Teach Secondary Issue 14.8

Off the Shelves Brilliant titles for you and your students to explore SevenBriefLessonsonPhysics: AnniversaryEdition (CarloRovelli,AllenLane,£10.99) Rovelli draws readers into his world by describing the development of theories that scientists have posited to try and explain our world and the universe beyond. He does this by expressing his awe at the unseen reality behind our physical realm, and in so doing, entices others to take a similar interest themselves. Disappointingly, there appear to be fewdifferences between this edition and Rovelli’s original, published 10 years ago,with Rovelli’s declarations that ‘ Exciting new ideas are in the process of being explored ’ leaving us wondering about the (presumed) discoveries that have emerged in the intervening decade. That aside, however, you could regard this book as a highly readable entry point to the study of physics – an intriguing taster of themain course. ReviewedbyTerry Freedman bit.ly/Eclecticism Tradecraft:Writerson John leCarré (FedericoVarese (ed.),Bodleian,£30) Despite the title, this book ismuchmore than amere book of tips on the craft of writing. For one thing,we learn a great deal about le Carré’smeticulous research process for his novels,which extended as far as visiting the places where theywere set and reaching out to local experts and other contacts – hence the exquisite detail and sense of grounded realism readers came to expect fromhis writing. Beyond that,we also learn something of the international espionage, criminal exploits and corporatemachinations that drove his plots,making this book a useful source for students of politics.Media studies students will likely findmuch of interest in a chapter on his novels’various screen adaptations,while English students and budding writers won’t want tomiss the descriptions of le Carré’s workingmethods, complete with annotated typescripts. Highly recommended. ReviewedbyTerry Freedman TheQueen’sAtlas: Saxton’s ElizabethanMasterpiece (DavidFletcher,Bodleian,£35) In these days of GoogleMaps convenience being available at our fingertips, it’s increasingly hard to imagine an era in whichmaps were either non-existent, or extremely rare artefacts available only to the very rich. In this beautifully illustrated bookwe learn about howWilliamSaxton carried out the task ofmapping the entirety of England (as far as can be surmised, at least), as well as the political and strategic rolesmaps have served over time. It’s genuinely difficult to conceive of an age in which it didn’t occur to most people to even want access to maps, but it turns out HenryVIII was a key driving force in promoting their usefulness.Ahighly detailed account packedwith fascinating insights that will be of particular interest to geography students. ReviewedbyTerry Freedman 46 teachwire.net/secondary