[Tormod]

Do you read popular science books? What kind? Why not? Discuss!

[Moontanman]

I read every popular science book I can get my hands on, some are hokum some are informative and few are earth shaking. The ability to write about science in a way that makes it interesting for everyone is a gift we need much more of.

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Moontanman

I read every popular science book I can get my hands on, some are hokum some are informative and few are earth shaking. The ability to write about science in a way that makes it interesting for everyone is a gift we need much more of.

What would you recommend in the "Earth shaking" category? The last earth shaking book I read was E.O. Wilson's "The Future of Life".

I don't read many books these days. I prefer the internet.

[Moontanman]

Originally Posted by freeztar

What would you recommend in the "Earth shaking" category? The last earth shaking book I read was E.O. Wilson's "The Future of Life".

I don't read many books these days. I prefer the internet.

"Life as we do not know it" by Peter Ward

[Turtle]

I voted yes, a few each year. Currently working this year on an unpoplular science book , but the last I would have to say 'popular science book' that I read was Brian Green's The Elegant Universe, or no, wait...maybe The Code Book, by Simon Singh.

When I was 9 or so, I spent my birthday money on a subscription to Scientific American so I could check up on the popular science books and magazines. That's the way I roll.

[Moontanman]

I remember my first true science books, I too spent money I had earned (by loading hay) I was about 10, they were called "The World We Live In" by the editors of LIFE. There were three of them and they are really dated now but I remember devouring the pages over and over again. I still have two of the books more or less intact and a few pieces of the third one. I had lots of animal type books before that but these were the first true science books.

[Tormod]

I tend to favor cosmology and physics books myself. Somehow I like to read about the things I don't understand at all - it gives me a sense of learning and understanding without having to study.

[Flying Binghi]

Edit - post removed. ....so I drink an occasional red

[Galapagos]

At home I'm reading "In Gods We Trust" by Scott Atran, and in between classes I'm reading "The Theory of Evolution" by J Maynard Smith. I like to read about evolution, mind/consciousness, and altruism/sex/social behavior etc.

[Reaper]

I read quite a bit of popular science books, usually in areas outside my expertise. Though, you do have to be careful to differentiating established ideas from fringe theories, because the lines are often blurred in popular science.