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Royal Society Prizes for Science Books 2008 General Prize
A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Allen Lane Science)A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life (Allen Lane Science) by J. Craig Venter
Buy new: £16.25 / Used from: £2.96
Shortlisted. The judges said "This is a book about a man whom you cannot ignore."
Coral: A Pessimist in ParadiseCoral: A Pessimist in Paradise by Steve Jones
Buy new: £10.37 / Used from: £1.55
Shortlisted. The judges said "It's a wonderful, thought provoking, ramble through science and evolutionary history."
Gut Feelings: Short Cuts to Better Decision MakingGut Feelings: Short Cuts to Better Decision Making by Gerd Gigerenzer
Buy new: £5.73 / Used from: £3.66
Shortlisted. The judges said "It is a completely absorbing book which will be relevant to a wide audience."
Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter PlanetSix Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet by Mark Lynas
Buy new: £5.34 / Used from: £2.05
Shortlisted. The judges said "A thought-provoking read which makes the issues of global warming very real and immediate."
The Sun Kings: The Unexpected Tragedy of Richard Carrington and the Tale of How Modern Astronomy BeganThe Sun Kings: The Unexpected Tragedy of Richard Carrington and the Tale of How Modern Astronomy Began by Stuart Clark
Buy new: £11.91 / Used from: £7.98
Shortlisted. The judges said "A wonderful historical biography. This 19th century melodrama gets you straight into the science of sun spots."
Why Beauty is Truth: The History of SymmetryWhy Beauty is Truth: The History of Symmetry by Ian Stewart
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £4.12
Shortlisted. The judges said "An elegant and beautifully written book on a key mathematical topic which links through to many different subjects."
Better Looking, Better Living, Better Loving: How Chemistry Can Help You Achieve Life's GoalsBetter Looking, Better Living, Better Loving: How Chemistry Can Help You Achieve Life's Goals by John Emsley
Buy new: £19.73 / Used from: £16.05
Longlisted. The judges said "A very practical, informative and interesting read which reveals chemistry as being key to modern life."
How to Fossilise Your Hamster: And Other Amazing Experiments For The Armchair ScientistHow to Fossilise Your Hamster: And Other Amazing Experiments For The Armchair Scientist by Mick O'Hare
Buy new: £3.99 / Used from: £0.01
Longlisted. The judges said "A fun book, full of experiments which shows that science can be enjoyed by everyone."
Making Up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental WorldMaking Up the Mind: How the Brain Creates Our Mental World by Chris Frith
Buy new: £12.62 / Used from: £11.77
Longlisted. The judges said "A wonderfully clear introduction to the neuroscience of thinking. The author's personality shines through and he is charmingly entertaining."
The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human NatureThe Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker
Buy new: £23.75 / Used from: £3.65
Longlisted. The judges said "This book takes a difficult subject and carries you along with it. It introduces us to how language can tell us how the mind works."
Why the Lion Grew Its Mane: A Miscellany of Recent Scientific Discoveries from Astronomy to ZoologyWhy the Lion Grew Its Mane: A Miscellany of Recent Scientific Discoveries from Astronomy to Zoology by Lewis Smith
Buy new: £17.00 / Used from: £6.95
Longlisted. The judges said "Beautifully presented and easy to read it is a book that would be great to receive as a present. It sucks the reader into the world of science."
Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of PersuasionYes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion by N. Goldstein; S. Martin; R. Cialdini
Buy new: £5.36 / Used from: £3.45
Longlisted. The judges said "A compelling book about why we do the things we do and what effect the art of persuasion has on us."