Abominable Science!: Origins of the Yeti, Nessie and Other Famous Cryptids
Daniel Loxton, Donald R Prothero
Columbia University Press, HB, 9780231153201
Large numbers of people believe in demonstrably false phenomena, from UFOs and ESP to Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster. Even though these fictions have been repeatedly debunked and discredited, they persist in the human imagination and influence our beliefs and our society. Spinning tales of fantastical creatures may seem like a harmless pastime, but when pseudoscientists make 'revolutionary' claims about ... More/Buy
Australia's Amazing Kangaroos: Their conservation, unique biology and coexistence with humans
Ken Richardson
CSIRO, PB, 9780643097391
This book provides an authoritative source of information on kangaroos and their relatives. Topics include: species characteristics and biology, adaptations and function, and conservation. The book also discusses culling and the commercial kangaroo harvest, as well as national attitudes to kangaroos and their value for tourism. There are 71 recognised species of kangaroo found in Australasia. Of these, 46 are endemic ... More/Buy
Earth: A Tenant's Manual
Frank H T Rhodes
Cornell University Press, PB, 9780801451171
In Earth: A Tenant's Manual, the distinguished geologist Frank H. T. Rhodes, President Emeritus of Cornell University, provides a sweeping, accessible, and deeply informed guide to the home we all share, showing us how we might best preserve the Earth's livability for ourselves and future generations. Rhodes begins by setting the scene for our active planet and explaining how its location ... More/Buy
The Fate of the Species: Why the Human Race May Cause Its Own Extinction and How We Can Stop It
Fred Guterl
Bloomsbury, HB, 9781608192588
The sixth 'mass extinction event' in the history of planet Earth is currently under way, with over two hundred species dying off every day. The cause of this seismic event is also the source of the single biggest threat to human life: our own inventions. But for all our talk about sea levels and biotechnology, do we really know what our ... More/Buy
Frog
Charlotte Sleigh
Reaktion Books, PB, 9781861899200
From the metamorphosing fairytale Frog Prince and The Tale of Jeremy Fisher, to dissections in science class, to television's Kermit, frogs are ever-present in our childhoods. Just what is it about this slimy creature that captures our imagination? While much attention has been paid to the scientific qualities of the frog, little has been said about the large role played by ... More/Buy
Future and Related Nonsense
Antony Funnell
ABC Books, PB, 9780733329913
Do you really understand the world around you? Do you know how crowdsourcing works, what terraforming does, and what alternative currency is? Do you believe Google is great - or is there a sneaky feeling in the back of your mind that it might know way too much about you? And, by the way, just what happened to the great promises ... More/Buy
Identically Different: Why You Can Change Your Genes
Tim Spector
W & N Non Fiction, HB, 9780297866312
This book is about how minor life events and the choices we make, as well as those made by our ancestors, fuse with our inherited genes to mould us into individuals. What makes you so different to your siblings? Why do you vote a certain way, remain faithful for twenty years, believe in God, love salads, be heterosexual, get cancer or ... More/Buy
Ocean of Life: How Our Seas are Changing
Callum Roberts
Allen Lane, HB, 9781846143946
In this revelatory book, Callum Roberts uses his lifetime's experience working with the oceans to show why they are the most mysterious places on earth, their depths still largely unexplored. In The Ocean of Life we get a panoramic tour beneath the seas: Why do currents circulate the way do? Where exactly do they go? How has the chemistry of the ... More/Buy
On the Origin of Tepees: Why Some Ideas Spread While Others Go Extinct
Jonnie Hughes
OneWorld, PB, 9781851689439
Adopting the part of a cultural Darwin, science writer and filmmaker Jonnie Hughes goes on a road trip through the exotic American Midwest to observe the natural history of ideas. As he dissects the variation and inheritance of odd bits of culture, he tours the supersized Mall of America and investigates the invention of the cowboy hat. He considers the fashion ... More/Buy
Once We All Had Gills: Growing Up Evolutionist in an Evolving World
Rudolf A Raff
Indian University Press, HB, 9780253002358
In this book, Rudolf A. Raff reaches out to the scientifically queasy, using his life story and his growth as a scientist to illustrate why science matters. Raff argues that when the public is confused or ill-informed, issues such as energy and conservation, stem-cell research and climate change tend to be decided on religious, economic, and political grounds that disregard the ... More/Buy
Proving Darwin: Making Biology Mathematical
Gregory Chaitin
Random House, HB, 9780375423147
Groundbreaking mathematician Gregory Chaitin gives us the first book to posit that we can prove how Darwin's theory of evolution works on a mathematical level. For years it has been received wisdom among most scientists that, just as Darwin claimed, all of the Earth's life-forms evolved by blind chance. But does Darwin's theory function on a purely mathematical level? Has there ... More/Buy
What a Plant Knows: A Field Guide to the Senses
Daniel Chamovitz
Scribe Publications, PB, 9781921844874
How does a Venus flytrap know when to snap shut? Can a fern get jet lag? Do roses remember the romance springtime? In What a Plant Knows, renowned biologist Daniel Chamovitz presents a beguiling exploration of how plants experience our shared Earth – in terms of sight, smell, touch, hearing, memory, and even awareness. Combining cutting-edge research with lively storytelling, he ... More/Buy