It would be easy to say that Peter Medawar’s The Strange Case of the Spotted Mice (reisssued by Oxford University Press, £7.99, ISBN 0 19 286193 X) needs no recommendation. In fact, Medawar on science needs recommending again and again, in case a generation is brought up knowing nothing about him or the sheer grace and intellectual grip of his writing. This book of essays shows him at this best. The stunning thing is that he always was.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Environment
Evocative photos of Canadian Arctic win New Scientist Editors Award
Regulars

Environment
June heatwave may have killed around 20,000 people in Europe
News

Physics
Random wobbles in time could finally solve gravity’s greatest mystery
News

Life
Synthetic biology may finally be ready to solve life's biggest mystery
Leader
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
A type of fibre that stimulates GLP-1 release approved for use in food
2
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
3
Random wobbles in time could finally solve gravity’s greatest mystery
4
What is 'SpudCell'? Arguably the greatest bioengineering feat yet
5
The 4 must-watch science-fiction films of the year so far
6
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
7
This physicist is hunting for the biggest black hole in the universe
8
The best new popular science books of July 2026
9
Synthetic biology may finally be ready to solve life's biggest mystery
10
June heatwave may have killed around 20,000 people in Europe