|
10 Questions Science Can't Answer (Yet) |
Michael Hanlon |
A truly thought-provoking and fascinating
exploration of areas of science that aren't fully understood, from dark
matter to why so many people are fat. |
Overview |
|
After Dolly |
Ian Wilmut & Roger Highfield |
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 |
|
Ancient Americans [1491] |
Charles C. Mann |
Superb revelation of the remarkable
prehistoric cultures of the Americas - full of surprises and eminently
readable |
Human science |
|
Before the
Fall-out: From Marie Curie to Hiroshima |
Diana Preston |
Moving and human account of the discoveries
that would lead to the nuclear bomb, and of those involved in its first use.
|
Physics |
|
Being Me |
Pete Moore |
A remarkable and very different book that
looks into what it means to be human, using interviews to open up human
characteristics. Science-based, but goes wider too.
|
Human science |
|
Big Bang |
Simon Singh |
The answer to the ultimate question of the
universe - where did it come from? - beautifully put in context
|
Cosmology |
| A Brief History of Infinity |
Brian Clegg |
The people and paradoxes in
the quest to think the unthinkable
|
Maths |
| A Brief History of Time |
Stephen Hawking |
The one that started it all
- and much more readable than you might think |
Cosmology, physics |
|
Broken Genius |
Joel Shurkin |
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 |
| Chaos |
James Gleick |
The remarkable development
of chaos theory |
Maths |
|
Children of the Sun |
Alfred W. Crosby |
A sweeping and inspiring trip through
humanity's relationship with energy, from simple agriculture to nuclear
power. Style not to everyone's taste, but magnificent. |
Overview |
|
The Chilling Stars |
Nigel Calder &
Herik Svensmark |
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 |
| The Collapse of Chaos |
Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart |
Combines chaos theory and
complexity theory to boggle the mind |
Maths |
|
Constant Touch |
John Agar |
Superb history of the mobile phone -
technology, sociology, politics, the works!
|
Technology |
|
Cosmic Imagery: key images in the history of
science |
John D. Barrow |
Barrow often tries to pull together art and
science and here succeeds well in an exploration of archetypes of scientific
imagery. |
Overview |
| The Demon Haunted World |
Carl Sagan |
An eloquent plea for reason
and the scientific method instead of wide-eyed acceptance |
Sceptics, overview |
|
A Devil's Chaplain |
Richard Dawkins |
Collection of essays from our foremost
spokesperson for neo-Darwinian thinking. Superb and challenging (in a
positive sense). |
Overview |
|
Digging up the Dead |
Druin Burch |
Riveting, if occasionally stomach churning
biography of the top surgeon from around 1800, Astley Cooper. Highly
recommended. |
Human Science |
|
The Double Helix |
James D. Watson |
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 |
|
Dry Store Room No. 1: the secret life of the
Natural History Museum |
Richard Fortey |
A passionate tour of this British institution,
taking in the exhibits and the people who work there and reflecting on the
changes that are under way. |
Biology |
|
E=mc2 |
David Bodanis |
Great historical storytelling, if a little
sketchy on the science in this biography of an equation, reviewed on
E=mc2's
100th birthday |
Physics |
|
The Egypt Code |
Robert Bauval |
Don't be put off by the new-agey title: this
is a real thriller of an exploration of the relationship between Ancient
Egyptian buildings and stellar observation. |
Archaeology,
astronomy |
|
Einstein's Refrigerator
[A Matter of Degrees] |
Gino Segre |
Excellent exploration of temperature, heat and cold,
taking in a trip through much of science |
Physics,
overview |
|
The Equation that Couldn't be Solved |
Mario Livio |
Brilliant popular maths coverage of group
theory and symmetry, throwing in a quick history of algebra. Highly
approachable with excellent historical context.
|
Mathematics |
|
The Eternal Child |
Clive Bromhall |
Stunningly effective theory of how the human
ape became more like an infant to survive in large groups, and its impact on
our bodies and behaviours
|
Human science |
|
Eureka! The Birth of Science |
Andrew Gregory |
Although it's arguable the ancient Greeks
didn't do science, they certainly laid the foundations: this book is
essential reading |
Overview |
|
The Fabric of the Cosmos |
Brian Greene |
Great exploration of the nature of space, time
and matter, starting with relativity and quantum theory and reaching out to
the universe |
Physics, cosmology |
| Fermat's Last Theorem |
Simon Singh |
The history and the final
solution of this knotty mathematical problem |
Maths |
|
The Fly in the Cathedral |
Brian Cathcart |
Brilliant story of the race to crack open the
atomic nucleus: a must! |
Physics |
|
Francis Crick |
Matt Ridley |
A very readable and insightful biography of
one of the key figures in the discovery of the structure of DNA - much more
than retelling a well-known story
|
Biography |
|
The Gecko's Foot |
Peter Forbes |
Wonderful examples of the potential for nature to inspire
remarkable new technology, particularly at the nano level.
Highly recommended |
Biology,
technology |
|
Genesis |
Robert M. Hazen |
Wonderfully personal exploration of the
possible origin of life from both experiment and field work, with engaging
description of how experimental science works |
Biology |
|
Genome |
Matt Ridley |
Already classic exploration of human genetics
via 23 genes - excellent |
Human science |
|
Giant Leaps |
John Perry & Jack
Challoner |
Light and surprisingly good collaboration
between the Science Museum and the tabloid newspaper, The Sun, covering our
greatest scientific advances.
|
Overview |
|
The God Effect |
Brian Clegg |
Remarkable exploration of quantum
entanglement, a bizarre effect that has amazing applications. Excellent
explanation of the science |
Physics |
| How the Mind Works |
Steven Pinker |
Exploration of thought and
the mechanisms behind it |
Psychology, human science |
|
Just Six Numbers |
Martin Rees |
In an elegant and enjoyable book that should
be just as famous as A Brief History of Time, Martin Rees explores how six
fundamental constants have shaped the universe |
Cosmology |
|
The Knife Man |
Wendy Moore |
Unexpectedly impressive life of John Hunter,
surgeon, dissector and inspiration for Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde |
Human Science |
|
In
the Beginning was the Worm |
Andrew Brown |
Delightful introduction to the first creature
to have its genome sequenced - and the scientists who did it
|
Biology |
|
The Little Book of Scientific Principles,
Theories and Things |
Surendra Verma |
A delightful collection of 175 vignettes,
illuminating scientific theories and the people who devised them. Highly
recommended |
Overview |
|
The Long Summer |
Brian Fagan |
Well-written and engrossing study of the way
the climate changes between 18,000BC and the present time have influenced
human civilization |
Human Science |
|
The Long Tail |
Chris Anderson |
A simple, brilliant idea - the Internet can
transform retail by offering almost unlimited choice, exploring the tail of
the sales distribution |
Technology |
|
The Long Tomorrow |
Michael R. Rose |
Excellent description by evolutionary
biologist Michael Rose of his work on aging in fruit flies, put into the
context of his life and the possibilities for understanding human aging.
|
Biology |
|
Mathematics with Love |
Mary Stopes-Roe |
Delightful correspondence and maths lessons
between Barnes Wallis, inventor of the bouncing bomb and his sweetheart |
Maths, technology |
|
A Matter of Degrees
[Einstein's Refrigerator] |
Gino Segre |
Excellent exploration of temperature, heat and cold,
taking in a trip through much of science |
Physics,
overview |
|
Max Perutz and the Secret of Life |
Georgina Ferry |
A delightful surprise to find out about this
pioneering molecular biologist, supported by excellent writing. |
Biology, Biography |
|
Meta Math! The Quest for
Omega |
Gregory Chaitin |
Fascinating description of a
real modern mathematician's thinking, coupled with insights into the nature
of maths. |
Maths |
|
A Mind of Its Own |
Cordelia Fine |
A short and wonderfully readable introduction
to the many ways our brains deceive us, illustrated throughout by
psychological experiments
|
Human science |
|
Mutants |
Armand Leroi |
Truly remarkable book that uses human mutation
to explain how we are all formed while avoiding the voyeurism of the freak
show |
Human science |
|
No Two Alike |
Judith Rich Harris |
A real page turner as the author explores how
personalities differ, with a style that owes as much to a murder mystery as
a science book |
Human science |
|
The Oxford Dictionary of Scientific Quotations |
W. F. Bynum and
Roy Porter |
Absolutely brilliant collection of quotations
from scientists and about science. An absolutely must-have reference.
|
Overview |
|
Q&A: Cosmic Conundrums and Everyday Mysteries
of Science |
Robert Matthews |
Lots of fun and some significant surprises in
this selection of answers to the scientific questions we'd all like to ask,
but haven't
|
Overview |
|
Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You [The Quantum Zoo] |
Marcus Chown |
The best introduction to quantum physics and
relativity we've seen with some superb examples and great explanation |
Physics |
| The Selfish Gene |
Richard Dawkins |
Evolutionary biology from its foremost protagonist |
Biology |
|
Signor Marconi's Magic Box |
Gavin Weightman |
Gripping story of the young Marconi's race
against time to be the first to achieve long distance radio communication.
Excellent stuff |
Technology |
|
Space Race |
Deborah Cadbury |
Engaging and sometimes horrifying story of the
origins and realities of the race to space and the moon from both sides of
the iron curtain |
Technology |
|
Strange Angel |
George Pendle |
The totally bizarre and fascinating story of
the life and horrible death of rocket science and occult enthusiast John
Whiteside Parsons |
Biography |
| Surely you are Joking, Mr
Feynman |
Richard Feynman |
Wonderful anecdotes from
the great physicist |
Biography, physics |
|
The Tiger that Isn't |
Michael Blastland
& Andrew Dilnot |
Brilliant excursion into the way we misuse and
misunderstand numbers and statistics, and how to see around it. |
Maths |
|
The Time Traveller |
Ronald Mallett & Bruce Henderson |
Moving and highly readable story of a
physicist's mission to build a time machine to visit his dead father - just
finishes a bit too soon. |
Physics |
|
The Trouble with Physics |
Lee Smolin |
Absorbing exploration of the problems with
string theory and how it has become an ineffective panacea.
|
Physics |
| The Universe Next Door |
Marcus Chown |
Strange concepts at the
edge of scientific theories |
Overview, physics |
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