Huygens developed the theory of light travelling as a wave, invented the mechanism for the pendulum clock, and discovered the rings of Saturn - via a telescope that he had also invented. His... read more
A literary and psychoanalytical first cousin to the Bombay Laughing Club: a book about laughter and the unconscious, with philosophy, poetry, memoir and the tragi-comedy of clowns thrown in ... read more
The wires are owned by individuals, corporations and states: an invention once hailed as a democratising force has concentrated power in places it already existed.
The discovery of the elements presented chronologically, with images drawn from a range of sources including alchemical documents, colour charts, advertisements, Theodore Gray's illustration... read more
The author is a medical doctor and a poet: this book is both a meditation on art and life and a collection of snippets about the history of medicine. Written over twenty years, it moves effo... read more
SB-C argues that the secrets of humanity's cognitive development - from the invention of agriculture to musical instruments - can be found in the genes for autism.
Despite its title, this is not a self-help book but rather a beautiful exploration of a condition that is at the heart of human life - solitude. The book is a memoir of time spent in social ... read more
A grand tour of the 'big five' wipe-outs in history, with names such as 'the Carnian Pluvial Event' and 'the Great Dying'. These are tough days at the office of nomenclature.
Beautifully designed and illustrated, large format. Informative and somewhat interactive; enlivens the imagination. The planets, asteroids, comets... For ages 8-11.
A biography of the Hungarian scientist who created the first ever programmable digital computer, and whose colleagues thought his brain was too inexplicably powerful to be entirely human.
Erudition and curiosity impel this vivid, detailed portrait by the world's foremost expert on Linnaeus: this biography won several prizes when it was first published in Sweden in 2019.
A perfect antidote to toxic positivity – a touching, deeply felt and beautifully written look at the human condition, by the author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't ... read more