This book will transform how you see our biggest environmental problems – and show how together we can solve them.** THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER **'Truly essential' MARGARET ATWOOD‘Inspiring' DAVID WALLACE-WELLS‘Shines with positivity’ RUTGER BREGMAN ‘Unmissable' TIM SPECTOR-------------------------------------------We are bombarded by doomsday headlines that tell us the soil won't be able to support crops, fish will vanish from our oceans, that we should reconsider having children.But in this bold, radically hopeful book, data scientist Hannah Ritchie argues that if we zoom out, a very different picture emerges. The data shows we've made so much progress on these problems, and so fast, that we could be on track to achieve true sustainability for the first time in history.Packed with the latest research, practical guidance and enlightening graphics, this book will make you rethink almost everything you've been told about the environment, from the virtues of eating locally and living in the countryside, to the evils of overpopulation, plastic straws and palm oil. It will give you the tools to understand what works, what doesn't and what we urgently need to focus on so we can leave a sustainable planet for future generations.These problems are big. But they are solvable. We are not doomed. We can build a better future for everyone. Let's turn that opportunity into reality.---------------------------------------‘A book for anyone who finds it difficult to believe in a better future’ THE TIMES‘I hope people around the world read this book, understand our planet isn’t a lost cause, and get inspired to help fix it’ Bill GatesA STYLIST BEST NON-FICTION 2024 * A GUARDIAN BIGGEST FICTION AND NON-FICTION FOR 2024 * A FINANCIAL TIMES, SCOTSMAN, PROSPECT AND NEW SCIENTIST BOOK OF THE YEAR* A WATERSTONES ‘BOOK YOU NEED TO READ IN 2024’ Read more

Colin is no ordinary flower.Colin smells appealing – just like the other flowers around him.The only trouble is, he crackles and crunches and flutters in the wind.He can't seem to find where he belongs, but he smells so delicious that all the animals want to eat him...But Colin is a crisp packet!A beautifully illustrated picture book with a powerful message about plastic pollution and the benefits of recycling from environmental expert Sarah Roberts.The perfect gift to introduce children to recyclingBrilliant for teachers to read to children in class when introducing them to plastic pollution and recycling Read more

Feeding the world, climate change, biodiversity, antibiotics, plastics, pandemics - the list of concerns seems endless. But what is most pressing, and what should we do first? Do we all need to become vegetarian? How can we fly in a low-carbon world? How can we take control of technology? And, given the global nature of the challenges we now face, what on Earth can any of us do, as individuals? Mike Berners-Lee has crunched the numbers and plotted a course of action that is full of hope, practical, and enjoyable. This is the big-picture perspective on the environmental and economic challenges of our day, laid out in one place, and traced through to the underlying roots - questions of how we live and think. This updated edition has new material on protests, pandemics, wildfires, investments, carbon targets and of course, on the key question: given all this, what can I do? Read more

Now recognized as one of the most influential books of the twentieth century, Silent Spring exposed the destruction of wildlife through the widespread use of pesticides Rachel Carson's Silent Spring alerted a large audience to the environmental and human dangers of pesticides, spurring revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. Despite condemnation in the press and heavy-handed attempts by the chemical industry to ban the book, Carson succeeded in creating a new public awareness of the environment which led to changes in government and inspired the ecological movement. It is thanks to this book, and the help of many environmentalists, that harmful pesticides such as DDT were banned from use in the US and countries around the world.This Penguin Modern Classics edition includes an introduction by Lord Shackleton, a preface by World Wildlife Fund founder Julian Huxley, and an afterword by Carson's biographer Linda Lear. Read more

Updated in line with the 18th edition of the wiring regulations.This book is an essential guide to the City & Guilds 2391-50 and 51: Initial Verification and Certification of Electrical Installation and Periodic Inspection and Testing, also C&G 2391-52: an amalgamation of Initial Verification and Periodic Inspection and Testing of electrical installations. There is a full coverage of technical and legal terminology used in the theory exams; including the structure of exam questions and their interpretation. By running through examples of realistic exam questions in a step-by-step fashion, this book explains how to decode the questions to achieve the most suitable response from the multiple-choice answers given. This book is ideal for all electricians, regardless of their experience, who need a testing qualification in order to take the next step in their career. Read more

This book does not set out once more to raise the alarm to encourage us to take radical measures to head off climate chaos. There have been any number of books and reports in recent years explaining just how dire the future looks and how little time we have left to act. This book is about why we have ignored those warnings, and why it is now too late. It is a book about the frailties of the human species as expressed in both the institutions we built and the psychological dispositions that have led us on the path of self-destruction. It is about our strange obsessions, our hubris, and our penchant for avoiding the facts. It is the story of a battle within us between the forces that should have caused us to protect the Earth - our capacity to reason and our connection to Nature - and those that, in the end, have won out - our greed, materialism and alienation from Nature. And it is about the 21st century consequences of these failures.Clive Hamilton is author of the bestselling Affluenza and Growth Fetish, of Scorcher, and most recently Freedom Paradox. Read more

This book is essential reading for anyone studying towards Domestic Installer status with an approval body such as NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA, in line with Part P of the Building Regulations, and also serves as a handy pocket guide to best practice for electricians. Although not intended as a DIY manual, non-qualified persons will also find it useful reading.The how-to guide for home wiring to professional standardsNow with more on LED lightingEssential reading for serious DIY, electrical installation, basic plumbing, heating systems, TV and security alarm installationUp to date with the 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations Read more

NATIONAL BESTSELLERIn Rooted, cutting-edge science supports a truth that poets, artists, mystics, and earth-based cultures across the world have proclaimed over millennia: life on this planet is radically interconnected. Our bodies, thoughts, minds, and spirits are affected by the whole of nature, and they affect this whole in return. In this time of crisis, how can we best live upon our imperilled, beloved earth?Award-winning writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt's highly personal new book is a brilliant invitation to live with the earth in both simple and profound ways-from walking barefoot in the woods and reimagining our relationship with animals and trees, to examining the very language we use to describe and think about nature. She invokes rootedness as a way of being in concert with the wilderness-and wildness-that sustains humans and all of life.In the tradition of Rachel Carson, Elizabeth Kolbert, and Mary Oliver, Haupt writes with urgency and grace, reminding us that at the crossroads of science, nature, and spirit we find true hope. Each chapter provides tools for bringing our unique gifts to the fore and transforming our sense of belonging within the magic and wonder of the natural world. Read more

Now in its eighth edition, Bird’s Basic Engineering Mathematics has helped thousands of students to succeed in their exams. Mathematical theories are explained in a straightforward manner, supported by practical engineering examples and applications to ensure that readers can relate theory to practice. Some 1,000 engineering situations/problems have been ‘flagged-up’ to help demonstrate that engineering cannot be fully understood without a good knowledge of mathematics.The extensive and thorough coverage makes this a great text for introductory level engineering courses – such as for aeronautical, construction, electrical, electronic, mechanical, manufacturing engineering and vehicle technology – including for BTEC First, National and Diploma syllabuses, City & Guilds Technician Certificate and Diploma syllabuses, and even for GCSE revision.Its companion website provides extra materials for students and lecturers, including full solutions for all 1,700 further questions, lists of essential formulae, multiple choice tests, and illustrations, as well as full solutions to revision tests for course instructors. Read more

We take it for granted that the streets outside out homes are designed for movement from A to B, nothing more. But what happens if we radically rethink how we use these public spaces? Could we change our lives for the better?Our dependence on cars is damaging our health ― and the planet’s. The Dutch seem to have the right idea, with thousands of bike highways, but even then, what happens to pedestrians or people who want to cycle at a more leisurely pace? What about children playing outside their homes? Or wildlife, which enriches our local areas? Why do we prioritise traffic above all else?Making our communities safer, cleaner, and greener starts with asking the fundamental questions: who do our streets belong to, what do we use them for, and who gets to decide?Join journalist Thalia Verkade and urban mobility expert Marco te Brömmelstroet as they confront their own underlying beliefs and challenge us to rethink our way of life to put people at the centre of urban design. But be warned: you will never look at the street outside your front door in the same way again. Read more

The third edition of Automobile Mechanical and Electrical Systems concentrates on core technologies to provide the essential information required to understand how different vehicle systems work. It gives a complete overview of the components and workings of a vehicle from the engine through to the chassis and electronics. It also explains the necessary tools and equipment needed in effective car maintenance and repair, and relevant safety procedures are included throughout. Designed to make learning easier, this book contains:Photographs, flow charts and quick reference tables Detailed diagrams and clear descriptions that simplify the more complicated topics and aid revision Useful features throughout, including definitions, key facts and ‘safety first’ considerations.In full colour and with support materials from the author’s website (www.automotive-technology.org), this is the guide no student enrolled on an automotive maintenance and repair course should be without. Read more

An Independent Climate Book of the Year 2023In this sweeping work of science and history, the renowned climate scientist and author of The New Climate War shows us the conditions on Earth that allowed humans not only to exist but thrive, and how they are imperiled if we veer off course.For the vast majority of its 4.54 billion years, Earth has proven it can manage just fine without human beings. Then came the first proto-humans, who emerged just a little more than 2 million years ago ― a fleeting moment in geological time. What is it that made this benevolent moment of ours possible? Ironically, it’s the very same thing that now threatens us ― climate change.Climate variability has at times created new niches that humans or their ancestors could potentially exploit, and challenges that at times have spurred innovation. But the conditions that allowed humans to live on this earth are fragile, incredibly so. There’s a relatively narrow envelope of climate variability within which human civilisation remains viable. And our survival depends on conditions remaining within that range. In this book, renowned climate scientist Michael Mann arms readers with the knowledge necessary to appreciate the gravity of the unfolding climate crisis, while emboldening them ― and others ― to act before it truly does become too late.  Read more

“A fascinating book—far-reaching, deeply researched, and probing.” —Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Under a White Sky“Outstandingly well-researched and deeply thoughtful . . . An essential read.” —John Dupré, Los Angeles Review of Books“Makes a strong case for restoration’s enduring value.” —Michelle Nijhuis, New York Review of BooksToday environmental restoration is a global pursuit. Governments, nonprofits, and corporations spend billions of dollars each year to remove invasive species, build wetlands, and reintroduce species driven from their habitats. In Wild by Design, historian Laura J. Martin uncovers the origins of restoration science and policy. She explores how restorationists struggled with the problem of caring for biodiversity without romanticizing nature as an untouched Eden. Could humans intervene in nature for nature’s own sake? What natural baselines should be restored? Was it possible to design nature without destroying wildness? In illuminating restoration’s past, Wild by Design not only provides vital lessons for our future in a changing climate—it makes an urgent call for environmental restoration that is socially just. Read more

'Divide is well written and thought-provoking' - Sunday Telegraph'A lively guide through the thorny challenges of rural life in an urban world. Essential reading for both incomer and local. Anna Jones is insightful but above all sensitive: we walk in everybody's shoes' - Tom Heap'This book, by farmer's daughter and now-journalist and media presenter Anna Jones, is one of the most enjoyable and interesting books I have read this year' - Mark AveryThis book is a call to action. It warns that unless we learn to accept and respect our social, cultural and political differences as town and country people, we are never going to solve the chronic problems in our food system and environment. As we stare down the barrel of climate change, only farmers - who manage two thirds of the UK's landscape - working together with conservation groups can create a healthier food system and bring back nature in diverse abundance. But this fledgling progress is hindered and hamstrung by simplistic debates that still stoke conflict between conservative rural communities and the liberal green movement.Each chapter, from Family and Politics to Animal Welfare and the Environment, explores a different aspect of the urban/rural disconnect, weaving case studies and research with Anna's personal stories of growing up on a small, upland farm. There is a simple theme and a strong message running throughout the book - a plea to respect our differences, recognise each other's strengths and work together to heal the land. Read more

The 12th edition of Chudley and Greeno’s Building Construction Handbook remains THE authoritative reference for all construction students and professionals. The principles and processes of construction are explained with the concepts of design included where appropriate. Extensive coverage of building construction practice, techniques and regulations representing both traditional procedures and modern developments are included to provide the most comprehensive and easy to understand guide to building construction.This new edition has been updated to reflect recent changes to the building regulations, as well as new material on modern methods of construction, greater emphasis on sustainability and a new look interior. Chudley and Greeno’s Building Construction Handbook is the essential, easy-to-use resource for undergraduate and vocational students on a wide range of courses including NVQ and BTEC National, through to Higher National Certificate and Diploma, to Foundation and three-year Degree level. It is also a useful practical reference for building designers, contractors and others engaged in the construction industry. Read more

A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK ONE OF THE NEW YORKER'S BEST BOOKS OF 2023  INCLUDED IN THE GUARDIAN'S BEST IDEAS BOOKS OF 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION WRITING ‘A gripping read that will anger as much as it fascinates’ Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall‘An incredible journey into the world of rubbish, full of fascinating characters and mind-bending facts’ Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland   ‘Urgent, probing and endlessly interesting’ Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment'There are stories in all our discarded things: who made them, what they meant to a person before they were thrown away. In the end, it all ends up in the same place – the endless ingenuity of humanity in one filthy, fascinating mass.'   When we throw things ‘away’, what does that actually mean? Where does it go, and who deals with it when it gets there? In Wasteland, award-winning journalist Oliver Franklin-Wallis takes us on an eye-opening journey through the global waste industry. From the mountainous landfills of New Delhi to Britain’s overflowing sewers, from hollowed-out mining towns in the USA to Ghana’s flooded second-hand markets, we meet the people on the frontline of our waste crisis – both those being exploited, and those determined to make a difference. On the way, we discover the corporate greenwashing that started the recycling movement; the dark truth behind our second-hand donations; and come face to face with the 10,000-year legacy of our nuclear waste.  Both shocking and hopeful, Wasteland is the timely and ultimately human story at the heart of an urgent global issue.   Read more

‘Wonderful and enriching’ Adam Nicolson‘The best book on conservation and the countryside I have read in years’ John Lewis-Stempel‘A modern pastoral written with intelligence, wit and lyricism’ Cal FlynOur wild places and wildlife are disappearing at a terrifying rate. This is a story about going in search of the people who are trying to save our birds, as well as confronting the enormity of what losing them would really mean.In this beautiful and thought-provoking blend of nature and travel writing Patrick Galbraith sets off across Britain on a journey that may well be his last chance to see some of our disappearing birds. Along the way, from Orkney to West Wales, from the wildest places to post-industrial towns, he meets a fascinatingly eclectic group of people who in very different ways are on the front line of conservation, tirelessly doing everything they can to save ten species teetering dangerously close to extinction.In Search of One Last Song mixes conservation, folklore, history, and art. Through talking to musicians, writers and poets, whose work is inspired by the birds he manages to see, such as the nightingale and the capercaillie, Galbraith creates a picture of the immense cultural void that would be left behind if these birds were gone.Among those he meets, there are feelings of great frustration. There are reed cutters and coppicers whose ancient crafts have long sustained vital habitats for some of our rarest birds but whose voices often go unheard. There are ornithologists who think their warnings are being ignored, and there are gamekeepers and animal rights activists who both feel they are on the right side of an increasingly ugly battle. Ultimately, it emerges that many of the birds Galbraith encounters could thrive, but it would require much better cooperation between those who are caught up in the struggle for their future. It also becomes clear that while losing birds like the turtle dove and black grouse will result in a paler country for all of us, for some of those who live alongside them, it will mean the bitterly painful end of so much more. Read more

The risks of global warming are real, and potentially vast. The difficulty of doing without fossil fuels is daunting, and possibly insurmountable. So there is an urgent need for new thinking on climate change. To meet that need, a small but increasingly influential group of scientists is exploring proposals for planned human intervention in the climate system. A stratospheric veil against the sun; the cultivation of photosynthetic plankton; a fleet of unmanned ships seeding clouds: these are the radical technologies of climate geoengineering. It is chilling to think of such power, and such scope for misadventure or malice, in humans hands. And yet we are now at the point where we have no choice but to take them very seriously indeed. The Planet Remade explores the science, history and politics behind these strategies. It looks at who might want to see geoengineering put to use - and why others would be dead set against it. In the last two centuries, changes to the planet - to the clouds and soils, to the winds and the seas, to the great cycles of nitrogen and carbon - have been far more profound than most of us realize. Appreciating the scale of that change compels us to rethink not just our responses to global warming, but our relationship to nature. With sensitivity, insight and expert science, Oliver Morton unpicks the moral implications of climate change, our fear that people have become a force of nature, and what it might mean to try and use that force for good. The Planet Remade is about imagining a world where people take care instead of taking control. Read more

ECPA Top Shelf Book Cover Award Biblical Foundations Book Award Winner Sandra L. Richter cares about the Bible. She also cares about creation. An expert in ancient Israelite society and economy as well as biblical theology, she walks readers through passages familiar and not-so-familiar, showing how significant environmental theology is to the Bible's witness. She then calls Christians to apply that message to today's environmental concerns. Richter is a master Bible scholar. Each chapter draws out a biblical mandate about humanity's responsibility to care for the land, domestic and wild creatures, and people on the margins. She is also a master storyteller. Well informed on present-day environmental challenges, Richter includes case studies that connect the biblical mandates to current issues. Though modern political alliances may tempt readers to sever Christian faith from environmental stewardship, in this concise and accessible book, Richter urges us to be driven by God's values instead. Read more