Steven Poole THE GUARDIAN : 'there is a lovely tribute to Dawkins's friend Douglas Adams, some interesting speculations on the next few decades of genetic engineering, an explanation of what crystals really are, and some heartfelt reminiscences of Africa. Patrick Nees THE DAILY TELEGRAPH : 'his arguments sing with clear-eyed passion and conviction' Travis Elborough THE SUNDAY TIMES : 'this erudite collection...... where Dawkins assesses the work of his late rival Stephen Jay Gould is essential reading.' SUNDAY HERALD : 'His passion collapses the notion that scientists are lab-coated androids.' NEW SCIENTIST : "A rare treat and it comes in seven servings, each essay will grip you at once." THE HERALD : "A must-read for fans and non-fans alike and for people of an independent mind everywhere."
The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Life — “One of Dawkins's best: a big, almost encyclopedic compendium bursting with information and ideas. Dawkins ... the consummate zoologist ... leads a grand tour of all surviving 'pilgrims' to a 'Canterbury' representing the very origin of life--and what a fantastic trip it is...The panorama is splendid but it's the details...that delight, and also exhibit some of Dawkins's best writing.”
Kirkus
“Dawkins's new book, which is fabulous in many more ways than one, is a picaresque account of evolution running in reverse as a series of wondrous tales of explanation.” John Cornwell, The Sunday Times “In The Ancestor’s Tale Dawkins traces back human ancestry 4bn years to the dawn of life on Earth. The result is one of the richest accounts of evolution ever written.
"Why do poets and artists so often disparage science in their work? For that matter, why does so much scientific literature compare poorly with, say, the phone book? After struggling with questions like these for years, biologist Richard Dawkins has taken a wide-ranging view of the subjects of meaning and beauty in Unweaving the Rainbow, a deeply humanistic examination of science, mysticism, and human nature. Notably strong-willed in a profession of bet-hedgers and wait-and-seers, Dawkins carries the reader along on a romp through the natural and cultural worlds, determined that "science, at its best, should leave room for poetry."
"Who should read this book? Everyone interested in the universe and their place in it." Jeffrey R. Baylis, Animal Behavior
"demonstrates a rare and welcome ability to make formidably technical findings come alive...highly articulate." New York Times Book Review "Popular books on evolution are common; good popular books are rare. Dawkins' book is excellent." Eric L. Charnov, Quarterly Review of Biology "This book should be read, can be read, by almost everyone. It describes with great skill a new face of the theory of evolution" W. D. Hamilton, Science
The Amateur Astronomer
by Patrick Moore
This 2000 Edition of Sir Patrick Moore’s classic book has been completely revised in the light of changes in technology. Not only do these changes include commercially available astronomical telescopes and software, but also what we know and understand about the universe. There are many new photographs and illustrations. Writing in the easy-going style that made him famous as a writer and broadcaster, Sir Patrick introduced astronomy and amateur observing together, so that his reader gets an idea of what he is observing at the same time as how to observe. Almost half the book is Appendices. These are hugely comprehensive and provide hints and tips, as well as data (year 2000 onwards) for pretty well every aspect of amateur astronomy. This is probably the only book in which all this information is collected in one place.
