Michael Tippett, The Biography by Oliver Soden
Reviewed by Peter Hobson This is a very long, extensively referenced account of the life and music of Michael Tippett, a composer who is often regarded as someone who never…
Ada’s Algorithm by James Essinger
Review by Peter Hobson One of the most accomplished women of the nineteenth century and little known until recently outside mathematical and computer science circles, Ada Lovelace is the subject…
Stranger than we can Imagine by John Higgs
Review by Peter Hobson Subtitled “Making Sense of the Twentieth Century”, Higgs’ book takes fifteen of what he (and I think many people) consider to be seminal concepts, paradigm shifts…
Library Cat by Alex Howard
Review by Peter Hobson This book recounts the puzzling behaviour and absurdities of the human world as narrated by the famous, and sadly now missing, Library Cat of Edinburgh University….
Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs by Lisa Randall
Reviewed by Peter Hobson This new book by world famous theoretical physicist Lisa Randall, subtitled “The astounding interconnectedness of the Universe”, gives the reader an excellent insight into how physicists…
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua
Reviewed by Peter Hobson Punchycards! [1] If that word brings a smile of recognition to your lips then almost certainly you will not need to read my review any further…
The Evolutionist: The Strange Tale of Alfred Russel Wallace by Avi Sirlin
Reviewed by Peter Hobson The Evolutionist is a novel which aims to bring an important scientist in the development of the early scientific theories of evolution to a wider audience. We…
Colliding Worlds by Arthur I Miller
Reviewed by Peter Hobson One of the most enjoyable work-related things I have done in recent years was to collaborate with the British artist Jayne Wilton for a year after…
Computing with Quantum Cats by John Gribbin
Reviewed by Peter Hobson The name John Gribbin will be familiar to many readers with an interest in understanding the mysterious quantum world as he is well known for books…