PZ passed along another blog meme yesterday: a check-off list of pop-sci books you’ve read. The list was originated by Jennifer Ouellette of Cocktail Party Physics. I’m kind of embarrassed that I haven’t read any more of these, but, of her original list, here they are:

11. The Elegant Universe, Brian Greene
18. A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
30. The Physics of Star Trek, Lawrence Krauss
32. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea, Charles Seife
37. Flatland, Edward Abbott
56. The Demon-Haunted World, Carl Sagan

I’d add these to the list, too:

• A History of π, Petr Beckman
• The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins
• The Golden Ratio, Mario Livio
• Stalking the Riemann Hypothesis, Dan Rockmore
• Hiding in the Mirror: The Quest for Alternate Realities, by Lawrence Krauss

Here’s the ones from the list I’ve read partially:

10. 1-2-3 Infinity, George Gamow
23. Soul Made Flesh, Carl Zimmer
57. The Blind Watchmaker, Richard Dawkins
73. Innumeracy, John Allen Paulos

Dan Rockmore gave a lecture about the Riemann Hypothesis at IPFW last fall, and I was lucky enough to get to meet him. (Pics from the event are available here.)

I’d recommend any of these that are by Dawkins, Krauss, or Sagan as a good starting point, if you’re new to the genre and have an interest in it.

Tags: Books