Science Books
recommended by scientists and science writers
Last updated: September 17, 2024
The best books on Astronomers, recommended by Stuart Clark
Can’t tell your nebula from your black hole? The New Scientist writer introduces us to some of the wonders of the universe and tells the stories of astronomers who discovered them
The best books on The Early History of Astronomy, recommended by Dava Sobel
Best-selling science writer, Dava Sobel, recommends books about the men whose painstaking work changed our understanding of Earth’s place in the universe.
Favourite Science Books, recommended by Mark Kurlansky
The bestselling author of Cod and Salt tells us about five science books he loves—from whales and snails to evolution and string theory—all of which make difficult subjects accessible
The best books on Prehistory, recommended by Tim White
Paleoanthropologist Tim White tells us about his work investigating the origins of homo sapiens and explains what a 4.4 million-year-old skeleton he found in Africa tells us about our common past.
The best books on Statistics and Risk, recommended by David Spiegelhalter
Every statistic is the result of someone’s work, and we’d do well to ask ourselves why it was created. That way, says the statistician, we have a better chance of working out when dangers are being overstated and data misused
The best books on Debunking the Paranormal, recommended by Richard Wiseman
Psychology professor Richard Wiseman explains why mediums, spoon bending and near-death and out-of-body experiences are all baloney.
The best books on Space Exploration, recommended by Andrew Chaikin
Space historian Andrew Chaikin tells us about five books that capture the thrill and achievement of our venturing into the great beyond. He picks the best books on space exploration.
The best books on Man and Nature, recommended by TC Boyle
The novelist and nature lover T C Boyle tells us about delicious dodos, angry tigers, snakes on planes and why Viagra saves rhinos.
The best books on The Emergence of Understanding, recommended by Peter Atkins
Science is the only way to make sense of the world around us and the scientific method the only way to establish truth, says Peter Atkins, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the University of Oxford. Author of several chemistry textbooks as well as many popular science books, he recommends books that track the evolution of our understanding about the world around us, starting with an anthology of sacred texts and ending with Shakespeare.
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1
Biologische Untersuchungen (Die Spermien der Vogel)
by Gustaf Retzius -
2
Behavioural Ecology
by J.R. Krebs (Editor), N.B. Davies (Editor) -
3
Sperm Competition and the Evolution of Animal Mating Systems
by Robert L. Smith (Editor) -
4
Female Control
by William Eberhard -
5
Sperm Competition and its Evolutionary Consequences in the Insects
by Leigh W. Simmons
The best books on Sperm, recommended by Tim Birkhead
The best books on Sperm, recommended by Tim Birkhead
Professor Tim Birkhead is one of the pioneers of spermatology. He explains how promiscuous females can be selective about sperm, even after multiple inseminations