5 Science Books For Non-Science Readers6/21/2022 Science can be incredibly boring sometimes. Why does the movement of molecules or the reactivity of ions or if there is no story connected to it, no significance? The story of science is one you most likely won’t hear in class, but there are books to help you understand it and foster a deeper connection with the inner workings of the world around you. All the following books are written in a beginner-friendly style and connect science to something deeper, such as the experiences we shared during COVID-19, our individual connections with the cosmos, and even social relations in regards to race and gender. Science is more than cramming biological processes or struggling through chemical ratios, and these books are wonderful, engaging, and important explorations of that. Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen (2012) As COVID-19 ran rampant over the world, I found myself more and more curious about the historical precedence for pandemics and how humanity has dealt with “spillovers,” pathogens that come to humans from wildlife, in the past. Quammen investigates the origins of Ebola, SARS, avian influenza, Lyme disease, and AIDS, among others. The summation of five years of travel and investigation, all the way from Bangladesh to the Congo, is found in Spillover. Nowhere does Quammen get too technical to follow, and the book is sectioned up in an easy-to-read manner. Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future by Elizabeth Kolbert (2021) Kolbert begins Under a White Sky with a powerful connection to the meanings behind rivers. Then, she leads the reader on a tour of the impact of river modification in the first part of the book, tackles the preservation of biodiversity in the second, and concludes with an exploration of fossil fuels. Throughout all this, she cites specific examples of communities and ecosystems hurt by human impact as well as investigates new technology that can fix this. Through expert interviews and her own knowledge, she crafts the clear argument that if we are to fix this, we must do it now. I found out about this book off the Smithsonian's “The Ten Best Science Books of 2021” list, and I am beyond excited to take a look at the rest. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2017) In all honesty, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry isn’t as non-complicated as advertised. If you’re not an astrophysicist or haven’t taken that higher-level physics class yet, you’ll have to reread paragraphs. As long as you can put in the brainpower to understand some concepts in this book, this bite-sized guide is exactly what you’ve been looking for to understand the mysteries of the universe. Cleverly written and unbelievably concise, Tyson does the impossible by packaging up the foundations of astrophysics for anyone to read. Cosmos (1980) and other books by Carl Sagan (1934-1996) A quick Google search will tell you that Sagan’s books are quite old and unlikely to give you the full picture when it comes to astronomy and astrophysics. However, Carl Sagan is known as a mind unlike any other for good reason. His thoughts on science, the history of science, and the scientific process are historically invaluable. Combine that with engaging writing and fascinating information, and picking up Carl Sagan’s books (or watching Cosmos on TV) becomes a no-brainer. The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein (2021) The Disordered Cosmos is one of the top ten books I’ve read in 2022. A powerful, informative, gripping book full of the most pivotal moments in physics as well as the author’s own experiences as the first Black woman to hold a tenure-track position as a theoretical cosmologist. To a small extent, her emphasis on what it means to be a scientist and a researcher reminds me of Carl Sagan’s emphasis on the same, and it is incredible to be able to see what has changed in the science world and what has remained constant. However, Prescod-Weinstein also looks into the idea of the label “scientist” itself and what it means to break that glass ceiling and reminds us that science is as rooted in human structures as everything else is. While compiling this list, I realized just how many of my science books were written by cis white men. Women and people of color in America, which is where I am from, face challenges in the scientific field–from having their work stolen to being discouraged from entering certain spaces. Science research has been a white man’s game for a very long time, but we have come a long way since then as shown by some of the incredible scientists on this list. I encourage you to take a look at a science book that interests you even if you’re not a fan of science as a subject. These books will surprise you! Stuti Desaiis a high school student in New Jersey. They like (in no particular order) books, music, science, history, running, and (of course) writing and are always up to learn something new! Find them on Instagram at @writing_stoot.
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