A gleeful scientific romp: Andrew Masterson’s Lolcatz, Santa, and Death by Dog.
‘Someone, millennia back, combined geometry, materials science and physics to invent the wheel,’ writes Andrew Masterson in the introduction to Lolcatz, Santa, and Death by Dog. ‘Other people later used that invention to enable rollerblades, Porsche Cayennes and the Panzer tank – none of which were the wheel’s fault.’
Enter Masterson’s curious, bizarre, deeply moving, and straight-up funny exploration of our world told through the sphere of scientific research. Through a rich collection of stories he mounts an argument for the value-neutrality of science and technology. His is a world where science – even in its weirdest forms – doesn’t care about your beliefs. Or, as Masterson puts it: ‘Cosmology no more prevents a belief in a god than the existence of Big Macs prevents a belief in a plate of spaghetti marinara accompanied by a glass of pinot grigio.’
Like hors d’oeuvres for this banquet for your brain, here are four Lolcatz, Santa, and Death by Dog chapter introductions, just to whet your appetite.
Bon Appétit!
When, in the wake of the 2015 Paris massacre, Belgian security forces shut down Brussels to prevent an expected terrorist attack, residents flooded their social media accounts with pictures of cats. It was the most recent example of internet cats exercising enormous political power. They may look cute, but don’t be deceived – lolcatz really do shape history.
Despite decades of dedicated searching, a complete lack of evidence fails to dampen the optimism of the courageous few who believe the fabulous creatures of folklore might yet turn out to be real.
Often held up as the great hope of the future, lab-grown food turns out to be a flash in the frying pan…
From a thousand self-appointed experts to a million motivational cards, we are daily hammered with the apparently incontestable sentiment that positivity, happiness and health are inextricably linked. It’s a nice thought. It’s also bollocks.
Want to know what books the Penguin NZ team have been reading and loving recently? Read on for our recommendations!
Check out some of the hottest YA books in stores now, from epic romantasy to sweet, unexpected romance.
From tales of Ancient Greece to epics set in the Second World War, these are the historical novels at the top of our reading piles this year.
Food shopping on a budget? These tips from Money-Saving Meal Plans With Chelsea will help you spend less on food.
For Mother's Day 2025 we're celebrating the power of books to bring us closer.
For Mother's Day 2025 we're celebrating the power of books to bring us closer.
Let us know below which three of our fantastic Mother’s Day books mum would love, and we’ll send them to you in time for Mother’s Day!
Read on for some of the Film and TV tie-ins we're most excited about at the moment!
A star-crossed lovers romance that spans a millennia, what do readers really think about The Favourites?
