Science Recent Picks
October 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.
Natural Acts: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature by David Quammen.
"'Lively writing about science and nature depends less on the offering of good answers, I think, than on the offering of good questions,' said David Quammen in the original introduction to "Natural Acts". For more than two decades, he has stuck to that credo. In this updated version of his first essay collection, Quammen's lively curiosity leads him from New Mexico to Romania, from the Congo to the Amazon, asking questions about mosquitoes, dinosaurs and cloning among other subjects. This revised and expanded edition returns to print Quammen's best-loved "Natural Acts" columns, which first appeared in "Outside" magazine in the early 1980s, and includes recent pieces such as "Planet of Weeds", an influential Harper's cover story. The new "Natural Acts" is an eye-opening journey that will please both Quammen fans and newcomers to his work." (Amazon.co.uk)
Life in Rewind: The Story of an OCD Prisoner and the Harvard Doctor Who Broke All the Rules to Set Him Free by Terry Murphy.
"'Progression equals time. Time equals death'. It's a thought that consumes Ed Zine, a handsome, athletic twenty-four year old. The victim of a debilitating form of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Ed's illogical mind tells him that if going forward in time moves him closer to death, reversing the action will carry him away from it. It took a full year of trust before Dr. Jenike would be allowed to enter the nightmarish prison created by Ed Zine's isolating obsession.Breaking a cardinal rule of medicine, Jenike decided that the best care he could offer the Ed was simple friendship. Medicine after medicine, behavior modification after behaviour modification, and even exposure therapy - nothing seemed to work until one day the exhausted doctor broke down in front of Ed, triggering a turning point. Zine had to find a way to honour the love he'd been shown by his great doctor. Using his own determination, Zine forced himself to do fewer repetitions and slowly began to reverse his mental gymnastics." (Amazon)
Virolution, by Frank Ryan.
"The extraordinary role of viruses in evolution and how this is revolutionising biology and medicine. Darwin's theory of evolution is still the greatest breakthrough in biological science. His explanation of the role of natural selection in driving the evolution of life on earth depended on steady variation of living things over time -- but he was unable to explain how this variation occurred. In the 150 years since publication of the Origin of Species, we have discovered three main sources for this variation -- mutation, hybridisation and epigenetics. Then on Sunday, 12th February, 2001 the evidence for perhaps the most extraordinary cause of variation was simultaneously released by two organisations -- the code for the entire human genome. Not only was the human genome unbelievably simple (it is only ten times more complicated than a bacteria), but embedded in the code were large fragments that were derived from viruses -- fragments that were vital to evolution of all organisms and the evidence for a fourth and vital source of variation -- viruses. Virolution is the product of Dr Frank Ryan's decade of research at the frontiers of this new science -- now called viral symbiosis -- and the amazing revolution that it has had in these few years. As scientists begin to look for evidence of viral involvement in more and more processes, they have discovered that they are vital in nearly every case. And with this understanding comes the possibility of manipulating the role of the viruses to help fight a huge range of diseases." (Amazon)
The Edge of Science: Mysteries of Mind, Space and Time, by Alan Baker.
"How did the universe begin and how will it end? What happens to us when we die? Do intelligent beings exist elsewhere in our galaxy and beyond? These are just a few of the questions addressed in "The Edge of Science". Written in a clear, informative and entertaining style, the book presents some of the most intriguing mysteries in the history of science. Some of these enigmas have been solved through the ingenuity of their investigators; others are so strange as to admit of no easy solution and have given rise to equally bizarre speculations. From the Tunguska explosion of 1908 to the enigma of the Moon's origin, from the possibility of time travel to the search for zero-point energy, author Alan Baker examines the many theories and speculations that have been presented to account for the mystery of the world. Each chapter deals with an enigma that has caused wonder, excitement or fear to all who have pondered it, including: the discovery of strange fossils that hint at an unknown early history of humanity; anomalous structures photographed on the Moon and Mars; the mystery of dark matter and dark energy; and strange disappearances of people and objects." (Amazon)
The Quantum Frontier: The Large Hadron Collider, by Don Lincoln.
"The highest-energy particle accelerator ever built, the Large Hadron Collider runs under the border between France and Switzerland. It leapt into action on September 10, 2008, amid unprecedented global press coverage and widespread fears that its energy would create tiny black holes that could destroy the earth.
By smashing together particles smaller than atoms, the LHC recreates the conditions hypothesized to have existed just moments after the big bang. Physicists expect it to aid our understanding of how the universe came into being and to show us much about the standard model of particle physics -- even possibly proving the existence of the mysterious Higgs boson. In exploring what the collider does and what it might find, Don Lincoln explains what the LHC is likely to teach us about particle physics, including uncovering the nature of dark matter, finding micro black holes and supersymmetric particles, identifying extra dimensions, and revealing the origin of mass in the universe." (Amazon)
How to Build a Dinosaur: Extinction Doesn't Have to Be Forever, by Jack Horner, James Gorman.
"world-renowned paleontologist takes readers all over the globe to reveal a new science that trumps science fiction: how humans can re-create a dinosaur. In movies, in novels, in comic strips, and on television, we’ve all seen dinosaurs, at least somebody’s educated guess of what they would look like. But what if it were possible to build, or grow, a real dinosaur, without finding ancient DNA? Jack Horner, the scientist who advised Steven Spielberg on Jurassic Park, and a pioneer in bringing paleontology into the twenty-first century, teams up with the editor of The New York Times, Science Times section to reveal exactly what’s in store." (Global Books)
Pavlov's Dogs and Schrödinger's Cat: Scenes from the Living Laboratory: Tales from the Living Laboratory, by Rom Harré.
"From the sheep, dog, and cockerel that were sent aloft in Montgolfier's balloon, to Galvani's frog's legs, Dolly the Sheep, the finches of the Galapagos, and even imaginary cats and simulated life forms, Pavlov's Dogs and Schrödinger's Cat explores the fascinating history of the role of living things in science. The ways in which animals and plants have been used in science has always been a matter for considerable public debate, and this book provides an important and fascinating new perspective, setting aside moral reflection to simply examine the history of how and why living creatures have been used for the purposes of scientific discovery. Many extraordinary stories are uncovered throughout five centuries of science - tales of the people involved, curious incidents and episodes, and the occasional scientific fraud too, as clear reflections on the history and philosophy of science are combined with remarkable accounts from the living laboratory." (Amazon)
The Undercover Scientist: Investigating the Mishaps of Everyday Life, by Peter J. Bentley.
"'Shit happens', as the saying goes, but if you want to know why it does, the "Undercover Scientist" is on hand to explain all. Making his way through one of those days when everything seems to go wrong, Peter Bentley investigates the fascinating science that lies behind the most apparently mundane mishaps - from sleeping through the alarm to battling with immovable superglue - and shows you how to fight back against these everyday disasters." (Amazon)
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