Popular Science

These books span a wide range of scientific disciplines, including environmental and plant intelligence studies, astrobiology and physics, public health histories, and captivating explorations of animal behavior and Earth's prehistoric past.

Updated June 7, 2026
Rochester Public Library RPL Staff
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Popular Science

These books span a wide range of scientific disciplines, including environmental and plant intelligence studies, astrobiology and physics, public health histories, and captivating explorations of animal behavior and Earth's prehistoric past.

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Soil : the story of a Black mother's garden
Dungy, Camille T.
Paper Book
A seminal work that expands how we talk about the natural world and the environment as National Book Critics Circle Criticism finalist Camille T. Dungy diversifies her garden to reflect her heritage. In Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden, poet and...
The Martians : the true story of an alien craze that captured turn-of-the-century America
Baron, David
Paper Book
"There is Life on the Planet Mars" --New York Times, December 9, 1906 This New York Times headline was no joke. In the early 1900s, many Americans actually believed we had discovered intelligent life on Mars, as best-selling science writer David Baron...
The serviceberry : abundance and reciprocity in the natural world
Kimmerer, Robin Wall
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world....
Our moon : how Earth's celestial companion transformed the planet, guided evolution, and made us who we are
Boyle, Rebecca
Paper Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD * NATIONAL BESTSELLER * "A riveting feat of science writing that recasts that most familiar of celestial objects into something eerily extraordinary, pivotal to our history, and awesome in the original sense of the word."--Ed Yong, New York Times...
Everything is tuberculosis : the history and persistence of our deadliest infection
Green, John
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestseller * #1 Washington Post bestseller * #1 Indie Bestseller * USA Today Bestseller John Green, award-winning author and passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world's...
The light eaters : how the unseen world of plant intelligence offers a new understanding of life on Earth
Schlanger, Zoe?
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The New Yorker's Best Books of 2024 * TIME's 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2024 * New York Magazine's 10 Best Books of the Year * Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction of 2024 *...
Challenger : a true story of heroism and disaster on the edge of space
Higginbotham, Adam
Paper Book
Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in Nonfiction * Winner of the Kirkus Nonfiction Prize * Shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction * A New York Times Notable Book NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "Stunning...A heart-pounding...
What if we get it right? : visions of climate futures
Johnson, Ayana Elizabeth
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . "With a thoughtfully curated series of essays, poetry, and conversations, the brilliant scientist and climate expert Ayana Elizabeth Johnson has assembled a group of dynamic people who are willing to imagine what seems impossible, and articulate those visions...
What if? : serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions
Munroe, Randall
Paper Book
From the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd, a hilarious and informative book of popular science that provides answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask. Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. His stick...
The singularity is nearer : when we merge with Al
Kurzweil, Ray
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF TIME'S 100 MOST INFLUENTUAL PEOPLE IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE The noted inventor and futurist's successor to his landmark book The Singularity Is Near explores how technology will transform the human race in the...
Gut check : unleash the power of your microbiome to reverse disease and transform your mental, physical, and emotional health
Gundry, Steven R.
Paper Book
In this groundbreaking addition to his New York Times bestselling Plant Paradox series, Steven R.Gundry, MD offers a definitive guide to the gut biome and its control over its home--us!--revealing the unimaginably complex and intelligent ecosystem controlling our health and...
Why we remember : unlocking memory's power to hold on to what matters
Ranganath, Charan
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER * Memory is far more than a record of the past. In this groundbreaking tour of the mind and brain, one of the world's top memory researchers reveals the powerful role memory plays in nearly every aspect of our lives,...
What the chicken knows : a new appreciation of the world's most familiar bird
Montgomery, Sy
Paper Book
A charming and eye-opening exploration of the special relationship between humans and chickens from Sy Montgomery, "one of our finest chroniclers of the natural world" (The New York Times). For more than two decades, Sy Montgomery--whose The Soul of an...
Better living through birding : notes from a Black man in the natural world
Cooper, Christian
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLER . Central Park birder Christian Cooper takes us beyond the viral video that shocked a nation and into a world of avian adventures, global excursions, and the unexpected lessons you can learn from a life spent looking up. "Wondrous . . ....
Air-borne : the hidden history of the life we breathe
Zimmer, Carl
Paper Book
One of Smithsonian Magazine's Ten Best Science Books of 2025 The fascinating, untold story of the air we breathe, the hidden life it contains, and invisible dangers that can turn the world upside down Every day we draw in two thousand gallons of air-...
Every living thing : the great and deadly race to know all life
Roberts, Jason (President of Panmedia Corporation)
Paper Book
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER * An epic, extraordinary account of scientific rivalry and obsession in the quest to survey all of life on Earth "[An] engaging and thought-provoking book, one focused on the theatrical politics and often deeply troubling science that shape our...
Quantum supremacy : how the quantum computer revolution will change everything
Kaku, Michio
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * An exhilarating tour of humanity's next great technological achievement--quantum computing--which may supercharge artificial intelligence, solve some of humanity's biggest problems, like global warming, world hunger, and incurable disease, and eventually...
Merlin's tour of the universe : a traveler's guide to blue moons and black holes, Mars, stars & everything far
Tyson, Neil deGrasse
Paper Book
A USA Today bestseller! The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry takes readers on an entertaining and edifying tour of the universe. In Neil deGrasse Tyson's delightful journey through the cosmos, his fictional character Merlin responds to...
They poisoned the world : life and death in the age of forever chemicals
Blake, Mariah
Paper Book
"Riveting . . . Blake's deft chronicle of one of the greatest moral scandals of our time [is] a book that none of us can afford to miss."--The Washington Post A gripping investigation of the chemical industry's decades-long campaign to hide the dangers of forever...
Grizzly confidential : an astounding journey into the secret life of North America's most fearsome predator
Grange, Kevin
Paper Book
In Grizzly Confidential, author Kevin Grange--former paramedic and park ranger at Yellowstone and Grand Teton--comes face-to-face with North America's most fearsome predator, Ursus Arctos. His quest takes him from his home in the Tetons to an eerie, mist-shrouded island of gigantic bruins;...
Sing like fish : how sound rules life under water
Kingdon, Amorina
Paper Book
A captivating exploration of how underwater animals tap into sound to survive, and a clarion call for humans to address the ways we invade these critical soundscapes--from an award-winning science writer "Sing Like Fish is that rare book that makes you see the world...
The inner clock : living in sync with our circadian rhythms
Peeples, Lynne
Paper Book
"A rich history of what makes us tick, so to speak, paired with fascinating modern discoveries about how circadian rhythms influence our daily lives" --The Wall Street Journal How the groundbreaking science of circadian rhythms can help you sleep better, feel happier...
To infinity and beyond : a journey of cosmic discovery
Tyson, Neil deGrasse
Paper Book
This enlightening illustrated narrative by the world's most celebrated astrophysicist explains the universe from the solar system to the farthest reaches of space with authority and humor. No one can make the mysteries of the universe more comprehensible and fun than Neil...
Hope dies last : visionary people across the world, fighting to find us a future
Weisman, Alan
Paper Book
One of Heatmap's 18 Climate Books to Read in 2025 The award-winning environmental journalist's extraordinary, long-awaited portrait of hope and resilience as we face a fractured and uncertain future In this profoundly human and moving narrative, the...
Alien earths : the new science of planet hunting in the cosmos
Kaltenegger, Lisa
Paper Book
"Kaltenegger's breezy narrative style invites you to experience with her the challenges and joys of being a scientist on the frontier of discovery." --Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist, American Museum of Natural History "Horizon-expanding... [Kaltenegger] has...
The catalyst : RNA and the quest to unlock life's deepest secrets
Cech, Thomas
Paper Book
For over half a century, DNA has dominated science and the popular imagination as the "secret of life." But over the last several decades, a quiet revolution has taken place. In a series of breathtaking discoveries, the biochemist Thomas R. Cech and a diverse cast of brilliant scientists have...
Valley of forgetting : Alzheimer's families and the search for a cure
Smith, Jennie Erin
Paper Book
A WALL STREET JOURNAL TOP 10 BOOK OF 2025 ALSO NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2025 BY THE NEW YORKER AND THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY "Valley of Forgetting reminds us that scientific progress is measured not only in breakthroughs but also through the sacrifices...
Rethinking diabetes : what science reveals about diet, insulin, and successful treatments
Taubes, Gary
Paper Book
An eye-opening investigation into the history of diabetes research and treatment by the award-winning journalist and best-selling author of Why We Get Fat * "[Gary] Taubes's meticulous, science-based work makes him the Bryan Stevenson of nutrition, an early voice in the wilderness for...
When it all burns : fighting fire in a transformed world
Thomas, Jordan (Anthropologist)
Paper Book
2025 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST CALIFORNIA BOOK AWARD GOLD MEDAL WINNER FINALIST FOR THE LA TIMES BOOK PRIZE NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY AND KIRKUS "Exceptional. . . . When It All Burns is one of those books that...
Birding to change the world : a memoir
O'Kane, Trish
Paper Book
In this uplifting memoir, a professor and activist shares what birds can teach us about life, social change, and protecting the environment. Trish O'Kane is an accidental ornithologist. In her nearly two decades writing about justice as an investigative journalist, she'd...
How to win friends and influence fungi : collected quirks of science, tech, engineering, and math from nerd nite
Balakrishnan, Chris
Paper Book
In the vein of acclaimed popular-science bestsellers such as Atlas Obscura, Astrophysics for Young People in a Hurry, The Way Things Work, What If?, and Undeniable, the co-founders of the global science organization Nerd Nite bring readers a collection of...
The birds that Audubon missed : discovery and desire in the American wilderness
Kaufman, Kenn
Paper Book
Renowned naturalist Kenn Kaufman examines the scientific discoveries of John James Audubon and his artistic and ornithologist peers in this fascinating "blend of history, science, art, biography, and memoir" (Booklist, starred review). Raging ambition. Towering egos....
Doctors by nature : how ants, apes, and other animals heal themselves
De Roode, Jaap
Paper Book
The astonishing story of how animals use medicine and what it can teach us about healing ourselves Ages before the dawn of modern medicine, wild animals were harnessing the power of nature's pharmacy to heal themselves. Doctors by Nature reveals what researchers are now...
Superfoods, silkworms, and spandex : science and pseudoscience in everyday life
Schwarcz, Joe
Paper Book
In this new collection of bite-size pop science essays, bestselling author, chemistry professor, and radio broadcaster Dr. Joe Schwarcz shows that you can find science virtually anywhere you look. And the closer you look, the more fascinating it becomes. In this volume, we look through our...
Twelve trees : the deep roots of our future
Lewis, Daniel
Paper Book
A compelling global exploration of nature and survival as seen via a dozen species of trees, offering "extensive insight into the ways in which humans and trees are interconnected" (BookPage), revealing the challenges facing our planet and how scientists are working urgently to save our...
The song of the cell : an exploration of medicine and the new human
Mukherjee, Siddhartha
Paper Book
Winner of the 2023 PROSE Award for Excellence in Biological and Life Sciences and the 2023 Chautauqua Prize! Named a New York Times Notable Book and a Best Book of the Year by The Economist, Oprah Daily, BookPage, Book Riot, the New York Public...
The allure of the multiverse : extra dimensions, other worlds, and parallel universes
Halpern, Paul
Paper Book
"A rich and rewarding history of one of the most astounding ideas in physics and astronomy" (Marcia Bartusiak) - that the universe we know isn't the only one   Our books, our movies--our imaginations--are obsessed with extra dimensions, alternate...
The story of astrophysics in five revolutions
Vaudo, Ersilia
Paper Book
When Neil Armstrong first set foot in the lunar dust, the Earth held its breath. That one small step forever changed our view of what was possible, sparking a dramatic expansion of humankind's cosmic awareness. When we gain a new perspective, a transformation begins, profoundly altering the...
When the ice is gone : what a Greenland ice core reveals about Earth's tumultuous history and perilous future
Bierman, Paul
Paper Book
In 2018, lumps of frozen soil, collected from the bottom of the world's first deep ice core and lost for decades, reappeared in Denmark. When geologist Paul Bierman and his team first melted a piece of this unique material, they were shocked to find perfectly preserved leaves, twigs, and moss....
Adventures in volcanoland : what volcanoes tell us about the world and ourselves
Mather, Tamsin A.
Paper Book
*A Library Journal Best Book of 2024* A mix of memoir, travel and popular science, charting journeys across deserts, through jungles and up ice caps, to some of the most important volcanoes around the world In this captivating book from one of...
Insectopolis : a natural history
Kuper, Peter
Paper Book
This visually immersive work of graphic nonfiction dives into a world where ants, cicadas, bees, and butterflies visit a library exhibition that displays their stories and humanity's connection to them throughout the ages. Kuper's thrilling visual feast layers history and science, color and...
Becoming Earth : how our planet came to life
Jabr, Ferris
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A vivid account of a major shift in how we understand Earth, from an exceptionally talented new voice. Earth is not simply an inanimate planet on which life evolved, but rather a planet that came to life. "Glorious . . . full of achingly beautiful...
The decline and fall of the human empire : why our species is on the edge of extinction
Gee, Henry
Paper Book
By the award-winning author of A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth: a history of humanity on the brink of decline. A Next Big Idea Club Must-Read Selection We are living through a period that is unique in human history. For the first time in more...
Amphibious soul : finding the wild in a tame world
Foster, Craig (Filmmaker)
Paper Book
"An important book that will transform how we think about being human. ... that will inspire hope."--Jane Goodall How can we reclaim the soul-deepening wildness that grounds us and energizes us when so much of the modern world seems designed to tame us? In this thrilling memoir of a...
Nuts & bolts : seven small inventions that changed the world (in a big way)
Agrawal, Roma
Paper Book
Shortlisted for the 2023 Royal Society Science Book Prize A structural engineer examines the seven most basic building blocks of engineering that have shaped the modern world. Some of humanity's mightiest engineering achievements are small in scale--and, without them,...
How to change your mind : what the new science of psychedelics teaches us about consciousness, dying, addiction, depression, and transcendence
Pollan, Michael
Paper Book
"Pollan keeps you turning the pages . . . cleareyed and assured." --New York Times A #1 New York Times Bestseller, New York Times Book Review 10 Best Books of 2018, and New York Times Notable Book A brilliant and brave investigation into...
Astrophysics for people in a hurry
Tyson, Neil deGrasse
Paper Book
Over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and more than a million copies sold. The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist. What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit...
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