|
The 4% Universe |
Richard Panek |
A useful and detailed history of the discovery
of the existence of dark matter and dark energy, which make up 96% of the
universe.  |
Cosmology |
|
After the Ice |
Steven Mithen |
Huge history of humanity
between 20,000 and 5,000 BC with neat "observer" style
|
Human science |
|
Afterglow of Creation |
Marcus Chown |
Intriguing detective story tracking back from
the cosmic background radiation to the big bang. |
Cosmology |
|
The Age of Empathy |
Frans de Waal |
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 |
|
[The Age of] Scurvy |
Stephen R. Bown |
Gripping story of the slow discovery of the
cure for scurvy that brings alive the atmosphere of life on sailing ships
|
Human science |
|
Almost Human |
Lee Gutkind |
Fly on the wall documentary book of the
personalities, achievements and disasters of the Carnegie Mellon roboticists.
|
Technology |
|
The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics |
James Kakalios |
Despite promising to be 'math free' this
introduction to quantum mechanics peppered with examples from comic books is
quite hard work for the reader, but rewards that work with more depth than
is usual. |
Physics |
|
Antimatter |
Frank Close |
Intriguing guide to antimatter: what it is,
how it's made and how it's unlikely to be a serious component of a weapon.
|
Physics |
|
The Archimedes Codex |
Reviel Netz & William Noel |
Fascinating combination of the story of the
uncovering of a hidden manuscript copy of Archimedes' books and an
explanation of what's special about the content.
|
Maths |
|
Armageddon Science |
Brian Clegg |
The science behind the many ways that humanity
can destroy itself (with a bit of destructive nature thrown in). Mad
scientists may be scary, but it's a strangely enjoyable cocktail. |
Overview |
|
As Far As We Know |
Paul Callaghan & Kim Hill |
Transcripts of entertaining
radio conversations covering a wide range of scientific issues from human
gender to thermodynamics.
|
Overview |
|
Aspirin: The Remarkable Story of a Wonder Drug |
Dairmuid Jeffreys |
The story of aspirin from
quinine substitute to heart medicine. Excellent background; truly
fascinating |
Chemistry, human sciences |
|
Atom |
Piers Bizony |
A good mix of biography and science as we
follow the trail of just what atoms are. Could do with a bit more depth in
the human interest side, but well-written.
|
Physics |
|
The Apple and the Atom |
Sebastien Balibar |
Enjoyable and very personal views on a series
of scientific topics from a French low temperature physicist.
|
Overview |
|
Are Angels OK? |
Bill Manhire &
Paul Callaghan (Eds.) |
Mix of science, science fiction and lab lit
from New Zealand. Mixed content, but explores well how science and
literature sit alongside each other.
 |
Overview |
|
The Autobiography |
Charles Darwin |
Not at all stuffy - short book
is a fascinating insight into Darwin as a human being
|
Biography, biology |
|
The Autobiography |
Patrick Moore |
A remarkable combination of stories from life
an opinions on the world from the UK's best known astronomer and TV
eccentric |
Biography,
astronomy |
|
Backroom Boys |
Francis Spufford |
Wonderful history of six quirky UK technology
breakthroughs including Concorde and the game Elite
|
Technology |
|
Bang! The Complete History of the Universe |
Patrick Moore,
Brian May, Chris Lintott |
A superbly illustrated introduction to the
basics of cosmology, for all ages, though we think it works best for younger
readers. |
Astronomy,
cosmology |
|
Bats Sing, Mice Giggle |
Karen Shanor &
Jagmeet Kanwal |
A whole pile of surprising and fascinating
facts about the inner lives of animals, though could have been less of a
long list.
|
Biology |
|
The Beautiful Invisible |
Giovanni Vignale |
A unique look at the importance of imagination
and beauty in physical theories, exploring the difference between fact and
representation. |
Physics |
|
Beyond the Hoax |
Alan Sokal |
Hugely insightful look into the nature of
science based on Sokal's hoax academic paper, but could have better put
together. |
Overview |
|
The Big Necessity |
Rose George |
The rarely visited world of human waste -
great fun down the sewers, investigating Japanese high function toilets, and
with the sociological and health issues involved.
|
Human Science |
|
Blink |
Malcolm Gladwell |
Lightweight but delightfully told illustration
of how we make ultra-quick decisions
|
Human Science |
|
The Book of Time |
Adam Hart-Davis |
Heavily illustrated book on the nature of time
and its measurements that has enough in to interest adults but is presented
in a way that will appeal to older children too.
|
Physics |
|
The Brain Book |
Rita Carter |
Surprisingly good adult
picture book on the brain and how it works.
|
Human science |
|
Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control |
Kathleen Taylor |
That rarest of things, an academic book that
is enjoyable to the general reader - excellent study of brainwashing
|
Human science |
|
Branches |
Philip Ball |
Part of Ball's wide-ranging study of form,
this book looks at branching in nature, with a sideline in the concept of
scientific models.
|
Overview |
|
A Briefer History of Time |
Stephen Hawking
(with Leonard Mlodinow) |
Attempt to make Brief History more
approachable - good content, but suffers from übergloss
|
Cosmology, physics |
|
Buy-ology |
Martin Lindstrom |
Interesting study of how people react to
advertising by monitoring the brain, though some of the interpretation of
the science is poorly presented.
|
Human science |
|
Catastrophes! |
David Prothero |
Really takes the reader into the experience of
living through natural disasters with personal accounts, plus good
exploration of the science behind them.
|
Earth science |
|
The Cause of Mosquitoes' Sorrow |
Surendra Verma |
Chronological trip through scientific
breakthroughs, beginnings and blunders providing quick tasters.
|
Overview |
|
Chaos: A Very Short Introduction |
Leonard Smith |
One of the best entries in the Oxford series
of pocket introductions, concentrating on the practical uses of chaos
theory.
|
Maths |
|
Chasing the Sun |
Richard Cohen |
A huge exploration of humanity's relationship
with the sun. Overlong and sometimes a little vague on the science, but a
fascinating read.
|
Astronomy |
|
Chloroform: the quest for oblivion |
Linda Stratmann |
Interesting history of the early anaesthetic
chloroform and its rise and fall. Great period detail.
|
Human science |
|
Climate Change Begins at Home |
Dave Reay |
Why climate change is a problem and what we as
individuals can do about it, without jargon or being preachy
|
Earth science,
technology |
| The Code Book |
Simon Singh |
The development of codes
and ciphers through the ages |
Maths |
|
Coincidences, Chaos and All that Math Jazz |
Edward B. Burger & Michael Starbird |
A high speed, highly enjoyable tour of many of
the interesting bits of maths that doesn't patronize, but is never
over-heavy. |
Maths |
|
Collider: the search for the world's smallest
particles |
Paul Halpern |
Useful introduction to the Large Hadron
Collider, particular good on the history of accelerators and particle
research. |
Physics |
| The Colossal Book of
Mathematics |
Martin Gardiner |
Classic puzzles, paradoxes
and problems |
Maths |
|
Complexity: a guided tour |
Melanie Mitchell |
Enjoyable and engaging exploration of
complexity, genetic algorithms, networks and more.
|
Overview |
|
Conflict in the Cosmos/Fred Hoyle: A Life in
Science |
Simon Mitton |
Biography of brilliant astronomer and huge
character, Fred Hoyle. Fascinating, but could have been better
|
Biography,
astronomy |
|
The Cosmic Verses |
James Muirden |
Astonishingly effective history of our ideas
on the universe, all in verse - certainly could have been much worse.
|
Cosmology |
|
Cosmology: a very short introduction |
Peter Coles |
Compact
but surprisingly detailed introduction to cosmology. Could do with an
update, but still good.
|
Cosmology |
|
The Cosmos: A Beginner's Guide |
Adam Hart-Davis & Paul Bader |
A beautifully illustrated book from a BBC TV
series that's really more about the equipment we use to study it than the
cosmos.
|
Cosmology |
|
Cows in the Maze |
Ian Stewart |
Mixed bag collection of recreational maths
pieces, some great, others not so.
|
Maths |
|
The Curies |
Denis Brian |
Interesting and in-depth biography of both the
Curies and the Joliot-Curies, though could have been even better with
judicious editing. |
Biography |
|
Darwin: Discovering the tree of life |
Niles Eldredge |
Not just another Darwin biography, but a very
readable and well illustrated attempt to show just how Darwin's thinking was
shaped |
Biology, biography |
|
Darwin: The Life of a Tormented Evolutionist |
Adrian Desmond &
James Moore |
A rich narrative of a "billionare of bizarre
facts" and his struggle between a revolutionary idea and a conservative
social context. |
Biography |
|
The Darwinian Tourist |
Christopher Wills |
Biologist Christopher Wills examines the
living world from an evolutionary perspective, and demonstrates the extent
to which evolution has shaped all of life
|
Biography |
|
Decoding Reality |
Vlatko Vedral |
Fascinating subject - the significance of
information in the universe - but could have been much better written..
|
Physics |
|
Deep Future |
Curt Stager |
Gives a unique perspective on global warming
by taking the long view, both historically and far into the future.
Absolutely fascinating.
|
Earth science |
|
The Devil's Doctor |
Philip Ball |
Revealing look at the medieval mix of magic
and science that lay behind the life and theories of Paracelsus the strange
and often reviled early medic
|
Biography |
|
Diagnosis [Every Patient Tells a Story] |
Lisa Sanders |
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 |
|
The Discovery of the Germ |
John Waller |
Much more interesting than the
title sounds - the transformation of medicine from fantasy to reality
|
Biology, human science |
|
Do we need Pandas? |
Ken Thompson |
An accessible exploration of biodiversity and
conservation. Thompson argues we should concentrate on preserving ecosystems
rather than individual species. |
Biology |
|
Donald Michie: on Machine Intelligence, Biology
& more |
Donald Michie &
Ashwin Srinivasan (ed.) |
An enjoyable collection of writings by a
pioneer of artificial intelligence and IVF.
|
Technology |
|
Dreaming |
J. Allan Hobson |
Dream and sleep science hauled out of the Freudian dark ages with an
excellent introduction
|
Human sciences |
|
The Earth: an intimate history |
Richard Fortey |
Not only a good explanation of
how the Earth works, but a tour of key locations too.
|
Earth science |
|
Earth: in 100 groundbreaking discoveries |
Douglas Palmer |
Despite the format, some interesting writing
shines through and excellent photos make this an interesting exploration of
the Earth's development |
Earth science |
|
The End of Discovery |
Russell Stannard |
Accessible exploration of some of the most
difficult topics facing scientists today, and whether we will ever get
satisfactory answers. |
Overview |
|
Einstein: A Life in Science |
Michael White & John Gribbin |
Between them, White & Gribbin iron out each
others faults to produce a good, balanced Einstein biog
|
Biography, physics |
|
Einstein's Heroes |
Robyn Arianrhod |
Excellent exploration of the move of maths to
centre stage in physics, mostly focussing on the life and work of James
Clark Maxwell
|
Physics, maths |
|
Einstein's Mistakes |
Hans C. Ohanian |
Brilliantly different exposition of Einstein's
work, only slightly let down by smugness and at least one error.
|
Physics |
|
Einstein's Universe: the layperson's guide |
Nigel Calder |
Short and useful book which outlines special
and general relativity - good start for anyone who is first encountering the
subject.
|
Physics |
|
The Electric Life of Michael Faraday |
Alan Hirshfeld |
A fascinating look at the life and
particularly the work of this pre-eminent Victorian physicist. |
Biography, physics |
|
Electric Universe |
David Bodanis |
Excellent as a teen introduction to the
wonders of electricity, but a bit too gushing for some adults.
|
Physics |
|
Electronic Brains |
Mike Hally |
The early days of electronic computer are
uncovered around the world - US, UK, Australia and USSR - in an engaging
little book |
Technology |
|
The Elegant Universe |
Brian Greene |
Precursor to Fabric of the Cosmos with
considerable overlaps. Not as good on relativity/quantum theory but more on
string theory. |
Physics, cosmology |
|
The Elements of Murder |
John Emsley |
A history of the use of several key elements
from mercury to lead in poisonings - fascinating stories and surprisingly
interesting |
Human science |
|
The Emperor's New Drugs |
Irving Kirsch |
An analysis of the ineffectiveness of
anti-depressant drugs and the importance of the placebo effect that is a
good guide to scientific method.
|
Human science |
|
Endless Universe: Before the Big Bang |
Neil Turok & Paul
J. Steinhardt |
Accessible and readable book from the
respected proponents of a theory of the creation of the universe without a
big bang.
|
Cosmology |
|
Energy: the subtle concept |
Jennifer
Coopersmith |
Though by no means an easy read with many
physics concept taken as read, this book is a valuable exploration of the
nature of energy and our increasing knowledge of it.
|
Physics |
|
Enhancing Me |
Pete Moore |
Although using a restrictive definition of enhancement, a thought-provoking
look at how humans can be made more than human.
|
Human Science,
technology |
|
The Epigenetics Revolution |
Nessa Carey |
Fascinating and enlightening book on the way
DNA goes beyond genes in controlling the body. Should have been five star if
it wasn't for the overabundance of impenetrable names.
|
Human science |
|
The Essential Einstein: His Greatest Works |
Albert Einstein |
Stephen Hawking edits and comments on
Einstein's best work - but you probably need a physics degree..
|
Physics |
|
Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers |
Stephanie Pain (Ed.) |
An informative collection of short of
histories of strange, unexpected and unlikely developments in the history of
science and technology. |
Technology |
|
Flow |
Philip Ball |
A study of the science of flow that offers many
pleasures to the reader (but a clear statement of the book's aims is not one
of them)
|
Overview |
|
Fred Hoyle's Universe |
Jane Gregory |
A thorough and effective biography of the
great astronomer Fred Hoyle - not perfect, but probably the best
|
Biography,
cosmology |
|
From Here to Infinity |
Ian Stewart |
Surprisingly readable and
low-equation tour of the heart of today's mathematics
|
Maths |
|
The Future of Food |
Brian J. Ford |
A sharp assessment of what's wrong with the
way we produce and consume food, and how things might change. Idiosyncratic
tone might irritate, but will also interest.
|
Overview |
|
Genius: The Life and science of Richard Feynman |
James Gleick |
The best biography of this superb physicist
and complex man - still flawed but well worth reading
|
Biography |
|
Galileo's Daughter |
Dava Sobel |
Biography of Galileo and
exploration of his work, cunningly linked by a series of letters from his
daughter |
Biography, overview |
|
Geek Nation |
Angela Saini |
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 |
|
The God Particle |
Leon Lederman &
Dick Teresi |
In-depth and often funny look at the history
of particle physics and the development of the standard model, viewed by an
insider.
|
Physics |
| Gödel, Escher, Bach |
Douglas Hofstadter |
Linking the music of Bach,
the art of Escher and the maths of Gödel to illustrate human thought
|
Psychology, overview |
|
The Goldilocks Enigma |
Paul Davies |
Why are all the physical constants so fine-tuned for an environment we can
live in? A thought provoking exploration of the cosmological reasons why
things are just right. |
Cosmology |
|
God's Philosophers |
James Hannam |
Highly informative and surprisingly readable
book filling in just what developments were made in the history of science
during the medieval period.
|
Overview |
|
Happiness |
Daniel Nettle |
The science of happiness - a fascinating
analysis of what happiness is and how we react to it
|
Human science |
|
Here on Earth |
Tim Flannery |
Beautifully written introduction to evolution
and the history of Earth and its inhabitants, plus not quite as good aspects
on climate change/pollution and potential solutions.
|
Earth science |
|
Hope for Animals and their World |
Jane Goodall |
Very personal and moving accounts of animals
being saved from the brink of extinction - just a bit overlong.
|
Biology |
|
How Long is a Piece of String |
Rob Easterway &
Jeremy Wyndham |
Very enjoyable book of mathematical fun in
everyday life - could do to be a little more adult in presentation
|
Maths |
|
How Many Licks |
Aaron Santos |
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 |
|
How Slow Can You Waterski? |
Simon Rogers (ed.) |
... and other puzzling questions. Yes, it's
another collection of mini-science articles, but this is one of the better
ones, culled from the Guardian |
Overview |
|
How to Clone the Perfect Blonde |
Sue Nelson & Richard
Hollingham |
Eight fascinating applications of science,
beautifully explained, but let down a little by childish humour
|
Overview |
|
How to Fossilise Your Hamster |
Mick O'Hare (Ed.) |
Building on their Q&A books, now an
experiments book from the New Scientist's reliable Last Word column. |
Overview |
|
Hubble: Window on the Universe |
Giles Sparrow |
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 |
|
The Human Body Close-up |
John Clancy |
Packed with high-detailed microscope pictures
of parts of the body it is a visual feast, supported by a basic but fair
text. Just a shame it's so heavy!
|
Human science |
|
The Humans who went Extinct |
Clive Finlayson |
Strikingly different view of why Neanderthals
died out and we survived, well worth reading despite some boring bits.
|
Human science |
|
Ice, Mud and Blood |
Chris Turney |
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 |
|
If Dogs Could Talk |
Vilmos Csányi |
Real eye-opener on the nature and
sophistication of the mind of a very familiar creature: the dog
|
Biology |
|
The Importance of Being Trivial |
Mark Mason |
Delightful exploration of why we find trivia
fascinating, packing in lots of wonderful factoids along the way.
|
Human science |
|
In Search of Schrödinger's Cat |
John Gribbin |
One of Gribbin's best books providing a good
introduction to quantum theory, which doesn't suffer too much from age
despite being over 20 years old. |
Physics |
|
The Infinite Book |
John D. Barrow |
Interesting book on infinity, generally very
good, though too much cosmology and attempts at artiness and not enough
maths
|
Maths |
|
The Infinity Puzzle |
Frank Close |
Essential reading for anyone interested in
really understanding QED, weak and strong forces and the Higgs boson - but
has some issues.
|
Physics |
|
In Search of Memory |
Eric R. Kandel |
Excellent account of the work of the Nobel
Prize winner Kandel, putting his studies of the cellular nature of memory
into the context of his life.. |
Biology |
|
In Search of the Multiverse |
John Gribbin |
A speculative but highly entertaining trip
around the different concepts that take us beyond a single universe to a
multiverse. |
Physics |
|
Introducing Quantum Theory |
J.P. McEvoy &
Oscar Zarate |
Wacky
but good illustrated introduction to the concepts of
quantum theory
|
Physics |
| Isaac Newton |
James Gleick |
Newton biog with good
insight into his physics |
Biography, physics |
|
Jurassic Mary |
Patricia Pierce |
Detailed insight into the life of Mary Anning,
one of the great Victorian fossil hunters whose name is largely hidden
because she was a working class woman
|
Biography |
|
Just Another Day |
Adam Hart-Davis |
Excellent concept of going through a composite
everyday life and exploring the science and technology. A lot of the author
in it, so a book you'll love or hate.
|
Overview |
|
The Killer of Little Shepherds |
Douglas Starr |
Interweaves the historical true crime story of
the French Ripper and an account of the parallel development of forensic
science
|
Human science |
|
The Last Man Who Knew Everything |
Andrew Robinson |
The first modern biography of the polymath
Thomas Young whose strong contributions to physics, engineering and more
make him a fascinating if enigmatic character.
|
Biography |
|
Leaps in the Dark |
John Waller |
Uncovering the myths of science to show that
those "Eureka!" moments might be rather different. Excellent.
|
Overview |
|
Light Years |
Brian Clegg |
The story of humanity's
exploration of light. Combination
of good history with fascinating new light science. New edition.
|
Physics |
|
The Little Book of Unscientific Principles,
Theories and Things |
Surendra Verma |
A fun collection of 100 articles on subjects
on the fringes of science from good but unlikely science to downright
lunacy. |
Overview |
|
Living with Enza |
Mark Honigsbaum |
The story of the 1918 flu pandemic and how it
impacted the UK, intertwined with events in the First World War. Scary at a
time of another pandemic.
|
Human science |
|
Lonesome George |
Henry Nicholls |
The attempts to mate the sole known tortoise
from Pinta Island in the Galapagos is used to introduce the islands
themselves, and a touch of Darwin
|
Biology |
| Longitude |
Dava Sobel |
Clockmaker John Harrison's
attempts to devise an accurate chronometer for navigation |
Biography, technology |
|
Lovelock & Gaia: Signs of
Life |
Jon Turney |
If you thought Gaia was all
about tree-hugging, think again with this excellent mini-introduction to
Lovelock |
Earth science |
|
The Man Who Stopped Time |
Brian Clegg |
Engaging biography of the motion picture
pioneer and murderer. Not a huge amount of science in his life, but brings
out the science of photography etc. well.
|
Biography |
| The Magic Furnace |
Marcus Chown |
Where atoms come from
- a remarkable story that takes us from the big bang to now
|
Physics, astronomy, cosmology |
|
Magic Universe |
Nigel Calder |
Alphabetic collection of articles on modern
science that are fascinating to read and give a good overview.
|
Overview |
|
Massive |
Ian Sample |
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 |
|
The Mathematics of Life |
Ian Stewart |
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 |
|
The Meadowlands |
Robert Sullivan |
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 |
|
The Mechanical Turk |
Tom Standage |
The amazing story of the
mechanical chess player built in 1770
|
Technology |
|
The Medical Detective [The Strange Case of the
Broad Street Pump] |
Sandra Hempel |
Fascinating medical history of the attempts to
discover how cholera spread, and John Snow's detective work to trace the
origins of the Broad Street outbreak
|
Human science |
|
Metamorphosis |
Frank Ryan |
Fascinating theory of the origins of animals
with a very different larval form (think caterpillar and butterfly) with
lots of detail on the nature of metamorphosis.
|
Biology |
|
Middle World |
Mark Haw |
Dull looking book, which is a shame because
it's a brilliant, very readable tour of the nanoscale from Brownian motion
to biological machines.
|
Physics |
|
The Mo[u]ld on Doctor Florey's Coat |
Eric Lax |
The true story of the development of
penicillin - both fascinating and very different from the myth
|
Biology, biography |
|
The Most Powerful Idea in the World |
William Rosen |
Engaging and detailed history of the people,
technology and particularly the ideas (and the nature of invention) that
made the industrial revolution happen.
|
Technology |
|
MonkeyLuv |
Robert M. Sapolsky |
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 |
|
The Most Human Human |
Brian Christian |
Uses the Turing test, comparing human and
computer conversation, to discover what this teaches us about being human
and about computer capabilities.
|
Technology, human
science |
|
My Beautiful Genome |
Lone Frank |
Very personal exploration of the personal
genomics business, following the author as she takes gene tests and
interviews scientists. Lots to like.
|
Human science |
|
The Mystery of the Aleph |
Amir Aczel |
Good biography of Georg Cantor
and explanation of his maths of the infinite.
|
Maths, biography |
|
Natural Acts |
David Quamman |
Collection of beautifully crafted short pieces
on science and nature, especially good on unexpected animal topics. |
Biology, overview |
|
Natural Computing |
Dennis Shasha &
Kathy Lazere |
Remarkable stories from the individuals
working at the edge of what's possible with computers - just lacks a bit of
'is this realistic?' |
Technology |
|
Nature via Nurture |
Matt Ridley |
A superbly balanced picture of the ages-old
debate between nature and nurture, and the latest thinking to emerge from
genetic science |
Human science |
|
The
Never Ending Days of Being Dead |
Marcus Chown |
A clear exploration of some of the big
questions in physics, bringing in a range of weird and wonderful theories
|
Physics, cosmology |
|
The New Killer Germs |
Pete Moore |
Very effective if depressing account of our
battle against bacteria and viruses, and how things are likely to get worse
in the future |
Human science |
|
New Theories of Everything |
John D. Barrow |
Hard to read, but insightful exploration of
the nature of theories in science and how they are constructed, particularly
around physics and theories of everything.
|
Physics |
| The Northern Lights |
Lucy Jago |
Kristian Birkeland, the
Norwegian scientist who first uncovered the secret of the Northern Lights
|
Biography, physics |
|
Not a Chimp |
Jeremy Taylor |
Convincing exploration of the very real
differences between humans and chimps, overlooked by simply comparing genes
|
Human science |
| The Nothing that Is |
Robert Kaplan |
An enjoyable tour around
that most significant gap in our counting system, zero |
Maths |
|
The One True Platonic
Heaven |
John L. Casti |
Cleverly written fictional
encounter between key physicists and mathematicians at the IAS - with some
politics thrown in for fun
|
Overview |
| Our Cosmic Habitat |
Martin Rees |
A clear and well-written
guide to the universe from the Astronomer Royal |
Cosmology, astronomy |
|
Our Inner Ape |
Frans de Waal |
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 |
|
The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing |
Richard Dawkins |
Interesting collection of extracts from many great science writers and
scientists. Excellent sampler. |
Overview |
|
Packing for Mars |
Mary Roach |
Not a lot of science and technology but a
fascinating and often hilarious at what the experience of space travel is
like for real astronauts.
|
Technology |
|
Parallel Worlds |
Michio Kaku |
Fascinating ideas on parallel universes,
cosmology and string theory only slightly let down by oversimplification and
mixed writing. |
Cosmology, physics |
|
Pathfinders |
Jim Al-Khalili |
Fascinating stories of the amazing figures of
Arabic science who built the foundations of the renaissance. The analysis is
less effective, but that's not important.
|
Overview |
|
Perfect Copy |
Nicholas Agar |
Good introduction to the working of cloning
and exploration of the ethical implications and uses
|
Human science |
|
Perfect Rigour |
Masha Gessen |
The remarkable story of how Russian
mathematician Gregory Perelman solved one of the biggest problems in maths,
then withdrew from everything, ignoring his accolades.
|
Mathematics |
|
Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten
Track [Don't You Have Time to Think?] |
Richard Feynman |
Absolutely fascinating collection of letters
from one of the greatest scientists ever
|
Biography |
|
Periodic Tales |
Hugh Aldersey-Williams |
Entertaining exploration of the elements with
lots of stories about their use and discovery, plus the author's personal
experience of accumulating elements.
|
Chemistry |
|
Phantoms in the Brain |
Sandra Blakeslee &
V. S. Ramachandran |
The workings of the brain cleverly explored
through mental problems and the effects of brain damage
|
Human science |
| The Physics of Star Trek |
Lawrence M. Krauss |
How much can real science
make the wonders of Star Trek possible? |
TV, physics |
|
The Physics of Superheroes |
James Kakalios |
One of the better 'science of'/'physics of'
books, using the exploits of superheroes to explore everything from
mechanics to electromagnetism.. |
Physics |
|
The Piltdown Forgery |
Joseph Weiner |
Fifty years after it was discredited, OUP
publish an updated version of Weiner's still very readable account
|
Human science |
|
The Planet in a Pebble |
Jan Zalasiewicz |
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 |
|
Pleasure [The Compass of Pleasure] |
David J. Linden |
Good, readable exploration of the nature of
pleasure in its impact on the brain, plus vice and addiction, but is just
occasionally a bit slow when dealing with the detailed workings.
|
Human science |
|
Possessing Genius: The
Bizarre Odyssey of Einstein's Brain |
Carolyn Abraham |
Occasionally gory but
fascinating account of what happened to Einstein's brain after his death
|
Biography, human science |
|
Power, Sex, Suicide |
Nick Lane |
It sounds like a political thriller, but it's a
fascinating if fat exploration of the role of mitochondria, the invader
power packs of complex life. |
Biology |
|
Powering Up |
Rebecca Mileham |
Thought-provoking exploration of the effects
computer games have on us. Sometimes over-enthusiastic, but mostly good.
|
Technology |
|
Predictably Irrational |
Dan Ariely |
Great demonstration of how flawed the
conventional economics assumption that humans make rations decisions is,
with a string of experiments.
|
Human science |
|
The Prism and the Pendulum |
Robert P. Crease |
The ten most beautiful experiments in science
(well, physics), with good insights into the people behind them.
|
Physics |
|
Pythagoras |
Kitty Ferguson |
A difficult task in writing a book on a person we know almost nothing about
(and not much more on his theories) - but instead we follow his influence
through the centuries in a fascinating fashion. |
Biography |
|
Quantum Man |
Lawrence M. Krauss |
On the surface a biography of Richard Feynman,
the book is much more an explanation of his science. Some intriguing stuff,
but could have been better explained. |
Physics |
|
The Quantum Universe: everything that can
happen does happen |
Brian Cox & Jeff
Forshaw |
A superb primer on quantum physics for anyone
about to start a physics degree, but incredibly hard work for a general
reader.
|
Physics |
| The Queen's Conjuror |
Benjamin Woolley |
The remarkable John Dee and
his fascinating mix of science and magic
|
Biography |
|
Radiation and Reason |
Wade Allison |
Powerful arguments for a better assessment of
the risk of nuclear power, but could do to be more approachable.
|
Physics, human
science |
|
The Rainhill Trials |
Christopher McGowan |
Pure technology, but a
fascinating insight into the men and machines that brought railways into
being
|
Technology |
|
The Rational Optimist |
Matt Ridley |
Not really science, more a political polemic,
but a wonderful exploration of why things are better than they used to be
thanks to trade and the interaction of ideas - a great counter to doom
mongers. |
Human science |
|
Rats |
Robert Sullivan |
A study of the wild rat in New York, in Robert
Sullivan's unique style that brings in many fascinating tangential stories
|
Biology |
|
Real Mosquitoes Don't Eat Meat |
Brad Wetzler |
A collection of delightful and fun answers to
those questions that always puzzle us, in this case about the natural world
|
Overview |
|
Relativity for the Questioning Mind |
Daniel Styler |
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 |
|
Rising Force |
James D.
Livingston |
The history and science of levitation. Not
just maglev trains (though they feature large), but the characters,
inventions and patent wars, making an enjoyable read.
|
Physics |
|
The Rising Sea |
Orrin H. Pilkey & Rob Young |
Impressive and telling description of how sea
level can be expected to rise and what it's impact will be on humans,
wildlife and land masses.
|
Earth science |
|
Risk: The science and politics of fear |
Dan Gardner |
Good insights into how human responses divide
into 'head' and 'gut' and how our gut leads us to be frightened more than we
should. |
Human science |
|
The Road to Reality |
Roger Penrose |
Remarkable tour-de-force exploration of
physics and its mathematical basis, but almost totally incomprehensible!
|
Physics, maths |
|
The Rocketbelt Caper |
Paul Brown |
Stranger than fiction true story of the
development of the rocketbelt and the plunge into kidnapping and murder that
one rocketbelt caused |
Technology |
|
Sand |
Michael Welland |
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 |
|
Science and Islam: a history |
Ehsan Masood |
An enlightening and very accessible survey of
Islamic science during the so-called Dark Ages and beyond.
|
Overview |
| Science of
Discworld III: Darwin's Watch |
Terry Pratchett,
Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen |
The highly entertaining and original combo of
Discworld fantasy and scientific precision is aimed at evolution. A few
quibbles but great
|
Biology |
|
The Science of Doctor Who |
Paul Parsons |
The world's longest running SF TV show comes
under the "Science of" spotlight in an enjoyable and tantalising book
|
TV |
|
The Science of Middle Earth |
Henry Gee |
Surprisingly effective study of Tolkein's
attitude to science and its appearance on his writings
|
Overview |
|
Second Nature |
Jonathan Balcombe |
The book presents important messages about
animals' ability to feel and how we should treat them, but does so in a
repetitious and poorly argued way.
|
Biology |
|
See What I'm Saying |
Lawrence Rosenblum |
Exploration of the way our different senses
can supplement and supplant each other combining fascinating stories with
enlightening exercises.
|
Human science |
|
The Selfish Genius |
Fern Elsdon-Baker |
Excellent analysis of what's right and wrong
with Richard Dawkins' approach to evolution and public understanding of
science, with real insights into science in society.
|
Biology |
|
Seven Deadly Colours |
Andrew Parker |
Superb description of nature's mechanisms for
producing colour and colour's impact on the eye, a little let down by poor
physics |
Biology |
| Sex, Botany and Empire |
Patricia Fara |
Joseph Banks (and Linnaeus)
and his contribution to biological classification
|
Biography, biology |
|
Sex, Drugs & DNA |
Michael Stebbins |
Powerful indictment of the failings of the US
political system on scientific and medical issues, written in a highly
approachable style
|
Overview |
| A Short History of Nearly
Everything |
Bill Bryson |
Triumphant charge through
all of science |
Overview |
|
The Silicon Eye |
George Gilder |
Meet some unknown but essential characters of
the silicon revolution and join their journey, attempting to take a whole
new approach to digital cameras.
|
Technology |
|
The Single Helix |
Steve Jones |
One hundred light and enjoyable newspaper
columns, collected to give an excellent dip into pretty well every area of
science. |
Overview |
|
Six Degrees: our future on a hotter planet |
Mark Lynas |
An important book - graphically tells of the
impact of one to six degrees of temperature rise on the planet. Gets a
little repetitious, but still important.
|
Earth sciences |
|
Sleepfaring: A journey through the science of
sleep |
Jim Horne |
Wonderfully readable tour of the science of
sleep. Sags just a little in the middle, but overall excellent
|
Biology |
|
Solar System |
Marcus Chown |
Chown's excellent Solar System app ported to
book form. Not quite as good, but still has great images and easy to follow
text.
|
Astronomy |
|
Statistics: a very short introduction |
David J. Hand |
Very readable pocket introduction to
probability and statistics: first half is particularly good.
|
Maths |
|
The Strangest Man |
Graham Farmelo |
Very detailed and well researched biography of
the most secretive of the quantum physicists, Paul Dirac. A welcome
addition.
|
Biography, physics |
|
The Sun Kings |
Stuart Clark |
Well-written and enjoyable history of
discoveries about the Sun and its influence on the Earth from renaissance
times.
|
Astronomy |
|
The Super-Organism |
Bert Holldobler
and E. O. Wilson |
Big glossy and in-depth study of the
super-organism behaviour of bees and ants. Fascinating, though can get a bit
heavy in both senses.
|
Biology |
|
The Surgeons |
Charles Morris |
By turns gory and over-awed, but still a
dramatic account of the author's stint with New York heart surgeons.
|
Human Science |
|
Surviving Armageddon |
Bill McGuire |
Good, short book on the possible disasters
facing the earth and how we can overcome them
|
Earth science |
|
Sync: the emerging science
of spontaneous order |
Steven Strogatz |
A wonderful,
cross-disciplinary jaunt that mixes real life scientific experience with
exploration of synchronicity |
Overview |
|
Taking the Red Pill |
Glen Yeffeth (Ed.) |
Tasty collection of essays on the science and philosophy of the movie The
Matrix
|
TV/Movies |
|
The Talent Code |
Daniel Coyle |
Interesting observations on how the brain
programs for skills that work well for physical skills but the author fails
to spot they're anathema to creativity.
|
Human science |
|
The Talking Ape |
Robbins Burling |
Fascinating exploration of the origins and nature of language. Approachable
yet authoritative. |
Human Science |
|
The Tao of Physics |
Fritjof Capra |
Classic book drawing parallels between physics
(particularly quantum physics) and Eastern religions, still interesting
despite blatant misuse by new-agers.
|
Physics |
|
The Telephone Gambit |
Seth Shulman |
How an exploration of the archival material on
Alexander Graham Bell uncovered the true story of the telephone.
|
Technology |
|
The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments |
George Johnson |
Engaging look at ten real desktop experiments
through history. You can dispute if he's got the best, but certainly makes
them highly readable. |
Overview |
|
The Tipping Point |
Malcolm Gladwell |
Connectedness, how information spreads virally
and the stickiness of ideas transformed into a great little book by
excellent stories
|
Human Science |
|
The Triumph of Numbers |
I. B. Cohen |
A genuinely interesting and often surprising history of statistics that
brings in unexpected characters from King David and Dickens to Florence
Nightingale.
|
Mathematics |
|
The Turk |
Tom Standage |
The amazing story of the
mechanical chess player built in 1770
|
Technology |
|
The Velocity of Honey |
Jay Ingram |
23 fun excursions into the science of the everyday from falling toast to
skipping stones
|
Overview |
|
The Victorian Internet |
Tom Standage |
How the telegraph network changed the world,
crossed continents (and resulted in love between telegraphists).
|
Technology |
|
Venn that Tune |
Andrew Viner |
Clever gift book combining Venn diagrams (and
other mathematical diagrams) with song titles.
|
Maths |
|
Venomous Earth |
Andrew Meharg |
Interesting exploration of arsenic's duel role
as poison and medicine, fascinating on poisonous wallpaper
|
Chemistry |
|
The View from the
Centre of the Universe |
Nancy Ellen Abrams
& Joel Primack |
Superbly brilliant idea of the need for a new
cosmological myth to ground us in the universe, only slightly let down by
so-so writing
|
Cosmology |
|
Virtual Words |
Jonathon Keats |
Delightful collection of essays on the origins
and meanings of a series of words from science and technology.
|
Overview |
|
Viruses vs Superbugs |
Thomas Häusler |
An intriguing but frightening look at one
alternative to antibiotics - will phages save us as killer bacteria become
resistant?
|
Human sciences |
|
Watching the English |
Kate Fox |
Excellent insights into the English culture
and how much English behaviour can be explained by social dis-ease.
|
Human science |
|
We Are Not Alone |
Dirk Schulze-Makuch
& David Darling |
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 |
|
Wegener's Jigsaw |
Clare Dudman |
Biographical novel, providing excellent
insights into the life and works of the man who thought up continental
drift, Alfred Wegener. |
Biography |
|
Weighing the Soul |
Len Fisher |
Seven examples of challenges to scientific
beliefs, from the weight of the soul to the nature of lightning,
delightfully told
|
Overview |
|
What Do You Care What Other People
Think? |
Richard Feynman |
Feynman's follow up collection of
reminiscences, distinguished by amazing section on the Challenger enquiry
|
Biography |
| What Just Happened |
James Gleick |
Articles on the development
and future of the IT business |
Technology |
|
What's Luck got to do with It? |
Joseph Mazur |
A colourful survey of the history, psychology
and mathematics of gambling. |
Maths, human
science |
|
Why are Orangutans Orange? |
Mick O'Hare (Ed.) |
The latest in New Scientist's reliable Last
Word column originated books gets extra oomph by being based on reader's
photos of odd things they've seen.. |
Overview |
|
Why Balloons Rise and Apples Fall |
Jeff Stewart |
Very good beginners introduction to classical
physics, slightly let down by style and some of the modern content
|
Physics |
|
Why does a ball bounce? |
Adam Hart-Davis |
The UK's favourite TV boffin explains 101
phenomena - much too short, but still great fun
|
Overview |
|
Why Does E=mc2 |
Brian Cox & Jeff
Forshaw |
Explanation of the derivation of the world's
most famous equation, exploration of the standard model master equation and
great exposition of Higgs - but too technical for the general reader.
|
Physics |
|
Why Do Men Have Nipples? |
Mark Leyner &
Billy Goldberg |
Delightful answers to all those silly
questions people want to ask doctors, only missing perfect because of the
painfully unfunny sections in between the Q&A
|
Human science |
|
Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze |
Mick O'Hare (Ed.) |
One of the better "weird science question and
answer" books from the New Scientist's reliable Last Word column. |
Overview |
|
Why Evolution is True |
Jerry A. Coyne |
A persuasive and plain-spoken summary of the
evidence for evolution by natural selection, with some minor conceptual
problems.
|
Biology |
|
Why People Believe Weird Things |
Michael Shermer |
Powerful and effective exploration of where
strange beliefs come from and how they take hold.
|
Sceptics, overview |
|
Why the Toast Always Falls Butter Side Down |
Richard Robinson |
Subtitled The Science of Murphy's Law,
a witty and light exploration of how our brains fool us to make everything
seem to go wrong |
Human science |
|
Why We Lie |
David Livingstone
Smith |
Be amazed, not just at how much we lie, but
how essential it is for the operation of society. Interesting and original
|
Human science |
|
The Wild Life of our Bodies |
Rob Dunn |
Humorous and fascinating exploration both of
the 'alien' life in our bodies but also how human beings interact with the
environment. |
Human science |
|
Witness to Extinction |
Samuel Turvey |
The sad story of the attempt to preserve the
Yangtze river dolphin and the lessons it gives on practical conservation.
|
Biology |
|
Wizard |
Marc J. Seifer |
Good biography of the remarkable electrical
engineer Nikola Tesla in its historical context, but poor at the science.
|
Technology |
|
A World without Ice |
Henry Pollack |
Powerful message about the dangers of losing more and more ice as global
warming continues, with an assessment of its impact on the environment.
|
Earth science |
|
Wormwood Forest |
Mary Mycio |
An engrossing personal experience of the
contaminated zone from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, revealing the amazing
spread of wildlife since the accident
|
Biology |
|
Written in Stone |
Brian Switek |
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 |
|
Yes! 50 secrets from the science of persuasion |
Noah J. Goldstein,
Steve J. Martin, Robert B. Cialdini |
Some excellent insights from scientific
studies of how people behave that help persuade them to act in a particular
way. More business book than science, but very good nonetheless.
|
Human science |
|
Your Money and Your Brain |
Jason Zweig |
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 |
|
The Zen of Magic Squares, Circles & Stars |
Clifford Pickover |
You'll either love or be bored to tears by
this exploration of all that is magical squares - it's mathematical marmite
|
Maths |
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