Science Reviews
You'll find reviews here covering the topic of science, with an emphasis on popular science.
Science Books
Released 2023
An examination of the impact the dyes, preservatives, surface treatments and other chemicals in our clothes have on our health and on the environment, and what we can do about it.
3rd August 2023
Released 2019
In this book of popular science and maths, the author explores the answers to absurd questions about practical problems in the real world.
8th October 2021
Released 2016
Big Data has infiltrated many aspects of our daily lives. But the algorithms that determine our schooling, jobs, insurance, finances, and more may not be as fair or useful as we believe.
9th May 2018
Released 2016
The story of what our genetics can tell us abour ourselves and where we came from, and the limitations of this modern science at the time of writing.
22nd July 2023
Released 2016
The food on your plate may not be what it seems to be. Larry Olmsted examines food fraud and deception, providing a guide that will help you to eat more food that is genuinely healthy and tasty.
21st November 2019
Released 2014
An exploration of how the move to industrialised farming has affected animal welfare, human health, and the environment. Taking a global perspective, this book pulls no punches in its critique of intensive factory farming.
5th April 2016
Released 2014
Alice Roberts looks at the amazing journey of human development and why our bodies have evolved in the way they have.
2nd July 2017
Released 2014
The modern world can bombard us with information, making it exhausting to try to keep organised. Daniel Levitin examines the neuroscience behind keeping order and remembering what we need to.
28th September 2016
Released 2014
We are in the middle of a mass extinction event, caused by the actions of mankind. This book tells the story so far, and examines how we are changing the biosphere.
12th May 2014
Released 2013
This book explores the science of sleep and offers tips on becoming a super sleeper.
31st January 2016
Released 2012
An exploration of the psychology of action and its effects on our mood, mindset, and habits.
2nd April 2016
Released 2012
An examination of how data in clinical trials is polluted and the factors corrupting modern medicine.
12th October 2013
Released 2012
This book explores the science of self-control, and examines the evidence for many methods for boosting willpower.
8th May 2016
Released 2011
An eclectic account of the history of communications.
18th June 2012
Released 2011
Will rising population and temperatures and thawing permafrost lead to a future dominated by bustling northern cities?
12th April 2011
Released 2011
A look at the world of viruses, and the struggle to detect, track, and prevent viral pandemics.
25th April 2018
Released 2010
This book explores the things magicians can teach neuroscientists about the way our minds work.
14th March 2011
Released 2009
Professor Richard Wiseman discusses the science around self-help and presents lifestyle advice based on scientific studies.
20th December 2015
Released 2008
How the discovery of the astonishing quantum world threw physicists into turmoil.
31st August 2011
Released 2007
Plants are often overlooked when it comes to the story of evolution. David Beerling sets this right in this account of how they have affected the history of our planet.
7th March 2011
Released 2005
How bacterial toxins break down our defences so effectively, and the stories of people who have struggled to understand them.
13th September 2010
Released 2018
The Marine Conservation Society shares advice on how to prevent the scourge of plastic pollution in our oceans with this guide to daily living.
3rd January 2019
Released 2017
An examination of the species that are benefitting from rapid environmental changes brought about by mankind, and how they are doing so.
27th January 2018
Released 2017
Helen Czerski takes a look at how physics affects everything we do, whether it is making a cup of tea or powering our lives.
13th October 2019
Released 2015
Stress is commonly thought of as an entirely negative condition that makes us sick. Kelly McGonigal reveals the evidence that challenges that view, and explains how to use stress to improve our lives.
7th June 2018
Released 2015
A detailed look at how the Arctic is changing and is likely to continue changing in response to politics, climate change, animal movements, and other ecological challenges.
2nd June 2019
Released 2014
If humanity suffered an apocalypse, what would it take to rebuild civilisation from its ashes?
4th July 2014
Released 2013
Annalee Newitz takes a close look at mass extinctions, and how humans might be able to survive the next apocalypse.
28th March 2018
Released 2012
The neurologist Oliver Sacks examines the varied reasons why people may sense things that aren't there.
11th March 2013
Released 2012
The Neandertals were an evolutionary offshoot that died out. But what did they have in common with us, and what were they really like?
15th April 2013
Released 2011
The science behind seeing ghosts, believing psychics, and how brainwashing works.
3rd May 2011
Released 2011
DNA is not the whole story. This book examines how cells know which genes to activate and what that tells us about disease, inheritance and biology.
1st May 2012
Released 2011
A look at some of the stranger experiments carried out in the name of science.
20th February 2012
Released 2011
This book examines the science behind flying, from check in at the airport to touch down.
5th September 2011
Released 2010
A look at what evolution can tell us about the science of friendship, culture, morality and various other curiosities.
8th February 2012
Released 2008
Ben Goldacre blows open the world of scams, quacks, and the misreporting and misunderstanding of science.
24th September 2010
Released 2007
A collection of essays on the cosmos that spans the birth and death of the universe and much of the excitement in between.
4th April 2011
Released 2006
After Dolly the sheep made headlines the scientist behind her creation discusses the implications of her birth.
1st August 2011
Released 2006
A look at how scientific truths are under attack from pressure groups, corporations, and other interested parties.
22nd July 2011
Released 2005
An analysis of how well the west is prepared to cope with new and deadly infectious diseases.
2nd March 2011
Unreviewed books
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanAn investigation into how we make decisions, and many of the psychological reasons that our clarity of thought can be improved or degraded. This book looks at the science behind thinking.
This Changes Everything by Naomi KleinA study of the effects of climate change on the political and natural environment, and the forces opposing attempts to reduce carbon emissions.
Salt Sugar Fat: How The Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael MossAn examination of the methods processed food manufacturers use to sell more food, and the effect on public health.
The Signal And The Noise by Nate SilverA deep look into how prediction affects all of our decisions, and the factors that can affect its reliability.
The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-WellsA look at the impacts of climate change, now and in the future, on many systems and habitats on the planet, and the political inaction that makes it more damaging.
Healthy Gut, Healthy You by Michael RuscioAn exploration of the role of the gut and its microbes in a range of health conditions, and the effect of dietary changes on these. Each chapter incudes extensive references to research.
The Vital Question: Why Is Life The Way It Is? by Nick LaneAn exploration of the origins of life at a cellular level, which looks at why complex life on Earth has many common features.
Junk DNA by Junk DNAThis book explores the role of the parts of our genetic code that do not code for proteins, and the story of what happens when they go wrong.
Standard Deviations by Gary SmithThis book looks at how statistical data can be used to fool people, and how to tell when such information is useful.
Quirkology by Richard WisemanThe science of random, quirky things, focusing on behavioural science.
Power, Sex, Suicide by Nick LaneMitochondria, the power generators of our cells, have a profound impact on the reasons sex and death are as they are. This book looks at the role of mitochondria and why they are fundamental to the energy, reproduction, and longevity of complex life.
The Luck Factor by Richard WisemanThis book takes a scientific look at the factors that differentiate lucky people from unlucky ones, and examines what people can do to change their luck.
Stiff by Mary RoachAn examination of what happens to human bodies after we die.
The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial Of Human Nature by Steven PinkerAn analysis of the nature versus nurture debate.
