favorite non-fiction book you have read recently?
..
I like your selection except for A New Kind of Science. Physics based purely on discrete structures such as cellular automata won't work. The math is intractable and continuous and compact approximations will be resorted to.
ruveyn
I'm surprised 'The Selfish Gene' hasn't been mentioned - also by Richard Dawkins. I think there would be a lot less unhappiness in the world if more people understood and accepted the evolutionary origins of life and how it works.
'The mind of god' by Paul Davies was a good one.
'A brief history of time' by Stephen Hawking (Similar to above book).
sartresue
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A few days ago I finished
Perfect Rigor
by
Masha Gessen
It's a biography of Grigory Perelman, the mathematician who in 2002 uploaded a (correct) proof of the Poincare hypothesis. (Actually the geometrization conjecture of Thurstan as well.)
The biography puts forward the hypothesis that Perelman has Aspergers (due to puzzling behavior, such as turning down the Field's medal for his work, academic positions, as well as the million dollar Clay prize that was offered for the solution.) Actually, she documents much more about him consistent with an Aspie diagnosis. Overall the book is an excellent history of mathematical culture during Soviet times.
The book is non-technical and is, I believe, a good read for anyone.
richie
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The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray
You just have to love a book that begins with this line:
you can drop on your foot."
Product Description
An eye-opening, original collection of gorgeous, never-before-seen photographic representations of the 118 elements in the periodic table.
The elements are what we, and everything around us, are made of. But how many elements has anyone actually seen in pure, uncombined form? The Elements provides this rare opportunity. Based on five years of research and photography, the pictures in this book make up the most complete, and visually arresting, representation available to the naked eye of every atom in the universe. Organized in order of appearance on the periodic table, each element is represented by a spread that includes a stunning, full-page, full-color photograph that most closely represents it in its purest form. For example, at -183˚C, oxygen turns from a colorless gas to a beautiful pale blue liquid.
Also included are fascinating facts, figures, and stories of the elements as well as data on the properties of each, including atomic weight, density, melting and boiling point, valence, electronegativity, and the year and location in which it was discovered. Several additional photographs show each element in slightly altered forms or as used in various practical ways. The element's position on the periodic table is pinpointed on a mini rendering of the table and an illustrated scale of the element's boiling and/or melting points appears on each page along with a density scale that runs along the bottom.
Packed with interesting information, this combination of solid science and stunning artistic photographs is the perfect gift book for every sentient creature in the universe.
About the Author
Theodore Gray is the author of Popular Science magazine's “Gray Matter” column, the proprietor of periodictable.com and the creator of the iconic photographic periodic table poster seen in universities, schools, museums and TV shows from “MythBusters” to “Hannah Montana”. In his other life he is cofounder of the major software company Wolfram Research, creators of the world's leading technical software system, Mathematica™. He lives in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.
Also in my collection:
Theo Gray's Mad Science: Experiments You Can Do At Home - But Probably Shouldn't by Theodore Gray
Review
“This is a fabulous book, and a real education, too – a beautiful introduction to hands-on chemistry. Theo Gray brings us dozens of experiments in minute, clear, and loving detail, and each one becomes a door onto the marvels of how chemicals react. Whether he is showing us how to make table salt from its violent elements, or, in a quieter vein, to make one’s own nylon thread or “lead” pencils, Gray’s encyclopedic knowledge and contagious enthusiasm transport us to deep intellectual realms, while never sacrificing a sense of wonder and, above all, fun.”
—Oliver Sacks, author of Awakenings, Musicophillia, Uncle Tungsten, and many others
(Oliver Sacks )
“I've spent 22 years working with Theo Gray on creating software, seeing him find simple ways to do the seemingly impossible. You're in for a treat here when he applies the same creativity and insight to revealing the science of everyday things.”
—Stephen Wolfram, creator of Mathematica® and author of A New Kind of Science
(Stephen Wolfram )
“What a magnificent book. It's gorgeous, playful, and draws you in. Every single photo shows not only a deep love of science in the abstract, but also a tinkerer's love of the STUFF of science; the tools and glass, the clay and metal, and all the things that make science accessible to everyone.”
—Adam Savage, star of MythBusters
(Adam Savage )
What good is this Nobel Prize around my neck if it doesn’t produce admiration for science writers such as Theo Gray, whose skillful work helps convert young students into serious researchers.”
—Leon Lederman, winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physics
(Leon Lederman )
“Theo's MAD SCIENCE is destined to inspire and spark the imaginations of the next generation of makers, tinkerers, engineers and mad scientists!”
—Phillip Torrone, Senior Editor of Make magazine
(Phillip Torrone )
“Theodore Gray has attained a level of near superhuman geekery that the rest of us can only mutely admire.”
—Cecil Adams, The Straight Dope
(Cecil Adams )
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Theo Gray's Mad Science: Experiments You Can Do At Home - But Probably Shouldn't by Theodore Gray
Awesome. I must get it!
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sartresue
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"Collapse" by Richard Jared.
Havent read the whole thing-its thick. But you can skip around it.
He talks about why societies collaspse- from the ancient maya, and Easter Island to the recent Genocide in Rawanda ,and the reasons why Haili is so much poorer than the Dominican Republic ( which are located on the same island), both ancient and modern examples.
Another is "As Seen on TV" (forgot the author's name)- a hilarious picture book about the infomercial world of Chia Pets, girls gone crazy videos, get rich quick schemes, K-Tel Records, and the career of Ron Popeil (of pocket fisherman fame).
QuantumCowboy
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In terms of books with a wider appeal:
- The God Particle
- Fermat's Last Theorum
These books both follow a similar format of identifying a specific topic that has been of interest for centuries, and then following its progress through history. These are books that an educated layperson could read without difficulty.
In terms of my favourite non-fiction books read recently:
- Quantum Cellular Automata: Theory Experimentation and Prospects
- Optoelectronics and Photonics: Principles And Practices
These books are a little more technical.
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