Why Millions Survive Cancer: The Successes of Science

  • Lauren Pecorino
Oxford University Press 256 pp. £16.99 (2011)

One in three of us can expect to have cancer during our lifetimes. But the prognosis is good, according to molecular biologist Lauren Pecorino. More people are surviving as better treatments come on line, thanks to advances in science and medicine. Relating the latest scientific evidence, she details for the general reader how models of cancer and knowledge of how the body defends itself against tumours have improved, and shows how the disease is better managed today. The book also examines the science that lies behind various lifestyle factors that contribute to cancer risks.

I'm Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59

  • Douglas Edwards
Allen Lane 432 pp. £20 (2011)

Douglas Edwards was Google's first director of marketing and brand management — employee number 59 — a post he held from 1999 to 2005. In his book he offers a peek inside the Googleplex, giving an intimate portrayal of the innovative company's unique culture and how it developed. He describes how the firm's founding duo, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, have encouraged a non-hierarchical management structure and fostered a creative ethos. He also gives sage management advice, explaining, for example, why you should always hire someone smarter than yourself.

The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean

  • David Abulafia
Allen Lane 816 pp. £30 (2011)

The Mediterranean Sea has witnessed the meeting of many civilizations throughout history. In this magnum opus, historian David Abulafia tells the tales of the diverse peoples that have lived around the Great Sea, portraying their trade and battles and emphasizing their varied languages and societies. From the Trojan Wars in the eleventh or twelfth centuries BC to the Grand Tours of the nineteenth century AD, and from the history of piracy to the spread of religions and modern tourism, he paints the Mediterranean as an epicentre of human history.

Global Warming and Political Intimidation: How Politicians Cracked Down on Scientists As the Earth Heated Up

  • Raymond S. Bradley
University of Massachusetts Press 168 pp. $19.95 (2011)

In 2005, US-based climate scientist Raymond Bradley found himself in the middle of a political maelstrom. Sceptical congressmen demanded that he and his co-authors, who had published the famous 'hockey stick' graph of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, hand over their data and declare their funding sources. Bradley relates this troubling episode and expresses his concern that some politicians are seeking to suppress climate science.

Sex on Six Legs: Lessons on Life, Love and Language from the Insect World

  • Marlene Zuk
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 272 pp. $25 (2011)

Most people recoil from creepy crawlies; biologist Marlene Zuk explains their scientific allure in her latest book. She relates that insects are more numerous than any other type of animal, accounting for 80% of species. And she describes how flies, ants, wasps and their ilk mate, care for their offspring, hunt and defend themselves. Her entertaining, no-nonsense prose is packed with colourful examples.