Adam Spencer's Top 100 by Adam Spencer

$34.99 AUD

Category: Science | Reading Level: 4 Science

Australia's funniest mathematician returns in 2018 with more rollicking romps through the world of science, technology, numbers and all things nerdy. This terrific new fully illustrated title follows on from Adam's bestselling Big Book of Numbers (2014); World of Numbers (2015), Time Machine (2016), and The Number Games (2017), and is packed full of fascinating facts, tantalising trivia, brain-busting number puzzles, and much much more. ...Show more

Vital Science by Karl Kruszelnicki

$34.99 AUD

Category: Science

Get your pulse racing with Australia's most popular scientist, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.Discover why people tell lies, why some planets are hotter than stars and how humans are terraforming the Earth. Is cockroach milk really the next Superfood? Why are birds so smart? Why do trees need each other to grow a nd how do they communicate? Why did a group of scientists voluntarily starve to death while surrounded by tonnes of food? How long does a decapitated head stay "alive"? What human artefacts can be seen with the naked eye from the International Space Station? Who is Bertha Benz and how did her first car trip revolutionise how we use petrol today?Finally, monitor your breathing and learn why whales are so big, why oral histories are surprisingly accurate and try the five tried-and-tested steps to becoming a wellness guru. ...Show more

Brief Answers to the Big Questions: Stephen Hawking (HB) by Stephen Hawking

$32.99 AUD

Category: Science

'A beautiful little book by a brilliant mind' Steven Poole, DAILY TELEGRAPH The world-famous cosmologist and #1 bestselling author of A Brief History of Time leaves us with his final thoughts on the universe's biggest questions in this brilliant posthumous work.   Is there a God? How did it all begin? Can we predict the future? What is inside a black hole? Is there other intelligent life in the universe? Will artificial intelligence outsmart us? How do we shape the future? Will we survive on Earth? Should we colonise space? Is time travel possible? Throughout his extraordinary career, Stephen Hawking expanded our understanding of the universe and unravelled some of its greatest mysteries. But even as his theoretical work on black holes, imaginary time and multiple histories took his mind to the furthest reaches of space, Hawking always believed that science could also be used to fix the problems on our planet. And now, as we face potentially catastrophic changes here on Earth - from climate change to dwindling natural resources to the threat of artificial super-intelligence - Stephen Hawking turns his attention to the most urgent issues for humankind. Wide-ranging, intellectually stimulating, passionately argued, and infused with his characteristic humour, BRIEF ANSWERS TO THE BIG QUESTIONS, the final book from one of the greatest minds in history, is a personal view on the challenges we face as a human race, and where we, as a planet, are heading next. A percentage of all royalties will go to charity. ...Show more

Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History by Jeremy Brown

$32.99 AUD

Category: Science

Jeremy Brown, a veteran ER doctor, explores the troubling, terrifying, and complex history of the flu, from the origins and lessons of the Great Flu that killed millions to vexing questions like: are we prepared for the next epidemic, should you get a flu shot, and are we close to finding a cure?

Nine Pints: A Journey Through the Mysterious, Miraculous World of Blood by Rose George

$29.99 AUD

Category: Science

From a prize-winning writer, a fascinating exploration of blood: the stuff of life, the stuff of nightmares, and one of the most expensive liquids on the planet.

How to Change Your Mind: The New Science of Psychedelics by Michael Pollan

$35.00 AUD

Category: Science

The No.1 New York Times Bestseller 'Gripping and surprising ... Pollan makes losing your mind sound like the sanest thing a person could do' The New York Times Book Review Could psychedelic drugs change our worldview? One of America's most admired writers takes us on a mind-altering journey to the fro ntiers of human consciousness When LSD was first discovered in the 1940s, it seemed to researchers, scientists and doctors as if the world might be on the cusp of psychological revolution. It promised to shed light on the deep mysteries of consciousness, as well as offer relief to addicts and the mentally ill. But in the 1960s, with the vicious backlash against the counter-culture, all further research was banned. In recent years, however, work has quietly begun again on the amazing potential of LSD, psilocybin and DMT. Could these drugs in fact improve the lives of many people? Diving deep into this extraordinary world and putting himself forwardas a guinea-pig, Michael Pollan has written a remarkable history of psychedelics and a compelling portrait of the new generation of scientists fascinatedby the implications of these drugs. How to Change Your Mind is a report from what could very well be the future of human consciousness. 'His approach is steeped in honesty and self-awareness. His cause is just, his thinking is clear, and his writing is compelling' - Washington Post   'An easy-going humane generosity ... mischievous self-regard ... as if Henry David Thoreau had had an encounter with Woody Allen and never been quite the same since' - Simon Schama ...Show more

Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari

$27.99 AUD

Category: Science

The New York Times bestseller from the author of Chasing the Scream, offering a radical new way of thinking about depression and anxiety.What really causes depression and anxiety--and how can we really solve them? Award-winning journalist Johann Hari suffered from depression since he was a child and sta rted taking antidepressants when he was a teenager. He was told that his problems were caused by a chemical imbalance in his brain. As an adult, trained in the social sciences, he began to investigate whether this was true--and he learned that almost everything we have been told about depression and anxiety is wrong.Across the world, Hari found social scientists who were uncovering evidence that depression and anxiety are not caused by a chemical imbalance in our brains. In fact, they are largely caused by key problems with the way we live today. Hari's journey took him from a mind-blowing series of experiments in Baltimore, to an Amish community in Indiana, to an uprising in Berlin. Once he had uncovered nine real causes of depression and anxiety, they led him to scientists who are discovering seven very different solutions--ones that work.It is an epic journey that will change how we think about one of the biggest crises in our culture today. His TED talk, "Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong," has been viewed more than eight million times and revolutionized the global debate. This book will do the same. ...Show more

Rewording the Brain by David Astle

$29.99 AUD

Category: Science

Master wordsmith and crossword king David Astle scientifically proves how cryptic crosswords can ward off dementia.

The Night Sky Explorer by Robin & Jackson Kerrod

$39.95 AUD

Category: Science

Diving for Seahorses: The Science of Memory by Hilde Østby; Ylva Østby

$29.99 AUD

Category: Science | Reading Level: 4 Science

What makes us remember? Why do we forget? And what, exactly, is a memory? Diving for Seahorses answers these questions and more, offering an illuminating look at one of our most fascinating faculties: our memory. Sisters Hilde and Ylva Østby - one an acclaimed writer the other a neuropsychologist -skilfully interweave history, research and personal stories in this fascinating exploration of the evolving science of memory from its Renaissance beginnings to the present day. They interview top neuroscientists, famous novelists, taxi drivers and quizmasters to help explain how memory works, why it sometimes fails and what we can do to improve it. Filled with cutting-edge research and compelling case studies, the result is a gripping-and unforgettable-adventure through human memory. ...Show more

How to Be Human: The Manual by Ruby Wax

$22.99 AUD

Category: Science

With a little help from a monk, and a neuroscientist, Ruby Wax answers every question you've ever had about- evolution, thoughts, emotions, the body, addictions, relationships, kids, the future and compassion. How to be Human is extremely funny, true and the only manual you'll need to help you upgrade y our mind as much as you've upgraded your iPhone. ...Show more

Blueprint - How DNA Makes Us Who We Are by Robert Plomin

$35.00 AUD

Category: Science

A top behavioral geneticist makes the case that DNA inherited from our parents at the moment of conception can predict our psychological strengths and weaknesses. In Blueprint, behavioral geneticist Robert Plomin describes how the DNA revolution has made DNA personal by giving us the power to predict o ur psychological strengths and weaknesses from birth. A century of genetic research shows that DNA differences inherited from our parents are the consistent life-long sources of our psychological individuality―the blueprint that makes us who we are. This, says Plomin, is a game-changer. It calls for a radical rethinking of what makes us who were are. Plomin has been working on these issues for almost fifty years, conducting longitudinal studies of twins and adoptees. He reports that genetics explains more of the psychological differences among people than all other factors combined. Genetics accounts for fifty percent of psychological differences―not just mental health and school achievement, but all psychological traits, from personality to intellectual abilities. Nature defeats nurture by a landslide. Plomin explores the implications of this, drawing some provocative conclusions―among them that parenting styles don't really affect children's outcomes once genetics is taken into effect. Neither tiger mothers nor attachment parenting affects children's ability to get into Harvard. After describing why DNA matters, Plomin explains what DNA does, offering readers a unique insider's view of the exciting synergies that came from combining genetics and psychology. ...Show more