Books Podcast
1) Paul Davies – Quantum 2.0: The Past, Present and Future of Quantum Physics
Reality doesn’t exist … probably … “Quantum physics is, without doubt, the most disruptive technological transformation in history.” “Really?” you say, “And what has quantum physics done for us?” Elec...Show More
2) Peter Doggett – Surf’s Up – Brian Wilson And The Beach Boys
“There are dozens of Beach Boys!” Jack Reiley (Beach Boys manager 1970 to 1973) said: “The Beatles were focussed, strategic, professionally and well-led during the years of their mounting ascendency. ...Show More
3) Nicholas Wright – Warhead: How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes the Brain
War. Huh! (Dum dum dum!) What’s our brain good for? “Human brains were not built for comfortable lives”, writes Nicholas Wright. Which rather raises the question, what were they built for?...Show More
Nicholas Wright – Warhead: How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes the Brain
0:00 | Nov 11th, 2025
4) Tom Doyle – Ringo: A Fab Life
In the 70’s, he was a happy drunk … by the 80’s, he was just miserable! It is 1962. Ritchie Starkey – better known by his stage name of Ringo Starr – is widely acknowledged as ...Show More
5) Mark Blake – Shine On – The Definitive Oral History Of Pink Floyd
Syd Barrett was probably not really an acid casualty! Version 1.0.0 Peter Jenner (Floyd’s first manager): “Syd’s behaviour was avant-garde and I thought avant-garde was good. Of course in hindsig...Show More
6) Thomas Levenson – So Very Small: How humans discovered germs, uncovered infectious diseases, and deluded themselves that we had conquered them
“A gentleman’s hands are [always] clean” Infectious diseases caused by bacteria have killed well over half of all humans who have ever lived on Earth. Historically, bacterial i...Show More
7) Mike Jay – Free Radicals – How A Group of Romantic Experimenters Gave Birth to Psychedelic Science
I mean, you’ve got’a laugh, aintcha! Nitrous Oxide made “a picaresque journey from laboratory to lecture hall, variety palace to dentist’s chair.” A substance that does not exist in ...Show More
8) Peter Hogan – Resident Alien
When a book is turned into a film or, in this case, a comic into a television series, there are usually disagreements about which is better, ranging from polite opinions to open cultural warfare. Resi...Show More
9) John Cassidy – Capitalism and Its Critics: A Battle of Ideas in the Modern World
Capitalism and government go hand in hand – one feeding the other Some people think of economic history as a trifle dry, but how can you resist a book that includes quotes like these: “...Show More
John Cassidy – Capitalism and Its Critics: A Battle of Ideas in the Modern World
0:00 | May 28th, 2025
10) Eleni Kyriacou – A Beautiful Way To Die
Would you kill to be famous? If we want impossible glamour and corruption we could do worse then 1950’s Hollywood. A Beautiful Way To Die is a romp of ambition and decadence in which everyone...Show More