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List Price: £8.99
Our Price: £3.82
Author:
Paul J. Steinhardt, Neil Turok
By Phoenix
 Fascinating, 2007-12-31
Anyone interested in cosmology (the large-scale structure of space and time - including the question about the beginning of time) should read this book. It describes, in a very interesting way, a cyclic universe alternative to the prevailing cosmological orthodoxy of the Big Bang being followed by a period of Inflation (in which space is stretched incredibly huge in the merest instant of time).
The cyclic universe model also has a Big Bang, but dispenses with the need for Inflation. In fact the model has a whole series of Big Bangs. This may sound like rather ancient metaphysics, but the authors review how it is a plausible consequence of very contemporary mathematics known as M-theory, which involves multi-dimensional [mem]branes.
There's no mathematics in the book, but there's plenty of pictures, so it's accessible to lay readers. What's really intriguing is that the idea may have observational consequences. The book has value in highlighting some significant issues with Inflation, and in giving fascinating accounts of the development of cosmological theories
List Price: £11.44
Our Price: £8.68
Author:
Tom Bradbury
By A & C Black Publishers Ltd
 Comprehensive and detailed guide to weather, 2001-02-12
This book offers excellent indepth descriptions and explanations of weather systems that are relevant to all pilots. A large number of aspects of weather are covered, from small scale cumulus formation to the interactions of entire weather patterns. As a glider pilot, this book has given my a good understanding of how to analyse weather forecasts accurately, and has proved to be extremely useful.Some of the book is slow going to read, especially when it starts getting too technical, but if you are interested in aviation then a large portion of this book will be relevant to your flying.
List Price: £35.00
Our Price: £31.50
Author:
David Evans, Douglas Benn
By Hodder Arnold
An excellent book and great value, 2001-03-13
'Glaciers and Glaciation' was just what the market needed. Benn and Evans have obviously pulled the stops out to produce a detailed and up to date review of the state of the discipline, and very successfully. The book is not only well written, but well presented, with diagrams and pictures being clear and easy to follow (which is essential in the book of this nature). It is the first point of reference for me on glacial matters. The layout is logical and the index useful and accurate. Given all of the above, it would be fair to expect a substantial (library only) price tag, but no, it has a student-friendly price. Outstanding!
List Price: £20.00
Our Price: £16.00
Author:
John Long
By OUP USA
 From Dinosaurs to Birds - A Bunch of Intermediates, 2008-10-31
It is quite an opulent edition. Big book format, good quality paper and an abundance of colorful dinosaur illustrations. But on close inspection, some irritating flaws emerge.
First of all there is the "generalist" part of the book, laying the foundation for the species profiles. It discusses various carnivorous dinosaur families and how these seem to lead, by careful evolutionary steps, to the first birds. The text is interesting but the "dinosaurs-birds" connection comes through somewhat weakly. The arguments are there all right, but I have read much stronger propositions on the subject, "Dino-Birds" and "Glorified Dinosaurs" for instance. And there is virtually nothing on the most crucial question of the origin of flight
Then we come to the main part of the book, the profiles themselves. Well, there is a very good representation from all relevant dinosaur and bird families, with many obscure and / or recently discovered species, mainly form the current paleontologist's paradise, the Liaoning Province in China. The emphasis, of course, is on the feathered dinosaur species, but it seems to me that the author and artist take the opportunity to put feathers in as many reptiles as possible, even on scant paleontological evidence. Perhaps they thought this way it would be easier for the general public to understand the continuum between the two animal groups, but poetic and artistic license may go just a bit too far. Finally, the artist's comments on why he chose animal postures and colors were a nice documentation touch, but his arguments are not always convincing and the images themselves sometimes verge, to my opinion, on the kitsch.
Overall it is a good try on the subject, one of the most controversial in modern paleontology, but it could have done with less flamboyance and more quality and substance.
List Price: £21.99
Our Price: £17.79
Author:
Scott Davis
By Pragmatic Bookshelf
Does what it says on the cover, 2008-03-27
I've been using this book to help me learn about open-source GIS for an MSc GIS course, and it's great. You don't need any formal background in GIS, however, as the book gives you all you need to know to get started, and it's bang up to date. It covers the whole open-source "geo-stack" pretty well, with detailed instructions and examples on how to install and use the various free software components, as well as masses of links to sources of further information and, most importantly, to sources of free geo-data you can use when building your maps, from aerial and satellite imagery to US census data. The author's style can be a little annoying at times, but he does an excellent job of helping you to get to grips with the wonderful world of open source web mapping. If you feel like moving beyond Google Maps into the world of open-source "neo-geography", this is definitely the book for you.
List Price: £12.99
Our Price: £6.14
Author:
Alan Watts
By Adlard Coles Nautical
Excellent Primer, 2008-10-31
I found this to be an excellent introduction to weather systems; absolutely no maths and lots of diagrams. It contains all the basics for pressure systems and fronts and introduces the importance of the upper atmosphere. It needs to be read more than once and if you are an absolute beginner then the book Instant Weather Forecasting provides a quick summary (and lots more really useful information about clouds).
The book provides a good grounding, enough to be able to move on to "Skew-T" and "Thickness" as found on the netweather.tv site.
List Price: £22.99
Our Price: £17.30
Author:
Andrew E. Dessler, Edward A. Parson
By Cambridge University Press
A must-buy for those interested in climate change, 2006-08-17
This is an excellent way into the subject for the beginner. There's some very sound science, most of which is agreed upon and a good understanding of how policy making works, or doesn't. The two ideas are brought together along with a discussion as to how we might proceed. One of the strengths of the book is the frequent use of boxes to put alternative viewpoints and summaries to show where we are in the debate. The overall effect is one of the most lucid and readable introductory accounts of the topic that has been published in some while. As such it should be seen as a 'must-buy' and an essential addition to the library.
List Price: £29.99
Our Price: £22.95
Author:
William James Burroughs
By Cambridge University Press
At last! A thorough introduction to climate change, 2003-06-21
I have just finished reading this excellent introduction to the science underpinning the current debate about climate change. Its subtitle, A Multidisciplinary Approach, describes it perfectly. It begins with the science of meteorology, then works through the insights of geology and paleoclimatology to help the reader understand the complexities of natural variability in the distant and more recent past. It takes the reader carefully through the basic science and then guides her through the necessary statistics to equip her with the tools to read and assess the growing body of scientific and popular literature on this most important topic. It explains the way the global climate models are created and carefully explores their limitations and potential. Then, and only then, does it look at possible human influences on the climate. I found it such a relief compared to the majority of books on this subject which seem to treat the natural variability of our climate as an afterthought. Burrough's final chapter brings it all together with a balanced assessment of the arguments underpinning the claim for 'a discernible human influence on the climate' and makes his own cautious recommendations about ways forward. I have read many popular books, IPCC reports and scientific papers. But not for some time and I need to get up-to-date, so I decided to buy this one to brush up on the science, before reading the latest reports. It was demanding, but rewarding work. I am not a scientist and I often find it difficult to evaluate the material I am reading. Understanding and evaluating the science will still be difficult, but I feel much better equipped now that I have read this excellent book. I recommend it highly.
List Price: £37.50
Our Price: £29.98
Author:
Michael J. Benton
By WileyBlackwell
From Pikaia to Hominids - A Brief History of Us All, 2000-10-08
Michael Benton, a professor at the University of Bristol, is one of the worlds most eminant Vertebrate Paleontologists. His strength lies in his ability to powerfully convey complex geology, biology and palaeoevolution to his audience : be they children, interested amateurs or his university students. Vertebrate Palaeontology is no different.As vertebrates ourselves, we all have an interest in this book - Bentons very structured writing and editorial style allows the reader to follow his own family tree back from the present to the Pre-Cambrian. Vertebrate Paleontology is a vast subject to cover - Michaels book simply outlines the key time markers, the key subjects and the key organisms along the route from Pikaia of the Burgess Shales to modern Hominids. The references, as always, are ubiquitous for those dedicated readers. An excellent book.
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