Around this time last year I wrote about my favourite science books of the year, as a Christmas present guide for the scientist or sci-curious person in your life. This year I’ve mainly been writing up my PhD, so haven’t been reading anything other than that, for the most part. However, there are a couple of books that I’ve read and loved, or that I’ve flicked through and can’t wait to get to grips with now I’ve submitted. So here’s another selection of gift ideas.
The Epigenetics Revolution by Nessa Carey
Nessa is a former senior lecturer in molecular biology at Imperial College London. I first encountered her when she came to my department in Bristol and gave a talk in which she used marshmallows and strawberry bootlaces to explain the concept of DNA methylation. It stuck with me, so when I saw she’d written a book about epigenetics I had to read it. It’s a complicated concept to grasp, and while I wouldn’t describe this as an easy read, it turns out that Nessa has a great way of explaining tricky concepts in writing, as well as in her talks. If you’re interested in questions such as “why aren’t identical twins completely identical?” this is a great place to find the answers.
Smashing Physics by Jon Butterworth
Apparently Peter Higgs himself is a fan of this book, which documents life at CERN, the large hadron collider, and what it was like being involved in the hunt for the Higgs boson. I’m a big fan of Jon’s blog here on the Guardian Science Blog Network, so it’s an absolute pleasure to read something long-form from him. It’s also a fascinating insight into the scientific process more generally, and the sheer scale of a project like those run at CERN. Highly recommended.
Sciku – the wonders of science in Haiku! by Students of the Camden School for Girls
I first became aware of this book when a friend sent me the YouTube video of some of the authors reading their haikus. Not only is it a great read – I’ve always been a fan of haikus, and science, so that’s a win-win already – but all the royalties from the book are going towards modernising the school’s science lab. What’s not to like?
Sex on Earth by Jules Howard
This is the first book from Sigma, the hotly anticipated new science imprint from Bloomsbury Publishing. And it doesn’t disappoint. Jules is a very engaging writer, and his use of puns for chapter titles is exemplary (“Jurassic Pork”, anyone?). However, when you tell friends you’re reading a book “about animal sex” you can get some funny looks – you have been warned.
Storm by Tim Minchin, with DC Turner and Tracy King
I don’t know whether this really counts as a science book, but it’s brilliant regardless. A graphic novel of one of Tim Minchin’s poems, describing a dinner-party encounter with a woman called Storm, and how challenging it is to sit politely while someone delights in homeopathy, or other alternative medicines with no proved efficacy. The book itself is a thing of great beauty, and the poem a hilarious and thought-provoking rebuttal of those views, and a wide-eyed celebration of the exquisite beauty that can be found in science and rationality.
Others worth checking out:
I Think You’ll Find it’s a Bit More Complicated Than That by Ben Goldacre (a collection of Ben’s articles, compiled to form what he describes as an “epidemiology toilet book”. I wholeheartedly approve)
The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being by Alice Roberts (this is top of my Christmas wishlist – Alice describes the secrets of our evolutionary past hidden within us).
Science … for Her! by Megan Amran (a deeply silly and hilarious look at science through the lens of women’s magazines – comparing Marie Curie to Marie Claire, for example).
Stuff Matters by Mark Miodownik (another on my wishlist – Mark’s book about the wonders of materials won the Royal Society Winton prize this year).
