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[[Category:Popular Science|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|Popular Science]]==Popular science==__NOTOC__ <!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Tim Dee1787333175|title=The Running Sky: A Bird-Watching Life|rating=4|genre=Popular Science|summary=Tim Dee may already be known to you as a distinguished critic and adjudicator of contemporary poetry, or for producing BBC Radio 4's 'Poetry Please'. So it's hardly surprising that my first impression of his birdwatching memoir, 'You Don'The Running Sky'' is of poetic exactitude transferred t Have to another genre. But I remain dazzled by the sustained quality of his writing over 80,000 words. Opened at any page, paragraphs of graceful prose enclose figurative language capturing the very essence of flight (hence the title, from a Philip Larkin poem). To Dee, flight is the nub of a bird's independence. He describes and wonders poetically – be it the collective sweep of flock formations, the mysteries of migration, or individual observations of nightjars, carrion crows or peregrines.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099516497</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewMad to Work Here|author=Paul Bloom|title=How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We LikeBenji Waterhouse
|rating=5
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=How much would you pay for a jumper that used I was tempted to read ''You Don't Have to belong be Mad to Brad Pitt? What about if I had it dry cleaned for you Work Here'' after enjoying Adam Kay's first? Chances arebook {{amazonurl|isbn=1509858636|title=This is Going to Hurt}}, if you were considering a glorious mixture of insight into the workings of the first offerNHS, youhumour and autobiography. ''ve just been put off somewhat. But why? The jumper hasnYou Don't changed, after allHave to be Mad... Do you honestly '' promised the same elements but moved from physical problems to mental illness and rationally, believe that dry cleaning would destroy some the work of Brad's 'essence', thus making a psychiatrist. I did wonder whether it was acceptable to be looking for humour in this setting but the item less valuable?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847921434</amazonuk>laughter is directed at a situation rather than a person and it is always delivered with empathy and understanding.
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=John Farndon1788360702|title=Do You Think You're Clever?Charles, The Alternative Prince: The Oxbridge Questions|rating=3.5|genre=Popular Science|summary=My history of interviews with Oxbridge colleges forms a very short dialogue. Me, to university admissions representative, ''You don’t actually do media studies per se, do you?'' He, ''No – our graduates run the media.'' Had I got a lot further, and sat in front of a potential tutor, I would have faced a question designed to baffle, provoke, bewilder – or to inspire a flight of intuitive intelligence. Thus is the media-running wheat separated from the media-consuming chaff. And thus is this book given its basis – sixty of the more remarkable questions, answered as our erudite author might have wished to answer them. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>184831132X</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewAn Unauthorised Biography|author=Lisa Sanders|title=Diagnosis: Dispatches from the Frontlines of Medical MysteriesEdzard Ernst
|rating=4
|genre=Biography
|summary=This excellent combination of science history and biography starts with the most populist and some of the most awkwardly scientific. Basically it throws modern-day science at the Mona LisaFor over forty years, which you might think is a little unfair – can she cope with being analysed, and the neuroscience we now know used in interpreting her? Of course she can – she’s the world’s best-known masterpiece Prince Charles has been an ardent supporter of Italian art, alternative medicine and she’s survived much worsecomplementary therapies. Klein’s approach fully works''Charles, when we see also the science da Vinci did know and that he worked on himself, which all helps us know partly why the truths of La Gioconda are still unknowable.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0306818256</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Paul Parsons|title=30-Second Theories|rating=3|genre=Popular Science|summary=Take fifty of scienceThe Alternative Prince's most thought-provoking theories, and try to explain each in thirty seconds or one page. It's all here, from Schrodingercritically assesses the Prince's cat, to cosmic topologyopinions, via the Gaia hypothesis beliefs and chaos theory.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184831129X</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Mark Griffiths|title=The Lotus Quest|rating=4|genre=Travel|summary=Mark Griffiths is one of Britain's leading plant experts. I know this because his brief biog in aims against the front of The Lotus Quest tells me so; just as it tells me that he is the editor of The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary background of Gardening 'the largest work on horticulture ever published'scientific evidence. His prior works list includes five other plant book credits, three There are few instances of them for the RHS. I shall take all of this on trust, since attempts to find out more about the author his beliefs being vindicated and his background through the usual internet search mechanisms relentless promotion of treatments which have no scientific support has failed miserably. He remains as elusive as done considerable damage to the sacred flower that reputation of a man who is the subject proud of this latest work: the lotushis refusal to apply evidence-based, logical reasoning to his ambitions.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184595100X</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Glenn Murphy0192779230|title=ScienceVery Short Introductions for Curious Young Minds: Sorted! Evolution, Nature and StuffThe Invisible World of Germs|author=Isabel Thomas
|rating=5
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Ever wanted 'Germs' seems to know about evolution, nature and stuff? Unsurprisingly, this is have become a catch-all word to cover anything unpleasant which has the book for potential to make youill. If you're interested In the first book in [http://wwwwhat looks to be a very promising new series, OUP and Isabel Thomas have provided a clear and accessible introduction to the world of germs.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0330508938?ie=UTF8&tag=thebookbag-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0330508938 space, black holes We get an informed look at how people originally thought about diseases and what they thought caused them and stuff], then Glenn Murphy how the thinking has also written developed over time. The vocabulary can be confusing but Thomas gives a sister book in the ''Science: Sorted!regular box headed 'speak like a scientist' series packed full which explains some of all the information trickiest concepts and you'd want to know. It's all written ll soon be familiar with the fabulous quality that made [[Why is Snot Green? by Glenn Murphy|Why is Snot Green?]] such a must-readbacteria, fungi, protists and viruses – and how we should protect ourselves.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0330508946</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Alex Bellosgareth_steel|title=Alex's Adventures In Numberland|rating=5|genre=Popular Science|summary=Maths is a wonderful thing. ...Wait, don't run away. It really is. The way numbers interact with each other, the way counting systems developed, how mathematical breakthroughs are coming from the world of crochet, and how people can mentally calculate the 13th root of a 200 digit number in almost less time than it takes to read it out loud. There's all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff going on in Numberland.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0747597162</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewNever Work With Animals|author=Richard Fortey|title=The Hidden LandscapeGareth Steel
|rating=4
|genre=Popular ScienceAnimals and Wildlife|summary=The purpose of this book is to explore the connection between the landscape and the geology underlying it, which in one of his many vivid similes Fortey compares the surface personality I don't often begin my reviews with the workings of the unconscious mind beneath. He starts by describing a journey he once made from Paddington Station warning but with ''Never Work With Animals'' it seems to Haverford West, be appropriate. Stories of a market town in Pembrokeshire vet's life have proved popular since ''All Creatures Great and with it Small'' but ''Never Work With Animals'' is definitely not the companion volume you've been looking for. As a passage back into TV show the plutonic depths of geological aeons, indicated by the large 60cm monster trilobites author would argue that have been found in the Cambrian rocks near St David's'All Creatures'' lacked realism, as do other similar programmes. Fortey describes Gareth Steel says that the magnificence of the Cathedral constructed from the local purple sandstone book is not suitable for younger readers and mottled - after reading - I agree with moisture-loving lichenshim. He contrasts this says that he's written it to inform and provoke thought, particularly amongst aspiring vets. It deals with the anonymous character of a nearby brightly-coloured service station, anonymous some uncomfortable and syntheticdistressing issues but it doesn't lack sensitivity, an invader cheaply built although there are occasions when you would be best choosing between reading and out of contexteating.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847920713</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Alexandra Horowitz0241480442|title=Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know|rating=5|genre=Pets|summary=I've long been aware that our two dogs have methods of communication which are far more subtle than anything a mere human can muster. They sense exactly how we are feeling – a slight change in the atmosphere and they will be alert. Healthy Vegan The reactions to a frown or a smile, laughter or tears are all different and they're capable of communicating with us in ways which have no need of words. For a while I thought it was our dogs who were special (well, ''obviously'' they are…) but I've noticed other dogs communicating with each other and with humans and the more that I see the more that I wonder why they are referred to as 'dumb animals'.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184737347X</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Philip Ball|title=The Music InstinctCookbook: How Music Works and Why We Can't Do without it |rating=4|genre=Popular Vegan Cooking Meets Nutrition Science|summaryauthor='We need to talk about music, but it is hard. Very few people can do it.' So says Philip Ball after 400 pages of talking about music. Very few readers who make it that far will disagree with his conclusion, but most will have gained some enlightenment about how music works Niko Rittenau and why we enjoy it.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847920888</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Derrick Niederman|title=Number Freak: A Mathematical Compendium from 1 to 200Sebastian Copien
|rating=4.5
|genre=Popular ScienceCookery|summary=This is Emotionally, I am a book that definitely does what it says on the tinvegan. Mentally, I am a vegan. Our author has the capacity I read [[How to grab each number between one and two hundred, Love Animals in a Human-Shaped World by Henry Mance]] and wring it for all its worth - all was appalled by the special status it might have way in which we treat animals in our culture search for (more easy with seven than, say, 187preferably cheap)food. Practically, all I am not a vegan. It worked for a while apart from the special properties it might possess (odd blip with regard to cheese but then a perfect, triangular, prime), and as many other things mathematicians and so on would find storm of interestthose events which you hope don't occur too often in your lifetime tempted me back to animal-based protein. Luckily there is enough here It wasn't the taste - I know that I can get plant-based food that tastes just as good as anything plundered from the animal kingdom - it was the ease of being able to make the book well worth get sufficient protein when meals were often snatched in a browse for us who would not deem themselves number buffsfew spare moments.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>071563710X</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Kees van DeemterDaniel Gibbs with Teresa H Barker|title=Not Exactly - In Praise Of VaguenessA Tattoo on my Brain
|rating=3.5
|genre=Popular ScienceAutobiography|summary=How warm Alzheimer's is a warm day? Or ratherdisease that slowly wears away your identity and sense of self. I have been directly affected by this cruel disease, given as have many. Your memories and personality worn away like a statue over time affected the weather at the moment, how chilly is a chilly day? Is it better to know I want a small helping of peas, or to know elements. It seems as if nature wants that I want 82 peas? There are times when vagueness final victory over you and your dignity. This is more useful than being specificwhat makes Daniel Gibbs' memoir so admirable. Kees van Deemter makes this point, sharing many examples from Daniel Gibbs is a number of fields, including maths, philosophy, linguistics neurologist who was diagnosed with Alzheimers and AIhas documented his journey in ''A Tattoo on my Brain''.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0199545901</amazonuk>1108838936
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Druin Burch0099551063|title=Taking the MedicineThe Wisdom of Psychopaths: Lessons in life from Saints, Spies and Serial Killers|author=Dr Kevin Dutton|rating=54
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=In 1898, Burch points out that a new drug was developed and marketed for the treatment of tuberculosis by Bayer & Co'' 'Donald Trump outscores Hitler on psychopathic traits' claims Oxford University researcher. TB is such an ancient enemy of man that there is apparently evidence of an earlier strain to be found in Egyptian mummies. The German firm had discovered a chemical that seemed to work well, and patients and indeed their own staff, who were tested seemed to respond well - it was named Heroin - and its addictive effects were at first missed.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1845951506</amazonuk>}}''
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Keith Laidler1849767343|title=AnimalsCount on Me|author=Miguel Tanco
|rating=4.5
|genre=Popular ScienceChildren's Non-Fiction|summary=''Animals'' is described as a visual guide The title and format of this book might lead you to the animal kingdom, but please don't think of that it as a picture book as 's either about responsibility - or it's far more than thata basic 1-2-3 book for those just starting out on the numbers journey. DonIt isn't think of : it as 's a coffee table book either – despite the fact that its size – midway between A2 and A3 – might tempt you hymn of praise to think that waymaths. It's a journey through the complex diversity of the animal kingdom based on sound scientific principlesabout why maths is so wonderful and how you meet it in everyday life.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184916004X</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Bill ButterworthB08B39QNRH|title=Reversing Global Warming For Profit |rating=3.5|genre=Politics and Society|summary=There aren't many climate change deniers left, are there? We all know it's there. We all know, too, that the world's population growth is on a collision course with the dwindling of its resources. The world's going to get hotter, its weather more extreme. Fossil fuels are going to run out. More and more people will compete for fewer and fewer Curious History of civilisationWriter's luxuries. We're all worried. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1904312810</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewCramp: Solving an age-old problem|author=Richard Wrangham |title=Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human Michael Pritchard|rating=4.5
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=Humans are cooking apes. According to Richard Wrangham, mastery of fire and cooking of the food that resulted from it was at the root of human evolutionary development and ultimate success. Various factors have been proposed as the crucial stimulus which led to the appearance of the first recognisably human creatures: leaving aside divine intervention (be it from God, extra-terrestrials or future humans travelling in time), ''Society is based on speech but civilisation requires the candidates for what made our ancestral apes stand straighter and start growing brains range from socialised hunting to chattering about kinship to eating seafoodwritten word''.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846682851</amazonuk>}}
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Stephen Baker1776572858|title=They've Got Your Number|rating=4.5|genre=Popular Science|summary=If you are in the slightest bit paranoid, worry that ''Big Brother'' is always watching or like to believe that you are not How Do You Make a number, but a free man (or woman), then this may not be the book for you, as it will do nothing to dispel any of those worries. If, on the other hand, you think 'the mathematical modelling of humanity' sounds like one of the sexiest things ever, and are chomping at the bit to learn more about it, then you might well be interested in what Business Week journalist Baker has to say.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099507021</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewBaby?|author=Dr Aaron Carroll Anna Fiske and Dr Rachel Vreeman|title=Don't Swallow Your GumBartlett (translator)
|rating=5
|genre=LifestyleHome and Family|summary=It's more than sixty years since I asked how babies were made. My mother was deeply embarrassed and told me that she''BANG'''d get me a book about it. That's A couple of days later I was handed a pamphlet (which delivered nothing more than the sound of copious urban myths being shot down. basics, in clinical language which had never been used in our house before) and I was told that it wouldn't be discussed any further as it ''BANGwasn't something which nice people talked about''. ThatI 's the sound of the old wives slamming the door, as their tales get revealed as baseless. 'knew''CLICKmore, but was little ''wiser'. That's the noise lots of ill-informed websites make as they get closed down. All noises come due to this brilliant bookThankfully, times have changed.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141043369</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Robert Rowland Smith Danny Dorling|title=Breakfast with SocratesSlowdown
|rating=4
|genre=Popular SciencePolitics and Society|summary=In ''Breakfast with Socrates'', subtitled A Philosophy We are living in a time of Everyday Liferapid change, former Oxford Fellow Robert Roland Smith takes various elements of a and we'typical' day re worried about it. Dorling tells us that the latter is normal, natural and probably good for us. We are designed to worry and provides insight into with the current state of what an eclectic collection of thinkers might we're doing in the world we have much to offer to make these mundane routines more interestingbe worried about. After all However, over the next three-hundred-and-some pages, if you can follow the arguments, it sets out in scientific detail why either we shouldn't be as worried as Socrates declared we are, or in some cases that we're worrying about the unexamined life wrong things. Mostly. Because mostly, things are not changing as rapidly as we think they are. In fact, the rate of change in many things is not worth living'slowing down and the direction of change will in some cases go into reverse.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1846682371</amazonuk>0300243405
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=James HannamLangford_Emily|title=GodEmily's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern ScienceNumbers|author=Joss Langford|rating=54|genre=Popular ScienceChildren's Non-Fiction|summary=Everybody knows that the Medieval people thought the world Emily found words ''useful'', but counting was flat what she loved best. Obviously, you can count anything and that it wasnthere't until Columbus proved otherwise that they found out it was s no limit to how far you can go, but then Emily moved a spherestep further and began counting in twos. She knew all about odd and even numbers. Everybody knows that Then she began counting in threes: half of the inquisition burned people at list were even numbers, but the stake for their scientific ideas other half was odd and that Copernicus lived it was this list of odd numbers which occurred when you counted in perpetual fear threes which she called ''threeven''. (Actually, this confused me a little bit at first as they're a subset of persecution. Everyone knows that the Pope banned human dissection and odd numbers but sound as though they ought to be a subset of the number zeroeven numbers, and everybody is wrongbut it all worked out well when I really thought about it.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848310706</amazonuk>)
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner1910593508|title=The Comic Strip History of SpaceApollo|author=Matt Fitch, Chris Baker and Mike Collins
|rating=5
|genre=Children's Non-FictionHistory|summary=Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner treated us This incredible graphic novel is a love letter to a [[The Comic Strip History of the World by Sally Kindberg Moon landings and Tracey Turner|Comic Strip History of the World]]passion for the subject drips off every Apollo by Matt Fitch, Chris Baker and have now turned their attention to spaceMike Collins. They explain to children everything from This is a story we know well and because of this, the authors take a few narrative shortcuts knowing that we can fill in the origins of blanks. These shortcuts are the universe, only downside to what ancient civilisations thought the book. If you've ever read a comic book adaptation of a film you will be familiar with the stars, through astronomers discovering the truth about planets, right up to current space missionsslight feeling that there are scenes missing and that dialogue has been trimmed. This is a graphic novel that could easily have been three times as long and still felt too short.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0747594325</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Ian Stewart1999308719|title=Professor Stewart's Hoard of Mathematical TreasuresLive Forever Manual: Science, ethics and companies behind the new anti-aging treatments|author=Adrian Cull
|rating=4.5
|genre=Popular ScienceLifestyle|summary=Ian Stewart has been collecting mathematical curiositiesFor many years now I've (half) joked that I intended to live forever and that so far, puzzles and stories since he it was 14working out OK. He published his Time has passed though and although I''Cabinet m a great deal fitter and healthier than most people of my age there were a few nagging health problems which were tipping my life out of Mathematical Curiositiesbalance. It was time to look for a new approach and as so often happens, the reviewing gods brought me the book I needed. '' in 2008Live Forever Manual: Science, ethics and hot on its success, hecompanies behind the new anti-ageing treatments''s sharing this second volume with usseemed like the answer to my problems - only you get so much more than just 101 tips.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846682924</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Mick O'Hare1847941834|title=How To Make A Tornado|rating=4|genre=Popular Science|summary=Another year, another must-read book from the New Scientist. We've been here before with [[Do Polar Bears Get Lonely? by Mick O'Hare|polar bears]], [[Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze? by Mick O'Hare|penguins]] and [[How To Fossilise Your Hamster by Mick O'Hare|hamsters]]. Now it's time to turn our attention to how to make a tornado, and all the other crazy experiments that scientists have done over the years.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846682878</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewAtomic Habits|author=Eva Hoffman|title=Time (Big Ideas)James Clear
|rating=4.5
|genre=Popular ScienceLifestyle|summary=I''Time'' is one of ''Big Ideas'' series of ve said this before but there are some books that you seek out, some books aiming to revisit the greatest notions that you stumble across and concepts and to provide some books that drop into your life because you really MUST read them with a modern summary and understanding. The series strives to cause people to think and debate, to re-evaluate and doubt. Another ''Big Ideas'' books deal with topics such as ''Democracy''like, right now! ''Identity'' and ''BodiesAtomic Habits'' is in the last category.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846680387</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Brian Cox and Jeff ForshawHoneyborne BlueII|title=Why Does E Equal mc Squared?Blue Planet II|author=James Honeyborne and Mark Brownlow
|rating=4.5
|genre=Popular ScienceAnimals and Wildlife|summary=Why does E=mc² and why should we care? Two questions You may well remember when the sticking of a number '2' after a film title was suggesting something of prestige - that every intelligent person should be able the first film had been so good it was fully justified to answerhave something more. That has hardly been proven correct, but I'll bet that 95% couldn't. Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw explain this most famous of equations it has until recently almost been confined to the layperson in such cinema - you barely got a way that they won't need anything more complicated than Pythagoras' theorem to understand it.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0306817586</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Tadg Farrington|title=The Average Life TV series worthy of the Average Person|rating=5|genre=Popular Science|summary=Back a numbered sequel, and never in school, we would often bemoan the idea world of 'average'non-fiction. If someone has made a nature series about, say, saying that like being Alaska (and boy aren'normal', if t there were such are a thinglot of those these days) and wants to make another, who why she just makes another - nothing would even want to be it? There could be nothing worse, we thought, than being averagejustify the numeral. Except...there is by definition a whole lot worse than 'average' – But some nature programmes do have the exact same amount that is better than averageprestige, in factthe energy and the heft to demand follow-ups. And that was after five years in the making, the problemBBC's Blue Planet series has delivered a second helping.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0224086235</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Richard D Ryder1783099593|title=Nelson, Hitler and DianaSpeaking Up|author=Allyson Jule
|rating=4
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=Was Horatio Nelson, 'Speaking Up' has a navy officer fascinating subject matter - how language reflects and shapes our notions of great renowngender. It looks at our use of language in media, forever thrusting himself into the limelighteducation, doing it because his mother passed away when he was nine? Was Hitler overly affected by his father dying in a time of paternal disapprovalreligion, the workplace and a kind personal relationships. Author Allyson Jule calls on an encyclopedic body of Oedipal reaction research from the mid-twentieth century to being the man in the house making him suffer when present day. Reading it, we feel that she herself died? And can Diana, Princess of Wales' parents' divorce lead to a claim has studied everything that has ever been said on gendered linguistics; she was a sufferer of borderline personality disorder?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1845401662</amazonuk>references Foucault and the Kardashians with equal rigour.
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Evalyn GatesCampbell_Astra|title=Einstein's TelescopeAd Astra: The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe|rating=4|genre=Popular Science |summary=Subtitled ''The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe'' Gates' introduction to astro-physics and cosmology is everything that you would expect of such a book. Gates' tries '''so''' hard An illustrated guide to be readable, and mostly succeeds, but at leaving the same time, the subject matter is well-nigh incomprehensible. Or maybe, that's just me.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0393062384</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewplanet|author=Stuart Sutherland|title=IrrationalityDallas Campbell|rating=4.5|genre=Popular Science|summary=The belief that humans are, essentially, rational dates to the Greek antiquity, and although intellectual and philosophical fashions changed throughout the epochs, the capacity to reason and behave in a rational manner is often considered to be a defining characteristics of mature humanity. Irrational behaviours have been seen as an evidence of psychiatric or otherwise pathology.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905177070</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Brian Dunning|title=Skeptoid 2: More Critical Analysis of Pop Phenomena |rating=4
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=Brian Dunning is So… you want to leave the planet? Before you do you'd better study the author responsible for a series whole history of weekly podcasts debunking and analysing a variety of dubious, pseudo-scientific, un-scientific and downright loony ideas, claims and myths common or persistent in the pop (and not so pop) culturehuman space flight to get up to speed. ''Skeptoid 2'' is essentially That could take a written version of those podcasts, while… if only there was a collection of fifty pieces of which many can be also read or listened handy guide that could condense it all down for you. Enter Dallas Campbell with this book: An illustrated guide to at his [http://skeptoid.com/ website]leaving the planet.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1440422850</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Dan GardnerAdrian_Sock|title=Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear|rating=4.5|genre=Popular Science|summary=Picture a world terrorised by just two words. A civilised, healthy, wealthy world no less, in thrall to and under threat from two words. Not what those two words represent even, just the actual small phrase. It sounds ridiculous, but when I say those two words – ''bird flu'' – and you've stopped laughing, you may well remember how the panic started, the non-existent worry was the biggest concern of the western media for some time, and then it went away again.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0753515539</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewSock (Object Lessons)|author=Iain McCalman|title=Darwin's Armada: Four Voyagers to the Southern Oceans and Their Battle for the Theory of EvolutionKim Adrian
|rating=3.5
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=This book should not be needed.The theory subject of evolution this book has huge explanatory and predictive powers been around for several millennia, and yet my partner's daughter has been employed for several years designing it is also, philosophicallyor them. It's something I use for about 200 days of every year, at a wonderful one to behold: it shows a unity of all living things guess (well, I have my self-diagnosed over-active eccrine glands and our human connection other people to them all; through think about) – which clearly puts me at the billions opposite end of years and millions the scale to well-known mass-murderer of generationswomen, from the first bacteria Ted Bundy, who was into stealing credit cards to fund his desire of having a fresh pair every single day. On which subject, the human beings capable amount of understanding them we create every year could stack to the story of life freaking moon and more. Some idiots buy more than six pairs a year, apparently, which is plain stupid. I'm talking, as it unfolded on this planetyou can tell, of the story told by the evolution theory is an exhilarating one; possibly the greatest story ever told by sciencehumble sock. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0199230846</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Philip BallGermano_Eye|title=Shapes|rating=5|genre=Popular Science|summary=''Shapes'' is one volume of a new trilogy born out of the author's 1999 book 'The Self-Made Tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature', in which he surveyed a range of contemporary scientific investigation into the extent of nature's patterning with examples taken from areas such as plant growth, minerals, shells, desert sands, lightning, galaxies and atoms. This book has been restructured into the stand-alone volumes ''Shapes'', ''Flow'' and ''Branches'', with new material added.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0199237964</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewEye Chart (Object Lessons)|author=John Gribbin and Michael White|title=Darwin: A Life in ScienceWilliam Germano
|rating=4.5
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=From Ancient Babylon to the present day, Patricia Fara presents a definitive history of science. It's wide-ranging enough happened to me, and like as not it has or will happen to cover simply everything you could hope it would, whilst being in-depth enough so that you gain too. I mean the receipt of certain little numerical results, with a sufficient understanding of positive or negative before them to prove the correction needed to my vision to make me see with the science intended clarity and normality. I've had that gizmo that photos the people involved. It serves as a simple reference guide back of my eye to check for diabetes and other problems, I've had different tests to check the layperson - itpressure inside my eye, and I's riddled ve come away with informationglasses I don't need to wear all the time, but certainly benefit from on holiday, whilst also being perfectly readable as or when watching TV or a cinema or theatre production. And above and beyond that I'biography of science'. If you ever wanted to know anything about ve stared at – and got wrong – the history simple, seemingly ageless test, of sciencevarious letters in various configurations that diminish in size, this is to prove to the book relevant scientist at what stage things get blurry for youme. Patricia Fara was also kind enough Of course, it's not ageless, but the scientific progress that led to be [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks it, the changes other people made to Patricia Fara|interviewed by Bookbag]]it, and the cultural impact it's had are all on these eye-opening small pages.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>019922689X</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Neil deGrasse TysonBall_Wonders|title=The Pluto FilesWonders Beyond Numbers: The Rise and Fall A Brief History of America's Favourite Planet|rating=4.5|genre=Popular Science|summary=As director of the Hayden Planetarium, Neil deGrasse Tyson grouped the celestial bodies by type, rather than listing them under the arbitrary heading of 'planets'. This put Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars together in one group, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune together in another, and left poor little Pluto out in the cold. His aim was for people to gain a greater understanding, rather than just knowing the names. The result was widespread outrage amongst newspapers, schoolchildren and the public at large. It was a scientifically-sound position, and ultimately fuelled the International Astronomical Union to define what was and wasn't a planet. The Pluto Files is a fascinating, educational and hilarious journey from Pluto's discovery, through its rise in public consciousness (by way of Disney), to the controversy about its planetary status, its ultimate downgrading, and the public's response to it.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0393065200</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewAll Things Mathematical|author=Michael D Lemonick|title=The Georgian Star: How William and Caroline Herschel Revolutionized Our Understanding of the Cosmos|rating=4|genre=Biography|summary=No-one can ever look at the night skies above our heads as Galileo did. The light pollution covering so much of our planet makes it impossible to see nearly as much as he might. Conversely, he would have adored living in a time such as ours – with the technology to show him so much he couldn't see, so much he daren't dream of. Sitting happily between those two extremes was William Herschel.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>039306574X</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Sudhir Venkatesh|title=Gang Leader For A DayJohnny Ball
|rating=5
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=Did you know 96% Like many people of the cosmos is unaccounted for? That the Pioneer probes seem a ''certain age,'' I have fond memories of tuning in to be violating watch Johnny Ball enthusiastically extolling the laws virtues of physics? That we might have already found life on Mars? That aliens might have made contact with us? Oh, maths and science; succeeding where our schoolteachers had failed and why do we die? Why do we have sex? (Hopefully not in that order). Do we really have free will? actually making these subjects ''13 Things That Donfun.'t Make Sense'' might not make complete sense Although decades have passed since those classic TV shows, his latest book proves that he has lost none of all these, but it'll certainly fascinate you as it explains these his passion and other questionsenthusiasm for his subject.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1861978170</amazonuk>
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Adrian Desmond and James Moore Yong_Contain|title=Darwin's Sacred CauseI Contain Multitudes: Race, Slavery the microbes within us and the Quest for Human Originsa grander view of life|author=Ed Yong
|rating=5
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=This probably won't be the only time The world you know is a lie. There is no such thing as good or bad microbes. Sickness and health are told through 2009 that it all far more complex than we thought. Things designed to save us may kill us and things we think would have been Charles Darwin's 200th birthday this year, and that it is 150 years since ''On The Origin of Species'' first appearedkill us may save us. This book however declares that second anniversary Welcome to be slightly of less importance, when you factor in the biggest section of his evolutionary thinking Darwin left out of that book – that modern study of human evolutionmicrobes.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846140358</amazonuk>
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