To Boldly Go Where No Book Has Gone Before

Name: To Boldly Go Where No Book Has Gone Before
Brand: Penguin Random House NZ
SKU: 9780241994122
Price: 27.0 NZD
Availability: InStock

A Joyous Journey Through All of Science

By Luke O'Neill

0.0 (0 reviews)

Brief Description

A hugely accessible history of science that reveals the human stories behind the biggest discoveries. Scientists have been participants in the best reality show of all time, with all the highs, lows, bust-ups, and strange personalities of any show on telly today. This hugely accessible history... Read More

Format: Paperback / softback

$27⁰⁰

Elsewhere:

~~$30⁰⁰~~

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

To Boldly Go Where No Book Has Gone Before

$27⁰⁰

Elsewhere:

~~$30⁰⁰~~

A Seven Sharp Visit and a Huge Thank You!

It's been a busy last week at Rawiri Place before our big move, with a...

BOARD GAME 18 Sep 2026

What I Read (and Played) in Bali

I always read more when I travel. There’s the flight over, the hotel breakfast where...

AMELIA'S CORNER 17 Sep 2026

A Puzzle for Every Season: Why I Love Seasonal Puzzles

From spooky Halloween puzzles to floral spring scenes and Christmas favourites we bring out every...

THE BOOK BRIEFING 16 Sep 2026

The Book Briefing - September 16th

This week there are so many exciting new book announcements out and about with covers,...

CRIME AND THRILLER 16 Sep 2026

Every crime/thriller Novel Lizzy has read this year (so far!)

Lizzy is sharing her crime and thriller reads for 2026 so far and giving you...

Description

A hugely accessible history of science that reveals the human stories behind the biggest discoveries.

Scientists have been participants in the best reality show of all time, with all the highs, lows, bust-ups, and strange personalities of any show on telly today. This hugely accessible history of science reveals the human stories behind the biggest discoveries.

For example, we meet Charles Darwin as he weighs up the pros and cons of marrying his cousin—'constant companion' vs 'less money for books'. Tough call.

To Boldly Go Where No Book Has Gone Before covers everything from space travel and evolution to alchemy and AI. Written by one of our leading scientists, this is an insider's account that celebrates the joy of science. It is filled with all the juicy bits that other histories leave out.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241994122

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 May 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 258g

Pages: 368

Collections

Biography & Memoir Education & Reference Luke O'Neill Non-Fiction Penguin Books Science & Nature Science & Technology Biographies

About the Author

Luke O'Neill is a world-renowned scientist, author and educator, and Professor of Biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin. He has published over 350 major papers, has 6 major discoveries to his name - including a protein called Mal which is a master switch for immunity - and in 2016 was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is 'the equivalent of a lifetime achievement Oscar' (Guardian). Luke appears regularly on television and radio, has a weekly column in Ireland's number one Sunday newspaper, the Irish Independent, and in 2021 was the Chair of judges for the Royal Society Science Book Prize. How can Luke ensure that he is in a history of science? Write one. This is that book.

More from Biography & Memoir

View all

Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About

From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...

By Isabel Klee

Paperback

$32⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Lizzy's Pick

Famesick

Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgun wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through her journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...

By Lena Dunham

Paperback

$32⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$35⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

Shirl's Pick

Home Again

Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoir Home Again.This is more than a rock story. Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it. From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...

By Jon Toogood

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
This Angry Pen of Mine

This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...

By Layne Staley

Hardback

$72⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$89⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Pre-order

Swan Song

Beautiful. Beloved. Hunted. The extraordinary life and death of Diana, as told by her brother, Charles – available to pre-order now. ‘When asked, ‘What was it like, growing up with Diana?’, my first thought is always, But I don’t know what it was like not to grow up with her…’ In September 1997, Charles Spencer stood in Westminster Abbey before...

By Charles Spencer

Hardback

$54⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$65⁰⁰~~

Pre-order
Out 23 Sep 2026
Signed Copy

Shirl's Pick

Stakes

Read our interview with author Noelle McCarthy! A darkly funny, sparkling follow-up to the author’s bestselling memoir Grand. You have to invite him in. You have to want the vampire’s badness in the house with you. Growing up in Catholic Ireland, Noelle McCarthy is captivated by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The vampire is a risk-free fantasy, a suave alternative to the fraught realities...

By Noelle McCarthy

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$40⁰⁰~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Built for This

Raised among strong women, butcher's benches, and hard ideas about what men are meant to be, Brad Poulter grows up knowing he's different long before he has the words for it. But in late '90s small-town New Zealand, 'different' isn't discussed, it's managed. Joining the Royal New Zealand Navy offers escape, certainty, and belonging. The rules are clear, the uniform...

By Brad Poulter

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Even the Good Girls Will Cry

Thanks to a thrown beer bottle and a fan letter to a P.O. box, Melissa Auf der Maur's first band scored an opening slot for the Smashing Pumpkins in her bohemian home town, Montreal. Sensing Melissa's talent, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love. Whisked from her local scene, Melissa joined Hole just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and...

By Melissa Auf der Maur

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$39⁹⁹~~

(1)

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
New Release

An Ocean and a Day

An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love. An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two...

By Hannah Richell

Paperback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
A Place to Stand

A Place to Stand by Clare Ward is a profound memoir that delves into the life of a country doctor living and working in the Hokianga Harbour area in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand. This region is sparsely populated and poses numerous health challenges. This thoughtful account details Clare’s thirty-year career, highlighting the people she works with and...

By Clare Ward

Hardback

$31⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

(1)

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Rule of Lies

Written with all the pace and energy of a John Grisham novel … An incredible true story and a great read! BILL BROWDER, author of Red Notice and Freezing Order An American lawyer’s brilliant, propulsive story of witnessing and playing a part in the transformation of Russia under Yeltsin and Putin. A true tale of fascinating personalities, criminal intrigue, harrowing...

By Jamison R. Firestone

Paperback

$29⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$37⁹⁹~~

(1)

In Stock
Ships tomorrow
Rory

The New York Times bestseller The #1 Irish Times bestseller The definitive biography of Rory McIlroy, the most important, popular and confounding player of the post-Tiger era. Rory McIlroy contains multitudes. The child of a working-class family from a small town in a war-torn homeland now commutes to work in his own private jet and counts billionaires as confidants. He can overwhelm a golf...

By Alan Shipnuck

Paperback

$36⁹⁹
Elsewhere:
~~$41⁹⁹~~

In Stock
Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.