An illuminating and entertaining "big picture" history of scientific discovery from the time of the ancient greeks to Einstein and the 20th century, from quarks to distant galaxies, covers topics from every scientific field from physics and chemistry to cosmology and...
The Logical Leap: Induction in Physics
Integrating philosophy with the history of science, David Harriman presents a solution to the problem of induction, based on Ayn Rand's theory of concepts. Explore this book.
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin explains how species change through the gradual process of natural selection according to the traits that leave the organism most fit to survive in a given environment. Explore this book.
The Selfish Gene
Neo-Darwinist Richard Dawkins, turns the science of biology on its head, by looking at evolution from the "point of view" of a gene in which organisms can be seen as vehicles for their replication. Explore this book.
A Brief History of Time
"How did the universe begin—and what made its start possible? Does time always flow forward? Is the universe unending—or are there boundaries? Are there other dimensions in space? What will happen when it all ends?" These are some of the questions, Stephen Hawking...
Molecules by Theodore Gray
The Elements and the Architecture of Everything "Gray begins with an explanation of how atoms bond to form molecules and compounds, as well as the difference between organic and inorganic chemistry. He then goes on to explore the vast array of materials molecules can...
Six Easy Pieces by Richard Feynman
In Six Easy Pieces, Feynman gives an essentialized presentation on the nature of atoms, basic physics, energy, gravitation, quantum mechanics, and the relationship of physics to other topics. A related follow-up book is his Six Not-So-Easy Pieces: Einstein's...
Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski
“There are many gifts that are unique in man; but at the centre of them all, the root from which all knowledge grows, lies the ability to draw conclusions from what we see to what we do not see, to move our minds through space and time, and to recognise ourselves in...
The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley
“Humanity is experiencing an extraordinary burst of evolutionary change, driven by good old-fashioned Darwinian natural selection. But it is selection among ideas, not among genes. The habitat in which these ideas reside consists of human brains.” ― Matt Ridley, The...