Natural Science Books

Showing 1-50 of 3,923
A Brief History of Time A Brief History of Time (Paperback)
by (shelved 51 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.21 — 471,976 ratings — published 1988
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The Origin of Species The Origin of Species (Hardcover)
by (shelved 50 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.01 — 120,945 ratings — published 1859
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The Selfish Gene The Selfish Gene (Paperback)
by (shelved 40 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.16 — 190,507 ratings — published 1976
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The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World (Hardcover)
by (shelved 39 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.07 — 86,917 ratings — published 2015
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A Short History of Nearly Everything A Short History of Nearly Everything (Paperback)
by (shelved 38 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.22 — 416,512 ratings — published 2003
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The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History (Hardcover)
by (shelved 30 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.15 — 78,193 ratings — published 2014
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The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World (Hardcover)
by (shelved 25 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.21 — 39,227 ratings — published 2018
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The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution (Hardcover)
by (shelved 24 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.16 — 55,761 ratings — published 2009
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What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (Hardcover)
by (shelved 23 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.14 — 193,142 ratings — published 2014
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Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures (Hardcover)
by (shelved 22 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.33 — 48,826 ratings — published 2020
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Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants (Hardcover)
by (shelved 22 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.51 — 164,375 ratings — published 2013
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Astrophysics for People in a Hurry Astrophysics for People in a Hurry (Hardcover)
by (shelved 21 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.08 — 202,635 ratings — published 2017
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Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Paperback)
by (shelved 21 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.34 — 1,225,535 ratings — published 2011
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Cosmos Cosmos (Mass Market Paperback)
by (shelved 21 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.40 — 156,987 ratings — published 1980
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Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses (Paperback)
by (shelved 19 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.38 — 19,617 ratings — published 2003
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Chaos: Making a New Science Chaos: Making a New Science (Paperback)
by (shelved 19 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.03 — 40,558 ratings — published 1987
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The Order of Time The Order of Time (Hardcover)
by (shelved 17 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.13 — 37,322 ratings — published 2017
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The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design (Paperback)
by (shelved 17 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.09 — 41,404 ratings — published 1986
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The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness (Hardcover)
by (shelved 16 times as natural-science)
avg rating 3.94 — 58,347 ratings — published 2015
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The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World (Hardcover)
by (shelved 15 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.32 — 29,018 ratings — published 2015
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The Structure of Scientific Revolutions The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Paperback)
by (shelved 15 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.03 — 29,467 ratings — published 1962
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Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds (Hardcover)
by (shelved 14 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.11 — 6,441 ratings — published 2022
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I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life (Hardcover)
by (shelved 14 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.18 — 30,965 ratings — published 2016
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Seven Brief Lessons on Physics Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (Hardcover)
by (shelved 14 times as natural-science)
avg rating 3.99 — 65,311 ratings — published 2014
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Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst (Hardcover)
by (shelved 13 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.38 — 30,488 ratings — published 2017
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The Genius of Birds The Genius of Birds (Hardcover)
by (shelved 13 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.04 — 13,231 ratings — published 2016
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The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution (Paperback)
by (shelved 13 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.15 — 28,555 ratings — published 2004
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Hardcover)
by (shelved 13 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.13 — 794,248 ratings — published 2010
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The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 13 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.06 — 58,977 ratings — published 2001
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The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (Hardcover)
by (shelved 13 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.19 — 209,502 ratings — published 2006
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Relativity: The Special and the General Theory Relativity: The Special and the General Theory (Paperback)
by (shelved 12 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.20 — 22,850 ratings — published 1916
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A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There (Paperback)
by (shelved 12 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.31 — 35,593 ratings — published 1949
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The Gene: An Intimate History The Gene: An Intimate History (Hardcover)
by (shelved 12 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.35 — 54,720 ratings — published 2016
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Why Evolution Is True Why Evolution Is True (Hardcover)
by (shelved 12 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.19 — 25,871 ratings — published 2008
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The World Without Us The World Without Us (Hardcover)
by (shelved 12 times as natural-science)
avg rating 3.81 — 43,115 ratings — published 2007
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The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory (Paperback)
by (shelved 12 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.10 — 101,593 ratings — published 1999
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The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal (Paperback)
by (shelved 12 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.08 — 28,458 ratings — published 1991
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Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body (Hardcover)
by (shelved 12 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.04 — 28,401 ratings — published 2008
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Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams (Hardcover)
by (shelved 11 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.37 — 220,013 ratings — published 2017
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Reality is Not What it Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity Reality is Not What it Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity (Hardcover)
by (shelved 11 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.33 — 16,204 ratings — published 2014
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Silent Spring Silent Spring (Paperback)
by (shelved 11 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.06 — 54,017 ratings — published 1962
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A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing (Hardcover)
by (shelved 11 times as natural-science)
avg rating 3.94 — 30,518 ratings — published 2012
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The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating (Hardcover)
by (shelved 11 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.15 — 20,841 ratings — published 2010
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The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark (Paperback)
by (shelved 11 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.29 — 79,251 ratings — published 1995
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The God Delusion The God Delusion (Hardcover)
by (shelved 11 times as natural-science)
avg rating 3.90 — 280,937 ratings — published 2006
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An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us (Hardcover)
by (shelved 10 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.47 — 33,759 ratings — published 2022
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The Body: A Guide for Occupants The Body: A Guide for Occupants (Hardcover)
by (shelved 10 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.31 — 96,958 ratings — published 2019
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Brief Answers to the Big Questions Brief Answers to the Big Questions (Hardcover)
by (shelved 10 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.26 — 85,570 ratings — published 2018
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Other Minds Other Minds (Hardcover)
by (shelved 10 times as natural-science)
avg rating 3.88 — 27,242 ratings — published 2016
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The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself (Hardcover)
by (shelved 10 times as natural-science)
avg rating 4.18 — 10,065 ratings — published 2016
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Mokokoma Mokhonoana
“A shadow does not need the object to which it belongs to move for it to move.”
Mokokoma Mokhonoana

Alan Sokal
“Thus, by science I mean, first of all, a worldview giving primacy to reason and observation and a methodology aimed at acquiring accurate knowledge of the natural and social world. This methodology is characterized, above all else, by the critical spirit: namely, the commitment to the incessant testing of assertions through observations and/or experiments — the more stringent the tests, the better — and to revising or discarding those theories that fail the test. One corollary of the critical spirit is fallibilism: namely, the understanding that all our empirical knowledge is tentative, incomplete and open to revision in the light of new evidence or cogent new arguments (though, of course, the most well-established aspects of scientific knowledge are unlikely to be discarded entirely).

. . . I stress that my use of the term 'science' is not limited to the natural sciences, but includes investigations aimed at acquiring accurate knowledge of factual matters relating to any aspect of the world by using rational empirical methods analogous to those employed in the natural sciences. (Please note the limitation to questions of fact. I intentionally exclude from my purview questions of ethics, aesthetics, ultimate purpose, and so forth.) Thus, 'science' (as I use the term) is routinely practiced not only by physicists, chemists and biologists, but also by historians, detectives, plumbers and indeed all human beings in (some aspects of) our daily lives. (Of course, the fact that we all practice science from time to time does not mean that we all practice it equally well, or that we practice it equally well in all areas of our lives.)”
Alan Sokal

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