Science Recent Picks

March 2007

The title-underlined links will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.

The new cosmic onion : quarks and the nature of the universe, by Frank Close.
"The New Cosmic Onion provides a clear and readable introduction to the fascinating world of particle physics. Frank Close explores this intriguing realm and explains why are building ever larger experiments, such as the multi- billion dollar Hadron Collider at CERN,and explains what these experiments will help uncover and how they could shape the future of physics and our understanding of the universe." (Cover)

Hell and high water : global warming : the solution and the politics : and what we should do, by Joseph J. Romm.
"A clear and effective primer on climate science. But the most salient aspects of this provocative expose involve Romm's documentation of what he calls the Bush administration's irresponsible and backward energy policies, the censorship of legitimate and urgent information pertaining to global warming, and the threats rising temperatures pose to "the health and well-being of this nation and the world." Romm explains that we already possess the technologies and know-how we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; what we lack is the will to act." (Amazon)

The best American science and nature writing 2006 by edited and with an introduction by Brian Greene.
"These articles lay out the facts about topics like lupus and the nature of mass with admirable clarity, but can fall short of the excitement level in other pieces that have a more personal touch. John Hockenberry, for example, shows how blogging technology has radically changed the way U.S. soldiers fighting in Iraq communicate with friends, family and even total strangers, while Mark Dowie thoughtfully considers how environmentalist zeal threatens to disrupt indigenous communities. Other writers focus on the compelling stories of individual scientists, from Drake Bennett's profile of "the godfather of Ecstasy" to Oliver Sacks's memories of his lively correspondence with Francis Crick, the co-discoverer of DNA." (Amazon UK)

Theories for everything : an illustrated history of science from the invention of numbers to string theory by John Langone, Bruce Stutz, and Andrea Gianopoulos.
"A basic introduction to the historical process of science. The late Langone concisely introduces the concept of a theory, emphasizing that it is a general truth about the natural world and not, as in common parlance, a supposition. Definition in hand, the book dives into the oldest science, astronomy, with the most tenaciously held theory, Ptolemy's geocentric cosmos. As with ancient authority in other sciences, such as Galen on human physiology, Ptolemy put curiosity to sleep until Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton formulated testable theories that encompassed larger classes of phenomena. The treatment of the other major sciences likewise emphasizes the gradual overthrow of a reigning theory by a more comprehensive one." (Amazon UK)

Quantum enigma : physics encounters consciousness by Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner.
"This book is unique. I know of no other which so artfully tackles two of the greatest mysteries of modern science, quantum mechanics and consciousness. It has long been suspected that these mysteries are somehow related. The authors' treatment of this thorny and controversial issue is honest, wide-ranging and immensely readable. The book contains some of the clearest expositions I have ever seen of the strange and paradoxical nature of the quantum world. Quantum Enigma is a pleasure to read, and I am sure it is destined to become a classic." (Amazon UK)

Cosmos from the sky. Volume 4, The universe (DVD)
Take a journey through the universe with European Space Agency images.

Last man standing : the human race by producer & director, John Rubin. (DVD)
From giants of unmatched size and strength to prehistoric hobbit-like people half the size of humans today, scientists are reconstructing moments in time to find many different species competing for survival simultaneously, So how and why did we outlive all of nature's other human experiments? Combining advanced CGI, re-enactments and expert analysis, National Geographic takes viewers from modern-day Indonesia to prehistoric Europe and the African plains on a mission to find out what happened over the millennia that made us the ultimate survivor.

Microcosmos a film by Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou. (DVD)
Presents a close look at 24 hours in the life of the insect population of grasslands. Combining 15 years of research and 3 years of filming, this film provides spectacular footage of the insect world.

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