Science - Biological

CIRCULATION: WILLIAM HARVEY'S REVOLUTIONARY IDEA

by Thomas Wright

read by Barry Wilsher

running time 7hrs 50mins

William Harvey’s theory on the circulation of the blood had a huge impact on anatomy and modern biology. This vivid biography shows how he drew inspiration from the world around him and features a cast of historical characters , including John Donne, Francis Bacon and Charles 1, Harvey’s patron and witness to many of his experiments.

DARWIN - IN A NUTSHELL

by Peter Whitfield

read by Peter Whitfield

running time 1hr 15mins

Peter Whitfield explains how Darwin came to his revolutionary views following his voyage on the Beagle, and his initial reluctance to publish his findings.

FENCING PARADISE

by Richard Mabey

read by Bob Wildgust

running time 8hrs 40mins

Richard Mabey explores our landscape seeing nature as it is rather than for human convenience.

H IS FOR HAWK

by Helen MacDonald

read by Nicola Down

running time 9hrs

As a child Helen was determined to become a falconer. When her father dies and she is knocked sideways by grief, she becomes obsessed with the idea of training her own goshawk. She buys Mabel for £800 on a Scottish quayside and takes her home to Cambridge to embark on the long, strange business of trying to train this wildest of animals. Costa Book of the Year Winner.

LIFE ON EARTH

by David Attenborough

read by David Attenborough

running time 12hrs 45mins

Told through an examination of animal and plant life, this is David Attenborough’s astonishing celebration of the evolution of life on earth, with a cast of characters drawn from the whole range of organisms that have ever lived on this planet. His perceptive, dynamic approach to the evolution of millions of species of living organisms takes the reader on an unforgettable journey of discovery, from the very first spark of life to the blue and green wonder we know today.

ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES

by Charles Darwin

read by Peter Wickham

running time 21hrs

Perhaps the most influential science book ever written, the controversial theory that populations evolve and adapt through a process known as natural selection led to heated scientific, philosophical and religious debate, revolutionising every discipline in its wake.

SAPIENS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF HUMANKIND

by Yuval Noah Harari

read by Derek Perkins

running time 15hrs 30mins

100,000 years ago, at least six human species inhabited the earth. Today there is just one. Us. Homo sapiens. Here, Dr Yuval Noah Harari spans the whole of human history, drawing on insights from biology, anthropology, palaeontology and economics, he explores how the currents of history have shaped our human societies.

THE ALARMING HISTORY OF MEDICINE

by Richard Gordon

read by Michael St. John

running time 10hrs

A well written account of the advances in medicine from Ancient Greek times to the present day by the author of the humorous "Doctor" series.

THE BUTTERFLY ISLES

by Patrick Barkham

read by Simon Shepherd

running time 10hrs

The butterfly species of the British Isles can be surprisingly elusive. Some bask unseen at the top of trees in London parks; others lurk at the bottom of damp bogs in Scotland and several are virtually extinct. This book charts the author's quest to find all 59 species, from the Adonis Blue to the Dingy Skipper.

THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES

by Siddhartha Mukherjee

read by John Hobday

running time 24hrs 30mins

Siddhartha Mukherjee, doctor, researcher and award-winning science writer, examines cancer with a cellular biologist’s precision, a historian’s perspective, and a biographer’s passion. The result is a lucid and eloquent chronicle of a disease humans have lived with, and perished from, for more than five thousand years.

THE GREAT WHITE SOUTH

by Herbert G. Ponting

read by Richard Simpson

running time 13hrs

A vivid account by photographer Ponting of his journey with Captain Scott to the Antarctic, a voyage from which Scott did not return. The descriptions of these men's lives in harsh conditions, howling wind storms with sub zero temperatures, and the tragedy at the end is a reminder of our fragile existence in this harsh environment.

THE INCREDIBLE HUMAN JOURNEY

by Alice Roberts

read by Alice Roberts

running time 14hrs 50mins

Alice Roberts traces the epic routes by which our human ancestors set out from Africa and peopled the entire planet. We learn of the daunting and brutal challenges they had to face - mountains, deserts, oceans, changing climates, terrifying giant beasts and volcanoes. Finally, we discover that perhaps the most serious threat of all came from other humans.

THE NAKED APE

by Desmond Morris

read by Bob Rollett

running time 8hrs 30mins

Zoologist Desmond Morris presents man as a risen ape, remarkable in his resilience, energy and imagination, yet an animal nonetheless, in danger of forgetting his origins. With penetrating insights on man's beginnings, sex life, habits and our astonishing bonds to the animal kingdom.

THE PRIVATE LIFE OF PLANTS

by David Attenborough

read by Jim Swingler

running time 7hrs 30mins

David Attenborough shows us the natural world and how it works.

THE WINTER WHALE

by Jim Crumley

read by Andrew Burt

running time 6hrs

In November 1893 a humpback whale found its way into the Tay estuary and travelled upstream as far as Dundee docks. Attempts were made to catch it but it was mortally wounded and then put on public display in Dundee.

UNNATURAL CAUSES

by Dr Richard Shepherd

read by Dr Richard Shepherd

running time 11hrs 45mins

As the country's top forensic pathologist, Dr Richard Shepherd has spent a lifetime uncovering the secrets of the dead. When death is sudden or unexplained, it falls to Shepherd to establish the cause. Each post-mortem is a detective story in its own right - and through his skill, dedication and insight, Dr Shepherd solves the puzzle to answer our most pressing question: how did this person die?