It’s never been a better time to be a total science nerd!
There have been so many cool books on science and nature to come out this year that we were hard pressed to pick only ten! In our list of the top 10 of 2017, you can traverse the mysteries of the universe with Dr Karl or get a crash course in astrophysics with the one and only Neil deGrasse Tyson - the choice is yours!
Pick up one of these and get lost in the wonders of science...
Roosters that deceive their hens? Mother deer that grieve? Horses that feel shame?
We humans tend to assume that we are the only living things able to experience feelings intensely and consciously. But have you ever wondered what’s going on in an animal’s head?
More and more researchers are realising that animals in fact experience a rich emotional life. Acting as our interpreter of the animal world and of the fascinating science, Peter Wohlleben brings this new research to life with his own observations of his favourite creatures.
From the leafy forest floor to the inside of a bee hive, The Inner Life of Animals shows us microscopic levels of observation as well as forcing us to confront the big philosophical, ethical and scientific questions. We hear the stories of a grateful humpback whale, of a hedgehog who has nightmares, and of a magpie who commits adultery; we meet bees that plan for the future, pigs who learn their own names and crows that go tobogganing for fun. And at last we find out why wasps exist.
Our fellow creatures are not mindless automatons driven by an inflexible genetic code, but individuals with personality and feeling. The Inner Life of Animals will show you these living things in a new light and will open up the animal kingdom like never before.
Universe is a groundbreaking survey that celebrates the popular subject of astronomy through 300 images created by those who have tried to understand - or who have been inspired by - the beauty and mystery of stars, planets, and beyond.
Carefully chosen by an international panel of experts and arranged to highlight thought-provoking contrasts and similarities, the selection includes paintings, photographs, sculpture, animation, prints, sketches, and digital renderings with iconic works by renowned photographers, artists, and astronomers alongside previously unpublished finds.
Featuring hundreds of mind-bending, head-scratching, intelligence-testing number games, puzzles, and quizzes plus tonnes of hilarious and fascinating number-based trivia this is a book that will make you think, laugh, and cry (and quite possibly stare in amazement as your kids solve things before you do!).
We all know how important it is to nourish and train our bodies, but our minds need exercising too. So keep your brains active and lively, and test yourselves against your friends and family, with 2017’s biggest and best book of numerical fun.
Could there be life on one of Saturn's moons? How much power could you collect from all the lightning on Earth? Why do books have book-smell? Why is 10 per cent of the Earth's land area prone to sinkholes?
Why are some people chronically late? What would happen if the Earth stopped spinning? Why do most people hardly remember anything from the first half-a-dozen years of their life?
How close are we to the Artificial Uterus? Why do some songs turn into "earworms" and stick inside your brain? Why does your hotel room access card get wiped so easily?
And is your home WiFi really spying on you?
Prof Brian Cox and Robin Ince take the musings of the great and the good of British science, producing an insight into the multifaceted subjects involved in building a Universe, with pearls of wisdom from leading scientists and comedians peppered throughout.
Covering thousands of concepts and conundrums, they tackle everything from the Big Bang to parallel Universes, fierce creatures to extraterrestrial life, brain science to artificial intelligence. Bringing together the best, most unusual and hilarious of the inquisitive minds that help shape and understand our world, from Neil deGrasse Tyson and Dara Ó Briain to Sir Patrick Stewart, Tim Minchin, Stephen Fry and more, How to Build a Universe is an illuminating and inspirational celebration of science sometimes silly, sometimes astounding and very occasionally facetious.
There is no denying that many people are crazy for birds. Packed with intriguing facts and exquisite and rare artwork, Birdmania showcases an eclectic and fascinating selection of bird devotees who would do anything for their feathered friends.
In addition to well-known enthusiasts, such as Aristotle, Charles Darwin, and Helen Macdonald, Brunner introduces readers to Karl Russ, the pioneer of "bird rooms" and lover of the Australian budgerigar, who had difficulty renting lodgings when landlords realised who he was; George Lupton, a wealthy Yorkshire lawyer, who commissioned the theft of uniquely patterned eggs every year for twenty years from the same unfortunate female guillemot who never had a chance to raise a chick;
Ambrose Pratt who leaves us a beautiful example of a devoted relationship between a lyre bird and an Australian hermit; Mervyn Shorthouse, who posed as a wheelchair-bound invalid to steal an estimated ten thousand eggs from the Natural History Museum in Tring; and Tibbles the 19th century cat, who belonged to the lighthouse keeper on Stephens Island in New Zealand, and who collected many of Lord Walter Rothschild's bird samples.
As this book illustrates, people who love birds, whether they are amateurs or professionals, are as captivating and varied as the birds that give flight to their dreams.
"Like bird watching itself, reading Birdmania is filled with surprises and a sense of discovery. But in this collection it is the watchers, not the birds, who are on display - ornithologists and bird lovers of every description, revealed in sketches and anecdotes that are quirky, intriguing, and always affectionate. Highly enjoyable." - Thor Hanson, author of Feathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle
"An exquisitely beautiful book ...These stories about birds are ultimately reflections on the curious nature of humanity itself" - Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk
Spiders inspire fear, especially dangerous species such as the Redback and Sydney Funnelweb. Yet, Peacock Spiders, whose males spread a colourful fan and wave their legs in a courtship dance to impress females, have won rapturous appreciation worldwide.
A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia uses photographs of live animals to enable identification of commonly encountered spiders to the family level and, in some cases, to genus and species. Featuring over 1300 colour photographs, it is the most comprehensive account of Australian spiders ever published. With more than two-thirds of Australian spiders yet to be scientifically described, this book sets the scene for future explorations of our extraordinary Australian fauna.
“Read no further unless you are willing to fall in love with spiders. Submitting to the pages that follow could change your life...” Tim Low
There's no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and best-selling author Neil deGrasse Tyson.
But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in tasty chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day.
While you wait for your morning coffee to brew, for the bus, the train, or a plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.
A hundred and seventy years ago many people would have chosen to die rather than undergo theordeal of surgery. Today, even major operations are routine. Anaesthesia has made them possible.
But how much do we really know about what happens when we go under? Can we hear what’s going on around us? Is pain still pain if we are not awake to feel it, or don’t remember it afterwards?
How does the unconscious mind deal with the body’s experience of being cut open and ransacked?
And what happens to those rare patients who wake up under the knife?
Australia’s avifauna is large, diverse, and spectacular, reflecting the continent’s impressive range of habitats and evolutionary history.
With specially commissioned paintings of over 900 species, The Australian Bird Guide is the most comprehensive field guide to Australian birds ever seen.
The guide features close to 250 stunning colour plates, with particular emphasis on providing the fine detail required to identify difficult groups and distinctive plumages. Comprehensive species accounts have been written by a dedicated team of ornithologists to ensure identification details, distribution, and status are current and accurate.
The Australian Bird Guide sets a new standard in field guides, providing an indispensable reference for all birders and naturalists looking to explore Australia’s magnificent and unique birdlife.
