An intimate reflection on Japanese art and architecture from one of the country's greatest novelists.

This is an enchanting essay on aesthetics by one of the greatest Japanese novelists. Tanizaki's eye ranges over architecture, jade, food, toilets, and combines an acute sense of the use of space in buildings, as well as perfect descriptions of lacquerware under candlelight and women in the darkness of the house of pleasure. The result is a classic description of the collision between the shadows of traditional Japanese interiors and the dazzling light of the modern age.

'Elegant...a delight to read' Independent on Sunday

'A primer for the magical, near inexplicable world of quantum mechanics... Mind-blowing' Dara Ó Briain

Quantum theory is so shocking that Einstein could not bring himself to accept it. It is so important that it underpins all modern sciences. Without it, we'd have no molecular biology, no understanding of DNA, no genetic engineering, no computers.

A century after the development of quantum mechanics, In Search of Schrödinger's Cat tells the full story of how scientists reckoned with a truth stranger than any fiction. John Gribbin leads us into the ever more bizarre and fascinating world of the smallest particles we have discovered, requiring only that we approach it with an open mind. He introduces the scientists who developed quantum theory. He investigates the atom, radiation, time travel, the birth of the universe, super conductors and life itself. And in a world full of its own delights, mysteries and surprises, he searches for Schrödinger's Cat - a search for quantum reality - as he brings every reader to a clear understanding of the most important area of scientific study today - quantum physics.

Featuring a new preface to mark the centenary of the field, this bestselling classic remains a fascinating and delightful introduction to the strange world of the quantum - an essential element in understanding the modern world.

'John Gribbin is unsurpassed in his ability to convey scientific ideas in lively and accessible language. This new edition of his classic book deserves wide readership. It's specially welcome in the year that marks the centenary of quantum theory – which revolutionised our concept of nature and underpins most of modern technology.' Professor Martin Rees, astronomer royal