Nothing in our wardrobe feels better than our smarty pants. Geeking out is as natural to us as breathing and it makes perfect “science” that our geekery would attract other geeks. Our nonfiction sections have become more popular than ever across every age group. One area in particular has seen an influx of interesting new titles and changing perspectives — science. More than ever, writers are exploring scientific ideas and theories. Toss out your 8th grade snooze-fest science texts because these titles are engaging and fresh, funny and thought provoking. They are also accessible, no Ph.D. required to read, understand or enjoy them. Select any subject on the scientific spectrum and there is a recent title to help you explore it. Let’s look at some of the latest science nonfiction.

Science Nonfiction

The Evolution of Useful Things by Henry Petroski explores the history of objects often overlooked. Imagine a world without forks, paper clips or zippers. Things would be much more difficult if necessity had not been the mother of invention and great ideas had not been brought forth. How did we get these tools? Who had that brain storm? What did we do before they came along? Find out in this well-researched work. Next time someone wonders out loud how Post-its were created, you will know.

Sun in a Bottle by Charles Seife takes a look at the “strange history of fusion” and the science of wishful thinking. At once funny, tragic and insightful, this work leaves you in awe and have you understanding the basics of nuclear fusion. Honestly! It’s amazing. Learn about the “tragic and comic pursuit” of the biggest source of energy in our solar system. In this journey, Seife covers the politics, military history and eventual fame of its inventors.

If you are interested in another Big Bang, try After the First Three Minutes by T. Padmanabhan. This surprisingly lean text brilliantly covers the story of our universe without resorting to overdrawn explanations or complicated mathematics. A layman’s dream, this work gives you the most up to date information in cosmology and a basic understanding of where we stand in our universe.

Our anti-censorship stance pushes us toward What is Your Dangerous Idea? by John Brockman. Subtitled Today’s Leading Thinkers on the Unthinkable, this work covers ideas from Copernicus’ time to today. Many of our most important ideas came from free thinkers in history. These thinkers took great risks to go against the current ideology to move our knowledge forward, some at great personal expense. Take a look at these brave brains and ask yourself, “what ideas are next?”

With so many exciting titles to cover, you may as well stop in to Bookmans and head back to science for an hour or two of browsing. Learn something you did know, or thought you could understand. Surprise yourself with just how interesting and often funny science and scientific history can be. The best part is you too can put on those uber flattering smarty pants to win a round in Jeopardy.

* Bookmans is the store in Arizona for browsing, but we don’t guarantee stock. If you are looking for a specific title, give us a call and we’d be happy to check our orange shelves.