music illuminates the connection between art and science and shows us the miraculous way our bodies and brains listen to, practice, and create music. From the architecture of music and the brain to the artistry of a transcendent musical performance, each chapter reveals why, for many of us, music is as essential as breathing or eating. -- Valerie Day, lead singer of Nu Shooz and Grammy nomineeWitty and brilliantly informative, Every Brain Needs Music evokes the love of music in all ways, and is the first book I will recommend to everyone who wants a deeper appreciation of music and life. From the deeply detailed description of our brains to concrete examples and strategies of improvement and learning, this book will benefit beginners and seasoned musicians alike. -- Mei-Ting Sun, professor of piano, Royal Academy of Music, and winner of the first Piano-e competition and the National Chopin CompetitionEvery Brain Needs Music shares priceless information garnered from the life experiences of the authors as artists, scientists, and educators and provides unique insights and a treasure trove of knowledge that all readers can benefit from. This valuable and informative book will help readers recognize the critical need for music education and the role it serves by enriching our aesthetic and cognitive lives. -- Yakov Bergman, music director/conductor of the Portland Chamber Orchestra, the Walla Walla Symphony, the Siletz Bay Music Festival, and the McCall SummerFestEvery Brain Needs Music is a thorough, but approachable primer for music lovers, music students, music teachers, and music therapists looking to understand how music is processed in the brain. The book presents a wide scope of music neuroscience literature, but in a way that makes it feel understandable. The complex topics are presented in a way that keeps readers’ attention, and helps readers make connections to their own inherent musicality. Music students and teachers will find this book helpful, and so will music therapists as a great refresher and quick-access guide for clear explanations to communicate to others the neuroscientific mechanisms underlying our clinical work. -- Brea Murakami, director of the Music Therapy Program, Pacific UniversityEvery chapter became my favourite and this is one of my favourite books! It’s a five out of five on the enJOYment scale, highly recommended, and I hope I get to read these authors again. * Moonglo Texas *A work of scientific popularization drawing on brain-mapping studies, insights culled from composers and performers, and the authors’ own experience with music making. Illustrators often go unheralded, but Susi B. Davis makes following the anatomical connections much easier; all due props, then. * Inside Higher Ed *Witty and informative, Every Brain Needs Music evokes the love of music in more ways than one. * The Hindu *Table of ContentsPreludeOverture1. What Is Music, and Why Does It Exist?2. How Your Brain Composes Music3. Practicing Music, Part I: The Partnership of Motivated Music Students and Motivated Music Teachers4. Practicing Music, Part II: Understanding the Neuroscience5. Practicing Music, Part III: Changing Your Brain to Get It Right6. How Your Brain Performs Music7. How Your Brain Listens to Music8. Why Your Brain Likes MusicCoda: The Final Jam with Dennis and Larry—Reflective ImprovisationAcknowledgmentsAppendix A: First SurveyAppendix B: Second SurveyNotesBibliographyIndex
£25.20
Columbia University Press The Travelers Guide to Space
Book Synopsis
£18.04
Columbia University Press The Curious History of the Heart
Book Synopsis
£16.19
Columbia University Press A Perspective on Opioid Addiction
Book Synopsis
£22.50
University of California Press The Principia The Authoritative Translation
Book SynopsisDescribes the acceleration, deceleration, and inertial movement; fluid dynamics; and the motions of the earth, moon, planets, and comets. This title deals with the fundamental three laws of motion and the law of universal gravity, and more. It is suitable for scientists, scholars, and students.
£39.10
Princeton University Press Tropical Ecology
Book SynopsisA comprehensive introduction to tropical ecologyThis full-color illustrated textbook offers the first comprehensive introduction to all major aspects of tropical ecology. It explains why the world''s tropical rain forests are so universally rich in species, what factors may contribute to high species richness, how nutrient cycles affect rain forest ecology, and how ecologists investigate the complex interrelationships among flora and fauna. It covers tropical montane ecology, riverine ecosystems, savanna, dry forestand more.Tropical Ecology begins with a historical overview followed by a sweeping discussion of biogeography and evolution, and then introduces students to the unique and complex structure of tropical rain forests. Other topics include the processes that influence everything from species richness to rates of photosynthesis: how global climate change may affect rain forest characteristics and function; how fragmentation of ecosystems affects species richness and ecological processes; human ecology in the tropics; biodiversity; and conservation of tropical ecosystems and species.Drawing on real-world examples taken from actual research, Tropical Ecology is the best textbook on the subject for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Offers the first comprehensive introduction to tropical ecology Describes all the major kinds of tropical terrestrial ecosystems Explains species diversity, evolutionary processes, and coevolutionary interactions Features numerous color illustrations and examples from actual research Covers global warming, deforestation, reforestation, fragmentation, and conservation The essential textbook for advanced undergraduates and graduate students Suitable for courses with a field component Leading universities that have adopted this book include: Biola University Bucknell University California State University, Fullerton Colorado State University - Fort Collins Francis Marion University Michigan State University Middlebury College Northern Kentucky University Ohio Wesleyan University St. Mary''s College of Maryland Syracuse University Tulane University University of California, Santa Cruz University of Central Florida University of Cincinnati University of Florida University of Missouri University of New Mexico University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of the West Indies Trade Review"Overall, an ideal resource for a tropical ecology course."--Choice "Tropical Ecology provides a superb introduction to the tropics. Kricher does a remarkable job at bringing together an enormous amount of information and presenting it in an accessible but rigorous way. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and certainly recommend it."--John G. Blake, Biotropica "[A]n excellent college text ... it will become my tropical ecology shelf resource."--Wildlife Activist "Tropical Ecology has 15 chapters and is broadly organized into four sections: a large section dealing with biodiversity in tropical rain forests, a section on productivity and nutrient cycling, a section on other ecosystems in the tropics, and a final section on human ecology in the tropics, including relevant issues in conservation. The first chapter gives an overview of tropical ecology, providing a nice background on the rich history of tropical fieldwork including that of Darwin, Wallace, and Humboldt. It provides a useful synopsis of the advances in tropical ecology over the years. It further gives a nice overview of all the biomes around the world, and a wonderfully succinct and accessible summary of the climatic processes that create the global diversity in biomes... In general ... Kricher was successful in convincing the reader about the unique contributions of tropical ecology to our understanding of ecological processes, especially to our understanding of how biodiversity is generated and maintained. This textbook is a wonderful starting point or reference for students and those generally interested in learning more about tropical ecology."--Ecology "Tropical Ecology by John Kricher unifies both perspectives to a great textbook. While reviewing the different conceptual angels that are necessary to grasp the ecology of the world's tropics, many well-chosen examples illustrate the need to be aware of countless 'descriptive' facts and phenomena before theories can be used to explain them. By viewing topics from many different angles (such as climate, plant physiology, behaviour, evolution, geology), the book makes clear the multidisciplinarity of understanding tropical ecosystems... I think it is a great dual-purpose book. With its non-technical style, nice colour pictures and graphs, and good didactical organization (e.g., boxes for special case stories; accompanying slides for lecturing on http://press.princeton.edu/links/kricher/) it makes a highly recommended, multidisciplinary textbook for academic teaching. At the same time it can be used as a comprehensive review of the state of the art and as a guide to recent original literature for graduate students and researchers starting new on one of the topics."--Jan Beck, Elsevier "As this textbook follows at the heels of Kricher's successful Neotropical Companion, it is no surprise that the text is clearly written and should be accessible to undergraduate and starting graduate students, the primary target of this text. The textbook is written in a narrative that, despite its length, is easy to digest. Kricher uses approachable examples with clear illustrations, and the text is well organized. As a whole, the textbook is nicely done and should provide a wonderful complement for a course in tropical ecology."--J. Albert C. Uy, Ecological Society of America "The book can be dipped into for an in-depth read on many subjects and it is liberally scattered with colour photographs, graphs and quotes from many current research papers. Overall this is a comprehensive account of the ecology of the neotropics and is highly recommended for students."--John Feltwell, Biologist "I think it is a great dual-purpose book. With its non-technical style, nice colour pictures and graphs, and good didactical organization ... it makes a highly recommended, multidisciplinary textbook for academic teaching. At the same time it can be used as a comprehensive review of the state of the art and as a guide to recent original literature for graduate students and researchers starting new on one of the topics."--Jan Beck, Basic and Applied Ecology "Kricher has written the text in an easy to read style, which makes the study of the subject pleasurable, rather than a chore. Overall, Kricher provides a great text for the beginning and advanced student. I would recommend it as a text for students to obtain a good understanding of the concepts of tropical ecology."--Noel D. Preece, Austral EcologyTable of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter 1: What and Where Are the Tropics? 6 Chapter 2: Biogeography and Evolution in the Tropics 38 Chapter 3: Inside Tropical Rain Forests: Structure 79 Chapter 4: Inside Tropical Rain Forests: Biodiversity 109 Chapter 5: A Study in Biodiversity: Rain Forest Tree Species Richness 154 Chapter 6: A Shifting Mosaic: Rain Forest Development and Dynamics 188 Chapter 7: Biotic Interactions and Coevolution in Tropical Rain Forests 227 Chapter 8: Trophic Dynamics in Evolutionary Context 272 Chapter 9: Carbon Flux and Climate Change in Tropical Ecosystems 323 Chapter 10: Nutrient Cycling and Tropical Soils 359 Chapter 11: Tropical Savannas and Dry Forests 390 Chapter 12: Other Tropical Ecosystems: From the Mountains to the Rivers to the Sea 422 Chapter 13: Humans as Part of Tropical Ecosystems: Focus on the Neotropics 469 Chapter 14: Forest Fragmentation and Biodiversity 500 Chapter 15: Conservation Outlook for the Tropics 530 APPENDIX: GEOLOGIC TIME CHART 565 LITERATURE CITED 566 ILLUSTRATION CREDITS 594 INDEX 606
£85.00
Princeton University Press The TwoMile Time Machine
Book SynopsisIn the 1990s Richard B. Alley and his colleagues made headlines with the discovery that the last ice age came to an abrupt end over a period of only three years. In The Two-Mile Time Machine, Alley tells the fascinating history of global climate changes as revealed by reading the annual rings of ice from cores drilled in Greenland. He explains thatTrade ReviewWinner of the 2001 Book Award in Science, Phi Beta Kappa One of Choices Outstanding Academic Titles for 2001 "Although not all scientists will agree with Alley's conclusions, [this] engaging book--a brilliant combination of scientific thriller, memoir and environmental science--provides instructive glimpses into our climatic past and global future ... "--Publisher's Weekly "Alley's ... striking finding is that the earth's climate has always been wildly variable and subject to dramatic swings--except during the past 10,000 years. So the period during which humankind has established itself across the globe and made the transition from grubby bands of hunter-gatherers to the dubious majesty of global capitalism corresponds exactly to a freakishly stable period in the earth's climate."--Angus Clarke, The Times of London "With a highly readable style designed to capture and stimulate the imagination of his students, Alley explains some of the complexities of Earth system science with a minimum of jargon. This book is not just for students: it will be readily accessible to a wide audience that should be aware of its contents."--David Peel, New Scientist "[A] provocative little book ... a compelling tale of climate sleuthing ...[Alley] is authoritative without being dogmatic, concerned without being alarmist."--Robert C. Cowen, Christian Science Monitor "A fascinating journey into the geologic past and the history of the Earth's climate ... Alley ends his entertaining book by polishing his crystal ball, envisioning what the future climate will be, and what we might do about it."--J.A. Rial, American Scientist "A superlative account of a complex topic ... It is refreshingly straightforward to read, often humorous, yet still deadly serious, complete with anecdotes and understandable explanations of complex processes."--Choice "Books in which scientists write about their professional experience and describe in lay terms the stuff that makes them excited about science rarely disappoint. Richard Alley's The Two Mile Time Machine is no exception. It describes a fascinating journey into the geologic past and the history of the Earth's climate... Alley ends his entertaining book by polishing his crystal ball, envisioning what the future climate will be, and what we might do about it."--J.A. Rial, American Scientist "[A] superb book... Alley demonstrates that the scientific understanding of climate is both a lot more complex, and a lot simpler, than public perceptions might indicate...The Two-Mile Time Machine restores some of the joy of discovery that has always been present in scientific work, but is often lost amidst today's furious research pace and compressed news cycles."--Cathering H. Crouch, Books and Culture "A fascinating first-hand story... [A]n engaging narrative about the processes of obtaining, analyzing, and interpreting the ice cores... Scientists, students, and the general public all need to know the present state of our incomplete understanding of the global climate system. This book provides an excellent foundation"--Al Bartlett, American Journal of Physics "It is ... refreshing to read a book that tells us in easy words, but with sufficient depth, how scientists have obtained the information about past climate change that is the basis for worries about the future. Richard Alley is a world authority in the science of ice cores and climate, and his book fills the large gap between technical and scholarly words for students of climate science and the short articles about these topics that are often found in the popular science magazines. The book addresses the interested layperson; following the story does not require special scientific knowledge. [It] is an excellent messenger of scientific endeavor and the enrichment this brings to society."--Thomas Stocker, Bulletin of the American Meteorological SocietyTable of ContentsList of Illustrations vii Preface to the New Paperback Edition ix PART I SETTING THE STAGE 1 Fast Forward 3 2 Pointers to the Past 11 PART II READING THE RECORD 3 Going to Greenland 17 4 The Icy Archives-Ice Sheets and Glaciers 31 5 Ice Age through the Ice Age 41 6 How Cold of Old? 59 7 Dust in the Wind 71 8 Tiny Bubbles in the Ice 77 PART III CRAZY CLIMATES 9 The Saurian Sauna 83 10 The Solar System Swing 91 11 Dancing to the Orbital Band 99 12 What the Worms Turned 109 PART IV WHY THE WEIRDNESS? 13 How Climate Works 131 14 A Chaotic Conveyor? 147 15 Shoving the System 159 PART V COMING CRAZINESS? 16 Fuelish 169 17 Down the Road 181 18 An Ice-Core View of the Future 185 APPENDIXES 1 A Cast of Characters 193 2 Usage of Units 199 Sources and Related Information 201 Acknowledgments 223 Index 225
£14.24
Princeton University Press The Medea Hypothesis
Book SynopsisIn The Medea Hypothesis, renowned paleontologist Peter Ward proposes a revolutionary and provocative vision of life's relationship with the Earth's biosphere--one that has frightening implications for our future, yet also offers hope. Using the latest discoveries from the geological record, he argues that life might be its own worst enemy. This staTrade ReviewOne of the 2009 New York Times Magazine's 9th Annual Featured Books in Ideas "Ward holds the Gaia Hypothesis, and the thinking behind it, responsible for encouraging a set of fairy-tale assumptions about the earth, and he'd like his new book, due out this spring, to help puncture them. He hopes not only to shake the philosophical underpinnings of environmentalism, but to reshape our understanding of our relationship with nature, and of life's ultimate sustainability on this planet and beyond."--Drake Bennett, Boston Globe "Author and Earth Sciences professor Ward has authored numerous books for non-specialists; this latest is a critical response to James Lovelock's Gaia concept, which argues that homeostatic physical and chemical interactions work to maintain Earth's habitability. Ward argue, passionately, that the opposite is true--that living organisms decrease Earth's habitability, hastening its end by perhaps a billion years."--PublishersWeekly.com "When avid science readers browse the shelves for new titles, the books that grab their attention are best described by a single adjective: thought-provoking. And no scientist/author is more provocative in his approach and innovative in his thinking than University of Washington astrobiologist Peter Ward ... [R]eaders looking for solace will not find it in Ward's latest effort, The Medea Hypothesis. This time Ward goes after motherhood itself--or at least the central idea of the Gaia ('good mother') hypothesis that has evolved to describe the relationship between life and the planet as a whole."--Fred Bortz, Seattle Times "Reading the book will widen your field of vision about life on earth, which is still there after about 4 billion years."--Dr. Hein van Bohemen, Ecological Engineering "The point of The Medea Hypothesis is that life, rather than helping to regulate the Earth 'System' by negative feedbacks, does all it can to consume the resources available--sowing the seeds of its own extinction."--Dr. Henry Gee, BBC Focus Magazine "[Ward] makes his points succinctly and supports them well."--Rebecca Wigood, Vancouver Sun "[The Medea Hypothesis] is an interesting intellectual exercise on the history of life."--Choice "Ward ... adopts the tone of a planetary mortician gruesomely interested in his subject's decease. Ward is an expert on mass extinctions, and the subject seems to have infected his general outlook. He does not come across a happy camper."--Roger Gathman, Austin American-Statesman "The Medea Hypothesis is a valuable and well-needed challenge to the hegemony of Gaian thought, and this is a very clearly presented and thought provoking book... Ward's book is a crucial step in opening this debate and I would certainly recommend reading it, but with a critical eye open for chinks in the argument."--Lewis Dartnell, Astrobiology Society of BritainTable of ContentsIntroduction ix Chapter 1: Darwinian Life 1 Chapter 2: What Is Evolutionary "Success"? 14 Chapter 3: Two Hypotheses about the Nature of Life on Earth 24 Chapter 4: Medean Feedbacks and Global Processes 55 Chapter 5: Medean Events in the History of Life 72 Chapter 6: Humans as Medeans 91 Chapter 7: Biomass through Time as a Test 98 Chapter 8: Predicted Future Trends of Biomass 114 Chapter 9: Summation 126 Chapter 10: Environmental Implications and Courses of Action 128 Chapter 11: What Must Be Done 141 References 157 Index 173
£17.09
Princeton University Press The Princeton Guide to Evolution
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Biology students will find this material helpful, and those with a desire to learn more about the history of life, genes, evolutionary processes, and the like might also find this a worthwhile title to peruse. A comprehensive guide to all aspects of evolution. Great for students and teachers of the subject."--Library Journal "This comprehensive reference covers an enormous breadth of information on the major subjects and key concepts in evolutionary biology... The list of international contributors consists of leading evolutionary biologists from a variety of academic institutions."--Booklist "The writers have worked hard (and succeeded) to make the text as easily readable to the non-specialist reader ... losing the textbook rigor that will be required by the specialist, who wants an up to date and comprehensive reference. I would thoroughly recommend this book both for those who are struggling with epigenetics and for experts who need all the arguments for the facts about evolution easily to hand."--Brian Livingstone, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society "This massive compendium of 107 chapters covers just about everything there is to know about evolution... Overall, an excellent starting point for deeper investigation."--Choice "Princeton University Press, together with the editors and contributors to The Princeton Guide to Evolution, deserve massive congratulations for having produced an exhaustive and fascinating guide to one of the most important of all scientific truths."--Charles H. Middleburgh, Charles Middleburgh Blog "All in all, a good and useful book."--John Goodier, Reference Reviews "I will make extensive use ofThe Princeton Guide to Evolution, and I recommend it to everyone who has questions (and answers) about evolution--what it is, and how it works. Congratulations to the editors and the contributors for a work that will serve a very broad readership well."--Marvalee H. Wake, Reports of the National Center for Science Education "A fascinating tour de force through the multifaceted ideas and facts of one of the most important scientific fields."--Christoph Oberprieler, Journal of Plant PhysiologyTable of Contents837
£47.50
Princeton University Press Fly by Night Physics
Book Synopsis
£45.00
Princeton University Press Evolutions Bite
Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of CHOICE’s Outstanding Academic Titles for 2017"
£19.00
Princeton University Press The Slow Moon Climbs The Science History and
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the PROSE Award in History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, Association of American Publishers"
£15.29
Princeton University Press Free Agents How Evolution Gave Us Free Will
Book Synopsis
£14.24
Princeton University Press Intraterrestrials
Book Synopsis
£19.80
Johns Hopkins University Press Write an Effective Funding Application A Guide
Book SynopsisThe book includes detailed information on developing budgets, "before" and "after" versions of proposals, and descriptions of common pitfalls that everyone can avoid.Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Prepare the Ground2. Plan Ahead3. Zoom In, Zoom Out: Putting Your Work in Context4. Notes toward the Text5. Un-Curb Your Enthusiasm6. The Budget: Core Strength7. Get It Down: The First Draft8. Get It Right: The Second Draft9. Get It Smooth: The Final Draft10. Get It Done: Review, Refresh, Release11. Close the Circle12. Build Your CredentialsAppendix A: Sample Research ProposalAppendix B: Sample Project SummaryAppendix C: Effective Letters of SupportAnnotated BibliographyIndex
£37.35
John Wiley & Sons Creating Effective Undergraduate Research Progra The Transformation from Student to Scientist
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£34.20
Johns Hopkins University Press Restoring the Balance
Book Synopsis
£22.50
University of Minnesota Press What Would Animals Say If We Asked the Right
Book SynopsisVinciane Despret argues that behaviors we identify as separating humans from animals do not actually properly belong to humans. Combining serious scholarship with humor, this book poses twenty-six questions that stretch our preconceived ideas about what animals do, what they think about, and what they want.Trade Review"Despret’s book is a timely one—as today ethical questions related to animals seem to be almost everywhere."—PopMatters.com"Many philosophers have considered the issue of animal rights, but Despret considerably broadens the range of moral and philosophical concerns in this field."—CHOICE"Eccentric but brilliant."—American Book ReviewTable of ContentsContentsForewordBruno LatourAcknowledgmentsHow to Use This BookTranslator's NoteA for Artists: Stupid like a painter?B for Beasts: Do apes really ape?C for Corporeal: Is it all right to urinate in front of animals?D for Delinquents: Can animals revolt?E for Exhibitionists: Do animals see themselves as we see them?F for Fabricating Science: Do animals have a sense of prestige?G for Genius: With whom would extraterrestrials want to negotiate?H for Hierarchies: Might the dominance of males be a myth?I for Impaired: Are animals reliable models of morality?J for Justice: Can animals compromise?K for Killable: Are any species killable?L for Laboratory: What are rats interested in during experiments?M for Magpies: How can we interest elephants in mirrors?N for Necessity: Can one lead a rat to infanticide?O for Oeuvres: Do birds make art?P for Pretenders: Can deception be proof of good manners?Q for Queer: Are penguins coming out of the closet?R for Reaction: Do goats agree with statistics?S for Separations: Can animals be broken down?T for Tying Knots: Who invented language and mathematics?U for Umwelt: Do beasts know ways of being in the world?V for Versions: Do chimpanzees die like we do?W for Work: Why do we say that cows don’t do anything?X for Xenografts: Can one live with the heart of a pig?Y for YouTube: Are animals the new celebrities?Z for Zoophilia: Can horses consent?NotesIndex
£21.59
Oxford University Press Introduction to Nanoscience
Book SynopsisNanoscience is not physics, chemistry, engineering or biology. It is all of them, and it is time for a text that integrates the disciplines. This is such a text, aimed at advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students in the sciences. The consequences of smallness and quantum behaviour are well known and described Richard Feynman''s visionary essay ''There''s Plenty of Room at the Bottom'' (which is reproduced in this book). Another, critical, but thus far neglected, aspect of nanoscience is the complexity of nanostructures. Hundreds, thousands or hundreds of thousands of atoms make up systems that are complex enough to show what is fashionably called ''emergent behaviour''. Quite new phenomena arise from rare configurations of the system. Examples are the Kramer''s theory of reactions (Chapter 3), the Marcus theory of electron transfer (Chapter 8), and enzyme catalysis, molecular motors, and fluctuations in gene expression and splicing, all covered in the final Chapter on NanTrade ReviewThe book covers a lot of ground and combines a thoroughness of treatment with a lightness of touch. It is attractive for both undergraduate students seeking clear explanations and graduate students wanting depth. * Stephen Blundell, Oxford University *Table of ContentsPART I: THE BASICS ; PART II: TOOLS ; PART III: APPLICATIONS
£999.99
Columbia University Press What Walks This Way Discovering the Wildlife
Book Synopsis
£18.00
Editions Solar Respirer
Book Synopsis
£20.66
Princeton University Press The Standard Model
Book Synopsis
£49.30
BenBella Books The Grand Biocentric Design: How Life Creates
Book SynopsisWhat if life isn't just a part of the universe . . . what if it determines the very structure of the universe itself? The theory that blew your mind in Biocentrism and Beyond Biocentrism is back, with brand-new research revealing the startling truth about our existence. What is consciousness? Why are we here? Where did it all come from—the laws of nature, the stars, the universe? Humans have been asking these questions forever, but science hasn't succeeded in providing many answers—until now. In The Grand Biocentric Design, Robert Lanza, one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People," is joined by theoretical physicist Matej Pavšic and astronomer Bob Berman to shed light on the big picture that has long eluded philosophers and scientists alike. This engaging, mind-stretching exposition of how the history of physics has led us to Biocentrism—the idea that life creates reality-takes readers on a step-by-step adventure into the great science breakthroughs of the past centuries, from Newton to the weirdness of quantum theory, culminating in recent revelations that will challenge everything you think you know about our role in the universe. This book offers the most complete explanation of the science behind Biocentrism to date, delving into the origins of the memorable principles introduced in previous books in this series, as well as introducing new principles that complete the theory. The authors dive deep into topics including consciousness, time, and the evidence that our observations-or even knowledge in our minds-can affect how physical objects behave. The Grand Biocentric Design is a one-of-a-kind, groundbreaking explanation of how the universe works, and an exploration of the science behind the astounding fact that time, space, and reality itself, all ultimately depend upon us.Trade Review"For those addicted to exploring our role as observers in defining our universe, here is your long-awaited major update . . . You'll love The Grand Biocentric Design―it adds new turf to the physics of making universes, and includes ‘solid evidence,' at last, that observers define the structure of physical reality itself." —George Church, Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, professor of health sciences and technology at Harvard and MIT, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering (on Thomson Reuters short-list for the Nobel Prize) "The Grand Biocentric Design brilliantly draws our attention to the most important feature of the entire universe: our human minds . . . This new book brings out the real nature of our universe: for all of us to deeply search for fuller understanding, and for meaning." —Richard Conn Henry, academy professor of physics and astronomy at The Johns Hopkins University, and former deputy director of NASA's Astrophysics Division "For those searching for answers to contemporary physics' disturbing findings, The Grand Biocentric Design is a must-read." —Ronald M. Green, Eunice and Julian Cohen Professor Emeritus for the study of ethics and human values at Dartmouth College, and Professor Emeritus and former chairman of the Department of Religion. "In The Grand Biocentric Design, his third and best book on the topic, Lanza and colleagues unpack, with unprecedented rigor, his theory of biocentrism through the hard lens of physics . . . If you consider biocentrism mere philosophy, look to this volume to make the case that science is at its core." —Pamela Weintraub, senior editor at Aeon, former executive editor of Discover,and editor-in-chief of OMNI "In his two previous books on biocentrism (written with Bob Berman), biologist Robert Lanza proposed a bold new theory of the universe, one that builds on the insights of quantum physics to put consciousness at its center. Here, with theoretical physicist Matej Pavšič, Lanza strives, in language suited to the general reader, to explain the science behind this theory." —Robert Wilson, editor in chief at The American Scholar, the venerable magazine of Phi Beta Kappa, which has published the work of Albert Einstein, John Updike, Saul Bellow, Bertrand Russell, Margaret Mead, and Robert Frost, among others "This must-read book is a masterpiece, discussing newly emergent research that answers questions, through the lens of biocentrism, on how the world works and who we are . . . It will provide thought-provoking and life-changing insights on your existence and everything that surrounds you." —Anthony Atala, W. Boyce Professor and chairman, and director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University, and member of the National Academy of Medicine, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine "Robert Lanza is one of the most creative and brilliant scientists I have ever known . . . The Grand Biocentric Design is his latest creative work based on his life-long scientific journey, which opens up a new biology-based vista to our understanding of existence and consciousness." —Kwang-Soo Kim, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School, and director of the Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital "A unique and paradigm-shattering concept that biological systems are primary and affect our perception of physical systems . . . This insightful work is certain to energize our conversations about the nature of the biological and physical world." —Lucian V. Del Priore, MD, PhD (physics), Robert R. Young Professor at Yale University "A masterly tour de force that will change your life. Robert Lanza and his coauthors take on the Herculean task of reconciling quantum theory, relativity, and consciousness. You will never look at science—indeed, life and death—the same way again." —Ralph Levinson, Professor Emeritus of health sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA
£12.34
Princeton University Press Astrophysics in a Nutshell
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016 Praise for the first edition: "Dan Maoz aims to provide a concise guide to the subject for advanced science undergraduates. The essentials of modern astrophysics are covered, from traditional topics such as stellar remnants and galaxies to recent research including dark matter and dark energy, while training students in order-of-magnitude analysis."--Times Higher Education Praise for the first edition: "Maoz makes generous and excellent use of back-of-the-envelope calculations and approximations to the more complete theory, accurate enough to both illustrate the physics and to arrive at decent numerical answers... Lots of material is squeezed into this thin volume. The treatment of stellar physics is particularly insightful; other topics--galaxies and galactic structure and cosmology--are also very well done."--K. L. Schick, Choice Praise for the first edition: "The presentation of so much material ... is done very skillfully, with a judicious balance between mathematical discussion and physical argument. The pedagogic value of the text is greatly enhanced by the problems given at the end of each chapter. Altogether, the book lives well up to the publisher's declared aims."--Leon Mestel, Observatory Praise for the first edition: "This is, without a doubt, one of the best books that I have used for an introductory course in astrophysics over the past decade. The book is unique in providing a pedagogical and authoritative overview of all the important topics in present-day astrophysics with mathematical rigor. The equations are self-contained and well explained, and the results are derived in a concise, factual manner with careful attention to details. My students, teaching assistant, and I have all found the book to be outstanding."--Avi Loeb, Harvard University Praise for the first edition: "Astrophysics in a Nutshell introduces the serious student to the tools, diversity, and power of modern astrophysical theory. In one panoramic volume, both text and reference, the author presents and applies essential concepts and equations, introducing the methods by which we seek to understand the inner workings of the cosmos. It will make a useful addition to the libraries of novice and pundit alike."--Adam Burrows, Princeton University Praise for the first edition: "Astrophysics in a Nutshell is just that--a no-nonsense, fast-paced textbook that authoritatively covers the concepts underlying modern astronomy at an advanced undergraduate level. Dan Maoz does a remarkably good job of presenting the widest range of material that can be reasonably contained in a serious one-semester course. The book's scholarship is excellent and fully up to date."--Greg Laughlin, University of California, Santa Cruz Praise for the first edition: "I have nothing but praise for this textbook. It is a significant contribution to a field that is short on introductions to astronomy for science majors. Astrophysics in a Nutshell fills a basic need."--Lynne Hillenbrand, California Institute of Technology "The book is outstanding and belongs on al physics professors' desks and in all colleges and libraries."--ChoiceTable of ContentsPreface xii Constants and Units xvii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Observational Techniques 2 Problems 8 Chapter 2: Stars: Basic Observations 10 2.1 Review of Blackbody Radiation 10 2.2 Measurement of Stellar Parameters 14 2.3 The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram 26 Problems 28 Chapter 3: Stellar Physics 30 3.1 Hydrostatic Equilibrium and the Virial Theorem 31 3.2 Mass Continuity 35 3.3 Radiative Energy Transport 35 3.4 Energy Conservation 40 3.5 The Equations of Stellar Structure 41 3.6 The Equation of State 42 3.7 Opacity 44 3.8 Scaling Relations on the Main Sequence 45 3.9 Nuclear Energy Production 47 3.10 Nuclear Reaction Rates 52 3.11 Solution of the Equations of Stellar Structure 57 3.12 Convection 57 Problems 60 Chapter 4: Stellar Evolution and Stellar Remnants 64 4.1 Stellar Evolution 64 4.2 White Dwarfs 69 4.3 Supernovae and Neutron Stars 82 4.4 Pulsars 89 4.5 Black Holes 96 4.6 Interacting Binaries 99 Problems 109 Chapter 5: Star Formation and the Interstellar Medium 115 5.1 Cloud Collapse and Star Formation 115 5.2 H II Regions 122 5.3 Components of the Interstellar Medium 133 5.4 Shocks, Supernova Remnants, and Cosmic Rays 136 Problems 153 Chapter 6: Extrasolar Planets 157 6.1 Planet Detection Methods 158 6.2 Planetary System Occurrence and Architecture 175 6.3 Planet Formation and Evolution 178 6.4 Habitable Zones and the Search for Life 180 Problems 182 Chapter 7: The Milky Way and Other Galaxies 185 7.1 Structure of the Milky Way 185 7.2 Galaxy Demographics 200 7.3 Active Galactic Nuclei and Quasars 203 7.4 Groups and Clusters of Galaxies 208 Problems 212 Chapter 8: Cosmology: Basic Observations 215 8.1 The Olbers Paradox 215 8.2 Extragalactic Distances 216 8.3 Hubble's Law 223 8.4 Age of the Universe from Cosmic Clocks 225 8.5 Isotropy of the Universe 226 Problems 227 Chapter 9: Big Bang Cosmology 228 9.1 The Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker Metric 228 9.2 The Friedmann Equations 231 9.3 History and Future of the Universe 234 9.4 A Newtonian Derivation of the Friedmann Equations 240 9.5 Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe 242 Problems 245 Chapter 10: Tests and Probes of Big Bang Cosmology 247 10.1 Cosmological Redshift and Hubble's Law 247 10.2 The Cosmic Microwave Background 251 10.3 Anisotropy of the Microwave Background 255 10.4 Baron Acoustic Oscillations 261 10.5 Nucleosynthesis of the Light Elements 263 10.6 Quasars and Other Distant Sources as Cosmological Probes 266 Problems 269 Appendix 275 Index 239
£68.00
Columbia University Press Macroevolutionaries
Book Synopsis
£19.80
Orion Publishing Co The Nature of Horses Their Evolution Intelligence
Book SynopsisWhat does it mean to be a horse? The definitive and bestselling book explaining the mysteries of the horse using insights of modern science.What makes a winning racehorse? How intelligent are horses? What are horses trying to tell us when they stamp their hooves and snort? Do horses talk to each other?The horse, long symbol of beauty and athletic prowess, has made and lost fortunes and transformed human history and culture, and yet has retained mysteries that baffle even those who work with them every day. There has recently been an explosion of scientific research on the horse. In this book Stephen Budiansky brings the insights of modern science to a wider audience of horse enthusiasts and animal-lovers.
£9.99
University of California Press Microcosmos
Book SynopsisBrings together the various discoveries of microbiology. Of interest to general readers, this book provides a view of evolution as a process based on interdependency and their interconnectedness of life on the planet.Trade Review"A luminous prose style. . . . Clear, evocative, and, at its best, dense with realities rather than concepts or opinions, [Microcosmos] grips the serious reader in a way that transcends both science and science journalism." * New York Times Book Review *"Microcosmos is a book for all to read. Although the ideas expressed with such clarity and enthusiasm in this enthralling volume are soundly based on current scientific research they are couched in a language that anyone with a smattering of biology can easily grasp. . . . Microcosmos is a book packed with information and fascinating detail, but all of it to the purpose of demonstrating how life forms are interwoven with each other." * The Ecologist *"A fascinating, engrossing, superbly written account. . . . Makes the story of evolution—including very recent findings—accessible." * Los Angeles Times *"A stunning, complex chronicle . . . proposing that only an understanding of the microcosm from which life sprang can make possible our ultimate leap beyond Earth into a human-devised supercosm." * Publishers Weekly *"First published in 1986, Microcosmos is already regarded as a seminal book in its field." * Hartford Courant *Table of ContentsForeword by Lewis Thomas (1986) Preface (1997) Acknowledgments Introduction: The Microcosm 1. Out of the Cosmos 2. The Animation of Matter 3. The Language of Nature 4. Entering the Microcosm 5. Sex and Worldwide Genetic Exchange 6. The Oxygen Holocaust 7. New Cells 8. Living Together 9. The Symbiotic Brain 10. The Riddle of Sex 11. Late Bloomers: Animals and Plants 12. Egocentric Man 13. The Future Supercosm Notes Index
£24.30
Princeton University Press Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Lovely. . . . For anyone interested in truly understanding many of the concepts and methods within quantum mechanics which we so often take for granted, this is an invaluable book."---Jonathan Shock, Mathemafrica"The new edition is easier [to] read and to comprehend, and the editor thinks it will inspire the work of future generations of physicists."---K. E. Hellwig, Zentralblatt MATH
£78.20
Princeton University Press Problem Book in Relativity and Gravitation
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This book is a classic and easily the best way for students learning general relativity to get experience doing problems. A wide variety of topics are covered and extensive solutions are given to the insightfully formulated exercises. This is a wonderful tool for becoming an expert in a beautiful subject."—Sean Carroll, author of Spacetime and Geometry: An Introduction to General Relativity"When you first meet them, special and general relativity seem absurd and paradoxical. When you finally reach the point of understanding them, they make perfect sense, but the only way to get there is by solving problems. This classic text is an invaluable resource for students wanting to make this journey."—John Baez, University of California, RiversidePraise for the original edition: "This work is full of interesting problems, arranged by subject and graded by difficulty. It is full of intellectual content, and it is much more than modern pedagogy. It is modern physics, much of it at the frontiers, done in modern ways."—John A. Wheeler, Princeton University
£43.20
Princeton University Press The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein Volume 17
Book Synopsis
£35.70
MIT Press Ltd Serendipity
Book Synopsis
£20.80
Quercus Publishing The Maths Handbook: Everyday Maths Made Simple
Book SynopsisThis is the perfect introduction for those who have a lingering fear of maths. If you think that maths is difficult, confusing, dull or just plain scary, then The Maths Handbook is your ideal companion. Covering all the basics including fractions, equations, primes, squares and square roots, geometry and fractals, Dr Richard Elwes will lead you gently towards a greater understanding of this fascinating subject. Even apparently daunting concepts are explained simply, with the assistance of useful diagrams, and with a refreshing lack of jargon. So whether you're an adult or a student, whether you like Sudoku but hate doing sums, or whether you've always been daunted by numbers at work, school or in everyday life, you won't find a better way of overcoming your nervousness about numbers and learning to enjoy making the most of mathematics.Trade Review'Elwes takes the key concepts, perfectly illustrates them with practical examples and easy-to-follow explanations, tests us with quizzes, and applies the principles to everyday situations. The effect is strangely liberating, and you might soon find yourself acquiring a love of logarithms and a respect for reflex quadrilaterals' Good Book Guide. * Good Book Guide *Table of ContentsIntroduction. The language of mathematics. Addition. Subtraction. Multiplication. Division. Primes, factors and multiples. Negative numbers and the number line. Decimals. Fractions. Arithmetic with fractions. Powers. The power of 10. Roots and logs. Percentages and proportions. Algebra. Equations. Angles. Triangles. Circles. Area and volume. Polygons and solids. Pythagoras' theorem. Trigonometry. Coordinates. Graphs. Statistics. Probability. Charts. Answers to quizzes. Index.
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Dreams Of A Final Theory
Book SynopsisAn understanding of nature''s final laws may be within our grasp - a way of explaining forces and symmetries and articles that does not require further explanation. ''This starting point, to which all explanations can be traced, is what I mean by a final theory'', says Steven Weinberg in this extraordinary book. In it he discusses beauty, the weakness of philosophy, the best ideas in physics and the honour of accepting a world without god.Trade ReviewWienberg has reached the pinnacle of scientific succes - the Nobel Prize - he writes clearly and with confidence, imbuing the reader with an irresistible sense that one is in the hands of a master physicist at play * Sunday Times *Highly literate, comprehensive, challenging, a survey of an exciting and extraordinary field of enquiry by one of its leading figures * Financial Times *A truly important book, one which tries to change our minds... A magnificently honest piece of work * Times Literary Supplement *This is a brilliant book * Daily Telegraph *
£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd Ecological Intelligence
Book SynopsisDaniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist and journalist. He is co-founder of the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning at the Yale University Child Studies Center (now at the University of Illinois at Chicago), co-chairman of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, based in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University, and a member of the board of directors of the Mind & Life Institute. His book Emotional Intelligence was on the New York Times bestseller list for a year and a half, with nearly 6 million copies in print worldwide and translated into thirty languages, it remains one of the bestselling non-fiction works of the past decade. Goleman lives in the Berkshires in the United States.Trade ReviewRefreshingly optimistic * Financial Times *An idea that is changing the world . . . the global economy is being remade before our eyes * Time Magazine *
£11.69
Oxford University Press Inc You
Book SynopsisWhat are you? Obviously, you are a person with human ancestors that can be plotted on a family tree, but you have other identities as well. According to evolutionary biologists, for example, you are a member of the species Homo sapiens. To a microbiologist, though, you are a collection of cells, each of which has its own cellular ancestry. A geneticist might point out that besides these identities, you can be understood as a gene-replication machine, which can be plotted on a genetic tree. Finally a physicist will give a rather different answer to the identity question: you can be understood as a collection of atoms, each of which has a very long history. Some have been around since the Big Bang, and others are the result of nuclear fusion that took place within a star. Not only that, but most of your atoms belonged to other living things before joining you. From your atoms'' point of view, then, you are just a way station on a multibillion-year-long journey. You: A Natural History offers a multi-disciplinary investigation of your hyper-extended family tree, going all the way back to the Big Bang. And while your family tree may contain surprises, your hyper-extended history contains some truly amazing stories. As the result of learning more about who and what you are, and about how you came to be here, you will likely see the world around you with fresh eyes. You will also become aware of all the one-off events that had to take place for your existence to be possible: stars had to explode, the earth had to be hit 4.5 billion years ago by a planetesimal and 65 million years ago by an asteroid, microbes had to engulf microbes, the African savanna had to undergo climate change, and of course, any number of your direct ancestors had to meet and mate. It is difficult, on becoming aware of just how contingent your own existence is, not to feel very lucky to be part of our universe.Trade ReviewWilliam B Irvine's You: A Natural History is a book by a philosopher about science, written with non-scientists in mind-"for readers not only to understand how, according to science, they and their world came to exist, but to take this science personally". * Miriam van der Valk, Philosophical Practice *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Your Multiple IdentitiesPart 1. Your Deep AncestryChapter 1. Your PeopleChapter 2. You and I Are RelatedChapter 3. You Have a Great Throwing ArmChapter 4. Your Place on the Tree of LifeChapter 5. Your Sex Problem(s)Chapter 6. The Neanderthal in Your Family TreeChapter 7. The Code(s) by which You LiveChapter 8. Your (Alien?) RootsPart 2. The Cellular YouChapter 9. You Are ComplexChapter 10. Your Ancestors Were BoringChapter 11. Your "Cellmates"Chapter 12. Your "Boarders"Part 3. The Atomic YouChapter 13. You Are What You Eat, AteChapter 14. Your Windblown PastChapter 15. Your Cosmic ConnectionChapter 16. Pulling Yourself TogetherPart 4. Your Place in the UniverseChapter 17. You Are a Gene MachineChapter 18. You Are (Merely) Part of LifeChapter 19. Your Many AfterlivesChapter 20. Why Are You Here?NotesWorks CitedIndex
£999.99
Oxford University Press, USA On What Evidence
Book SynopsisIn the era of evidence-based medicine (EBM), discussions of medical knowledge have largely focused on the role of clinical research, though even the primary architects of EBM have acknowledged that the results of such research should not alone dictate decisions about care for individual patients. The most widely cited definition of EBM states that knowledge from clinical trials must be integrated with a physician''s clinical expertise, knowledge of physiology, and understanding of their patient''s values. Yet proponents of EBM have provided sparse guidance on how this integration should occur.On What Evidence? aims to solve this integration problem by considering how clinicians gain and demonstrate expertise, what kinds of medical knowledge can legitimately be brought to bear, and how knowledge of individual patients should be obtained and evaluated in clinical decision-making. The authors analyze the types of knowledge necessary to provide effective care and examine the medical and philosophical literature on each. Fusing real-life practice and theoretical rigor, On What Evidence? describes and defends a case-based approach to clinical decision-making, one based on a broad and non-hierarchical view of medical epistemology.
£39.99
OXFORD UNIV PR Motivational Interviewing and Mindfulness
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£48.75
Oxford University Press Presenting Scientific Data in R
Book SynopsisWritten primarily for students embarking on an undergraduate bioscience degree, this primer provides an accessible, straightforward, and approachable guide to data presentation using R. It offers valuable and widely applicable advice on how to choose the most appropriate type of graph for different types of data, and guides readers from the basics of plotting clear figures to producing polished and effective visuals, illustrating the core concepts and features of excellent graphing. This primer uses simple and engaging biology-based example data sets to take readers from the essential aspects of basic plots to more advanced graphing techniques and details.Digital formats and resourcesThe book is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats, and is supported by online resources:- The e-book offers a mobile experience and convenient access along with functionality tools, navigation features, and links that offer extra learning support: www.oxfordtextbooks.co.uk/ebooks- Online resources include extended supplementary resources to guide use of R, multiple choice questions for students to check their understanding, and, for registered adopters, figures and tables from the book
£24.99
Vintage Publishing Survival Of The Fittest
Book SynopsisSets out the genetics, diet and exercise that enable humans to perform at their peak. The author analyses individual feats of survival and athletic prowess that illustrate the way the body functions at its best. He gives some tips on how to stay fit for life for those of us who find walking the dog an endurance challenge...Trade ReviewIlluminating... Mike Stroud, an Arctic explorer, medic and marathon-runner, explains how modern life-styles and diet have made us prone to a new array of diseases unknown until the industrial revolution. Demonstrating why it is essential for us to exercise, he also provides useful guidelines for changing our culturally-moulded bad habits' * Mail on Sunday *The ultimate sporting diet documented in mouth-watering detail * The Times *
£999.99
The University of Chicago Press Wild Justice
Book SynopsisScientists have long counseled against interpreting animal behavior in terms of human emotions, warning that such anthropomorphizing limits our ability to understand animals as they really are. This book challenges this long-held view. It reveals that animals exhibit a range of moral behaviors, including fairness, empathy, trust, and reciprocity.Trade Review"This provocative and well-argued view of animal morality may surprise some readers as it challenges outdated assumptions about animals.... Written as much for other academics as for interested lay readers, this lucid book is highly recommended." - Library Journal "The authors contend that, in order to understand the moral compass by which animals live, we must first expand our definition of morality to include moral behavior unique to each species. Studies done by the authors, as well as experts in the fields of psychology, human social intelligence, zoology, and other branches of relevant science excellently bolster their claim." - Publishers Weekly "Wild Justice makes a compelling argument for open-mindedness regarding nonhuman animals." - New Scientist "Humans think of themselves as the only moral animals. But what about... the rat who refuses to shock another to earn a reward, and the magpie who grieves for her young? Cognitive animal behaviorist Bekoff and philosopher Pierce argue that nonhuman animals also are moral beings - with not just building blocks or precursors of morality but the real deal. The research gathered here makes a compelling case that it is time to reconsider yet another of the traits we have claimed as uniquely our own." - Discover"
£17.00
The University of Chicago Press Histories of Scientific Observation
Book SynopsisObservation is the most pervasive and fundamental practice of all the modern sciences, both natural and human. This collection offers an examination of the history of scientific observation in its own right, as both epistemic category and scientific practice.
£28.50
University of Chicago Press Victorian Relativity Radical Thought and
Book SynopsisThis text challenges the assumptions that the theory of relativity in physics sprang in its essence from the genius of Albert Einstein, and that scientific relativity is unconnected to ethical, cultural or epistemological relativisms.
£76.00