Matt Ridley Books

The bestselling author of "Genome" chronicles a new revolution in the world'sunderstanding of genes.

The biography delves into the life of Francis Crick, co-discoverer of DNA's double helix structure, showcasing his journey from a mundane upbringing in the English Midlands to a groundbreaking career in biology. Author Matt Ridley highlights Crick's initial struggles, including a lackluster education and a stint designing magnetic mines for the Royal Navy, before his transformative leap into the scientific world at age 31. This portrayal offers a rich and detailed insight into Crick's life, surpassing previous accounts.

The book explores the evolution of human society, emphasizing that changes in technology, language, and morality occur gradually and through trial and error, akin to natural selection. It highlights that societal development is a collective outcome of countless interactions rather than the result of intentional designs by a select few. This perspective underscores the complexity of human progress as an organic process shaped by the actions of many individuals over time.

A new virus emerged in 2019, causing unprecedented chaos and raising urgent questions about its origins. As the pandemic unfolded, initial hopes of quickly identifying how SARS-CoV-2 first infected humans faded. Nearly two years in, the mystery remains unresolved and increasingly complex. In this insightful exploration, a scientist and a writer collaborate to uncover how a virus, closely related to those found in bats in subtropical southern China, began spreading in Wuhan, over 1,500 kilometers away. They confront the perplexing absence of expected signs of an outbreak: no infected animals in markets, no early cases among travelers, no rural epidemics, and no rapid adaptation of the virus to humans. To unravel this pressing enigma, the narrative delves into the events from 2019 to 2021, examining animal markets, virology labs, and hidden records in Chinese theses and websites, as well as clues embedded in the virus's genetic code. The result is a captivating detective story that leads readers deeper into a metaphorical cave of mystery. The authors investigate various promising leads, only to find blind alleys, until they finally approach a shaft that hints at the truth.

The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Genome" and "The Red Queen" offers a provocative case for an economics of hope, arguing that the benefits of commerce, technology, innovation, and change--cultural evolution--will inevitably increase human prosperity.

By integrating insights from geneticists, psychologists, and anthropologists, this book challenges conventional beliefs about interpersonal relationships. It explores how advancements in fields like computer programming, microbiology, and economics reshape our understanding of connections in various roles, such as parents and trade partners. The author invites readers to reconsider their everyday assumptions and the underlying motivations that drive human interactions.

The book offers an insightful exploration of the interplay between genetics and personal experiences, blending intelligence with charm and wit. It presents a balanced examination of contemporary perspectives on how our genetic makeup interacts with our life experiences, providing a thought-provoking narrative that engages readers in understanding the complexities of human identity.

Following his acclaimed previous work, the author presents a profound exploration of human behavior's roots. The narrative delves into the intricate question of identity, sparked by the revelation that the human genome comprises only 30,000 genes, significantly fewer than previously thought. This led some to argue that behavior is shaped entirely by nurture rather than nature. However, the author contends that the reality is more nuanced: nurture relies on genetics, and genetics require nurturing. Genes not only shape the brain's structure but also interact with experiences, respond to social cues, and influence memory. They serve as both causes and consequences in the tapestry of human behavior. This work, published fifty years after the discovery of DNA's double helix, chronicles a transformative shift in our understanding of genetics. The author navigates the century-long debate between nature and nurture, illustrating how humans embody a complex interplay of free will, instinct, and cultural influences. This engaging account sheds light on how genes construct brains capable of absorbing experiences, offering a fresh perspective on the age-old nature-nurture dichotomy.

Shortlisted for the Aventis Science Prize in 2000.

Sex is as fascinating to scientists as it is to the rest of us. A vast pool of knowledge, therefore, has been gleaned from research into the nature of sex, from the contentious problem of why the wasteful reproductive process exists at all, to how individuals choose their mates and what traits they find attractive. This fascinating book explores those findings, and their implications for the sexual behaviour of our own species. It uses the Red Queen from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ – who has to run at full speed to stay where she is – as a metaphor for a whole range of sexual behaviours. The book was shortlisted for the 1994 Rhone-Poulenc Prize for Science Books. ‘Animals and plants evolved sex to fend off parasitic infection. Now look where it has got us. Men want BMWs, power and money in order to pair-bond with women who are blonde, youthful and narrow-waisted … a brilliant examination of the scientific debates on the hows and whys of sex and evolution’ Independent.