In our new science books section, we keep track of some of the books coming out by Five Books interviewees and frequently recommended authors. It's a golden age for science and science books are following suit, exploring all manner of subjects in an engaging and accessible style for a broad audience. We also are fortunate that the UK's national science academy, the Royal Society (which was founded in 1660 and so still has a wonderfully 17th century official name: "The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge") has two annual book awards, one for adults and one for kids. We try to have the judges take us through the shortlists every year, to ensure those books are also included.
(We also have a separate section dedicated to new math books).
“In Atoms and Ashes, Ukrainian historian Serhii Plokhy, author of a brilliant book on Chernobyl, looks at six nuclear disasters around the world—starting with the testing of a hydrogen bomb in Bikini Atoll in 1954 and ending with Fukushima—to see what lessons can be learned from them. As citizens, the pros and cons of nuclear power is something we have a duty to think about, and this book is a gripping way in.” Read more...
Notable Nonfiction of Spring 2022
Sophie Roell, Journalist
Supernova
by Or Graur
In his book Supernova Or Graur, Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at the University of Portsmouth, introduces his field. Graur does research on Type Ia supernovae but has also spent a lot of time doing public education and outreach, including working with high school students. The book is interesting, informative and very clear. It makes you want to go out and look at the night sky.
“Humans do science, that that means it’s flawed, you know? Maybe they over-hype their findings, sometimes they are biased in their analysis or data collection. He gives several well-known examples—Andrew Wakefield’s MMR paper, or Paolo Macchiarini’s work on transplantation. He reaffirms what science should be about—nullius in verba, take nobody’s word. Which is in fact the Royal Society’s motto. He comes up with ways to limit the damage to science, which makes it quite an important book because you want to ensure science is done to the highest possible standard.” Read more...
The Best Popular Science Books of 2021: The Royal Society Book Prize
Luke O'Neill, Scientist
“This is a bit like a detective story. O’Sullvan is a neurologist, who specialises in epilepsy. Some of the patients she would see have these strange seizures, that’s how she got into it, I suppose. In the book, she goes around the world to explore these examples of young women who have gone, suddenly, into comas, and cannot be raised. Or they’ve developed epilepsy suddenly. She goes to Sweden, upstate New York, Kazakhstan, and then characterises them all. It’s a good clinical account of our most unusual situations—which aren’t as uncommon as you might think.” Read more...
The Best Popular Science Books of 2021: The Royal Society Book Prize
Luke O'Neill, Scientist
“Imagine a whole book about breathing! But there was a necessity, I think. Nestor is a journalist; he goes into everything you need to know about breathing. We learn that no matter what you eat, no matter how you exercise, how wise you are—none of it really matters if you’re not breathing properly.” Read more...
The Best Popular Science Books of 2021: The Royal Society Book Prize
Luke O'Neill, Scientist
“It’s by a female astronomer in a very male-dominated science, historically. She describes her own career, and how she navigated that world. She gives a really good account of the telescopes in Chile and Hawaii—all the challenges, all the things that broke down, bad weather, all sorts—and goes into detail on the great discoveries astronomers have made. Towards the end, she talks about the future of astronomy: now you can do it all remotely, just download data from the telescope. She makes a compelling case of how the science will change because of this.” Read more...
The Best Popular Science Books of 2021: The Royal Society Book Prize
Luke O'Neill, Scientist
Vaxxers: The Inside Story of the Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccine and the Race Against the Virus
by Catherine Green & Sarah Gilbert
Vaxxers is a book by two scientists at the University of Oxford who, with their team, developed the AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid-19. Professor Catherine Green heads the Nuffield Department of Medicine's Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility and Sarah Gilbert is Professor of Vaccinology. Behind the impressive titles and incredible achievement, it's the story of two scientists working flat out and what it was like on a day-to-day basis—scientifically, practically and emotionally.
The title is telling: this is a book written with anti-vaxxers in mind, outlining what it is that vaxxers do, or did in the case of this particular vaccine. The writing of the book was prompted by a campsite encounter Green had with an anti-vaxxer, who had told her, "I'm not saying there is definitely a conspiracy...but I do worry that we don't know what they put in these vaccines: mercury and other toxic chemicals. I don't trust them. They don't tell the truth." Green had to tell her, "I am 'them': and, appropriately, at the end of the book all the ingredients of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine are listed.
The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds
by Christopher Mason
Have you ever worried about what will happen 4.7 billion years from now, when the Earth is so close to the Sun that we won't be able to live on it anymore? Or trillions of years from now, when the universe will most likely come to an end? Many of us haven't, but Chris Mason, a geneticist who runs a lab at Weill Cornell Medicine and focuses on the effects living in space has on the body, has. A lot. You can already imagine the blockbuster movie: the hero who saves humanity because he worried about things no one else did. In this book, The Next 500 Years, Mason lays out his plan for leaving our solar system, including the genetic engineering required so our bodies are better adapted to space and the possible transport options for getting there.
We also spoke to Chris about the best space travel science fiction, some of it more science than fiction.
The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
by Walter Isaacson
The Code Breaker is the story of Jennifer Doudna, who won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her development of the CRISPR technology that allows gene editing. It is also the story of genes and gene editing and women in science. Walter Isaacson is a veteran biographer. He writes in highly readable prose that is particularly welcome when it comes to writing about science, when the concepts can be difficult. He also writes it like a pacy story, where you want to know what happens next. It is little surprise that on coming out, The Code Breaker went straight to the top of the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list.
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
by Merlin Sheldrake
***Winner 2021 Wainwright Prize for Writing on Global Conservation***
***Winner The Royal Society Science Book 2021***
“This is an outstanding science book, actually. And again: who would imagine you’d enjoy a doorstopper of a book about fungi? He goes through everything you need to know about fungi: he talks about truffles, about psychedelic mushrooms, about yeast and alcohol, penicillin. He even makes the case that life wouldn’t have to moved onto land without fungi.I thought that was fascinating. So, again, great science and really well written.” Read more...
The Best Popular Science Books of 2021: The Royal Society Book Prize
Luke O'Neill, Scientist
Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive
by Carl Zimmer
Just as many of us are still struggling with the question of the meaning of life, the brilliant popular science writer Carl Zimmer—whose books have been frequently recommended on Five Books—takes the question a step further back and asks what life actually is. This promises to be a fun read on a really important question, not least because the virus wreaking havoc across the planet at the moment is very lively and yet...not alive.
Viruses: A Very Short Introduction
by Dorothy H. Crawford
OK, OK, this book isn't strictly speaking new–it came out in 2018. However, the outbreak of a global pandemic featuring Covid-19 has meant we all need to know more about viruses, and Dorothy Crawford's introduction is excellent. She also spoke to us about the best books on viruses, and you'll find out a lot just by reading the interview (no need to buy/borrow any books).
Bedeviled: A Shadow History of Demons in Science
by Jimena Canales
When reading key works in the history of science—that story of how we turned from believing that everything that happens around us is the work of gods and supernatural forces to understanding bacteria, gravity etc—historian of science Jimena Canales noticed how often 'demons' made an appearance. Bedeviled is her exploration of—and reflections on—that contradiction, starting in the 17th century with René Descartes. This is not a book for beginners, but if you're interested in the history of science and how scientific discoveries are made, it's a really fascinating paradox that she explores.
Nuclear Choices for the Twenty-First Century: A Citizen's Guide
Richard Wolfson and Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress
Nuclear Choices for the Twenty-First Century: A Citizen's Guide is a must-read book if you're interested in anything nuclear. Many people watched the Netflix series about Chernobyl and, for many of us, it was the first time we really started to understand how a nuclear power plant works. This book is a chance to get better educated not just about nuclear power, but every aspect of nuclear, from the basic physics to nuclear weapons and medical technologies. It tries to take a disinterested approach, presenting the pros and cons, so we can each make a decision we're comfortable with about the role of nuclear technology in our societies.
The Human Cosmos
by Jo Marchant
In The Human Cosmos award-winning science writer Jo Marchant tells the history of our relationship with the stars, from our cave-dwelling ancestors to a NASA astronaut walking in space, observing the "velvet bottomless bucket of the universe stretching on forever". The stars have inspired and awed humans throughout history but nowadays not so much, which is a pity.
“What makes this such an interesting book for me is the combination of the first person and the more scientific and philosophical analysis. I’ve already mentioned that the author is a scuba diver. He’s brilliant at describing just what he sees, the patterns of behaviour of the animals he observes” Read more...
The Best Philosophy Books of 2020
Nigel Warburton, Philosopher
Quantum Reality: The Quest for the Real Meaning of Quantum Mechanics
by Jim Baggott
Science writer Jim Baggott has devoted his working life to making quantum physics accessible to the rest of us. As he mentions in the preamble, he has been called 'depressingly sane'. He is a strong advocate for a bigger role for philosophy in science, as we reach the limits of what our minds can get our heads around and wild speculation has taken the place of empirical evidence. In this book, he explores the relationship between quantum physics and reality.
A Series of Fortunate Events: Chance and the Making of the Planet, Life, and You
by Sean B Carroll
Sean B Carroll is both a serious biologist and a gifted science communicator, and his books have been recommended several times on Five Books. A Series of Fortunate Events is a an informal, chatty book about the role chance has played in our lives, from the giant asteroid that hit the Yucatan 66 million years ago, to why we get cancer later in life. It's very informative and a lot of fun.
Cats React to Science Facts
by Izzi Howell
*** Winner of the 2020 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize***
“This one is fascinating. It really captures, for example, why the Earth has a magnetic field. It explains force and energy balances, the idea of electromagnetism. It’s really, really good, well explained science. And you’ve got the added fun of cats in it! We wanted to try and have some books that might reach out to children who are maybe a bit intimidated by science or don’t think they’re very good at it, or perhaps just aren’t very interested in it. And we thought this book could do that: it would appeal to a much wider audience.” Read more...
The Best Science Books for Kids: the 2020 Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize
Mike Kendall, Scientist
The Body: A Guide for Occupants
by Bill Bryson
***Shortlisted for the 2020 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize***
The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson is a great introduction to the biology of the human body, written in Bryson's easy, accessible style. A lot of it you may already know, some you may not, but it's an enjoyable, engrossing read.
Transcendence: How Humans Evolved Through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time
by Gaia Vince
***Shortlisted for the 2020 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize***
"I wrote this book to answer what, for me, is the biggest question: how did we become so different from all the other animals—able to alter our own destiny and that of the rest of life on earth?" —Gaia Vince.
Read our interview with Gaia Vince—whose last book, Adventures in the Anthropocene, won the 2015 Royal Society Science Book Prize—on the best books on the Anthropocene.
At The Edge of Time
by Dan Hooper
At The Edge of Time by astrophysicist Dan Hooper is a popular science book that explains, in lay person's terms, not only what we know out about the universe to date, but also what we don't know about it. "Right now, there’s a culmination of mysteries in cosmology that need to be told as a coherent story," he says in his Five Books interview on the Big Bang. "Maybe we’re in the 1904 of cosmology right now, and we're going to tear down everything we think we know to the ground and build something entirely new."
The World According to Physics
by Jim Al-Khalili
***Shortlisted for the 2020 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize***
"This book is an ode to physics. I first fell in love with physics when I was a teenager" —Jim Al-Khalili.
In The World According to Physics, theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili continues his mission to explain physics so that the rest of us can understand it, taking readers through the three 'pillars' of modern physics: relativity, quantum mechanics, and thermodynamics.
Read our updated interview with Jim Al-Khalili on the physics books that inspired him.
“It’s a sweeping account of a very important topic, because we are all biased—consciously or unconsciously. A good part of this book addresses whether there is a way to counter this bias. In the case of medicine, there’s the checklist—the doctor can make sure to go through a checklist to ensure each patient is treated equally. There’s a lot on police in America, and the training they are using to reduce bias. Nordell makes the case that we’re biased by nature, so it’s down to us to decrease bias.” Read more...
The Best Popular Science Books of 2021: The Royal Society Book Prize
Luke O'Neill, Scientist
“The Double X Economy is a rigorous presentation and analysis of data to show that women are excluded at great cost to society as a whole. It’s an important, relevant and timely topic. Linda Scott has an enormous amount of hands-on experience working with communities in developing countries, researching women’s economic exclusion in various fora, and advising at the highest international levels. The book contrasts the villages of Africa and the slums of Asia right through to boardrooms in the US and other rich countries. It’s a very thorough book with lots of graphs and charts to illustrate key points, but they’re presented in a very simplified, accessible way so the reader can take them or leave them depending on how much detail they want to go into.” Read more...
The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize
Anne Osbourn, Biologist
“It’s an intriguing and well-written detective story. It embraces the history of psychiatry and brings in a range of examples—including the very unfortunate lobotomy of John F Kennedy’s sister Rosemary, who was a very pretty, lively girl until she had her lobotomy. It challenges the field as not having developed since the 1970s, although Cahalan does concede that modern psychiatry does help people. It is a controversial and challenging book.” Read more...
The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize
Anne Osbourn, Biologist
“Camila Pang is a research scientist specialising in translational bioinformatics. She was diagnosed with autism at the age of eight. She also has ADHD and anxiety disorder. Explaining Humans is a charming investigation of how to understand human behaviour, drawing on her superpower of neurodiversity…There’s a striking combination of personal experience and hardcore science that draws the reader in.” Read more...
The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize
Anne Osbourn, Biologist
-
1
The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy's Vanishing Explorers
by Emily Levesque -
2
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
by James Nestor -
3
The End of Bias, A Beginning: The Science and Practice of Overcoming Unconscious Bias
by Jessica Nordell -
4
The Sleeping Beauties: And Other Stories of Mystery Illness
by Suzanne O'Sullivan -
5
Science Fictions: How Fraud, Bias, Negligence, and Hype Undermine the Search for Truth
by Stuart Ritchie -
6
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures
by Merlin Sheldrake
The Best Popular Science Books of 2021: The Royal Society Book Prize, recommended by Luke O'Neill
The Best Popular Science Books of 2021: The Royal Society Book Prize, recommended by Luke O'Neill
Every year the Royal Society, the world’s oldest independent scientific academy, awards a prize for the best new popular science book. Here, Luke O’Neill—Professor of Biochemistry at Trinity College, Dublin, and chair of the 2021 judging panel—discusses the latest shortlist: six new popular science books that are topical, accessible and infinitely interesting.
-
1
The Double X Economy: The Epic Potential of Empowering Women
by Linda Scott -
2
The Great Pretender
by Susannah Cahalan -
3
Transcendence: How Humans Evolved Through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time
by Gaia Vince -
4
The Body: A Guide for Occupants
by Bill Bryson -
5
The World According to Physics
by Jim Al-Khalili -
6
Explaining Humans: What Science Can Teach Us about Life, Love and Relationships
by Camilla Pang
The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize, recommended by Anne Osbourn
The Best Science Books of 2020: The Royal Society Book Prize, recommended by Anne Osbourn
The Royal Society is the world’s oldest independent scientific academy, dedicated to promoting excellence in science—and that includes an annual prize for the best popular science book. Here Professor Anne Osbourn, Fellow of the Royal Society and chair of this year’s judging panel, talks us through the six books that made the 2020 shortlist—and what makes them intriguing, accessible and exciting.
