It’s that time of year when we all find ourselves tearing our hair out in an attempt to choose presents for all those difficult-to-by-for people. I don’t think you can do better than a good popular science book, so here a few recommendations:
Max Perutz and the Secret of Life by Georgina Ferry
A real delight in finding out about a scientist I knew little about, with excellent writing and a remarkable story. See more at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
The Archimedes Codex by Reviel Netz & William Noel
A fascinating scientific detective story of the uncovering of the text of the only known surviving copy of Archimedes’ work in the original Greek, hidden beneath a medieval prayer book. See more at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
The Time Traveller by Ronald Mallett & Bruce Henderson
Poignant story of scientist Ronald Mallett’s inspiration to build a time machine, and the experiments that suggest the possibility of manipulating time. See more at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Digging up the Dead by Druin Burch
Riveting, if occasionally gory, biography of 18th/19th century surgeon Astley Cooper. Don’t worry if you aren’t interested in medical stuff – this is still fascinating. See more at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
… and forgive me if I include two of my own!
Light Years by Brian Clegg
A journey through humanity’s fascination with light from the earliest concepts to the latest stunning applications. Includes a lot about the people, so goes down well with non-scientists. See more at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
The Global Warming Survival Kit by Brian Clegg
Ideal gift book and practical book to have around the house on coping with everything climate change can throw at us. See more at Amazon.co.uk
If you fancy a signed copy of either of the two above (makes an even better present) and are in London on 15 December, I’ll be signing copies at the Science Museum bookshop from 1pm.
If you are looking for an interesting gift, but not a book, take a look at the suggestions at the Popular Science site
Thank you. I have just emailed your post to my husband, so he can consider one or some of these as a present from me. (Email is a very good form of spousal communication I find.) Last year, I gave him Richard Dawkins’ God Delusion (naturally); The Sage of Science, which is a biography of J D Bernal; and The Fellowship by John Gribbin. All very much enjoyed.
So the Dawkins book is quite interesting? I have received some mixed feelings from others, so although I have it at home, it is lower in my cue, underneath some other older books as I try to balance my reading time between work and pleasure!! Currently finishing “Guns, Germs and Steel” – Jared Diamond (a different kind of science…)