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Top 11 intriguing science books to take on vacation
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During the summer, I like to catch up on my "non-required" science reading. But finding a good recommended reading list specifically for the science geek proved to be a bit of a challenge. So I had to write my own.
Even a book about science should be fun, illustrated, and entertaining. Especially if you plan to read it while on holdiay. You should not feel like you’ll be tested on the material later.
Years ago, my family summered at a beach in New England. My then father-in-law, a molecular biophysicist, always brought science books to read while on vacation. Because the titles he chose covered some pretty complex topics, few among the extended family gathered there would dare engage him in conversation about what he was reading. I don’t know if this was his intent or not, but needless to say, he was usually left alone to relax during his vacation.
Since then, I also have tried to choose books with a scientific theme to tote along for beach or poolside reading. Not because I hope to be left alone; it’s just that these types of books are my idea of escape. Some people prefer a torrid romance novel, a mystery, or a puzzle book to rest to their minds while vacationing. For me, escape comes by entering the world of the atom, traveling to the furthest reaches of space, or delving deep into the earth. My adventure begins when I can immerse myself in the world of the unseen, the newly discovered, or the impossible.
This list is as much for my readers as it is for me. Some of these books I have already read or started to read. Some were recommended by my ex father-in-law. Some are books I been meaning to read for a long time. Others I have recently discovered and seemed too fascinating to ignore. None of the books on this list should require an advanced degree to comprehend. You are on vacation for heaven’s sake, there’s no need to wind up with a text that assumes you have a PhD in the topic, even if you do. And I don’t think the list contains any books that are so simple as to insult your intelligence. I’ve tried to strike a balance. These books should all be well-written and scientifically accurate, as well as engaging and even funny. Feedback in the comments section is encouraged in case you feel otherwise. Please share other favorite summer science reading there as well.
Although the list goes from 1 to 11, it is in no particular order. Most of the titles are in paperback, are priced less than $30 through popular bookselling outlets or can be easily found at your local library. Also, I’ve sorted the titles into the various elements that might make up a good vacation such as sand, water, mountains or trees, plus some others just because they needed to be on the list. [I apologize to those whose vacation plans include a trip to Las Vegas, a tour of baseball parks, or a week at a spa—maybe I will come up with a different list of science books related to those destinations in the future.]
- Sand: The Never Ending Story, by Michael Welland. Published in January 2009, this is newest entry on my list, so I’ll make it the first. What’s so exciting about sand other than it feels good between your toes at the beach? Plenty, it turns out, and Welland gives the reader an appreciation for the tiny geologic gems that comprises all kinds of sand from around the world. This book gives a comprehensive overview of sand through its chemistry, its contribution to the formation of land masses, its inclusion on art, and even its contributions to our daily lives. Welland makes something that is seemingly commonplace and ordinary into something mysterious and beautiful
- Life’s Matrix: Biography of Water, by Philip Ball. Again, here’s a story of the ordinary turned extraordinary. Water is water, right? Not at all! Ball begins with the metaphysical, “in the beginning there was water” and develops the story of water from historical, mythological, chemical, practical and political angles. After reading this book, you will never look at a glass of water quite the same way again.
- Nearest Star: The Surprising Science of Our Sun by Leon Golub and Jay M. Pasachoff. Finding a book about the sun that was simultaneously packed with scientific detail, yet still written in a manner accessible to the general audience was not easy. The writing seems clear and straightforward, not overburdened by scientific jargon. But it contains graphs and figures that could be a turn-off for all but the astrophysicist. Still, after poring over several possible candidates, this one looks like a best bet for understanding more about that big glowing thing in the sky. Don’t forget your sunscreen.
- Sea Legs: Tales of a Woman Oceanographer, by Kathleen Crane. Women have it tough in science, and I think they still do sometimes. This autobiography by Kathleen Crane, one of the world’s first female oceanographers, details that struggle while extolling—in an understated way—many of her scientific achievements. If you want adventure and intrigue, Crane’s autobiography delivers. Beginning with the Cold War, Sea Legs is an inspiring story about a women trying to be a scientist in a male dominated world.
- Sugarloaf: The Mountain's History, Geology and Natural Lore, by Melanie Choukas-Bradley. Not everyone heads to the shore for vacation. Perhaps you retreat to the mountains. You could probably find a book about every mountain range in existence, from the Cascades to the Andes. Maryland has a mountain (yes, it’s true), Sugarloaf Mountain, and Choukas-Bradley has captured its science and mythology in this book. Peppered with interviews from expert geologists, naturalists, and historians, the text is clear and simple to read. Take this book along to enhance a hiking or camping trip to the area.
- Remarkable Trees of the World, by Thomas Pakenham. A lovely book packed with spectacular photography featuring the author alongside massive trees of the world. Pakenham help you gain an appreciation for the scale of some of these monolithic bark-beasts and travels the globe to introduce readers to 60 arboreal friends. His narrative reflects a sense of wonder and adventure.
- The Book of Clouds, by John Day. Remember the feeling you had as a child just lying back and gazing up at the clouds. Meteorologist and cloud physicist John Day captures that spirit in his book. Filled with scientific facts, the book also showcases the author’s collection of fabulous cloud photography in images that are both soothing and exciting.
- Night Has a Thousand Eyes: A Naked-Eye Guide to the Sky, Its Science and Lore, by Arthur Upgren. Stargazing is a popular summertime activity. Upgren’s book will inspire you to seek out a place far from urban light pollution to see what you can see, even without a telescope. There’s plenty of science blended with history and mythology to help the novice stargazer gain a greater understanding of the night sky, no matter where you live
- Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions, by Lisa Randall. Maybe your vacation has taken you to a different dimension, or maybe you just wish it had. Either way, Randall’s book explores the concepts of dimension, from the spatial and temporal dimensions that most of us are familiar with to the other “hidden” dimensions that we apparently encounter everyday without knowing it. Randall, a Harvard physicist, delves into quantum mechanics, particle physics and string theory. This book may blow your mind, but you should enjoy it along the way.
- Stories of the Invisible: A Guided Tour of Molecules by Philip Ball. I know, I’ve listed another book by Philip Ball, but I could not help but include this adorable little book. Each chapter tackles a new aspect of the fantastic world of atoms and molecules. I originally bought it because of its discussion on nanotechnology, but there is so much more.. Find out where the Periodic Table came from. Learn how the human body is like a motor car. Ball’s conversational writing style infuses the text with humor and whimsy so that the unseen world of molecular biology and biochemistry comes alive for the scientist and non-scientist alike.
- The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments, by George Johnson. Scientists' lives can be as interesting as their science. Johnson tells the compelling personal stories behind 10 men who contributed significantly to the world of science. Did you know that British chemist and physicist Michael Faraday had a young groupie? Oh yes, there were Rock Stars of Science even back in the 1800's. Microscopist Robert Hooke’s jealously of Isaac Newton’s achievements is the stuff of supermarket tabloids. George Johnson apparently is in agreement with me that all good lists, like all volume dials on amplifiers, must go to eleven, because he includes an afterward discussing what could have been the final eleventh most beautiful experiment.
For more summer science reading suggestions: Amazon’s Top 10 Science Books for 2008. None of the books I’ve listed above are on Amazon’s list.
[Many thanks to I.W. Levin for his consultation on this list.]
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