Find a fun science book to read! Check out the collection of books and DVDs on display, including recommendations from students and staff in the SFU community. Discover a gem that kick-starts your intrigue in science, or find a book that becomes a new favourite!
The ancestor's tale : a pilgrimage to the dawn of life by Richard Dawkins
"My vote is for "The Ancestor's Tale" by Richard Dawkins. It's now a little dated but still a wonderful book."
Recommended by Peter Ruben, Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology
The clock of the long now : time and responsibility [print] by Stewart Brand
"Everything seems to be continually accelerating, and everyone wants the next technological toy. Business can only think in terms of the next quarter profits. People in general find it hard to really think 'long term'. This book is an antidote to that. Stewart Brand (author of the Whole earth catalog) introduces the concept of long-term responsibility. Two monuments are proposed that will encapsulate this idea and inspire long-term thinking - a clock that only ticks once a year, and a 10,000 year library."
Recommended by Penny Swanson, retired Head, Library Cataloguing
The disappearing spoon by Sam Kean
"My favourite science book is about all of the chemical elements. It is written like a detective novel. It makes you think about the elements in an entirely different way- and- you remember them after reading this book."
Recommended by Pat Baird, Department of Biological Sciences
A drop of water by Walter Wick
"This book has beautiful images of the properties of water - properties that make life possible as we know it. With simple descriptions of how water behaves, it inspires an appreciation for the chemistry of water. Water is such a fascinating and unique chemical!"
Recommended by Elyse Neufeld, Librarian
Einstein's dreams by Alan Lightman
"The most abstract and bizzare ideas of physics, to many people, veer into the semi-mystical realm. While woo-woo metaphysics solicit groans and eye-rolling from physicists, it's easy to see how the ideas could attract such attention, especially when paired with sound bites from some of the great minds of the early 20th century. This book is a series of short-story/thought-experiment musings that satisfy that while remaining scientifically sound."
Recommended by: Megan Boothby, Let’s Talk Science at SFU
Ever since Darwin: reflections on natural history [print] by Stephen Jay Gould
"This was my first experience with a Science Writer who made evolutionary ecology read as interesting as any fantasy novel."
Recommended by Christine Bishop, Department of Biological Sciences
Feynman by Jim Ottaviani & Lelan Myrick
"This captivating graphic biography of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman follows him from his childhood on Long Island through the Manhattan Project to his work decoding the Challenger disaster. A brilliant story teller, safecracker, mischief maker, and innovator in the mysterious field of quantum electrodynamics, Feyman's work changed the world, and this graphic representation makes you want to learn more about him and his work."
Recommended by Jenna Thomson, Liaison Librarian for Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, & Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, Learning and Instructional Services
A Field Guide to Western Birds [print] by Roger Tory Peterson
"My uncle gave me this book as a gift back in the 90s. It collected dust until a few years ago when I began to notice species in my new neighborhood and on trips to the gulf islands. This edition is a little outdated now, but for a beginner birder like me, it's useful in the field and relaxing to flip through before falling asleep. It's helped me identify killdeer, belted kingfishers, red winged blackbirds, osprey, and most recently stunning waxwings."
Recommended by Cristen Polley, AskAway Coordinator, BC Electronic Library Network
Frozen fauna of the Mammoth Steppe: the story of Blue Babe [print] by R. Dale Guthrie
"This book starts with the discovery of a very well preserved specimen of an extinct bison, frozen for 40,000 years in the Alaska permafrost. It is a great piece of popular science writing, because it shows how paleontologists can bring to life ecosystems that no longer exist on the earth - in this case a vast cold climate grassland that supported a remarkable diversity of large herbivores and the predators (ranging from giant bears to lions) that preyed on them. The book also reminds us that all ecosystems are both transient and contingent on historical accidents, and emphasizes the value of studying the past in order to better understand the present."
Recommended by Jon Driver, Department of Archaeology
The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
"A beautifully written non-fiction page turner about science, ethics, race, and class. Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman who died of cervical cancer in Baltimore in 1951. Some of her cells were taken without her knowledge and cultivated into HeLa cells, which became a basis for medical research into polio vaccines, cloning, AIDS, cancer, gene mapping and more. The medical-ethical questions at the centre of this story haunted me for a long time after I had finished the book, specifically, the depiction of a ruthless pursuit of “cure” over consideration of individual human consequences."
Recommended by Gwen Bird, University Librarian
Lives of a cell [print] by Lewis Thomas
"Imagine Michel de Montaigne writing his Essays after a long career as a health scientist and administrator. These elegant short pieces demonstrate how close science can be in spirit to poetry and music, and how rewarding for our understanding of ourselves."
Recommended by Mark Fettes, Faculty of Education
The mismeasure of man [print] by Stephen Jay Gould
"I think it was the combination of engaging writing, dead-on critical analysis, scientific evidence, and shocking social and historical context that really captured my imagination. I think it spurred my own critical thinking process and had a lifelong positive effect in that regard."
Recommended by Ruth Silverman, Student Learning Commons
Moonbird : a year on the wind with the great survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose
"A great [book] for inspiring people’s interest in ornithology and conservation. Even after being in the bio world for 30+ years, I read Moonbird just a couple years ago and the bird’s travel and the people that work to conserve the habitats for this bird are equally inspiring."
Recommended by Christine Bishop, Department of Biological Sciences
Silent spring by Rachel Carson
"With the publication of this book in 1962, Rachel Carson brought concerns around chemicals like DDT to popular attention. She galvanized what would become the environmental movement which led to national policy changes and the creation of the EPA in the US. This book is emblematic of the impacts of 'knowledge translation' and of speaking truth to power."
Recommended by Heather De Forest, Community Scholars Librarian
Stand [DVD] by b4apres Media
"STAND takes us on a journey through the waters of BC’s west coast into the heart of the largest temperate rainforest on the planet—the Great Bear Rainforest. Pristine ecosystems and a coastline of immense beauty provide for a way of life rich in culture and history. Yet this complex area, and the First Nations communities that it supports, face numerous challenges including proposed energy transport routes. Through the efforts of expedition standup paddler Norm Hann, the powerful surfing of iconic west coast native Raph Bruhwiler, and an aboriginal high school class building their own standup paddleboards as a constructive form of protest, STAND showcases the diversity of people, landscapes and wildlife to inspire us to protect, preserve and conserve the riches that this unique area offers."
Recommended by Allison Kermode, Department of Biological Sciences
Mathematical models [print] by H. Martyn Cundy and A. P.Rollett
"Shapes we didn't think of, linkages we hadn't discovered, the drawing of loci and envelopes and the construction of plane tessellations. A delight for 60 years, A mathematician's playground."
Recommended by William Lee
Mathematics for the million [print] by Lancelot Hogben
"Math is important is a strong message and it leads from history of number theory to the higher levels of calculus and probability. David Mumford, winner of mathematics' Fields Medal in 1974 was drawn to math by this title."
Recommended by William Lee
