The beauty of Science Books

There are a number of reasons why the majority of people read and appreciate novels. Novels can transport you to another world, maybe back in time, another planet, or even a whole new universe entirely. They can help you to take your mind off of you own problems by allowing you to delve into the trials of tribulations of a fictional characters. However, science books are not considered to have these same abilities.

The first science book I ever read (that wasn't a textbook) was "Evolution-What the fossils say and why it matters" by Donald R Prothero when I was 16. Before then, my reading list consisted mostly of novels from young adult writers such as Anthony Horowitz, Malorie Blackman and Charlie Higson. I decided to give this evolution-based book a try, as I was soon to be starting an animal biology based course at college, and I wanted to improve my knowledge on certain subjects. This book had no running storyline, no characters developments, and no sudden twists in the plot at the very end. But what it did have was truly fascinating information. It discussed prehistoric landscapes long gone such as the Cambrian explosion. It discussed the knowledge we have gained from studying rock formations, as well as the fossilised creatures that became trapped within them millions of years previous. It even introduced me to the debate between christians and evolutionists about the type of information should be taught in schools. I may not have been getting absorbed into the story of a fictional character, or creating mental images of facial features based on the descriptive abilities of the writer, but my view of the world was changing. I was finally discovering how humans were able to turn from single cell organisms, into the bipedal, cognitively capable primates we are today. All because of one science book.

Science books truly can educate you on the world around us. Certain books from great scientific minds such as Stephen J Gould, Steven Hawking and Carl Sagan, introduce us to concepts that will likely be brand new to the average laymen of science, such as speciation, gravitational lenses, and biostratigraphy. Older writers such as Charles Darwin teach us about the great scientific strides occurring in their time. Certain parts of their books may be obsolete and/or disproven nowadays, but they still allow us to discover how the scientific method was being practiced in another period of time; making us aware of the stepping stones achieved before our modern scientific intelligence was reached. 

There are also modern writers who try their hardest to introduce subjects that may appear tedious to the masses. Writer and scientist Richard Forte has a number of books based around the subject of geology, which have gone on to become very successful; which is an impressive feat when you think about how little interest most people have in the study of rocks. There are also many books for children discussing dinosaurs, volcanoes, the planets in our solar system, as well as many other scientific subjects providing young minds with knowledge about the exciting world we inhabit. 

Science books are truly beautiful things that allow us access to detailed information on the world and the universe around us. They can also play a large part in creating great scientists of the future. When I walk into a water-stones book shop and visit the science section, the selection is awe-inspiring. In one area there may be a "DK illustrated encyclopaedia of the universe". In another there may be "Biophilia" by E.O Wilson. in another there may be "Ocean of life by Callum Roberts". Many scientists don't just want to learn about our world, but they want to get others to learn about the world as well. Which is why there exist thousands of science books, as well as many more being published as we speak; all available for the public (usually for a reasonable price). They have written these books hopefully not just to make money, but to inspire the scientists of tomorrow, and create a more scientifically literate society. 

One of the most threatening issues with our modern society is ignorance. Ignorance has caused hundreds of thousands of people to turn against vaccinations, to disagree with evolution, and to not take climate change as seriously as it needs to be taken. This, on many occasions life threatening, ignorance is dangerous and needs to be overcome; and science books can play a major part in doing this. They are sources of information on any scientific subject you can think of, some written in detail for the experts, and others written more simply for the laymen. But they will only be of use if people actually take the time to pick them up and give them a read.

I am a zoology student, studying at Roehampton University in London. I have always been a lover of the natural world, but this love escalated rapidly when I discovered the books of Richard Dawkins. His books were so in-depth, yet written clearly so that I was able to understand. They introduced me to natural phenomena that my teachers had failed to provide for me; evolution and genetics in particular. But they didn't just fill my head with information, they improved my view of the world I live in. They revealed it to be more exciting, more important, as well as insanely unusual. They also made me love Zoology more than I believed I could.

 Science books can open our eyes, eyes once blinded by the menial and the unimportant, to a world of beauty and intricacy. And if more people took the time to read them, they will pave the way to a more intelligent, logical and exceptional world.

-Thomas Glen

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