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|
| The
Keys of Egypt
Lesley & Roy Adkins
A vivid account of the nineteenth century battle between
an English polymath and a French genius to decipher
hieroglyphs.
Find out more.
Even more info
at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
 |
| Visions
Michio Kaku
How science will revolutionise the 21st century and
beyond.
A fascinating glimpse into the future, by one of the
world’s foremost science writers.
Find out more.
Even more info
at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
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| Just
Six Numbers
Sir Martin Rees
The Astronomer Royal speculates about the existence
of the universe and the multiverse.
Find out more.
Even more info
at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
|
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| Galileo's
Daughter
Dava Sobel
Dava Sobel retells the dramatic story of Galileo,
bringing new insight to this classic tale.
Find out more.
Even more info
at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
 |
| The Cogwheel Brain
Doron Swade
The heroic tale of a Victorian genius who battled against
the establishment.
Find out more.
Even more info at
Amazon.co.uk
|
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| Destiny
or Chance
Stuart Ross Taylor
Are we alone? Taylor engagingly analyses the likelihood
of other planets being capable of sustaining life.
Find out more.
Even more info
at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
 |
| A Fish Caught in Time
Samantha Weinberg
A terrific account of the sudden reappearance of a creature
that was swimming while the dinosaurs roamed.
Find out more.
Even more info
at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
 |
| Q
is for Quantum
John Gribbin
If you have always wanted to know the difference
between a quark and squark, or get confused when it
comes to bosons and wimps, or talk about cosmic strings
when you mean superstrings, then John Gribbin’s “Q is
for Quantum” might be a useful guide to the mysteries
of the quantum world.
Find out more...
Even more info
at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
|
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| Isaac
Newton: The Last Sorcerer
Michael White
Michael White’s
biography describes the great man’s scientific achievements,
but the real focus of this book is the background to
Newton’s tormented personal life, which created such
an isolated, obsessive, cruel genius.
Find out more...
Even more info at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
|
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| It
Must Be Beautiful
Edited by Graham Farmelo
Many popular science books shun equations, partly due
to overzealous editors who fear
that the appearance of anything that looks like mathematics will frighten off potential readers. In contrast,
here is a book that relishes equations,
which celebrates their power and beauty, and which
still manages to explain rather than baffle. Find out more...
Find out
more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
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| Fingerprints
Colin Beavan
This history of fingerprinting is full of gory murders,
villains and tales of intrigue, and Beavan exploits
each bloody detail in the best tabloid tradition, while
simultaneously explaining with clarity and enthusiasm
the history of what is still one of the most powerful
tools in forensic science, a technique that some initially
called “scientific palmistry”. Find out more...
Even more info
at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
 |
| Can
Reindeer Fly?
Roger Highfield
Each year, science journalist Roger Highfield searches
for stories with a
Christmas angle; the evolutionary origin of gift giving,
the mystery of the Star of Bethlehem, how reindeer fly,
cloned Christmas trees, and anything else that
might add a festive flavour to his weekly column in
London’s Daily Telegraph newspaper. He has now gathered
together these stories in a delightful compendium of
seasonal science. Find out more...
Even more info
at Amazon.co.uk or
Amazon.com. |
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| The Science of Harry Potter
Roger Highfield
A great follow up to “Can Reindeer Fly?”, this takes
a similarly quirky look at science. This time Roger
Highfield explores the science of Hogwarts from a Muggle’s
perspective.
Find out more...
Even more info at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
 |
| Mendeleyev’s Dream
Paul Strathern
Chemistry has been a neglected area of science writing
and Mendeleyev, the king of chemistry, is a largely
forgotten genius. Strathern’s insightful history goes
a long way towards correcting this injustice. Find out more...
Even more info at Amazon.co.uk or
Amazon.com.
|
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| The
Big Idea ...
Philosophers in 90 Minutes ...
Paul Strathern
In addition to Mendeleyev’s
Dream, Paul Strathern has written numerous short popular books. One series (The Big
Idea) focuses on key scientific breakthroughs and the scientists who made them. Another
series (Philosophers
in 90 Minutes) is an excellent introduction to
the great philosophers.
A list of titles is below. |
| Mapping
the Mind
Rita Carter
A beautifully illustrated and highly readable attempt
to explain how our brain works.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Trilobite
Richard Fortey
This is a beautiful book about an obscure creature
that lives on only in fossil form. Fortey is a man with
an obsession and he conveys it wonderfully.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Life
Richard Fortey
I have not read this it yet, but it is high
on my list. If it is half as good as Trilobite (above),
then it is well worth reading.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Snowball
Earth
Gabrielle Walker
I have just read a pre-publication of this
book and it is brilliant. Gabrielle Walker is a very
talented writer for New Scientist, and this book tells
an amazing detective story about a hitherto unknown
period of the Earth’s history, one that changed the
course of life on this planet.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
100 Local
Heroes
Adam Hart-Davis
Adam is a brilliant TV science presenter who
is responsible for some of the most exciting science
programming of recent years. This is just one of his
TV-based book, but you will find lots of others at Amazon.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
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| Richard
Feynman’s books
Feynman was a brilliant physicist and a passionate communicator.
I was certainly inspired by his books. Here is a list
of some of his most popular titles.
Surely You're
Joking, Mr Feynman
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Six Easy Pieces
Find out more from
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com
.
You can watch these lectures on-line at the
Vega
website.
QED
Find out more from
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com.
The Meaning of It All
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
The Feynman Lectures
on Physics (Vol. 1)
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
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| Heisenberg Related Titles
I was lucky enough to interview Michael Frayn
at the Royal
Society. Frayn wrote the play Copenhagen, which
explores
the relationship between Niels Bohr (father of quantum
physics) and Werner Heisenberg (head of the Nazi atomic
bomb project). The play is brilliant and the script is listed
below, along with Celia’s Secret, a curious
spin-off
co-authored by Frayn. If you have seen the play, then
I would highly recommend Celia’s Secret. If you want
to
read a piece
of related non-fiction, then buy Heisenberg’s
War, and I have also listed two other science-related
play
scripts, Arcadia and Proof.
Copenhagen
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Celia's Secret
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk
Heisenberg's
War
Thomas Powers
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Arcadia
Tom Stoppard
Find out
more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Proof
David Auburn
Find out more from
Amazon.co.uk or
Amazon.com. |
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| Powers
of Ten
Philip Morrison
Just one of many excellent books published by the Scientific
American Library. This book uses staggering pictures
to explore the universe from the microscopic to the
cosmic, jumping by powers of ten.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Night
Thoughts of a Classical Physicist
Russell McCormmach
Find out more
from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Science:
Good, Bad, and Bogus
Martin Gardner
A collection of essays, in which Gardner critiques
beliefs in the paranormal and the occult.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or
Amazon.com.
The Psychology
of the Psychic
David Marks
An analysis of supposedly psychic events.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or
Amazon.com. |
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| Leonardo's
Mountain of Clams
Stephen Jay Gould
This was my first introduction to the work
of Stephen Jay Gould, the prolific natural history essayist.
This, like all his collections, is an elegant and intriguing
journey through the natural world.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Other titles
by Stephen Jay Gould:
Bully for Brontosaurus
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Wonderful Life
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
The Panda's Thumb
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Click here to read a review of The Panda’s Thumb
|
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| Chemically
Speaking
C. Galther, A.E. Cavazos-Gaither
A collection of quotes relating to chemistry. There
are similar books devoted to mathematics and physics,
and for some strange reason I find them riveting.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Astronomically Speaking
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Physically Speaking
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Mathematically Speaking
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Medically Speaking
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Naturally Speaking
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Practically Speaking
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Statisticially Speaking
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Jim
Ottaviani's Comic Books
These books are brilliant. You can’t buy them via Amazon,
and I won’t waste space telling you about them because
you can visit Jim’s
excellent site to see his work
Munching
Maggots, Noah's Flood and TV Heart Attacks
Karl Kruszelnicki
If you know about Theatre of Science, then you might
have heard of the Sleek Geeks, so you might have heard
of Dr Karl, who is the author of this book and dozens
of others. These books are terrific fun. The titles
convey the enthusiasm, energy and humour that is inside
each one.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
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| How
the Mind Works
Steven Pinker
A huge, in depth look at how the mind works. One of
the greatest science writers in the world tackles one
of the greatest subjects in science.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Other titles by Steven Pinker:
The Blank Slate
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
The Language Instinct
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Words and Rules
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
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| Science
Audio Books
Reading while driving is not recommended, so why not
dip into a science audio book. Here are some recommendations.
River Out Of
Eden
Richard Dawkins
More info at Amazon.co.uk
Nature's Numbers
Ian Stewart
More info at Amazon.co.uk
ABC of Relativity
Bertrand Russell
More info at Amazon.co.uk
Dreams of a Final
Theory
Steven Weinberg
More info at Amazon.co.uk
Cosmic Origins
Martin Rees
More info at Amazon.co.uk
The Human Origins
Richard Leakey
More info at Amazon.co.uk |
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| Earth
Story
S. Lamb & D. Sington
I was a director on this BBC TV series back
in 1996, and this book accompanies the series.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
T-Rex
and the Crater of Doom
Walter Alvarez
An investigation into the crater that
wiped out dinosaur life over 65 million years ago.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Chicken from Minsk
Yuri B. Chernyak
A variety of Russian brainteasers ranging
from simple 5 minute puzzles to mind-numbingly
difficult conundrums.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Can You
Believe Your Eyes
J. Richard Block
Over 250 illusions in this study on the psychology
of vision.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or
Amazon.com.
The Barmaid’s Brain
Jay Ingram
A collection of quirky science-based essays.
asking questions such as why people laugh, and why moths
fly to the light.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
The Predictors
Thomas Bass
The story of hackers Doyne Farmer and
Norman Packard, who beat Wall Street with a simple computer
program.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Seeing and Believing
Richard Panek
A concise and enthusiastic account
about the development of the telescope and the impact
of the instrument in our understanding of the universe.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
The Tao of Physics
Fritjof Capra
A discussion of the links between modern physics
and ancient Eastern religions. This blew my mind when
I read it as a student, but I am less keen on it now.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Dancing Wu Li Masters
Gary Zukav
An insight into physics as explained through
the metaphor of the Wu Li Dancers. Similar to Capra's
book, struggling to find links between physics and metaphysics
that maybe don't really exist.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
The
Making of the Atomic Bomb
Richard Rhodes
A masterpiece from Rhodes, chronicling the
story of the brilliant physicists involved in creating
the most destructive force in history.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Great Mambo Chicken
Ed Regis
A tour of some of the stranger scientific theories
being discussed today.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Calendar
David Ewing Duncan
A history of the development of the calendar,
from the use of lunar calendars 20,000 years ago
to the development of the Gregorian calendar in the
16th century.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
How to
Build a Mind
Igor Alexander
A look at the debate into replicating human
consciousness. This was one of the first books I read
when I had to chair a BBC4 debate on artificial intelligence.
Other books that I relied on are listed below.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Creation
Steve Grand
Artificial intelligence expert Grand considers
what it is to be human, and how to recreate the human
soul.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
How the
Mind Works
Steven Pinker
An impressive look at the functions and the
operations of the human brain.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
HAL's
Legacy
Arthur C. Clarke
HAL is the supercomputer from Stanley Kubrick's
2001: A Space Odyssey. Stork uses it as a reference
point for the discussion of the development of artificial
intelligence and its possible implications.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Dinosaur Hunters
Deborah Cadbury
A well researched account of the personalities
involved in the discoveries of dinosaur life.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk. |
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E=mc2
David Bodanis
Bodanis discusses the development and applications
of one of the most famous equations in modern physics.
Find out more...
Even more info from Amazon.co.uk or
Amazon.com
Science
Magic
Martin Gardner
Experiments to demonstrate the laws of
science in a fun and accessible way.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
The Magic
Show
M. Setteducati & A. Benkovitz
A science magic book with tricks will astound
you.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Test Your
Psychic Powers
Sue Blackmore
Does telepathy exist? and Can you influence
other people's dreams?. These are just two of the questions
posed in this balanced and scientific view of psychic
powers.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Magic
in Theory
P. Lamont & R. Wiseman
Lamont and Wiseman discuss the thoery behind
performing magical tricks, from the sleight of hand
required, to the psychological techniques used to fool
the audience.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk
Sorcerer's
Apprentice
Tahir Shah
Shah's account of his visit to India, where
he trained under one of India's greatest magicians,
Hakim Feroze.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
The
Lighthouse Stevensons
Bella Bathurst
A fascinating account of the building of lighthouses
around Britain by the ancestors of the renowned
author Robert Louis Stevenson.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Phantoms
in the Brain
V. S. Ramachandran
Ramachandran's excellent book looks at what
happens when neurological functions go haywire.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
One Renegade
Cell
Robert A Weinberg
One of the most accessible and informative
books available on the history and treatment of cancer.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Aeons
Martin Gorst
A look at the many scientific and geological
experts who have tried to determine the age of the Earth,
from Bishop Usher to the present day.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk
The Science
Book
Peter Tallack
A beautifully illustrated history of science.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Signed copies available at Simon's on-line shop.
Full Moon
Michael Light
An amazing science photography book illustrating
mankind's journey to the moon.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
The Moon
David Whitehouse
Whitehouse's book is an excellent exploration
of the Moon. Full of wonderful tales and stunning facts.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk. |
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| On
Giants Shoulders
Melvyn Bragg
A collection of 12 essays on some of history's most
important scientific discoveries, and the personalities
behind them. Find out more...
Even more info at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Cat’s
Paws and Catapults
Steven Vogel
An interesting comparison between the designs
of nature and the modern laws of physics and biomechanics.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
The Red
Hour Glass
Gordon Grice
A book not for the faint hearted. Grice explores
the fascinating world of insects and other creepy crawlies.
Find out more from Amazon.com.
Elegant
Universe
Brian Greene
Greene successfully explains the difficult
concept of string theory.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Taking
Chances
John Haigh
A hands-on look at how to win the lottery,
a game of Monopoly or a round of tennis amongst others.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or
Amazon.com
Flying Circus of Physics
Jearl Walker & Jean Walker
A compendium of over 600 questions based on
everyday observations in physics.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Sleepwalkers
Arthur Koestler
Written in 1958, this is an excellent book
about the history of the universe and the key scientists
and philosophers who have shaped these views.
Find out more from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com. |
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