For jokes and a story with a tinge of science set in the Discworld, Terry
Pratchett’s The Fifth Elephant tackles communications and that most
inexact of disciplines, economics, with fervour and wit. Out in a week or two,
Pratchett’s definitely back on form after the rather slight Carpe
Jugulum. Published by Doubleday, £16.99, ISBN 0385409958.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Life
Fossil fruits show flowering plants flourished in time of dinosaurs
News
Environment
Can home batteries help save the climate and save you money?
News
ÎçÒ¹¸£Àû1000¼¯ºÏ
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
News
Environment
The race to understand how and when Thwaites glacier will collapse
Features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Woman with Alzheimer's starts conversing again after taking psilocybin
2
If you aren't terrified by this heatwave, you should be
3
Lost books by ancient philosophers recovered from 'unreadable' scrolls
4
The race to understand how and when Thwaites glacier will collapse
5
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
6
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
7
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
8
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
9
How menopause radically changes the brain – and what happens after
10
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
