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Galloway and the Borders (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 101)
Galloway and the Borders (Collins New Naturalist Library, Book 101)
Derek Ratcliffe
¥192.67
Another volume in the widely-read New Naturalist series, this book is an in-depth study of the natural developments and history of Galloway and surrounding areas. Often overlooked due to the reputation of natural habitat in other parts of the country, the author here conveys the diversity and magnificence of nature in the south of Scotland. Galloway and the borders is an extremely varied region, from saltmarshes and shingle beaches to rocky islands and seabird stations. The wide range of hills, displaying a wealth of rich colours, give the area its dominant character. The varied selection of flora and fauna only add to the diversity.
The Gecko’s Foot: How Scientists are Taking a Leaf from Nature's Book
The Gecko’s Foot: How Scientists are Taking a Leaf from Nature's Book
Peter Forbes
¥72.40
A cutting-edge science book in the style of ‘Fermat’s Last Theorem’ and ‘Chaos’ from an exciting and accessible new voice in popular science writing. Bio-inspiration is a form of engineering but not in the conventional sense. Extending beyond our established and preconceived notions, scientists, architects and engineers are looking at imitating nature by manufacturing 'wet' materials such as spider silk or the surface of the gecko's foot. The amazing power of the gecko's foot has long been known – it can climb a vertical glass wall and even walk upside down on the ceiling – but no ideas could be harnessed from it because its mechanism could not be seen with the power of optical microscopes. Recently however the secret was solved by a team of scientists in Oregon who established that the mechanism really is dry, and that it does not involve suction, capillary action or anything else the lay person might imagine. Each foot has half a million bristles and each bristle ramifies into hundreds of finer spatula-shaped projections. The fine scale of the gecko's foot is beyond the capacity of conventional microengineering, but a team of nanotechnologists have already made a good initial approximation. The gecko's foot is just one of many examples of this new 'smart' science. We also discover, amongst other things, how George de Mestral's brush with the spiny fruits of the cocklebur inspired him to invent Velcro; how the shape of leaves opening from a bud has inspired the design of solar-powered satellites; and the parallels between cantilever bridges and the spines of large mammals such as the bison. The new 'smart' science of Bio-inspiration is going to produce a plethora of products over the next decades that will transform our lives, and force us to look at the world in a completely new way. It is science we will be reading about in our papers very soon; it is the science of tomorrow's world.
The Earth: An Intimate History (Text Only)
The Earth: An Intimate History (Text Only)
Richard Fortey
¥95.75
This ebook edition does not include illustrations. ‘The Earth is a true delight: full of awe-inspiring details… it blends travel, history, reportage and science to creat an unforgettable picture of our ancient earth.’ Sunday Times The face of the Earth, criss-crossed by chains of mountains like the scars of old wounds has changed constantly over billions of years, and the testament of the remote past is all around us. In this book, Richard Fortey teaches us how to read its character, laying out the dominions of the world before us. He shows how everything – human culture, natural history, even the shape of cities – roots back to a deeper geological truth. Far from being the driest of sciences, he proves that geology informs all our lives in the most intimate way. Nothing in this book seems to be at rest. The surface of the Earth dilates and collapses; seas and mountains rise and fall; continents move. We climb the Alps, wallow in Icelandic hot springs, dive down to the ocean floor; we explore the barren rocks of Newfoundland, walk through the lush ecosystems of Hawaii, cross the salt flats of Oman and saunter along the San Andreas Fault. And Fortey is the ideal guide, his de*ions of natural beauty as memorable as the best travel-writers, his prose as gripping as the best novelist, his crystal-clear scientific explanations fascinating and often surprising. Note that it has not been possible to include the same picture content that appeared in the original print version.
A Farmer’s Life for Me: How to live sustainably, Jimmy’s way
A Farmer’s Life for Me: How to live sustainably, Jimmy’s way
Jimmy Doherty
¥147.35
In this practical guide TV farmer Jimmy Doherty imparts his experience and ideas to show you how to achieve the self-sufficient lifestyle and add to your life whether growing for your own pleasure – or profit! Farmer, entrepreneur and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty is living proof that you can successfully grow and rear your own food. Whatever your circumstances and whether you have a window box or a couple of acres, this book is full of ideas and suggestions to help you get started. Using Jimmy's knowledge and experience, this book will take you through all the realties to consider on the road to self-sufficiency, but above all it shows just how achievable it can be to grow and even sell your own produce. Focusing on the two main areas, what you can grow and what you can rear, this book will answer all of your questions, offer you the most useful and practical advice and show you how you can apply these ideas to suit your situation. So, if you want to make your own juices, bread or honey to sell at a local farmers market, save yourself the big grocery bills with your own vegetable garden, sell your own pork sausages or lamb burgers to local restaurants or rear your own turkey for your Christmas dinner this book will give you the practical knowledge and the confidence to actually do it. Jimmy covers everything from the skills to equipment to environmentalism to marketing and even shows that you don't necessarily need any land to live the self-sufficient lifestyle. Practical, realistic but full of good advice and encouragement, and case studies and essays to inspire you, A Farmer's Life for Me is the ultimate guide to the business of self-sufficiency.
The Sea Inside
The Sea Inside
Philip Hoare
¥81.03
A startling new book, his most personal to date, from Philip Hoare, co-curator of ’Moby Dick: Big Read and winner of the 2009 Samuel Johnson Prize for ‘Leviathan’. The sea surrounds us. It gives us life, provides us with the air we breathe and the food we eat. It is ceaseless change and constant presence. It covers two-thirds of our planet. Yet caught up in our everyday lives, we barely notice it. In ‘The Sea Inside’, Philip Hoare sets out to rediscover the sea, its islands, birds and beasts. He begins on the south coast where he grew up, a place of almost monastic escape. From there he travels to the other side of the world – the Azores, Sri Lanka, New Zealand – in search of encounters with animals and people. Navigating between human and natural history, he asks what these stories mean for us now. Along the way we meet an amazing cast; from scientists to tattooed warriors; from ravens to whales and bizarre creatures that may, or may not, be extinct. Part memoir, part fantastical travelogue, ‘The Sea Inside’ takes us on an astounding journey of discovery.
Moreau’s Other Island (The Monster Trilogy)
Moreau’s Other Island (The Monster Trilogy)
Brian Aldiss
¥34.14
Welcome to Dr Moreau’s other island. Place of untold horros. Home of the Beast Men… Available for the first time in eBook. He stands very tall, long prosthetic limbs glistening in the harsh sun, withered body swaying, carbine and whip clasped in artificial hands. Man-beasts cower on the sand as he brandishes his gun in the air. He is Dr Moreau, ruler of the fabulous, grotesque island, where humans are as brutes and brutes as humans, where the future of the entire human race is being reprogrammed. The place of untold horrors. The place of the New Man.
Human Universe
Human Universe
Professor Brian Cox,Andrew Cohen
¥66.22
Top ten Sunday Times Bestseller ‘Engaging, ambitious and creative’ Guardian Where are we? Are we alone? Who are we? Why are we here? What is our future? Human Universe tackles some of the greatest questions that humans have asked to try and understand the very nature of ourselves and the Universe in which we live. Through the endless leaps of human minds, it explores the extraordinary depth of our knowledge today and where our curiosity may lead us in the future. With groundbreaking insight it reveals how time, physics and chemistry came together to create a creature that can wonder at its own existence, blessed with an unquenchable thirst to discover not just where it came from, but how it can think, where it is going and if it is alone. Accompanies the acclaimed BBC TV series.
Fingerprints:Murder and the Race to Uncover the Science of Identity
Fingerprints:Murder and the Race to Uncover the Science of Identity
Colin Beavan
¥61.51
This edition does not include illustrations. A fascinating exploration into the history of science and crime. In the tradition of ‘Fermat’s Last Theorem’, FINGERPRINTS is the story of the race to discover the secrets trapped in the whorls and arches found on the palm of one’s hand. In 1905 an elderly couple were found murdered in their shop in Deptford, London. The only evidence at the scene of the crime was a sweaty fingerprint on a cashbox. Was it possible that a single fingerprint could be enough to lead to a conviction? Could the pattern of these tracks hold the secrets of the science of identification? Through the story of three brilliant men:William Herschel, a colonial administrator in Indian, Henry Faulds, a missionary in Japan and Charles Darwin’s cousin, Francis Galton, the extraordinary story of the history of fingerprinting is revealed. It is a story of intellectual skulduggery and scientific brilliance. Packed with an extraordinary cast of individuals whose scientific breakthroughs helped solve one of the most brutal murders in English history and shape our understanding of identity forever.
The Wood for the Trees: The Long View of Nature from a Small Wood
The Wood for the Trees: The Long View of Nature from a Small Wood
Richard Fortey
¥73.58
From one of our greatest science writers, this biography of a beech-and-bluebell wood through diverse moods and changing seasons combines stunning natural history with the ancient history of the countryside to tell the full story of the British landscape. ‘The woods are the great beauty of this country… A fine forest-like beech wood far more beautiful than anything else which we have seen in its vicinity’ is how John Stuart Mill described a small patch of beech-and bluebell woodland, buried deeply in the Chiltern Hills and now owned by Richard Fortey. Drawing upon a lifetime of scientific expertise and abiding love of nature, Fortey uses his small wood to tell a wider story of the ever-changing British landscape, human influence on the countryside over many centuries and the vital interactions between flora, fauna and fungi. The trees provide a majestic stage for woodland animals and plants to reveal their own stories. Fortey presents his wood as an interwoven collection of different habitats rich in species. His attention ranges from the beech and cherry trees that dominate the wood to the flints underfoot; the red kites and woodpeckers that soar overhead; the lichens, mosses and liverworts decorating the branches as well as the myriad species of spiders, moths, beetles and crane-flies. The 300 species of fungi identified in the wood capture his attention as much as familiar deer, shrews and dormice. Fortey is a naturalist who believes that all organisms are as interesting as human beings – and certainly more important than the observer. So this book is a close examination of nature and human history. He proves that poetic writing is compatible with scientific precision. The book is filled with details of living animals and plants, charting the passage of the seasons, visits by fellow enthusiasts; the play of light between branches; the influence of geology; and how woodland influences history, architecture and industry. On every page he shows how an intimate study of one small wood can reveal so much about the natural world and demonstrates his relish for the incomparable pleasures of discovery.
Survival of the Sickest: The Surprising Connections Between Disease and Longevit
Survival of the Sickest: The Surprising Connections Between Disease and Longevit
Dr Sharon Moalem,Jonathan Prince
¥81.03
In this groundbreaking and absorbing book Dr. Sharon Moalem, delves back into the evolution of man to offer a radical perspective on survival, the human body, and our understanding of disease. Survival of the Sickest will change the way you think about your body. Dr. Moalem investigates peculiar and puzzling features of human biology to reveal the answers to such provocative questions as: ? Why do we need to pee when we’re cold? ? Can a person rust to death? ? Why are Greeks hairier than Africans? ? Can the tanning salon lower cholesterol? ? Why are leeches back in vogue? ? Can sunglasses cause sunburns? ? Who gets drunk faster – Europeans or Asians? In considering the question of why diseases exist, Dr Moalem proposes that most common diseases came into existence for very good reasons. Diabetes, hemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia may all exist because, at some time in our past, they helped our ancestors survive some grand challenge to human existence. In turn, he also discovers that genetic and cultural differences have led to each race having different and unique ways of reacting to their environment and subsequently how they become susceptible to certain diseases. Survival of the Sickest is a book about life – yours, ours and every little living thing under the sun. About how we all got here, where we're all going and what we can do about it. Revelatory and written in an utterly engaging fashion, Sharon Moalem's book will change the way you think about your body.
Time Travel
Time Travel
James Gleick
¥73.58
JAMES GLEICK (around.com) is our leading chronicler of science and technology, the best-selling author of Chaos: Making a New Science, Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman, and The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood. His books have been translated into thirty languages.
Broken: A traumatised girl. Her troubled brother. Their shocking secret.
Broken: A traumatised girl. Her troubled brother. Their shocking secret.
Rosie Lewis
¥58.86
Rosie Lewis is a full-time foster carer. She has been working in this field for over a decade. Before that, she worked in the special units team in the police force.Based in northern England, Rosie writes under a pseudonym to protect the identities of the children she looks after.
The Energy of Life: (Text Only)
The Energy of Life: (Text Only)
Guy Brown
¥69.26
Guy Brown is a Royal Society Research Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge. He is one of the world’s leading authorities on human bioenergetics. This is his first book.
English: A Story of Marmite, Queuing and Weather
English: A Story of Marmite, Queuing and Weather
Ben Fogle
¥66.22
Ben Fogle is the quintessential Englishman. An explorer, he loves Marmite and dogs. He owns far too many wax jackets and Wellington boots and he loves to grumble about the weather. He often apologises and can be found at the back of most queues. He had wonky teeth until the dentist sorted them out. He drives an old Land Rover and eats fish and chips. He never travels without some English tea. He lives in London with his wife Marina, his two children Ludo and Iona and his beloved black Labrador, Storm (of course).
Neuropolis: A Brain Science Survival Guide
Neuropolis: A Brain Science Survival Guide
Robert Newman
¥147.35
Robert Newman has written six books including the novels The Trade Secret and The Fountain at the Centre of the World. His previous book The Entirely Accurate Encyclopaedia of Evolution was made into a radio series which won a BBC Audio Drama Award in 2017 for Best Scripted Comedy. He has been a stand-up comedian for thirty years and has performed to sell-out crowds from London to Paris to Texas. His most recent stand-up show is The Brain Show.
Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters
Matt Ridley
¥81.03
Matt Ridley received his BA and D Phil at Oxford researching the evolution of behaviour. He has been science editor, Washington correspondent and American editor of The Economist. He has a regular column in the Daily Telegraph. He is also the author of The Red Queen (1993) and The Origins of Virtue (1996). Matt Ridley is currently the chairman of The International Centre for Life.
Collins Stars and Planets Guide (Collins Guides)
Collins Stars and Planets Guide (Collins Guides)
Ian Ridpath
¥139.99
Ian Ridpath has been a full-time writer, broadcaster, and lecturer on astronomy and space since 1972. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, as well as a member of the Society of Authors and of the Association of British Science Writers.Wil Tirion is the world's leading celestial cartographer, having designed the first ever star atlas in 1981. Together Ian and Wil have also produced ‘Collins Pocket Guide Stars and Planets’ and ‘Collins Gem Stars’.www.ianridpath.comwww.wil-tirion.com
Broken: Part 1 of 3: A traumatised girl. Her troubled brother. Their shocking se
Broken: Part 1 of 3: A traumatised girl. Her troubled brother. Their shocking se
Rosie Lewis
¥28.45
Rosie Lewis is a full-time foster carer. She has been working in this field for over a decade. Before that, she worked in the special units team in the police force.Based in northern England, Rosie writes under a pseudonym to protect the identities of the children she looks after.
Why Men Don’t Iron: The New Reality of Gender Differences
Why Men Don’t Iron: The New Reality of Gender Differences
Anne Moir,Bill Moir
¥61.51
Anne Moir is a trained geneticist and television producer. Her previous books are Brain Sex and Mind to Crime. Her husband was a philosopher and writer.
The Sickening Mind: Brain, Behaviour, Immunity and Disease
The Sickening Mind: Brain, Behaviour, Immunity and Disease
Paul Martin
¥68.57
Paul Martin, PhD, is a former Cambridge lecturer in biology and Fellow of Wolfson College who received many awards and scholarships for his ground-breaking psychobiological research, but who tired of the stultifying life of the Oxbridge academic to become a governmental policy analyst. His previous book, co-authored with Patrick Bateson, is Measuring Behaviour (CUP, 1986; 2nd edn, 1993).
Inside Story: Politics, Intrigue and Treachery from Thatcher to Brexit
Inside Story: Politics, Intrigue and Treachery from Thatcher to Brexit
Philip Webster
¥73.58
Philip Webster was Political Editor of The Times from 1993 to 2010 having previously been Chief Political Correspondent. Later, As Assistant Editor (Politics), he was in charge of The Times Red Box political website and was the first editor of the ground-breaking Red Box daily briefing email. He became a Lobby correspondent in 1981 after working as a reporter and subeditor on the paper for the previous eight years. He began his career on the Eastern Daily Press in Norwich. He is a lifelong and passionate supporter of Norwich City FC.
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