The Titans of Science Books

[Betsy, co-mod]

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/201...

Have you read many of them? (Not me, sad to say.)

Would you argue with this list? Add anything? Dispute any selections?

[David]

I would agree with this list, at least up to the end of the nineteenth century. I have not read any of these books. When I am interested in learning science, I would sooner read contemporary books. If I were interested in history, I would read these classics.

[Matt]

I read this article the other day and I have not read any of the books on the list.

[Krisko]

I've read Darwin's main catalog, excluding his works on orchids and barnacles.

[Aloha]

I've read The Origin of Species and Gray's Anatomy. Both while in grade school. I loved Gray's Anatomy and lugged it around with me everywhere, copying the sketches.

[Sandra]

The only one I've read is the Origin of Species--and that, just recently, and there was a value in it because it made me realize how amazing this theory and Darwin's work was given the lack of electron microscopes and other modern tools of inquiry. Genes had not even been discovered. It was a difficult read for me though because of the archaic language and I agree with David's approach, that it makes more sense to read contemporary sources because they are more trustworthy sources and organized in a more readable way.. Darwin replaces religion for me though, so I had to at least experience the "bible" for what it was.

[Tasha]

I've also only read The Origin of Species, I just picked up Gray's Anatomy yesterday at a garage sale for 25 cents.