Science
A Short History of Nearly Everything
A genial and funny tour of how we came to know what we know about the universe, the Earth and ourselves.
Genre Starter Kit
Science Starter Kit
5 books to begin with, in the order to read them.
The world, explained so you want to know more. A guided first step into science: where to begin, how to read it, and what to try next. About 53 hours of reading.
$12Premium
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- Books
- 5
- Reading time
- About 53 hours
- Formats
- PDF, web guide, content pack
A preview
Read the opening
- Why Read Science
- How to Read Science
- Your Reading Path
- Adjacent Reading
- Keep Going
Welcome
Why Read Science
Great popular science makes you feel, briefly, that you understand something enormous. It trades jargon for story and gives you new questions about ordinary things: your body, your garden, the stars overhead.
The world, explained so you want to know more.
The Concierge
Practical
How to Read Science
- Read for wonder rather than retention; you will absorb more than you think.
- Skip the footnotes on a first pass and return for the ones that tempt you.
- Follow a curiosity into a second book while it is still warm.
Pairs with: A walk first, then a chair by the window.
The full genre starter kit continues for another 3 sections.
Request accessThe books
On the reading list
Science
Outlive
A physician argues that the goal of medicine should be a longer healthspan, not just a longer life, with practical guidance on exercise, nutrition, sleep and emotional health.
Essays
Braiding Sweetgrass
A botanist and member of the Potawatomi Nation weaves scientific knowledge and Indigenous wisdom into essays on our reciprocal relationship with the living world.
Self-Help & Money
Rich Dad Poor Dad
A personal-finance primer built around two father figures with opposite attitudes to money, work and investing, and what the author says he learned from each.
Memoir
Born a Crime
A comedian recalls growing up in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa as the son of a Black mother and a white father, at a time when their relationship was against the law.
Keep exploring