Flatterland: Like Flatland, Only More So by Ian Stewart Perseus, $14 “It is clear that Stewart knows the difference between serious science and solemn science. The book is as amusing and entertaining as it is informative, and serves as a fascinating introduction to the various mathematical spaces we inhabit.” Lisa Lehrer Dive & Andrew Irvine, Nature 411, 240–241 (2001).

The Cichlid Fishes: Nature's Grand Experiment in Evolution by George W. Barlow Perseus, $18 “In this book, which is written in a colloquial and non-technical style, Barlow summarizes decades of his experience with cichlids... He draws on his impressive knowledge of the behaviour and natural history of many groups of fishes to make more general, important points about evolution... The book is entertaining and fun to read.” Axel Meyer, Nature 410, 17–18 (2001).

Intellectual Property Rights, Trade and Biodiversity by Graham Dutfield Earthscan, £24.95

Almost Human: A Journey into the World of Baboons by Shirley C. Strum University of Chicago Press, $18

Out of its Mind: Psychiatry in Crisis — A Call for Reform by J. Allan Hobson & Jonathan A. Leonard Perseus, $17

Atom: An Odyssey from the Big Bang to Life on Earth... and Beyond by Lawrence M. Krauss Abacus, £9.99

I Wish I'd Made You Angry Earlier: Essays on Science, Scientists and Humanity by Max Perutz Oxford University Press, £9.99