What Are the Best Enjoyable Science Books for Commuting?

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The discussion centers around recommendations for enjoyable and educational popular science books suitable for commuting. Participants express their appreciation for works by Carl Sagan and G.H. Hardy, highlighting titles like "The Elegant Universe" and "A Mathematician's Apology." Other suggested readings include Brian Greene's "The Hidden Reality," Richard Feynman's "QED," and Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time." Biographies and accounts related to scientists, particularly those involved in the Manhattan Project, are also of interest, with mentions of "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" and a desire for a biography of Werner Heisenberg. The use of second-hand book websites like Alibris is recommended for sourcing these titles. Overall, the thread emphasizes a blend of scientific insight and engaging storytelling in the suggested literature.
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Hey all,

I am going to be commuting quite a lot soon here and was looking to up my arsenal of science books to read (enjoyably).

I've read books by Carl Sagan recently and have loved them. Books like a Mathematicians Apology by G.H. Hardy were also great.

I guess, I am looking for some popular science books that will teach me a thing or two, while still being enjoyable, while I commute to school.

Any suggestions/links is welcome. :D
 
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Springer Handbook of Spacetime Hardcover – July 7, 2014
by Abhay Ashtekar (Editor), Vesselin Petkov.. I haven't read this book yet.

or his older book.
100 Years of Relativity: Space-time Structure Einstein And Beyond.. My personal fav. Scarlet eyes.^^

.
 
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RJLiberator said:
Hey all,

I am going to be commuting quite a lot soon here and was looking to up my arsenal of science books to read (enjoyably).

I've read books by Carl Sagan recently and have loved them. Books like a Mathematicians Apology by G.H. Hardy were also great.

I guess, I am looking for some popular science books that will teach me a thing or two, while still being enjoyable, while I commute to school.

Any suggestions/links is welcome. :D

The Elegant Universe and The Hidden Reality, by Brian Greene are very enjoyable for me.

Six Easy Pieces, Six Not So Easy Pieces, and QED by Feynman are also good.
 
Thanks for the recommendations guys. I appreciate it. I have read "The Elegant Universe" and it was a fantastic read. I may need to check out The Hidden Reality to top it off.

julcab, I will do research on your books as soon as I have a moment.

Keep 'em coming PF. :D
 
'Quantum Physics' Alastair I.M. Rae (Beginners Guides).so far i am enjoying.

it Opens Computer Scientist's Mind.
 
Soul of the Night by Chet Raymo
(like Sagan, Raymo makes the universe soulful)
 
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking.
 
A few of my favorites (That I need to read again);

Hyperspace by Michio Kaku
Mining the Sky by John S. Lewis
Black Holes and Time Warps by Kip S. Thorne
Q is for Quantum by John Gribbin (Encyclopedia)
The Great Scientists by John Farndon
 
You can't go wrong with QED by Feynman and The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. Also, I thought The Cosmic Landscape by Leonard Susskind was a good read.
 
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I was trying to find a good book about Werner Heisenberg (a biography) and this one seemed to be good enough but it's not available in the bookstores I normally buy from..
I think it has been discontinued? Does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm also up for biographies of other scientists or perhaps books about the Manhattan project..
 
  • #11
DataGG said:
I was trying to find a good book about Werner Heisenberg (a biography) and this one seemed to be good enough but it's not available in the bookstores I normally buy from..
I think it has been discontinued? Does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm also up for biographies of other scientists or perhaps books about the Manhattan project..

I use a website called alibris for finding second hand books and textbooks.

Have you read "Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman!" by Ralph Leighton?

It's not so much a biography, but an account of some of the things Feynman got up to whilst working on the Manhattan project, teaching in Brazil, etc.

It is highly entertaining, but very informal.
 
  • #12
BOAS said:
I use a website called alibris for finding second hand books and textbooks.

Have you read "Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman!" by Ralph Leighton?

It's not so much a biography, but an account of some of the things Feynman got up to whilst working on the Manhattan project, teaching in Brazil, etc.

It is highly entertaining, but very informal.

Hello BOAS,

Thank you for the suggestion. I've read both "Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman" and "Not always joking Mr. Feynman". I also have his QED book but I haven't read that one just yet.
 
  • #13
If you liked Mathematician's Apology you might like The Indian Clerk by David Leavitt, which is a well written fictionalized account of Hardy's dealings with the peculiar Indian math genius, Ramanujan.
 
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