Best Science Essays & Commentary Books
Here you will get Best Science Essays & Commentary Books For you.This is an up-to-date list of recommended books.
1. A Short History of Nearly Everything
Author: by Bill Bryson
Crown
English
544 pages
One of the world’s most beloved writers and New York Times bestselling author of A Walk in the Woods and The Body takes his ultimate journeyinto the most intriguing and intractable questions that science seeks to answer. In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson trekked the Appalachian Trailwell, most of it.
In A Sunburned Country, he confronted some of the most lethal wildlife Australia has to offer. Now, in his biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understandand, if possible, answerthe oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves.
Taking as territory everything from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, Bryson seeks to understand how we got from there being nothing at all to there being us. To that end, he has attached himself to a host of the world’s most advanced (and often obsessed) archaeologists, anthropologists, and mathematicians, travelling to their offices, laboratories, and field camps.
He has read (or tried to read) their books, pestered them with questions, apprenticed himself to their powerful minds. A Short History of Nearly Everything is the record of this quest, and it is a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and always supremely clear and entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge, as only Bill Bryson can render it.
2. The Grand Biocentric Design: How Life Creates Reality
Author: by Robert Lanza
English
304 pages
1950665402
What if life isn’t just a part of the universe … What if it determines the very structure of the universe itself? The theory that blew your mind in Biocentrism and Beyond Biocentrism is back, with brand-new research revealing the startling truth about our existence.
What is consciousness?Why are we here? Where did it all come fromthe laws of nature, the stars, the universe? Humans have been asking these questions forever, but science hasn’t succeeded in providing many answersuntil now. In The Grand Biocentric Design, Robert Lanza, one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People,” is joined by theoretical physicist Matej Pavic and astronomer Bob Berman to shed light on the big picture that has long eluded philosophers and scientists alike.
This engaging, mind-stretching exposition of how the history of physics has led us to Biocentrismthe idea that life creates reality-takes readers on a step-by-step adventure into the great science breakthroughs of the past centuries, from Newton to the weirdness of quantum theory, culminating in recent revelations that will challenge everything you think you know about our role in the universe.
3. How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems
Author: by Randall Munroe
Riverhead Books
English
320 pages
AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER How To will make you laugh as you learnWith How To, you can’t help but appreciate the glorious complexity of our universe and the amazing breadth of humanity’s effort to comprehend it. If you want some lightweight edification, you won’t go wrong with How To.
CNET [How To] has science and jokes in it, so 10/10 can recommend. Simone Giertz The world’s most entertaining and useless self-help guide from the brilliant mind behind the wildly popular webcomic xkcd and the bestsellers What If? And Thing Explainer For any task you might want to do, there’s a right way, a wrong way, and a way so monumentally complex, excessive, and inadvisable that no one would ever try it.
How To is a guide to the third kind of approach. It’s full of highly impractical advice for everything from landing a plane to digging a hole. Bestselling author and cartoonist Randall Munroe explains how to predict the weather by analyzing the pixels of your Facebook photos.
4. The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred
Author: by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
English
336 pages
1541724704
From a star theoretical physicist, a journey into the world of particle physics and the cosmos – and a call for a more just practice of science. In The Disordered Cosmos, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein shares her love for physics, from the Standard Model of Particle Physics and what lies beyond it, to the physics of melanin in skin, to the latest theories of dark matter – all with a new spin informed by history, politics, and the wisdom of Star Trek.
One of the leading physicists of her generation, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is also one of fewer than one hundred Black American women to earn a PhD from a department of physics. Her vision of the cosmos is vibrant, buoyantly non-traditional, and grounded in Black feminist traditions.
Prescod-Weinstein urges us to recognize how science, like most fields, is rife with racism, sexism, and other dehumanizing systems. She lays out a bold new approach to science and society that begins with the belief that we all have a fundamental right to know and love the night sky.
5. Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher
Author: by Richard P. Feynman
0465025277
Basic Books
English
Learn from a Nobel Peace Prize winner in this entertaining and educational guide to physics, written for the enjoyment of curious beginners and aspiring scientists alike. It was Richard Feynman’s outrageous and scintillating method of teaching that earned him legendary status among students and professors of physics.
From 1961 to 1963, Feynman delivered a series of lectures at the California Institute of Technology that revolutionized the teaching of physics around the world. Six Easy Pieces, taken from these famous Lectures on Physics, represent the most accessible material from the series.
In these classic lessons, Feynman introduces the general reader to the following topics: atoms, basic physics, energy, gravitation, quantum mechanics, and the relationship of physics to other topics. With his dazzling and inimitable wit, Feynman presents each discussion with a minimum of jargon.
Filled with wonderful examples and clever illustrations, Six Easy Pieces is the ideal introduction to the fundamentals of physics by one of the most admired and accessible physicists of modern times.”If one book was all that could be passed on to the next generation of scientists it would undoubtedly have to be Six Easy Pieces.”- John Gribbin, New Scientist
6. Gory Details: Adventures From the Dark Side of Science
Author: by Erika Engelhaupt
English
336 pages
1426220979
Filled to the brim with far-out facts, this wickedly informative narrative from the author of National Geographic’s popular Gory Details blog takes us on a fascinating journey through an astonishing new reality. Blending humor and journalism in the tradition of Mary Roach, acclaimed science reporter Erika Engelhaupt investigates the gross, strange, and morbid absurdities of our bodies and our universe.
From the research biologist who stung himself with every conceivable insect to the world’s most murderous mammals, this entertaining book explores oft-ignored but alluring facets of biology, anatomy, space exploration, nature, and more. Featuring interviews with leading researchers in the field and a large dose of wit, this provocative book reveals the most intriguing real-world applications of science in all their glory.
7. What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions
Author: by Robert Wolke
B002ZW7ECI
Dell (July 29, 2009)
July 29, 2009
What makes ice cubes cloudy? How do shark attacks make airplanes safer? Can a person traveling in a car at the speed of sound still hear the radio? Moreover, would they want to…? Do you often find yourself pondering life’s little conundrums?
Have you ever wondered why the ocean is blue? Or why birds don’t get electrocuted when perching on high-voltage power lines?Robert L. Wolke, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh and acclaimed author of What Einstein Didn’t Know, understands the need to…Well, understand.
Now he provides more amusing explanations of such everyday phenomena as gravity (If you’re in a falling elevator, will jumping at the last instant save your life? And acoustics (Why does a whip make such a loud cracking noise?, along with amazing facts, belly-up-to-the-bar bets, and mind-blowing reality bites all with his trademark wit and wisdom.
If you shoot a bullet into the air, can it kill somebody when it comes down? You can find out about all this and more in an astonishing compendium of the proverbial mind-boggling mysteries of the physical world we inhabit.
8. Probable Impossibilities: Musings on Beginnings and Endings
Author: by Alan Lightman
English
208 pages
152474901X
From the acclaimed author of Einstein’s Dreams, a collection of meditative essays on the possibilitiesand impossibilitiesof nothingness and infinity, and how our place in the cosmos falls somewhere in between Can space be divided into smaller and smaller units, ad infinitum?
Does space extend to larger and larger regions, on and on to infinity? Is consciousness reducible to the material brain and its neurons? What was the origin of life, and can biologists create life from scratch in the lab? Physicist and novelist Alan Lightman, whom The Washington Post has called the poet laureate of science writers, explores these questions and morefrom the anatomy of a smile to the capriciousness of memory to the specialness of life in the universe to what came before the Big Bang.
Probable Impossibilities is a deeply engaged consideration of what we know of the universe, of life and the mind, and of things vastly larger and smaller than ourselves.
9. Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive
Author: by Carl Zimmer
Dutton (March 9, 2021)
English
368 pages
Stories that both dazzle and edify This book is not just about life, but about discovery itself. It is about error and hubris, but also about wonder and the reach of science. Siddhartha Mukherjee, New York Times Book ReviewWe all assume we know what life is, but the more scientists learn about the living worldfrom protocells to brains, from zygotes to pandemic virusesthe harder they find it is to locate life’s edge.
Carl Zimmer investigates one of the biggest questions of all: What is life? The answer seems obvious until you try to seriously answer it. Is the apple sitting on your kitchen counter alive, or is only the apple tree it came from deserving of the word?
If we can’t answer that question here on earth, how will we know when and if we discover alien life on other worlds? The question hangs over some of society’s most charged conflictswhether a fertilized egg is a living person, for example, and when we ought to declare a person legally dead.
Life’s Edge is an utterly fascinating investigation that no one but one of the most celebrated science writers of our generation could craft. Zimmer journeys through the strange experiments that have attempted to re-create life. Literally hundreds of definitions of what that should look like now exist, but none has yet emerged as an obvious winner.
10. Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
Author: by Neil deGrasse Tyson
039335038X
English
384 pages
“[Tyson] tackles a great range of subjectswith great humor, humility, andmost importanthumanity.” Entertainment WeeklyLoyal readers of the monthly “Universe” essays in Natural History magazine have long recognized Neil deGrasse Tyson’s talent for guiding them through the mysteries of the cosmos with clarity and enthusiasm.
Bringing together more than forty of Tyson’s favorite essays, Death by Black Hole explores a myriad of cosmic topics, from what it would be like to be inside a black hole to the movie industry’s feeble efforts to get its night skies right.
One of America’s best-known astrophysicists, Tyson is a natural teacher who simplifies the complexities of astrophysics while sharing his infectious fascination for our universe.
11. What Is Life?: Five Great Ideas in Biology
Author: by Paul Nurse
English
160 pages
0393541150
The Nobel Prizewinning scientist’s elegant explanation of the fundamental ideas in biology and their uses today. The renowned biologist Paul Nurse has spent his career revealing how living cells work.In What Is Life?, he takes up the challenge of describing what it means to be alive in a way that every reader can understand.
It is a shared journey of discovery; step-by-step Nurse illuminates five great ideas that underpin biologythe Cell, the Gene, Evolution by Natural Selection, Life as Chemistry, and Life as Information. He introduces the scientists who made the most important advances, and, using his personal experiences in and out of the lab, he shares with us the challenges, the lucky breaks, and the thrilling eureka moments of discovery.
Nurse writes with delight at life’s richness and with a sense of the urgent role of biology in our time. To survive the challenges that face us all todayclimate change, pandemic, loss of biodiversity and food securityit is vital that we all understand what life is.
12. The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity
Author: by Toby Ord
English
480 pages
031648492X
This urgent and eye-opening book makes the case that protecting humanity’s future is the central challenge of our time. If all goes well, human history is just beginning. Our species could survive for billions of years – enough time to end disease, poverty, and injustice, and to flourish in ways unimaginable today.
But this vast future is at risk. With the advent of nuclear weapons, humanity entered a new age, where we face existential catastrophes – those from which we could never come back. Since then, these dangers have only multiplied, from climate change to engineered pathogens and artificial intelligence.
If we do not act fast to reach a place of safety, it will soon be too late. Drawing on over a decade of research, The Precipice explores the cutting-edge science behind the risks we face. It puts them in the context of the greater story of humanity: showing how ending these risks is among the most pressing moral issues of our time.
And it points the way forward, to the actions and strategies that can safeguard humanity. An Oxford philosopher committed to putting ideas into action, Toby Ord has advised the US National Intelligence Council, the UK Prime Minister’s Office, and the World Bank on the biggest questions facing humanity.
13. Letters from an Astrophysicist
Author: by Neil deGrasse Tyson
English
272 pages
1324003316
New York Times Bestseller A luminous companion to the phenomenal bestseller Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe.
Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by revealing his correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 101 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto.
His succinct, opinionated, passionate, and often funny responses reflect his popularity and standing as a leading educator. Tyson’s 2017 bestseller Astrophysics for People in a Hurry offered more than one million readers an insightful and accessible understanding of the universe. Tyson’s most candid and heartfelt writing yet, Letters from an Astrophysicist introduces us to a newly personal dimension of Tyson’s quest to explore our place in the cosmos.5 illustrations
14. The Science of Stephen King: The Truth Behind Pennywise, Jack Torrance, Carrie, Cujo, and More Iconic Characters from the Master of Horror
Author: by Meg Hafdahl
Skyhorse (October 6, 2020)
English
264 pages
Uncover the theories behind the Master of Horror’s macabre tales: It, The Shining, Carrie, Cujo, Misery, Pet Semetary, and so much more! Gothic media moguls Meg Hafdahl and Kelly Florence, authors of The Science of Monsters and The Science of Women in Horror, and co-hosts of the Horror Rewind podcast called the best horror film podcast out there by Film Daddy, present a guide to the Stephen King stories and characters we all know and love.
Through interviews, literary and film analysis, and bone-chilling discoveries, The Science of Stephen King delves into the uniquely horrific Stephen King universe to uncover the science behind the legendary novels that have become an integral part of modern pop culture, answering such questions as: What is the science behind time travel and parallel universes like in The Dark Tower series and 11/22/63?
How does lack of sleep affect the human body like in Insomnia? Is it possible for horrific creatures to exist like in Nightshift? What is the science behind curses and legends like in Dreamcatcher and Thinner? Join Kelly and Meg as they learn if we all really do float down here!
15. Best American Science and Nature Writing 2020 (The Best American Series ®)
Author: by Jaime Green
English
384 pages
0358074290
A collection of the best science and nature writing published in North America in 2019, guest edited by New York Times best-selling author and ground-breaking physicist Dr. Michio Kaku. Scientists and science writers have a monumental task: making science exciting and relevant to the average person, so that they care, writes renowned American physicist Michio Kaku.
If we fail in this endeavor, then we must face dire consequences. From the startlingly human abilities of AI, to the devastating accounts of California’s forest fires, to the impending traffic jam on the moon, the selections in this year’s Best American Science and Nature Writing explore the latest mysteries and marvels occurring in our labs and in nature.
These gripping narratives masterfully translate the work of today’s brightest scientists, offering a clearer view of our world and making us care. THE BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE AND NATURE WRITING 2020 INCLUDES RIVKA GALCHEN ADAM GOPNIK FERRIS JABR JOSHUA SOKOL MELINDA WENNER MOYER SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEE NATALIE WOLCHOVER and others
16. The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm
Author: by Lewis Dartnell
Penguin Books
English
352 pages
How would you go about rebuilding a technological society from scratch? If our technological society collapsed tomorrow what would be the one book you would want to press into the hands of the postapocalyptic survivors? What crucial knowledge would they need to survive in the immediate aftermath and to rebuild civilization as quickly as possible?
Human knowledge is collective, distributed across the population. It has built on itself for centuries, becoming vast and increasingly specialized. Most of us are ignorant about the fundamental principles of the civilization that supports us, happily utilizing the latestor even the most basictechnology without having the slightest idea of why it works or how it came to be.
If you had to go back to absolute basics, like some sort of postcataclysmic Robinson Crusoe, would you know how to re-create an internal combustion engine, put together a microscope, get metals out of rock, or even how to produce food for yourself?
Lewis Dartnell proposes that the key to preserving civilization in an apocalyptic scenario is to provide a quickstart guide, adapted to cataclysmic circumstances. The Knowledge describes many of the modern technologies we employ, but first it explains the fundamentals upon which they are built.
