The explorer and presenter of Coast chooses his favourite books that tell the story of our planet, from atlases to folk tales
Nick Crane is a cartographer, explorer, writer and television presenter. As a child, Nick explored the Norfolk countryside armed with a bicycle and a map and he has been journeying the world ever since.
In 1992-3, he walked 10,000km across Europe, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea. Since 2004, he has written and presented four popular television series for BBC Two: Coast, Great British Journeys, Map Man and Town.
"All the books on this list make me feel very lucky and happy. Just think: there are around 100 billion stars in our galaxy, and most of them have planets.
We don't know how many of those planets support life, but ours does, and these 10 books tell part of that story."
1. The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins
Ever wondered how rainbows got their colours, or what happens if you cut something into ever smaller pieces? This stunning book tells it as it is. Dawkins (the author of serious books such as The Selfish Gene) and the gifted illustrator Dave McKean (whose CV includes designs for Harry Potter characters) have teamed up to prove that scientific reality is far more exciting than myth and make-believe. Read this and you become a believer in our greatest miracle story - the story of our own planet. And it's all true!
2. The Atlas of Climate Change by Kirstin Dow and Thomas E Downing
Winner of the Planeta Environment Book of the Year award, this is a really accessible global primer on "the world's greatest challenge", and an ideal starting point from GCSE upward. It has lots and lots of maps, charts, photos, tables. Towards the back of the book, there's a page on personal action, and this is where you find out how to reduce the greenhouse emissions created by your home and car. A great book for the family bookshelves. ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2011/nov/24/nick-crane-top-10-planet-books
Nick Crane is a cartographer, explorer, writer and television presenter. As a child, Nick explored the Norfolk countryside armed with a bicycle and a map and he has been journeying the world ever since.
In 1992-3, he walked 10,000km across Europe, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea. Since 2004, he has written and presented four popular television series for BBC Two: Coast, Great British Journeys, Map Man and Town.
"All the books on this list make me feel very lucky and happy. Just think: there are around 100 billion stars in our galaxy, and most of them have planets.
We don't know how many of those planets support life, but ours does, and these 10 books tell part of that story."
1. The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins
Ever wondered how rainbows got their colours, or what happens if you cut something into ever smaller pieces? This stunning book tells it as it is. Dawkins (the author of serious books such as The Selfish Gene) and the gifted illustrator Dave McKean (whose CV includes designs for Harry Potter characters) have teamed up to prove that scientific reality is far more exciting than myth and make-believe. Read this and you become a believer in our greatest miracle story - the story of our own planet. And it's all true!
2. The Atlas of Climate Change by Kirstin Dow and Thomas E Downing
Winner of the Planeta Environment Book of the Year award, this is a really accessible global primer on "the world's greatest challenge", and an ideal starting point from GCSE upward. It has lots and lots of maps, charts, photos, tables. Towards the back of the book, there's a page on personal action, and this is where you find out how to reduce the greenhouse emissions created by your home and car. A great book for the family bookshelves. ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2011/nov/24/nick-crane-top-10-planet-books
No comments:
Post a Comment