Trilobite: Eyewitness to Evolution by R.A. Fortey

$19.99 NZD

$25.00 (20% off)

Category: Science | Reading Level: very good

This is is a trilobito-centric view of the world, unravelling the history of the crustacean-like animals which dominated the seas for three hundred million years. These arthropods witnessed continents move, mountain chains elevated and eroded; they survived ice ages and volcanic eruptions, evolving and adapting to their environment. They watched through their crystal eyes whilst life evolved. Their own evolution calibrated geological time itself. ...Show more

Degrees of Freedom (Book 3) by Simon Morden

$27.99 NZD

Category: Science | Series: Metrozone

The Six Degrees of Samuel Petrovitch: * Michael is an AI of incalculable complexity trapped under the remains of Oshicora Tower. Petrovitch will free him one day; he just has to trust Michael will still be sane by the time he does. * Maddy and Petrovitch have trust issues. But Petrovitch is pretty sur e she loves him. * Sonja Oshicora loves Petrovitch too. But she's playing a complicated game and it's not clear that she means to save him from what's coming. * The CIA wants to save the world. Well, just America, but they'll call it what they like. * The New Machine Jihad is calling. But Petrovitch killed it. Didn't he? * And the Armageddonists tried to kill pretty much everyone by blowing the world up. Now, they want to do it again. Once again, all roads lead back to Petrovitch. Everyone wants something from him, but all he wants is to be free ... ...Show more

Measuring the Immeasurable by Daniel Goleman

$45.00 NZD

Category: Science

50 Years of DNA by Julie Clayton

$86.99 NZD

Category: Science

Crick and Watson's discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953 marked one of the great turning points in the history of science. Biology, immunology, medicine and genetics have all been radically transformed in the succeeding half century, and the double helix has become an icon of our times. This explora tion of a scientific phenomenon provides a lucid account of the background and context for the discovery, its significance and afterlife, while a series of essays by leading scientists, historians and commentators offer individual perspectives on DNA and its impact on modern science and society.About the author:JULIE CLAYTON has a PhD in cancer research and immunology, and did four years' postdoctoral research in Los Angeles and London before embarking on a career as a freelance science writer. She has worked as an assistant producer for the BBC on television documentaries and reports for Horizon and Tomorrow's World, on the medical biography series Pioneers and on natural history films, and has published widely with Nature, New Scientists and many other scientific journals and websites. - CARINA DENNIS in now a freelance science writer based in Australia, having previously worked in Washington DC as Senior Editor at Nature responsible for genetics and genomics, and in New York City at Nature Genetics. She has a D Phil from the University of Oxford and is co-editor with Richard Gallagher of The Human Genome, published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2001. ...Show more

Algebra for Dummies by Mary Jane Sterling

$29.99 NZD

$45.00 (33% off)

Category: Science

One of the most commonly asked questions in a mathematics classroom is, "Will I ever use this stuff in real life?" Some teachers can give a good, convincing answer; others hem and haw and stare at the floor. The real response to the question should be, "Yes, you will, because algebra gives you power" -- the power to help your children with their math homework, the power to manage your finances, the power to be successful in your career (especially if you have to manage the company budget). The list goes on. Algebra is a system of mathematical symbols and rules that are universally understood, no matter what the spoken language. Algebra provides a clear, methodical process that can be followed from beginning to end to solve complex problems. There's no doubt that algebra can be easy to some while extremely challenging to others. For those of you who are challenged by working with numbers, Algebra For Dummies can provide the help you need. This easy-to-understand reference not only explains algebra in terms you can understand, but it also gives you the necessary tools to solve complex problems. ...Show more

Virolution by Frank Ryan

$29.99 NZD

Category: Science

The extraordinary role of viruses in evolution and how this is revolutionising biology and medicine. Darwin's theory of evolution is still the greatest breakthrough in biological science. His explanation of the role of natural selection in driving the evolution of life on earth depended on steady varia tion of living things over time -- but he was unable to explain how this variation occurred. In the 150 years since publication of the Origin of Species, we have discovered three main sources for this variation -- mutation, hybridisation and epigenetics. Then on Sunday, 12th February, 2001 the evidence for perhaps the most extraordinary cause of variation was simultaneously released by two organisations -- the code for the entire human genome. Not only was the human genome unbelievably simple (it is only ten times more complicated than a bacteria), but embedded in the code were large fragments that were derived from viruses -- fragments that were vital to evolution of all organisms and the evidence for a fourth and vital source of variation -- viruses. Virolution is the product of Dr Frank Ryan's decade of research at the frontiers of this new science -- now called viral symbiosis -- and the amazing revolution that it has had in these few years. As scientists begin to look for evidence of viral involvement in more and more processes, they have discovered that they are vital in nearly every case. And with this understanding comes the possibility of manipulating the role of the viruses to help fight a huge range of diseases. ...Show more

Why are Orangutans Orange? : Science Puzzles in Pictures - with Fascinating Answers by New Scientist

$24.99 NZD

Category: Science

Illustrated for the first time, with eighty full-colour photographs showing the beauty, complexity and mystery of the world around us, here is the next eagerly awaited volume of science questions and answers from "New Scientist" magazine. From ripples in glass to 'holograms' in ice, the natural world's wonders are unravelled by the magazine's knowledgeable readers. Six years on from Does Anything Eat Wasps? (2005), "The New Scientist series" still rides high in the bestseller lists, with well over two million copies sold. Popular science has never been more absorbing or more enjoyable. Like Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze? (2006), Do Polar Bears Get Lonely? (2008) and Why Can't Elephants Jump? (2010), this latest collection of resourceful, wry and well-informed answers to a remarkable range of baffling science questions is guaranteed to impress and delight. ...Show more

Extreme Cosmos by Bryan Gaensler

$39.95 NZD

Category: Science

The universe is all about extremes. Space has a temperature 270C below freezing. Stars die in catastrophic supernova explosions a billion times brighter than the Sun. A black hole can generate 10 million trillion volts of electricity. And hypergiants are stars 2 billion kilometres across, larger than th e orbit of Jupiter. Extreme Cosmos provides a stunning new view of the way the Universe works, seen through the lens of extremes: the fastest, hottest, heaviest, brightest, oldest, densest and even the loudest. This is an astronomy book that not only offers amazing facts and figures but also reveals the remarkable richness of the universe and the incredible physics that modern astronomy has unveiled. ...Show more

Evolution: The Human Story by Dr. Alice Roberts

$60.00 NZD

Category: Science | Reading Level: 6-12

Come face to face with our ancestors Travel back 8 million years with "Evolution: The Human Story" and go on a fascinating journey to discover how our species has developed from tree-dwelling primates to modern humans. This is the first time that the story of evolution has been documented in such amazin g visual detail thanks to the work of renowned Dutch paleoartists, Kennis and Kennis. Staggeringly realistic CGI and model reconstructions from original fossils bring us face to face with our ancestors portraying them as never before. Plus, Dr Alice Roberts shares her extensive knowledge helping answer all the big questions and more. "Evolution: The Human Story" is packed with all the latest discoveries and profiles every human ancestor to date from Ardipithecus ramidus to Homo neanderthalensis. It is an essential read for anyone fascinated in finding out where we come from. ...Show more

The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True by Richard Dawkins; Dave McKean (Illustrator)

$55.00 NZD

Category: Science | Reading Level: very good

Richard Dawkins, the world's most famous evolutionary biologist, presents a gorgeously lucid, science book examining some of the nature's most fundamental questions both from a mythical and scientific perspective. Science is our most precise and powerful tool for making sense of the world. Before we dev eloped the scientific method, we created rich mythologies to explain the unknown. The pressing questions that primitive men and women asked are the same ones we ask as children. Who was the first person? What is the sun? Why is there night and day? The myths that address these questions are beautiful, but in every case their beauty is exceeded by the scientific truth. With characteristic clarity and verve, Dawkins answers these big questions. Looking first at some of the myths that arose to answer the question, he then, dazzles us with the facts. He looks at the building blocks of matter, the first humans, the sun--explaining the life and death of stars; why there's a night and a day--ranging from our solar system to the inner workings of our planet; what a rainbow really is--going from the rainbow in your backyard to the age of the universe; and finally, he poses a question that still baffles scientists: When did everything begin? ...Show more

The Lab Rat Chronicles : A Neuroscientist Reveals Life Lessons from the Planet's Most Successful Mammals by Kelly Lambert

$26.00 NZD

Category: Science

Behavioral neuroscientist Lambert takes readers on a surprising and engaging guided tour into the sophisticated mental, emotional, and behavioral worlds of these frequently maligned and often misunderstood little creatures.