In Why It`s Not All Rocket Science, Robert Cave examines 100 extraordinary projects, theories & experiments that have been conducted in the name of science. Some, including various nuclear tests, have attracted controversy & hostility; others, such as Johann Wilhelm Ritter`s erotic self-experiments with a voltaic pile, seem downright weird. But Cave demonstrates, thoroughly & informatively, that it is only by doggedly asking awkward questions, & paying close attention to the answers, that scientists have been able to make progress. From spider monkeys to human cyborgs, & from swimming in syrup to chaos theory, Cave places each experiment & discovery in its scientific context to present an entertaining guide to some of the most jaw-dropping entries in the history of science. Why It`s Not All Rocket Science contains chapters on the brain, the body, society & communications, planet Earth & the Universe, & to read it is to gain startling insights into why scientists seem to behave so oddly, & how their brilliant if sometimes bizarre work benefits all of society. ...

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERFOYLES NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARBLACKWELL`S NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARWINNER OF THE JHALAK PRIZE 2018SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS NON-FICTION NARRATIVE BOOK OF THE YEARLONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTIONSHORTLISTED FOR A BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARDThe book that sparked a national conversation. Exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class & race, Why I`m No Longer Talking to White People About Race is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Britain today. ...

Have you ever watched a man angling in the rain, building a shelter when there`s a bed waiting for him at home or peeing as high as he can up a wall? In Why Men Skim Stones, Chris Windle provides an amusing & indispensable insight into why men do the things they do. Here, finally, is a guide that tackles the big questions: why do male friends express their affection by subjecting each other to casual acts of violence? Why is it common for a man to have more of an idea of what he might do in the event of a zombie apocalypse, than what he might buy his mum for Christmas? If you`ve ever been dumbfounded when faced with a man who would rather talk to an inanimate object than read the instruction booklet, this is the book for you. Why Men Skim Stones is a compendium of oddness which, by offering explanations for man`s often bizarre behaviour, seeks to promote tolerance & understanding. This is a book that could save relationships, smooth family life or provide much needed reassurance for any man seeking to better understand his own actions. ...

This is a provocative bestseller that explains why the world is divided into nations with wildly differing levels of prosperity. Why are some nations more prosperous than others? ” Why Nations Fail” sets out to answer this question, with a compelling & elegantly argued new theory: that it is not down to climate, geography or culture, but because of institutions. Drawing on an extraordinary range of contemporary & historical examples, from ancient Rome through the Tudors to modern-day China, leading academics Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson show that to invest & prosper, people need to know that if they work hard, they can make money & actually keep it
- & this means sound institutions that allow virtuous circles of innovation, expansion & peace. Based on fifteen years of research, & answering the competing arguments of authors ranging from Max Weber to Jeffrey Sachs & Jared Diamond, Acemoglu & Robinson step boldly into the territory of Francis Fukuyama & Ian Morris. They blend economics, politics, history & current affairs to provide a new, powerful & persuasive way of understanding wealth & poverty.
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This valuable guide for air travellers contains essential information that can save hundreds of pounds. Learn about tariffs & how much they can vary, mileage premiums, rerouting, refunds, upgrading, reservations, frequent flying programmes, baggage, complaint procedures & much, much more. ...

This is an informative guide to the `hows` & `whys` of recycling. Written in a conversational style, this book offers children an approachable source of information on key subjects such as what materials can & cannot be recycled & why, how to make a compost heap & why it is good to recycle. It is filled with advice & tips on how children can make small changes to make their lives greener, including lending & borrowing each other`s possessions & how to re-use old things. It also

Includes:: a glossary of terms as well as a list of the international recycling symbols & what they mean.

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This guide to more than 2, 500 Texas roadside markers features historical events; famous & infamous Texans; origins of towns, churches, & organizations; battles, skirmishes, & gunfights; & settlers, pioneers, Indians, & outlaws. With the most up-to-date records available, this sixth edition

Includes:: more than 100 new historical roadside markers with the actual inscriptions. Handy & simple to use, it lists alphabetically the hundreds of cities & towns nearest the markers & pinpoints each marker with specific highway & mileage information. With this book, travelers relive the tragedies & triumphs of Lone Star history.

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*A SCOTSMAN TRAVEL BOOK OF THE YEAR* Stranded at Schiphol airport, Ben Coates called up a friendly Dutch girl he`d met some months earlier. He stayed for dinner. Actually, he stayed for good. In the first book to consider the hidden heart & history of the Netherlands from a modern perspective, the author explores the length & breadth of his adopted homeland & discovers why one of the world`s smallest countries is also so significant & so fascinating. It is a self-made country, the Dutch national character shaped by the ongoing battle to keep the water out from the love of dairy & beer to the attitude to nature & the famous tolerance. Ben Coates investigates what makes the Dutch the Dutch, why the Netherlands is much more than Holland & why the colour orange is so important. Along the way he reveals why they are the world`s tallest people & have the best carnival outside Brazil. He learns why Amsterdam`s brothels are going out of business, who really killed Anne Frank, & how the Dutch manage to be richer than almost everyone else despite working far less. He also discovers a country which is changing fast, with the Dutch now questioning many of the liberal policies which made their nation famous. A personal portrait of a fascinating people, a sideways history & an entertaining travelogue, Why the Dutch are Different is the story of an Englishman who went Dutch. & loved it. ...

A hilarious guessing game of facial reactions created by the author of bestselling This Is Not A Book Jean Jullien tickles the funnybone once again with a book of facial overreactions. Faces are presented first, allowing the reader to wager predictions of what may have prompted such an expression, before the dramatic answer is revealed. Why the face? reads the text alongside an agitated boy with eyes & nose scrunched up. Pick up the full-page flap to reveal a whole mess of smelly items, from stinky socks to an oozing trash can, & the text, Whoa, that stinks. Jullien masterfully provides enough clues for the reader to piece together the narrative, including both predictable & surprising scenarios. Based on young children`s natural fascination with faces, this book encourages readers to practice empathy & build emotional intelligence, with cleverly simplified & humorously satisfying vignettes. A brilliant addition to Phaidon`s growing Jean Jullien board book library. Ages 2-4 ...

In the middle of the eighteenth century, British entrepreneurs unleashed the astounding energies of steam & coal & the world changed forever. Factories, railways & gunboats then propelled the West`s rise to power, & computers & nuclear weapons in the twentieth century secured its global supremacy. Today, however, many worry that the emergence of China & India spell the end of the West as a superpower. How long will the power of the West last? In order to find out we need to know: why has the West been so dominant for the past two hundred years? With flair & authority, historian & achaeologist Ian Morris draws uniquely on 15, 000 years of history to offer fresh insights on what the future will bring. Deeply researched & brilliantly argued, Why The West Rules
- For Now is a gripping & truly original history of the world.
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