Natural sciences

The new science of social interaction - and how it can give us healthier, happier, longer lives

From the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, a remarkable journey into the practice of groundbreaking science

'Giorgio Parisi is renowned for his scientific creativity, originality, and power. In this exhilarating little book, he shows his human side, too. By its end, readers will feel they've made a charming, witty new friend' Frank Wilczek

The world is shaped by

Why is five associated with life? How come circles are so sixish? What has eleven got to do with the mile? This little book delves into the secret qualities of quantities and is essential reading for philosophers, mathemagicians, and wizards of all ages. With a detailed page-by-page examination of the numbers from 0 to 12, it also examines gnomons, cosmic numbers, magic squares, and the numerology

Equations are the magical invocations of millions of modern mathemagicians. Have you ever needed one fast? Circles. Triangles. Spaceships. Mechanics. Trigonometry. Statistics. Areas. Liquids. Gases. Fireworks. Calculus. Fields. Dimensions. Matrices. Constants. Circuits. Probabilities. Gears. More.   Mathematician Matthew Watkins and illustrator Matt Tweed have compressed almost every fami

What makes a quark? How many quarks make a proton? How many protons make an oxygen atom? How many oxygen atoms make a carbon dioxide molecule? How many carbon atoms make you? In this accessible pocket book, packed with helpful diagrams and fascinating information, science writer Matt Tweed takes us on a whirlwind tour into the tiny realms, the stuff we are all made of, the building blocks of the m

Human olfaction - the sense of smell - enables us to appreciate food and drink, it warns us of dangers and it makes our environments more enjoyable. However, olfaction is one of our least explored sensory systems. Until now.

A sharp and provocative new essay collection from the award-winning author of Freedom and The CorrectionsIn The End of the End of the Earth, which gathers essays and speeches written mostly in the past five years, Jonathan Franzen returns with renewed vigour to the themes - both human and literary - that have long preoccupied him. Whether exploring his complex relationship with his uncle, recounti

How do you remember more and forget less? How can you earn more and become more creative just by moving house?   And how do you pack a car boot most efficiently? This is your shortcut to the art of the shortcut.

From the codebreakers and problem solvers, to the engineers, mathematicians and other problem-solvers - what the secret world can teach us about performance and creativity

"teeming with fascinating and enlightening insights" Observer

A narrative investigation into the new science of plant intelligence and sentience, from National Association of Science Writers Award winner and Livingston Award finalist Zoe Schlanger.

'BRILLIANTLY CLEAR AND CAPTIVATING PROSE' STEPHEN FRY

A WATERSTONES BOOK OF YEAR 2023

An award-winning mathematician explores the maths behind the games we love and why we love to play them.

Published more than two decades ago to great critical acclaim and commercial success, A Brief History of Time has become a landmark volume in science writing. Stephen Hawking, one of the great minds of our time, explores such profound questions as: How did the universe begin—and what made its start possible? Does time always flow forward? Is the universe unending—or are there bounda

In Other Minds, Peter Godfrey-Smith, a distinguished philosopher of science and a skilled scuba diver, tells a bold new story of how nature became aware of itself - a story that largely occurs in the ocean, where animals first appeared.

'A must-read' New Scientist
'Fascinating' Greta Thunberg
'Enthralling' George Monbiot
'Brilliant' Philip Hoare

A thrilling investigation into the pioneering world of animal communication, where big data and artificial intelligence are changing our relationship with animals forever