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Mathematics & Science » Geoscience

Most Recommended Books

Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

“The book has just enough science that it seems real.”

Tullis Onstott, Environmentalist

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Browse book recommendations:

Mathematics & Science

  • Astronomy
  • Biology
  • Existential Risks
  • Geoscience
  • Lives of Scientists
  • Maths & Statistics
  • Physics
  • Popular Science

Geoscience is an umbrella term that describes the work done across multiple scientific fields on the current state and History of our planet, the Earth.

On Five Books, we’ve explored the history and evolution of our home planet, the mysteries of life below its surface, as well as the secrets that lie beneath volcanoes, with Simon Winchester and David Pyle.

As recommended by several of our interviewees, why not start with a fictional account of what’s going on deep within our planet, with Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth?

    The best books on Ice, recommended by Mark Serreze

  • Read

    1

    Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage to the Antarctic
    by Alfred Lansing

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    2

    Alone
    by Richard E. Byrd

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    3

    North of Latitude Eighty
    by Geoffrey Hattersley Smith

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    4

    The Two Mile Time Machine
    by Richard B. Alley

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    5

    A World Without Ice
    by Henry N. Pollack

The best books on Ice, recommended by Mark Serreze

Ice and humanity have always been close partners, says Mark Serreze, director of the US National Snow and Ice Data Center. But this relationship is changing fast as polar ice melts. Here he selects five books that fed his fascination.

    The best books on Evolution of the Earth, recommended by Andrew Scott

  • Read

    1

    The Planet in a Pebble: A journey into Earth's deep history
    by Jan Zalasiewicz

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    2

    Life on a Young Planet
    by Andrew H Knoll

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    3

    The Emerald Planet
    by D J Beerling

  • 4

    Gaining Ground
    by Jennifer Clack

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    5

    The Cradle of Humanity: How the changing landscape of Africa made us so smart
    by Mark Maslin

The best books on Evolution of the Earth, recommended by Andrew Scott

How has the Earth changed over time and what role has fire played in those changes? A leading geologist, Andrew Scott, identifies key stages and books to help understand them

    The best books on Volcanoes, recommended by David Pyle

  • Read

    1

    Campi Phlegraei: Observations on the Volcanos of the Two Sicilies
    by William Hamilton

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    2

    Fire Fountains
    by Constance Gordon Cumming

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    3

    Volcanoes
    by Peter Francis

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    4

    Volcano: A Memoir
    by Yvonne Weekes

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    5

    Volcano Verses
    by Howard Fergus

The best books on Volcanoes, recommended by David Pyle

Volcanoes not only play a vital role in the Earth’s ecosystem but have fascinated us down the ages. Oxford University volcanologist David Pyle recommends some of his favourite books about volcanoes.

    The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth, recommended by Tullis Onstott

  • Read

    1

    Journey to the Centre of the Earth
    by Jules Verne

  • Read

    2

    Intelligent Life in the Universe
    by Carl Sagan & Iosif Shklovsky

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    3

    The Universe Below
    by William Broad

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    4

    A Traveler's Guide to Mars
    by William Hartmann

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    5

    The Living Cosmos
    by Chris Impey

The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth, recommended by Tullis Onstott

The ‘subterranaut’ describes how the discovery of ancient bacteria miles beneath the Earth’s surface opens the possibility of finding life on Mars. He picks five books that show how our knowledge of life deep in this planet could lead us to discover it elsewhere.

    The best books on Volcanoes, recommended by Simon Winchester

  • Read

    1

    Journey to the Centre of the Earth
    by Jules Verne

  • Read

    2

    The Last Days of Pompeii
    by E Bulwer Lytton

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    3

    The Crater
    by James Fenimore Cooper

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    4

    The Violins of St Jacques
    by Patrick Leigh Fermor

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    5

    Twenty-One Balloons
    by William Pène du Bois

The best books on Volcanoes, recommended by Simon Winchester

The respected author and veteran journalist gives illuminating interview on volcanic eruptions. Discusses wonderful literary works from authors including Jules Vernes, Edward Lytton and Paddy Leigh Fermor

    The best books on Earth History, recommended by Adam Maloof

  • Read

    1

    The Sheltering Desert
    by Henno Martin

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    2

    On the Origin of Species
    by Charles Darwin

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    3

    Cosmicomics
    by Italo Calvino

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    4

    Rare Earth
    by Peter Ward and Don Brownlee

  • Read

    5

    Chaos
    by James Gleick

The best books on Earth History, recommended by Adam Maloof

Just as no one can study political science without a basic understanding of human history, or study a modern animal without a basic understanding of evolution, so no one can understand climate change without understanding the Earth’s history, argues the Princeton geology professor.

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We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand interviews, or five thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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