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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Everything is tuberculosis : the history and persistence of our deadliest infection
Green, John
THE CELEBRATED INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, NOW IN PAPERBACK Tuberculosis has been entwined with hu-manity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed...
Challenger : a true story of heroism and disaster on the edge of space
Higginbotham, Adam
Paper Book
'Gripping' ED CAESAR * 'Masterly' GEOFF DYER * 'Incredible' TIM HARFORD * 'A universal story that transcends time' NEW YORK TIMES * 'Superb' DAILY TELEGRAPH * 'We know what's going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless' THE TIMES ** THE NEW...
What if? : serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions
Munroe, Randall
Paper Book
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Nerd royalty' BEN GOLDACRE 'Totally brilliant' TIM HARFORD 'Required reading across the world' NEW YORK TIMES From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, hilarious and informative answers to...
The elements of Marie Curie : how the glow of radium lit a path for women in science
Sobel, Dava
Paper Book
Dava Sobel, acclaimed and bestselling author of Longitude, chronicles the life and work of the most famous woman in the history of science - and the untold story of the young women who trained in her laboratory. 'A fresh and feminist study of the pioneering Nobel laureate...
Why we remember : unlocking memory's power to hold on to what matters
Ranganath, Charan
Paper Book
So much of what we think about memory is misguided. The pioneering memory researcher and neuroscientist Dr Charan Ranganath explains what your brain is really up to and reveals the powerful role memory plays in nearly every aspect of our lives.
Every living thing : the great and deadly race to know all life
Roberts, Jason (President of Panmedia Corporation)
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE 2025 PULITZER PRIZE FOR BIOGRAPHY An Economist book of the year 2024. The dramatic, globe-spanning and meticulously-researched story of two scientific rivals and their race to survey all life. In the 18th century, two men dedicated...
Quantum supremacy : how the quantum computer revolution will change everything
Kaku, Michio
Paper Book
An exhilarating guide to the astonishing future of quantum computing, from the international bestselling physicist The runaway success of the microchip processor may be nearing its end, with profound implications for our economy, society and way of life, even leaving Silicon...
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
Fully updated edition of the first book published by world-renowned astrophysicist and bestselling author Neil deGrasse Tyson.
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...
The secret life of the universe : an astrobiologist's search for the origins and frontiers of life
Cabrol, Nathalie A.
Paper Book
'A highly readable, entertaining and mind-expanding read from a formidable scientist' iNews 'A highly informative survey of the current state of astrobiology' Literary Review Over the last few decades, space exploration has revolutionised...
The ocean's menagerie : how earth's strangest creatures reshape the rules of life
Harvell, C. Drew
Paper Book
A transporting exploration of the deep sea, and how our planet's strangest, most ancient and astonishing creatures have urgent relevance to cutting-edge science today. Hundred-year-old giant clams, coral kingdoms the size and shape of cities, and jellyfish that glow in the dark-...
The secret history of sharks : the rise of the ocean's most fearsome predators
Long, John A.
Twelve trees : the deep roots of our future
Lewis, Daniel
Paper Book
*Chosen by Waterstones as one of their best Nature Writing Books of 2024, and by The Economist as one of their best books of 2024* 'A heartwarming guide to these fascinating giants of nature . . . A book that is full of surprises . . . Highly empathetic and informative'...
Why animals talk : the new science of animal communication
Kershenbaum, Arik
Paper Book
'Wonderful . . . Endlessly interesting and beautifully written' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Steady-headed and fun' SUNDAY TIMES 'Read this book and, I promise, you'll never listen to animals in the same way again' JESSICA PIERCE, author of Who's a Good Dog?<...
Impossible monsters : dinosaurs, Darwin, and the battle between science and religion
Taylor, Michael
Paper Book
Impossible Monsters is the captivating story of the discovery of the dinosaurs and how it upended our understanding of the origins of the world. 'An astonishing book about an extraordinary subject' PETER FRANKOPAN 'As thrilling as it is sweeping' TOM...
The song of the cell : an exploration of medicine and the new human
Mukherjee, Siddhartha
Paper Book
**Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2023** A NEW YORK TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, ECONOMIST, MAIL ON SUNDAY and GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR From the dawn of life itself, every being that has ever lived owes its existence to the cell.
Space oddities : the mysterious anomalies challenging our understanding of the universe
Cliff, Harry
Paper Book
'As fascinating as its title suggests . . . Cliff recounts with vivid clarity the stories of some of the most striking oddnesses that have lit up the landscape of modern physics.' - Philip PullmanNewly discovered strangenesses could transform our understanding of the fundamentals of physics - and of...
Adventures in volcanoland : what volcanoes tell us about the world and ourselves
Mather, Tamsin A.
Paper Book
Adventures in Volcanoland charts journeys across deserts, through jungles and up ice caps, to some of the world's most important volcanoes, from Nicaragua to Hawaii, Santorini to Ethiopia, exploring Tamsin Mather's obsession with these momentous geological formations, the cultural and...
The decline and fall of the human empire : why our species is on the edge of extinction
Gee, Henry
Paper Book
From the winner of the Royal Society Science Book Prize, a thrilling and thought-provoking account of the rise and fall of humankind. 'Brilliant' - The Times 'Hugely informative and entertaining' - New Scientist 'Put this at the head...
Nuts & bolts : seven small inventions that changed the world (in a big way)
Agrawal, Roma
Paper Book
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2023**AS HEARD ON RADIO 4 START THE WEEK, OFF AIR WITH FI AND JANE AND 99% INVISIBLE*'Delightful' TIM HARFORD, FINANCIAL TIMES'Appeals to the nerdy side of just about all of us... a great book to give' JANE...
Ends of the Earth : journeys to the polar regions in search of life, the cosmos, and our future
Shubin, Neil
Meet the scientists uncovering the secrets of Earth's harshest environments - the polar regions SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY TRIVEDI SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2025 AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Thrilling... This book is a reminder of how incredibly "cool" our...
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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