Taking Wing: Archaeopteryx and the Evolution of Bird Flight by Pat Shipman (Phoenix, £7.99 in UK)

Is the budgie that's chirping in the corner of your kitchen a dinosaur in disguise? Some scientists think so, and Shipman tells you why in a disarmingly engaging way, detailing the evidence in dinosaur-fossil records that suggest the turkey you eat at Christmas might just be descended from a line that included the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex. The writing is light and comfortable and easy to digest, with little of the heavy going typical of too many popular science books. There might be a bit of work getting around all the Latin names for both dinosaurs and birds, but gloss past these and you'll enjoy a rich style that keeps your interest. It neatly blends anecdote, personalities and the history of flight with a large helping of real science.