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I'm not talking sci-fi specifically, though it could certainly go that way. I'm looking for the best books that relate to chemistry, or biology. Books that relate to other fields are certainly good, too, but please specify what fields they relate to.
Are you looking for academic type texts or fiction incorporating these subjects?
I could go either way, as long as it's mildly entertaining.
Let me think on it. I might have some ideas. I'll have to flip through my shelves, or boxes as the case may be since I'm still unpacking, and I'll try to get back to you soon. I can say that off the top of my head something by Jules Vern comes to mind. Some of his books are rich with science that was the thing of fantasy during his age, but now it is accepted as fact. I'll see what others I can come up with.
If it helps, I really love Wells =]
if you are interested in physics then anything by Richard Feynman is a good place to start
For fiction, how about Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials'? It's very thought provoking and has some good sciency content too. If you wanted non-fiction but entertaining, Simon Singh's 'The Big Bang' (kind of obvious what it's about) is good; he gives so many little anecdotes about the scientist's lives, as well as charting discoveries as far back as the ancient greeks, and it at times almost reads like a novel whilst being really informative.
The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas. A bit old, but excellent and profound.
Schroedinger's What is Life is pretty good too, though the vagaries of his descriptions of genes before the discovery of DNA sort of confused the hell out of me.
Bill Bryson's 'A Brief History of Everything' is a wonderful read
"Angels and Insects" by A. S. Byatt is about a Victorian naturalist and biologist, and draws an interesting parallel between some creatures, such as butterflies and ants, and humans :)
Great suggestions. Thanks!
Try Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan.
I would reccomend the accounts of voyagers such as Darwin on the Voyage of the Beagle and so on. I'm always stunned by how beautifully written they are. The accounts are really visually described and capture the imaginaiton.
Seconded, the best general non-fiction book i've ever read, it's hilarious too.Quote:
Originally Posted by WICKES
Science: A History by John Gribbin is really good too, and looks at the duel development of science and technology.