Science for Life: A manual for better living

Description

In Science for Life acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg cuts through the vested interests and confusing contradictory statements that litter the media and the internet, to give a clear picture of what science is telling us right now about changing our lives for the better. Discover the much-advertised antioxidants that aren't good for you, the truth about fat and sugar and why one of the healthiest foods contains carcinogens and 21 E-numbers. Find out what does and what doesn't enhance brainpower - from the failure of playing Mozart to babies to the surprising abilities of caffeine and nicotine. Understand the tools that advertisers use to persuade us and how to turn the psychological pressure back on them. From the shortcomings of the five second rule to the truth about phone masts and nuclear power, kept up-to-date on a partnering website, Science for Life is your guide to surviving and thriving in the modern world.

Science writer Brian Clegg studied physics at Cambridge University and specialises in making the strangest aspects of the universe, from infinity to time travel and quantum theory, accessible to the general reader. He is editor of www.popularscience.co.uk and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His previous books include Inflight Science, The Universe Inside You, Dice World, The Quantum Age and Introducing Infinity: A Graphic Guide.

At last - the straight facts on everything - subject by subject - that affects our lives today, written in a clear and accessible style. Brilliant! * Aggie MacKenzie, Presenter, Channel 4's How Clean is Your House? * This handy, well-written guide is a triumph of reason over press release reporting. -- BBC Focus Packed with stuff I never knew and now I do, about brain food, detox, knuckle cracking, procrastination, swearing etc etc, things we ought to be doing and, much more important, things there's no point in doing. You can live better, if you want to, or you can just know more about how you could - not ought to - live better if you want to. And all in clear, accessible English. -- Matthew Fort, food writer and judge on The Great British Menu This well-researched guide lifts the lid on so many myths and makes for a marvellous eye-opening read. * The Sun *