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Shining in the North’s gloomy winter light are all manner of things gold: baubles on trees, cards with gilt on the deckle edges, little flakes of glitter in a bottle of scent or real flakes of gold in an Austrian schnapps. Experts at London’s Natural History Museum set us straight about the real stuff in their book called Gold. It covers everything from your placer deposit (bit of glaciation, bit of erosion, hang a sheepskin in the river, and voilà, Jason and the Argonauts will be visiting) to the computer industry and medical uses. Published by the Natural History Museum, £7.95, ISBN 0565091417.