Science: The Definitive Guide

Science is a visually stunning introduction to all the major scientific disciplines, covering chemistry, physics, geology, biology and cosmology. Each section begins with a lively introduction to the scientific branch under investigation, before moving on to a more in-depth exploration of its constituent components and themes. The end result is a magnificent introduction to all that is currently understood about the natural world. Piers Bizony begins with physics and the basic building blocks of matter, offering a lucid and usefully illustrated account of the extraordinary and often baffling world of atomic and subatomic particles. There follows a discussion of chemistry and the main phases of matter such as solids, liquids, gases, compounds, and the Elements, all illustrated in a large-format Periodic Table. This leads to geology and the ever shifting world beneath our feet, including volcanoes, fault lines, plate tectonics and rock strata. Having established a clear outline of the material world, the author then takes a look at its most extraordinary feature: life. DNA, RNA, cells, algae, plants, sponges, reptiles, mammals and man are all surveyed within these pages. The book concludes with the infinite world above our heads: planets, stars, galaxies, and the irresistible forces that govern our ceaselessly expanding universe. Replete with large scale schematics, diagrams, photographs, fact boxes and maps, Science is an essential purchase for anyone with an interest in science.