Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

Quantity:

More Buying Choices

23 used & new from �13.69

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Magic Universe: The Oxford Guide to Modern Science (Hardcover)

by Nigel Calder (Author) "'NOTHING WILL BE ACHIEVED BY THIS,' the scientific board of the organic laboratory at Munich told Eduard Buchner in 1893 ..." (more)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

RRP:	�25.00
Price:	�21.25 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save:	�3.75 (15%)

Usually dispatched within 6 to 11 days.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

10 new from �21.25 13 used from �13.69

Other Editions:	RRP:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Hardcover			2 used & new from �25.11

Frequently Bought Together

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Chaos: Making a New Science

by James Gleick

4.5 out of 5 stars (17) �6.49

The God Delusion

by Richard Dawkins

3.8 out of 5 stars (810) �4.49

The Blind Watchmaker

by Richard Dawkins

4.3 out of 5 stars (79) �6.49

Bang! The Complete History of the Universe

by Brian May

4.9 out of 5 stars (9) �11.00

The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics: Concerning Computers, Minds and the Laws of Physics (Popular Science)

by Sir Roger Penrose

3.8 out of 5 stars (13) �6.49

› Explore similar items

Product details

Hardcover: 768 pages
Publisher: OUP Oxford (25 Sep 2003)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0198507925
ISBN-13: 978-0198507925
Product Dimensions: 24.7 x 17.2 x 6.2 cm

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 463,139 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

See Complete Table of Contents

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

(What is this?)

UNIVERSE

InterSystems.com/MV High-Performance Database Now With PICK Data Access. Read A Paper

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Nigel Calder's Magic Universe: the Oxford Guide to Modern Science functions as a reference book but to describe it as such is to do it a great disservice. Reference books do the same job as encyclopaedias; they tell you what you want to know about something specific--in this case, atoms, genomes, gravity, cosmology, and all things scientific. There are several differences between a typical reference book and Calder's. For a start you can read Magic Universe for pleasure because he has an eye for the most arresting angle as well as an informal and highly engaging prose style. He is a good story-teller still in the habit of keeping his audience entertained as well as informed.

Two hundred years ago it was possible and common for the interested amateur to know most of the issues connected with the whole field of science. Modern specialisation and the emergence of entirely new areas of knowledge have made that quest seem all but impossible. Calder's wish is to take the reader on a cross-disciplinary hike taking in the many subdivisions and ending up with a good general grasp of the whole field of scientific knowledge. The book contains about 150 entries arranged from A to Z and each one functions as a self-contained mini-story. The most efficient way to read the book--if one is interested in particular areas of science--is to follow the cross references, but simply opening the book at random and following one's nose is the most fun. Overall, this an unusual and surprisingly addictive book well worth the cover price. --Larry Brown

John Cornwell, Sunday Times
"A must for every student of science, and the ideal compendium for non-scientists of any age trying to keep abreast."

See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
'NOTHING WILL BE ACHIEVED BY THIS,' the scientific board of the organic laboratory at Munich told Eduard Buchner in 1893. Read the first page

Explore More
Concordance

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

(What's this?)

Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)

dictionary

Customer Reviews

1 Review

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful and easy guide to science, 26 Jun 2004

By A Customer

I read this book after Bill Bryson's brilliant "Short History...". This is by far the better book.

A chapter is set aside for each subject. The subjects covered are in alphabetical order and you can choose what you want to read about first. There is no requirement to read the book front to back, but I did.

The book is written in a very clear style. There was no point at which I felt that I was out of my depth. At the same time the book is written with an authoritative voice which gives confidence that one is getting a pretty accurate picture.

Nigel Calder is to be congratulated on writing a truely spell binding book. It opened my eyes to the nature of the universe we live in, in a very profound way.

This books tells you everything you need to know about science but were too afraid to ask! Or just did not know where to look! Or just found the explanation you recieved too confusing!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }

Customer Discussions

Beta (What's this?)

This product's forum (0 discussions)

	Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
	No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Prompts for sign-in

[Cancel]

Guidelines

Listmania!

My favourite books: A list by Mr. Kier L. Z. Marston
My favourtite books: A list by Mr. A. D. BUTLER "Fact lover!"
Good popular science books: A list by Spider Monkey

Create a Listmania! list

Feedback

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.

Astronomy for Dummies

An accessible guide to the wonders of the night sky, now updated From... Read more
£14.99 £7.49

›Find similar items

More From Nigel Calder

How to Read a Nautical Chart: A...

Here is everything the navigator needs to know about the nautical... Read more
£9.99 £5.99

Up to 50% off Dental Care

Braun Oral-B Professional Care 6000 Rechargeable Toothbrush - Pack of 2

Put a sparkle in your smile with up to 50% off selected Oral-B and Philips rechargeable toothbrushes.

›Up to 50% off power toothbrushes

Treat Someone

With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

Where's My Stuff?

track your recent orders
view or change your orders in Your Account

Delivery and Returns

see our delivery rates and policies
thinking of returning an item? (See our Returns Policy)

Need Help?

Forgot your password?
Buy Gift Certificates.
still have questions? Visit our Help Pages

Your Recent History

(What's this?)

You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer

4.1 out of 5 stars (453)�6.49

New Moon (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer

4.2 out of 5 stars (216)�3.49

Eclipse (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer

4.4 out of 5 stars (208)�3.84

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

4.1 out of 5 stars (157)�3.99


Amazon Home

International Sites: United States \| Germany \| France \| Japan \| Canada \| China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon \| Fulfilment by Amazon \| Join Associates \| Join Advantage

Customer Service \| Help \| View Basket \| Your Account

About Amazon.co.uk \| Careers at Amazon


Amazon Home

International Sites: United States \| Germany \| France \| Japan \| Canada \| China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon \| Fulfilment by Amazon \| Join Associates \| Join Advantage

Customer Service \| Help \| View Basket \| Your Account

About Amazon.co.uk \| Careers at Amazon