Another book that I also recommend is “Quantum Mechanics and Experience” by David Z. Albert. It takes a philosophical approach to quantum mechanics with regards to nonlocality, superposition, the measurement problem, the collapse of the wavefunction and Bohm’s Theory, to name a few. I actually used this book as the basis for an independent study with a philosophy professor who was a physics/math undergrad and then went on to grad school and specialized in the phiosophy of science. It’s not heavily math-based, but a reader should probably have some exposure to quantum mechanics before reading it.

I also enjoy novels by Jeffery Deaver, such as “The Stone Monkey”, “The Devil’s Teardrop”, “A Maiden’s Grave”, “The Bone Collector” (the book on which the Denzel Washington/Angelina Jolie movie was based), etc. Deaver studied criminal justic in school and his novels incorporate fictional characters that use real forensic science techniques to solve cases, but they’re not too technical-based.

I wish I had more free time so that I could check out all these books that have been recommended here!!!

Though I’m an astronomer, I’d like to cast a vote for Robert Sapolsky’s A Primate’s Memoir: A Neuroscientist’s Unconventional Life Among the Baboons, which was recommended to me recently by another physicist and which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve seen Sapolsky popping up in many other places since (he had a nice essay in the most recent Harper’s magazine, for example) and I think he’s an excellent ambassador for his field and for science in general: witty, eloquent, approachable, and great fun to read. Check it out!

The book the put me over the edge to mathmajordom was Fermat’s Enigma by Simon Singh (mentioned above). Singh is a wonderful author who successfully captures the excitement and importance of such an event such as proving Fermat’s last theorem, while keeping the technical details at a level that is reachable and still pushes the reader’s curiousity about math. Also, that’s just one of the great stories in mathematics…

Next is The Man Who Loved Only Numbers, a biography of Paul Erdos, by Paul Hoffman. Erdos was such an interesting person, the story of his life was a page turner.

Finally, a more technical book, Does God Play Dice by Ian Stewart about chaos theory. I read it when during my first year and a lot of the concepts were over my head, but Stewart has that great dry British humor that I just love. I recently picked up a nice used copy, which now sits on my bedside, awaiting my consumption.

1) The Prisoner’s Dilemma, by William Poundstone — a deep, intellectually exciting exposition.

2) The Origin of Virtue, by Matt Ridely — another intellectually stimulating one, left a great impression on me back when.

And as for the overall best, I would also have to nominate The Selfish Gene, which has possibly rewired more brains than any other recent book. And entirely independantly of that, it is a paragon of high- level writing.

Another one to consider would be Barrow and Tiplers “The Anthropic Cosmological Principle”. Not trying to start a debate here on AP but this book (at the time) was a comprehensive review of the development of this line of thought.

Elliot

Choosing one of his books it has to be the “Selfish Gene”. I have seen it recommended by several biologists as an excellent introduction to evolutionary theory and it is a pleasure to read.
Comparing Dawkins to popular writers in other fields, eg Weinberg, Singh etc is a little unfair since mathematical ideas are harder to explain the more informal ones in biology. Still I do not find the other authors I have read nearly as good.

I too agree that I don’t think I’ld like the book any more. After all, this was the first popular physics book I read before I realized that most were exactly like it.