ROLAND ENNOS

What exactly made the earth round? How do boomerangs turn around mid-air? And why do cats always land on their feet? A basic scientific concept receives long overdue attention (Kirkus Reviews) in this fascinating (Wall Street Journal) new book from the masterful author of The Age of Wood. From the solar system to spinning tops, hurricanes to hula hoops, power plants to pendulums, one mysterious force shapes almost every aspect of our lives: spin. Despite its ubiquity, rotational force continues to baffle and surprise, and few people realize how it makes our planet habitable or how it has been tamed by engineers to make our lives more comfortable. Charting the development of engineering and technology from the earliest prehistoric drills to the gas turbine, critically acclaimed author and scientist Roland Ennos presents a riveting account of human ingenuity and the seemingly infinite ways spin affects our daily lives. He also shows how this new approach not only helps us better understand the world but also ourselves. After all, even our own bodies are complex systems of rotating joints and levers.Artfully moving between astrophysics and anthropology, The Science of Spin shows how, whether natural or engineered, spin is really what makes the world go round.

A smart and surprising (Booklist) expansive history (Publishers Weekly) detailing the role that wood and trees have played in our global ecosystemincluding human evolution and the rise and fall of empiresin the bestselling tradition of Yuval Hararis Sapiens and Mark Kurlanskys Salt.As the dominant species on Earth, humans have made astonishing progress since our ancestors came down from the trees. But how did the descendants of small primates manage to walk upright, become top predators, and populate the world? How were humans able to develop civilizations and produce a globalized economy? Now, in The Age of Wood, Roland Ennos shows for the first time that the key to our success has been our relationship with wood.A lively history of biology, mechanics, and culture that stretches back 60 million years (Nature) The Age of Wood reinterprets human history and shows how our ability to exploit woods unique properties has profoundly shaped our bodies and minds, societies, and lives. Ennos takes us on a sweeping journey from Southeast Asia and West Africa where great apes swing among the trees, build nests, and fashion tools; to East Africa where hunter gatherers collected their food; to the structural design of wooden temples in China and Japan; and to Northern England, where archaeologists trace how coal enabled humans to build an industrial world. Addressing the effects of industrializationincluding the use of fossil fuels and other energy-intensive materials to replace timberThe Age of Wood not only shows the essential role that trees play in the history and evolution of human existence, but also argues that for the benefit of our planet we must return to more traditional ways of growing, using, and understanding trees.A brilliant blend of recent research and existing scientific knowledge, this is an excellent, thorough history in an age of our increasingly fraught relationships with natural resources (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

Why exactly is the Earth round?How is it that boomerangs can turn in mid-air?And why do cats always land on their feet?Its time to stop thinking in straight linesA wonderfully fascinating book with answers to so many everyday questions you never knew you needed to know.Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff MattersFrom the solar system to spinning tops; hurricanes to hula hoops; powerplants to pendulums, one mysterious force shapes almost every aspect of our lives. A force which, despite its ubiquity, continues to confound, baffle and surprise.Artfully moving between astrophysics and anthropology, The Science of Spin provides a sweeping journey through space and time, from the creation of the Earth to the advent of the fidget spinner. Charting the development of engineering and technology from the earliest prehistoric drills to the turbine engine, critically acclaimed author and scientist Roland Ennos presents a riveting account of human ingenuity and the seemingly infinite ways spin affects our daily lives.

A captivating journey through humanitys relentless quest to harness and control physical power, fueling groundbreaking innovations while leaving a profound impact on our planetfrom the acclaimed author of The Age of Wood.The Powerful Primate presents a compelling argument that flips the traditional view of humanity on its head. Rather than focusing solely on our cognitive abilities, author Roland Ennos argues its our physical power and engineering brilliance that have set us apart in the animal kingdom. From our bipedal ancestors wielding simple tools to modern humans mastering complex machinery, Ennos takes us on a gripping journey through the evolution of human dominance.Readers will learn the fascinating history of how humans have progressively harnessed energy from sources such as wood, animals, water, wind, fossil fuels, and even atomic nuclei to drive our rise to being the most powerful species on earth. Our ancestors abilities to hit harder, throw farther, and cut deeper than any other animal laid the groundwork for the development of agriculture, industry, and, ultimately, modern civilization.Yet this power has come at a cost: environmental degradation and societal challenges have arisen from our relentless pursuit of energy and technological advancement. There is hope, howeverthe same engineering skills that have brought us here can pave the way for a more sustainable future.Blending anthropology, biomechanics, engineering, and history, The Powerful Primate is a thought-provoking story of ambition, ingenuity, and the costs of progressa must-read for anyone interested in the forces that shape human civilization.

Why are humans the most feared predator in the world?Over five million years ago, a group of primates discovered tools. Perhaps it was a large rock, ideal for cracking nuts, or a stick to extract honey from a beehive. Regardless, the future of our planet was changed forever.Slowly, the primate evolved, abandoning the trees for solid ground and four legs for two and the tools changed with it. Stones were sharpened, then attached to sticks, before stone gave way to bronze, iron, steel. With axes came agriculture and the first permanent human settlements, which soon became villages, towns and cities. Sticks and stones transformed into gunpowder, the printing press, combustion engine, electric light, antibiotics and finally the computer. Through sheer invention, Homo sapiens had conquered the planet.Tracing the evolution of humans into the planets apex predator the foremost bullies of the natural world Roland Ennos explores the miraculous and devastating power of human technology from the earliest tools to the present day.

When our ancestors came down from the trees, they brought the trees with them and remade the world. A stunning book on the incalculable debt humanity owes wood John Carey, The Sunday Times How did the descendants of small arboreal primates manage to stand on our own two feet, become top predators and take over the world? In The Wood Age, Roland Ennos shows that the key to humanitys success has been our relationship with wood. He takes us on a sweeping ten-million-year journey from great apes who built their nests among the trees to early humans who depended on wood for fire, shelter, tools and weapons; from the structural design of wheels and woodwinds, to the invention of paper and the printing press. Drawing together recent research and reinterpreting existing evidence from fields as far-ranging as primatology, anthropology, archaeology, history, architecture, engineering and carpentry, Ennos charts for the first time how our ability to exploit woods unique properties has shaped our bodies and minds, societies and lives. He also charts the dislocating effects of industrialism and explains how rediscovering traditional ways of growing, using and understanding trees can help combat climate change and bring our lives into better balance with nature. In the bestselling tradition of Hararis Sapiens, this unique history of humanity tells the story of our evolution, our civilisations and our future through the lens of the material that made us. We are products of the Wood Age.