Hey! Are you fascinated by space? Are you curious about the know-how of the environment? Or yearn to learn about science, molecules, atoms, or these complex laws of physics? If so, you need to look for good science books to satisfy your craving to learn the science surrounding you, whether it is an archaeological book that allows you to re-evaluate man’s place in the natural world or a cosmological book that takes you back to how it all started, you’ll come out with an entirely new perspective.
Scientific books are an invaluable resource for those with a curious mind for learning about topics you have yet to learn about.
Whatever your taste, several brilliant science books are recommended by experts to take a look through this year.
Check out these science books to start your year with:
The Joy of Science
Jim Al-Khalili, a quantum physicist, New York Times bestselling author, and BBC host, explains how 8 scientific truths can improve your quality of life through this book.
Jim Al-Khalili encourages readers to interact with the world as scientists have been taught in this succinct manual on living a more rational existence. The scientific methods have been helpful to humanity in its search to understand reality, and it is based on fundamental ideas that all of us can navigate modern life with greater assurance. Al-Khalili discusses the nature of truth and uncertainty, the function of doubt, the benefits and drawbacks of simplicity, the significance of avoiding bias, the usefulness of evidence-based reasoning, and more.
It’s an easily digestible, pocket-sized guide on thinking more scientifically and how that can be good for us in everyday life.
In a nutshell, this book allows you to examine things objectively, which can help decompose social constructs and the pre-existing beliefs and ideas at the heart of the scientific method that is profoundly relevant as we navigate through the difficult times in which we live.
The book has a rating of 4.3 with over 64 reviews on amazon.com and amazon. in.
Here is a quick look at the content:
- Something is either true, or it isn’t
- It’s more complicated than that
- Mysteries are to be embraced but also to be solved
- If you don’t understand something, it doesn’t mean you can’t if you try
- Don’t value opinion over evidence
- Recognize your own biases before judging the views of others
- Don’t be afraid to change your mind & more
About the Author
Jim-Al-Khalili, a quantum physicist, is one of the most well-known science communicators in Britain. He is also an author, presenter, and broadcaster. He has a Distinguished Chair in Physics at the University of Surrey, where he teaches and conducts research.
In 1989, he earned a PhD in nuclear theory, and since then, he has produced more than 100 academic publications. Along with his debut novel, Sunfall, he has authored twelve popular science books collectively translated into over 26 languages. He frequently hosts TV scientific documentaries and the lasting Radio 4 show, The Life Scientific. He has received the Stephen Hawking Medal, the Institute of Physics Kelvin Medal, and the Faraday Medal from the Royal Society. The World According to Physics, his most recent book, was published in 2020 by Princeton University Press. His new book, The Joy of Science, was out in the Spring of 2022.
Insectpedia: A Brief Compendium of Insect Lore
Insectpedia introduces you to the wonders of the insect world while encouraging you to make your own discoveries. It is a fun and information-packed A-Z repository for the insect lover in all of us. This beautifully illustrated, portable encyclopaedia debunks numerous myths about insects while providing fresh viewpoints on the crucial connections we have with these amazing creatures. It includes dozens of entries on subjects like murder hornets, the “insect apocalypse,” and pioneering entomologists like Margaret James Strickland Collins and Douglas Tallamy.
This amusing compilation illustrates the lengthy and illustrious history of entomology, emphasises how important insects are to our food supply and ecosystem, and defines key entomological words. Eric Eaton will be your tour guide as you travel the world in quest of Australian beer bottle beetles, African toktokkies, and the bizarre spectacle of cricket combat in Asia. The book’s portable size makes it the ideal travel companion, no matter where your own entomological excursions may take you. Profiles of significant figures in entomology offer insights into the inquisitive minds that animate an amazingly diverse field of scientific research.
Insectpedia is a fascinating collection of bug facts and folklore with eye-catching pictures by Amy Jean Porter. It will motivate everyone who enjoys learning about insects.
Here is a quick look at the content:
- Acarinaria
- Aerial Plankton
- “Albino” Insects
- Amber
- Anting
- Aposematism
- Archy the Cockroach & more
Geopedia: A Brief Compendium of Geologic Curiosities
Marcia Bjornerud’s Geopedia is a treasure trove of geologic marvels and the poetic words people have created to describe them. This illustrated compendium, which includes articles on anything from Acasta gneiss to zircon, is full of lapidary and lexical insights that appeal to word lovers and rock hounds.
Geoscientists have a word appetite, magpie’s and with good reason. Our creative planet has developed an incredible diversity of minerals, landforms, and geologic events, which calls for an equally vast language. Marcia Bjornerud demonstrates how this language captures not just the variety of rocks and geologic processes but also the lengthy history of interactions between humans and them.
Through this book, Marcia invites all readers to relish the geologic glossary—a miscellany of mythological allusions, imports from many languages, awkward anachronisms, and more—with wit and affection.
The book has a rating of 4.6 with nearly 50 reviews on amazon.com and amazon.in.
- Here is a quick look at some of its content:
- Acasta Gneiss the Old World
- Areology Wars of the Worlds
- Benioff Wadati Zone Off the deep end
- Bioturbation The worm churns
- Darcy A truth universally acknowledged
- Deborah Number Beyond measure
- Ediacara Peaceable kingdom
- Gastrolith From the gizzards of lizards
- Geosyncline Magic mountains
- Grus Things fall apart & more
About the Author
Marcia Bjornerud teaches geosciences at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Bjornerud’s research blends quantitative models of rock mechanics with field-based studies of bedrock geology to study the physics of earthquakes and the formation of mountains.
She has conducted studies at Canada’s Ellesmere Island and Norway’s Svalbard, as well as in Scotland, New Zealand, and the Lake Superior region. The University of Minnesota awarded her a BS in geophysics, while the University of Wisconsin-Madison awarded her an MS and a PhD in structural geology. Bjornerud worked as a professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, before accepting a postdoctoral scholarship at the Byrd Polar Research Center at Ohio State University.
In addition to being a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the Universities of Oslo, Norway, and Otago, New Zealand, Bjornerud is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. She is also a contributing writer for The New Yorker, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, and Wire. Her works include Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth and Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World.
The Science of Can and Can’t: A Physicist’s Journey Through the Land of Counterfactuals
Delve into the illuminating realm of counterfactuals with Chiara Marletto’s ground-breaking book, The Science of Can and Can’t: A Physicist’s Journey Through the Land of Counterfactuals, which sheds light on the unexplored science of what could be true, in addition to what is true – the actual. Marletto, a pioneer in this field, reveals the vast potential of this revolutionary approach in addressing current technological challenges, from advancing processors to shaping AI. However, Marletto’s vision extends beyond practical applications, as she uncovers how counterfactuals can transcend barriers to knowledge and offer a more comprehensive, abundant, and rewarding understanding of the universe itself.
The book has a rating of 4.3 with over 200 reviews on both Amazon.in and Amazon.com.
Here’s a look at its contents:
- Such Stuff as Dreams Are Made On
- Laws of Motion
- Information
- Quantum Information
- Knowledge
- Work and Heat
- A Journey There and Back Again
About the Author
University of Oxford’s Wolfson College is home to Research Fellow Chiara Marletto. The roots of physics are the focus of Chiara’s research. Quantum information theory, condensed-matter physics, quantum biology, and thermodynamics have been the main topics of her study.
In some of Marletto’s most recent works, she has used function Object () {[native code]} theory, a recently proposed generalization of the quantum theory of information, to solve problems with the physics’ theory of control and causality. These include efforts to define principles encompassing classical, quantum, and post-quantum theories of information and analyzing how fundamental aspects of living systems, such as the capacity for self-replication and evolution, interact with fundamental physical laws, particularly quantum theory.
Additionally, they define a novel class of witnesses to non-classicality in systems like gravity that are exempt from the requirements of quantum theory and a scale-independent description of irreversibility, work, and heat based on constructor-theoretic concepts.
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Authored by Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything looks at the most significant scientific events. The books cover everything from the Big Bang to early civilization in a format that is easy to read. Unlike textbooks, which tend to use boring text, dry, Bryson inserts wit and humour into every topic he covers.
In his book, In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson trekked the Appalachian Trail—well, most of it. He came face to face with some of Australia’s deadliest fauna in A Sunburned Country. But, in this book, his greatest challenge is to comprehend—and, if possible, respond to—the oldest, most pressing questions we’ve ever asked about the cosmos and ourselves. In A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson delves into the journey from nothingness to the existence of humanity. He immerses himself in the world of distinguished archaeologists, anthropologists, and mathematicians, eagerly absorbing their expertise through books, inquiries, and apprenticeships. A Short History of Nearly Everything is the captivating account of his quest, filled with profound insights, humorous anecdotes, and engaging explanations of human knowledge, all delivered in Bryson’s unique style. This book makes science accessible and entertaining like never before.
The book has a rating of 4.6 with over 11K reviews both on amazon.in and amazon.com.
Here’s a quick look at some of its contents:
PART I: LOST IN THE COSMOS
- How to Build a Universe
- Welcome to the Solar System
- The Reverend Evan’s Universe
PART II: THE SIZE OF THE EARTH
- The Measure of Things
- The Stone-Breakers & more
About the Author
Bill Bryson, often known as William McGuire, was born in 1951 in Des Moines, Iowa. He moved to England in 1977 and continued to work in journalism until switching to full-time writing. He spent several years residing in North Yorkshire with his English wife and four kids. Then, for a few years, he and his family relocated to New Hampshire in America; however, they have now returned to reside in the UK.
In his funny debut travel book, The Lost Continent, Bill Bryson described a journey around small-town America in his mother’s Chevy. The book Neither Here nor There, which detailed his first journey through Europe, came next. Among the other travel novels is the 2003 Booker Prize winner and worldwide bestseller Notes from a Small Island.
The Science Book: Everything You Need to Know About the World and How It Works
The Science Book: Everything You Need to Know About the World and How It Works encapsulates centuries of scientific thought in one volume. Natural phenomena, revolutionary inventions, scientific facts, and the most up-to-date questions are all explained in detailed text that is complemented by visually arresting graphics. Six major sections, from the universe and the planet Earth to biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, are further broken down into subsections that encompass everything from microscopic life to nuclear power. The Science Book covers a wide range of scientific areas, providing a general overview of topics for the browsing reader and more specific information for those who wish to obtain in-depth insight into a particular subject area. Natural phenomena, revolutionary inventions, scientific facts, and up-to-date questions are explained in detailed texts. The vivid illustrations, pictures, and graphics throughout the book make the information even more accessible and comprehensible.
The book details the theory of the universe and the character of the earth, along with an overview of the diverse living organisms that can be found on Earth. The technical developments and achievements of humankind are discussed and we pay particular attention to subjects of current interest, like climate change and genetic engineering. The well-structured organization of this book with its numerous sections and chapters offers the reader an entertaining introduction into the large field of natural sciences and allows just as well for quick reference. Events and issues of special significance are discussed in greater detail inside bars of 3 different kinds. Numerous cross-references within the chapters and to other sections of the book emphasize the many links between the individual scientific fields. Illustrative elements, such as 3-D-graphics and pictograms and the great variety of photographic material make even the most complex information easy.
The book has a rating of 4.8 with over 1.2K reviews on amazon.com and 4.7 ratings with 1.1K reviews.
About the Author
Marshall Brain is the founder of the award-winning website HowStuffWorks.com. A graduate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he earned his master’s in computer science from North Carolina State University, where he later taught. Named one of the Carolina’s top entrepreneurs by Ernst & Young, Brain is also a distinguished speaker and author of more than a dozen books, in which he masterfully simplifies complex subject matter into a digestible format for people of all ages and experience levels.
What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Written by Randall Monroe, creator of XKCD and what if? The book “Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions” seeks to answer nearly all ridiculously hypothetical questions using real science. If you’ve already asked yourself such questions as “how quickly can I hit a donkey’s back while driving and living?” That is for you.
Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe’s iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language and love have a large and passionate following. Fans of xkcd ask Munroe a lot of strange questions. What if you tried to hit a baseball pitched at 90 per cent the speed of light? How fast can you hit a speed bump while driving and live? If there was a robot apocalypse, how long would humanity last?
In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations, and consults with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, complemented by signature xkcd comics. They often predict the complete annihilation of human kind or at least a really big explosion.
The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with updated and expanded versions of the most popular answers from the xkcd website. The book “What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions” will be loved by xkcd fans or anyone who enjoys pondering hypothetical questions.
The book has a rating of 4.4 with over 19K reviews
- Here’s a quick look at some of its contents:
- Global Windstorm
- Relativistic Baseball
- Spent fuel Pool
- Weird (and Worrying) Questions from the What If Inbox
- New York-Style Time Machine & more
About the Author
Randall Munroe is the creator of the webcomic xkcd and author of xkcd: Volume 0. Randall was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, and grew up outside Richmond, Virginia. After studying physics at Christopher Newport University, he got a job building robots at NASA Langley Research Center. In 2006 he left NASA to draw comics on the internet full-time and has since been nominated for a Hugo Award three times. The International Astronomical Union recently named an asteroid after him – 4942 Munroe – which is big enough to cause mass extinction if it ever hits a planet like Earth.
Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
Neil deGrasse Tyson, the well-known Author, is your guide to the stars and beyond in “Death through the Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries”.
He looks at anomalies like black holes, modern myths such as the colours of the sun and cutting-edge topics such as particle physics. This is a compilation of over 42 essays in a single book.”Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries” is one book that will keep you busy for hours.
The book has a rating of 4.8 with over 2.4K reviews on amazon.com and amazon.in.
Here’s a quick look at some of its contents:
SECTION 1: THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE
- The challenges of knowing what is knowable in the universe
- Coming to Our Senses
- On Earth, as in the Heavens
- Seeing Isn’t Believing
- The Information Trap
- Stick-in-the-Mud Science
SECTION 2: THE KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE & more
About the Author
Neil deGrasse Tyson was born in New York City the same week NASA was founded. His interest in the universe traces back to age 9, after a first visit to the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History. Neil deGrasse Tyson, a native of New York City, received his education in the city’s public schools and graduated from the Bronx High School of Science. He then pursued his undergraduate degree in Physics at Harvard and went on to earn a PhD in Astrophysics from Columbia and a Postdoctoral research fellowship at Princeton. Tyson also became the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, where he has served since 1996 and is known for his ability to explain complex scientific concepts in a clear and engaging manner.
The Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity – Challenge the World Around You!
Tom Robinson’s Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Book has a plethora of interesting and informative science experiments that can be conducted with everyday home materials. This book presents a wide range of experiments that are both enjoyable and interesting, ranging from biology and chemistry to physics, technology, engineering, and even outer space. Robinson, a high school science teacher, provides simple directions and explanations to help children broaden their scientific knowledge and curiosity. Experiments include blowing up a balloon without really blowing into it, inspecting the contents of coins, and determining if a magnet can ever be “turned off.” With these experiments, children can investigate the mysteries while having fun. Whether you’re a STEM fanatic or a student looking for a cool science fair project, this book is a great resource to test out the experiments for yourself.
The book has a 4.6 rating with over 6.3K reviews on amazon.com and amazon.in
Here’s a quick look at some of its contents:
BIOLOGY
- Try This: Water Colours
- Try This: Falling Leaves
- Try This: Hole-y Walls
ANIMALS:
- Try This: Light Fright
- Try This: Animal Camouflage
- Science Fair Project: Biology
CHEMISTRY
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
- Try This: Boiling Ice & more
About the Author
Tom Robinson is a National Board-Certified teacher and author of two bestselling “The Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Books and Fibonacci Zoo”, a picture book that teaches the Fibonacci sequence to early readers. He lives with his wife and two children in Chelan, WA.
