Chasing the Sun: The Epic Story of the Star That Gives Us Life - SIGNED by Richard Cohen

$35.00 AUD

$45.00 (22% off)

Category: SECONDHAND BOOKS

The Sun is so powerful, so much bigger than us, that it is a terrifying subject. Yet though we depend on it, we take it for granted. Amazingly the first book of its kind, CHASING THE SUN is a cultural and scientific history of our relationship with the star that gives us life. Richard Cohen, applying th e same mix of wide-ranging reference and intimate detail that won outstanding reviews for By the Sword, travels from the ancient Greek astronomers to modern-day solar scientists, from Stonehenge to Antarctica (site of the solar eclipse of 2003, when penguins were said to sing), Mexico's Aztecs to the Norwegian city of Tromso, where for two months of the year there is no Sun at all. He introduces us to the crucial 'sunspot cycle' in modern economics, the religious dances of Indian tribesmen, the histories of sundials and calendars, the plight of migrating birds, the latest theories of global warming, and Galileo recording his discoveries in code, for fear of persecution. And throughout, there is the rich Sun literature -- from the writings of Homer through Dante and Nietzsche to Keats, Shelley and beyond. Blindingly impressive and hugely readable, this is a tour de force of narrative non-fiction. ...Show more

Heaven and Earth: Global Warming -The Missing Science by Ian Plimer

$12.00 AUD

$39.95 (69% off)

Category: SECONDHAND BOOKS | Reading Level: very good

Climate, sea level, and ice sheets have always changed, and the changes observed today are less than those of the past. Climate changes are cyclical and are driven by the Earth's position in the galaxy, the sun, wobbles in the Earth's orbit, ocean currents, and plate tectonics. In previous times, atmosp heric carbon dioxide was far higher than at present but did not drive climate change. No runaway greenhouse effect or acid oceans occurred during times of excessively high carbon dioxide. During past glaciations, carbon dioxide was higher than it is today. The non-scientific popular political view is that humans change climate. Do we have reason for concern about possible human-induced climate change? This book's 504 pages and over 2,300 references to peer-reviewed scientific literature and other authoritative sources engagingly synthesize what we know about the sun, earth, ice, water, and air. Importantly, in a parallel to his 1994 book challenging creation science, Telling Lies for God, Ian Plimer describes Al Gore's book and movie An Inconvenient Truth as long on scientific misrepresentations.Trying to deal with these misrepresentations is somewhat like trying to argue with creationists, he writes, who misquote, concoct evidence, quote out of context, ignore contrary evidence, and create evidence ex nihilo. ...Show more

The Invisible History of the Human Race : How DNA and History Shape Our Identities and Our Futures by Christine Kenneally

$15.00 AUD

$29.00 (48% off)

Category: SECONDHAND BOOKS

We are doomed to repeat history if we fail to learn from it, but how are we affected by the forces that are invisible to us? In The Invisible History of the Human Race, Christine Kenneally draws on cutting-edge research to reveal how both historical artifacts and DNA tell us where we come from and where we may be going.While some books explore our genetic inheritance and some popular television shows celebrate ancestry, this is the first book to explore how everything from DNA to emotions to names and the stories that form our lives are all part of our human legacy. Kenneally shows how trust is inherited in Africa, how silence is passed down in Tasmania, and how the history of nations is written in our DNA. From fateful ancient encounters to modern mass migrations and medical diagnoses, Kenneally explains how the forces that shaped the history of the world ultimately shape each human who inhabits it. ...Show more

The Body Book

$25.00 AUD

$39.95 (37% off)

Category: SECONDHAND BOOKS

Gem Magic - Precious Stones and Their Mystical Qualities by Raymond Walters

$24.99 AUD

Category: SCIENCE

Gem Magic guides the reader through the uses of and stories surrounding a cornucopia of stones, including how each stone is formed and what beliefs (both occult and scientific) have been associated with it. Precious stones, gems and crystals have been valued throughout history not only for their rarity and expense, but for their mystical properties too. Garnet is rumoured to stimulate the heart, while the pearl offers the protection of the goddess Diana - coral, so-called 'witch-stone', is said to guard against the evil eye, and amethyst is said to prevent drunkenness. Introducing the inherent properties of dazzling selection of gems, gemologist Raymond Walters describes how each stone is formed and its key properties, what beliefs have been associated with them through history and around the world, and both their scientific and occult uses. Famous stones, both real and mythical, are lyrically described - from the infamous Koh-i-Noor diamond to unicorn horn and bezoar. ...Show more

Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old by Andrew Steele

$29.99 AUD

Category: SCIENCE

Ageing is the biggest cause of disease in our society. Cancer, heart disease, dementia, flu: the risk of all increase staggeringly rapidly as we near the end of life. What if we could slow down the process - or even stop it? Ageless introduces us to the cutting-edge research that is paving the way for a revolution in medicine. We currently focus on treating individual diseases as we grow older, but there might soon be a way of treating the ailment that underpins them all: the ageing process itself. Computational biologist Andrew Steele explains what is happening as we age, and how understanding its scientific implications could lead to the greatest discovery in the history of medicine - one that has the potential to improve billions of lives, save trillions of dollars, and transform the human condition.   ...Show more

THE ARRL ANTENNA ANTHOLOGY by MARIAN S ANDERON (ed)

$105.00 AUD

Category: RARE AND COLLECTIBLE

Observing the Constellations by John Sanford

$15.00 AUD

Category: SECONDHAND BOOKS

Contagion by Dr. Richard Gunderman

$32.99 AUD

Category: SCIENCE

As the outbreak of a new and deadly form of coronavirus dominates headlines and triggers fear and global recession, now is a good time to reflect on the history and science of transmissible diseases. Behind every disease is a story, from the natural history of the disease and its course in the individua l, to the tale of the disease's description, discovery and treatment. From the impact of tuberculosis on English dynastic history to the makeup of our DNA; from the deadliest plagues of the ancient world to twenty-first century pandemics; and from the ravages of the Black Death to the discovery of antibodies, transmissible diseases have an incredible variety of tales to tell. Contagion explores some of the most notorious, grisly, and pernicious communicable diseases in history, revealing their hidden stories. In addition to discussing their symptoms, causes, prevention, and treatment, Richard Gunderman also discusses their impact on notable figures in history, nfrom soldiers to monarchs; the extraordinary contributions of the scientists and physicians who battled them; as well as their impacts on world history and human evolution. Here are the exploits of Edward Jenner, who invented the first vaccine; John Snow, the first person to study disease scientifically; Louis Pasteur, who established the germ theory of infection, along with a myriad other remarkable stories in the never ending struggle between humanity and disease. The narrative is brought right up to date with the desperate battle to stem the Covid-19 pandemic and discover a vaccine. Renowned medical expert Dr Richard Gunderman shows how disease has shaped the evolution of our species and, if we don't take the proper steps, may yet threaten our very existence on this planet. ...Show more

Origins Reconsidered - In Search of What Makes Us Human by Richard Leakey; Roger Lewin

$25.00 AUD

$39.99 (37% off)

Category: SECONDHAND BOOKS

An account of Richard Leakey's search for not only human origins, but also the origin of humanity. Since writing Origins in 1978, he has shifted his studies from the eastern to the western shore of Lake Turkana in Kenya. Richard Leakey also wrote People of the Lake and The Making of Mankind.

Longitude by Dava Sobel

$10.00 AUD

$20.95 (52% off)

Category: SECONDHAND BOOKS

Longitude is the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest. The 'longtiude problem' was the thorniest deliema of the eighteenth century. Lacking the ability to measure longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literaly lost at sea.At the heart of Dava Sobel's fascinatin g brief history of astronomy, naviagation and horology stands the figure of John Harrison, self-taught Yorkshire clockmaker, and his forty-year obsession with building the perfect timekeeper. Battling against the establishent, Harrison stood alone in pursuit of his solution and the twenty thousand pound reward offered by Parliament. ...Show more

A Life on Our Planet by David Attenborough

$39.99 AUD

Category: SCIENCE

See the world. Then make it better. 'I am 93. I've had an extraordinary life. It's only now that I appreciate how extraordinary. As a young man, I felt I was out there in the wild, experiencing the untouched natural world - but it was an illusion. The tragedy of our time has been happening all around us , barely noticeable from day to day - the loss of our planet's wild places, its biodiversity. I have been witness to this decline. A Life on Our Planet is my witness statement, and my vision for the future. It is the story of how we came to make this, our greatest mistake - and how, if we act now, we can yet put it right. We have one final chance to create the perfect home for ourselves and restore the wonderful world we inherited.' All we need is the will do so.     ...Show more