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万本电子书0元读

Leviathan
Leviathan
Philip Hoare
¥80.25
The story of a man’s obsession with whales, which takes him on a personal, historical and biographical journey – from his childhood to his fascination with Moby-Dick and his excursions whale-watching. All his life, Philip Hoare has been obsessed by whales, from the gigantic skeletons in London’s Natural History Museum to adult encounters with the wild animals themselves. Whales have a mythical quality – they seem to elide with dark fantasies of sea-serpents and antediluvian monsters that swim in our collective unconscious. In ‘Leviathan’, Philip Hoare seeks to locate and identify this obsession. What impelled Melville to write ‘Moby-Dick’? After his book in 1851, no one saw whales in quite the same way again. This book is an investigation into what we know little about – dark, shadowy creatures who swim below the depths, only to surface in a spray of spume. More than the story of the whale, it is also the story of our own obsessions.
The Times How to Crack Cryptic Crosswords
The Times How to Crack Cryptic Crosswords
Tim Moorey
¥58.86
Expert crossword solver and setter, Tim Moorey, seeks to dispel the myth that cryptic crosswords are the preserve of the elite. In this easy guide, he demonstrates that anyone who enjoys words and word play can learn to solve a cryptic crossword clue. With clear pictorially presented explanations for many clues, you can revel in the deep satisfaction that comes from finishing cryptic crossword puzzles. Designed to apply to the solving of any cryptic crossword, this book develops and expands Tim’s first book, How to Master The Times Crossword, and is designed to guide the cryptic crossword beginner to an enriched solving experience. ? Contains 15 new practice puzzles from 15 different newspaper and magazine sources. ? Many new hints and tips to help every solver ? Greatly expanded lists e.g. of those all-important abbreviations you should know ? A completely new demonstration of how one solver tackles a typical daily cryptic ? Up-to-date sections on the latest help available online eg smartphone and tablet apps ? In-depth and clear explanations of every clue and puzzle answer ? Previously published as ‘How To Master The Times Crossword: The Times Cryptic Crossword Demystified’. This book is a revised and updated version.
Motel Nirvana
Motel Nirvana
Melanie McGrath
¥63.18
A book about the New Age movement and its American heartland. It concerns the author's travels around the south-western United States of Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, and her encounters with some of that region's most unusual communities and individuals.
Hard, Soft and Wet
Hard, Soft and Wet
Melanie McGrath
¥61.51
Who are the digital generation? They are the millions of youngsters who live with, and love, the technology with which they are growing up. This is their story. Tomorrow belongs to them. ‘This is the book which opens up the electronic frontier to those still left out in the cold, the one McLuhan would have written were he to be still surfing the Nineties’ Arena. ‘At once a romance, a cultural commentary, and a piece of travel writing which adds the virtual world to its itinerary as though it were a new place on the map. ‘ Sadie Plant, The Times Not another book about youth culture, nor cyberpunks, hackers and VR; not a computing manual; not the history of technology; but a book about the first generation of people to take the information age for granted. A personal portrait of the Wired Generation, exploring the dreams, ambitions, aesthetics and assumptions of all the kids growing up digital, worldwide. In these days of video games, PCs, multimedia and personal stereos, it’s all too easy for the sensitive kids to disappear into worlds of their own, and it happens so quickly — one birthday they’re chirpy and sociable, the next they stay home to watch Robocop for the thirty-seventh time or play Mortal Kombat yet again.
Short walks in the Yorkshire Dales
Short walks in the Yorkshire Dales
Collins Maps
¥44.24
The Yorkshire Dales with its picturesque dales, ancient farmhouses and villages offer some superb country walking.This can be explored with these 20 walks, all of which are 5 miles or under in length and can easily be completed in less than 3 hours. This guide, produced in co-operation with the Ramblers and featuring Ordnance Survey mapping, is the perfect way to really appreciate the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. INCLUDES: ? 20 easy to follow walks which can be completed in 3 hours and under. ? Each walk has a detailed 1:25 000 Ordnance Survey map with the route clearly marked plus a detailed de*ion of the route. ? The walks have been chosen with issues like parking and refreshments in mind to make life easy for families. ? Packed with colour photographs of scenes you will see along the walk. The perfect guide for afternoon walks near to Sedburgh, Hawes, Settle, Ingleton, Skipton and Harrogate.
The Glass Universe
The Glass Universe
Dava Sobel
¥73.58
‘A biographical orrery – intricate, complex and fascinating’ The Observer ‘A peerless intellectual biography. The Glass Universe shines and twinkles as brightly as the stars themselves’ The Economist #1 New York Times bestselling author Dava Sobel returns with a captivating, little-known true story of women in science Before they even had the right to vote, a group of remarkable women were employed by Harvard College Observatory as ‘Human Computers’ to interpret the observations made via telescope by their male counterparts each night. The author of Longitude, Galileo’s Daughter and The Planets shines light on the hidden history of these extraordinary women who changed the burgeoning field of astronomy and our understanding of the stars and our place in the universe.
Gemstones (Collins Gem)
Gemstones (Collins Gem)
Cally Oldershaw
¥38.36
Gemstones have been a source of delight and fascination for many thousands of years. This revised edition explores the nature of gems, their beauty, rarity and durability, and the mineral properties that govern these qualities. It describes the most popular gemstones in detail and looks at how gem minerals form, where they are found and mined, and how they are identified. It includes information about the popular most popular and the lesser known stones, and describes how to distinguish the real from the fake.
Railway Day Trips: 150 classic train journeys around Britain
Railway Day Trips: 150 classic train journeys around Britain
Julian Holland
¥99.08
Recommended for viewing on colour devices. An essential guide to exploring Britain by train, Railway Day Trips is ideal for anyone planning or looking for inspiration for a rail journey. From bestselling railway author Julian Holland
Range Rover The Creators of an Icon
Range Rover The Creators of an Icon
Graham Bannock
¥245.17
Origins and history of the Range Rover marque, design and development of early models plus market research in Europe, Africa and the USA. A personal memoir by, author, Graham Bannock, of his time with the Rover Company in the late 1950s and the 1960s, which was the time the Range Rover was under development. Contents: Introduction; The Pearl in the Oyster: Origins of the Range Rover; Earlier History; How it was: Solihull in the 1960s; Across Africa: I The Sudan; Across Africa: II Ethiopia: Travels in North America, Europe and Africa; Renaissance - Appendix I: Rover's Finances by Graham Bannock and Alan Doran; Appendix II: Rover Gas Turbines by Graham Bannock and James Taylor; Appendix III - Internal memoranda; Bibliography.
The Alfa Romeo Spider Owners Work Manual
The Alfa Romeo Spider Owners Work Manual
Trade Trade
¥245.17
This is a do it ourself workshop manual, it was written for the owner who wishes to maintain his vehicle & carry out the bulk of his own servicing & repairs. Step by step instructions are given of most dismantling, overhauling & assembling operations. Covers Giulia 1300TI, GT Junior 1967-1972, Giulia 1600TI, Super 1962-1972, Giulia 1600 Sprint GT, GTV 1963-1968, Giulia 1600 Spider, Duetto 1962-1968, Giulia 1.6 Super 1972-1975, GT Junior 1.6 1972-1975, GT Junior 1600 1975-1976, 1750 GT Veloce 1968-1972, 1750 Spider Veloce 1968-1972, 2000 GT Veloce 1971-1975, 2000 Spider Veloce 1971-1978. A total of 168 fully illustrated pages. SB.
BMW 3 Series - E36 Restoration Tips & Techniques
BMW 3 Series - E36 Restoration Tips & Techniques
Greg Hudock
¥245.17
A practical restoration manual on the E36, the 3 Series BMWs built between 1990 & 1999. Covers all models from the 316 compact to the M3. Advice is given on acquiring a good pre-owned example plus restoring & modifying engines, bodywork, trim, electrics, suspension & mechanical parts. Detailed information on Alpina & M3 cars. A total of 148 fully illustrated colour and black & white
The Original Lotus Elan
The Original Lotus Elan
Trade Trade
¥245.17
This book contains a variety of information, both of a practical nature and otherwise, including the identification of alternative equivalent parts sources, which is applicable to all Lotus Elan 1500/1600 models as well as S2, S3, S4 and Sprint derivatives, produced between the years 1962 and 1973.
VW Transporter T4 Workshop Manual Diesel 2000-2004
VW Transporter T4 Workshop Manual Diesel 2000-2004
Greg Hudock
¥245.17
Covers all T4 diesel vehicles from 2000 to the end of 2004, including Vans 800, 1,000, and 1,200, Caravelle CL and GL, Bus (long and short wheelbase). Engines covered: Diesel 1.9L, 2.4L & 2.5L TDI, with a manual gearbox only. 164 large pages including 11 pages of wiring & over 200 illustrations.
Human Universe
Human Universe
Professor Brian Cox
¥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.
The Code Book: The Secret History of Codes and Code-breaking
The Code Book: The Secret History of Codes and Code-breaking
Simon Singh
¥80.25
The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography From the best-selling author of Fermat’s Last Theorem, The Code Book is a history of man’s urge to uncover the secrets of codes, from Egyptian puzzles to modern day computer encryptions. As in Fermat’s Last Theorem, Simon Singh brings life to an anstonishing story of puzzles, codes, languages and riddles that reveals man’s continual pursuit to disguise and uncover, and to work out the secret languages of others. Codes have influenced events throughout history, both in the stories of those who make them and those who break them. The betrayal of Mary Queen of Scots and the cracking of the enigma code that helped the Allies in World War II are major episodes in a continuing history of cryptography. In addition to stories of intrigue and warfare, Simon Singh also investigates other codes, the unravelling of genes and the rediscovery of ancient languages and most tantalisingly, the Beale ciphers, an unbroken code that could hold the key to a $20 million treasure.
Seeing Further: The Story of Science and the Royal Society
Seeing Further: The Story of Science and the Royal Society
Bill Bryson
¥117.23
Edited and introduced by Bill Bryson, with contributions from Richard Dawkins, Margaret Atwood, Richard Holmes, Martin Rees, Richard Fortey, Steve Jones, James Gleick and Neal Stephenson amongst others, this beautiful, lavishly illustrated book tells the story of science and the Royal Society, from 1660 to the present. On a damp weeknight in November, 350 years ago, a dozen or so men gathered at Gresham College in London. A twenty-eight year old – and not widely famous – Christopher Wren was giving a lecture on astronomy. As his audience listened to him speak, they decided that it would be a good idea to create a Society to promote the accumulation of useful knowledge. With that, the Royal Society was born. Since its birth, the Royal Society has pioneered scientific exploration and discovery. Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle, Joseph Banks, Humphry Davy, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, John Locke, Alexander Fleming – all were fellows. Bill Bryson’s favourite fellow was Reverend Thomas Bayes, a brilliant mathematician who devised Bayes’ theorem. Its complexity meant that it had little practical use in Bayes’ own lifetime, but today his theorem is used for weather forecasting, astrophysics and stock market analysis. A milestone in mathematical history, it only exists because the Royal Society decided to preserve it – just in case. The Royal Society continues to do today what it set out to do all those years ago. Its members have split the atom, discovered the double helix, the electron, the computer and the World Wide Web. Truly international in its outlook, it has created modern science. ‘Seeing Further’ celebrates its momentous history and achievements, bringing together the very best of science writing. Filled with illustrations of treasures from the Society’s archives, this is a unique, ground-breaking and beautiful volume, and a suitable reflection of the immense achievements of science.
The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light
The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light
Paul Bogard
¥53.56
Streetlamps, neon signs – an ever-present glow that has changed the natural world and adversely affected our health; Paul Bogard illuminates the problems caused by a lack of darkness.
The Music of the Primes: Why an unsolved problem in mathematics matters (Text On
The Music of the Primes: Why an unsolved problem in mathematics matters (Text On
Marcus du Sautoy
¥73.58
The paperback of the critically-acclaimed popular science book by a writer who is fast becoming a celebrity mathematician. Prime numbers are the very atoms of arithmetic. They also embody one of the most tantalising enigmas in the pursuit of human knowledge. How can one predict when the next prime number will occur? Is there a formula which could generate primes? These apparently simple questions have confounded mathematicians ever since the Ancient Greeks. In 1859, the brilliant German mathematician Bernard Riemann put forward an idea which finally seemed to reveal a magical harmony at work in the numerical landscape. The promise that these eternal, unchanging numbers would finally reveal their secret thrilled mathematicians around the world. Yet Riemann, a hypochondriac and a troubled perfectionist, never publicly provided a proof for his hypothesis and his housekeeper burnt all his personal papers on his death. Whoever cracks Riemann's hypothesis will go down in history, for it has implications far beyond mathematics. In business, it is the lynchpin for security and e-commerce. In science, it has critical ramifications in Quantum Mechanics, Chaos Theory, and the future of computing. Pioneers in each of these fields are racing to crack the code and a prize of $1 million has been offered to the winner. As yet, it remains unsolved. In this breathtaking book, mathematician Marcus du Sautoy tells the story of the eccentric and brilliant men who have struggled to solve one of the biggest mysteries in science. It is a story of strange journeys, last-minute escapes from death and the unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Above all, it is a moving and awe-inspiring evocation of the mathematician's world and the beauties and mysteries it contains.
A Book of Britain: The Lore, Landscape and Heritage of a Treasured Countryside
A Book of Britain: The Lore, Landscape and Heritage of a Treasured Countryside
Johnny Scott
¥368.46
In this remarkable, landmark publication, countryman Sir Johnny Scott evokes all that is romantic about the British countryside, its people, customs and traditions. Over its 600 gloriously illustrated pages, Johnny draws on his wisdom and knowledge to reveal a forgotten culture, and encourages us all to rediscover a beautiful Britain. “I always think of nightingales when spring arrives in the south of England and winter is still reluctant to release its grip north of the Border. I heard my first as a very small child while staying with my grandparents on the Ashdown Forest. My sister woke me one night with an excited whisper, 'A nightingale! You must listen to the nightingale sing!' Together we sat on the window seat, gazing across moonlit lawns towards the forest. At that moment, as if nature had not already done enough to impress, the most wonderful sound I had ever heard filled the silence, as the nightingale started to sing. A rapid succession of varied, unconstructed notes, some harsh, some liquid, sung with great exuberance and vigour, changed to a long, slow, pleading song that rose in volume to a sudden piteous crescendo, before reverting to a tune of jollity and mirth. In my mind's eye I saw it erect and glowing, somewhere in the darkness among the oak trees, but no amount of searching that morning produced a single golden feather.” Throughout the pages of A Book of Britain, Johnny Scott celebrates the landscape and people and reveals why, through centuries of careful management, conservation and cultivation, Britain looks as it does. We discover Royal forests and protected oaks; learn animal behaviour and how best to observe wildlife whether on the moors or in your garden; we learn about traditional country sports from familiar hobbies such as fishing and shooting to lesser-known activities such as “swan upping”. Johnny teaches us to look to animals and nature to predict the weather, and reveals many customs and traditions that are in danger of being lost. This book is a gift in every sense – not only in its sheer scope and presence, but in the rich legacy it will leave behind for future generations.
Why Us?: How Science Rediscovered the Mystery of Ourselves (Text Only)
Why Us?: How Science Rediscovered the Mystery of Ourselves (Text Only)
James Le Fanu
¥73.58
The imperative to 'know thyself' is both fundamental and profoundly elusive – for how can we ever truly comprehend the drama and complexity of the human experience? In ‘Why Us?’ James Le Fanu offers a fascinating exploration of the power and limits of science to penetrate the deep mysteries of our existence, challenging the certainty that has persisted since Charles Darwin's Origin of Species that we are no more than the fortuitous consequence of a materialist evolutionary process. That challenge arises, unexpectedly, from the two major projects that promised to provide definitive proof for this most influential of scientific theories. The first is the astonishing achievement of the Human Genome Project, which, it was anticipated, would identify the genetic basis of those characteristics that distinguish humans from their primate cousins. The second is the phenomenal advance in brain imaging that now permits neuroscientists to observe the brain 'in action' and thus account for the remarkable properties of the human mind. But that is not how it has turned out. It is simply not possible to get from the monotonous sequence of genes along the Double Helix to the near infinite diversity of the living world, nor to translate the electrical firing of the brain into the creativity of the human mind. This is not a matter of not knowing all the facts. Rather, science has inadvertently discovered that its theories are insufficient to conjure the wonder of the human experience from the bare bones of our genes and brains. We stand on the brink of a tectonic shift in our understanding of ourselves that will witness the rediscovery of the central premise of Western philosophy that there is 'more than we can know'. Lucid, compelling and utterly engaging, ‘Why Us?’ offers a convincing and provocative vision of the new science of being human.
Children’s Party Games (Collins Gem)
Children’s Party Games (Collins Gem)
Collins
¥38.36
Ever faced a crowd of fifteen 5-year olds and quaked? Well, here is your chance to bring order and calm to the party proceedings. Just consult your Gem and you can prepare for those half forgotten games such as Musical Bumps, Simon Says and Blind Man’s Buff. Collins Gem Children’s Party Games provides clear advice and instructions on the most popular family and party games. It is an invaluable guide for organizing children’s and family parties, for wet weekends, Christmas family holidays as well as train or car journeys. The clear instructions also include: Number and age of participants How long the game lasts What equipment is required How to prepare for the game For hours of family games and entertainment look no further than this Gem.