Showing results by narrator "Jot Davies" in All Categories

As Aristotle understood it, ‘there is no great genius without a mixture of madness’ and he may well have had a point: Einstein routinely forgot his way home when out walking the streets of Vienna, Nietzsche wound up in an insane asylum and Bobby Fischer, the chess prodigy, now scrambles around the world, seeking residency in any country reckless enough to let him through immigration.Simon Philips Norton, the subject of The Genius in my Basement, is not mad – not by a long shot – but he is certainly mixed up.

Wombat loves digging deep holes and thinking deep thoughts, but nobody thinks much of that until danger threatens the bush and the small wombat comes up with a great big idea! One day Wombat digs the deepest hole he's ever dug and crawls into the cool darkness to think. But when he climbs out again, he can't see his mother anywhere. He is all alone.

The Secret Body is a gripping drama of discovery and a landmark account of the dawning revolution in human health that reveals a hitherto invisible universe within each of us.

Quantum theory is at the heart of modern physics, but how does it actually work? NASA scientist and communicator Sten Odenwald demystifies the subject and makes this crucial topic accessible to everyone. Featuring topics such as Schrodinger's cat, the wave-particle duality and the newly emerging theories of quantum gravity, as well as the personalities behind the science, such as Max Planck, Neils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Richard Feynman and many more, Knowledge in a Nutshell: Quantum Physics provides an essential introduction to cutting edge science.

When a clever little rooster finds a diamond, he thinks it only just that he shares his good fortune with his poor and loving mistress. But a greedy sultan is determined to claim the diamond for his own - and devises a series of traps to outwit the plucky bird. A hilarious chase ensues, and we are shown that greed and avarice lead to nothing but sorrow, whilst true happiness lies in a generous spirit.

Teresa is everything he wants. She is beautiful, charming, rebellious, and born with every advantage in life. He has only ever existed on the margins. A poor immigrant from Murcia, earning his living stealing and selling motorbikes, he could only ever dream of being with the daughter of the Catalan bourgeoisie. When their desires take hold, they must face the realities of a world designed to keep them apart.

The sixth animal in the hilarious Awesome Animals series - awesome adventures with the wildest wildlife. The otterly bonkers Brown family are hugely excited, as today's the day they move to their new home. But when they get there they find the beastly Black family have got there first! This riverbank ain't big enough for the both of them, so there's only one thing for it: war. Well, not real war. Otters are more into playing than fighting, so instead they decide to hold a giant sports day - and may the best otters win!

On a typical afternoon, teenage Joe is being chased by bullies from school when he accidentally runs through a portal to another world. He finds himself in a training camp for a group of teenage boys and girls who will become Runners. Each cycle, three Runners are sent to place the power sources that will secure the shield that protects their land, Carcassia, and keeps the enemy Kabanians at bay.

Meet the Puppies Online! Einstein the brainy dachshund, Puzzle the snoozy sheepdog, and Bounce the speedy spaniel spend their holidays at a very special kind of kennels - a lighthouse by the sea! But there's no time for sunbathing. The woof-tastic trio meet the evil Mike Dodger, discover an ancient treasure map and find themselves caught up in a race against time. Luckily the pups are equipped with all the latest online gadgets and tech know-how. But will their super skills be enough to sniff out the treasure before Mike does?

When 18-year-old Michael visits the Hanbury's remote family home, he is captivated by their bohemian lifestyle. Years later, when he marries the strong-willed, beautiful Rebecca, he is secretly hoping to create his own version of that free-thinking family, but after the birth of their first child, their marriage begins to flounder. The chance to escape once more to his friend's country house comes as a welcome relief, until he discovers a family changed and his own romantic notions of country life begin to disintegrate....

How does one talk about love? buffoonery, n. "You were drunk, and I made the mistake of mentioning Showgirls in a near-empty subway car. The pole had no idea what it was about to endure." In this enchanting compendium of Love, David Leviathan charts the moving portrait of a relationship - starting with: aberrant, adj. '"'I don't normally do this kind of thing,' you said. 'Neither do I,' I assured you…."

In this brilliant, one-stop guide WIRED journalist Matt Burgess explains everything you need to know about AI. He describes how it works. He looks at the ways in which it has already brought us everything from voice recognition software to self-driving cars and explores its potential for further revolutionary change in almost every area of our daily lives.

Sam’s life has always been strange. After all, his family have no idea that he’s half monster, half fairy. But now he’s keeping an even bigger secret. He alone has the power to bring monsters to life! (He’s even got a tiny gargoyle hatchling hidden in his sock drawer.) When Queen Maggie finds out, she’s delighted. She wants Sam to create her a whole new legion of vile ogres. When he refuses, she vows that she will destroy everything Sam holds dear.

School bully, Darren Bishop, is beaten in a race and wants to get even with the winner. A comedy involving a boy, a bully and a serious case of mistaken identity. Barrington Stoke specialise in books for reluctant, struggling and dyslexic readers.

Jlm lives in a fishing village - but no-one goes fishing anymore as all the fish have gone. One day, Jim spots a dolphin beached on the sand. He runs to get help, and everyone works together to return the dolphin to the water. Afterwards, the dolphin stays in the harbour, playing with the swimmers - and he even carries Jim on his back!

Sam might be half-monster and half-fairy, but since finding a loving family with the Kavanaghs, his daily life has been all human. And now he's facing one of the greatest human challenges - starting secondary school. But Sam barely has time to worry about the strange stuff teachers say (why do they call it the Great War when it sounds like was anything but great?) before he is thrust back into the world of monsters.

By the end of this century, living beyond 100 will be the rule rather than the exception. What medical breakthroughs and new technologies will make this possible? In this brilliantly wide-ranging, one-stop guide, WIRED journalist James Temperton outlines the medical revolutions that are transforming healthcare. He looks at the burgeoning immune therapies that could one day cure such life-threatening diseases as cancer.

One cold Christmas night, a shepherd recounts the magical story of how he came to be the first visitor to the newborn Christ child - ahead of the other shepherds, and in complete secret. A deftly wrought re-working of the nativity story, Michael's tale is rich in human detail.

A boy living by a Scottish loch sees a beautiful silver swan land on the water. She remains at the loch, mates and there are soon five cygnets too. The boy watches them in awe and pride. When snowy winter sets in, all the birds and animals around the loch must scavenge desperately for food. The fox also has cubs to feed…

A robber holds up a Canadian bank but instead of stealing money he takes from each person the item of most sentimental value. As time passes the loss of these items have a dramatic effect on the victims: one discovers God under her sofa, another is attacked by her lion tattoo when it comes to life, and the wife of our narrator starts to shrink.