Thames & Hudson – serie

An illustrated guide to our astonishing new understanding of dinosaurs, with the latest science and the most accurate and visually stunning palaeoart. Dinosaurs are not what you thought they were – or at least, they didn’t look like you thought they did. The world-leading palaeontologist Michael J. Benton brings us a new visual guide to the world of the dinosaurs, showing how rapid advances in technology and amazing new fossil finds have changed the way we see dinosaurs forever. Stunning new illustrations from palaeoartist Bob Nicholls display the latest and most exciting scientific discoveries in vibrant colour. No book before this has been so rigorous in its use of new data that finally tell us how dinosaurs actually looked. From Sinosauropteryx, the first dinosaur to have its colour patterns identified – a ginger and white striped tail – by Benton’s team at Bristol University in 2010, to the recent research on the mixed feathers and scales of Kulindadromeus, this is the first book to be based on cutting-edge scientific research. Each chapter focuses on one particular species, featuring a specially commissioned illustration that brings to life the latest scientific breakthroughs, with accompanying text exploring how palaeontologists have become able to determine new details such as the patterns on skin and the colours of feathers of animals that lived millions of years ago. This is a visual compendium to surprise and challenge everything you thought you knew about what dinosaurs looked like and how they lived.

‘This is scholarship at its very best. A brilliant book in every respect' Barry Cunliffe A lifetime’s study brings an authoritative perspective to one of the great unknowns in human history - the origin and language of the Indo-Europeans. Today the number of native speakers of Indo-European languages across the world is reckoned to be over 2.6 billion or about 45% of the earth’s population. Yet the idea that an ancient, prehistoric population in one time and place gave rise to our own family of people and language is one with a long and troubled past. In this expansive investigation, based on over 50 years of research, J. P. Mallory navigates the complex history of our search for the Indo-European homeland, offering fresh insight into the debates surrounding their origin as well as the latest genetic research. In this compelling account, Mallory explores ancient migrations, linguistics and archaeology, applying cutting edge-genetic research to untangle the key arguments with wit and verve. He addresses how the controversial idea of a single, shared homeland has been viewed by scientists, archaeologists and linguists across the past century and reconsiders how, in the case of the Nazis and more recent nationalist movements, they have been manipulated for political advantage. He goes on to unpick the linguistic trail linking us to the Indo-Europeans, looking at Sanskrit, Greek, Latin and more, tracing our linguistic origins across multiple peoples and cultures, finally bringing the most up to date phylogenetic research to bear on the story. Ultimately this book offers the most conclusive answer to the controversial question of where we are from and how we got here.

A glorious photographic record of the postwar English gardening scene by one of the people at its epicentre. Roald Dahl and his family in their garden at Great Missenden; Nancy Lancaster, society hostess and interior designer, sporting an elegant straw sombrero and snipping delicately at her roses; Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst – these and many other dedicated gardeners are captured here by the discerning eye of Valerie Finnis. With a spectacular cast of characters at home in their gardens, weeding, inspecting, watering and standing proudly by their plants, wearing the clothes and fashions of the day, and epitomizing life and society in the second half of the 20th century, this book will be devoured by anyone with a love of British gardens or horticulture in general.

Discover the absorbing art of whittling. An immersive and peaceful craft that rewards calm focus with beautiful objects.Samuel Alexander quickly built a strong following sharing his own compelling story about the healing power of carving. Now, in his first book he introduces this calm and gentle craft. Teaching beginners how to responsibly source fresh green wood, master the basic techniques for using a knife and sharing a range of step-by-step projects to work through at your own pace, The Green-Wood Carver is an important reminder of the therapeutic benefits of exploring a new craft.After learning the basics of how to get started, you can work through projects as varied as spoons, vases, simple buttons and household hooks. Working with the grain, you'll create tactile curves and textures, slowly revealing the character of each piece as you whittle.With Samuel's thoughtful reflections on the joy of small movements and personal creativity charmingly woven throughout this how-to guide, his aim is not only to teach you how to create a beautiful object but to find the beauty in the process itself.

A Times Art Book of the Year A beautiful and inspirational celebration of creativity by the dynamic and popular artist Mark Hearld. This beautiful book throws open the doors to the wonderfully vibrant and energetic world of Mark Hearld. He is a highly versatile artist, using a wide range of media and design projects to explore his love of nature, his interest in English popular art and his belief in the importance of living life visually. Hearld’s exuberance, the endless inspiration he finds in the natural world, and his unbridled passion for making are evident on every page. Featuring his distinctive collages, textile designs, linocut prints, wallpapers and sculptures (to name just a few), Raucous Invention is a celebration of – and insight into – Hearld’s recent work and extraordinary creativity. As Alan Powers explains in his introduction, ‘this art is imperfect in the best way, messy and not prone to explaining itself, but the sound of singing and laughter is in the air.’

The new prequel in the sci-fi universe HUXLEY, this spellbinding visual storybook is a unique vision of a post-apocalyptic future from leading game and film designer Ben Mauro.HUXLEY’s original run of six digital-first comics took the internet by storm and changed the landscape of graphic novels forever. But it was just the beginning. Ben Mauro’s epic decade-long franchise quickly expanded into prequels that build out the universe’s deep lore and rich history further, its next step is taken here in: HUXLEY: The Oracle. Delve deeper into the people, politics and horrors of FURY-7, a scorching desert planet that humanity abandoned to an empire of sacred machines known as Oracles after a devastating nuclear holocaust. These powerful machine emperors control the planet’s resources and have genetically engineered human clones to serve their needs. The most advanced of these soldiers are the Ronins; elite enforcers who maintain order for the Oracles in Machine City. Among them, Max – one of the heroes from the original graphic novels earlier in his career– discovers a conspiracy that threatens to upend the empire and his own understanding of the world. This brand new entry in the HUXLEY series features a captivating storyline with richly woven characters – some fan-favourites and others that are new to the saga – and another fascinating chapter in the franchise’s sprawling lore. Ben Mauro brings the burgeoning universe to life with hundreds of pages of characteristically intricate artwork. Get ready to embark on an epic new expedition in the HUXLEY universe, where every page promises adventure, intrigue and breathtaking artistry.100 colour illustrations featuring original artwork from artists Steve Chinhsuan Wang (Gears of War 5), Nikolas Gekko (Halo Infinite, Destiny 2), Ben Mauro and never before seen storyboards from Syama Pedersen (Astartes).

The definitive illustrated overview of contemporary performance art. Performance Now charts the development of live art across six continents since the turn of the 21st century. It reveals how performance, so integral to the history of art in the 20th century, has become an increasingly essential vehicle for communicating ideas across the globe in the new millennium. Renowned authority RoseLee Goldberg discusses key themes in performance art practice, from beauty, global citizenship and political activism to performance’s intersection with film and technology, dance, theatre and architecture. Each chapter is followed by illustrated profiles of the world’s best-known performance artists, accompanied by extended captions that assess the importance of specific works to the practice of international performance art. A visually exciting and stimulating overview of this most varied art form, Performance Now is the go-to reference for artists, art students and historians as well as avant-garde theatre and movie goers.

A Sunday Times Art Book of the Year. This is a unique and compelling journey through five centuries of the city known as ‘La Serenissima’ – a perfect companion for both lovers of Venice and lovers of its art. Venice was a major centre of art in the Renaissance: the city where the medium of oil on canvas became the norm. Nowhere else has been depicted by so many great painters in so many diverse styles and moods. Venetian views were a speciality of native artists such as Canaletto and Guardi, but the city has also been represented by outsiders: J. M. W. Turner, Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Howard Hodgkin, and many more. Then there are those who came to look at and write about art. The reactions of Henry James, George Eliot, Richard Wagner and others enrich this tale. Nor is the story over. Since the advent of the Venice Biennale in the 1890s, and the arrival of Peggy Guggenheim in the late 1940s, the city has become a shop window for the contemporary art of the whole world, and it remains the site of important artistic events. In this elegant volume, Gayford – who has visited Venice countless times since the 1970s, covered every Biennale since 1990, and even had portraits of himself exhibited there on several occasions – takes us on a visual journey through the city’s past five centuries.

A beautifully written and elegantly constructed narrative that explores the intense, complex and far-reaching female friendships among the Surrealists during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. The Militant Muse documents what it meant to be young, ambitious and female in the context of an avant-garde movement defined by celebrated men whose educational, philosophical and literary backgrounds were often quite different from those of their younger lovers and companions. Focusing on the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, Whitney Chadwick charts five intense, far-reaching female friendships among the surrealists to show how surrealism and the experiences of war, loss and trauma shaped individual women’s transitions from beloved muses to mature artists. Her vivid account includes the fascinating story of Claude Cahun and Suzanne Malherbe’s subversive activities in occupied Jersey, as well as the experiences of Lee Miller and Valentine Penrose at the frontline. The book draws on personal correspondence between the women, including the extraordinary letters between Leonora Carrington and Leonor Fini following the imprisonment of Carrington’s lover Max Ernst, and the letter Frida Kahlo shared with her friend and lover Jacqueline Lamba years after it was written in the 1930s during a difficult stay in Paris. This thoroughly engrossing history brings a new perspective to the political context of surrealism, as well as fresh insights on the vital importance of female friendship to artistic and intellectual flowering.

Best-selling author/illustrator Marion Deuchars now takes her beloved bird through a daily workout in the natural sequel to Yoga for Stiff Birds.Marion Deuchars perfectly understands the difficult relationship some of us have with our daily fitness routine. In How to be a Fit Bird she raises a smile and brings levity to our workouts, using Bob the bird to see us through a number of routines: from holistic ten-minute workouts to more specific sessions focusing on particular parts of the body.

'Full of character, combining proper research with a sure eye to what attracts and sustains an audience’s attention' Scotland on Sunday The story of the Highland clans is a gripping one, full of celebrated names and heroic deeds. It is also, as Alistair Moffat reveals, the story of a fearless people, shaped by the unique traditions and landscape of the Scottish Highlands. Here, he traces the history of the clans from their Celtic origins to the coming of the Romans, through the great battles of Bannockburn and Flodden, to the Clearances and the present day. The story of the clans is also about the pain of leaving, with the great emigrations to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Clansmen and women disappeared, but the memories have never faded. Even today the power of the ancient clan names persists, drawing many back to this rugged corner of the world. Complete with a clan map and an alphabetical list of the clans of the Scottish Highlands, this is a must for anyone interested in the history of Scotland.

A gripping, post-apocalyptic sci-fi graphic novel from acclaimed universe-builder Ben Mauro, perfect for fans of Dune and Star Wars.Built on the ashes of a nuclear holocaust, a once thriving world ruined by generations of planetary wars now lays in perpetual waste. To save humanity from itself, the remaining A.I. bred and cloned elite humans as workers, soldiers and enforcers – armoured warriors known as Ronin – to help keep order and give humanity a purpose in this new world. After a certain age, the clones start to think for themselves and are sent on increasingly dangerous missions until they are killed or ‘retired’, replaced by younger and more compliant clones until the cycle repeats itself again.While humanity limps on in this new world, the lives of two soldiers, Max and Kai, become irreversibly intertwined on a routine mission upon discovering an ancient sentient robot known as Huxley in the wastelands of a desolate planet. These two post-apocalyptic scavengers suddenly find themselves thrust into a mystery of a galactic scale and as the saga unfolds, the reader begins to unravel Huxley's true purpose. Ben Mauro’s stunning debut adventure sets the stage for an exciting new sci-fi universe for readers and fans of the genre to enjoy and fall in love with.

The inside story of Record Plant studios – the real ‘Hotel California’ – that reveals how the greatest music of the seventies was recorded and why the artists checked out but rarely left. Strap yourself in and take a helter-skelter ride through more than a decade’s worth of high drama, hedonism, high tech and musical genius as told by the insiders at the heart of Record Plant studios, one of the most prolific recording factories of all time, founded in 1968 by charismatic audio engineer Gary Kellgren and ace businessman Chris Stone. In the 1970s, Record Plant was everywhere there was music. In 1976 alone, the studios produced three No. 1 albums: Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life, The Eagles’ Hotel California and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. Based on the memoirs and archives of Chris Stone, as well as interviews with over 100 studio employees, music producers and recording artists, Buzz Me In tells the incredible story of Record Plant’s evolution and the making of more than a decade’s worth of Gold and Platinum albums, tape by tape. Illustrated throughout with behind-the-scenes images, archive photos of artists recording and performing live and album cover art, this revelatory and extensively researched book explores and celebrates the way the studios were designed to cater to every rock’n’roller’s fancy. From the living-room-style studio in New York, where Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland was recorded and where John Lennon later encamped, to the VIP clubhouse studio in Los Angeles where Stevie Wonder produced his classic hits, and the destination recording venue in Sausalito where Sly Stone, Bob Marley and Fleetwood Mac holed up, each studio location had its own inherent character – but all showcased the founders’ proven formula of combining state-of-the-art audio, fantasy bedrooms and group Jacuzzis with sex, drugs and celebrity jams. Was Record Plant ‘the real Hotel California’?

An overview of the lost peoples and cultures who flourished and fought for survival alongside the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Who were the Philistines?What was a Pyrrhic victory?Were the Vandals really vandals?Why should you speak to a Samaritan? Beyond the Greeks, Romans and Hebrews of the Classical and biblical eras, a rich diversity of peoples helped lay the foundations of the modern world. Philip Matyszak brings to life the cultures and individuals that made up the busy, brawling multicultural mass of humanity that emerged from the ancient Middle East and spread across the Mediterranean and Europe. He explores the origins of forty forgotten peoples, their great triumphs and defeats, and considers the legacy they have left to us today, whether it be in fine art or everyday language. This carefully researched and illuminating history is the perfect introduction for the modern reader, packed with surprising facts and fascinating stories, detailed maps and beautiful illustrations of artefacts and sites of interest. Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World offers a new understanding of these important civilizations that have been obscured by the passage of time.

The story of two watchmakers who established a luxury watch brand and in only a few years created some of the most innovative, refined and sought-after timepieces in the world. This is the untold story of how two rebellious master watchmakers, Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey, learned their craft, met, established a brand, and in a few years created some of the most astonishingly beautiful and mechanically sophisticated timepieces ever made. Today they are recognized as the makers of the most uncompromising designs in the world. The two men met in early 1992 at Renaud et Papi, a hothouse of new watchmaking ideas in Le Locle in the Swiss Jura Mountains. They teamed up and launched Greubel Forsey in 2004 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, refusing to accept that everything had already been invented in watchmaking. Going against the grain, they focused their energy on uncompromising innovation and the most difficult elements of hand finishing, bringing back a level of excellence that would rival the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century masters. Greubel and Forsey are responsible for many inventions that have advanced watchmaking expertise to new levels as well as creating thirty unique and original calibres since 2004.

An Art Newspaper Art Book of the Year The first-ever A–Z of the major modern and contemporary artists of the Middle East, a region attracting international attention for its new museums, private collections, exhibitions and art fairs. Saeb Eigner shares his intimate knowledge of the stylistic, literary and linguistic histories of the Middle East and North Africa in the detailed biographies of almost 100 culturally significant artists from the region, ranging from early modernists such as Shafic Abboud, Marwan, Bahman Mohassess and Gazbia Sirry to contemporary artists such as Mona Hatoum, Nabil Nahas and Shirin Neshat. Concise profiles of almost 160 additional artists offer further insight into those shaping this rich cultural landscape.This essential, illuminating resource for anyone interested in modern and contemporary art establishes a dialogue between works that engage with the prominent issues of our age and the ever-changing social, political and religious context of their creation.

A timely examination of a wide range of projects exploring the boundaries of what it means to be alive, speculating on what 'life' is, and how humankind will (or will not) fit into a new order of hybrid species: a sort of sci-fi guidebook to lab-built humans. A silicone jellyfish with a rat’s heart, a drone that smells using the antenna of a moth, wearables made from cultured human skin, an AI-populated digital snack bar in the metaverse. These projects and many more offer a mind-bending, head-turning vision of the future that Madeline Schwartzman demonstrates is just around the corner. Curated from new developments in synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, robotics, engineering, biology and art, this broad-ranging survey demonstrates the myriad ways in which our perception of what it means to be alive has dramatically changed. Where do we draw the new lines? Are there any boundaries we should not cross? And what if… ? By examining these new ‘beings’, Alive maps out a vision of new partnerships, uncanny hybrids and collaborative intelligences, as science fiction rapidly becomes science fact.

A non-fiction graphic novel that tells the story of a century of revolutionary contemporary art. How did a urinal become art? And a can of tomato soup, a tent, a pickled shark... How do you get at one of the world’s most powerful governments by smashing an old vase? How did what seemed like a prank at the New York Armory Show of 1917 explode to become today's global multi-billion dollar art world? This graphic novel answers these questions by following the lives of seminal contemporary artists and the stories behind their groundbreaking works. Against a backdrop of armed conflict and rapid societal change, this book tells the story of contemporary art from Marcel Duchamp’s repurposed urinal to Maurizio Cattelan’s taped banana. Literal bombs explode and conventions go up in flames as a series of art objects shock and electrify society: canned excrement, a pickled shark, a stuffed hare, human blood. The story moves from Paris to New York and London, and then captures the geographical spread of a rapidly globalizing cultural scene by jumping to events in Tokyo, Belgrade, Rio de Janeiro, Lagos and Beijing, and culminating in Miami – and in the ether, everywhere and nowhere, on the internet. Chapters follow a series of chain reactions as artists meet or inspire each other across the generations and decades. Over a period of 100 years everything changes – and yet the cry of ‘It’s not art!’ never goes away. No matter how long people have had to get used to it, contemporary art continues to upset expectations and disrupt conventions – and inspire anew.

'Banksy’s legacy finally gets its due... Banksy: The Prints stands as essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how genuine creative vision can simultaneously challenge systems and work within them – a lesson increasingly relevant in today's complex creative economy’ Creative Boom The first ever comprehensive catalogue of Banksy’s print editions from 2002 to 2022. Banksy has been creating work for over three decades and is one of the best-known artists of our age. While Banksy has always believed the best place for his work is on the street, where it is free and accessible to everyone, since 2002 he has also created and sold approximately fifty-one print editions, equating to an estimated 30,000 artworks.This unauthorized guide to Banksy’s print editions meticulously documents and reproduces over 170 unique prints, offering an unparalleled visual catalogue of these hugely collectable works. Banksy initially offered his prints – both signed and unsigned – for modest prices, democratizing fine art and making it widely available. Crucially, his prints often expand on themes seen in his wider oeuvre, making them essential in understanding his artistic trajectory. Organized by release year, with perceptive commentary, essential details about each edition, and faithful and high-quality reproductions, Banksy: The Prints is the ultimate resource for collectors, fans of Banksy and street art enthusiasts.

A vibrant infographics book made for lovers of science, geography and extraordinary discoveries to better understand the infinite richness of the world. Zoology, botany, astrophysics, seismology... This book is all about making science accessible to all. From fireflies to the Big Bang, from the magnificent maps of the world’s sands to the anatomy of ice crystals, these 125 illustrated graphic phenomena are designed to take you on a stroll through the vast world of knowledge.

A vibrant contemporary art anthology that explores the complex ties between race, climate crisis and colonialism by 100 leading artists of African diasporic, Latin American and Native American identity. Black Earth Rising presents works by artists of African diasporic, Latin American and Native American identity that address vital questions of land, presence, climate crisis, and social and environmental justice against the historical backdrop of European settlement of the New World. Supported by an exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art curated by the author, this timely publication invites us to trace and make the connections between race, the climate crisis and colonialism. Works by 100 contemporary artists are presented in three thematic sections: Reckoning, Reimagining and Reclaiming. Complex and intertwined concepts are explored: forced migration and slavery, the environmental consequences of colonialism, the occupation of Native lands, the urban plight of Black and Brown communities, and how cultural practices and knowledge systems of indigenous peoples can change our perspectives of the natural world. Compelling and thought-provoking, Black Earth Rising presents a discourse around climate change that situates the voices of people of colour at the active centre rather than on the passive periphery and expands our understanding of aesthetic perspectives on climate change through artworks that reach to the poetic and lyrical rather than the didactic.Learn more about the exhibition at artbma.org

Hara-KiriGaroZap ComixThis major historical survey of the so-called "ninth art" establishes a dialogue between the three leading regions of comic book culture—Europe, Asia, and America—and offers an immersive odyssey through the medium's development over six decades, ranging from the explosion of the twentieth-century counterculture scene to the most abstract contemporary styles.Comics

Welcome to the exotic world of Istanbul in the year 1750! Palaces & mosques, coffee houses and baths – this is your pocket guide to the city of the Sultans. This entertaining and informative guide takes you on a journey back to the era of the Grand Tour, when Istanbul was a favourite destination for enterprising travellers. Learn how to gain access to the heavily guarded Topkapi Sarayi. Discover how to haggle with the expert salesmen in the bustling bazaars, learn what excitements await you in a Turkish bath and attend the strange rituals of the whirling dervishes. Or watch the sultan, dressed in all his finery, taking to the Bosphorus in his splendid barge. The more daring can join the crowds attending an execution or taste the forbidden delicacies on offer in the most risque coffee houses and opium dens. Witty and fact-filled, Istanbul on Five Kurush a Day will appeal to travellers, museum-goers and anyone who wonders what it would really have been like to visit the hub of the Ottoman Empire.

A career-spanning retrospective of one of the most successful British filmmakers in Hollywood’s history. ‘If I were pressed to describe my style, I’d have to say it is called reality. No matter how stylized it gets, underneath it’s real’ Ridley Scott Illustrated with images as iconic as they are stunning, and including the author’s first-hand experiences on set and interviews with Scott himself, this book charts the extraordinary journey of Britain’s greatest living director. The stories behind many great films are revealed, from science fiction classics Alien, Blade Runner and The Martian, through timeless thrillers Hannibal and American Gangster, to historical hits Kingdom of Heaven, Napoleon and Gladiator II. The book explores the themes and motifs that unite such different films, and the methods of Scott’s approach to his medium. This is the account of a director who has never been less than stubbornly, brilliantly, unforgettably his own man.

The story of the author’s cabin build in the wilderness, packed with practical advice for aspiring builders and insights into of the history of cabin culture around the world. In 2010, journalist and author Will Jones gave up London life to move to rural Canada with his young family. His dream was to build a remote cabin in the woods that would be a silent retreat from the world. This is the story of how he created the ultimate hideaway, inspired by cabin-building practices around the world. Throughout history, people around the world have built cabins as homes, nature-watching huts and even follies. In recent times, many have been drawn to cabin-building by a yearning to connect with nature and spend time in the wilderness. From the homes of indigenous peoples and the settlers of the New World to contemporary Nordic summer homes and artists’ retreats, the emotive lure of cabin-building shows no sign of abating. In this book, Will Jones explores the history and romance of cabin-building and delves into the architectural styles, vernacular idiosyncrasies and tools and techniques of historical and modern builders. Weaving the personal story of his cabin build with illustrated practical know-how on everything from deciding on site and orientation, to foundations and interior design, Jones’s essential book is full of inspirational ideas. The urge to escape the city and live in nature has never been stronger. Part story, part history and part practical guide, this is the ultimate read for anyone dreaming of building a cabin of their own.

A deliciously fascinating, expertly written global tour of cooking, eating and drinking, told through objects in the collections of the British Museum. Our insatiable appetite for creativity in the kitchen – or around the open fire – is reflected in the fascinating array of objects explored in this book. Authored by food writer Jenny Linford in consultation with curators from the British Museum, Repast focuses on artefacts in the museum’s collections – from ancient clay cooking vessels to exquisite gold goblets – spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Australasia, from prehistory to the present day. Arranged into thirteen broad themes such as Hunting, Alcohol, Religion, Feasting and Eating Out, with lavish plates accompanying absorbing essays on subjects including tea (the world’s most consumed drink after water), pork (the world’s most widely consumed meat), and wheat (the source of 20% of the world’s human calorie consumption), Repast conveys the extraordinary global story of food, drink and the culinary arts. This clearly structured, beautifully illustrated book will engage and delight the growing audience interested in the history of food and drink.

This comedic journey through science history explores ten mind-bending accidents and experiments that take us inside the brain to discover how it works. Written by professor of neuroscience Caswell Barry, together with his good friend, the children's author Lucy Ann Unwin, Inside Your Brain takes readers on an irreverent gallop through history to uncover ten groundbreaking discoveries that led to our current understanding of how the brain works. The human brain is famously complex and difficult to understand. The brain is also essential to how we function – so much so, that you can't simply poke a stick at it to see what happens. However, if someone accidentally pokes a stick through their own brain, there's a lot we can learn... The ancient Egyptians discovered in battle that the brain was more important than they'd thought; Luigi Galvani sent electric shocks through dead frogs' legs and uncovered how brain cells work; Phineas Gage's unfortunate accident on the railroads revealed that you can survive a metal rod through the head because the brain operates using separate regions; while some unwitting kittens helped us understand how our brain develops. This book also touches on our present and future potential to continue testing the brain, such as how we can learn an enormous amount about how the brain processes information from AI, without experimenting on a human subject. This entertaining and engaging deep dive into the most mind-boggling area of science is sure to fascinate and delight young readers.