Best Science Books for Non-Scientists

1
8,101 members
119 reviews
½ 4.3
12 Members
lorax, seabear, lilithcat, ABVR, daschaich, stretch, prosfilaes, Percevan, dwacker, horacio.salazar, ManWithAnAgenda, 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
16,868 members
776 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
12,277 members
477 reviews
4.1
6
2,237 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
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
25,541 members
430 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
7,102 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
4,012 members
51 reviews
4.1
11
1,892 members
28 reviews
4.2
12
2,836 members
27 reviews
3.9
13
1,003 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
1,817 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
1,716 members
13 reviews
4.2
17
530 members
12 reviews
3.8
18
884 members
37 reviews
4.1
20
2,082 members
35 reviews
3.9
21
4,568 members
183 reviews
4.1
4 Members
lorax, inge87, indigorising, GerrysBookshelf,ahef1963
Explanations
ahef1963 : Simply too depressing to finish.
22
5,244 members
66 reviews
4.1
23
12,006 members
135 reviews
½ 4.3
24
1,744 members
21 reviews
3.9
25
1,498 members
11 reviews
4.2
26
1,708 members
32 reviews
½ 4.3
27
1,790 members
16 reviews
3.9
29
1,146 members
14 reviews
3.8
30
1,658 members
10 reviews
3.9
31
2,174 members
53 reviews
½ 3.5
32
16,285 members
460 reviews
4.1
33
1,305 members
11 reviews
3.9
34
16,530 members
133 reviews
4.1
35
1,460 members
24 reviews
3.8
36
1,286 members
25 reviews
½ 3.7
37
274 members
5 reviews
3.8
38
1,751 members
18 reviews
4.1
2 Members
Edward, smcwl
39
1,025 members
21 reviews
3.8
40
2,197 members
62 reviews
4.1
41
4,294 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
1,932 members
41 reviews
4.2
43
610 members
17 reviews
½ 3.4
44
2,182 members
71 reviews
½ 4.3
45
590 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
2,953 members
34 reviews
4.1
48
879 members
26 reviews
3.8
49
4,069 members
59 reviews
½ 4.5
50
1,361 members
13 reviews
3.9
51
1,535 members
49 reviews
½ 4.3
52
4,710 members
78 reviews
4.2
54
877 members
15 reviews
4
Member
Bretzky1
55
425 members
3 reviews
4.2
Member
hipdeep
56
425 members
18 reviews
4.1
Member
inge87
58
296 members
7 reviews
½ 3.5
Member
Ravic
59
213 members
6 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
EmScape
61
52 members
½ 3.4
Member
bluepiano
62
10 members
1 review
5
Member
seabear
63
2,153 members
18 reviews
½ 3.6
64
542 members
11 reviews
3.9
Member
daschaich
65
414 members
1 review
3.9
Member
rbott
67
111 members
4 reviews
4.2
Member
seabear
68
87 members
2 reviews
4.1
Member
Bretzky1
69
38 members
1 review
½ 3.5
Member
bluepiano
70
1,028 members
11 reviews
3.8
Member
Ravic
71
363 members
3 reviews
½ 3.5
72
182 members
3 reviews
4.2
Member
Bretzky1
73
2,413 members
51 reviews
4
Member
hipdeep
74
1,165 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
77 members
4 reviews
½ 3.7
Member
seabear
78
858 members
20 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
seabear
79
142 members
1 review
½ 3.7
Member
hipdeep
80
26 members
1 review
4
Member
daschaich
81
1,107 members
10 reviews
½ 4.3
Member
hipdeep
82
763 members
5 reviews
½ 3.6
Member
daschaich
83
1,649 members
64 reviews
½ 3.6
84
1,008 members
9 reviews
3.9
Member
seabear
86
47 members
3.9
Member
Ravic
87
23 members
2 reviews
½ 4.5
Member
hipdeep
88
4,019 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
1,320 members
57 reviews
4
Member
seabear
93
391 members
11 reviews
½ 3.4
Member
hipdeep
94
116 members
5 reviews
½ 3.5
95
987 members
34 reviews
4
Member
ABVR
96
348 members
8 reviews
3.8
Member
seabear
97
137 members
1 review
½ 3.5
Member
hipdeep
98
91 members
2 reviews
½ 4.6
Member
Ravic
99
60 members
1 review
3.9
100
829 members
12 reviews
½ 3.5
Member
ABVR