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The Bookshelf

Some Recommended Titles for Light Reading

Many of these books and magazines are in the Grenfell campus library.

Biographies & Autobiographies

[o] My Life: Recollections of a Nobel Laureate, Max Born
[o] Einstein - The Life and Times, Ronald W. Clark
[o] Galileo at Work, Stillman Drake
[o] "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!", Richard P. Feynman
[o] "What Do You Care What Other People Think?", Richard P. Feynman
Feynman is perhaps the only person in the world to have been judged both mentally incompetent by a U.S. Army psychiatrist and worthy of a Nobel Prize by the Swedish Academy. Besides having been one of the world's greatest physicists, he was a safe cracker, a creative artist, played in a Brazilian samba band, and solved the riddle of the Challenger shuttle explosion. These two books are filled with anecdotes from a fascinating life.
[o] Neils Bohr: A Centenary Volume, Edited by A.P. French and P.J. Kennedy
[o] Genius, James Gleick
The biography of Richard Feynman written by a long-time personal friend.
[o] Harriet Brooks, Marelene Rayner-Canham and Geoffrey Rayner-Canham
[o] Galileo's Daughter, Dana Sobel
The recent best-seller about Galileo's life as revealed in his daughter's letters
[o] Pioneers of Science: Nobel Prize Winners in Physics, Robert Weber
[o] Never at Rest: A Biography of Isaac Newton, Richard S. Westfall

Astronomy

[o]Atoms, Stars, and Nebulae, Lawrence Aller
[o] Cosmic Dawn, Eric Chaisson
Written in clear, non-technical terms, the book covers cosmic evolution - the concept of inter-relatedness that traces the transformation of simple atoms into galaxies, stars, planets, and life.
[o] Galaxies, Timothy Ferris
A "coffee-table book" with lots of full colour pictures and descriptions of nearby and distant galaxies of all shapes, sizes and colours.
[o] The History of the Universe, Stephen Hawking
[o] Black Holes, Baby Universes, and Other Essays, Stephen Hawking
[o] From Quarks to the Cosmos, Leon M. Lederman and David N. Schramm
(Scientific American Library)
[o] Watchers of the Stars, Patrick Moore
[o] Exploring Planetary Worlds, David Morrison
(Scientific American Library)
[o] Stardust to Planets, Harry McSween, Jr.
[o] Comet, Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan
[o] The Hubble Atlas of Galaxies, Alan Sandage
A must-see book, this is in the reference section of the library. Although originally designed for researchers, it shows the awe-inspiring diversity of galaxy shapes and sizes. 
[o] The Big Bang, Joseph Silk
[o] The First Three Minutes, Steven Weinberg
[o] The New Cosmic Onion, Frank Close
An updated popular level explanation of new cosmological theories, including multi-universes
[o] The Telescope: Its History, Technology, and Future, Geoff Andersen
A non-technical introduction, just in time for the 400th anniversary of Galileo's celestial use of the telescope.

Physics

[o] Particle Century, edited by Gordon Fraser
[o] Fly in the Cathedral, Brian Cathcart
[o] Making of the Atomic Bomb, Richard Rhodes
An incredible account of early modern physics and how the discovery of fission developed into the Manhatten Project.
[o] The Hunting of the Quark, Michael Riordan
[o] Facts and Mysteries in Elementary Particle Physics, Martinus Veltman
A comprehensive overview of some of the greatest discoveries in 20th century science, from Einstein's theory of relativity to the Higg's particle.
[o]Flatland, Edwin A. Abbott
This science fiction classic about life in a two-dimensional world will help you understand relativity and other concepts of modern science better than most texts.
[o] A Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown, Edited by Robert A. Baker
A collection of essays of satiric science and scientific satire. One of the great nonsense classics in science.
[o] The Character of Physical Law, Richard Feynman
Based on a series of popular radio talks broadcast by the BBC, this non-technical collection is evidence for Feynman's reputation as a great teacher.
[o] 30 Years That Shook Physics, George Gamow
[o] Mr. Thompkins in Paperback, George Gamow
[o] Science - Good, Bad, And Bogus, Martin Gardner
Or anything else by the same author.
[o] The Elegant Universe, Brian Greene
A description of the development of the unified theory of superstrings.
 [o] Measuring the Earth with a Stick: Science as I've Seen It, Bob McDonald
Host of CBC Radio's Quirks and Quarks discusses the similarities between art and science.
[o] Powers of Ten, Philip and Phyllis Morrison
Based on the classic film of the same name by The Office of Charles and Ray Eames. (Scientific American Library)
[o] The Particle Garden, Gordon Kane
[o] The Particle Hunters, Ne'eman & Kirsh
[o] Perfect Symmetry, Heinz Pagels
[o] The Cosmic Code, Heinz Pagels
[o] From Atoms to Quarks, James Trefil
[o] A Random Walk in Science, compiled by Robert L. Weber
[o] More Random Walks in Science, compiled by Robert L. Weber
Two anthologies of anecdotes and humour related to science and intended for casual reading.

Popular Magazines

[o]Astronomy
A simply-written magazine for the beginning to intermediate amateur astronomer, with many beautiful photographs, and loads of information
[o]NewScientist
A weekly magazine with short, topical articles and news from the world of science. From Britain, but with a North American edition. Special student and new subscriber rates. Great deal!
[o]Scientific American
A magazine for the scientifically-minded person who wishes to keep informed in all branches of science
[o]Sky News
An amateur magazine published by the Museum of Natural History in Ottawa. Astronomy with a Canadian leaning.
[o]Sky & Telescope
A magazine for the intermediate to advanced amateur (and professional) astronomer, with astronomical history, how-to information on telescopes, cameras, and software, many photographs, and stories of international amateurs and observatories. The website can be set to give local sun and rise/set times.

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