Great Mambo Chicken

This week's Reading Room features the latest science titles. A 25% discount is available at Kinokuniya KLCC with the coupon (only in StarTwo).

Imminent destruction

Compiled by DAPHNE LEE

 

The World Without Us
Author: Alan Weisman
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 336 pages

WHAT would happen to our world without humans? Alan Weisman talks to engineers, art conservators, zoologists, marine biologists, astrophysicists and other experts, and reveals that the world, at least what is man-made about it, has little chance of survival without human care and protection. 

He also predicts what structures would stand the test of time (apparently, some of the earth's most ancient structures are the hardiest), and, studying existing uninhabited areas like Chernobyl and forests in Europe, he imagines the way the planet would evolve without people.

 

The Chickens Fight Back: Pandemic Panics and Deadly Diseases That Jump from Animals to Humans
Author: David Waltner-Toews
Publisher: Greystone Books, 240 pages

ALTHOUGH emerging diseases like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease), SARS, and avian flu are now more prevalent in animals than humans, measles, TB and smallpox were once also diseases that made the jump to humans (before vaccines were developed) with devastating consequences. 

This book looks at the various groups of animal diseases, what attracts them to humans and possible ways to prevent their spread. 

 

The Goldilocks Enigma: Why Is the Universe Just Right for Life?
Author: Paul Davies
Publisher: Penguin,  368 pages

USING the latest discoveries in cosmology and fundamental physics, Paul Davies attempts to make sense of the story of the universe, in particular the question of why Earth is so right for life. 

He discusses the theory of multi-verses and the possibility of intelligent design, but stresses that the latter is something he feels “more in my heart than in my head”.

 

The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
Author: Francis S. Collins
Publisher: Free Press, 305 pages

ARE science and religion mutually exclusive? Or could science actually support faith? Francis S. Collins was once an atheist but this changed when he became a doctor. 

Here, he describes his own spiritual journey and reveals how discoveries in biology have enhanced his belief that evolution is directed by God.

 

Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman!
Author: Richard P. Feynman and Ralph Leighton
Publisher: Vintage, 352 pages

NOBEL Prize-winning physicist Richard P. Feynman's autobiography comprises a series of anecdotes that reveal a stubbornly independent individual; a brilliant mind that refuses to suffer fools and is unafraid of causing offence. Feynman is passionate about the pursuit of knowledge and learning, not by rote, but by exploration and understanding. 

This book also reveals that he is a witty, fun-loving man whose friends came from all walks of life. A bestseller ever since its publication in 1985, this re-issue promises to introduce one of this world's most curious characters and original thinkers to a new generation of readers.

 

The Vitamin Murders: Who Killed Healthy Eating in Britain?
Author: James Ferguson
Publisher: Portobello Books,  240 pages

THE birth of their daughter causes James Ferguson and his wife to panic about the unhealthy, chemical-ridden state of food. This prompts research into the life and grisly murder (along with his wife and 10-year-old daughter) of nutritionist Sir Jack Drummond. 

During World War 2, he was adviser to the Ministry of Food, had championed the benefits of wholemeal bread and was responsible for giving the British a healthy diet despite shortages and rationing.