Giving is better than receivingā¦ or not, especially if itās holiday time. To celebrate Ā鶹“«Ć½ās gift issue, weāre giving one lucky winner 13 of the best science books, spanning everything from an illustrated guide to bugs for would-be entomologists to a special techbirdās-eye view of what went wrong with the Apollo 13 mission.
To throw your hat into the ring, fill out the entry form. Please include āHoliday book competitionā as your message.
Only subscribers and registered users are eligible to win, so be sure to log in or register before you enter. Registration is free and no purchase is necessary. The competition closes at 18:00 GMT on 12 December 2013 and one prize of 13 books will be awarded to the winner, chosen at random from all entries. Full terms and conditions are below. Please donāt try to enter by leaving a comment on this page ā click the entry form link to enter.
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1 Abominable Science! Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and other famous cryptids by Daniel Loxton and Donald R. Prothero
Why do so many of us have a soft spot for Big Foot or Nessie? Find out in this walk on the wild side.
2 Physics: An illustrated history of the foundations of science by Tom Jackson, Worth Press/Shelter Harbor Press
This accessible book tackles 100 of the breakthroughs that changed physics, while also reaching for the mysteries still to come in a post-Higgs world.
3 Apollo 13 Ownersā Workshop Manual by David Baker, Haynes
When Apollo 13 launched on 11 April 1970, who knew that hidden within millions of components were flawed parts that would bring the mission close to catastrophe?
4 The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets by Simon Singh, Bloomsbury
What have Homer and Bart got to do with Eulerās equation, the googolplex or the topology of doughnuts? Find out here ā and marvel at how the writers of The Simpsons slipped a multitude of mathematical references into the show.
5 Fifty Minerals that Changed the Course of History by Eric Chaline, Apple Press
From flint and obsidian through salt and clay to tungsten and plutonium, this is a great primer for everyone who likes their science embedded in culture.
6 Bugs Rule! An introduction to the world of insects by Whitney Cranshaw and Richard Redak, Princeton University Press
With more than 830 colour photos, this book is a great desk guide to help you tell a crane fly from a giant mosquito.
7 The Sky at Night: How to read the solar system by Chris North and Paul Abel, BBC Books
Keen to find out what makes a gassy giant or a wandering star? You canāt go wrong with this starter book from the BBCās Sky at Night team.
8 The Natural History of Selborne by Gilbert White, edited by Anne Secord, Oxford University Press
A natural history must-read in a new edition. The letters of 18th-century parson Gilbert White shine anew, and scholar Anne Secord has added illustrations by Thomas Pennant, one of Whiteās main correspondents.
9 The Shark That Walks on Land: And other strange but true tales of mysterious sea creatures by Michael Bright, The Robson Press
A book about the oceanās marvels, mythical and real ā among them the metre-long epaulette shark that does indeed āwalkā on its paddle-shaped fins. At the other end of the scale is the 12-metre-plus whale shark whose presence, fishers say, brings good luck.
10 The Hot Air Balloon Book: Build and launch Kongming lanterns, solar tetroons, and more by Clive Catterall, Chicago Review Press
Lighting and launching mini hot air balloons may be de rigueur at all the best parties, but making them from scratch is more technical than it looks, and involves the ideal gas law. Complex fun for the family.
11 How Big is Big and How Small is Small: The sizes of everything and why by Timothy Paul Smith, Oxford University Press
There are more than 45 orders of magnitude between the largest and smallest things measured. And 40-plus orders of magnitude between the fastest and slowest events ever recorded. Humans, happily, live somewhere in the middle of those ranges ā from where they can write and read beguiling books about the subject.
12 The Book of Barely Imagined Beings: A 21st century bestiary by Caspar Henderson, Granta
The real can be more wondrous than the imaginary. So it proves with Caspar Hendersonās beautifully conjured world ā ranging from the amazing jumping spider to Venusās Girdle, an ancient comb jelly. Now in paperback.
PLUS: The What on Earth? Wallbook of Science and Engineering by Christopher Lloyd and Andy Forshaw, What on Earth Publishing
Too big for most book piles, this wallchart book is a great way for your kids (or you, in secret) to learn your science-tech history.
Terms and conditions
1. This competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over, except for employees of Reed Business Information Limited and any company involved in the sponsorship of the competition.
2. Entry is open only to subscribers and registered users. Submit your entry, including your name and email address, using the entry form.
3. Every entrant will be entered into a draw to win all the books on featured on this page. Prizes cannot be exchanged.
4. Only one entry is permitted per person. No purchase is necessary.
5. Ā鶹“«Ć½ shall not be responsible for technical errors in telecommunication networks, internet access or otherwise, preventing entry at this website.
6. Entries must be received by 12 December 2013 at 18:00 GMT. Entries made after this time will not be counted.
7. Every effort will be made to notify the winner by email by 17 December 2013.
8. Submitting your entry constitutes your consent for us to use your entry, name and photos (if applicable) for editorial or publicity purposes.
9. Reed Business Information Limited reserves the right to ask for proof of age and evidence to verify the identity of an entrant at any time, and may use any channels and methods available to carry out checks of any details provided. Entrants may only enter the competition in their own name. Entries submitted through agents or third parties will not be accepted.
10. You hereby warrant that your entry will not infringe the intellectual property, privacy or any other rights of any third party, and will not contain anything which is libellous, defamatory, obscene, indecent, harassing or threatening.
11. Winnersā names are available by writing to āGift book competitionā, Lacon House, 84 Theobalds Road, London WC1X 8NS
12. Ā鶹“«Ć½ reserves the right to change or withdraw the competition and/or prize at any time.
13. By entering the competition, entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions.
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