Science

Beauty today is a paradox. The cult of beauty is ubiquitous but it has lost its transcendence and become little more than an aspect of consumerism, the aesthetic dimension of capitalism. The sublime and unsettling aspects of beauty have given way to corporeal pleasures and 'likes', resulting in a kind of 'pornography' of beauty.

A sumptuous beginner's guide to astronomy and the night sky

The emergence of modern sciences in the seventeenth century profoundly renewed our understanding of Nature. For the last three centuries new ideas of Nature have been continuously developed by theology, politics, economics, and science, especially the sciences of the material world.

DOES ANYTHING EAT WASPS meets INFORMATION IS BEAUTIFUL: A full-colour infographic journey through life, the universe and everything.

One can rightly say of Peter Sloterdijk that each of his essays and lectures is also an unwritten book. That is why the texts presented here, which sketch a philosophical physiognomy of Martin Heidegger, should also be characterized as a collected renunciation of exhaustiveness.

A passionate attack on the tyranny of experts

Being alone - really alone - could be the only antidote to the frenzy of our digital age.

In The Slow Professor, Maggie Berg and Barbara K. Seeber discuss how adopting the principles of the Slow movement in academic life can counter the erosion of humanistic education.

Just as Freakonomics brought economics to life, so Storm in a Teacup brings physics into our daily lives and makes it fascinating. Not so, insists Helen Czerski - and in this sparkling new book she explores the patterns and connections that illustrate the grandest theories in the smallest everyday objects and experiences.

Are plants intelligent? Can they solve problems, communicate, and navigate their surroundings? In this book, a leading scientist argues that plants process information, sleep, remember, and signal to one another-showing that, far from passive machines, plants are intelligent and aware.

The beautiful aurorae, or northern lights, are the stuff of legends. The ancient stories of the Sami people warn that if you mock the lights they will seize you, and their mythical appeal continues to capture the hearts and imagination of people across the globe.

Facsimile reprint. Originally published: 1981.

The legacy of Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) looms large over the natural sciences. His 1799-1804 research expedition to Central and South America with botanist Aime Bonpland set the course for the great scientific surveys of the nineteenth century. This book features his influential work - and his personal favorite.

This first new translation of Kierkegaard's masterwork in a generation brings an essential work of modern philosophy to vivid life.

Presents an account of the author's life in relation to political events of his time; the character and history of his writings and of the Politics in particular; his overall conception of political science; and his impact on subsequent political thought from antiquity to the present.

An integrated introduction to the quantum world of atoms and molecules. The fundamental concepts in the theory of atomic and molecular structure are discussed, as are the central techniques needed in quantum-chemical applications. End-of-chapter problems supplement the main text.

A consideration of blandness not as the absence of defining qualities but as the harmonious union of all potential values-an infinite opening into human experience.

The best-selling author of Naked Economics defies the odds with a book about statistics that you'll welcome and enjoy.

Arguing for the primacy of the material arrangements of the laboratory in the dynamics of modern molecular biology, the author develops a new epistemology of experimentation in which research is treated as a process for producing epistemic things.

Presents an account of the relationship between strategic thinking and the learning process involved taking learning from the academic to the everyday. This book is a primer on how successful strategists learn to think strategically. It traces the history of strategy, differentiates strategic thinking from planning.

A comprehensive philosophy of contemporary life and politics, by one of the sharpest critics of the present

'The capacity to affect and to be affected'. This simple definition opens a world of questions - by indicating an openness to the world. To affect and to be affected is to be in encounter, and to be in encounter is to have already ventured forth.

A guide to rocks and minerals. Featuring 600 photos, precise annotations and descriptions - from the distinguishing features of rocks to which crystal system a mineral belongs to - it helps you identify different rocks and minerals quickly and easily.

Offering a student-friendly introduction to business research methods, this text covers all of the need to know basics in a clear and engaging manner. Research Methods is an ideal text for students of all levels coming to the subject for first time.