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Book Reviews April 2006

Wish you were here: The official biography of Douglas Adams
Nick Webb		Headline, 2004ISBN: 0755311566
cover Douglas Adams will be well known to all readers of this website. In 'Wish you were here', Nick Webb, a friend of Douglas for many years, tells the story of his life. We learn about his childhood years, his time at Cambridge University and his struggles to make a living as a sketch writer for TV. Then came the Hitchhiker's series and Douglas's rapid increase in fame and wealth, after which we hear about the various projects he was involved in, such as the film version of the story. Webb gives a good account of Douglas as a person - generous but sometimes insensitive and often annoying to those he worked with. Its a must read for anyone wanting to find out about the origin of Douglas's unique work. Continued..
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Collapse : how societies choose to fail or survive
Jared Diamond		Penguin Books, 2005ISBN: 0140279512
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There are many predictions of gloom and doom today, but it's hard to know how seriously to take them. Is our society really heading towards disaster, or will we manage to get by as we have done in the past. In 'Collapse', Jared Diamond gives examples of societies which have indeed come to and end, and he hopes that we might learn something from them. What was the Easter Islander who cut down the last tree thinking? - without trees their society was clearly doomed. Diamond shows that it isn't simply a case of environmental stupidity, rather numerous factors contribute to the downfall of a society. He ends with a note of cautious optimism - we should be able to survive, but we will need to make some difficult choices. Continued..
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The elements of murder John EmsleyOxford University Press, 2005ISBN: 0192805991
cover The poisonous nature of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic and lead is well known. In this book John Emsley examines how such elements have affected us, looking at their occurence in the environment, the danger they pose in industry and their use as medicines (where they poison the organisms which attack us). As such it is very informative, looking at the history of the elements, the symptoms they produce and their toxicity in organic and inorganic forms. But most of all it is about the use of these elements by murderers. If you enjoy a good murder story then you should certainly try this book. Continued..
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A teaspoon and an open mind Michael WhiteAllen Lane, 2005ISBN: 0713999055
Science fiction suggests that the future will bring many new possibilities, from travelling throught the galaxy to extending our lives indefinintely, but it's hard to be sure which of these will remain fiction. In this book Michael White examines how some of these ideas might be achieved in practice. It has to be said that most of the book doesn't reflect the unique nature of the Dr Who programs, rather it is a look at science fictional ideas in general, which might irritate fans of the series. However it contains many interesting and entertaining ideas and can be recommended as a bit of light reading for anyone with an interest in what new possibilities await us in the future. Continued..
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Parallel worlds Michio KakuAllen Lane, 2005ISBN: 0713997281
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Science fiction presents us with many wacky ideas, and you may wonder whether they have any connection to reality. Well in this book Michio Kaku describes plenty of ideas which seem like fiction but have been given serious consideration by physicists, for instance wormholes, warp drives and time travel. The book is in three parts, starting with a look at the current state of cosmology which is followed by a look at various ideas in physics related to parallel universes. The final part considers how we might reach such a universe. The book is easy to read, and is recommended to anyone wanting to find out more about the strange ideas from science fiction. Continued..
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The Single Helix Steve JonesLittle, Brown, 2005ISBN: 0316731935
cover The Single Helix is a compilation of Jones' weekly 'View from the lab' articles in the Daily Telegraph, which provide an amusing look at aspects of scientific life. There is plenty relating to biology in general and genetics in particular, such as the strange names given to new genes and indeed to new species of animals. However there are also essays on many other subjects such as the representation of shadows in art, and the best system for voting.

Now one is naturally tempted to measure this work against the essays of the other Steve J - Gould that is, (who, it has to be said, had a whole month to write each of his articles) and I would say that they don't really compare - but maybe they're not meant to. Continued..

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Seven deadly colours Andrew ParkerFree Press, 2005ISBN: 0743259408
cover If we want to colour an object then we would generally use some sort of pigment. However, in the natural world there are a surprising number of different mechanisms for producing colour. In this book Andrew Parker looks at the variety of ways in which animals can create colours, and their uses for signalling or camouflage. Each chapter deals with a different colour of the spectrum (with ultraviolet replacing indigo), and poses a problem concerning an animal of that colour. Alternative possibilities are discussed, with the accepted solution being given at the end of the chapter. Overall it is a highly informative book, and is likely to have something of interest for all readers, whatever their current knowledge of the subject. Continued..
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Electric universe David BodanisLittle, Brown, 2005ISBN: 0316861820
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The use of electricity pervades modern society. However, each electric device is the result of a great deal of research and in this book David Bodanis gives the stories of some of the most prominent of these discoveries. Thus we find out about the telegraph and telephone, radio and radar and the early development of transistors and computers. The final section relates to electricity in nerves and the brain. Bodanis does very well in weaving the discoveries in with the details of the lives of the people concerned, and so bringing the science of everyday devices to a non-technical readership. Continued..
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March 2006 May 2006