Science is a fascinating and diverse subject.  The books I recommend here are compelling to read, yet give a profound glimpse of the workings of the universe.  It is deeply humbling to realize how little we understand the world around us, but the sense of discovery I found in each of these books left me awe-inspired.

1. Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson.  Einstein was a brilliant, revolutionary thinker, but his personal life was often deeply troubled.  This book captures the wonder and vision of his ideas, while also examining the domestic strife that caused the dissolution of his first marriage, and his strained relationship with his sons.  Isaacson’s explanation of relativity, which uses many of Einstein’s own mental images, is understandable for the average reader, yet completely eye-opening.  If there is only one book you ever read about physics, this should be that book.

2. The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins.  If you have ever had doubts, confusion, or misunderstandings about evolution, you must read this book.  Dawkins explains natural selection in a clear, convincing, and endlessly fascinating way.  His examination of the evolution of echo-location in bats, dolphins, and some birds, reflects science writing at its best—it’s mind-opening, understandable, and reflects the power and beauty of the natural world.  I loved the section on the possible origins of life—I felt the idea of replicating crystals quite interesting.  Dawkins has lately become controversial because of his advocacy of atheism, but this book is worth reading whatever your feelings on its author. 

3. Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction by David Quammen.  This book is a haunting eulogy for the stunning diversity of life we have lost through carelessness.  Quammen examines the devastation that humans have wrought on delicate island ecologies, and the fascinating creatures we will never see again.  He also describes the life of Alfred Wallace, who co-discovered natural selection with Charles Darwin.  Wallace was an intrepid explorer who ventured into the heart of the Amazon, as well as the jungles of New Guinea.  This book has adventure, science, drama, and tragedy, and it remains one of my favorite books on this list.

4. The Ancestor’s Tale by Richard Dawkins.  In this book, Dawkins traces the path of evolution back through the tree of life, from human beings to the most distantly related bacteria.  Very loosely modeled on Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, the book encompasses the vastness of evolution, and lovingly details all creatures great and small, with which we share our planet.

5. The Science Book: Everything You Need to Know About the World and How it Works by Marshall Brain.  This book is a comprehensive guide to basic science knowledge, like a concise science encyclopedia.  It is approachable for a casual reader, but also a good reference for more advanced science students, and of course, it is beautiful illustrated.