|
Nature via Nurture |
Matt Ridley |
A superbly balanced picture of the ages-old
debate between nature and nurture, and the latest thinking to emerge from
genetic science  |
Human science |
|
Nature's Robots: A
History of Proteins |
Charles Tanford & Jacqueline
Reynolds |
Accessible history of science
textbook on proteins and their discovery, but not really popular science
 |
Biology |
|
The
Never Ending Days of Being
Dead |
Marcus Chown |
A clear exploration of some of
the big questions in physics, bringing in a range of weird and wonderful
theories
|
Physics, cosmology |
|
The New Killer Germs |
Pete Moore |
Very effective if depressing
account of our battle against bacteria and viruses, and how things are
likely to get worse in the future
|
Human science |
| The Northern Lights |
Lucy Jago |
Kristian Birkeland, the
Norwegian scientist who first uncovered the secret of the Northern Lights
|
Biography, physics |
| The Nothing that Is |
Robert Kaplan |
An enjoyable tour around
that most significant gap in our counting system, zero |
Maths |
|
Not Even Wrong |
Peter Woit |
Stunning but hugely
difficult book describing the failing of string theory and why it perhaps
isn't even science. [UNRATEABLE] |
Physics |
|
No Two Alike |
Judith Rich Harris |
A real page turner as the
author explores how personalities differ, with a style that owes as much to
a murder mystery as a science book |
Human science |
|
Number Freaking |
Gary Rimmer |
Entertaining book of strange
statistics. The format (guess the answer from three) gets a little tedious
|
Maths |
|
The One True Platonic
Heaven |
John L. Casti |
Cleverly written fictional
encounter between key physicists and mathematicians at the IAS - with some
politics thrown in for fun
|
Overview |
| Our Cosmic Habitat |
Martin Rees |
A clear and well-written
guide to the universe from the Astronomer Royal |
Cosmology, astronomy |
|
Our Inner Ape |
Frans de Waal |
The affection the author feels
for chimps and bonobos comes through strongly as he explores the behaviour
of our closest relatives, and what it can tell us about ourselves
|
Biology |
|
The Oxford Dictionary of
Scientific Quotations |
W.
F. Bynum and Roy Porter |
Absolutely brilliant
collection of quotations from scientists and about science. An absolutely
must-have reference.
|
Overview |
|
Oxygen |
Nick Lane |
Not, as it may seem a book on
the element, but on its complex relationship with life. Great content but
very hard work for the reader.
|
Biology, human sciences |
|
Pandora's Breeches |
Patricia Fara |
Interesting exploration of
women's early role in science
|
Biography |
|
Parallel Worlds |
Michio Kaku |
Fascinating ideas on parallel
universes, cosmology and string theory only slightly let down by
oversimplification and mixed writing. |
Cosmology, physics |
|
Perfect Copy |
Nicholas Agar |
Good introduction to the
working of cloning and exploration of the ethical implications and uses
|
Human science |
|
Perfectly Reasonable
Deviations from the Beaten Track |
Richard Feynman |
Absolutely fascinating
collection of letters from one of the greatest scientists ever
|
Biography |
|
The Periodic Table |
Eric R. Scerri |
An in-depth exploration of the
birth and development of the periodic table. Too technical and not enough
context for the general reader.
|
Chemistry |
|
Personality |
Daniel Nettle |
Using a series of
quasi-Jungian personality type measures, psychologist Daniel Nettle looks at
how our personalities differ and why we may have evolved this way.
|
Human science |
|
Phantoms in the Brain |
Sandra Blakeslee & V. S. Ramachandran |
The workings of the brain
cleverly explored through mental problems and the effects of brain damage
|
Human science |
| The Physics of Star Trek |
Lawrence M. Krauss |
How much can real science
make the wonders of Star Trek possible? |
TV, physics |
|
The Physics of Superheroes |
James Kakalios |
One of the better 'science of'/'physics of'
books, using the exploits of superheroes to explore everything from
mechanics to electromagnetism.. |
Physics |
|
The Piltdown Forgery |
Joseph Weiner |
Fifty years after it was
discredited, OUP publish an updated version of Weiner's still very readable
account
|
Human science |
|
Plan B 2.0 |
Lester R. Brown |
Disappointingly dull and
uninspiring plan to save the world from eco-disaster, though does have a
good survey of the problems.
 |
Earth science |
|
The Planets |
Dava Sobel |
Highly poetic and personal
exploration of the solar system - enjoyable reading but a little weak on
science |
Astronomy |
|
Pleasurable Kingdom |
Jonathan Balcombe |
Can animals feel pleasure? Pet
owners will say "yes" - this book shows they're probably right, and explains
why it happens and why we should consider it in animal welfare.
|
Biology |
|
The Poison Paradox |
John Timbrell |
Comprehensive but rather repetitive and weakly
edited guide to the nature of poisons, both natural and synthetic
|
Biology,
chemistry |
|
Possessing Genius: The
Bizarre Odyssey of Einstein's Brain |
Carolyn Abraham |
Occasionally gory but
fascinating account of what happened to Einstein's brain after his death
|
Biography, human science |
|
Postcards from Mars |
Jim
Bell |
Great photographs of the
Martian surface taken by the rovers, with good explanatory text, but after a
while the pictures are very similar to each other.
|
Astronomy |
|
Power, Sex, Suicide |
Nick Lane |
It sounds like a
political thriller, but it's a fascinating if fat exploration of the role of
mitochondria, the invader power packs of complex life.
|
Biology |
|
Powering Up |
Rebecca Mileham |
Thought-provoking exploration of the effects
computer games have on us. Sometimes over-enthusiastic, but mostly good.
|
Technology |
|
Prisoner's Dilemma |
William Poundstone |
Interesting biography of John
von Neumann plus introduction to game theory and its cold war significance
|
Maths |
|
Programming the Universe |
Seth Lloyd |
An attempt to make quantum
theory and quantum computers more approachable by using information theory
just makes things harder
|
Physics |
|
Proust and the Squid |
Maryanne Wolf |
Wonderful concept - looking at
how the brain copes with reading - not very well executed as a popular
science book. |
Human science |
|
Q&A: Cosmic Conundrums
and Everyday Mysteries of Science |
Robert Matthews |
Lots of fun and some
significant surprises in this selection of answers to the scientific
questions we'd all like to ask, but haven't
|
Overview |
|
Quantum Physics: A
Beginner's Guide |
Alistair I. M. Rae |
Worthy if dull introduction
that is reminiscent of a university lecture. Strangely omits some key
aspects of quantum physics. |
Physics |
|
Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You [The Quantum Zoo] |
Marcus Chown |
The best introduction to
quantum physics and relativity we've seen with some superb examples and
great explanation |
Physics |
|
Quantum Reality |
Nick Herbert |
Stodgy and impenetrable trip
around the metaphysics underlying quantum theory
|
Physics |
|
QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter |
Richard Feynman |
Great insight into Feynman's
genius in these transcribed lectures, in not popular science
|
Physics |
| The Queen's Conjuror |
Benjamin Woolley |
The remarkable John Dee and
his fascinating mix of science and magic
|
Biography |
|
The Quest for the Quantum
Computer |
Julian Brown |
Very good exploration of the
weird world of quantum computing. Five star for techies, but actual rating
reflects over-technical approach.
|
Physics, technology |
|
Rain |
Brian Cathcart |
Some lovely insights into rain
and its effects, but too short
|
Earth science |
|
The Rainhill Trials |
Christopher McGowan |
Pure technology, but a
fascinating insight into the men and machines that brought railways into
being
|
Technology |
|
Rats |
Robert Sullivan |
A study of the wild rat in New
York, in Robert Sullivan's unique style that brings in many fascinating
tangential stories |
Biology |
|
Real Mosquitoes Don't Eat
Meat |
Brad Wetzler |
A collection of delightful and
fun answers to those questions that always puzzle us, in this case about the
natural world
|
Overview |
|
Richard Dawkins: How a
Scientist Changed the Way We Think |
Alan Grafen & Mark Ridley |
Collection of essays inspired
by Richard Dawkins, sadly lacking his style and readability, and not
addressing the man himself |
Biology |
|
Richard Feynman: A Life in Science |
John Gribbin & Mary Gribbin |
Plodding style and under-done explanation of
the science make this biog of super-scientist Feynman disappointing
|
Biography, physics |
|
The Road to Reality |
Roger Penrose |
Remarkable tour-de-force
exploration of physics and its mathematical basis, but almost totally
incomprehensible!
|
Physics,
maths |
|
Rock & Gem |
Ronald Louis Bonewitz |
Not really popular science,
but a beautifully illustrated reference on all kinds of rocks, minerals &
gems
|
Earth science |
|
The Rocketbelt Caper |
Paul Brown |
Stranger than fiction true story of the
development of the rocketbelt and the plunge into kidnapping and murder that
one rocketbelt caused |
Technology |
|
The Rough Guide to Climate Change |
Robert Henson |
An excellent introduction to the whys and
wherefores of global warming: mix of politics and science, hence relatively
low score
|
Earth science |
Home Authors
Books
Subjects
Events
Software
Features
Links
Newsletter
Gifts
Blog
Write
Review What's New