Kepler's "Dioptrice" is a seminal work in the fields of optics and astronomy. Written in response to the ground-breaking telescopic discoveries announced by Galileo Galilei in March 1610, the "Dioptrice" contained the first theory of the telescope—a theory that Kepler was uniquely qualified to develop—and provided an essential foundation for modern geometrical optics.

In the preface, Kepler highlights several examples of the close links which, then as now, exist between optics and astro...

Leading you from the fundamental principles of inorganic chemistry right through to cutting-edge research at the frontiers of the subject, Inorganic Chemistry is the ideal course companion for the duration of your degree.

Rural Geographies provides a critical, contemporary and accessible introduction to understanding rural change by using geographical ideas to explain and analyse current issues affecting the countryside.

New edition of a world-renowned introductory text to the rapidly-growing and dynamic field of Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis is a comprehensive introductory text that explores all of the topics vital for a complete understanding of gene cloning and DNA analysis. Presented in full color, the text's easy-to-follow layout and over 250 clear illustrations make the material simple and accessible for a diverse readership. This newly revised and updated Ninth Edition hig...

Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize

From the man who Oliver Sacks hailed as “one of the best scientist/writers of our time,” a collection of sharply observed, uproariously funny essays on the biology of human culture and behavior.

In the tradition of Stephen Jay Gould and Oliver Sacks, Robert Sapolsky offers a sparkling and erudite collection of essays about science, the world, and our relation to both. “The Trouble with Testosterone” explores...

Learn the basics of quantum physics with this clever, fun, and lighthearted introduction to modern physics based on a series of conversations with Chad Orzel and his dog Emmy.

When physics professor Chad Orzel went to the pound to adopt a dog, he never imagined Emmy. She wasn’t just a friendly mutt who needed a home. Soon she was trying to use the strange ideas of quantum mechanics for the really important things in her life: chasing critters, getting treats, and going for walks....

Marvin Minsky -- one of the fathers of computer science and cofounder of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT -- gives a revolutionary answer to the age-old question: "How does the mind work?"
Minsky brilliantly portrays the mind as a "society" of tiny components that are themselves mindless. Mirroring his theory, Minsky boldly casts The Society of Mind as an intellectual puzzle whose pieces are assembled along the way. Each chapter -- on a self-contained page -- corresponds to ...