McLeods Booksellers

The Book of Humans - The Story of How We Became Us by Adam Rutherford

$34.99 NZD

Category: Science

'Charming, compelling and packed with information. I learned more about biology from this short book than I did from years of science lessons. A weird and wonderful read' PETER FRANKOPAN We like to think of ourselves as exceptional beings, but is there really anything special about us that sets us apar t from other animals? Humans are the slightest of twigs on a single family tree that encompasses four billion years, a lot of twists and turns, and a billion species. All of those organisms are rooted in a single origin, with a common code that underwrites our existence. This paradox - that our biology is indistinct from all life, yet we consider ourselves to be special - lies at the heart of who we are. In this original and entertaining tour of life on Earth, Adam Rutherford explores how many of the things once considered to be exclusively human are not: we are not the only species that communicates, makes tools, utilises fire, or has sex for reasons other than to make new versions of ourselves. Evolution has, however, allowed us to develop our culture to a level of complexity that outstrips any other observed in nature. THE BOOK OF HUMANS tells the story of how we became the creatures we are today, bestowed with the unique ability to investigate what makes us who we are. Illuminated by the latest scientific discoveries, it is a thrilling compendium of what unequivocally fixes us as animals, and reveals how we are extraordinary among them. With illustrations by Alice Roberts ...Show more

21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari

$38.00 NZD

Category: Science

The Number One Bestseller Sapiens showed us where we came from. Homo Deus looked to the future. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century explores the present. How can we protect ourselves from nuclear war, ecological cataclysms and technological disruptions? What can we do about the epidemic of fake news or the threat of terrorism? What should we teach our children? Yuval Noah Harari takes us on a thrilling journey through today?s most urgent issues. The golden thread running through his exhilarating new book is the challenge of maintaining our collective and individual focus in the face of constant and disorienting change. Are we still capable of understanding the world we have created? ...Show more

Astronomy: A Visual Guide by Ian Ridpath; Dorling Kindersley Travel Staff

$48.00 NZD

Category: Science

Take a tour of the Universe, from the 150km impact craters on the Moon to Jupiter's Great Red Spot - a 643kmph swirling storm that started in the 1600s. This stunningly illustrated slipcase is lavishly designed to cover every aspect of astronomy. Learn about the history of discoveries in the field, fro m the earliest human civilizations to the present day. Discover more about astronomical phenomena, from the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy, and what happens when a star runs out of energy, to theories about the fate of the Universe - including the Big Crunch and the Big Rip, and take a visual tour of the Solar System, complete with the very latest photographs of the planets. A definitive month-by-month guide to the night sky, with profiles of all 88 constellations, over 100 star charts, and an Almanac of astronomical events over the next decade, will help you to navigate your way around the night sky, and locate stars, galaxies, and other objects. Featuring no-nonsense advice on how to observe the skies using the naked eye, binoculars, and telescopes, Astronomyis the perfect guide for keen amateur astronomers, as well as a great reference book for the whole family. ...Show more

50 Must-See Wonders of the Night Sky by Bob King

$37.99 NZD

Category: Science

Take your night watching to the next level with Bob King's bucket list collection of 57 remarkable night sky wonders and dark sky destinations. Fill your nights with adventure and the ability to see some of the incredible phenomenon of the sky with this must-have book. Learn all about the brightest and best stars, planets, meteors, comets and constellations using the naked eye, binoculars, telescopes and apps. Each curiosity is complete with sight-seeing activities to help you see the deep-sky marvels, whether it's as simple as using your hands as a guide or tracking night sky conditions on an app; Bob is your guide to make sure you're able to find each and every phenomenon. Complete with practical background information, technological resources, equipment guides, astro travel suggestions and a comprehensive checklist to keep track of what you've seen, this is the ultimate resource for any sky watcher. Book jacket. ...Show more

All the Ghosts in the Machine: How the Digital Age Is Transforming Death in the 21st Century by Elaine Kasket

$37.99 NZD

Category: Science

'As charming and touching as it is astute and insightful' Adam Alter, New York Times bestselling author of Irresistable and Drunk Tank Pink Seen any ghosts on your smartphone lately? As we're compelled to capture, store and share more and more of our personal information, there's something we often fo rget. All that data doesn't just disappear when our physical bodies shuffle off this mortal coil. If the concept of remaining socially active after you're no longer breathing sounds crazy, you might want to get used to the idea. Digital afterlives are a natural consequence of the information age, a reality that barely anyone has prepared for - and that 'anyone' probably includes you. In All the Ghosts in the Machine, psychologist Elaine Kasket sounds a clarion call to everyone who's never thought about death in the digital age. When someone's hyperconnected, hyperpersonal digital footprint is transformed into their lasting legacy, she asks, who is helped, who is hurt, and who's in charge? And why is now such a critical moment to take our heads out of the sand? Weaving together personal, moving true stories and scientific research, All the Ghosts in the Machine takes you on a fascinating tour through the valley of the shadow of digital death. In the process, it will transform how you think about your life and your legacy, in a time when our technologies are tantalising us with fantasies of immortality. ...Show more

Everything in Its Place: First Loves and Last Tales by Oliver Sacks

$39.99 NZD

Category: Science | Reading Level: 4 Non Fiction

From the bestselling author of Gratitude and On the Move, a final volume of essays that showcase Sacks's broad range of interests - from his passion for ferns, swimming, and horsetails, to his final case histories exploring schizophrenia, dementia, and Alzheimer's. Oliver Sacks, scientist and storytelle r, is beloved by readers for his neurological case histories and his fascination and familiarity with human behavior at its most unexpected and unfamiliar. Everything in Its Place is a celebration of Sacks's myriad interests. ...Show more

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: The Untold Story of a Lost World by Steve Brusatte

$24.99 NZD

Category: Science | Reading Level: 4 Science

66 million years ago the dinosaurs were wiped from the face of the earth. Today a new generation of dinosaur hunters, armed with cutting edge technology, is piecing together the complete story of how the dinosaurs created a hugely successful empire that lasted for around 150 million years.In this hugely ambitious and engrossing story of how dinosaurs rose to dominate the planet, using the fossil clues that have been gathered using state of the art technology, Steve Brusatte, one of the world's leading paleontologists, follows these magnificent creatures from the Early Triassic period at the start of their evolution, through the Jurassic period to their final days in the Cretaceous' and the legacy that they left behind.Along the way, Brusatte introduces us to the cast of new dinosaur hunters and gives an insight into what it's like to be a paleontologist whose job it is to hunt for dinosaurs. He offers thrilling accounts of some of the remarkable discoveries he has made, including primitive human-sized tyrannosaurs, monstrous carnivores even larger than T. rex, and feathered raptor dinosaurs preserved in lava from China.At a time when Homo sapiens has existed for less than 200,000 years and we are already talking about planetary extinction, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is a timely reminder of what humans can learn from the magnificent creatures who ruled the earth before us. ...Show more

Hacking the Code of Life by Nessa Carey

$32.99 NZD

Category: Science

Just 45 years ago, the age of gene modification was born. Researchers could create glow-in-the-dark mice, farmyard animals producing drugs in their milk, and vitamin-enhanced rice that could prevent half a million people going blind every year. But now GM is rapidly being supplanted by a new system cal led CRISPR or 'gene editing'. Using this approach, scientists can manipulate the genes of almost any organism with a degree of precision, ease and speed that we could only dream of ten years ago. But is it ethical to change the genetic material of organisms in a way that might be passed on to future generations? If a person is suffering from a lethal genetic disease, is it even more unethical to deny them this option? Who controls the application of this technology, when it makes 'biohacking' - perhaps of one's own genome - a real possibility? Nessa Carey's book is a thrilling and timely snapshot of a technology that will radically alter our futures. ...Show more

How to Be Human - The Ultimate Guide to Your Amazing Existence by New Scientist Staff

$39.99 NZD

Category: Science

If you thought you knew who you were, THINK AGAIN. Did you know that half your DNA isn't human? That somebody, somewhere has exactly the same face? Or that most of your memories are fiction? What about the fact that you are as hairy as a chimpanzee, various parts of your body don't belong to you, or t hat you can read other people's minds? Do you really know why you blush, yawn and cry? Why 90 per cent of laughter has nothing to do with humour? Or what will happen to your mind after you die? You belong to a unique, fascinating and often misunderstood species. How to be Human is your guide to making the most of it. ...Show more

When the Rivers Run Dry - The Global Water Crisis and How to Solve It by Fred Pearce

$27.99 NZD

Category: Science

Making Evil - The Science Behind Humanity's Dark Side by Julia Shaw

$32.99 NZD

Category: Science

How to understand the deviance that lies in ourselves and others - an original and rigorous exploration of the darkest recesses of the human mind.

The Making of You - A Scientific Journey by Katharina Vestre

$27.99 NZD

Category: Science

The Making of You is the inside story of one of nature's greatest marvels: the creation of a new human, from first cell to first breath. This is pop science, not a parenting manual, and it almost certainly contains things you didn't know on almost every page. Did you know that sperm have a sense of smel l? That your body has three goes at making kidneys before it gets it right? That the groove on your lip is a seam where the sheets of skin that form your face fused together? This short book is written in language so simple an intelligent child could read it, but it crams a lot of science into a very small space. It's not only a wonder-inducing account of our own individual origins; it also finds time to tell the story of how we discovered how pregnancy works, from Aristotle's experiments on chicken eggs to molecular biology. And it brings you to the cutting edge of research. No matter who you are, your life is an amazing achievement. Join Katharina Vestre to discover how far you've come. ...Show more