| Robert M. Sapolsky |
MonkeyLuv |
Elegant and witty articles on the
nature/nurture debate, the interface between the human mind and body, and
the interaction between society and human biology. Highly readable
 |
Human science |
| Carl Sagan |
Cosmos |
The book of the classic TV series on the
universe from one of the best US science popularizers.
 |
Astronomy |
| Carl Sagan |
The Demon Haunted World |
An eloquent plea for reason
and the scientific method instead of wide-eyed acceptance |
Sceptics, overview |
| Nick Sagan, Mark
Frary and Andy Walker |
Future Proof |
Good, if unoriginal concept of showing how the
future technology of earlier days hasn't come into being. Glossy, but not
very inspiring.  |
Overview |
| Angela Saini |
Geek Nation |
Engaging exploration of the new burst of
science and technology in India in the form of a personal visit to interview
many of those involved.
|
Technology |
| Ian Sample |
Massive |
The search for the Higgs boson and the source
of mass. The story of the development of the colliders is great, but the
physics is rather summary.
|
Physics |
| Lisa Sanders |
Diagnosis [Every Patient Tells a Story] |
A profuse collection of diagnosis stories from
the doctor behind the TV programme House, M. D. An engaging and informative
read, but could have been better structured.
|
Human science |
| Arturo Sangalli |
Pythagoras' Revenge |
Popular maths, mostly from ancient Greece,
presented in a novel. Brilliant idea, execution not so good.(*) |
Maths |
| Aaron Santos |
How Many Licks |
Entertaining collection of 69 estimates for
remarkable statistics, illustrating the ease with which numbers can be
estimated (and the fun it can be to do so).
|
Mathematics |
| Ziauddin Sardar & Iwona Abrams |
Introducing Chaos |
Wacky
illustrated introduction to the concepts of chaos - pure marmite
|
Maths, physics |
| Ziauddin
Sardar, Jerry Ravetz and Borin van Loon |
Introducing Mathematics |
Strangely illustrated ultra-quick overview of
maths - pure marmite
|
Maths |
| Eric R. Scerri |
The Periodic Table |
An in-depth exploration of the birth and
development of the periodic table. Too technical and not enough context for
the general reader.
|
Chemistry |
| Dirk Schulze-Makuch
& David Darling |
We Are Not Alone |
Gives a real understanding of why we should be
spending less on manned spaceflights and more on exploring the possible
life-bearing worlds of the solar system.
|
Astronomy, biology |
| Bruce A. Schumm |
Deep Down Things |
Introduces the standard model of particle
physics in some depth. Has elements of popular science, but will be too
technical for many.
|
Physics |
| Robert J. Scully
with Marlan O. Scully |
The Demon and the Quantum |
Interesting exploration of thermodynamics that
unfortunately loses the reader as it tries to tie into quantum theory.
|
Physics |
| Gino Segre |
Einstein's Refrigerator
[A Matter of Degrees] |
Excellent exploration of temperature, heat and cold, taking in a trip
through much of science |
Physics, overview |
| Charles Seife |
Zero |
Good summary of the background and importance
of zero, but much more of the book is on infinity, black holes, relativity
and wormholes. |
Mathematics |
| Marc J. Seifer |
Wizard |
Good biography of the remarkable electrical
engineer Nikola Tesla in its historical context, but poor at the science.
|
Technology |
| L. J. K. Setright |
Drive On! A social history of the motor car |
Infuriatingly pompous, yet fascinating
exploration of the development and impact of the automobile
|
Technology |
| Karen Shanor &
Jagmeet Kanwal |
Bats Sing, Mice Giggle |
A whole pile of surprising and fascinating
facts about the inner lives of animals, though could have been less of a
long list. |
Biology |
| Dennis Shasha &
Kathy Lazere |
Natural Computing |
Remarkable stories from the individuals
working at the edge of what's possible with computers - just lacks a bit of
'is this realistic?' |
Technology |
| Rupert Sheldrake |
The Presence of the Past |
Interesting idea of 'morphic resonance' shaping everything from crystals to
human beings, but rather dull reading and in the end not convincing.
|
Overview |
| Rupert Sheldrake |
The Science Delusion |
Some superb thoughts about the limitations of
science and the ways that scientists take a blinkered view. Sadly, though,
other elements of this book make it easy to ignore the powerful message.
|
Overview |
| David Shenk |
The Genius in All of Us |
Unnecessarily negative, limited and primarily sports-based exploration of
how the interaction of genes and environment produce genius.
|
Human science |
| Michael Shermer |
Why People
Believe Weird Things |
Powerful and effective exploration of where
strange beliefs come from and how they take hold.
|
Sceptics, overview |
| Seth Shulman |
The Telephone
Gambit |
How an exploration of the archival material on
Alexander Graham Bell uncovered the true story of the telephone.
|
Technology |
| Joel Shurkin |
Broken Genius |
Exceedingly well-told biography of William
Shockley, physics Nobel prize winner and founder of Silicon Valley whose
reputation was ruined by his social theories.
|
Biography |
| Tom Siegfried |
A Beautiful Math |
Although it sounds like a follow up the
biography of John Nash (A Beautiful Mind), it's actually a flawed but
interesting attempt to show that game theory could be the real
psychohistory.
|
Maths |
| Joseph Silk |
The Infinite Cosmos |
Up-to-date (as of 2005) overview of cosmology
- lots of great information, but poorly written and not recommended unless
you already know the basics
|
Cosmology |
| Steve Silverman |
Einstein's Refrigerator |
Rather 'gee whiz'
exposition of weird but true, mostly science-based tales |
Overview |
|
SIMON SINGH |
Biography |
Interview |
|
| Simon Singh |
Big Bang |
The answer to the ultimate question of the
universe - where did it come from? - beautifully put in context
|
Cosmology |
| Simon Singh |
The Code Book |
The development of codes
and ciphers through the ages |
Maths |
| Simon Singh |
Fermat's Last Theorem |
The history and the final
solution of this knotty mathematical problem |
Maths |
| Simon Singh &
Edzard Ernst |
Trick or Treatment |
Superb analysis of alternative medicine,
showing how early trials were unscientific and new data proves most to be no
different from a placebo. Very readable - excellent. |
Human science |
| Keith Skene |
Shadows on the Cave Wall: a new theory of
evolution |
A charming but unconvincing attempt to unseat
Darwin, packed with biological information and delivered in engaging prose
|
Biology |
| David Livingstone
Smith |
Why We Lie |
Be amazed, not just at how much we lie, but
how essential it is for the operation of society. Interesting and original
|
Human science |
| Leonard Smith |
Chaos: A Very Short Introduction |
One of the best entries in the Oxford series
of pocket introductions, concentrating on the practical uses of chaos
theory.
|
Maths |
| P. D. Smith |
Doomsday Men |
History of the hydrogen bomb concentrating on
mass destruction, Leo Szilard and reflections in fiction.
|
Technology |
| Lee Smolin |
The Trouble with Physics |
Absorbing exploration of the problems with
string theory and how it has become an ineffective panacea.
|
Physics |
| Dava Sobel |
Galileo's Daughter |
Biography of Galileo and exploration of his
work, cunningly linked by a series of letters from his daughter
|
Biography,
overview |
| Dava Sobel |
Longitude |
Clockmaker John Harrison's
attempts to devise an accurate chronometer for navigation |
Biography, technology |
| Dava Sobel |
The Planets |
Highly poetic and personal exploration of the
solar system - enjoyable reading but a little weak on science
|
Astronomy |
| Alan Sokal |
Beyond the Hoax |
Hugely insightful look into the nature of
science based on Sokal's hoax academic paper, but could have better put
together. |
Overview |
| Robert Solomon |
The Little Book of Mathematical Principles |
Uninspiring chronological collection of little
articles on maths fundamentals.
|
Maths |
| Giles Sparrow |
Hubble: Window on the Universe |
Massive coffee table book of photos from the
solar system the farthest visible extents of the universe taken by Hubble
and other probes. Superb photography puts text in the shade a little.
|
Astronomy |
| Colin Spedding |
The Second Mouse Gets the Cheese |
Very slim book on proverbs, based on the
author's use of them in science lectures. A real oddity.
|
Overview |
| Francis Spufford |
Backroom Boys |
Wonderful history of six quirky UK technology
breakthroughs including Concorde and the game Elite
|
Technology |
| Curt Stager |
Deep Future |
Gives a unique perspective on global warming
by taking the long view, both historically and far into the future.
Absolutely fascinating.
|
Earth science |
| Tom Standage |
The [Mechanical] Turk |
The amazing story of the mechanical chess
player built in 1770
|
Technology |
| Tom Standage |
The Victorian Internet |
How the telegraph network changed the world,
crossed continents (and resulted in love between telegraphists).
|
Technology |
| Russell Stannard |
The End of Discovery |
Accessible exploration of some of the most
difficult topics facing scientists today, and whether we will ever get
satisfactory answers. |
Overview |
| Russell Stannard |
Relativity: a very short introduction |
A concise and effective summary of both
special and general relativity, but more suited to a physics student than
the general reader. |
Physics |
| Douglas Starr |
The Killer of Little Shepherds |
Interweaves the historical true crime story of
the French Ripper and an account of the parallel development of forensic
science
|
Human science |
| Andrew M. Steane |
The Wonderful World of Relativity |
An attempt at a popular science book that is
really a watered-down text book on special relativity. Shame.
|
Physics |
| Michael Stebbins |
Sex, Drugs & DNA |
Powerful indictment of the failings of the US
political system on scientific and medical issues, written in a highly
approachable style
|
Overview |
| Duncan Steel |
Eclipse |
The history of eclipses and
humanity's scientific and spiritual reactions to them |
Astronomy |
| James D. Stein |
Cosmic Numbers |
An introduction to physics through some of the
essential constants of the universe. Nice enough concept, but the approach
is too mathematical for the general reader.
|
Physics |
|
IAN STEWART |
Biography |
Interview |
|
| Ian Stewart |
17 Equations that Changed the World |
Descriptions of 17 wonderful equations and how
they came to being. Good historical context but the maths gets too obscure
for the general reader.
|
Maths |
| Ian Stewart |
Cows in the Maze |
Mixed bag collection of recreational maths
pieces, some great, others not so.
|
Maths |
| Ian Stewart |
From Here to Infinity |
Surprisingly readable and low-equation tour of the heart of today's
mathematics |
Maths |
| Ian Stewart |
The Mayor of Uglyville's Dilemma |
Thirty delightful mathematical puzzles of the
sort that begins with a story and ends with something to solve. Only 3 stars
because not really popular maths
|
Maths |
| Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen |
The Collapse of Chaos |
Combines chaos theory and
complexity theory to boggle the mind |
Maths |
| Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen |
Evolving the Alien [What does a Martian
look like] |
Clever idea of exploring alien life
possibilities, partly driven by SF ideas, but suffers from smugness
|
Biology |
| Ian Stewart |
The Mathematics of Life |
Exploration of the increasing use of maths in biology. A brilliant
introduction to biology, and some of the maths is interesting but some a bit
abstruse. |
Maths, Biology |
| Ian Stewart, Terry
Pratchett & Jack Cohen |
Science of
Discworld |
Clever mix of Pratchett's fantasy and science
covering the "construction" of the earth. Not the best in the series, but
good |
Overview |
| Ian Stewart, Terry
Pratchett & Jack Cohen |
Science of
Discworld II |
Clever idea, mixing Pratchett's fantasy and
science, but this instalment on the mind is by far the worst
|
Human Science |
| Ian Stewart, Terry
Pratchett & Jack Cohen |
Science of
Discworld III: Darwin's Watch |
The highly entertaining and original combo of
Discworld fantasy and scientific precision is aimed at evolution. A few
quibbles but great |
Biology |
| Jeff Stewart |
Why Balloons Rise
and Apples Fall |
Very good beginners introduction to classical
physics, slightly let down by style and some of the modern content
|
Physics |
| Mary Stopes-Roe |
Mathematics with Love |
Delightful correspondence and maths lessons
between Barnes Wallis, inventor of the bouncing bomb and his sweetheart |
Biography,
technology |
|
Einstein and Relativity |
Paul Strathern |
Compact book on Einstein's life and work - a
good introduction, but quite short. |
Physics |
| Paul Strathern |
Einstein and
Relativity |
Compact book on Einstein's life and work - a
good introduction, but quite short. |
Physics |
| Linda Stratmann |
Chloroform: the quest for oblivion |
Interesting history of the early anaesthetic
chloroform and its rise and fall. Great period detail.
|
Human science |
| Steven Strogatz |
Sync: the emerging science of spontaneous order |
A wonderful, cross-disciplinary jaunt that
mixes real life scientific experience with exploration of synchronicity
|
Overview |
| Rick Stroud |
The Book of the
Moon |
Good compendium of information about the moon
(if some slightly flaky topics), but not really a popular science book. |
Astronomy |
| Daniel Styler |
Relativity for the Questioning Mind |
Introduction to relativity that takes the form
of a workbook plus FAQs - works surprisingly well if you like the approach
(probably not best as a first book to read on relativity though)
|
Physics |
| Robert Sullivan |
The Meadowlands |
Mix of industrial archaeology, travel and
natural history in this warm exploration of the swamps and tips on the edge
of New York City
|
Overview |
| Robert Sullivan |
Rats |
A study of the wild rat in New York, in Robert
Sullivan's unique style that brings in many fascinating tangential stories
|
Biology |
|
Gaurav Suri & Hartosh Singh Bal |
A Certain Ambiguity |
Attempt to get across the joys
of maths in a novel form. Wonderful idea, hence the bracketed five stars,
but doesn't work very well as novel or popular maths.
[] |
Mathematics |
| Henrik Svensmark &
Nigel Calder |
The Chilling Stars |
Controversial but fascinating theory that much
of the Earth's climate change through history has been caused by the impact
of cosmic rays. |
Cosmology, Earth
Science |
| Brian Switek |
Written in Stone |
Excellent exploration of how our understanding
of fossils has developed over time and why science thinks the things it does
about the development of animals on the Earth
|
Biology |
| George C. Szpiro |
The Secret Life
of Numbers |
Collection of articles on interesting maths
topics let down by lack-lustre writing
|
Maths |
| Charles Tanford &
Jacqueline Reynolds |
Nature's Robots:
A History of Proteins |
Accessible history of science textbook on
proteins and their discovery, but not really popular science
|
Biology |
| Jürgen Tautz |
The Buzz about
Bees |
A delightful surprise when what appears to be
a textbook proves to be a fascinating, beautifully illustrated exploration
of these remarkable superorganisms.
|
Biology |
| Dick Taverne |
The March of
Unreason |
Interesting counter to the anti-science,
anti-practically everything tone that is so popular these days.
|
Overview |
| Jeremy Taylor |
Not a Chimp |
Convincing exploration of the very real
differences between humans and chimps, overlooked by simply comparing genes
|
Human science |
| Kathleen Taylor |
Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control |
That rarest of things, an academic book that
is enjoyable to the general reader - excellent study of brainwashing
|
Human science |
| Marianne Taylor |
I Used to Know
That: General Science |
A pocket book providing a reminder of high
school/GCSE level science in a more approachable fashion than a textbook.
|
Overview |
| Steve Taylor |
Making Time |
A magazine article on the way subjective time
varies blown up with much padding into a book that confuses science and
anecdote. |
Human science |
| Ken Thompson |
Do we need
Pandas? |
An accessible exploration of biodiversity and
conservation. Thompson argues we should concentrate on preserving ecosystems
rather than individual species. |
Biology |
| John Timbrell |
The Poison Paradox |
Comprehensive but rather repetitive and weakly
edited guide to the nature of poisons, both natural and synthetic
|
Biology, chemistry |
| Terry C. Treadwell |
Stepping Stones to the Stars |
Lots and lots of facts about the manned space
expeditions, but very little interpretation, context, politics or science.
Of limited value.
|
Technology |
| Robert Trivers |
Deceit and Self-Deception |
Interesting exploration of self-deception and
how it helps us deceive others. Some parts great, other parts personal
politics intrude. Overall worthwhile but could be better.
|
Human science |
| Chris Turney |
Bones, Rocks and Stars |
An interesting look into the science behind
dating, deciding how old things are and working out when things happened
|
Overview |
| Chris Turney |
Ice, Mud and Blood |
As a call to action on climate change, it is a
missed opportunity. But as a story of scientific ingenuity and the wonders
of nature, it takes every chance - and succeeds
|
Earth science |
| Jon Turney |
Lovelock & Gaia: Signs of Life |
If you thought Gaia was all about
tree-hugging, think again with this excellent mini-introduction to Lovelock
|
Earth science |
| Jon Turney |
The Rough Guide to the Future |
Interesting idea of exploring the future, well
written, but let down by the lack of science and often rather dull topics
that have to be covered but don't inspire.
|
Overview |
| Samuel Turvey |
Witness to Extinction |
The sad story of the attempt to preserve the
Yangtze river dolphin and the lessons it gives on practical conservation.
|
Biology |
| Neil Turok & Paul
J. Steinhardt |
Endless Universe: Before the Big Bang |
Accessible and readable book from the
respected proponents of a theory of the creation of the universe without a
big bang.
|
Cosmology |
| Neil deGrasse
Tyson |
Death by Black Hole |
Reasonable collection of cosmological
articles. Well written, but failed to excite.
|
Cosmology |
| Neil deGrasse
Tyson |
The Pluto Files |
Glossy book on Pluto that falls down by not
being sure what it is, and having a bit of a dull subject.
|
Astronomy |
| Vlatko Vedral |
Decoding Reality |
Fascinating subject - the significance of
information in the universe - but could have been much better written..
|
Physics |
| Surendra Verma |
The Cause of Mosquitoes' Sorrow |
Chronological trip through scientific
breakthroughs, beginnings and blunders providing quick tasters.
|
Overview |
| Surendra Verma |
The Little Book of Scientific Principles,
Theories and Things |
A delightful collection of 175 vignettes,
illuminating scientific theories and the people who devised them. Highly
recommended |
Overview |
| Surendra Verma |
The Little Book of Unscientific Principles,
Theories and Things |
A fun collection of 100 articles on subjects
on the fringes of science from good but unlikely science to downright
lunacy. |
Overview |
| Surendra Verma |
The Tunguska Fireball |
Fascinating story of the Siberian puzzle of
1908 told in an ultimately unsatisfactory fashion
|
Overview |
| Surendra Verma |
Why Aren't They Here? |
A description of different theories of why we
haven't been contacted by aliens (and of our attempts to reach them). Some
nice historical context, but a trifle dull.
|
Cosmology |
| Giovanni Vignale |
The Beautiful Invisible |
A unique look at the importance of imagination
and beauty in physical theories, exploring the difference between fact and
representation. |
Physics |
| Andrew Viner |
Venn that Tune |
Clever gift book combining Venn diagrams (and
other mathematical diagrams) with song titles.
|
Maths |
| William T.
Vollmann |
Uncentering the Earth |
A turgid, unreadable attempt at telling what
should be the interesting story of Copernicus's move of the Earth away from
the centre of the universe |
Cosmology |
| Frans de Waal |
The Age of Empathy |
Lessons from nature, and primates in
particular, into the reasons for the existence of empathy and its value.
Touching and based on de Waal's work
|
Biology |
| Frans de Waal |
Our Inner Ape |
The affection the author feels for chimps and
bonobos comes through strongly as he explores the behaviour of our closest
relatives, and what it can tell us about ourselves
|
Biology |
| John Waller |
Leaps in the Dark |
Uncovering the myths of science to show that
those "Eureka!" moments might be rather different. Excellent.
|
Overview |
| James D. Watson |
Avoid Boring People |
Dull autobiography that has none of the style
and panache of the much younger Watson's The Double Helix.
|
Biography |
| James D. Watson |
The Double Helix |
Forget the tendency to disregard this book
because it's not politically correct - it's a wonderful personal account of
the discovery of the structure of DNA
|
Biology, physics |
| John Waller |
The Discovery of the Germ |
Much more interesting than the title sounds -
the transformation of medicine from fantasy to reality
|
Biology, human
science |
| Gavin Weightman |
Signor Marconi's Magic Box |
Gripping story of the young Marconi's race
against time to be the first to achieve long distance radio communication.
Excellent stuff |
Technology |
| Joseph Weiner |
The Piltdown Forgery |
Fifty years after it was discredited, OUP
publish an updated version of Weiner's still very readable account
|
Human science |
| David A. Weintraub |
How Old is the Universe |
An interesting topic, but too technical and
detailed for the average reader - more for the astronomy enthusiast or
undergrad.
|
Astronomy,
cosmology |
| Michael Welland |
Sand |
Genuinely fascinating book on every aspect of
sand, but quite difficult to overcome the urge not to read it... because
it's (yawn) about sand.
|
Earth science |
| Brad Wetzler |
Real Mosquitoes Don't Eat Meat |
A collection of delightful and fun answers to
those questions that always puzzle us, in this case about the natural world
|
Overview |
|
MICHAEL WHITE |
Biography |
|
|
| Michael White |
The Fruits of War |
A huge sweep - effectively a brief history of
all of technology, pointing out where its development was accelerated by war
proves interesting but too much to cover
|
Overview |
| Michael White |
Isaac Newton, the Last
Sorcerer |
Newton biog with emphasis on
personal development and his interest in alchemy |
Biography, physics |
| Michael White |
Leonardo, the First Scientist |
A biography of Leonardo da Vinci concentrating on his
contributions to science rather than art
|
Biography |
| Michael White |
A Teaspoon and an Open Mind: The Science of
Doctor Who |
Doctor Who seems the ideal subject for a
Science Of... book, but unfortunately the science is very weakly linked to
the TV show, rather missing the point
|
TV/Movies |
| Michael White & John Gribbin |
Einstein: A Life in Science |
Between them, White & Gribbin iron out each
others faults to produce a good, balanced Einstein biog
|
Biography, physics |
| G. J. Whitrow |
What is Time? |
A good introduction to the nature of time, but
could have been even better if written for a modern audience
|
Physics |
|
Marjorie E. Wieseman |
A Closer Look: Deceptions & Discoveries |
Brings out the remarkable
technology used in analysing artworks, and has 16 potentially interesting
stories of paintings - but all told in a very dull fashion.
|
Technology |
| Maurice Wilkins |
The Third Man of the Double Helix |
Autobiography of the third DNA Nobel prize winner.
Not great writing, but fascinating insight, especially into the Frankin
affair
|
Biography, biology |
| Paul Williams |
Mind-Bending
Puzzles & Fascinating Facts |
An eclectic mix of puzzles, brain teasers,
slightly odd facts and straightforward mathematical proofs. Some good, some
rather banal.
|
Mathematics |
| Christopher Wills |
The Darwinian
Tourist |
Biologist Christopher Wills examines the
living world from an evolutionary perspective, and demonstrates the extent
to which evolution has shaped all of life
|
Biography |
| Ian Wilmut & Roger
Highfield |
After Dolly |
Excellent combination of a history of the
development of the first animal clone, Dolly the sheep, with an exploration
of the ethics and practicality of cloning by one of the team behind Dolly's
birth. |
Biology |
| E. O. Wilson |
Anthill |
A novel that sandwiches a section about the
life of an anthill between two describing a naturalist who wants to save it.
Doesn't work very well.
|
Biology |
| E. O. Wilson |
The Creation |
A short and beautifully put together plea for
better stewardship of the natural world, let down by lack of coherence.
|
Biology |
| Davey Winder |
Being Virtual |
Glossy and very personal view on virtual
worlds and the people who inhabit them.
|
Technology |
|
Robert Winston (Ed.) |
Human |
Wonderful illustrated
reference guide to the human being - not popular science really, hence
only |
Human science |
| Robert Winston |
The Human Mind |
A good exploration of the human brain and
its functions, but not what the title says it is and occasionally
trivializes
|
Human science |
| Peter Woit |
Not Even Wrong |
Stunning but hugely difficult book describing
the failing of string theory and why it perhaps isn't even science. [UNRATEABLE] |
Physics |
| Maryanne Wolf |
Proust and the Squid |
Wonderful concept - looking at how the brain
copes with reading - not very well executed as a popular science book. |
Human science |
| Bernard Wood |
Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction |
Pocket summary of the latest thinking on human
evolution and the paleo-anthropology that lies behind it |
Human science |
| Benjamin Woolley |
The
Herbalist (UK) |
Life and works of herbalist
and medic Nicholas Culpeper |
Biography, human
science |
| Benjamin Woolley |
Heal Thyself (US) |
see
The Herbalist |
|
| Benjamin Woolley |
The Queen's Conjuror |
The remarkable John Dee and
his fascinating mix of science and magic
|
Biography |
| David Wootton |
Galileo: watcher of the skies |
Heavyweight academic biography of Galileo. Not
an easy read, but excellent at getting under the skin of why he did what he
did. |
Biography |
| Glen Yeffeth (Ed.) |
Taking the Red Pill |
Tasty collection of essays on the science and philosophy of the movie The
Matrix
|
TV/Movies |
| Josh Young |
Dino Gangs |
Despite the childish title and an irritating
format because it's lifted from a TV documentary, a very interesting concept
on how a group of dinosaurs behaved.
|
Biology |
| Jan Zalasiewicz |
The Planet in a
Pebble |
Absolutely brilliant concept of exploring the history of the planet
geologically from a single pebble, and very well told - but a shame that
some of the geology is a touch dull.
|
Earth science |
| Carl Zimmer |
Microcosm |
Fascinating study of the bacterium E. coli
with plenty of lessons for the understanding of life as a whole, and our
attitude to human genetic material.
|
Biology |
| Robert Zimmerman |
Leaving Earth |
Interesting, in-depth history of space
stations, their planned roles as stepping stones to the solar system and
what really happened.
|
Technology |
| Gary Zukav |
The Dancing Wu Li Masters |
Dated but reasonable attempt to explain "new"
physics flawed by unnecessary mysticism
|
Physics |
| Jason Zweig |
Your Money and Your Brain |
Although technically a 'how to invest' guide,
it's really a great exploration of how the different mechanisms of the brain
make us unsuited to the stock market.
|
Human science |
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