A frightening and fascinating masterpiece of science reporting that reads like a detective story

It may have been eight years since David Quammen's Spillover was first published, but its prescience is spookily topical this plague year

Travelling deep into the rainforest with the scientists hoping to identify the next pandemic pathogen, Quammen's book is plotted like a detective thriller

Quammen’s book is compelling and shows that there are many candidates out there vying to be the next pandemic

Quammen has a wide range of knowledge, an agile pen, and a generous heart

A tremendous book...this gives you all you need to know and all you should know. Quammen’s research and the analysis make sensationalism unnecessary

Mr Quammen is not just among our best science writers but among our best writers, period...that he hasn’t won a non-fiction National Book Award or Pulitzer Prize is an embarrassment... Quammen is a patient explainer and a winning observer, he has a novelistic flair for describing his fellow humans... Quammen, combining physical and intellectual adventure, wraps his canny explorations into powerful moral witness

One of that rare breed of science journalists who blend exploration with a talent for synthesis and storytelling... This is a timely, serious and impressive work that marks the maturation of a field of microbiology

Terrific…the stories of the victims and the scientists are told in astonishing detail

He [Quammen] ranges with ease over decades and continents, drawing upon years of interviews and field trips with scientists...[he] is a lively writer and a good detective, tracing diseases from their first appearance back to their origins—in some cases, still unsettled... Quammen does not shy away from the lurid question of the “next big one” that will be on readers’ minds from the start

Fascinating ... the connection between mental health and the natural world turns out to be strong and deep - which is good news in that it offers those feeling soul-sick the possibility that falling in love with the world around them might be remarkably helpful. And those who fall in love with the world might protect it, a virtuous cycle that would make a real difference in the fight for a workable planet.

An absorbing book...more than just a scientific treatise: Jones writes beautifully about nature and her own experiences of its healing powers

Fantastic

A delightful book . . . Frank Wilczek is that rare creature: a first-class scientist who is also an extremely talented communicator. . . Wilczek constantly finds fresh ways to present such ideas, so that you emerge with new insight into what they mean. . . . Fundamentals is, then, not only an exceptional piece of science communication but also a deeply humanistic book

Fundamentals is an engaging account of the history of humankind's understanding of reality, told by one of the key contributors to recent parts of that story. Wilczek's grasp on the physics he relates is comprehensive and authoritative; he conveys technicalities with a rare combination of accuracy and accessibility . . . Wilczek provides an exceptionally clear guide to the state of physical knowledge in the early 21st century, much in the spirit of the sort of explanation that the ancient Greeks desired

It's hard to imagine a better tour of fundamental physics than the one I got from Frank Wilczek here. Loved it

In this persuasive book, one of our leading thinkers Roman Krznaric expands his ground-breaking work on empathy to argue that our only hope of survival is to develop deep empathy for future generations across time and space

A fascinating and inspiring exploration of one of the great relationship questions of the 21st century: how can we extend our circle of care to future generations?

Roman Krznaric passionately argues that thinking long term would bring untold benefits and may very well be vital to our survival as a species. Lose yourself in these pages, expand your time horizons, and reimagine your relationship to time, to the future, to activism

Brilliant ... A terrific read

An extraordinary diary . . . it's a powerful pitch for why the school curriculum needs to be wilded and a reminder of the value of neurodiversity in literature

Rovelli opens windows onto the imagination for all of us

I always find with Carlo Rovelli's books that there are moments when you get a real hit of understanding -- a jigsaw in your mind that just falls into place

Helgoland is a wonderful guide to the most extraordinary story in physics. It will reset your view of the universe

Hooked me so hard I read the entire book in one sitting. And then twice more

The old, solid world, if you believed in it at all, breaks into a glorious shimmer of limitless potential

Rovelli has an uncanny knack for instilling wonder and explaining complex theories in plain, entertaining ways

I'm keen for everyone to read Helgoland: a wonderfully lucid and poetic account of the foundations of quantum physics. It combines a compelling history with Rovelli's own intriguing - and for me very appealing - views about the basis of all things