Begon, Townsend and Harper’s Ecology has long been regarded as the definitive textbook on all aspects of ecology. This new edition continues to provide a comprehensive treatment of the subject from the first principles of ecology to a vivid reflection of our understanding of ecology in the 21st century.
Virology: Principles and Applications is a clear and accessible introduction to this fast-moving field, providing a comprehensive resource enabling the reader to understand the key concepts surrounding this exciting subject. The reader is introduced to the principles of virus structure, replication and genetics, along with the theories behind the origins of viruses and how they are evolving. Taking a modern approach to the subject, the relevance of virology to everyday life is clearly emphasised and discussions of emerging viruses, cancer, vaccines, anti-viral drugs and gene vectors are included. There is also a chapter on prions.
Why do gardens matter so much and mean so much to people? That is the intriguing question to which David Cooper seeks an answer in this book. Given the enthusiasm for gardens in human civilization ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, it is surprising that the question has been so long neglected by modern philosophy. Now at last there is a philosophy of gardens. Not only is this a fascinating subject in its own right, it also provides a reminder that the subject-matter of aesthetics is broader than the fine arts;
Michael Faraday is an exciting subject for a biography: the nineteenth-century British working-class, religious kid who grew up to change our daily lives with his groundbreaking discoveries in electricity and magnetism. Many teens will be interested in his religion and his synthesis of science and Christianity. Unfortunately, the style here is heavy going; it's laboriously detailed and dry, not only about the physics and chemistry but also about Faraday's life. Give this to good readers who need a fresh biography subject, especially those who want to know about the history of science and technology.
In the Portraits in Science series, an intelligent chronicle of Curie's life, from her struggle to educate herself in Russian-occupied Poland to her successes in France; her pioneering work with her husband; and her troubles and triumphs after his death. While Pasachoff provides detailed explanations of Curie's scientific achievements, she paints an equally detailed portrait of Curie as a chemist-celebrity. Pasachoff's resolute concentration on the subject at hand--be it the gossip surrounding the Curies' Nobel Prize or the protocol for isolating radium--allows her to fold an impressive amount of information into a compact text.
