POPSCI Book List of Popularized Science

Counting since 15.10.2005
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Copyright © 1995-2010 by Prof. Timo Salmi
Last modified Fri 5-Feb-2010 21:19:51

Timo's Book List of Popularized Natural and Behavioral Sciences

I feel that in education it is of utmost importance not only to know one's own special field but also to have a general knowledge of science in some other disciplines. This will help one to structure and analyze many kinds of information for a better understanding our existence on this planet. Here is for your edification my personal long list of enjoyable readings in (mostly) popularized natural and behavioral sciences material. This list out of my domestic book-shelves could be useful to enhance one's general knowledge in science. Most, but not quite all of the material is in English.

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Agel, Jerome, ed. (1970). The Making of Kubrik's 2001. 367. Agel Publishing Company Inc. (An account of Arthur C. Clarke's epic science fiction book/movie about our origins. It is also a story of and speculation of artificial intelligence.)
Andreadis, Athena (1998). To Seek out New Life. The Biology of Star Trek. 274. Crown Publishers, Inc., New York. (A book by a neurology assistant professor at Harvard Medical School that is a mix between science and entertainment. The subject is to speculate what would be correct and what incorrect in scientific terms in the popular Star Trek television series and films. She writes very well in terms of biology, knowledge of the series, and a large vocabulary that is uncommon with a writer born to another native language. Throughout the book she manages to slip in a considerable amount interesting of biology, molecular biology, Darwinism and even some sound sociological knowledge and views. Despite of being somewhat of an entertaining fan book of the Star Trek series, the book does very well on the scientific aspect.)
Aronson, Elliot (1973). The Social Animal. 368. W.H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco and London.
Asimov, Isaac (1963). The Human Body: Its Structure and Operation. 320. Houghton Mifflin Company. (Although often primarily thought of as a science fiction writer, the late Isaac Asimov also was an associate professor of biochemistry and an amazingly prolific popularizer, sometimes even a simplifier of natural sciences as you will see from the huge number of his books on this list. Dr. Asimov died on the 6th of April, 1992. By that time the number of his published books exceeded 460 on all possible walks of life and science. A feat that is unlikely to be surpassed by any other popular science writer. No slight to his science fiction, but he definitely was at his best as a lucid writer of science fact.)
Asimov, Isaac (1963b). View from a Height. 224. Discus Books edition 1975.
Asimov, Isaac (1964). Adding a Dimension. 205. Discus Books edition 1975.
Asimov, Isaac (1964b). From Earth to Heaven. 253. Discus Books edition 1972.
Asimov, Isaac (1964b). Opus 100. 280. Dell Publishing Co., Inc., New York, New York.
Asimov, Isaac (1965). Of Time, Space and Other Things. 223. Discus Books edition 1975.
Asimov, Isaac (1966). Neutrino: Ghost Particle of the Atom. 188. Discus Books edition 1975.
Asimov, Isaac (1966b). The Universe: From Flat Earth to Quasar. 351. Penguin Books.
Asimov, Isaac (1970). The Solar System and Back. 253. Discus edition 1972.
Asimov, Isaac (1972). The Tragedy of the Moon. Coronet edition 1975, London.
Asimov, Isaac (1973). Please Explain. 191. Coronet edition 1978, London.
Asimov, Isaac (1974). Earth: Our Crowded Spaceship. 174. Fawcett Publications, Inc., Greenwich, Connecticut.
Asimov, Isaac (1974b). Today and Tomorrow. 176. Coronet edition 1976, London.
Asimov, Isaac (1974c). Towards Tomorrow. 173. Coronet edition 1977, London.
Asimov, Isaac (1974d). The Stars in their Courses. 222. White Lion Publishers Ltd.
Asimov, Isaac (1975). Jupiter: The Largest Planet. 247. Ace Books, New York.
Asimov, Isaac (1975b). The Left Hand of the Electron. 236. White Lion Publishers Ltd.
Asimov, Isaac (1976). Only a Trillion. Revised edition. 221. Ace Books, New York.
Asimov, Isaac (1976b). Quasar, Quasar Burning Bright. 221. Discus edition 1979.
Asimov, Isaac (1976c). Science Numbers and I. 226. Ace Books, New York.
Asimov, Isaac (1976d). The Planet that Wasn't. 237. Discus edition 1977.
Asimov, Isaac (1976e). Twentieth Century Discovery. Revised edition. 159. Ace Books, New York.
Asimov, Isaac (1977). The Beginning and the End. 253. Pocket Books edition 1978.
Asimov, Isaac (1979). A Choice of Catastrophes: The Disasters that Threaten Our World. 365. Hutchinson.
Asimov, Isaac (1979b). Opus 200. 426. Dell Publishing Co., Inc., New York, New York.
Asimov, Isaac (1979c). The Book of Facts, Volume 1. 333. Coronet edition 1981.
Asimov, Isaac (1979d). The Book of Facts, Volume 2. 345. Coronet edition 1981.
Asimov, Isaac (1981). The Sun Shines Bright. 268. Nightfall Inc. (There is one chapter in particular in this books which I would like every budding researcher to read. It is the fourteenth, called "Alas, All Human". It discusses scientific integrity in reporting and presenting one's measurements and findings.)
Asimov, Isaac (1982). Exploring the Earth and the Cosmos: The Growth and Future of Human Knowledge. 339. Penguin Books.
Asimov, Isaac (1983). Counting the Eons. 254. Nightfall Inc.
Asimov, Isaac (1984). 'X' Stands for Unknown. 218. Nightfall, Inc.
Asimov, Isaac (1984). Opus 300. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
Asimov, Isaac (1987). Far as Human Eye Could See. 267. Nightfall Inc.
Asimov, Isaac (1987b). Frontiers: New Discoveries about Man and his Planet, Outer Space and the Universe. 390. Nightfall Inc.
Asimov, Isaac (1989). A 30 Year Retrospective 1959-1989. 393. Doubleday.
Asimov, Isaac (1991). Atom: Journey across the Sub-Atomic Cosmos. 319. Nightfall Inc.
Asimov, Isaac (1991b). Isaac Asimov's Guide to Earth and Space. 274. Nightfall Inc.
Asimov, Isaac (1994). Asimov's Chronology of Science & Discovery. 791. HarperCollins Publishers.
Asimov, Isaac (1997). The Rowing Mind. New Edition (published posthumously). 350. Prometheus Books, Amherst, New York. Preface by Paul Kurtz. With Tributes by Carl Sagan, Stephen Jay Gould, Arthur C. Clarke, Frederick Pohl, Martin Gardner, L. Sprague de Camp, Kendrik Frazier, Harlan Ellison, James Randi, Donald Goldsmith, and E. C, Krupp. (A befitting tribute to and a last tour de force by the great, late popularizer of science.)
Attenborough, David (1979). Life on Earth: A Natural History. 319. William Collins and the British Broadcasting Corporation. (The first of Attenborough's trilogy of natural histories. Explains the advantages of the diverse solutions in the different species made in the history by the natural selection process since about three thousand million years ago.)
Attenborough, David (1984). The Living Planet: A Portrait of the Earth. 320. Fontana/Collins. (The second of Attenborough's trilogy of natural histories. Considers the effect of the different environments on the evolution of the animals.)
Attenborough, David (1990). The Trials of Life: A Natural History of Animal Behavior. 320. Collins/BBC Books. (The third of Attenborough's trilogy of natural histories. Studies animal behavior in connection with evolution's alternative solutions to life's major challenges: birth, growing up, finding food, hunting and escaping, homing, nest-building, coexistence, fighting, communicating, courting and passing on one's genes. Shows the adaptability and versatility of evolution to the environment and circumstances.)
Barnett, Lincoln (1950). The Universe and Dr. Einstein. Revised edition. 128. Bantam Books, Inc., New York, New York.
Becklake, J. (1977). The Science Museum Exploring: Man on the Moon. 27. Raithby, Lawrence & Company Limited, Leicester and London.
Beier, Ernst G. and Vales, Evans G. (1975). People-Reading: How We Control Others, How They Control Us. 316. Warner Books, Indiana.
Berger, Bob (1994). Beating Murphy's Law: the amazing science of risk. 221. Dell Publishing, New York, New York. (A marginally humorous cross between a courtship novel and risk, statistics and probability popularization. A lightweight, but fairly readable.)
Biddle, Wayne (1998). A Field Guide to the Invisible. 185. Henry Holt & Company Inc., New York. (A journey through all kinds of things invisible. Including radiation, bacteria, gaseous chemicals. Factual, but a bit pedestrian. Written at places with a touch of wry humor. Fairly readable even if a bit repetitive at places.)
Blackmore, Susan (1999). The Meme Machine. 264. Oxford University Press. (About the new science of memetics, i.e. the propagation of claims, ideas and concepts in human societies. How they survive and replicate. A bit like the genes in the genetics model. Competes and complements the explanations presented in sociobiology. Unfortunately, the author has had difficulties in deciding between writing popularized science and a meriting scientific product. The end-result therefore is properly neither. Furthermore, the introductory part (about half of the book) is far too long-winding a repetition of the basics of genetics vs. memetics before actually getting to the point. The point being the memetic model and the explanations of behavior. Besides, at times the obvious hero-worship of Dawkins (of "the selfish gene", the initiator of memetics) by Blackmore comes a bit too much through. Nevertheless, the basic idea is so intriguing, novel and sound that the book most certainly is worth reading for anyone who wishes to understand the modern backgrounds of human behavior. The most interesting part of the book is the memetic explanation for the persistent existence of various cults and religions throughout history including the present technological age, even if they objectively are so obviously false figments of mass imagination. Likewise the analysis of the effect of the Internet, and the many other well-presented ideas. The last half of the book is decisively better than the first half. However, in the very last chapter about the nature of human consciousness through mimes Blackmore gets lost. Her theory in that respect simply is not yet ready for presentation.)
Bova, Ben (1981), The High Road. 292. Pocket Books, New York. (Ben Bova is best known as a writer of hard-science adventure-type science fiction. He is a staunch proponent of the colonization of space both in fiction and fact.)
Bragg, Melvyn with Ruth Gardiner (1998). On Giants' Shoulders. Great Scientists and Their Discoveries - from Archimedes to DNA. 365. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, Chichester, Weinheim, Brisbane, Singapore, Toronto. (An exceptionally interesting book about the lives, achievements and the influence of eleven acknowledged scientist and one very controversial. The book portrays well the cumulative nature of scientific contributions. Recommended generic evening readings for at least any doctoral student for a wider perspective.)
Bramson, Robert (1981). Coping with Difficult People. 226. Dell Publishing, New York, New York. (Not just a trick book even if that, too. Interesting insights in the human behavior of difficult individuals and into facing up to them.)
Brockman, John [editor] (2002). The Next Fifty Years, Science in the First Half of the Twenty-First Century. 301. Vintage Books, A division of Random House, Inc., New York. (A collection of speculation essays of a very uneven quality about the expected developments in human knowledge. The more interesting ones are towards the end concerning the future of medicine and biology. On the other hand, one clearly sees that some of the middle essays are half-hearted, forced journeys into the discipline of the respective authors, who have forcibly come of with anything. Selectively, however, worth reading.)
Bronowski, J. (1973). The Ascent of Man. 448. Science Horizons Inc.
Calder, Ritchie (1968). Man and the Cosmos: The Nature of Science Today. 285. The Pall Mall Press.
Calder, Nigel (1978). Spaceships of the Mind. 144. Penguin Books.
Clarke, Arthur C. (1967). The View from Serendip. 237. Pan Books, London and Sydney.
Clarke, Arthur C. (1973). Profiles of the Future. Second revised printing. 249. Pan Books Ltd, London. (Although certainly best known as the number one science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke has written some good science fact books. He is well acclaimed for having foreseen the idea of communication satellites. In science fiction many consider his "2001: A Space Odyssey" the best novel in its genre, and a start of a new era in film industry.)
Clough, Bryan and Mungo, Paul (1992). Approaching Zero: Data Crime and the Computer Underworld. 242. faber and faber, London, Boston. (Interesting anecdotes, myths, stories and legends of infamous crackers.)
Collins, Carolyn and John C. Brant (1995). Hubble Vision. Astronomy with the Hubble Space Telescope. 252. Cambridge University Press.
Cooper, Henry, S.F., Jr. (1972). Moonwreck. 156. Panther. (An account of the Apollo 13 flight. No, this is not of the film with Tom Hanks.)
Cooper, Henry, S.F., Jr. (1976). A House in Space. 156. Panther. (The Skylab story.)
Couper, Heather and Henbest, Nigel (1985) The Planets. 144. Pan Books, London and Sydney.
Crick, Francis (1966). Of Molecules and Men. University Washington Press.
Dawkins, Richard (1995). River out of Eden. A Darwinian View of Life. 196. Phoenix. (This is undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best written popular science book about the modern knowledge about Darwinism. We all are familiar with the basic principle of Darwinism, but this book lucidly explains and applies what is currently known in genetics about how the DNA code works in natural selection. It is a good lesson even for a scientist to be able to consider ones observations detached from one's potential, subjective beliefs. Also, books like this effectively dismantle creationism-type of present-day pseudo sciences.)
Dawkins, Richard (1996). Climbing Mount Improbable. 340. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., New York. (Based on Dawkins's lectures on the gradual persistent nature of evolution. Looks things from the point of view of the DNA. At places a bit repetitive and technical for a popularized text. Simulation and especially gaming are used as conceptual tools for the book.)
Dawkins, Richard (1996). The Blind Watchmaker. Why the evidence of evolution reveals a universe without design. 358. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, London. The 1996 edition. First edition 1986. (Dawkins explains at excruciatingly slow pace and needless repetition how natural selection is based on the process on gradual cumulative selection where the seemingly astronomically improbable designs in life has arisen. This is a very important and correct defense of Darwinism against deliberate modern-day scientific folly and distortion such as creationism. It is most unfortunate that Dawkins uses at least three times more pages than is necessary in endless repetition of the same theme. In that sense, while scientifically very sound, the book is badly written from the point of reader friendliness. Dawkins, no doubt is lucid, but his writing style in this book cannot help being a tedious and boring overkill of repetition. Fortunately his other books, which I have read, are not quite as bad in this respect even of the same problem occurs to an extent.)
Dawkins, Richard (1998). Unweaving the Rainbow. Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, New York. 337. (More guaranteed Dawkins's basically cold but absolutely solid reasoning about science and evolutionary biology. This time, however, with personal touches. One small, but interesting diversion in a single paragraph is that professor Dawkins does not consider economics an academic deductive science. So even a respected, rational scientist can display amazing ignorance and scientific prejudice. I diametrically disagree with him on that one point.)
Dawkins, Richard (2003). A Devil's Chaplain. Selected Essays. Edited by Latha Menon.310. Phoenix.
Dawkins, Richard (2006). The God Delusion. 406. Bantam Press. (A strong rebuttal of religion and its attempts to replace modern science. Going all the way to advocating atheism. The arguments as such are well-founded and thoroughly argued. However, in literary terms the book is written outright boringly. The author has been unable to decide whether he is writing a treatise or popularized science. Consequently, it does well on neither. He has missed a really golden opportunity on an extremely important subject to have a say that would reach a wide audience.)
Editors of Time-Life Books (1989). Spacefarers. 144. Time-Life Books, Amsterdam.
Editors of Time-Life Books (1989b). The Far Planets. 144. Time-Life Books, Amsterdam.
Editors of Time-Life Books (1989c). The Near Planets. 144. Time-Life Books, Amsterdam.
Editors of Time-Life Books (1989d). The Third Planet. 144. Time-Life Books, Amsterdam.
Ehrensvärd, Gösta (1971). Före - efter, en diagnos. 139.
Engelbrektson, Sune (1975). Stars, Planets, and Galaxies. Knowledge through Color. 159. Bantam Books, Toronto, New York, London.
Enqvist, Kari (2004). Vien rucolan takaisin. 153. Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, Helsinki. (Essays on science, philosophy and culture by a professor of cosmology. Written with admirable knowledge of even small details and with nice, wry humor. But at some places a bit self-aware and at others occasionally overly specialized. In any case, written in style. Entertaining reading.)
Fast, Julius (1971). Body Language. 190. Pan Books, London and Sydney. (Understanding our non-verbal, and often unconscious communication.)
Fast, Julius (1977). The Body Language of Sex, Power and Aggression. 190. Jove HBJ Books, New York.
Fischer, Daniel and Buerbeck, Hilmar (1996). Hubble; A New Window to the Universe. Originally: Hubble: Ein neues Fester zum All. Springer-Verlag New York Inc. 175. (The history of, and the observations and the astronomy/cosmology science of the Hubble Space Telescope HST. Especially, if you have some earlier knowledge of astronomy this book and its color photographs will be of interest even if it naturally lacks the later events and observations.)
Francis, Peter (1981). The Planets: A Decade of Discovery. 411. Penguin Books.
Frazier, Kendrik and The Editors of Time-Life Books (1985). Solar System: Planet Earth. 176. Time-Life Books, Amsterdam.
Gardner, Martin (1959). Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions. 155. Penguin Books.
Gardner, Martin (1961). More Mathematical Puzzles and Diversions. 155. Penguin Books.
Gardner, Martin (1971). Space Puzzles: Curious Questions and Answers about the Solar System. 129. Pocket Books, New York.
Goldsmith, Donald (1977). Scientists Confront Velikovsky: Evidence against Velikovsky's theory of worlds in collision. 183. W.W. Norton & Company, New York and London. (Instead of just the usual shrugging off of such crackpot fringe sciences, this books exposes the Velikovsky cult shredding it to pieces step by step by scientific discussion.)
Gross, Paul R. & Norman Levitt & Martin W. Lewis [eds] (1996). The Flight from Science and Reason. 593. The New York Academy of Sciences, New York, New York.
Hapgood, Fred (1979). Space Shots: An Album of the Universe. 79. Tree Communications Inc.
Harva, Urpo (1973). Aikuisten opettaminen: Adrodidaktiikan peruspiirros. 2. painos. 148. Kustannusosakeyhtiö Tammi, Helsinki.
Hawking, Stephen W. (1988). A Brief History of Time. 211. Bantam Books, New York, Toronto, London etc. (The science book everyone reputedly claims to have read through, but haven't. I make the same claim, but have. It is a deep insight about black holes, the concept of singularity and their relation to the origin of the universe.)
Hellman, Hal (1998). Great Feuds in Science. Ten of the Liveliest Disputes Ever. 240. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, Chichester, etc. (As the title says. A review of the greatest disputes starting from the days of Galileo. Looks into the disputes, their frameworks, and into the personal histories of the persons involved. Much of the subject matter of the book should be familiar to any professional scientist, but the personal histories and the tales of the other actors involved has many interesting less known nuances. It shows how the gravest of the disputes involve religion, power and even modern day ignorance and intolerance such as the cases of Galileo versus the Catholic church, and Darwin versus his contemporaries and later versus all kinds of religious fundamentalists, especially in the United States education. Some feuds are over precedence of ideas as in the case of Newton versus Leibniz concerning calculus. Some are about the difficulty of accepting revolutionary new explanations, as in the case of Wegener and the plate tectonics driving the continental drift. Many are basically over differing philosophical viewpoints. Some are over interpretation of sociological observations as in the case of Mead versus Freeman. The scientific level of the book is kept at a fairly popular level, and is not always very strong on that aspect. But altogether, it makes very interesting reading in its story telling role.)
Henbest, Nigel (1994) The Planets: Portraits of New Worlds. 208. Penguin Books, Fromme and London. (A tour guide with pictures to the nine planets of the solar system. Mostly descriptive but tangents how the observations fit our knowledge of how the planets were born. Also briefly reflects on the importance of understanding the processes that made the climates of Venus, Mars and Neptune because they would facilitate understanding Earth's greenhouse phenomenon, the ice ages and the weather.)
Heppenherimer. T.A. (1977). Colonies in Space. 321. Warner Books.
Horgan, John (1996). The End of Science. Facing the Limits of Knowledge in the Twilight of the Scientific Age. 322. Broadway Books. (A book by an award-winning senior science writer at Scientific American on a crucial subject. Has basic science reached its limits with all the most important discoveries already made [Newtonian mechanics, Darwinism, relativity, DNA structure, etc.] The book considers the current situation in many fields, including philosophy, physics, cosmology, evolutionary biology, social sciences, and chaos and complexity research with interviews from world's leading scientists in each field. Is science facing an unprecedented and irrevocable change? Is it now a time for a golden era of applied research and technology? The answer seems to be a qualified yes. While this is a very well-written and thought-provoking book, it gives perhaps a disproportionate emphasis to border-line and even charlatan philosophies in various disciplines. But on the other hand resorting to maverick science is a sign of the present-day difficulties of making genuine scientific contributions. ... It is clear that Mr. Horgan is a very good science writer who has had access to an impressive number of world's top and other scholars in the major fields. Considering this, his attitude towards his subjects is strange. While interpreting often brilliantly lucidly their thoughts, Horgan is conspicuously unfriendly towards his subjects. True, scientists can be strange as persons, but Horgan's descriptions of his interviewees as persons becomes more and more obnoxious and insulting. A subliminal inferiority complex? The book is too long. After the promising first half the author gradually loses it towards to the end by imagining himself the hero of the scene. The afterword of the book reveals a crushing critique towards the earlier edition. This does not come as a surprise. Despite these partly critical comments it also must be said that the language usage of the book is exemplary.)
Hoyle, Fred (1964). Of Men and Galaxies. University Washington Press. (Fred Hoyle is a controversial figure in astronomy. His much debated ideas include the steady-state model of the universe and the suggestion that life originated within interstellar gas clouds. He also is a science fiction writer. His best-known science fiction novels are the classics The Black Cloud in 1957, and A for Andromeda in 1961 with John Elliot.)
Huff, Darren (1954). How to Lie with Statistics. 118. Victor Gollancz.
Huikari, Olavi (1999). Puun ihme. 154. Terra Cognita, Hakapaino, Helsinki. (The Miracle of Wood. In Finnish. A somewhat dryish, but yet interesting book on the biology and structure of trees as living organisms. Emphasizes the versatility and dominant nature of of trees and their ability to use and store solar energy. The writing is characterized by the author's obvious enthusiasm about his subject, the wood. Definitely worth reading for elaborating one's general knowledge in this subject area, historically very important to the economy of Finland. The treatment is oriented towards a listing of technical facts and details. A more problem and research oriented approach would probably have had made the book more interesting and usefully educational.)
Hutchings, Edward (ed.) 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' : Adventures of a Curious Character. (A biography of physicist Richard P. Feynman. Shows how a celebrated Nobel-price-winning scientist can also be an impish human being.)
Häyry, Heta, Hannu Karttunen & Matti Virtanen, eds (1989). Paholaisen asianajaja. Opaskirja skeptikoille. 312. Ursa, Helsinki. [Fulltext]
Isaacs, Alan (1972). Introducing Science. Second edition. 256. Penguin Books.
Jones, Brian (1991). Exploring the Planets. 96. Brian Todd Publishing House Limited.
Ketonen, Oiva (1976). Se pyörii sittenkin: Tieteenfilosofian peruskysymyksiä. 201. Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, Porvoo, Helsinki.
Kidder, Tracy (1981). The Soul of a New Machine. 254. Penguin Books. (The story of the making of the 32-bit mini computer at Data General. A story of hectic microcoding and a team finally gone wasted. Incidentally, this book has later been hailed an interesting case research story even if a systematic analysis is lacking.)
Kline, Morris (1953). Mathematics in Western Culture. 543. Penguin Books.
Laaksonen, Juha and Pyykkö Minna (2003). Ihmeitä Suomen luonnossa. 176. Gummerus Kustannus Oy, Jyväskylä.
Larkin, Sonya and Bernbaum, Louise (1976). The Penguin Book of the Natural World. Penguin Books.
Larkin, Sonya and Bernbaum, Louise (1976b). The Penguin Book of the Physical World. Penguin Books.
Laurikainen, K. V. (1973). Atomistiikan aatemaailma ja sen heijastumia aikamme ideologiassa. 226. Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, Porvoo, Helsinki.
Laurikainen, K. V. (1991). Filosofiaa fyysikon silmin. 155. Yliopistopaino, Helsinki.
Lederman, Leon and Teresi, Dick (1993). The God Particle: If the Universe is the Answer, What is the Question? 435. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, New York. (Best parts and insights by the Nobel Prize winner Leon Lederman are at the beginning. Loses touch towards the end by becoming too specialized particle physics in the later chapters. The book would have been excellent condensed to two hundred pages.)
Lehtonen, Johannes (1994). Mielen kellareissa: Tieteidenvälisiä tutkimusretkiä. 133. Yliopistopaino, Helsinki. (This book factually contains three separate sections. The first ponders the potential similarities of psychoanalysis and neurophysiology despite the fundamental differences in their doctrines, the hermeneutic approach and the classic natural science approach. This section stresses that these two can be reconciled, and constantly repeats the theme without truly managing to make progress beyond a (sound) personal conviction. The second section looks into the role of dreaming in a framework of satisfaction of basic needs. The third section, while short, is absolutely the best in the book. It is an incisive analysis of the psychological dimension of the environmental problems of mankind.)
Lorentz, Konrad Z. (1975). Eläimet kertovat: Eläinten käyttäytyminen tiedemiehen tulkitsemana. 225. Translated from: Er redete mit dem vieh, den vögeln und den fichen. Kustannusosakeyhtiö Tammi, Helsinki. (Konrad Lorenz is a respected researcher of animal behavior before the time of the major animal behavior research popularizers like Attenborough and Morris.)
Macdougal, J.D. (1996). A Short History of Planet Earth. Mountains, Mammals, Fire, and Ice. 266. Wiley Popular Science, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, Chichester, Brisbane, Toronto and Singapore. (A well written, interesting and concise geologic and paleontological overall 4.6 billion year history of our planet's past. Very instructive about the importance of evidence in the field, and in any discipline at that. Looks at the broad outlines of its subject. On the geologic side the plate tectonics have a crucial role. On the paleontological side the great extinctions at the geologic time boundaries feature dominantly. The only criticism is that the subtile of the books is not well-chosen. Maybe "A Geologic and Paleontological View" would have been better.)
Meadows, Donella H., Meadows, Dennis L., Randers, Jorgen and Behrens, William W. III (1972). The Limits to Growth: A Report for the Club of Rome's Project on the Predicament of Mankind. 207. Signet. (A classic. The most important initiator of the resource and environmental concerns.)
Moore, Patrick (1976). The Next Fifty Years in Space. 144. William Luscombe.
Moore, Patrick (1990). Mission to the Planets: The Illustrated story of man's exploration of the solar system. 128. Cassell.
Moore, Patrick and Hunt, Gary (1983). The Atlas of the Solar System. 464. Mitchell Beazley International Ltd, London.
Morris, Desmond (1967). The Naked Ape. 219. Gorgi. (The famous popularized, perceptive insight into man as an animal species. This is what we are irrespective of whatever haze religions have tried to cast. Of course, in the light of the more recent results e.g. in evolutionary psychology some of Morris's conclusions are outright misleading, but it does not diminish in any way the value of the seminal basic concept.)
Morris, Desmond (1969). The Human Zoo. 222. Gorgi. (A sequel to The Naked Ape looking at man's society.)
Morris, Desmond (1971). Intimate Behavior. 222. Gorgi.
Morris, Desmond (1977). Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behavior. 320. Triad/Panther Books, Frogmore St Albans, Hetz.
Morris, Desmond (1979). Animal Days. 320. Triad.
Morris, Desmond (1981). The Soccer Tribe. 320. Jonathan Cape Ltd, London. (Explores the phenomena on and off the soccer field in terms of man's tribal origins.)
Morris, Desmond (1985). Bodywatching: A Field Guide to the Human Species. 256.
Morris, Desmond (1986a). Catwatching and Catlore. 232. Arrow. (No, I am not at all into cats as pets. But I am interested in the explanations and patterns of the behavior of the different species, including ours.)
Morris, Desmond (1986b). Dogwatching, 130. Jonathan Cape Ltd, London. (Now what does this have to do with general science. Quite much, in fact, if one looks at it from the scientific enquiry angle. The book explores and explains canine behavior based in the lupine ancestry. This is a clear case of a model time and again fitting and supported by the observations.)
Morris, Desmond (1990). Animalwatching. 256. Crown Publishers, Inc., New York.
Morris, Desmond (1990b). The Animal Contract: Sharing the Planet. 169. Gorgi. (Explores the relationship and coexistence of man and animals in terms of a contractual model.)
Morris, Desmond (1992). Babywatching. 214. Brown Publishers, Inc., New York. (A popularized scientific look at the first year of human life. Highly interesting in shedding light on what parts of the early behavior of our species are hard-wired in our genes and which are learned. Also explains and strongly criticizes the many incredibly ignorant doctrines in child care, the totally barbaric tradition circumcision as the most flagrant abuse example.)
Morris, Desmond (1994). The Human Animal. A Personal View of the Human Species. 224. BBC Books, London. (In effect a summary of Morris's other books and his results on human behavior explained in terms of our genetic behavior as an animal species. To be highly recommended if you wish to understand this subject, but want only to read a single book on the subject.)
Morris, Desmond (1997). The Human Sexes. A Natural History of Man and Woman. St. Martin's Press, New York. (An educational book based on a TV series. It looks at the genders based on evolution's cooperative model. Morris puts forward how the unnatural gender inequality is a product of the changes caused by the rise of the agricultural society about ten thousand years ago. The text leads the reader analytically throughout the different aspects of the gender roles in the readable style typical of Morris. The book is well-founded call for equality between the genders.)
Morris, Desmond (2004). The Naked Woman; A Study of the Female Body. 276. Vintage, Reading, Berkshire. (A treatise of female anatomy and the evolutionary processes that have shaped it. Despite of its somewhat marketing-oriented title, this is a straight, serious popularized science book.)
Morrison, David (1993). Exploring Planetary Worlds. 238. Scientific American Library, NY New York, Oxford. (A nice exposition of the solar system and its development in a novel perspective. The system is considered in its logical order of development from the original nebula. It considers first the gaseous planets, then the rocky inner planets and finally the moons.)
Myers, Eldon, consultant ed. (1993). Rainforests. 160. Time-Life Books, Amsterdam.
Myers, Eldon, consultant ed. Mountains. 160. Time-Life Books, Amsterdam.
Nicolson, Iain (1970). Exploring the Planets. 160. Hamlyn, London.
Niitemaa, Vilho toim. (1974). Luonnontieteellisen tutkimuksen historiaa. 294. Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, Porvoo, Helsinki.
Northrop, Eugene P. (1944). Riddles in Mathematics. 240. Penguin Books.
Oja, Heikki (2000). Saturnuksen taakse: 1990-luvun löytöretket aurinkokunnassamme. 160. Ursan julkaisuja 74. Tähtitieteellinen yhdistys Ursa ry. Gummerus Kirjapaino Oy, Jyväskylä 2000. (A fascinating account in Finnish on the space probe missions since 1990. Makes interesting reading for the layman about the history and fate of these data gathering flights and their complicated trajectories. However, a scientifically oriented reader would like to know a bit more about the scientific use and analysis of the observations collected, and about the calculations required for devising the trajectories.)
Oja, Heikki & Asko Palviainen (2004). Maailmankaikkeus 2005: Tähtitieteen vuosikirja. 6. vuosikerta. 192. Tähtitieteellinen yhdistys Ursa ry. Otavan Kirjapaino Oy, Keuruu 2004. ISBN 952-5329-36-4. (The yearbook of astronomy in Finnish. Despite of its name largely contains interesting basic astronomy knowledge all throughout planets to cosmology.)
Paasonen, Seija (2001). Sää. 166. Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, Helsinki. (A nice "easy reader" in Finnish about the basics of weather phenomena.)
Palviainen, Asko & Heikki Oja (2005). Maailmankaikkeus 2006: Tähtitieteen vuosikirja. 7. vuosikerta. 192. Tähtitieteellinen yhdistys Ursa ry. Gummerus kirjapaino Oy, Jyväskylä 2005. ISBN 952-5329-44-5. (The yearbook of astronomy in Finnish. A select gallery of the year's astronomy images. Much interesting astronomy knowledge from planets to cosmology. A summary of the main space events of from Summer 2004 to Spring 2005.)
Palviainen, Asko & Heikki Oja (2006). Maailmankaikkeus 2007: Tähtitieteen vuosikirja. 8. vuosikerta. 192. Tähtitieteellinen yhdistys Ursa ry. Gummerus Kirjapaino Oy, Jyväskylä 2006. ISBN-10 952-5329-53-4.
Palviainen, Asko & Heikki Oja (2007). Maailmankaikkeus 2008: Tähtitieteen vuosikirja. 9. vuosikerta. 191. Tähtitieteellinen yhdistys Ursa ry. Vammalan kirjapaino Oy. ISBN 978-952-5329-59-9.
Pihkala, Juha & Esko Valtaoja (2004). Nurkkaan ajettu Jumala? keskustelukirjeitä uskosta ja tiedosta. 304. Kirjapaja Oy, Helsinki. (Twenty discussion and debate essays of correspondence about faith and religion between an enlightened believer a bishop and an agnostic a professor of astronomy specializing in cosmology and general science writing. The discourse is between two highly civilized, entertaining and openly-writing thinkers. The main theme, even if perhaps not always explicitly stated is that of the origins of human responsibility, faith, kindness and evil. It is much less a discussion about science than a personal discussion about the various facets of religion. Even with that slight imbalance it is exceptionally important and well-written book, certainly to be recommended to religious and non-religious alike.)
Pizzey, Stephen (1977). The Science Museum Exploring: The Solar System. 27. Raithby, Lawrence & Company Limited, Leicester and London.
Rainio, Kullervo (1971). Informaatiosota ja vapaa ihminen. 75. Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, Porvoo, Helsinki.
Raudseep, Paul toim. (1993). Suuntana Mars: Kertomus sodanjumalan nimellä ristityn punaisen Mars-planeetan nykytutkimuksen vaiheista nähtynä suomalaisten tutkijoiden silmin. 317. Oy Raud Publishing Ltd., Helsinki.
Rinne, Juhani & Jarmo Koistinen & Elena Saltikoff toim. (1998). Suomlainen sääkirja; etanasta El Niñoon. 253. Otava, Keuruu. (In Finnish. An interesting book of facts about the weather with an emphasis on the Finnish climate. Research is only briefly touched in explaining observation recording and weather prediction computer models. Fairly well written and definitely worth leisurely reading.)
Russell, Bertrand (1978). The Conquest of Happiness. First published in 1930. 191. Unwin Paperbacks, London.
Russell, Bertrand (1975). Bertrand Russell's Best: Silhouettes in Satire. Selected and Introduced by Robert E. Egner. First published in 1958. 191. Unwin Paperbacks, London.
Saarenheimo, Eero toim. (1967). Aikamme kaksi kulttuuria: Humanistisen ja luonnontieteellisen kulttuurin välistä rajankäyntiä. 142. Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, Porvoo, Helsinki.
Sagan, Carl (1973). The Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective. 274. Coronet Books, Hodder Paperbacks Limited, London.
Sagan, Carl (1974). Broca's Brain: The Romance of Science. 426. Coronet Books.
Sagan, Carl (1975). Other Worlds. 160. Bantam Books, Toronto, New York, London.
Sagan, Carl (1977). The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence. 263. Coronet Books. (This book won the late professor Sagan the Pulitzer Price in 1978.)
Sagan, Carl and Druyan, Ann (1992). Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. 505. Ballantine Books, New York. (This is poignantly Darwinian and a realistically atheistic account of the long history of DNA and the consequent status of life on our planet. If there is one book that can best convey the background of our existence, this is it! The book comes uncomfortably close to being a rational scientist's bible.)
Sagan, Carl (1994). Pale Blue Dot. A Vision of the Human Future in Space. 429. Random House, New York. (A tour of the solar system research from the number one planetary scientist. Strongly extols the necessity of human colonization of space and the continuation of funding for SETI to the point of disturbing the flow of the text. A reminder of today's species-threatening environmental and technological hazards. It is an interesting book in its inside knowledge of planetary science and the robotic missions. Also, there is a very important embedded lesson to be learned from the book for case research. It demonstrates how much the knowledge of the Earth's climate system models have gained from studying the climate systems of Venus and Mars. That is from being able to compare the original case with other instances. The one-case advocates would do well to pay careful attention to the crucial addition of knowledge brought in by the comparisons.)
Sagan, Carl (1995). The Demon-Haunted World. Science as a Candle in the Dark. 457. Random House, New York. (The late professor Sagan writes at considerable length of the folly of various superstitions ranging from the middle-ages witch-hunts to the UFO and alien abductors loonies and other new age religions of today. Unfortunately he unnecessarily drags on for hundreds of pages with detailed accounts of these various superstitions. The crucial points could have been amply made in a fourth of the space used. But it still is an important book with its solid, scientific views. One of the highlights of the book is Sagan's baloney detection kit in the chapter called "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection". In his book professor Sagan is very critical of the American education system and its failures in science teaching. At the end of the book he turns more to politics with an emotional and unqualified support of the U.S. first amendment.)
Sagan, Carl (1998). Billions and Billions. Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium. 246. Headline. (The last book from the late professor Sagan. It is a strong, but also a somewhat repetitive collection of semi-political essays with an emphasis on the environmental problems and the nuclear arms race and disarmament. The political agenda is a realistically green one. The book also contains a poignant personal account of professor Sagan's terminal illness.)
Savolainen, Veli-Antti & Himanen, Pekka (1995). Kohtaamis- yhteiskunta. Kirja mahdollisuudesta. 189. Oy Edita Ab, Helsinki. (An interesting analysis of the computer communications revolution. The next historical step of the modern society on this way from first the agricultural revolution, then the industrial revolution and now the communications revolution. Much emphasis on considering the best survival stragegy for the Finnish economy in the coming transition to the Global Electronic Village. In particular, a remote univerisity like the University of Vaasa simply cannot afford to ignore this development if it does not wish to fade into an abject obscurity.)
Science News: The Weekly Newsmagazine of Science. Science Service Inc., Washington D.C., Marion, Ohio.
Selin, Risto, Marketta Tiilikainen & Ilpo V. Salmi, eds (1997). Paholaisen asianajajan paluu. Opaskirja skeptikoille. 206. Skepsis, Tähtitieteellinen yhdistys Ursa, Helsinki. ISBN 951-9269-88-6.
Shanks, Niall (2006). God, the Devil and Darwin. A Critique of Intelligent Design Theory. 273. Oxford University Press. (Exposes and counters religion driven creationism, which step by step strives to replace scientific enlightenment and democracy with religious theocracy. A worrying trend which is manifesting itself especially in the USA. But also of interest purely from its points on the knowledge on evolution and cosmology.)
Singh, Simon (1999). Code Book. The Secret History of Codes & Code-breaking. Fourth Estate, London. 402. (A fascinating mix of history, storytelling, biographies, mathematics and finally computers. A professional look with a scientific flavor into the long race between codemakers and codebreakers in cryptography. It is a prime example how a difficult subject can be explained in an understandable and enjoyable manner.)
Stevenson, Robert E. and Talbot, Frank H., consultant eds (1993). Oceans. 160. Time-Life Books, Amsterdam.
Story, Ronald (1974). The Space-Gods Revealed: A Close Look at the Theories of Erich von Däniken. 157.
Taipale, Kalle and Parviainen, Jouko T. (1995). Jokamiehen Geologia. Kirjayhtymä Oy, Helsinki. 160. (An everyman's geology by two Finnish geologists. It shows how very difficult it is to write popularized scientific information in an interesting manner. The book is too much a dullish parade of a huge amount of geology terminology. It totally fails to convey any excitement of scientific research and principles. What little interest it has comes for local (Finnish) the understanding of the central role of the ice ages in forming Finland's landscape. There are some details and anecdotes on Finnish nature that just save the book so that a Finn can wade through it. Compare the book with Macdougal, J.D. (1996) and there you'll see a well-written, thoroughly interesting approach in the same area.)
Tammisalo, Osmo (2005). Rakkauden evoluutio; Ihmisen parinvalinnan biologiaa. 499. Terra Cognita Oy, Helsinki. ("The evolution of love; The psychology of human pair selection." A frank presentation of the sexual selection in the human animal in the light of modern knowledge of evolution's processes. A popularized, but a very thorough, at places even a repetitive presentation. Yet highly recommended for any serious layman on subject.)
Taylor, F.W. (2001). The Cambridge Photographic Guide to the Planets. 305. Cambridge University Press. (Although there is a photographic section after each of chapter, he title may give a misleadingly modest of an impression of the main subject matter of this book. Above all it is a thorough popularized presentation of the meteorology, geology, formation history, and chemical composition presentation of the nine planets of the solar system. Contrary to many modern books on the solar system planets it mostly skips the details of the space flight history. This is a good choice to avoid too much diversion from the main emphasis chosen. The writing style is a bit dry being maybe even too factual and list-like. But for anyone with deeper interest in the present state of knowledge about the facts of the planets, Taylor presents a compelling work. In this sense the book is factual readings at it best for a layman specialist.)
Taylor, Gordon Rattray (1970). The Doomsday Book. 320. Panther.
Tudge, Colin (1996). The time before history: 5 million years of human impact. Scribner, New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Singapore. 366. (Definitely the book for anyone who wishes to understand how and why we came about as a species. An excellent account of the modern view into the nature of evolution and of the evolutionary history leading to the ascent of man, Homo Sapiens. Emphasizes the effect of the change in the environmental factors as the driving force in what otherwise would become of evolutionary status quo. By far the best no-nonsense account of our ancestry that I have read. Mostly well written with the exception of at places assuming too much advance knowledge from the reader on the classifications of the species categories. The writer occasionally gets too technical with his nouns forgetting that he is writing for the general audience. Considers alternative theories in an interesting matter with relationship to the nature of the available evidence on the human development. Also has some interesting and inventive speculations. Explains in a sensible manner why the human species is unparalleled in its generalist versatility and adaptability. Concludes with almost the compulsory speculation into the future of man and the other species.)
Valtaoja, Esko (2001). Kotona maailmankaikkeudessa. 333. Ursan julkaisuja 80. 5. painos. Tähtitieteellinen yhdistys Ursa ry. Gummerus Kirjapaino Oy, Jyväskylä 2002. (A Finnish award-winning collection of essays, and for good reason. The main theme is astrobiology, but covers the universe around us and the origins of life also in a more general fashion. Tangents culture, sociology and presents a good critique of the unhealthy phenomenon of pseudo-sciences. Slightly, but not overly repetitive towards the end. Written in a truly enjoyable style showing that good science writing need not be dull.)
Valtaoja, Esko (2004). Avoin tie: kurkistuksia tulevaisuuteen. 275. Ursan julkaisuja 93. Tähtitieteellinen yhdistys Ursa ry. Kirjapaino Oy, Keuruu 2004. (An entertaining collection of peeks into the future by a popular astronomy professor.)
Valtaoja, Esko (2007). Ihmeitä; Kävelyretkiä kaikkeuteen. 301. Ursan julkaisuja 105. Otavan Kirjapaino Oy, Keuruu 2007. (A cross between semi-confidential personal musings and natural and other sciences anecdotes. Entertaining and with enough depth to rate also this book as popularized science.)
Varteva, Risto (2001). Taas siellä on jono. 231. Terra Cognita. Hakapaino, Helsinki. (A nice collection of brief science and general interest essays.)
Venkula, Jaana (1989). Tieteen ilot. Edistyksen Päivät 88 -seminaarijulkaisu. 203. Edistyksellinen tiedeliitto ry, Jyväskylä. (A collection of essays in philosophy on the joys of doing scientific research. Most of the essays are a lucid and give an interesting view into the approach of this discipline. The best and longest essay is by Raimo Lehti into the mathematical logic, philosophy and life of Bertrand Russel and Johannes Kepler. A pleasant surprise is the cogent essay by Simo Knuuttila into the joys of theological research. The biggest disappointment is the essay by the hugely popular domestic celebrity Esa Saarinen. I must confess to a limited understanding of the finer points of philosophy, but I detected little but idle ramblings, haphazard quoting and name dropping with no rigid logic nor analytic structure.)
Vergara, William (1973). Science in the World around us. 262. Pocket Books, New York.
Vergara, William (1980). Science in Everyday Life. 306. Sphere Books, Reading.
Virtanen, Leea (1994). Arjen uskomukset. 280. Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö, Porvoo, Helsinki, Jurva. (Entertaining, but lacks analysis. This is an example of data collection, not research proper!)
Wallenquist, Åke (1975). Våra grannar i rymden: En upptäcktsresa i solarsystemet. 219. Prisma. Stockholm.
Washburn, Mark (1977). Mars at Last! 243. Abacus.
Watson, James D. (1968). The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA. 143. Signet Books, New York, New York. (The inside story of the unravelling of the structure of DNA which is the key to the genetic code. This finding is the basis of modern molecular biology, one of the fastest developing and often a morally controversial discipline. It also is a story of two different approaches to science, one of brilliant intuition and one of patient investigation which led to the Nobel prices in 1962 to Maurice Wilkins, Francis Crick and James Watson. If you are serious about science, read it.)
White, Michael and Gribbin, John (1992). Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science. 304. Penguin Books. (A fan's biography of the scientist who has managed to become a modern equivalent of Albert Einstein in the public's eye. How much is due to his most unfortunate personal adversity, is impossible to tell.)
Viitala, Jussi (2005). Vapaasta tahdosta? Käyttäytymisen evolutiivinen perusta. 200. Atena Kustannus Oy, Jyväskylä. (An interesting and easy-to-read coverage of the various evolutionary aspects of the behavior of man as an animal species.)
Williamson, Tom (1977). The Science Museum Exploring: Our Changing Climate. 27. Raithby, Lawrence & Company Limited, Leicester and London.
Wright, Robert (1994). The Moral Animal. Why we are the way we are: The new science of evolutionary psychology. 466. Vintage Books, New York. (This extraordinary book answers the most crucial question of human behavior, i.e. why do we behave the way we do. The basic model itself is strikingly simple underneath. An individual is guided by emotions towards he kind of behavior that increases the propagation of a species' genes, because such emotions and strives get selected in the evolution. The central areas where this principle comes to the fore are human sexual behavior, kin selection, reciprocal altruism (i.e. the rationale for mutual favors), and the strive for social status. It is almost scary to realize how much of what one can observe around oneself even in one's everyday life in broad terms fits neatly into the explanation pattern. - The book covers the subject very thoroughly. One could even say that at times the text drags on. Much additional text arises from the author's choice to intervene the general principles with an extensive case study of the life of one individual, Charles Darwin, i.e. the originator himself of understanding evolution. Despite of the slow pace at which the author proceeds, the book is well written and highly interesting throughout. You will not look at the behavior of yourself or your fellow men quite the same way after reading these theories of the relatively young science of evolutionary psychology. A truly good piece of serious, popularized science. - Towards the end in one of the chapters the book loses some of its grip, though. Behavior is not as predestined as lead to believe, and the discussion on ethics deviates into subjective fumbling. But the final chapter on the origins of religion returns to the scientifically detached treatment of the subject.)
Wynn, Charles M. and Arthur W. Wiggins (2001). Quantum leaps in the wrong direction: where real science ends and pseudoscience begins. 226. Joseph Henry Press, Washington D.C. (A lucid and a fairly easy-to-understand presentation of how scientific knowledge gained and evaluated. A book that can be recommended as introductory science readings to graduate students of any discipline. Furthermore, the book uses the understanding and principles of the scientific process to explain how pseudosciences go wrong both in their methodology and usage of empirical data. At a few places the choice of the terms used to describe the scientific process could be debated, but most importantly the description of the process and its usage to expose pseudoscientific subterfuge is very sound and instructive.)
Yenne, Bill (1991). Solar System. 78. Bison Books Ltd. (A rather standard, modern presentation of the solar system facts with some stunning photographs.)
Youngson, Robert M. (1998). Scientific Blunders; A brief history of how wrong scientists can sometimes be... 338. Robinson, London. (The concept is highly promising. And the book is well written. But it does not live quite accurately up to its promise of describing blunders within science. Yes, it does also that, but more than anything it is about the schism between science and pseudoscience, between knowledge and ignorance, between verifiable observations and orthodox authority. As it is, the book is very educational and useful in understanding science, but it indeed its emphasis is slightly different than what its excellent title portrays. It is yet another, very good book in the series about the problems with human frailty and outright, deliberate intellectual dishonesty in trying to impose one's own, unfounded preconceptions on others. The wide range of the areas covered warrants a positive note, ranging from the much covered cosmology, evolution, physics, biology, and science versus religion to the less frequently covered mathematics, medicine, technology and psychology, and philosophy blunders.)
Zimmerman, Barry E. and Zimmerman, David J. (1993). Why Nothing Can Travel Faster than Light ... and Other Explorations in Nature's Curiosity Shop. 309. Contemporary Books, Inc., Chicago, Illinois. (The first of the two books of light science essays by the Zimmerman twins. Contains 31 essays in various fields. Some of the essays are really interesting and well written like the one of Isaac Newton. But the quality of this first collection is uneven being at worst naive and outright misleading. The two worst essays are on UFOs and reincarnation. No self-respecting scientist would write such rubbish. But on the average the book by the Zimmermans makes entertaining and at the same time educational reading. Definitely worth reading but for the two awful flops.)
Zimmerman, Barry E. and Zimmerman, David J. (1995). Natures Curiosity Shop: Explorations in the mysteries and wonders of science. 340. Contemporary Books, Inc., Chicago, Illinois. (A lucidly written collection of 14 essays by twin brothers. Biology, medicine, physics and astronomy are visited. The level is a well-chosen compromise between scientific rigor and entertaining writing with some interesting speculations and occasional witticisms. As good popularized science writing as anyone's. The only essay I did not like was the one on alternative medicine because in it the writers partly deviated from their otherwise serious analysis into the realm of mild but conspicuous personal indulgence in modern superstition. A detail. The summary heaping economics among pseudosciences shows grave unfamiliarity by the author with the discipline in question.)

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