Science & Nature Books

Book Synopsis***A Waterstones Best Paperback of 2022 pick***Perfect for fans of Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage and Professor Brian Cox.'A delightful and scintillating hymn to science.' Professor Carlo RovelliComedian Robin Ince quickly abandoned science at school, bored by a fog of dull lessons and intimidated by the barrage of equations. But, twenty years later, he fell in love and he now presents one of the world's most popular science podcasts. Every year he meets hundreds of the world's greatest thinkers.In this erudite and witty book, Robin reveals why scientific wonder isn't just for the professionals. Filled with interviews featuring astronauts, comedians, teachers, quantum physicists, neuroscientists and more - as well as charting Robin's own journey with science - The Importance of Being Interested explores why many wrongly think of the discipline as distant and difficult. From the glorious appeal of the stars above to why scientific curiosity can encourage much needed intellectual humility, this optimistic and profound book will leave you filled with a thirst for intellectual adventure.Trade ReviewInce makes profound - and funny - reflections on our tiny lives in a massive universe. * Observer *A delightful and scintillating hymn to science. Resolutely a non-scientist, Robin Ince discovers with awe that when science addresses the "big problems" and destroys familiar beliefs, it does not leave us in a cold, meaningless and de-humanized world, but in a one which is colourful, human, full of intensity and wonder. * Professor Carlo Rovelli, bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics *Wonderful! A beautifully written elegy to science, combining wonder, mystery and humour. Curiosity dances across the pages. Robin's take on science is human, funny but also deeply enthralling. * Professor Alice Roberts, TV presenter, academic and bestselling author of Ancestors *Robin is the most engaging of science communicators. As someone who also struggled with science as a child, still finds physics an impossible foreign tongue, and came late to the fulfilment of a curious mind, I found this book by turns challenging, entertaining and moving. * Steve Backshall, BAFTA-winning British explorer, naturalist, presenter and writer *With razor-sharp wit and insight, Robin slices into the biggest questions of our time. The Importance of Being Interested left me smiling and thinking more deeply * Commander Chris Hadfield, astronaut and bestselling author *Brilliant and entertaining. Science is done by humans, and humans are the only reason that science matters: curiosity is part of human nature, but sometimes we need reminding just how much is out there to explore and enjoy. * Dr Helen Czerski, Physicist and bestselling author of Storm in a Teacup *Will gladden the heart and stimulate the mind... Sparkling. * Independent *Table of Contents1: Scepticism - From the Maelstrom of Knowledge into the Labyrinth of Doubt 2: Is God on Holiday? - Are There Still Enough Gaps for a God? 3: Armchair Time-Travel - Putting Out Your Beach Blanket on the Sands of Time 4: Big, Isn't It? - On Coping with the Size of the Universe 5: Escape Velocity - On Looking Back at the Planet from a Height 6: Why Aren't They Here? Or Are They.? - On Waiting for Our Alien Saviours 7: Swinging from the Family Tree - Inviting Yeast to the Family Reunion 8: The Mind Is a Chaos of Delight - On the Matter of Grey Matter 9: Reality, What a Concept - Can Anything Be What It Seems? 10: Imagining There's No Heaven - On Being Finite 11: More Important than Knowledge - On the Necessity of Imagination 12: So It Goes - Facing Up to the End of Everything

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Book SynopsisTrees have played countless roles in human history - by turns hopeful symbols of freedom, pioneering space travellers, keepers of ancient history and accessories to murder. From art to politics, science to crime, these are the stories of the trees that have shaped life on Earth.Neurobiologist and philosopher Stefano Mancuso brings his signature charm and eye for unforgettable detail to tell eight stories of trees that have rooted themselves in human history - from the red spruces that were made into Stradivarius' violins to the wooden ladder that solved 'The Crime of the Century'. Combining scientific vigour with his inimitable voice, Mancuso reveals the amazing ways that the world's green-print has shaped the course of our lives, issuing a passionate rallying cry for greater care and attention towards the plants that have helped us survive and thrive.

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Book SynopsisThe running joke in Europe for centuries was that anyone in a hurry to die should call the doctor. As far back as ancient Greece, physicians were notorious for administering painful and often fatal treatments and charging for the privilege. For the most effective treatment, the ill and injured went to the women in their lives. This system lasted hundreds of years. It was gone in less than a century.Contrary to the familiar story, medication did not improve during the Scientific Revolution. Yet somehow, between 1650 and 1740, the domestic female and the physician switched places in the cultural consciousness: she became the ineffective, potentially dangerous quack, he the knowledgeable, trustworthy expert. The professionals normalized the idea of paying them for what people already got at home without charge, laying the foundation for Big Pharma and today's global for-profit medication system.A revelatory history of medicine, The Apothecary's Wife challenges t

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'Often poetic ... highly-researched and thought-provoking' New Scientist'Gently and thoughtfully enquiring' The SpectatorCan you remember the first time you encountered true darkness? The kind that remains as black and inky whether your eyes are open or closed? Where you can't see your hand in front of your face?Jacqueline Yallop can. It was in an unfamiliar bedroom while holidaying in Yorkshire as a child, and ever since then she has been fascinated by the dark, by our efforts to capture or avoid it, by the meanings we give to it and the way our brains process it. Taking a journey into the dark secrets of place, body and mind, she documents a series of night-time walks, exploring both the physical realities of darkness and the psychological dark that helps shape our sense of self. Exploring our enduring love-hate relationship with states of darkness, she considers how we attempt to understand and contain the dark, and, as she comes to terms with her father's deteriorating Alzheimer's, she reflects on how our relationship with the dark can change with time and circumstance.Darkness captivates, baffles and appals us. It's a shifty thing of many textures and many moods. It can be an absence and a presence, a solace and a threat, a beginning and an end. Into the Dark is the story of the many darks that fascinate and assail us. It faces the darkness in all its guises and mysteries, celebrating it as a thing of beauty while peering into the void.

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Book SynopsisThis book guides through the fascinating world of viruses and makes readers enjoy science in an accessible way. Virologist and author Professor Van Wilson imparts knowledge about what viruses are, how they work, and how much they impact life on Earth. The book equips the reader with the scientific basics behind virus function and presents the historic milestones of virus research and discovery. Well-known viruses such as HIV or Influenza are tackled alongside novel pathogens like coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Professor Wilson explores where they come from and how they impact our society. Last but not least the book provides exciting insights into how our immune system reacts to different viruses and how vaccines contribute to conquer pandemics. While scientifically informative, this book makes the field of virology understandable to a lay audience and encourages readers to further thinking. And more importantly, it conveys the wonder, beauty, and mystery of these ubiquitous, microscopic marvels. This book addresses anyone interested in understanding the principles of virology, viral diseases, or the impact of viruses on human societies.Table of Contents1. The Question of Life“It’s alive! It’s alive!” – Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein An introduction to viruses through some examples that illustrate the size, quantity, and diversity of viruses on earth, followed by a short history of the discovery of viruses. The chapter focuses on the concepts that define life through an examination of animals, plants, and single-cell organisms. These basic features of living organisms are then related to viruses to demonstrate that viruses fail most of the definitions of life and act instead as unique, self-replicating nano-machines. 1.1. Weird Facts and Big Numbers A playful discussion of the sizes and numbers of viruses in our world 1.2. From Ignorance to Fascination A brief history of the discovery of viruses 1.3. A Biological Primer – Multicellular Organisms The biological, functional, and genetic characteristics that define plants and animals 1.4. Smaller, but Still Alive – Unicellular Organisms The biological, functional, and genetic characteristics that define bacteria and yeast 1.5. Biochemistry – You Can’t Escape It The important biomolecules needed for all living organisms 1.6. Viruses at Last A comparison of viruses with living organisms to illustrate the just how different and unique viruses are from any other organisms on Earth 2. Families, Form, and Function “A virus a piece of bad news wrapped in protein” – Sir Peter Medawar An overview of viral taxonomy (families); structure, organization, genetics, and reproduction (form); and pathogenic mechanisms (function). This chapter develops the foundational concepts and vocabulary that are expanded on with specific topics in the subsequent chapters. 2.1. Taxonomy and Other Geeky Things An explanation of how viruses are named and classified 2.2. Virions, the Viral Vehicle A discussion of the viral particle including its shape, component pieces, and functions 2.3. Alive or Not, Viruses Have a Life Cycle The steps in the reproduction process that are common to all viruses 2.4. Infection and Disease - How Viruses Spread and do Nasty Things The mechanisms by which viruses infect cells and cause damage to cells and organs in our bodies 3. Ancient or New – On the Origin of Viruses “Endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved” - Charles Darwin An examination of the origins of viruses and their co-evolution with living organisms. Are they the ancient progenitors of all life or are they degenerate offspring that devolved from more complex existing organisms? Competing views on viral origin will be compared and contrasted. The co-evolution of viruses with humans and our hominid ancestors is also explored. 3.1. We Don’t Know Exactly Where We Came From, but We’re Here Anyway A brief history of the universe and the evolution of life on Earth 3.2. Are Viruses the Chicken or the Egg? An introduction to viral origin theories; how did they arise and where did they come from? 3.3. Hypotheses, Hypotheses, and More Hypotheses Examination of the major historical theories for viral origin evolution 3.4. New Data at Last Use of nucleic acid and protein information to analyze viral origins and familial relationships 3.5. Closer to Home How did ancient viruses give rise to modern viral families Papillomaviruses and Hominid Evolution – human papillomaviruses (HPVs) as an example of viral co-evolution with humans 4. Of Predators and Prey “The single biggest threat to man’s continued dominance on the planet is the virus” -Joshua Lederberg, 1958 Nobel Laureate Examination of selected viral diseases that illustrate mechanisms of viral spread and the 3 types of infection outcomes: acute disease (influenza), chronic infection (hepatitis C), and latent infections (herpes varicella-zoster). These examples demonstrate the complex interplay between hosts (humans) and predators (viruses) and explain why viruses have evolved to be such persistent infectious pathogens for humans. 4.1. Viral Infections – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly The principles of how viruses spread, infect cells, and cause disease 4.2. Influenza – More Than Just Bad Air Influenza virus as an example of an acute infection where the virus is completely cleared from the body after recovery 4.3. Hepatitis C – The Great Deceiver Hepatitis C virus as an example of a chronic infection where active virus can remain permanently in the host 4.4. Herpes Varicella-Zoster Virus – Now You See It and Now You Don’t A herpes virus as an example of a virus that cause an acute illness but then becomes latent with the ability to reactivate years later 4.5. Polyomaviruses and Anelloviruses – Predators or Passengers? Examples of viruses that are commonly found in humans but whose disease role is mostly uncertain 5. Immunity, Immunity, Immunity “If we think of the immune system as a machine, then we are far from even knowing all of its parts” - Bruce Beutler, 2011 Nobel Laureate Like the real estate adage about the importance of location, location, location, survival from viral infection illustrates the importance of immunity. The 3 types of relevant immunity (intrinsic, innate, and acquired) will be explained in the context of viral infection. This chapter is the corollary to chapter 4 and discusses how viruses have influenced human evolution as we attempted to combat and counteract viral infections. 5.1. The Big Three – Branches of Immunity An overview of the three branches of immunity and their roles in protection from viruses 5.1.1. Intrinsic Immunity – Always There When We Need It The biology and mechanism of by which intrinsic immunity protects from viral infection 5.1.2. Innate Immunity – Locked and Loaded The biology and mechanism of by which innate immunity protects from viral infection 5.1.3. Adaptive Immunity – The Gift That Keeps On Giving The biology and mechanism of by which adaptive immunity protects from viral infection 6. Viruses That Shaped our World “A virus can change the fate of the world; power has nothing to do with being tiny or giant!” ― Mehmet Murat Ildan In addition to the consequences of viral infection for the individual, large scale viral effects on human populations have influenced history and culture. Examples covered will include smallpox, influenza, poliovirus, and HIV, each of which had important sociological effects on human populations. 6.1. Smallpox – Mankind’s First Conquest The history of smallpox and its devastating Effects on Europe and the New World 6.2. Polio – A Force for Change The history of polio virus and how outbreaks in 20th century America led to the emergence of disease philanthropy and vaccine development 6.3. HIV/AIDS – A New Pandemic for the 20th Century and Beyond The origins of AIDS and how this epidemic introduced universal precautions and inspired medical activism 7. Simian-Virus 40 – How an Obscure Monkey Virus Ushered in the Age of Molecular Biology “The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.” – Thomas Berger The extensive poliovirus vaccination programs of the late 1950s and early 1960s lead to the accidental infection of millions of individuals of an unknown virus (SV40) with cancer-causing potential. This mistake sparked a massive research enterprise to understand this virus. Many of the early tools and foundational discoveries of modern molecular biology, as well as the origins of important regulatory compliance policies, derived from this beginning and still echo in our research and society today. 7.1. Viruses, Viruses, and More Viruses How advances in technology led to the identification of more and more new viruses in the 20th century 7.2. Polio Vaccines and A Stealth Simian Virus The discovery of a new simian virus called SV40 as a contaminant of the early polio virus vaccines 7.3. To Be or Not To Be – Is SV40 a Human Tumor Virus? The discovery that SV40 has cancer-causing potential and the continuing debate on its role in human cancers 7.4. The SV40 Revolution How SV40 became a prominent model for molecular biology and led to many important discoveries about human cell biology 7.5. p53 – The Guardian of the Genome How SV40 led to the discovery of p53, the most important human protein for fighting cancer 7.6. Asilomar and the Birth of Biosafety How fears about using SV40 in research led to the federal regulation and the evolution of modern lab biosafety requirements 8. Viral Oncology – Infectious Cancer “Most of the infections linked to human cancers are common in human populations; they are ubiquitous. They were present during the whole human evolution process.” – Harald zur Hausen, 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Approximately 25% of human cancers have been shown to have a viral contribution. This chapter will discuss the role of retroviruses and various DNA type viruses in human cancers, describe how these viruses can transform normal cells into cancerous ones, and illustrate how the study of these viruses has informed our knowledge of the molecular basis for cancer. 8.1. The Infectious Beginnings of Cancer Research The history of viral oncology and the discovery of animal tumor viruses 8.2. The Oncogene Revelation The discovery of oncogenes and the elucidation of their mechanisms 8.3. Human Retroviruses at Last The human T cell leukemia viruses and their link to cancer 8.4. Herpesviruses Turn Oncogenic The link between certain herpesviruses and human cancers 8.5. Hepatitis Viruses and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Chronic hepatitis virus infection and liver cancer 8.6. Human Papillomaviruses – Cancer as an STD How an ancient virus entered Homo sapiens and causes cervical and other cancers 8.7. Merkel Polyomavirus – Finally an Oncogenic Human Polyomavirus A new human virus and its connection with a type of skin cancer 8.8. The Seven Deadly Cancer Viruses A summary of the human cancer viruses 9. The Virus Within “If Charles Darwin reappeared today, he might be surprised to learn that humans are descended from viruses as well as from apes.” - Robin Weiss The sequencing of the human genome revealed that 5-8% of our DNA is not actually human, but instead is viral DNA reflecting millennia of infections that have accumulated in our genome. The significance and consequences of this viral invasion of our genomes will be described. 9.1. Adam and EVEs Endogenous viral elements (EVEs) and how they got into humans 9.2. HERVs, HERVs, and More HERVs How human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) entered our genomes and shaped our genomic evolution 9.3. Beyond HERVs Other types of viruses that have integrated into animal and human genomes 9.4. Assailants or Allies? Are endogenous viruses helpful or harmful 9.5. The HERVs That Made Us Human Examples of HERVs that became part of normal human biology 9.6. The Dark Side How HERVs may be contributing to various human diseases from cancer to neurological conditions 10. Vaccines and the Conquest of Viruses “Throughout human history, viral diseases have had their way with us, and for just as long, we have hunted them down and done our best to wipe them out.” - Jeffrey Kluger Vaccination has been an incredibly effective and important tool against viral infection, but a significant anti-vaccination movement arose in the last 20 years, mostly due to spurious accusations about the harmful effects of vaccines. The chapter will examine the history of vaccination, the types of vaccines, the risk versus benefit of vaccines, and the impact of vaccines on individual and global health. 10.1. The Era of Vaccines The history of vaccine development in the 20th century 10.2. Vaccinology 101 The basic types of vaccines and the principles of how they work 10.3. The Road Is Long With Many A Winding Turn The process for developing and testing a new vaccine 10.4. Anti-Vaxxers: The Force Awakens The history of the anti-vaccine movement in England and the U.S. 10.5. Vaccine Technology – A Glimpse of the Future New vaccine technologies on the horizon 11. New and Emerging Viruses: Where Have They Been Hiding? From HIV to SARS-CoV-2, the last 100 years have seen dozens of new viruses identified. This chapter will examine where new viruses come from, how they enter human populations, and what effects they have on human health and our society. Chapter subsections: tbd 12. Beyond Antibiotics - Are Phage Our Allies? Phages are a special class of viruses that infect and often kill bacteria. With the growing rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, there is an imminent need for new and different approaches to combat bacterial infections. Phage therapy is an old idea that is seeing a resurgence of interest, and this chapter will discuss the history, process, advantages, and limitations of using phage to treat bacterial infections. Chapter subsections: tbd 13. Gene Therapy and Cancer Therapeutics Given their ability to infect our cells, viruses have unique capabilities as delivery systems to introduce new material into our cells. Viruses are being used to introduce replacement genes of humans with certain defective genes and are also being used to combat certain kinds of cancer. This chapter will explore current and potential therapeutic uses for viruses. Chapter subsections: tbd

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Book SynopsisHow a small number of risky experiments creates many unwieldy problems for life science research.The life sciences have never been more critical to human health, wealth, and security. But with any endeavor comes risk, and the last decade has seen concerns raised about gain-of function-research in which a microbe, usually a virus, is given new properties like enhanced lethality, transmissibility, or the capability to infect new species. In 2021 the term seeped into the tabloids when a conflict between Senator Rand Paul and Dr. Anthony Fauci arose over the origins of COVID-19. In Gain of Function, Nicholas Evans?who has spent his career studying gain-of-function research?describes what this kind of research is, what it isn?t, and why a small number of scientific experiments continues to make headlines.Evans begins with a description of what gain-of-function research is in science, and what it means in government policy. He tells the story of the original papers that sparked controversy more than a decade ago, unpacking them for readers unfamiliar with virology research, and he identifies where and why policymakers and scientists alike became concerned. He then turns to the history of policies that attempt to regulate gain-of-function research, the current controversies, and the ethics of risky research. He concludes with the future of gain of function, including how debates about gain of function will influence science and public health in years to come.

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Book SynopsisA rich account of the world?s leading science prize told through the lives it has changed, the controversies it has generated, and the impact it has made on the public.In a world where the work of science largely remains inscrutable to the general public, the Nobel Prize confers a degree of intelligibility like no other honor. Our best-known and most prestigious award for individual scientific achievement, the Nobel attaches a brilliant face to a story of profound discovery, making moving headlines. In Geniuses, Heroes, and Saints, Massimiano Bucchi tells an equally compelling story of the Nobel?s transformation of science into an epic pursuit legible both to the field and to the public, bound up with the currents of historical change. Three main narratives characterize the Nobel. The scientist as genius, portrayed as a creative visionary, an exceptional intellect reflecting a solitary and romantic ideal of great communicative impact. The scientist as national hero acts as a surrogate of competition among nations in a peaceful, rational contest. The scientist as saint shines with moral exceptionality, a figure worthy of celebration and worship, known for virtues such as modesty, humility, and total dedication, body and soul, to the scientific enterprise. Whether the recipient was Albert Einstein or a countryside doctor toiling for years in obscurity, whether the prize was worthily given or awarded to work later disproved, or whether we even remember the honorees today, the Nobel defined the image of science in the twentieth century, Bucchi shows, an image that still lives in all sorts of fascinating ways today.

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Book SynopsisAn investigation of a cosmic experimentIn 1851, the physicist Léon Foucault performed an unforgettable experiment. By suspending a large pendulum inside the dome of Paris’ Pantheon, Foucault provided the first simple, direct empirical evidence of the Earth''s rotation—an undeniable demonstration of heliocentrism. This experiment, conducted long after the Copernican Revolution and using a laboratory apparatus rather than astronomical observation, visually confirmed what had previously been accepted as theory. The pendulum’s motion clearly illustrated the Earth''s rotation. But Foucault’s experiment did not end there. It sparked a range of subsequent reenactments and interpretations, each adding new layers to its meaning. Repeated over and again, its afterlives were many as were its ramifications.Historian Michael Hagner revisits this epoch-making experiment and its reception from the nineteenth century to the present day and follows how cosmological questions conjoined political and aesthetic judgments about the public staging and history of science. The pendulum experiment, Hagner argues, is more than just a mere scientific demonstration. It contains within it the histories of technological innovation, ideological conflicts, and the rise of popular culture and visual media. In a series of insightful studies of literary, artistic, and scientific reenactments, Hagner uses both words and images to narrate the rich and complex legacy of this experiment.Seeing Foucault''s Pendulum includes among other fascinating tales, a short but stunning history of the Copernican Revolution, the paradigm-shifting work of the nineteenth-century astronomer Camille Flammarion, and the reenactments of Foucault’s experiment at the Smithsonian Institution and New York’s United Nations building. Linking nature to culture and calling for world unity, the experiment’s legacy extends beyond science. It has been reimagined in Umberto Eco’s novel Foucault’s Pendulum and in Gerhard Richter’s 2018 installation, enchantments of the postmodern world theater where the relationship between knowledge and sensory experience is problematized anew. A complex symbol in the history of ideas—challenging our assumptions, inspiring artistic expression, and prompting philosophical reflection on our place in the cosmos—Foucault’s experiment serves as a powerful reminder that both the Earth and the universe should never be reduced to a disposable mass of human hubris and of irresponsible manipulation.

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Book SynopsisThis is one of the most comprehensive mycological guides ever published. Features more than 7,000 photographs, this lavish two-volume set treats more than 2,800 species of fungi across the region.Trade Review"This is a really practical book that will be a boon to field mycologists, especially in temperate regions. . . . something all field mycologists who see it will want to have on the bench near their microscopes when making identifications. The authors are to be congratulated on this truly remarkable achievement, making their many years of practical experience in macrofungal identification available to mycologists at large." * IMA Fungus *"Simply takes your breath away. . . . the greatest strength of Fungi of Temperate Europe lies in its illustrations, which, I repeat, are simply glorious."---Peter Marren, British Wildlife"Not only for people in Europe is this the best guidebook to get, it also is extremely useful for people in other parts of the world. It is a splendid example [sic] how to present the multitude of forms in a way that makes identification possible and fun, while at the same time showing the beauty and diversity of fungi."---Else C. Vellinga, Mycotaxon"Over 1700 pages of photographic goodness for the serious mycologist." * Inquisitive Biologist *"Fungi of Temperate Europe represents an excellent ‘all-in-one’ handbook for field research, comprising all groups of fungi commonly studied by field mycologists. . . . Every mycologist in Europe can now have an excellent guide for all fungal groups, covering most genera of macrofungi, with short apt descriptions and superb photos, available at a very reasonable price."---Daniel Dvořák, Petr Hrouda, Czech Mycology"One of the best comprehensive fungal guides for this European region currently available . . . highly recommended for every public and private library with interest in biology. It is very useful both for professionals and for everyone interested in this fascinating group of organisms."---Irmgard Krisai-Greilhuber, Osterreiche Zeitschrift fuer Mykologie"[A]nyone who has an interest in mushrooms should own this . . . amazing [book]."---Steve Trudell, Mycophile"With its unprecedentedly broad taxonomic coverage, Fungi of Temperate Europe aims to provide a comprehensive overview of fungal species in Europe. It contains brief descriptions, up-to-date taxonomic names, and keys to identification based on innovative “fungal wheels.”"---Gergely Kutszegi, Conservation Biology

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Book SynopsisSCIENCE IS ON ITS DEATH BEDLies, specious argument and fraud abound in a variety of scientific endeavours including the treatment and vaccines for Covid-19. Managers and politicians have taken over where previously the scientists were in charge. They have been able to utilise the bizarre language and contradictory processes of political correctness, making themselves into the high priests of a new religion, one which spawns more politically correct managers and despises experts, but there is hope and possible answers are proposed.Recent tragedies have pinpointed how managerial and political control do not advance the pursuit of knowledge. This book analyses the ways in which science has been undermined in areas as diverse as medicine, archaeology, climatology, cosmology and physics.Trade Review"We are following the science was the strap line that led in the UK to a national catastrophe from which we are still recovering." -- Professor Karol Sikora"... alleged scientific certainty is today being scandalously exploited to serve a perception of truth... The views expressed in this book are timely and important..." -- Sir Richard Dearlove KCMG OBE

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling author of Fermat’s Last Theorem and The Code Book tells the story of the brilliant minds that deciphered the mysteries of the Big Bang. A fascinating exploration of the ultimate question: how was our universe created?Trade Review'Comprehensive yet eminently comprehensible … Singh explains even the most complicated ideas with subtlety, grace and wit.' Economist '[Singh] is a gifted expositor, ready to venture to places other science popularisers don't even try to reach.' Mail on Sunday 'Singh's unerring eye for picturesque anecdotes and his capacity for simplifying complex scientific ideas is a winning formula' Sunday Telegraph Singh presents a tightly structured history of the key players in humankind's realisation of how much space really is out there. As Singh shows, coming up with a theory of how the universe began is possibly the most creative thing of all.' Guardian 'Singh is a very gifted story teller who never misses a chance to make his subject clearer of more entertaining … Singh is also fastidious about crediting the true pioneers of science … a brilliant book.' Independent on Sunday

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTIONShe Has Her Mother’s Laugh presents a profoundly original perspective on what we pass along from generation to generation. Charles Darwin played a crucial part in turning heredity into a scientific question, and yet he failed spectacularly to answer it. The birth of genetics in the early 1900s seemed to do precisely that. Gradually, people translated their old notions about heredity into a language of genes. As the technology for studying genes became cheaper, millions of people ordered genetic tests to link themselves to missing parents, to distant ancestors, to ethnic identities . . .But, award-winning science writer Carl Zimmer argues, heredity isn’t just about genes that pass from parent to child. Heredity continues within our own bodies, as a single cell gives rise to trillions of cells that make up our bodies. We say we inherit genes from our ancestors but we inherit other things that matter as much or more to our lives, from microbes to technologies we use to make life more comfortable. We need a new definition of what heredity is and, through Carl Zimmer’s lucid exposition and storytelling, this resounding tour de force delivers it.Weaving together historical and current scientific research, his own experience with his two daughters, and the kind of original reporting expected of one of the world’s best science journalists, Zimmer ultimately unpacks urgent bioethical quandaries arising from new biomedical technologies, but also long-standing presumptions about who we really are and what we can pass on to future generations.Trade ReviewBeautifully written . . . [A] grand and sweeping book. * The Times *Nuanced, entertaining and balances eloquent story-telling with well-researched science . . . Anyone interested in their path through history, and what they may hand on, will find much to excite them. -- Book of the Week * New Scientist *Fascinating . . . Absorbing . . . Deftly persuasive. * Observer *She Has Her Mother’s Laugh is packed full of learning, and years of work . . . The book offers clear insights into a fast-moving area, and asks big questions. Scientists can eradicate diseases, alter DNA and change human heredity. Should they? What could be at stake if they get it wrong? * Guardian *This is cutting-edge stuff that could be heavy-going except that it is written by Carl Zimmer, one of our best science journalists . . . He makes complex topics accessible with his sparkling storytelling and beautiful writing . . . If you want to . . . know where the DNA revolution is headed, you can’t do better than this book, which is a joy to read. * Evening Standard *She Has Her Mother's Laugh is a masterpiece – a career-best work from one of the world's premier science writers, on a topic that literally touches every person on the planet. -- Ed Yong, author of I Contain MultitudesZimmer is a born story-teller. Or is he an inherited story-teller? The inspiring and heartbreaking stories in She Has Her Mother's Laugh build a fundamentally new perspective on what previous generations have delivered to us, and what we can pass along. An outstanding book and great accomplishment. -- Daniel Levitin, author of This is Your Brain on Music and The Organized MindExtraordinary . . . This book is Zimmer at his best: obliterating misconceptions about science with gentle prose. * New York Review of Books *Expansive, engrossing, and often enlightening. * Wired *Why do children look like their parents and siblings, but still differ from one another? . . . Engrossing . . . Zimmer’s book is an excellent way to get up to speed. * Washington Post *She Has Her Mother’s Laugh is at once far-ranging, imaginative, and totally relevant. Carl Zimmer makes the complex science of heredity read like a novel, and explains why the subject has been–and always will be–so vexed. -- Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Pulitzer Prize winner The Sixth ExtinctionShe Has Her Mother’s Laugh is a superb guide to a subject that is only becoming more important. Along the way, it explains some remarkably complicated science with equally remarkable clarity–a totally impressive job all around. -- Charles C. Mann, author of New York Times bestseller 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before ColumbusNo one unravels the mysteries of science as brilliantly and compellingly as Carl Zimmer, and he has proven it again with She Has Her Mother’s Laugh—a sweeping, magisterial book that illuminates the very nature of who we are. -- David Grann, #1 New York Times bestselling author, award-winning staff writer at The New Yorker, and author of The Lost City of ZA thoroughly enchanting tour of big questions, oddball ideas, and dazzling accomplishments of researchers searching to explain, manipulate, and alter inheritance. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *A magnificent work . . . Journalist Zimmer masterfully blends exciting storytelling with first-rate science reporting. His book is as engrossing as it is enlightening. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *11 Fantastic Science Books to Binge Over the Holidays -- The Year in Review, 2018 * Wired *Table of ContentsUnit - Part I: A Stroke on the Cheek Chapter - 1: The Light Trifle of His Substance Chapter - 2: Traveling Across the Face of Time Chapter - 3: This Race Should End with Them Chapter - 4: Attagirl Unit - Part II: Wayward DNA Chapter - 5: An Evening’s Revelry Chapter - 6: The Sleeping Branches Chapter - 7: Individual Z Chapter - 8: Mongrels Chapter - 9: Nine Foot High Complete Chapter - 10: Ed and Fred Unit - Part III: Other Channels Chapter - 11: Ex Ovo Omnia Chapter - 12: Witches’- Broom Chapter - 13: Chimeras Unit - Part IV: Other Channels Chapter - 14: You, My Friend, Are a Wonderland Chapter - 15: Flowering Monsters Chapter - 16: The Teachable Ape Unit - Part V: The Sun Chariot Chapter - 17: Yet Did He Greatly Dare Chapter - 18: Orphaned at Conception Chapter - 19: The Planet’s Heirs

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Book SynopsisDiscover how to tackle the slugs and snails in your garden and help care for the planet at the same time

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Book SynopsisProfessor James Miller is Emeritus Professor of Analytical Chemistry at Loughborough University.  He has published numerous reviews and papers on analytical techniques and been awarded the SAC Silver Medal, the Theophilus Redwood Lectureship and the SAC Gold Medal by the Royal Society of Chemsitry.  A Past President of the Analytical Division of the RSC, he is currently Chairman of the Divisions's Statistical Sub-Committee. A former member of the Society's Council, he has served on the editorial boards of many analytical and spectroscopic journals.   Dr Jane Miller completed a PhD at Cambridge University's Cavendish Laboratory and is an experienced teacher of mathematics and physics at higher education and 6th form levels.  She holds an MSc in Applied Statistics from Sheffield Hallam University and is the author of several specialist A-level statistics texts.   Robert Miller has an honours degree in chemistry Table of Contents Glossary of symbols 1 Introduction 2 Statistics of repeated measurements 3 Significance tests 4 The quality of analytical measurements 5 Calibration methods in instrumental analysis: Regression and correlation 6 Non-parametric and robust methods 7 Experimental design and optimisation 8 Multivariate analysis Appendix 1: Commonly used statistical significance tests Appendix 2: Statistical tables

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Book SynopsisTwo Groundbreaking Scientists and Their Conflicting Visions of the Future of Our Planet'Does the earth’s finite carrying capacity mean economic growth has to stop? That momentous question is the subject of Charles Mann’s brilliant book.' Wall Street JournalIn forty years, the population of the Earth will reach ten billion. Can our world support so many people? What kind of world will it be? In this unique, original and important book, Charles C. Mann illuminates the four great challenges we face – food, water, energy, climate change – through an exploration of the crucial work and wide-ranging influence of two little-known twentieth-century scientists, Norman Borlaug and William Vogt.Vogt (the Prophet) was the intellectual forefather of the environmental movement, and believed that in our using more than the planet has to give, our prosperity will bring us to ruin. Borlaug’s research in the 1950s led to the development of modern high-yield crops that have saved millions from starvation. The Wizard of Mann’s title, he believed that science will continue to rise to the challenges we face.Mann tells the stories of these scientists and their crucial influence on today’s debates as his story ranges from Mexico to India, across continents and oceans and from the past and the present to the future. Brilliantly original in concept, wryly observant and deeply researched, The Wizard and the Prophet is essential reading for readers of Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens or Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs and Steel, for anyone interested in how we got here and in the future of our species.Trade ReviewMann’s storytelling skills are unmatched . . . [He] provides detail enough, and simplicity enough, that anyone who is struggling with these puzzles will be enlightened and informed. And entertained, which, given the subject matter, is no small feat. * New York Times *Does the earth’s finite carrying capacity mean economic growth has to stop? That momentous question is the subject of Charles Mann’s brilliant book . . . A treasure house of knowledge . . . Indispensable. * Wall Street Journal *Prophets say we must reduce consumption, Wizards say we must find more efficient means of production. This intense and carefully-researched book presents a balanced, scholarly and calm exploration of society’s most pressing problems. -- Ten Of The Best Books About Climate Change, Conservation And The Environment of 2018 * Forbes *Masterful . . . Mann’s most spectacular accomplishment is to take no sides . . . An insightful, highly significant account that makes no predictions but lays out the critical environmental problems already us. * Kirkus starred review *This unique, encompassing, clarifying, engrossing, inquisitive, and caring work of multifaceted research, synthesis and analysis humanizes the challenges and contradictions of modern environmentalism and and our struggle towards a viable future. * Booklist starred review *Fascinating . . . Mann offers a sympathetic, nuanced way to understand one of the fundamental debates of our time: How will 10 billion humans live sustainably on Earth, when our demands for energy and food are growing? -- Annalee Newitz, editor, Ars Technica11 Fantastic Science Books to Binge Over the Holidays. -- The Year in Review, 2018 * Wired *

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Book SynopsisWhen was the last time you spoke to a stranger?In our cities, we barely acknowledge one another on public transport, even as rates of loneliness skyrocket. Online, we carefully curate who we interact with. In our politics, we are increasingly consumed by a fear of people we''ve never met. But what if strangers, long believed to be the cause of many of our problems, were actually the solution?In The Power of Strangers, Joe Keohane discovers the surprising benefits that come from talking to strangers, examining how even passing interactions can enhance empathy, happiness and cognitive development, ease loneliness and isolation, and root us in the world, deepening our sense of belonging. Warm, witty, erudite and profound, this deeply researched book will make you reconsider how you perceive and approach strangers, showing you how talking to strangers isn''t just not a way to live, it''s a way to survive.Trade Review'In a thrilling, immersive journey across time and continents, Keohane upends everything we thought we knew about the people we don't know' -- Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling'Keohane draws on an abundance of new research in social psychology which finds that connecting with strangers helps to dispel partisanship and categorical judgments, increase social solidarity and make us more interested in and hopeful about our lives' * Guardian *'There is a hint of Bill Bryson about the author Joe Keohane: he wears his knowledge lightly and his exuberant curiosity leads him to inform his readers of a vast array of random, intriguing facts - so once you start reading you may find that you don't want to stop' * Independent *Joe Keohane has changed my life. The very thought of talking to strangers has always given me mild nausea and stress sweats. But after reading this book, I've been converted. Joe has inspired me to push through the awkwardness and reap the benefits: A more open and curious mind, less loneliness and depression. This book is an important tool in rescuing our tribal, smartphone-obsessed world. If you see me on the street, please say hi so we can discuss it -- AJ Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically'Rare is the book that delivers on the promise of a big answer to an even bigger question, but Joe Keohane's The Power of Strangers does just that. This lively, searching work makes the case that welcoming "others" isn't just the bedrock of civilization, it's the surest path to the best of what life has to offer' -- Ayad Akhtar, author of Homeland Elegies'This is one of those remarkable books you may not realize you're going to love (or need) until you're well into it. Is it a work of psychology, philosophy, anthropology, history, cultural studies, self-help? All of the above! The Power of Strangers is deeply and gamely researched, lucidly and engagingly written (as if by a pal), informative, thought-provoking, playful, useful and possibly life-changing. What a great way to start the post-pandemic' -- Kurt Andersen, author of Evil Geniuses'Reading this book is like taking a college course that becomes a cult favorite because the witty, enthusiastic professor makes the topic seem not only entertaining, but essential. Possibly life-changing ideas supported with extensive sociological research, lively storytelling, and contagious jollity' * Kirkus *'An eye-opening account blending sociology and self-help. After this enlightening and uplifting exploration, readers will undoubtedly view strangers in a different way' * Library Journal *'This perceptive and rather chatty offering considers the sociological research behind why human beings are so averse to making connections with strangers, and why it's so important to do so. Journalist Keohane is a good storyteller and great proponent of engaging with the unknown, extolling the informational, emotional, and psychological benefits of talking to new people. This authoritative, thoroughly entertaining read comes along just at the right time,and will help readers re-engage after their long quarantines' * Booklist *'The lesson (...) is that the easing of restrictions is not just a coveted opportunity to reconnect with those you love and resemble. It also restores a freedom, long taken for granted, even if a little used, to come to know the profoundly different' * Economist *

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Book SynopsisA new way of thinking about data science and data ethics that is informed by the ideas of intersectional feminism.Today, data science is a form of power. It has been used to expose injustice, improve health outcomes, and topple governments. But it has also been used to discriminate, police, and surveil. This potential for good, on the one hand, and harm, on the other, makes it essential to ask: Data science by whom? Data science for whom? Data science with whose interests in mind? The narratives around big data and data science are overwhelmingly white, male, and techno-heroic. In Data Feminism, Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren Klein present a new way of thinking about data science and data ethics—one that is informed by intersectional feminist thought.Illustrating data feminism in action, D'Ignazio and Klein show how challenges to the male/female binary can help challenge other hierarchical (and empirically wrong) classification systems. They explain how,

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Book SynopsisExercise is not only good for the body: it can transform your mind too. This new scientific revolution will teach you how to boost brain cells, protect yourself against mental illness and dementia, and ensure success in exams and the workplace.We all know that exercise is good for the body. But did you know that it can transform your mind? This new scientific revolution will teach you how to boost brain cells, protect yourself against mental illness and dementia, and ensure success in exams and the workplace. Follow the SPARK! training regimen and build your brain to its peak performance. This book will change the way you think about exercise - and, for that matter, the way you think.Trade ReviewForget fish oil and sudoku - it's exercise that makes you brainier … This book is the first time scientific evidence from all over the world has been pulled together to show that the fitter you are, the better your brain works' Daily Mail. * Daily Mail *If exercise came in pill form, it would be plastered across the front page, hailed as the blockbuster drug of the century. So what you waiting for? Get moving!' Focus Magazine. * Focus Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Making the Connection. Welcome to the Revolution: A Case Study on Exercise and the Brain. Learning: Grow Your Brain Cells. Stress: The Greatest Challenge. Anxiety: Nothing to Panic About. Depression: Move Your Mood. Attention Deficit: Running from Distraction. Addiction: Reclaiming the Biology of Self-Control. Hormonal Changes: The Impact on Women's Brain Health. Aging: The Wise Way. The Regimen: Build Your Brain. Afterword: Fanning the Flames. Acknowledgments. Glossary. Index.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An excellent overview of the philosophy of science from the early 20th century onward. . . . Recommended." * Choice *"Godfrey-Smith displays consistent clarity. It is truly refreshing to read a text that is thorough, clear, and penetrating. Students with little or no background in philosophy or philosophy of science will find this book to be extremely worthwhile. Professionals in other fields and other disciplines will appreciate the breadth and depth. . . . Whether you teach philosophy of science, or whether you are simple interested in issues relating science, philosophy, history, and other fields, I am confident that you’ll find Theory and Reality an accessible and rewarding read." -- James Sage * Metapsychology *"Godfrey-Smith presents a clear, comprehensive, and accessible introductory survey of the major problems and movements in the philosophy of science. It is an excellent book to use on its own in a lower-level philosophy of science course or as a supplement to some anthology of primary texts in a more sophisticated upper-level course. It would also suit anyone who has interest in the subject but little patience for jargon-heavy professional philosophy. . . . His exposition is accented by insightful commentary and criticism, and by examples from the history of science all with a keen sense of humor." * Science Education *"A stimulating introduction to nearly every department of general philosophy of science. . . . Godfrey-Smith’s attempt to inject new vigor and liveliness into philosophy of science is quite successful, as evidenced by the charmingly opinionated style of presentation and the ease with which he ties latter-day perspectives on science back to the classic positivist tradition and the history of science. . . . A very fresh and well-conceived book." * Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences *Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Empiricism Chapter 3 Evidence and Induction Chapter 4 Popper: Conjecture and Refutation Chapter 5 Kuhn’s Revolution Chapter 6 Theories and Frameworks Chapter 7 The Challenge from Sociology of Science Chapter 8 Science Is Political Chapter 9 Naturalistic Philosophy Chapter 10 Scientific Realism Chapter 11 Explanation, Laws, and Causes Chapter 12 Bayesianism and New Views of Evidence Chapter 13 Truth, Simplicity, and Other Problems Chapter 14 The Future Glossary Websites References Index

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Book SynopsisInspiring and motivating students from the moment it published, Organic Chemistry has established itself in just one edition as the students'' choice of organic chemistry text. This second edition takes all that has made Organic Chemistry the book of choice, and has refined and refocused it to produce a text that is even more student-friendly, more coherent and more logical in its presentation than before.At heart, the second edition remains true to the first, being built on three principles:An explanatory approach, through which the reader is motivated to understand the subject and not just learn the facts;A mechanistic approach, giving the reader the power to understand compounds and reactions never previously encountered;An evidence-based approach, setting out clearly how and why reactions happen as they do, giving extra depth to the reader''s understanding.The authors write clearly and directly, sharing with the reader their own fascination with the subject, and leading them carefully from topic to topic. Their honest and open narrative flags pitfalls and misconceptions, guiding the reader towards a complete picture of organic chemistry and its universal themes and principles.Enriched with an extensive bank of online resources to help the reader visualise the structure of organic compounds and their reaction mechanisms, this second edition reaffirms the position of Organic Chemistry as the essential course companion for all organic chemistry students. Online Resource CentreFor students:A range of problems to accompany each chapterFor registered adopters of the text:Figures from the book in electronic formatTrade ReviewIt is a credit to the authors that a textbook that I have adored for so many years has undergone such a substantial overhaul and yet still retains the features that made it quite so attractive to students in the first place. This is a book that will continue to inspire students of organic chemistry for many years to come. Even if you already have the first edition, I am happy to recommend that you invest in this new version you will not be disappointed. * John Hayward, in Chemistry World, December 2012 *Review from previous edition This is a book we have all been waiting for! It is based on sound mechanistic reasoning and contains thousands of useful examples for teaching. Its style is approachable and covers both fundamental and more advanced material. * Adam Nelson, Lecturer, University of Leeds *Review from previous edition Represents a milestone in the field of organic chemistry textbooks... This is the first organic textbook that could be used in some shape or form on almost every organic chemistry course in any UK undergraduate programme... I soon expect to be hearing "You can look it up in Clayden" ringing from lectures and tutorials, and for many years to come. * Andrew Boa in The Times Higher Education, 2001 *Table of Contents1. What is organic chemistry? ; 2. Organic structures ; 3. Determining organic structures ; 4. Structure of molecules ; 5. Organic reactions ; 6. Nucleophilic addition to the carbonyl group ; 7. Delocalization and conjugation ; 8. Acidity, basicity, and pKa ; 9. Using organometallic reagents to make C-C bonds ; 10. Nucleophilic substitution at the carbonyl group ; 11. Nucleophilic substitution at C=O with loss of carbonyl oxygen ; 12. Equilibria, rates and mechanisms ; 13. 1H NMR: Proton nuclear magnetic resonance ; 14. Stereochemistry ; 15. Nucleophilic substitution at saturated carbon ; 16. Conformational analysis ; 17. Elimination reactions ; 18. Review of spectroscopic methods ; 19. Electrophilic addition to alkenes ; 20. Formation and reactions of enols and enolates ; 21. Electrophilic aromatic substitution ; 22. Conjugate addition and nucleophilic aromatic substitution ; 23. Chemoselectivity and protecting groups ; 24. Regioselectivity ; 25. Alkylation of enolates ; 26. Reactions of enolates with carbonyl compounds: the aldol and Claisen reactions ; 27. Sulfur, silicon and phosphorus in organic chemistry ; 28. Retrosynthetic analysis ; 29. Aromatic heterocycles 1: structures and reactions ; 30. Aromatic heterocycles 2: synthesis ; 31. Saturated heterocycles and stereoelectronics ; 32. Stereoselectivity in cyclic molecules ; 33. Diastereoselectivity ; 34. Pericyclic reactions 1: cycloadditions ; 35. Pericyclic reactions 2: sigmatropic and electrocyclic reactions ; 36. Participation, rearrangement and fragmentation ; 37. Radical reactions ; 38. Synthesis and reactions of carbenes ; 39. Determining reaction mechanisms ; 40. Organometallic chemistry ; 41. Asymmetric synthesis ; 42. Organic chemistry of life ; 43. Organic chemistry today

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive introduction to gemstones with stunning colour photographs, written by Natural History Museum curator Robin Hansen.Trade Review'The detail given to each gemstone is exceptional... [the] photography is superb, and along with the photos of gemstones - many from the NHM collection themselves - there are well-selected photos of gem mineral specimens.' Mindat.org

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Book SynopsisWhen the wedding of her oldest friend ends with a shocking murder, Dr Nell Ward is once again caught up in a web of subterfuge, secrets and lies... Dr Nell Ward is delighted when her childhood friend Percy announces she's engaged to handsome businessman Hawke McAnstruther - and rashly offers to host the wedding at Finchmere, her family's estate. But she hadn't anticipated Percy's parents' fiery disapproval of the groom. The ceremony is barely over before Hawke's shady personal and professional life starts to unravel, and tension ripples through the assembled guests. When the wedding night ends with a shocking death, Nell, best-friend Rav and DI James Clarke all find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery worthy of Agatha Christie. Surviving a terrifying threat to her own life, Nell has to face up to the truth. Not just about murder at Finchmere, but about where her heart truly lies... The second book in the Nell Ward cosy crime series - perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Fiona Leitch, Faith Martin and The Appeal. Praise for A Cast of Falcons'With a credible and colourful cast of characters, a compelling plot and a solid narrative this is, once again, a wholly immersive one-sit read.' - NetGalley reviewer'A great, easy and enjoyable read! Highly recommended.' - NetGalley reviewer'The plot is riveting and keeps you guessing right till the end!' - NetGalley reviewer'Lovely well-rounded characters and a great setting. Definitely recommended.' - NetGalley reviewer

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Book SynopsisWant to know what your cat is really thinking and doing?In Kitty Language, animal illustrator Lili Chin explains everything you need to read your cat''s body language. With sections dedicated to their ears, whiskers, tail and more, you''ll gain deeper knowledge into many feline behaviours, including sniffing, scratching, play-hunting, chattering and tail flipping. And you''ll learn the answers to questions such as: does my cat want to be petted, or do they need space? Are they feeling confident, frightened, relaxed or frustrated? What do they need to feel safe, secure, stimulated and happy?Backed by scientific research, endorsed by animal behaviourists and vets, and packed with playful illustrations, Kitty Language is bursting with information for cat lovers.

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Book Synopsis* Covers the influence of natural selection on behaviour an animal s struggle to survive and reproduce by exploiting and competing for resources, avoiding predators, selecting mates and caring for offspring, and how animal societies reflect both cooperation and conflict among individuals.Trade Review“Altogether this is an excellent introductory text, with full and balanced coverage, easy to read and, to the publisher’s credit, a physically attractive book. It does the authors great credit that they have so refreshed an enduring classic.” (Austral Ecology, 20 July 2015) “… a new edition of the textbook that has introduced generations of undergraduates (and postgraduates) to the delights of behavioural ecology, inspiring many (myself included) to take up the discipline professionally, is a rare treat. Behavioural ecology is, fundamentally, modern-day natural history and there is no clearer written, more inspiringly enthusiastic guide to the subject on the market. This book sets the gold standard for behavioural ecology and animal behaviour textbooks which will no doubt continue to inform and delight students and researchers in equal measure for many years to come.” (Animal Behaviour, 1 March 2013) “Overall, this seems a timely update to a very useful book; it should be widely used by lecturers and undergraduates alike.” (British Ecological Society Bulletin, 1 December 2012) “[An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology, 4th Edition] Stands tall as the textbook to have in the field of Behavioral Ecology...I expect anyone with an A level in Biology, or equivalent, or an interest in Zoology without the qualification, could pick this book up and get a lot out of it...What this book is, is good science explained well, I scored higher in my behavioral ecology exam than I did in any other exam in my finals. I wouldn’t put that entirely down to this book, but it certainly influenced things. The book is well printed, as you would expect, with great clear photographs used liberally, and a lot of graphs and diagrams. In summary then, if you want to know why animals behave the way they do, why swordtail fish do really have the long tails, why birds sing, why fish shoal under certain circumstances, why well fed parrot females produce more males, and why related long-tailed tits help each other raise young, then this book really is for you. I recommend it wholeheartedly.” (The Amateur Naturalist magazine, 1 November 2012) “The book opens with a section on Watching and Wondering, capturing the excitement of natural history, that same wonderment that Kruuk describes so well, and then guides the reader through a series of fascinating questions and findings, experiments and field studies. . . This is clearly good for students wishing to put together presentations for assessments, and extremely useful for lecturers, new and old . . I should say that this is a certainty and future generations will owe this book a considerable debt.” (Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 1 October 2012) “Among the most influential books in the field of behavioral ecology, An Introduction to Behavioural Ecology certainly stands out to the extent that it has been called ‘a classic textbook.” (Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2012) “The long-awaited update to a classic in this field is now here, presenting new direc­tions in thinking and addressing burning questions. Richly informed by progress in many other disciplines, such as sensory physiology, genetics and evolutionary theory, it marks the emergence of behav­ioural ecology as a fully fledged discipline….. This is a marvellous book, written in a lucid style. A must-read for those in the field, it is also a cornucopia of new thinking for anyone interested in evolution and behaviour.” (Manfred Milinski, Nature, 2012)Table of ContentsPreface x Acknowledgements xiii 1 Natural Selection, Ecology and Behaviour 1 Watching and wondering 1 Natural selection 5 Genes and behaviour 6 Selfish individuals or group advantage? 11 Phenotypic plasticity: climate change and breeding times 18 Behaviour, ecology and evolution 21 Summary 22 Further reading 22 Topics for discussion 23 2 Testing Hypotheses in Behavioural Ecology 24 The comparative approach 25 Breeding behaviour of gulls in relation to predation risk 26 Social organization of weaver birds 28 Social organization in African ungulates 30 Limitations of early comparative studies 31 Comparative approach to primate ecology and behaviour 33 Using phylogenies in comparative analysis 37 The comparative approach reviewed 45 Experimental studies of adaptation 46 Summary 49 Further reading 50 Topics for discussion 51 3 Economic Decisions and the Individual 52 The economics of carrying a load 52 The economics of prey choice 59 Sampling and information 62 The risk of starvation 63 Environmental variability, body reserves and food storing 65 Food storing birds: from behavioural ecology to neuroscience 66 The evolution of cognition 71 Feeding and danger: a trade-off 73 Social learning 75 Optimality models and behaviour: an overview 79 Summary 81 Further reading 82 Topics for discussion 82 4 Predators versus Prey: Evolutionary Arms Races 83 Red Queen evolution 83 Predators versus cryptic prey 86 Enhancing camouflage 92 Warning colouration: aposematism 95 Mimicry 100 Trade-offs in prey defences 103 Cuckoos versus hosts 105 Summary 113 Further reading 114 Topics for discussion 114 5 Competing for Resources 116 The Hawk–Dove game 116 Competition by exploitation: the ideal free distribution 119 Competition by resource defence: the despotic distribution 123 The ideal free distribution with unequal competitors 123 The economics of resource defence 126 Producers and scroungers 130 Alternative mating strategies and tactics 131 ESS thinking 142 Animal personalities 143 Summary 144 Further reading 145 Topics for discussion 146 6 Living in Groups 147 How grouping can reduce predation 148 How grouping can improve foraging 159 Evolution of group living: shoaling in guppies 163 Group size and skew 164 Group decision making 169 Summary 177 Further reading 177 Topics for discussion 178 7 Sexual Selection, Sperm Competition and Sexual Conflict 179 Males and females 180 Parental investment and sexual competition 182 Why do females invest more in offspring care than do males? 184 Evidence for sexual selection 186 Why are females choosy? 189 Genetic benefits from female choice: two hypotheses 194 Testing the hypotheses for genetic benefits 196 Sexual selection in females and male choice 201 Sex differences in competition 204 Sperm competition 205 Constraints on mate choice and extra-pair matings 208 Sexual conflict 209 Sexual conflict: who wins? 216 Chase-away sexual selection 218 Summary 220 Further reading 221 Topics for discussion 221 8 Parental Care and Family Conflicts 223 Evolution of parental care 223 Parental investment: a parent’s optimum 227 Varying care in relation to costs and benefits 229 Sexual conflict 232 Sibling rivalry and parent–offspring conflict: theory 238 Sibling rivalry: evidence 240 Parent–offspring conflict: evidence 243 Brood parasites 249 Summary 252 Further reading 252 Topics for discussion 253 9 Mating Systems 254 Mating systems with no male parental care 254 Mating systems with male parental care 264 A hierarchical approach to mating system diversity 279 Summary 280 Further reading 281 Topics for discussion 281 10 Sex Allocation 282 Fisher’s theory of equal investment 285 Sex allocation when relatives interact 286 Sex allocation in variable environments 296 Selfish sex ratio distorters 304 Summary 305 Further reading 305 Topics for discussion 306 11 Social Behaviours: Altruism to Spite 307 Kin selection and inclusive fitness 308 Hamilton’s rule 313 How do individuals recognize kin? 318 Kin selection doesn’t need kin discrimination 322 Selfish restraint and kin selection 325 Spite 327 Summary 331 Further reading 332 Topics for discussion 333 12 Cooperation 334 What is cooperation? 334 Free riding and the problem of cooperation 336 Solving the problem of cooperation 337 Kin selection 339 Hidden benefits 341 By-product benefit 341 Reciprocity 345 Enforcement 350 A case study – the Seychelles Warbler 354 Manipulation 356 Summary 358 Further reading 358 Topics for discussion 359 13 Altruism and Conflict in the Social Insects 360 The social insects 360 The life cycle and natural history of a social insect 364 The economics of eusociality 366 The pathway to eusociality 366 The haplodiploidy hypothesis 367 The monogamy hypothesis 371 The ecological benefits of cooperation 375 Conflict within insect societies 379 Conflict over the sex ratio in the social hymenoptera 379 Worker policing in the social hymenoptera 386 Superorganisms 389 Comparison of vertebrates with insects 390 Summary 392 Further reading 392 Topics for discussion 393 14 Communication and Signals 394 The types of communication 395 The problem of signal reliability 396 Indices 397 Handicaps 405 Common interest 411 Human language 416 Dishonest signals 417 Summary 421 Further reading 422 Topics for discussion 423 15 Conclusion 424 How plausible are our main premises? 424 Causal and functional explanations 436 A final comment 438 Summary 441 Further reading 441 References 442 Index 489

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Book SynopsisThis book explains the correct logical approach to analysis of forensic scientific evidence. The focus is on general methods of analysis applicable to all forms of evidence. It starts by explaining the general principles and then applies them to issues in DNA and other important forms of scientific evidence as examples.Table of ContentsPreface to the First Edition xi Preface to the Second Edition xv 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Three ‘principles’ 1 1.2 Dreyfus, Bertillon, and Poincaré 3 1.3 Requirements for Forensic Scientific Evidence 5 1.3.1 Reliability 6 1.4 What We Will Cover 6 2. Interpreting Scientific Evidence 9 2.1 Relevance and Probative Value 9 2.1.1 Ideal and Useless Evidence 10 2.1.2 Typical Evidence 11 2.1.3 An Aside on Probability and Odds 11 2.1.4 A Breath-Testing Device 13 2.2 The Likelihood Ratio and Bayes’ Theorem 14 2.2.1 The Likelihood Ratio 14 2.2.2 Bayes’ Theorem 15 2.2.3 The Effect of Prior Odds 16 2.2.4 An HIV Test 16 2.2.5 Transposing the Conditional 17 2.2.6 Giving Evidence 18 2.3 Admissibility and Relevance 19 2.3.1 Prejudging the Case? 20 2.4 Case Studies 21 2.4.1 A Useful Presentation of DNA Evidence 21 2.4.2 The Shoe Mark at the Murder Scene 22 2.4.3 The Probability of Paternity 23 2.4.4 Child Sexual Abuse 26 2.5 Summary 27 3. The Alternative Hypothesis 29 3.1 Some Symbols 29 3.1.1 Hypotheses 29 3.1.2 Evidence 30 3.1.3 Probability 30 3.2 Which Alternative Hypothesis? 30 3.2.1 Probative Value and the Alternative Hypothesis 30 3.2.2 Selecting the Appropriate Alternative Hypotheses 31 3.2.3 Example 32 3.3 Exclusive, Exhaustive, and Multiple Hypotheses 33 3.3.1 Exclusiveness 33 3.3.2 Exhaustiveness 34 3.3.3 Multiple Hypotheses 35 3.4 Immigration and Paternity Cases 35 3.4.1 No Alternative Father 36 3.4.2 A Named Alternative Father 36 3.4.3 An Older Example 37 3.5 ‘It Was My Brother’ 38 3.6 Traces at the Scene and Traces on the Suspect 39 3.6.1 Traces at the Scene 39 3.6.2 Traces on the Accused 39 3.6.3 The Accused’s Race 40 3.7 Hypothetical Questions 40 3.8 Pre-Trial Conferences and Defence Notice 42 3.9 Case Studies 43 3.9.1 Alternative Hypotheses in Cases of Child Sexual Abuse 43 3.9.2 The Shoe Mark Case Again 43 3.9.3 Sally Clark 44 3.10 Summary 45 4. What Questions Can the Expert Deal With? 47 4.1 The Hierarchy of Propositions 47 4.2 The Ultimate Issue Rule 50 4.2.1 Rationale 51 4.2.2 Experts Must Not Give Evidence on Legal Concepts 51 4.2.3 The Rule and Logical Inference 52 4.2.4 The Ultimate Issue Rule Is Correct 53 4.3 Summary 54 5. Explaining the Strength of Evidence 55 5.1 Explaining the Likelihood Ratio 56 5.1.1 Sensitivity Tables 57 5.2 The Weight of Evidence 57 5.3 Words Instead of Numbers? 58 5.3.1 Standardising Word Meanings 59 5.3.2 The Inconsistent Meanings of ‘Consistent’ 60 5.3.3 ‘Could Have’ and ‘Could Have Not’ 61 5.3.4 There’s Nothing Special about Being ‘Unique’ 61 5.3.5 ‘Reliability’ 62 5.3.6 Other Words to Avoid 63 5.4 Dealing with Wrongly Expressed Evidence 63 5.5 Case Studies 64 5.5.1 Shoe Marks 64 5.5.2 Stomach Contents 66 5.5.3 Hair Growth 66 5.6 Summary 67 6. The Case as a Whole 69 6.1 Combining Evidence 69 6.1.1 Dependent and Independent Evidence 70 6.1.2 Conditional Independence 71 6.1.3 Combining Dependent Evidence 72 6.2 Can Combined Weak Evidence Be Stronger Than Its Components? 72 6.3 The Standard of Proof and the Cost of Errors 74 6.3.1 Civil Cases 75 6.3.2 Criminal Cases 75 6.3.3 Child Sex-Abuse Cases 75 6.3.4 Is a Quantifiable Doubt a Reasonable Doubt? 75 6.3.5 What If the Scientific Evidence Is the Only Evidence? 76 6.4 Assessing Prior Odds 76 6.4.1 Prior Odds and the Presumption of Innocence 77 6.5 The Defence Hypothesis and the Prior Odds 78 6.6 Case Studies 78 6.6.1 A Bomb-Hoax Call 78 6.6.2 Loveridge V Adlam 81 6.7 Summary 82 7. Forensic Science Methodology 85 7.1 A General Methodology for Comparative Analysis 86 7.1.1 Choosing Features 86 7.1.2 Choosing How to Compare Features 87 7.1.3 Calculating Same-Source and Different-Source Comparison Scores 88 7.1.4 Generating Likelihood Ratios 90 7.2 Assessing the Performance of an Expert or a Comparison System 90 7.2.1 Discrimination 91 7.2.2 Calibration 91 7.2.3 Misleading Evidence 92 7.2.4 Discrimination versus Calibration 93 7.2.5 Improving Calibration 93 7.3 System Performance Characteristics 95 7.3.1 Tippett Plots 95 7.3.2 Measuring Discrimination and Calibration Separately 96 7.4 Case Assessment and Interpretation (CAI) 98 7.4.1 Defining the Customer Requirement 98 7.4.2 Assessing How Forensic Science Can Help 99 7.4.3 Agreeing on a Case Examination Strategy 99 7.4.4 Examination, Interpretation, and Communication 99 7.4.5 Case Example, Murder or Suicide? 100 7.5 Context Bias 102 7.5.1 Base Rate Information 102 7.5.2 Case Information 103 7.5.3 Reference Material 103 7.5.4 Questioned Material 103 7.6 Summary 104 8. Assigning Likelihood Ratios 107 8.1 DNA 108 8.1.1 A Single Comparison with a Match as a Result 109 8.1.2 A Database Search with a Single Match as a Result 109 8.1.3 A Database Search with Multiple Matches as a Result 110 8.1.4 Extremely Large LRs 111 8.2 Glass Refractive Index 111 8.3 Colour Comparison 113 8.3.1 Colour Feature Selection or Construction 113 8.3.2 Colour Comparison Algorithm 114 8.3.3 Colour Feature and Score Distribution for Collection 114 8.4 Fingerprints 116 8.4.1 Feature Selection or Construction 117 8.4.2 Comparison Algorithm, and Within- and Between-Source Scores 119 8.5 Signatures 121 8.6 Psychological Evidence 125 8.6.1 The Probative Value of Psychological Evidence 125 8.7 Summary 127 9. Errors of Thinking 129 9.1 A Brace of Lawyers’ Fallacies 129 9.1.1 The Prosecutor’s Fallacy 129 9.1.2 The Defence Attorney’s Fallacy 133 9.1.3 Balance 134 9.2 Double-Counting Evidence? 134 9.3 The Accuracy and Reliability of Scientific Evidence 135 9.3.1 Honest Reporting 136 9.3.2 Quality Control 136 9.3.3 Laboratory Error Rate 137 9.4 Case Studies 138 9.4.1 The mad Earl of Ferrers 138 9.4.2 The Blood on the Belt 139 9.4.3 Broken Glass 141 9.5 Summary 144 10. Frequentist Statistics and Database Matching 147 10.1 The Frequentist Statistical Approach 148 10.1.1 Problems of Significance Testing 148 10.1.2 What Is a Confidence Interval? 150 10.2 Databases 152 10.2.1 Using This Evidence 153 10.2.2 Traps with Databases 153 10.3 The Right Questions and the Wrong Questions 154 10.3.1 When the Wrong Questions Give the Right Answers 155 10.4 Summary 158 11. Implications for the Legal System 161 11.1 What Is Expert Evidence? 161 11.1.1 Is Expert Evidence Just Opinion Evidence? 162 11.1.2 Is ‘Expert Opinion’ Different from ‘Lay Opinion’? 163 11.1.3 Expert Evidence as a Subject in Itself 163 11.2 Who Is an Expert? 164 11.2.1 An Organised Body of Knowledge? 165 11.2.2 Forensic Scientists as Expert Witnesses 166 11.3 Insanity and the Ultimate Issue Rule 166 11.3.1 Is Forensic Science Different from Other Sciences? 168 11.4 Novel Forms of Scientific Evidence 168 11.4.1 Additional Requirements for Forensic Scientific Evidence? 168 11.4.2 The End of the Frye Test – Daubert 170 11.4.3 Testing of the Theory or Technique 171 11.4.4 Publication and Peer Review 172 11.4.5 Actual or Potential Error Rates 172 11.4.6 Wide Acceptance 173 11.4.7 Conclusions on Daubert 174 11.5 Knowledge of Context 174 11.5.1 The Importance of Context 174 11.5.2 Defence Disclosure 175 11.6 Court-Appointed Experts 176 11.7 Summary 177 12. Conclusion 179 12.1 Forensic Science as a Science 180 12.2 Conclusions 181 12.3 The Fundamental Questions 181 Appendix 183 A.1 Probability, Odds, Bayes’ Rule and the Weight of Evidence 183 A.1.1 Probability 183 A.1.2 Odds 184 A.1.3 Symbols 185 A.2 Laws of Probability 186 A.2.1 Complementarity 186 A.2.2 Product Rule 186 A.2.3 Sum Rule 187 A.2.4 The Likelihood Ratio, LR 188 A.2.5 Bayes’ Rule 188 A.2.6 Probability Form 188 A.2.7 Odds Form of Bayes’ Rule 189 A.2.8 Combining Evidence 189 A.3 The Weight of Evidence 190 Index 193

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Book SynopsisOxygen has had extraordinary effects on life. Three hundred million years ago, in Carboniferous times, dragonflies grew as big as seagulls, with wingspans ofnearly a metre. Researchers claim they could have flown only if the air had contained more oxygen than today -probably as much as 35 per cent. Giant spiders, tree-ferns, marine rock formations and fossil charcoalsall tell the same story. High oxygen levels may also explain the global firestorm that contributed to thedemise of the dinosaurs after the asteroid impact. The strange and profound effects that oxygen has had on the evolution of life pose a riddle, which this booksets out to answer. Oxygen is a toxic gas. Divers breathing pure oxygen at depth suffer from convulsionsand lung injury. Fruit flies raised at twice normal atmospheric levels of oxygen live half as long as theirsiblings. Reactive forms of oxygen, known as free radicals, are thought to cause ageing in people. Yet ifatmospheric oxygen reached 35 per cent in the Carboniferous, why did it promote exuberant growth,instead of rapid ageing and death? Oxygen takes the reader on an enthralling journey, as gripping as a thriller, as it unravels the unexpectedways in which oxygen spurred the evolution of life and death. The book explains far more than the size ofancient insects: it shows how oxygen underpins the origin of biological complexity, the birth of photosynthesis, the sudden evolution of animals, the need for two sexes, the accelerated ageing of cloned animals like Dolly the sheep, and the surprisingly long lives of bats and birds. Drawing on this grand evolutionary canvas, Oxygen offers fresh perspectives on our own lives and deaths,explaining modern killer diseases, why we age, and what we can do about it. Advancing revelatory new ideas,following chains of evidence, the book ranges through many disciplines, from environmental sciences tomolecular medicine. The result is a captivating vision of contemporary science and a humane synthesis of ourplace in nature. This remarkable book might just redefine the way we think about the world.Oxford Landmark Science books are ''must-read'' classics of modern science writing which have crystallized big ideas, and shaped the way we think.Trade Review'. . . popular science writing at its very best - clear yet challenging, speculative yet rigorous. The book is a tour de force which orchestrates a seamless story out of both venerable ideas and very recent discoveries in several disparate fields.' * Bernard Dixon *'. . . a breathtaking, broad vision of the role of a single gas in our life, from the origin of organisms, through the emergence of creatures, and to their deaths . . . packed full of interesting life-and-death stories...A wonderful read.' * Peter Atkins *'. . . one of the most thought-provoking books I have ever read.' * John Emsley *Nick Lane's chapters are dispatches from the frontiers of research into Earth and life history, but they contain nothing that will lose the patient reader and much that will reward. * The Guardian Review *a brisk revelatory study * Christopher Hirst, The Independent *. . . Nick Lane marshals an impressive array of evidence - [an] ambitious narrative . . . This is science writing at its best. * Jerome Burne, The Financial Times *Table of Contents1: Introduction: Elixir of Life - and Death 2: In the Beginning: The Origins and Importance of Oxygen 3: Silence of the Aeons: Three Billion Years of Microbial Evolution 4: Fuse to the Cambrian Explosion: Snowball Earth, Environmental Change and the First Animals 5: The Bolsover Dragonfly: Oxygen and the Rise of the Giants 6: Treachery in the Air: Oxygen Poisoning and X-Irradiation: A Mechanism in Common 7: Green Planet: Radiation and the Beginnings of Photosynthesis 8: Looking for LUCA: Last Ancestor in the Age Before Oxygen 9: Portrait of a Paradox: Vitamin C and the Many Faces of an Antioxidant 10: The Antioxidant Machine: A Hundred and One Ways of Living with Oxygen 11: Sex and the Art of Bodily Maintenance: Trade-offs in the Evolution of Ageing 12: Eat! Or You'll Live Forever: The Triangle of Food, Sex, and Longevity 13: Gender Bender: The Rate of Living and the Need for Sexes 14: Beyond Genes and Destiny: The Double Agent Theory of Ageing and Disease 15: Life, Death and Oxygen: Lessons From Evolution on the Future of Ageing Further Reading Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisMost of us believe that we possess a self - an internal individual who resides inside our bodies, making decisions, authoring actions and possessing free will. The feeling that a single, unified, enduring self inhabits the body - the 'me' inside me - is compelling and inescapable. This is how we interact as a social animal and judge each other's actions and deeds. But that sovereignty of the self is increasingly under threat from science as our understanding of the brain advances. Rather than a single entity, the self is really a constellation of mechanisms and experiences that create the illusion of the internal you. We only emerge as a product of those around us as part of the different storylines we inhabit from the cot to the grave. It is an ever changing character, created by the brain to provide a coherent interface between the multitude of internal processes and the external world demands that require different selves.Trade ReviewFascinating, timely and important ... Hood's presentation of the science behind our supersense is crystal clear and utterly engaging. New Scientist Wonderful. Illuminating. Full of insight, beauty, and humor. Get to know thyself. -- David Eagleman, author of Sum Startling and engrossing... -- Robin Ince Hood has amassed a mountain of support for his argument, covering brain development through social interaction such as attachment, the importance of social mimicry, the illogicality of free will, on-line and off-line selves and much, much more. Nature a fascinating and beautifully written book. The Biologist

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Book SynopsisEverything we come to know and experience of the world depends on the way we attend to it. For reasons of survival, our brains have evolved to pay two kinds of attention to the world at the same time, though for the same reasons we cannot normally become aware of this neurological fact. This delivers two versions of the world with distinct qualities. In the one, associated with the right hemisphere of the brain, we experience the world as live, complex, embodied, implicit, full of individual, unique wholes which are nonetheless inseparably connected, as are we with it as a whole. In the other, associated with the left, we encounter the world as a representation, full of static, explicit, separable, bounded, but essentially fragmented entities, grouped into classes - but mechanistic and lifeless. As their civilisations declined, the world picture of first the Greeks and then the Romans moved from a fruitful balance of these to the triumph of the left hemisphere's view. We are busily repeating the pattern, perhaps for the last time.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Chapters; Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThis is the first-time flexi-cover edition of this classic field guide, which is the definitive volume on the region''s birdlife.This award-winning book, which was first published in 2000, was fully updated in 2009 to include 76 new species for the region that were recent new discoveries for science, taxonomic ''splits'' or had been recorded there for the first time.This comprehensive field guide to the birds of South-East Asia covers all of the 1,327 species recorded in the region and each has been fully illustrated. This edition has many new artworks and 16 more colour plates than the original guide, and the text has been meticulously updated to take in all the most recent information.The vast diversity of South-East Asian birdlife attracts increasing numbers of birdwatchers each year. Covering Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, this unique and indispensable guide covers in detail the identification, voice, breeding, status, habitat Table of ContentsIntroduction Avian topography Plates and species accounts Glossary Selected bibliography Index Thai Index Ornithological regions in Thailandend paper

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Book SynopsisIn 1665, an infectious disease swept through the British capital and claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people. The Great Plague of London haunted the memories of those who survived it. But it would take another two hundred years for the cause of this illness to be discovered: a small but powerful bacterium called Yrsina pestis. In those centuries, our understanding of diseases was transformed.So Very Small is a brilliant journey through the epic history of bacteria, microbes and germs. Spanning centuries and continents, it draws on significant world events the recurrent outbreaks of plague in Europe and Asia, the 1721 Boston smallpox outbreak, the great cholera pandemics of the 19th century as well as the pioneering scientific discoveries that have furthered our understanding of bacteria. The compelling narrative culminates in a great medical breakthrough, the development of antibiotic treatment that has been the salvation of much of humanity in the twentieth century. Levenson also describes the medical and conceptual prejudices that so often delayed scientists' ability to conquer infectious diseases. We still race today to stay ahead of strains of bacteria that are rapidly evolving.Fascinating and immersive, So Very Small is an entertaining, well written and deeply researched history of the scientific quest to understand how tiny organisms have impacted the wider world.

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Book Synopsis Richly illustrated stories of fascinating insects from across the globe in 366 daily entries. In this beautifully produced collection, nature experts Gail Ashton and Dominic Couzens tell the stories of hundreds of insects with information about behaviour, migration and protection mechanisms, as well as their involvement in folklore, history, literature and more. Learn the scientific name for each bug and why they are important while reading what both poets and scientists have recorded about them over the years. Discover the story of the gnat, whose wings beat at 1000 times a second, the glowworm, who has captured the power of light, and the sacred scarab beetle, worshipped in Egypt thousands of years ago. Illustrated with stunning photographs and works of art, showcasing the colours, textures and strange and unique features of these fascinating creatures, this collection is a celebration of insects and their special place in our ecosystems and culture.

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Book SynopsisIn this dazzling coffee table book, acclaimed scientist-photographer Anand Varma unveils a world never before seen by human eyes, achieved through the innovative techniques of today’s finest photographers.“If we hold our breath and gaze a bit more carefully at our world, we might just glimpse a few beautiful secrets hiding in plain sight,” writes Anand Varma, renowned National Geographic photographer, in this book.The long tongue of a hummingbird. The intricate shape of a butterfly pupa. The propulsive appendages of a cancer cell. These and many more phenomena appear in this astonishing book, revealing a world once invisible to the naked eye, but now revealed through the lenses of today’s most innovative photographers.Invisible Wonders explores how size and time, light and focus, can show us our world in brand new ways. From the microscopic to the cosmic, from minuscule elements to intricate life-forms, here is a surprising

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Book SynopsisDr Nell Ward is an ecologist, not a detective. As the only person with any clues as to what happened, Nell soon finds herself in the middle of the investigation. Desperate to clear her name Nell, along with her colleague Adam, set out solving the murder using their skills as ecologists to uncover details no one else would notice.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2017 ROYAL SOCIETY INSIGHT INVESTMENT SCIENCE BOOK PRIZEWhat the judges said: 'Every man and woman should read this book on gender bias ... an important, yet wickedly witty, book.' 'Fine's entertaining and thoughtful book is a valuable addition to the discussion about gender.' Ian Critchley, Sunday Times 'In addition to being hopeful, Fine is also angry. We should all be angry. Testosterone Rex is a debunking rumble that ought to inspire a roar.' Guardian'A densely packed, spirited book, with an unusual combination of academic rigour and readability ... The expression "essential reading for everyone" is usually untrue as well as a cliché, but if there were a book deserving of that description this might just be it.' Antonia Macaro, Financial TimesTestosterone Rex is the powerful myth that squashes hopes of sex equality by telling us that men and women have evolved different natures. Fixed in an ancestral past that rewarded competitive men and caring women, these differences are supposedly re-created in each generation by sex hormones and male and female brains.Testosterone, so we're told, is the very essence of masculinity, and biological sex is a fundamental force in our development. Not so, says psychologist Cordelia Fine, who shows, with wit and panache, that sex doesn't create male and female natures. Instead, sex, hormones, culture and evolution work together in ways that make past and present gender dynamics only a serving suggestion for the future - not a recipe.Testosterone Rex brings together evolutionary science, psychology, neuroscience and social history to move beyond old 'nature versus nurture' debates, and to explain why it's time to unmake the tyrannical myth of Testosterone Rex.For fans of Fine - whose Delusions of Gender 'could have far-reaching consequences as significant as The Female Eunuch' (Viv Groskop, Guardian) - and thousands of new readers, this is an upbeat, timely and important contribution to the debate about gender in society.Trade ReviewEvery man and woman should read this book on gender bias. Testosterone Rex is an important, yet wickedly witty, book about the 21st century which touches on the current debates around identity and turns everything on its head. Pressingly contemporary, it's the ideal companion read to sit alongside The Handmaid's Tale and The Power. -- Judges, 2017 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book PrizeFine's gift for rendering complex neurological concepts comprehensible is one of the many reasons why her book is so brilliant. She writes like a dream, not just by the lifelessly humble standards of most scientific prose, but by any literary measure, and her book sparkles with pithy wit. -- Decca Aitkenhead, GuardianIf you've ever thought that men are from Mars and women arefrom Venus, or that men don't listen and women can't read maps, this book isfor you. The expression "essential reading for everyone" is usually untrue aswell as a cliché, but if there were a book deserving of that description thismight just be it. -- Antonia Macaro, Financial TimesA cracking critique of the "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" hypothesis, Cordelia Fine takes to pieces much of the science on which "fundamental" gender differences are predicated. Graced with precisely focused humour, the author makes a good case that men and women are far more alike than many would claim. Feminist? Possibly. Humanist? Certainly. A compellingly good read. -- Professor Richard ForteyFine leavens the hard science with personal anecdote, and her entertaining and thoughtful book is a valuable addition to the discussion about gender. -- Ian Critchley, The Sunday TimesTestosterone Rex is packed with convincing evidence and astonishing facts, all of which seem so important that everybody should be made to read all of it immediately, or at least before typing another word on Twitter about political correctness gone mad. -- Katy Guest, The PoolFine dissects as she goes, bringing a probing intelligence not only to what we believe about gender, and why it's often wrong, but also to the history of how we came to think it was so ... Beliefs about men and women are as old as humanity itself, but Fine's funny, spiky book gives reason to hope that we've heard Testosterone Rex's last roar. -- Annie Murphy Paul, New York Times Book ReviewTestosterone Rex is one of those rare books that manages to effortlessly mix science, social commentary and a call to arms. It is witty, robust and angry but provides a new take - and new evidence - that helps us answer the age old question of where women stand in the world. -- Kit de WaalTestosterone Rex is a debunking rumble that ought to inspire a roar. -- Sarah Ditum * The Guardian *Fine does it again. The mistress of "I think you'll find it's more complicated than that" delivers a brilliant and witty riposte to the "boys will be boys" bores. Fascinating. -- Caroline Criado-PerezA fascinating, greatly contemplative discussion of sex and gender and the embedded societal expectations of both. -- Kirkus ReviewsIt is extraordinary how so much is attributed to such a minute quantity of hormone. Cordelia Fine combines formidable intellect, forensic analysis and devastating wit to expose those myths of sex, gender and human behaviour that might just reflect testosterone-fuelled, wishful thinking. This engaging, accessible and hopefully influential book doesn't disappoint, and makes crucial reading for those with an interest, from any perspective, in human behaviour. -- Professor Mark Elgar * School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne *The delusion that there are distinct and unique male and female natures, put in place by an unholy alliance of genes, hormones and neurones, remains alive and well. Cordelia Fine dismantles this myth with style, wit and scientific precision. This combination of scientific responsibility and general accessibility is desperately needed if we are to escape the serious social damage caused by such widely disseminated pseudoscience. -- Professor John Dupré * Director, Egenis, Centre for the Study of Life Sciences, University of Exeter *Goodbye beliefs in sex differences disguised as evolutionary facts. Welcome the dragon slayer: Cordelia Fine wittily but meticulously lays bare the irrational arguments that we use to justify gender politics. -- Professor Uta Frith * Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Development, University College, London *This is an important, well researched book that presents biological, psychological and social science research to explain why men and women are far less different than many would have you believe. If that sounds dry, it ain't. Fine lives up to her name - she is an extremely talented writer. -- Professor Michael Jennions * Evolutionary Ecology, Australian National University *Cordelia Fine has done it again: she debunked the idea of a female brain in Delusions of Gender and has now slain Testosterone Rex. This is obligatory reading for anyone interested in gender equality at work or home - your views on sex differences will never be the same. -- Catherine Fox * journalist and author of Seven Myths About Women at Work *This book is brilliant * New Scientist *Ms Fine's is a provocative and often fascinating book. * The Economist *Fine knocks it out of the park with her smart and eye-opening Testosterone Rex ... After reading it, my new resolution is to never say "Boys will be boys" again. Because while boys are, of course, boys, we owe it to them-and to girls-to understand that they are not defined by this single hormone. -- Adrian Laing, The Amazon Book Review EditorFilled with interesting facts, studies and arguments, it's an impressive work, sure to be useful when faced with gender essentialists who argue that asking for progressive change such as fair representation, or less sexist adverts, is a futile fight against nature. -- Let Toys Be ToysTestosterone Rex is an important book. It helps us think about the kind of society we expect to see or hope to build. It questions whether we have to accept existing gendered norms about male and female behaviour. -- Sian Norris, Open DemocracyWatching Fine take these gendered claims painstakingly, methodically, devastatingly to pieces should rank among the great works of art that humanity has ever produced. Buy a box set of this and Delusions of Gender. Buy twelve. Distribute them to your loved ones. Absolutely everyone in the world should read it. You'll thank me later. -- Reading the EndEndless books claim that the brains of men and women are wired differently. They set out to convince us that women are somehow biologically suited to getting the creases out of clothes while men peruse maps. This brilliant book proves our attitudes to men and women are cultural, not natural. Fine makes the neuroscience clear and provides a wealth of ammunition to debunk the myth that sex inequality is just something we're born with. * The Observer *

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Book SynopsisThe Cenozoic era began about 70 million years ago and still continues. In British Cenozoic Fossils 354 species from this period are classified and illustrated with accurate line drawings. This new edition has been fully revised and updated, reflecting advances in our undcerstanding of the fossil record over the past years.

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Book SynopsisVenus draws a beautiful pentagram around Earth every eight years. Jupiter's two largest moons draw a perfect four-fold flower. The Planets grandly play out the slow Music of the Spheres. Is there a secret structure hidden in the Solar System? Packed with great illustrations and serious research from many sources, this internationally bestselling little book by cosmologist John Martineau will instantly retune your cosmological circuits to the extraordinary and primary patterns behind Life, the Universe and Everything. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.Trade Review"This book will dazzle you" - Fortean Times "Another beautiful release from Wooden Books. This one may be small in size, but it is immense in scope. Charting the intricate patterns and relationships formed by the dance of our neighbouring planets around the solar system, Martineau discovers some genuinely mind expanding mathematical and geometrical coincidences." (Fortean Times)

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