ntr-un trafic incontrolabil, a intra pe contrasens nu e un lucru de mirare. Ce te faci ns dac exist riscul s dai nas n nas cu… favorita preedintelui Cine pltete asigurarea“Liviu Brtescu nu se teme de sanciuni. Nu folosete cuvinte dantelate, nu ridic pe nimeni n slvi. El doar se strduiete s conduc atent…

La fisica spirituale o esoterica racchiude la visione dell’universo e dell’evoluzione umana portata da Oberto Airaudi - Falco Taràssaco, fondatore della Scuola di Damanhur, nei suoi 40 anni di attività come guida spirituale e ricercatore. Una visione basata sulla conoscenza esoterica dalle tradizioni millenarie, ma che presenta molti spunti sorprendentemente avanzati, tali da far pensare in molti casi a conoscenze che arrivano dal futuro. ?Coyote Cardo, all’anagrafe Mario Faruolo, che ha seguito Falco T. per molti anni nei suoi incontri pubblici e nella Scuola di Meditazione damanhuriana, ci presenta in questo libro i fondamenti di questa fisica molto particolare, che interpreta la materia e le leggi che la dominano in un modo particolarmente originale. Nel testo, dopo una parte teorica che ci presenta i temi fondamentali comuni a tante filosofie spirituali, quali l’origine dell’anima umana, l’origine della materia, l’interpretazione dello spazio e del tempo, il concetto del Divino, l’autore si addentra nelle affascinanti e fantascientifiche tecnologie che la Scuola damanhuriana, tramite gli insegnamenti del suo fondatore, ha realizzato in questi anni. Il libro costituisce anche il testo di riferimento per i seminari di Fisica Spirituale che l’autore tiene da molti anni per Damanhur Welcome & University.

Hugh de Payens returns to Palestine—His death—Robert de Craon made Master—The second Crusade—The Templars assume the Red Cross—Lands, manors, and churches granted them in England—Bernard de Tremelay made Master—He is slain by the Infidels—Bertrand de Blanquefort made Master—He is taken prisoner, and sent in chains to Aleppo—the Pope confers vast privileges upon the Templars; —The knights, priests, and serving brethren of the order—Their religious and military enthusiasm—Their war banner called Beauseant—Rise of the rival religio-military order of the Hospital of St. John—Contests between Saladin and the Templars—Imprisonment and death of the Grand Master—The new Master and the Patriarch go to England for succour—Consecration of the Temple church at London. “We heard the tecbir, so the Arabs call Their shout of onset, when with loud appeal They challenge heaven, as if commanding conquest.” Hugh de Payens, having now laid in Europe the foundations of the great monastic and military institution of the Temple, which was destined shortly to spread its ramifications to the remotest quarters of Christendom, returned to Palestine at the head of a valiant band of newly-elected Templars, drawn principally from England and France. On their arrival at Jerusalem they were received with great distinction by the king, the clergy, and the barons of the Latin kingdom. Hugh de Payens died, however, shortly after his return, and was succeeded (A. D. 1136) by the Lord Robert, surnamed the Burgundian, (son-in-law of Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury,) who, after the death of his wife, had taken the vows and the habit of the Templars.[6] At this period the fierce religious and military enthusiasm of the Mussulmen had been again aroused by the warlike Zinghis, and his son Noureddin, two of the most famous chieftains of the age. The one was named Emod-ed-deen, “Pillar of religion;” and the other Nour-ed-deen, “Light of Religion,” vulgarly, Noureddin. The Templars were worsted by overpowering numbers. The latin kingdom of Jerusalem was shaken to its foundations, and the oriental clergy in trepidation and alarm sent urgent letters to the Pope for assistance. The Lord Robert, Master of the Temple, had at this period (A. D. 1146) been succeeded by Everard des Barres, Prior of France, who convened a general chapter of the order at Paris, which was attended by Pope Eugenius the Third, Louis the Seventh, king of France, and many prelates, princes, and nobles, from all parts of Christendom. The second crusade was there arranged, and the Templars, with the sanction of the Pope, assumed the blood-red cross, the symbol of martyrdom, as the distinguishing badge of the order, which was appointed to be worn on their habits and mantles on the left side of the breast over the heart, whence they came afterwards to be known by the name of the Red Friars and the Red Cross Knights. At this famous assembly various donations were made to the Templars, to enable them to provide more effectually for the defence of the Holy Land. Bernard Baliol, through love of God and for the good of his soul, granted them his estate of Wedelee, in Hertfordshire, which afterwards formed part of the preceptory of Temple Dynnesley. This grant is expressed to be made at the chapter held at Easter, in Paris, in the presence of the Pope, the king of France, several archbishops, and one hundred and thirty Knights Templars clad in white mantles. The long Latin and French extracts from the old chronicles have also been discarded from the notes, but the historical references have been preserved to enable the reader, if he thinks fit, to study the quaint and curious language of the originals. By these means, and by enlarging the size of the page, the work has been compressed into a smaller compass, and the price reduced nearly one half. It is hoped that these alterations will be found to be improvements.

Отдалить возрастные изменения остроты зрения и помочь нашим глазам в любом возрасте противостоять огромным нагрузкам, без которых невозможна, к сожалению, современная жизнь, помогут давно проверенные рецепты народной медицины. Рецепты вкусных и полезных блюд для ежедневной диеты, богатой жирными кислотами, аминокислотами, каротиноидами и витаминами, а также комплексы лечебной гимнастики и массажей при косоглазии, близорукости и дальнозоркости, астигматизме, рецепты фитотерапии для внутреннего и наружного применения, процедуры и упражнения для снятия напряжения при переутомлении глаз, советы для тех, кто много работает за компьютером и всех, кто заботится о своих глазах, помогут сделать эту заботу всесторонней, не тягостной и эффективной.Otdalit' vozrastnye izmenenija ostroty zrenija i pomoch' nashim glazam v ljubom vozraste protivostojat' ogromnym nagruzkam, bez kotoryh nevozmozhna, k sozhaleniju, sovremennaja zhizn', pomogut davno proverennye recepty narodnoj mediciny. Recepty vkusnyh i poleznyh bljud dlja ezhednevnoj diety, bogatoj zhirnymi kislotami, aminokislotami, karotinoidami i vitaminami, a takzhe kompleksy lechebnoj gimnastiki i massazhej pri kosoglazii, blizorukosti i dal'nozorkosti, astigmatizme, recepty fitoterapii dlja vnutrennego i naruzhnogo primenenija, procedury i uprazhnenija dlja snjatija naprjazhenija pri pereutomlenii glaz, sovety dlja teh, kto mnogo rabotaet za komp'juterom i vseh, kto zabotitsja o svoih glazah, pomogut sdelat' jetu zabotu vsestoronnej, ne tjagostnoj i jeffektivnoj.

П?д час роботи над книгою авторка побувала майже на вс?х континентах, в?дв?дала науков? бази в троп?ках Амазон?? ? на островах Великого бар’?рного рифу, сп?лкувалася з сотнями людей. Колберт шука? в?дпов?дь на питання, що станеться, якщо темпи вимирання прискоряться. Ця книга — не наукова праця. Вона — швидше велетенська стаття для природничого журналу з? св?товим ?м’ям, яку ми ма?мо можлив?сть читати укра?нською. Ел?забет Колберт у сво?й книз? н?кого не повча?. Зрештою, нав?ть не попереджа? про насл?дки нашого бездумного користування планетою. Вона — майстерна ? досв?дчена репортерка, яка простими словами розпов?да? про складн? реч?, в?д котрих залежить майбутн? нашо? планети ?, зрештою, людсько? цив?л?зац?? загалом.

Tomasz Stawiszyński, filozof, publicysta zwi?zany mi?dzy innymi z ?Newsweekiem”, odwa?nie wylicza psychoterapeutyczne mity i pi?tnuje wielbion? bezkrytycznie psychologi?. Przekonuje, ?e wspó?czesna kultura i psychoterapia promuj? idea? cz?owieka, którego nie sposób zrealizowa? w praktyce. Tymczasem zdrady, depresja i chaos nie s? czym?, co trzeba zawsze pot?pia? i eliminowa?. Przeciwnie, odpowiednio zrozumiane czyni? ?ycie g??bszym i prawdziwszym, cho? niekoniecznie ?atwiejszym. A ?atwo?? ?ycia – któr? obiecuj? dzisiaj ró?ni terapeuci albo coachowie – to kolejny mit, bo d??enie do niej wzmacnia tylko problemy, jakich odruchowo chcemy si? pozby?. Ta fascynuj?ca ksi??ka przygl?da si? podejrzliwie zmitologizowanym prawdom psychologicznym, które przez ostatnie dekady dobrze nakr?ci?y nam w g?owie i zrobi?y wod? z mózgu. Tomasz Stawiszyński, filozof z talentem felietonisty, nie tylko ratuje nasz zdrowy rozs?dek, lecz tak?e prowadzi w kierunku szerszego, bardziej uniwersalnego rozumienia psychologii cz?owieka w uj?ciu Jamesa Hillmanna jako specyficznej wiedzy o otaczaj?cym nas dziwnym, skomplikowanym i wielopi?trowym ?wiecie. Dla wszystkich, którym nie wystarcza psychologiczna tradycja. Olga Tokarczuk Nie wierzcie – mówi Tomasz Stawiszyński – w sprowadzenie na ?wiat ?cz?owieka idealnego“. Nie wierzcie zw?aszcza wtedy, gdy wmawiaj? wam zewsz?d, ?e to wy nim mo?ecie zosta?, ?e macie w sobie tak? moc. A tymczasem to ideologiczna zmora, to potwór, który czyha na wasz? wolno??. prof. Zbigniew Miko?ejko, filozof religii, Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii PAN

In 1861, Henry Dircks, a civil engineer, of London, published a work entitled "Perpetuum Mobile; or, Search for Self-Motive Power, During the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries." The book contains 599 pages, and was followed in 1870, by a second series by the same author entitled "Perpetuum Mobile, or a History of the Search for Self-Motive Power from the Thirteenth, to the Nineteenth Century." In these two books there is amassed a wonderful amount of material showing on the part of the author diligence, great patience and wide and thorough search.The author of these works was not enamoured of his subject, and his books clearly show that he was not writing them because of any interest he had in the subject of Perpetual Motion. On the contrary, they appear to have been written because of a deep detestation entertained by the author for the subject of Perpetual Motion, and a contemptuous pity for any one seriously interested in the subject. Mr. Dircks's works may be said to be the works of a scold. His sentiments were deep, and his impulses strong, which accounts for the vast amount of labor he did in the preparation of his books. Those books are now out of print, and it is believed by the author of this book that they may well remain so. They contain much material that no one would be justified in wading through. The most complicated mechanisms devised by enthusiastic dreamers are shown in the same detail with which the inventors described them in presenting them to the public, or to the patent offices. Little is to be gained by this. So complicated are many of the devices that only technically trained engineers could read them understandingly, and few technically trained engineers are now greatly interested in self-motive power devices. We believe that every useful or interesting purpose is served if enough devices are collected, classified and presented to show the various principles relied upon by the inventors; with an explanation of why they failed—i. e., wherein the principles relied upon are wrong, and while possibly not out of harmony with any mechanical principles then known, are entirely out of harmony with principles since discovered and now well known. In the preparation of this volume a vast amount of the information furnished by the two works of Mr. Dircks has been rearranged, reclassified, and used.Everyone who has to any extent, by environment, associated with the mass of people who are not technically educated, knows that the persons who are still interested in the subject of Perpetual Motion, and who still seek its attainment, are not technically trained engineers or mathematicians, but for the greater part untrained people of naturally strong mechanical sense, and of natural mechanical and mathematical adaptation.This book is written for the perusal of that large class of people. It is not designed as an argument either for or against the possibility of the attainment of Perpetual Motion. The author is content to classify and present—clearly, it is hoped—the leading endeavors that have been known in that field of effort, and to explain their failure. It is believed by the author that the perusal of the present volume by anyone whose mind has been attracted by the subject of Perpetual Motion will result in an enlightenment, and, it is also believed, will have a tendency to direct his mind from a struggle with theories long ago exploded, and may result in directing his efforts to things practical, and not without hope of attainment.This work is offered only to minds mechanically or mathematically inclined. It is not even hoped that it will interest people who prefer fiction to fact, nor people who read simply for idle entertainment. ABOUT AUTHOR: The author has no apology to offer for the production of this book. He has spent his life in environments that have brought him into constant contact with mechanics, artisans and laborers as well as professional men, engineers, chemists and technical experts of various types. He knows a great many men—young men, for the most part—are constantly working on the old, old problem of Perpetual Motion; that much money, and much time are being spent in search of a solution for that problem which all scientific and technical men tell us is impossible of solution.It is believed by the author that a classification and presentation of selected groups of the devices produced in the past by which it was by the inventor believed, self-motive power had been attained, will save much work in fields already thoroughly exploited.So far as the author knows no book on the subject has appeared since 1870. The various encyclopedias published contain articles on the subject, but they are necessarily brief, and not satisfying to young men who have become interested in the subject.

Mér? László korábbi nagy siker? k?nyvei komoly szellemi kalandot jelent?, gondolkodásra késztet?, ugyanakkor szórakoztató olvasmánynak bizonyultak. A Mindenki másképp egyforma 1999-ben elnyerte az ??v tudományos k?nyve Németországban” díjak egyikét. Mér? László új k?nyve a szerz? r?videbb, de nem kevésbé elmélyült, elgondolkodtató és szórakoztató írásait tartalmazza. Ezek t?bbsége a Magyar Narancs Egotrip rovatában jelent meg, a k?nyv címe azonos a szerz? ottani sorozatcímével. Ebben a k?nyvben a szerz? a legt?bb írást alaposan átdolgozta. A lényeg nemigen változott, de a szigorú újságcikk-m?faj szorításából kiszabadulva némelyik írás hosszabb, némelyik r?videbb lett – ahogy a téma kívánta. ?s hogy mi ez a talányos cím? A magyarázatot keresse a k?tetben! ?Eredeti szakmám matematikus, majd a m?szaki tudományokból kandidáltam, kés?bb pszichológiából lettem habilitált doktor, nemrég pedig a gazdaságpszichológia professzorává neveztek ki. Emellett k?zel húsz éve vezetek egy játékszoftver-fejleszt? céget, amelynek egyik alapítója vagyok. Tudományos szakcikkek mellett írtam néhány k?nyvet a szélesebb olvasók?z?nség számára is, ezek t?bb idegen nyelven is megjelentek. Az utóbbi években megszerettem a tárca m?faját is – ennek termését mutatja be ez a k?nyv.” Mér? László

A Magyarország f?ldtana cím? k?nyv els?sorban az egyetemi szint? áttekint? f?ldtani oktatás számára készült tank?nyvként. Az elektronikus kiadás lehet?ségeit kihasználva a k?tet a legfrissebb ismereteket szintetizálja és ad hazánk f?ldtani felépítésér?l korszer? áttekintést, amelyet haszonnal forgathatják nemcsak egyetemi hallgatók, hanem a téma iránt érdekl?d? nem szakmabeliek egyaránt. A k?tet szerz?i, Budai Tamás és Konrád Gyula aktív és nagy tapasztalattal rendelkez? terepi geológusok, akik oktatási tapasztalatokkal egyaránt rendelkezve megfelel? arányban vegyítik a terepi tapasztalatokat az oktatás igényeivel.A megértést számos ábra teszi teljessé. (a Kiadó)

Lambrecht Kálmán k?nyve ma is lebilincsel? stílusban és tudományt?rténeti korrektséggel mutatja be ezen csodálatos tudomány kialakulását és fejl?dését, tárja elénk nagy alakjainak eredményeit. Mégsem száraz adatfelsorolás ez a k?nyv, hanem izgalmas utazás, ahol a tárgy ellenére az ember, a kutató, a gyarló tudós áll a k?zéppontban. Megismerjük vívódásait, harcát az anyaggal, tévedéseit és csatáit hasonló lelk? vetélytársaikkal. Az ?svilági élet tehát igencsak evilági szellemeken keresztül jutott el oda, hogy aJurassic park megszülethetett. K?vessük ezt a t?bb évszázados fejl?dést egy magával ragadó tollú ismeretterjeszt? vezetésében. Lehet, hogy néhány k?vetkeztetése ma már nem állja meg a helyét, ám ez mit sem von le abból az értékb?l, amit stílusa és tudományt?rténeti ?sszefoglalója ma is jelent. Izgalmas olvasmány egy ma igen népszer? tudomány kezdeteir?l.

"Un ghid absolut esen?ial pentru omenire. ?n?elepciunea pu?in cunoscut? care se reg?se?te ?n aceast? carte poate pune cap?t suferin?ei umane pe ?ntregul Glob, salv?nd oamenii de ravagiile pe care industria cancerului continu? s? le produc? din cauza ineficien?ei depline de care d? dovad?." – Mike Adams, Director al Laboratorului ?tiin?ific CWC Labs "Ty Bollinger ofer? pacien?ilor, oamenilor de ?tiin?? ?i celor care activeaz? ?n domeniul s?n?t??ii o explica?ie excelent? privitor la motivul pentru care viziunea actual? pe care o avem despre cancer este gre?it? ?i arat? ?n acela?i timp cum poate fi prevenit, prezent?nd o gam? larg? de op?iuni de tratament, care sunt mult mai eficiente ca raport risc-beneficii cost ?n compara?ie cu protocoalele de oncologie curente. Cartea de fa?? poate fi pentru tine un ghid valoros care s? te ajute s? previi sau chiar s? stopezi aceast? boal?. Cancerul poate fi ?nvins, iar Ty ne arat? cum." – Patrick Quillin, Ph.D., R.D., C.N.S., F.A.C.N., autor al lucr?rii ?Lupt? ?mpotriva cancerului prin alimenta?ie” "?Adev?rul despre cancer? este ghidul necesar pentru prevenirea, tratamentul ?i eradicarea cancerului folosindu-ne de leacurile oferite de Dumnezeu. ?n aceast? carte revolu?ionar?, Ty Bollinger dezv?luie o ?ntreag? gam? de metode naturale de amplificare a imunit??ii ?i de energizare a trupului pentru a ?nvinge cancerul. Cite?te aceast? carte! S-ar putea s?-?i salveze via?a." – Josh Ax, D.C., autor al lucr?rii ?Eat Dirt” "Cartea lui Ty, ?Adev?rul despre cancer?, este o adev?rat? revela?ie. Pe l?ng? faptul c? ofer? pacien?ilor speran?? pentru viitor, le pune de asemenea la dispozi?ie informa?iile ?i resursele necesare pentru prevenirea ?i combaterea cancerului. Primul pas spre s?n?tate este autovindecarea, iar aceast? carte este una dintre cele mai bune c?r?i de auto-vindecare de pe pia??." – Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D.

The publication of Darwin’s The Origin of Species in 1859 marked a dramatic turning point in scientific thought. The volume had taken Darwin more than twenty years to publish, in part because he envisioned the storm of controversy it was certain to unleash. Indeed, selling out its first edition on its first day, The Origin of Species revolutionized science, philosophy, and theology. Darwin’s reasoned, documented arguments carefully advance his theory of natural selection and his assertion that species were not created all at once by a divine hand but started with a few simple forms that mutated and adapted over time. Whether commenting on his own poor health, discussing his experiments to test instinct in bees, or relating a conversation about a South American burrowing rodent, Darwin’s monumental achievement is surprisingly personal and delightfully readable. Its profound ideas remain controversial even today, making it the most influential book in the natural sciences ever written—an important work not just to its time but to the history of humankind.

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.

This ebook edition does not include illustrations. ‘In Richard Fortey’s capable hands the humble grey trilobite has been transformed into the E.T. of the Lower Palaeozoic – a remarkable and fascinating book.’ SIMON WINCHESTER Richard Fortey is one of Britain’s leading popular scientists. Life: An Unauthorised Biography, was short-listed for the Rhone Poulenc prize and has been reprinted five times. In all he writes, Fortey displays extraordinary range, delight and de*ive gifts which make complicated scientific facts and concepts not only easy to understand but a delight to absorb. Trilobite! is an unashamedly trilobito-centric view of the world unravelling the history of the exotic, crustacean-like animals which dominated the seas for three hundred million years. These arthropods witnessed continents move, mountain chains elevated and eroded; they survived ice ages and volcanic eruptions, evolving and adapting exquisitely to their environment. They watched through their crystal eyes whilst life evolved. Their own evolution calibrated geological time itself. Structured like a detective story, this is a light, but highly informative account of the wonders of scientific discovery and an engaging, quirky and fascinating introduction to evolution. Note that it has not been possible to include the same picture content that appeared in the original print version.

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.

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.

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.

After the huge national and international success of ‘Longitude’ and ‘Gallileo’s Daughter’, Dava Sobel tells the human story of the nine planets of our solar system. This groundbreaking work traces the ‘lives’ of each member of our solar family, from myth and history, astrology and science fiction, to the latest data from the modern era's robotic space probes. Whether revealing what hides behind Venus's cocoon of acid clouds, describing Neptune's complex beauty, or capturing first-hand the excitement at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory when the first pictures from Cassini at Saturn were recently beamed to earth, Dava Sobel's unique tour of the solar system is filled with fascination and beauty. In lyrical prose interspersed with poems by Tennyson, Blake and others, ‘The Planets’ gives a breathtaking, intimate view of those heavenly bodies that have captured the imagination since humanity’s first glimpse of the glittering night skies. Timely and timeless, ‘The Planets’ will engage and delight as it unravels the mysteries of the cosmos. It is of infinite relevance to this age in which new planets are being discovered elsewhere in our galaxy. Note that it has not been possible to include the same picture content that appeared in the original print version.

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.

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.

In the mid-1850s, no scientist in the British Empire was more visible than Richard Owen. Mentioned in the same breath as Isaac Newton and championed as Britain's answer to France's Georges Cuvier and Germany's Alexander von Humboldt, Owen was, as the Times declared in 1856, the most "e;distinguished man of science in the country."e; But, a century and a half later, Owen remains largely obscured by the shadow of the most famous Victorian naturalist of all, Charles Darwin. Publicly marginalized by his contemporaries for his critique of natural selection, Owen suffered personal attacks that undermined his credibility long after his name faded from history.With this innovative biography, Nicolaas A. Rupke resuscitates Owen's reputation. Arguing that Owen should no longer be judged by the evolution dispute that figured inonly a minor part of his work, Rupke stresses context, emphasizing the importance of places and practices in the production and reception of scientific knowledge. Dovetailing with the recent resurgence of interest in Owen's life and work, Rupke's book brings the forgotten naturalist back into the canon of the history of science and demonstrates how much biology existed with, and without, Darwin