As vice-president and foreign secretary of the Royal Society, Brian Heap
spends much of his time looking for anyone who can make science accessible. In
this vein he鈥檚 just finished re-reading When did I begin? by Norman M. Ford
(Cambridge, 1992). Ford is a Catholic priest, and his book looks at how
scientists and philosophers have helped shape our views on human conception.
It鈥檚 鈥渁n important background to the current debate about reproductive
technologies and stem cells鈥�, says Heap.
Another topical scientific debate鈥攐ur limitless pursuit of a better
quality of life鈥攇ets the full treatment in The Wealth of Man by BBC
journalist Peter Jay (PublicAffairs, 2000). It is a useful background to one of
Heap鈥檚 favourite themes: sustainable development.