Science Book Chat discussion

In the Guardian, Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg lists 13 books he thinks form a good introduction to science for an audience that doesn't know much about science.

But I and others think that the books he list are not very accessible at all!

In response, Rebekah Higgit asks what books others would recommend, and starts her list with a book that genuinely has been popular among a wide audience (Silent Spring).

Chad Orzel made his own list of recommendations, which is also much more accessible than Weinberg's.

But meanwhile, Scicurious asks what the point of recommending books is in the first place. Looking at Weinberg's list, he isn't genuinely recommending what YOU should read, but he's sharing what he likes and showing off a bit.

She writes:

"I realized the people telling me to read specific lists of books were people interested in upholding the status quo. People who were invested in the current lists of “What Makes you look Smart,” because they had already ticked off those lists. Most of these people were not smarter than I was. Most were not better educated. Most were not even interesting people."

So what do you think? Do you recommend books to people? Do you think Weinberg's list is a good introduction, or do you prefer Orzel's? And does Scicurious' blog post make you think about your use of Goodreads? Why do YOU recommend books?

It's tricky, right? To some extent, Weinberg is highlighting important topics rather than "must read" books -- I mean, Origin of Species is terrific, and terrifically important -- but surely there are more up to date (and yes, accessible) books for those curious about evolution. (Even one of the Darwin biographies -- and there are several very good ones -- would probably be more illuminating for someone new to the subject, rather than Darwin's own book.)

Also, The Elegant Universe is a *really tough read*!

And... five of Weinberg's thirteen titles are basically variations on a theme, all of them dealing with the origin of the universe and current puzzles in cosmology and particle physics. That happens to be one of my favourite topics -- but still, no need for it to make up 38% of the list. :)

Weinberg's list is probable good for someone who has decided to dedicate themselves to learning science. I agree that these books aren't very accessible to someone without an understanding of science or a real interest in learning a topic in-depth. Someone with just a passing interest would be totally turned-off I can imagine. Let's face it, these aren't light reads.

I've been called (accused of being) well-read. I love reading, and I've read some of the heavies. But, I feel like a jerk talking about them sometimes. I've definitely had people talk-down what I read. It's off-putting. I do make book recommendations, but I try to genuinely think about what the person may enjoy. If I don't really know what they're into, I'll try to recommend something engaging. I think we just need to keep a sense of humor about ourselves and our tastes, not everyone is going to enjoy the same thing. I'd rather see someone reading what they enjoy than turn people off of reading because of book snobbery.