Science Recent Picks

September 2009

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.

Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon by Buzz Aldrin.
"Forty years ago, Buzz Aldrin became the second human - minutes after Neil Armstrong - to set foot on a celestial body other than the Earth. The event remains one of mankind's greatest achievements and was witnessed by the largest worldwide television audience in history. In the years since, millions more have had their earth-centric perspective changed forever by gazing at the iconic photograph of Aldrin standing on the surface of the Moon with the blackness of space behind him. He described what he saw as 'magnificent desolation'. The flight of Apollo 11 made Aldrin one of the most famous people on the planet, yet few people know the rest of the story." (Amazon.co.uk)

The Complete Guide to Climate Change by Brian Dawson, Matt Spannagle.
"For anyone trying to separate the fact from the fiction, The Complete Guide to Climate Change is an indispensable resource. Taking you through the A to Z of the key scientific, geographical and socio-political issues involved in the study of the environment and the implications of mankind’s effect upon it, topics covered include:
Environmental Science – the Carbon Cycle and the "Greenhouse Gases"
The impacts of climate change on life, land and sea
Mitigation strategies from carbon capture to carbon taxes
The Kyoto Protocol and UNFCC
Renewable fuel sources, from wind to solar power
Including guides to the latest scientific and governmental thinking on climate change, this book will tell you all you need to know about perhaps the biggest issue facing mankind today." (Book Cover)

Staying Healthy with Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine - Twenty-First Century Edition, by Elson M. Haas.
""Staying Healthy With Nutrition" compiles decades of practical experience and scientific research into a one-stop encyclopedic volume on nutritional medicine. In this thoroughly revised and updated edition, Dr. Elson Haas presents the most current health and nutrition information available. It's the ultimate handbook to maximum health, longevity, and general well-being." (Amazon)

Healthier Without Wheat: A New Understanding of Wheat Allergies, Celiac Disease, and Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance, by Stephen Wangen.
"This is the leading resource for discovering your wheat allergy or gluten intolerance. For millions of people, bread, pasta, and many other foods are bad for their health. Thousands of people have already come to their own realization that they are healthier without wheat in their diet, but it can be difficult to figure out when most doctors aren't knowledgeable on the topic. This book provides validation for what these people have discovered, and explains how you too can determine whether or not wheat and gluten are making you sick." (Amazon)

Mycelium Running: A Guide to Healing the Planet through Gardening with Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, by Paul Stamets.
"A groundbreaking manual for saving the world through mushroom cultivation! The science goes like this: fine filaments of living cells called mycelium, the fruit of which are mushrooms, already cover large areas of land around the world. As the mycelium grows, it silently breaks down plant and animal debris, recycling carbon, nitrogen and other essential elements in the creation of new soil. Read all about the newest trend in environmental science in Mycelium Running." (Amazon)

50 Genetics Ideas You Really Need to Know, by Mark Henderson.
"In recent years knowledge of our genetic code has changed our understanding of life on Earth. New genetic technologies are transforming the way we live and promise treatments for otherwise incurable diseases. But these advances are also generating controversy, particularly surrounding issues such as cloning and designer babies. In "50 Genetics Ideas", Mark Henderson distils the central ideas of genetics in a series of clear and concise essays. Beginning with the theory of evolution, and covering such topics as the genome and how nature and nurture work together, he not only illuminates the role of genes in shaping our behaviour and sexuality, but also the very latest, cutting-edge developments in gene therapy and artificial life. Accessible and informative, "50 Genetics Ideas" is a timely introduction to this young and ground-breaking strand of science." (Amazon)

Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Earth, by Jim Luhr.
"A breathtaking and inspirational exploration of planet Earth From the fiery mass of the Earth's core to the tip of the highest ice-capped mountain, explore every aspect of our planet in awe-inspiring photographic detail. Visit 400 of the tallest, longest, widest, most significant and most unusual physical features on Earth, from volcanoes, deserts and rivers to weather systems, rocks and minerals. Then take a look at the health of our planet and discover about the interaction between people and the environment. This is a new compact edition of Earth." (Amazon)

Uranium, by Tom Zoellner.
"Uranium is a common element in the Earth's crust and the only naturally occuring mineral with the power to end all life on the planet. After World War II it reshaped the global order - whoever could mast uranium could master the world. Fortunes have been made from this yellow dirt, massive energy grids have been run from it. Fear of it panicked the American people into supporting war with Iraq and its spectre threatens to create further conflicts in Iran and North Korea. Here, Tom Zoellner takes readers around the globe in an intriguing look at an immensely powerful mineral." (Amazon)

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