Any science (non-fiction) recommendations?

djgreedo · 05-02-2009, 12:54 PM

Anyone have any science ebook recommendations that meet the following criteria?

1) not overly technical (I don't have a science degree)
2) available without DRM (and preferably in a format that suits the PRS-700 without conversion).
2a) Must be available to buy from Australia
3) I've just read 'A Brief History of Time' and want some more books with a similar tone.
4) Not a text book

Any science topic is welcome, especially evolution, space exploration, anything to do with the brain/mind.

I couldn't find anything on Fictionwise. I like the sound of the Bill Bryson book but can't find it without DRM.

Renaldo · 05-02-2009, 01:31 PM

I'd reccomend just about anything by Dr. Michio Kaku. I don't know how available they are in Australia, I know Fictionwise sells 2 of them.

wallcraft · 05-02-2009, 01:54 PM

There are more popular science ebooks available now than in the past, but they are almost all DRM-laden. One I recommend is The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition by Richard Dawkins. It is available as a Secure Adobe PDF from ebooks.com. They actually have a nice selection of recent mainstream popular science ebooks, but all with DRM.

tirsales · 05-02-2009, 02:10 PM

Prof. Dawkins has written quite a couple of very interesting books - I dont know which are available as ebooks, but I recommend them ntl.

MelC · 05-02-2009, 05:52 PM

Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. Love everything he does but this one is particularly good.

Mary Roach - Particularly "Stiffs". The only nonfiction book about cadavers that will make you laugh out loud? Is that inappropriate? ...sigh....

Also, if you are all environmentally minded "The World Without Us" by Arthur Weisman (I think). Not as good as Bryson's (Bryson is quite humorous) but an interesting concept. National Geographic did a great documentary similar to this which was quite good.

Mel

ETA Just noticed you already know about the Bill Bryson. Sorry can't help you out with drm free.

Krystian Galaj · 05-02-2009, 07:39 PM

If you're not averse to listening to science lectures, I recommend audiobook courses from The Teaching Company ( http://www.teach12.com ) - on very wide range of subjects, and almost always very interesting to listen to. As far as I know, they're not released as ebooks, but since I found them, I prefer to listen to such course to reading a science ebook.
Another company offering similar range of insteresting courses is Modern Scholar.

sirbruce · 05-02-2009, 10:16 PM

Would Guns, Germs, and Steel qualify?

grooks · 05-02-2009, 10:27 PM

I would 2nd Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything'.

He has other technical books but have I have not read them yet.

wayspooled · 05-03-2009, 12:46 AM

You might look into Steven Pinker
(The Stuff of Thought: Language As a Window Into Human Nature)
(The Language Instinct - How the Mind Creates Language)

and Edward O. Wilson
(The Diversity of Life)
(On Human Nature)
or
(The Future of Life)

All very readable. And also Wilson's autobiography (Naturalist)

oh, and also Richard Feynman's (Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman!)

montsnmags · 05-03-2009, 02:58 AM

If you enjoyed A Brief History of Time, you might enjoy The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene (I've no idea if it's available as an ebook, and it's Sunday arvo, so if you want to go looking, be my guest

). It becomes "technical" of sorts, as it progresses, but its beauty is that it leads logically and gently into it, such that it doesn't feel like you're drowning in conceptual mindwarps (which is a nifty trick, considering the subject matter

). I actually found it a more enjoyable and a bit easier (though much longer) read than A Brief History of Time (and that's without denigrating the latter at all).

Cheers,
Marc

Ea · 05-03-2009, 04:05 AM

"The origins of species" (6th ed.) by Charles Darwin. Free download from Feedbooks.

columbus · 05-03-2009, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ea;

"The origins of species" (6th ed.) by Charles Darwin. Free download from Feedbooks.

I'd not spotted that one - thank you

Sparrow · 05-03-2009, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

If you enjoyed A Brief History of Time, you might enjoy The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene (I've no idea if it's available as an ebook, and it's Sunday arvo, so if you want to go looking, be my guest

). It becomes "technical" of sorts, as it progresses, but its beauty is that it leads logically and gently into it, such that it doesn't feel like you're drowning in conceptual mindwarps (which is a nifty trick, considering the subject matter

). I actually found it a more enjoyable and a bit easier (though much longer) read than A Brief History of Time (and that's without denigrating the latter at all).

Cheers,
Marc

Yep, they're both excellent books.

I also enjoyed Marcus Chown's 'The Magic Furnace' about the origin of atoms. (I keep meaning to look for more by him.)

Richard Fortey's 'Life: an unauthorised biography' is a fascinating account of life on Earth.

Stitchawl · 05-03-2009, 04:34 AM

Search out "The Tao of Physics" by Fritof Capra. Delightful book, not technical, and doing a wonderful job of explaining Physics, Metaphysics, Taoism, and how they all seem to be the same damn thing!

Stitchawl

Sonist · 05-04-2009, 10:55 PM

Also from Brian Greene, The Fabric of the Cosmos would be a good read. (If you enter code EBOOKS you can still get 25% off at cyberread.com - which is a tad cheaper than Amazon.)

05-02-2009, 12:54 PM	#1
djgreedo Addict Posts: 285 Karma: 640696 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Kindle Touch 3G, HP Touchpad (Android), Samsung Omnia 7	Any science (non-fiction) recommendations? Anyone have any science ebook recommendations that meet the following criteria? 1) not overly technical (I don't have a science degree) 2) available without DRM (and preferably in a format that suits the PRS-700 without conversion). 2a) Must be available to buy from Australia 3) I've just read 'A Brief History of Time' and want some more books with a similar tone. 4) Not a text book Any science topic is welcome, especially evolution, space exploration, anything to do with the brain/mind. I couldn't find anything on Fictionwise. I like the sound of the Bill Bryson book but can't find it without DRM.

05-03-2009, 12:46 AM	#9
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	You might look into Steven Pinker (The Stuff of Thought: Language As a Window Into Human Nature) (The Language Instinct - How the Mind Creates Language) and Edward O. Wilson (The Diversity of Life) (On Human Nature) or (The Future of Life) All very readable. And also Wilson's autobiography (Naturalist) oh, and also Richard Feynman's (Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman!) Last edited by wayspooled; 05-03-2009 at 12:54 AM.

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05-02-2009, 01:31 PM	#2
Renaldo Addict Posts: 294 Karma: 250590 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The Great Pacific Northwest Device: Kindle 3G + WiFi	I'd reccomend just about anything by Dr. Michio Kaku. I don't know how available they are in Australia, I know Fictionwise sells 2 of them.

05-02-2009, 01:54 PM	#3
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,977 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	There are more popular science ebooks available now than in the past, but they are almost all DRM-laden. One I recommend is The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary Edition by Richard Dawkins. It is available as a Secure Adobe PDF from ebooks.com. They actually have a nice selection of recent mainstream popular science ebooks, but all with DRM.

05-02-2009, 02:10 PM	#4
tirsales MIA ... but returning som Posts: 1,600 Karma: 511342 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Germany Device: PRS-505 and Really not owning a PRS-700	Prof. Dawkins has written quite a couple of very interesting books - I dont know which are available as ebooks, but I recommend them ntl.

05-02-2009, 05:52 PM	#5
MelC Evangelist Posts: 410 Karma: 2081 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Toronto, Canada Device: Cybook Gen3, PRS600	Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. Love everything he does but this one is particularly good. Mary Roach - Particularly "Stiffs". The only nonfiction book about cadavers that will make you laugh out loud? Is that inappropriate? ...sigh.... Also, if you are all environmentally minded "The World Without Us" by Arthur Weisman (I think). Not as good as Bryson's (Bryson is quite humorous) but an interesting concept. National Geographic did a great documentary similar to this which was quite good. Mel ETA Just noticed you already know about the Bill Bryson. Sorry can't help you out with drm free.

05-02-2009, 07:39 PM	#6
Krystian Galaj Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 11012 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Warsaw, Poland Device: Bookeen Cybook	If you're not averse to listening to science lectures, I recommend audiobook courses from The Teaching Company ( http://www.teach12.com ) - on very wide range of subjects, and almost always very interesting to listen to. As far as I know, they're not released as ebooks, but since I found them, I prefer to listen to such course to reading a science ebook. Another company offering similar range of insteresting courses is Modern Scholar.

05-02-2009, 10:16 PM	#7
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	Would Guns, Germs, and Steel qualify?

05-02-2009, 10:27 PM	#8
grooks Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 30250 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Device: Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma	I would 2nd Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything'. He has other technical books but have I have not read them yet.

05-03-2009, 02:58 AM	#10
montsnmags Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,155 Karma: 4632658 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	If you enjoyed A Brief History of Time, you might enjoy The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene (I've no idea if it's available as an ebook, and it's Sunday arvo, so if you want to go looking, be my guest ). It becomes "technical" of sorts, as it progresses, but its beauty is that it leads logically and gently into it, such that it doesn't feel like you're drowning in conceptual mindwarps (which is a nifty trick, considering the subject matter ). I actually found it a more enjoyable and a bit easier (though much longer) read than A Brief History of Time (and that's without denigrating the latter at all). Cheers, Marc

05-03-2009, 04:05 AM	#11
Ea Wizard Posts: 3,490 Karma: 5239563 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Kindle 3\|iPad air\|iPhone 4S	"The origins of species" (6th ed.) by Charles Darwin. Free download from Feedbooks.

05-03-2009, 04:34 AM	#14
Stitchawl Opsimath Posts: 12,344 Karma: 187123287 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy	Search out "The Tao of Physics" by Fritof Capra. Delightful book, not technical, and doing a wonderful job of explaining Physics, Metaphysics, Taoism, and how they all seem to be the same damn thing! Stitchawl

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05-04-2009, 10:55 PM	#15
Sonist Apeist Posts: 2,126 Karma: 381090 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The sunny part of California Device: Generic virtual reality story-experiential device	Also from Brian Greene, The Fabric of the Cosmos would be a good read. (If you enter code EBOOKS you can still get 25% off at cyberread.com - which is a tad cheaper than Amazon.)