Best Science Books for Non-Scientists

1
8,129 members
119 reviews
½ 4.3
13 Members
lorax, seabear, lilithcat, ABVR, daschaich, stretch, prosfilaes, Percevan, dwacker, horacio.salazar, ManWithAnAgenda, madmustache, Brandi007
Explanations
ABVR: The best explanation of what science is (and why it matters) that I've ever read.
horacio.salazar: Almost poetic. In this book Ssagan is like the Ray Bradbury of science.
4
16,950 members
777 reviews
4.2
8 Members
raidergirl3, norabelle414, SylviaC, souloftherose, cej1027, ahef1963, GerrysBookshelf, horacio.salazar
Explanations
horacio.salazar: A book that redefines the way science stories can be told.
5
12,336 members
476 reviews
4.1
6
2,249 members
23 reviews
4
6 Members
jjwilson61, ABVR, stretch, prosfilaes, proserpinarex, horacio.salazar
Explanations
ABVR: Gould's second and best collection of essays: Uniformly good, with 5-6 among the best popular-science essays ever written.
7
9,491 members
191 reviews
3.9
8 Members
amarie, KimarieBee, AnnaClaire, raidergirl3, Percevan, electrice, horacio.salazar, mspixieears,ABVR ,Noisy ,thorold
Explanations
ABVR : A fascinating book, but one about technology . . . and technology rooted in the craft tradition, rather than science, at that.
8
25,606 members
431 reviews
4.2
9 Members
stretch, lahochstetler, raidergirl3, sjmccreary, SylviaC, Percevan, souloftherose, martensgirl, horacio.salazar,lorax ,ABVR ,daschaich ,Noisy ,Ravic
Explanations
lorax: An error-ridden mess complete with random gratuitous homophobia.
9
7,135 members
119 reviews
½ 3.7
7 Members
KimarieBee, AnnaClaire, raidergirl3, reconditereader, EmScape, Percevan, horacio.salazar,lorax ,ABVR ,Noisy
Explanations
lorax: A very interesting book, but it's a biography, not a book about science.
10
4,020 members
52 reviews
4.1
11
1,897 members
28 reviews
4.2
12
2,845 members
27 reviews
3.9
13
1,006 members
17 reviews
4
4 Members
lorax, ABVR, stretch, indigorising
Explanations
ABVR: A masterpiece of geological explanation, in prose with the beautiful simplicity of Shaker cabinetry.
14
1,819 members
45 reviews
½ 3.6
5 Members
ABVR, daschaich, smcwl, indigorising, horacio.salazar
Explanations
horacio.salazar: A wonderful tour, told in a marvelous style. Great book!
16
1,722 members
13 reviews
4.2
17
533 members
12 reviews
3.8
18
886 members
37 reviews
4.1
20
2,089 members
35 reviews
3.9
21
4,606 members
184 reviews
4.1
4 Members
lorax, inge87, indigorising, GerrysBookshelf,ahef1963
Explanations
ahef1963 : Simply too depressing to finish.
22
5,254 members
66 reviews
4.1
23
11,927 members
135 reviews
4.2
24
1,745 members
21 reviews
3.9
25
1,502 members
11 reviews
4.2
26
1,717 members
32 reviews
½ 4.3
27
1,791 members
16 reviews
3.9
29
1,148 members
14 reviews
3.8
30
1,656 members
10 reviews
3.9
31
2,183 members
53 reviews
½ 3.5
32
16,396 members
462 reviews
4.1
33
1,309 members
11 reviews
3.9
34
16,605 members
133 reviews
4.1
35
1,467 members
24 reviews
3.8
36
1,296 members
25 reviews
½ 3.7
37
273 members
5 reviews
3.8
38
1,758 members
18 reviews
4.1
2 Members
Edward, smcwl
39
1,026 members
21 reviews
3.8
40
2,205 members
62 reviews
4.1
41
4,292 members
275 reviews
4
3 Members
ijustgetbored, norabelle414, souloftherose,lorax ,
Explanations
lorax : Pop-science books that base their humor on mocking actual scientists don't cut it in my book.
42
1,940 members
41 reviews
4.2
43
611 members
17 reviews
½ 3.4
44
2,191 members
72 reviews
½ 4.3
45
593 members
18 reviews
3.9
2 Members
seabear, horacio.salazar
Explanations
horacio.salazar: A classic. When the event at the end of the Cretaceous was news.
47
2,958 members
34 reviews
4.1
48
879 members
27 reviews
3.8
49
4,074 members
59 reviews
½ 4.5
50
1,364 members
13 reviews
3.9
51
1,550 members
50 reviews
½ 4.3
52
4,716 members
78 reviews
4.2
54
881 members
15 reviews
4
Member
Bretzky1
55
430 members
3 reviews
4.2
Member
hipdeep
56
429 members
18 reviews
4.1
Member
inge87
58
299 members
7 reviews
½ 3.5
Member
Ravic
59
213 members
6 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
EmScape
61
50 members
½ 3.4
Member
bluepiano
62
10 members
1 review
5
Member
seabear
63
2,163 members
18 reviews
½ 3.6
64
541 members
11 reviews
3.9
Member
daschaich
65
417 members
1 review
3.9
Member
rbott
67
113 members
5 reviews
4.2
Member
seabear
68
87 members
2 reviews
4.1
Member
Bretzky1
69
36 members
1 review
½ 3.5
Member
bluepiano
70
1,032 members
11 reviews
3.8
Member
Ravic
71
363 members
3 reviews
½ 3.5
72
185 members
3 reviews
4.2
Member
Bretzky1
73
2,421 members
51 reviews
4
Member
hipdeep
74
1,170 members
14 reviews
3.9
Member
Noisy
75
215 members
8 reviews
3.8
Member
inge87
76
209 members
2 reviews
4.1
Member
daschaich
77
79 members
4 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
seabear
78
860 members
20 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
seabear
79
143 members
1 review
½ 3.7
Member
hipdeep
80
27 members
1 review
4
Member
daschaich
81
1,110 members
10 reviews
½ 4.3
Member
hipdeep
82
764 members
5 reviews
½ 3.5
Member
daschaich
83
1,653 members
63 reviews
½ 3.6
84
1,014 members
9 reviews
3.9
Member
seabear
86
46 members
3.9
Member
Ravic
87
23 members
2 reviews
½ 4.5
Member
hipdeep
88
4,021 members
40 reviews
3.9
Member
seabear
90
32 members
1 review
5
Member
ABVR
Explanations
ABVR: A good book about the beastie that may or may not inhabit Loch Ness. A great book about science as a way of thinking.
91
8 members
4
Member
Ravic
92
1,323 members
57 reviews
4
Member
seabear
93
393 members
11 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
hipdeep
94
116 members
5 reviews
½ 3.5
95
988 members
34 reviews
4
Member
ABVR
96
349 members
8 reviews
3.8
Member
seabear
97
137 members
1 review
½ 3.5
Member
hipdeep
98
92 members
2 reviews
½ 4.6
Member
Ravic
99
60 members
1 review
3.9
100
830 members
12 reviews
½ 3.5
Member
ABVR