©Nick Smith
Jim Al-Khalili
Jim Al-Khalili OBE FRS is a scientist, author and broadcaster. He holds a Distinguished Chair at the University of Surrey where he is a Professor of Theoretical Physics and Public Engagement in Science. He is currently President of the British Science Association.
Books by Jim Al-Khalili
Sunfall
by Jim Al-Khalili
Sunfall is theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili's first foray into fiction.
As well as talking us through the physics books that inspired him, Jim Al-Khalili also recommended the best science books to take on holiday for us.
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.
Pathfinders
by Jim Al-Khalili
This is about the history of science. It was an eye opener to me because I thought I knew about Arabic science and I didn’t
Interviews with Jim Al-Khalili
Physics Books that Inspired Me, recommended by Jim Al-Khalili
The World According to Physics, theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili’s latest book, is his “ode to physics”. Here, he talks us through the books that inspired his passion for physics, in an updated interview with Five Books.
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1
Beyond Weird: Why Everything You Thought You Knew about Quantum Physics Is Different
by Philip Ball -
2
Hello World: How to Be Human in the Age of the Machine
by Hannah Fry -
3
Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain
by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore -
4
The Order of Time
by Carlo Rovelli -
5
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes
by Adam Rutherford
The Best Science Books to Take on Holiday, recommended by Jim Al-Khalili
The Best Science Books to Take on Holiday, recommended by Jim Al-Khalili
Aah, the holidays! Time to lie on the grass and read the latest novel. Or are you looking for something more demanding? Physicist and popular science author Jim Al-Khalili, who has just written his first sci-fi thriller, Sunfall, suggests some highly readable science books for those who prefer their holiday reads to be nonfiction.
Interviews where books by Jim Al-Khalili were recommended
The best books on Astronomy, Physics and People, recommended by Andrew Lawrence
The astronomy professor says the process of scientific discovery can be slow and messy – but that reading about some of the extraordinary personalities involved brings the history alive
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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.
