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A Light History of hot Air Peter Doherty, Melbourne University Press, $32.95
Mastering fire was a crucial step in humanity's development, and with it came the warmth that enabled us to conquer an ice-age world. The rising air that these fires generated was eventually harvested to drive steam engines and lift balloons. In this book Doherty traces the importance of hot air to the development of modern society.
The Cause of Mosquitoes' Sorrow Surendra Verma, Allen & Unwin, $22.95
This book explores the circumstances in which almost 200 developments in science occurred. Most involve great steps forward in science, such as the discovery of vitamins or continental drift. However, scientific discovery is not always a smootii path to the...