Books for Adults

Hey, grown-ups – there are plenty of great science books out there for you, too!

The Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan
One of the greatest books ever written. The late astronomer explores how to think in a scientific manner, and how various pseudosciences (UFO abductions, psychics and more) fail to measure up to these standards. Worth it just for the chapter where Sagan provides readers with a “Baloney Detection Kit”.

The Cartoon Guide To… series by Larry Gonick
Don’t let the “cartoon” in the titles fool you. Gonick uses his whimsical illustrations to help illuminate a wide variety of topics, and he doesn’t just skim the surface. In his science series, the best may be The Cartoon Guide to Physics, but other volumes on Chemistry, Genetics and Statistics (among others) are also excellent.

Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard Feynman
A Nobel winner in physics, Feynman mastered quantum physics, superfluid liquid helium, Brazilian drumming, safecracking and a lot more. This collection of semi-autobiographical stories gives a good start to this curious character. Also recommended are his essays The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, and Six Eay Pieces, half a dozen introductory physics lectures that he gave at CalTech.

You Belong in a Zoo! by Peter Brazaitis
When Peter Brazaitis was growing up in New York, he was told “You belong in a zoo!” He took this career advice to heart, and went on to become head reptile curator at the Bronx Zoo. He shares entertaining and sometimes scary stories of working with snakes, crocodiles and other creatures.

A Different Nature by David Hancocks
Hancocks explores the history of zoos, from ancient menageries to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He scolds them when they don’t do a good job at what should be their mission (education and conservation) and lauds those that do accomplish these goals. A must read for animal lovers.

Terrible Lizard by Deborah Cadbury
In the early 19th century, geology was a new science and very large bones were being discovered. The science of studying dinosaurs was about to begin. Cadbury tells about some of the key early figures in this new science, and their battles read like a political thriller.

The New Way Things Work by David Macauley
An update of a popular book that uses helpful, mammoth-laden illustrations to show how all manner of machines function, from levers to jet airplanes and many more.

Guns, Germs & Steel by Jared Diamond
Some human civilizations have acquired more power and technology than others – but why? Anthropologist Diamond argues that the answer boils down to three words: location, location, location.

Bad Astronomy by Phil Plait
Plait explores some commonly held beliefs about astronomy, from the honestly mistaken (does earth’s distance from the sun affect the seasons?) to the outright nuts (horoscopes, ‘theories’ about fake moon landings). Then he uses these notions to teach some good astronomy in a fun way.

Bad Medicine by Christopher Wanjek
Medical myths and false beliefs about your health get skewered by uncommon common sense. Don’t buy into homeopathy or “herbal cures”, read this book instead.

The Secret House: The Extraordinary Science of an Ordinary Day by David Bodanis
Your house may seem like a tranquil place, but all manner of invisible, unexpected and downright bizarre science is happening there all the time, from cosmic radiation to what’s really in that lipstick. You’ll never look at an egg the same way again.

The Art of Optical Illusions by Al Seckel
A coffee table book with pictures that will leave you not believing your eyes. Seckel has several other tomes of handsome illusions, as well.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Human corpses today and throughout history have helped in many kinds of scientific research – medical research, forensics, safety testing and more. Roach’s history of some of these methods is fascinating, though definitely not for the squeamish.

The Physics of Superheroes by James Kakalios
If you love comic books (and bygosh you should!) you’ll enjoy seeing how one can learn about real world science from the pretend science that governs the world of the super hero. Just how much force would be needed to leap a tall building in a single bound?

Twinkie, Deconstructed by Steve Ettlinger
No less than 39 ingredients go into a Hostess Twinkie©. Why? Where do they come from? How long will those things actually last? Find out in this strangely fascinating (and fascinatingly strange) exploration of the world of processed food.