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17 Top Scientists Recommend Life-Changing Books to Read

newscientist.com — A great book has the power to move, inspire or even change lives. From adventure tales of the Arctic to the ultimate in quantum weirdness, here are the books that have left a lasting impression on some of the world ’s top scientists, including Oliver Sacks, Michio Kaku, Jane Goodall, and more.

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  • FameMoney, on 04/22/2008, -12/+27You can read "n" books if you don't take any action nothing will happen.
    • santaliqueur, on 04/22/2008, -12/+2You must realize you're on digg. Most of these idiots will complain to you about how "n" is not a number.
      • rkef, on 04/22/2008, -1/+12Others will complain about his lack of sufficient punctuation. Also, it's a stupid comment.
      • Kamill85, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4"n" is not a number.
    • FMDC, on 04/22/2008, -0/+7Take what action? These are for personal gain. Nothing is supposed to "happen", other than accumulation of knowledge.
    • blackjack75, on 04/22/2008, -0/+6If some people had read more books some bad things wouldn't have happened.
    • glinsvad, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1I can't even get around to reading "n" book summaries... sigh
  • Anglemona, on 04/22/2008, -9/+18A great book has the power to move, inspire or even change lives.
    • lickmylovepump, on 04/22/2008, -9/+38oh shut the hell up.
      • bgrah449, on 04/22/2008, -2/+10Thank you, thank you, thank you.
      • Shawshanksr, on 04/22/2008, -5/+3the mans allowed to give his opinion...
        • Lythium, on 04/22/2008, -2/+5Being banal and pedantic = bury. Just giving my opinion.
        • CJMac, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4What about when "his" opinion is just the first sentence of the article?
        • Rikkochet, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3Are you referring to Anglemona or lickmylovepump with your observation?
  • MalTheObscure, on 04/22/2008, -4/+16I was hoping Jane Goodall's recommendation would be Ishmael
    • benggg, on 04/22/2008, -1/+7Ishmael changed my life. I think of the world in a completely different way since reading it.
    • Witchbaby, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Ishmael is quite literally, "da bomb"....god, I'm an ass. But for real. Great book.
    • thesonofdarwin, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Animal Liberation is still a VERY good choice. It definitely deserves the life-changing title because even if one doesn't change their ways after reading it, they will at least seriously think about their future decisions.
    • Maver1c, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1My AP European teacher made us read that back when i was in high school. Probably learned more from that guy than all of my other teachers combined.
    • Hegemony, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1Ishmael was ***** awful. It's not even that I disagree with a lot of what's said. It's just written so terribly. It reads like a damn philosophy text. Digg me down if you must...
      • Maver1c, on 04/25/2008, -0/+1What's wrong with philosophy? I agree that the book is basically a philosophy text that was half hazzardly turned into a fictional story, but it's still an interesting and influential book imo.
    • HeyLew, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1i liked the book
  • TybaltCpp, on 04/22/2008, -5/+12You can cross the pictured with story book off of the list.
    We just learned that most Americans are not interested or even believe in Evolution.
    • OutThisLife, on 04/22/2008, -15/+8I'm so ashamed to live in the US. I'm 17 and have been smarter than the average American since I was 12.
      =[
      • Shawn4168, on 04/22/2008, -6/+5Amazing how you can become so enlightened at the age of 12 just from a state-sponsored science curriculum. Who needs to think for themselves when the Board of Education can do it for us?
        • petrodollar, on 04/22/2008, -2/+7"the Board of Education can do it for us?"

          Or conservative talk radio!
      • ryan850, on 04/22/2008, -1/+7or maybe he, you know, reads books and learns outside of school... just a thought
        • abuelos84, on 04/22/2008, -3/+2don't be an *****, no one reads anymore, it's so douchebaggy, duuude...

          /whatever
      • graywolfz10, on 04/22/2008, -2/+4I really hope your just trolling... Because if your not I pity your life.
    • bdbr, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3This is one of those weird phenomena where "most Americans" supposedly believe something, but none of us know anyone who actually believes it...or at most maybe just know of a few kooks who do.
    • BenRS, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1it's not a book, it's the cover of the magazine.........
  • bamafun, on 04/22/2008, -19/+3lol 186 diggs, all these comments and no fp ..... and its a very popular blog???
  • bamafun, on 04/22/2008, -19/+380+ votes from NON Friends - 180+ Diggs, all these comments and no FP?
  • Slices, on 04/22/2008, -2/+44I'd never heard of this "book" thing, but it sure sounds neat! Do you need some kind of special software to use it?
    • nekochan, on 04/22/2008, -1/+13not really. but the hardware it needs is bulky and the firmware's encrypted, so you can't flash in linux or anything.
    • Shawshanksr, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1yes
    • greengiant2684, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4Foxit pdf reader?
    • CarStan, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4Yeah, you need the new 'Windows HUMAN'-edtion.
      But it only works on the new BODY-PC's, so you have to uprgrade your hardware too
    • OneLess, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1If Amazon and their Kindle krap are successful, yes.
  • killbert24, on 04/22/2008, -14/+7Great choices but they forgot Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler, an antisemitic sociologist.
    • Shawshanksr, on 04/22/2008, -1/+15you dont have follow in his ideology to read the book, it gives an insight into his mind and i think that that is worth the read. i dont know why you are being dugg down
      • petrodollar, on 04/22/2008, -2/+2killbert24 evidently went to see "Expelled" and learned that scientists = nazis (except, presumably, the nuclear physicists who built the a-bomb).
      • Rikkochet, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4I read Mein Kampf and nowhere in a million years should it qualify as "life-changing". Enlightening, perhaps. Now instead of being told he was nuts you can pretty plainly judge it for yourself. Beyond that? Insane rantings.
    • petrodollar, on 04/22/2008, -5/+1You seem familiar with it. Why don't you give us a quick synopsis?
  • BigManOnCampus, on 04/22/2008, -2/+3What powers do so-so books have?
    • ISurfTooMuch, on 04/22/2008, -0/+4Even so-so books have the power to make you imagine. When you read any book, you have to use your imagination to fill in the parts not explicitly stated by the author. So, even if the book isn't great, it still makes your brain work, and that's definitely an improvement over much of what passes for the mass media these days.
  • lickmylovepump, on 04/22/2008, -8/+13they forgot: Men Are Better Than Woman by Dick Masterson (Man, Author, Chuck-Norris-Ass-Kicker)
  • artliquide, on 04/22/2008, -2/+8"Do Androids Dream" is not Phillip K Dick's best book, even though an excellent movie was based on it. I question the taste of these scientists.

    Also, I would have loved to see the Dune series by Frank Herbert on the list. Those are very well written books for the analytically minded and for those interested in all kinds of social and physical sciences.
    • renagadex2, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Ubik!
    • moya, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Flow my tears!
      • artliquide, on 04/26/2008, -0/+1Yes! That, and Man in the High Castle :) I started Valis at one point, but lost the motivation to continue :(
    • harlowsmonkeys, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3The question wasn't "what was the best book you have read?". They were asking for life changing books.
      • artliquide, on 04/26/2008, -0/+1Yes. Androids is so simple compared to some of Dick's others...not really all that life changing.
    • Flawed77, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Certainly not his best book, but it was the first of his that I read and made me read many others of his books. In that way I would say that Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep changed my life too.
  • samirb, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3Really like this article, good suggestions
    • cirquo, on 04/22/2008, -0/+11. Curious George 2. Little Red Riding Hood 3. Clifford 4. Ginger Bread Man....
  • BuckleButt, on 04/22/2008, -11/+5Culture Warrior, Bill O'Reilly
    • heysuburbia, on 04/22/2008, -1/+9you forgot to add "/sarcasm"
    • K4ot1K, on 04/22/2008, -9/+2Careful, you are asking people to look at the other side of things. That scares them. "must stay in hole, don't question..."
      • petrodollar, on 04/22/2008, -2/+10And whatever you do, don't provide citations to support your claims. The Bible didn't have citations!!!
        • K4ot1K, on 04/22/2008, -2/+1Who mentioned the bible? I was talking about questioning what you hear and read. You must think your phyicic or something. "I will tell you what you ment" LaLaLa... Dumb Ass.
        • K4ot1K, on 04/23/2008, -1/+0Yes I do, why?
        • K4ot1K, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1What the hell does that have to do with anything!? Damn I am ***** sick of you pricks! "you don't agree with me so you must be a stupid christian" Pull your head out of your ass, *****, your nothing but a damn sheep that can't think for your self. I don't give a ***** if you believe the same way I do. Hell, I could be wrong. I will find out when i die. But I am not trying to change your feeble little mind, it isn't worth changing. I was bringing up the point that too many of you morons are too lazy to look at both sides of a discussion and think for your damn self, instead of going along with the crowd, But that requires a spine! You don't have to agree with society, thats the beauty of freedom. You can have your own opinion, dumb ass.
          • petrodollar, on 04/23/2008, -1/+1Why are you so hyperensitive? It sounds like YOU are the one who can't tolerate opposing viewpoints! All I did was point out that the Bible lacks any support in empirical fact and you blow a gasket. Sorry to piss in you corn flakes, but it's true: all signs point to it being a made up fairy tale.
        • K4ot1K, on 04/24/2008, -0/+0Sorry for going all stupid on you, I can usually have a much more civilized discussion. Like I said, I had a really bad night and I got on here and got pissed off, and blew up. I do apologize.
          At any rate, it is still my free choice to believe in that "fairy tale" if I want. But it had nothing to do with the main conversation. The guy brought up Culture Warrior, I was only pointing out (in sarcasm) that most people on here don't want to hear another side to what they believe. I know all the arguments against the bible, and all the ones for it. And there are things on both sides of that topic that sound correct, and convincing to me. I made a decision to believe in it. Thats America, and no matter how fake you think the bible is, you can not stop me from believing in it. I have the freedom to believe what ever I want, just the same as you. And neither you nor the government can infringe on that right. What I am getting tired of is people putting me down (on here) for what I believe. I'm not (usually) putting people down or calling them names because they believe something different than I do, at least I try hard not to. I signed on to Digg so I could debate people on different subjects. But it seems people would rather try to tear someone down than have an intellectual discussion. I am not here to "convert" anyone, I don't really care what you believe or worship (or don't worship). But I do love to debate theology, science, technology, history, and politics. And this was just a little thing that pilled on top of a bunch of other comments. You had to go out of our way to try to "slam me" and point out that I read the bible, even though it had no relevance to my comments at all. How do you know that even has anything to do with someones belief? It is still a book. Someone can read the bible and be an Atheist. So if you read Mein Kampf, does that make you a Nazi? When i read Darwin's theories, did that make me an Evolutionist? No, but I guess the bible is that one book in the world no one is allowed to read, unless they are Christian. Is that correct?
      • johnnysaucepn, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3The irony! It's overwhelming!
  • degron, on 04/22/2008, -8/+1Reading the titles of those books almost put me to sleep.
  • barbchaney, on 04/22/2008, -1/+9Catch 22 and the Foundation trilogy are on my favorite list too. Interesting to see some of the others.
    • garths, on 04/22/2008, -0/+0Catch-22 is indeed one of the best books ever written in my opinion. I don't really know what it has to do with science, though. It served mostly to put me in a 6-month long depressive funk.
      • innocentsinner, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Catch-22 is a beautiful book and easily my favorite, followed by Slaughterhouse Five. The article doesn't really say they're science books, though, just 'life-changing' ones. And I do like the recommender's comment on one reason he liked it:
        "Catch 22 built up in me a healthy disregard for arbitrary rules and regulations that has remained with me throughout my life."
    • bdbr, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Catch-22 is so fixated with irony that it is almost predictable by the end.
  • hamholio, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1mind of a mnemonist is an awesome book.
  • Witchbaby, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3THE SPARROW - by Mary Doria Russel.

    Changed.My.Life.
    • pegothejerk, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1"The Dancing Wu Li Masters"
      An Overview of the New Physics
      By Gary Zukav .

      Opened my eyes to the quantum world. Published in 1979, so there's outdated info, but its sooo beautifully written, and it only requires knowledge in standard physics.
  • petrodollar, on 04/22/2008, -16/+4The conservative reaction: WHERE'S THE BIBLE WHY ISN'T IT ON THIS LIST HOW CAN I FIGHT GAY MARRIAGE AND THE LIBERALS WHO DESTROY AMERICA AND HATE JESUS AND DENY GLOBAL COOLING?!?!
    • asdfrewq, on 04/22/2008, -2/+8Wow. Any opportunity, huh?
      • petrodollar, on 04/22/2008, -5/+3Are you challenging the accuracy of my statement?
        • greengiant2684, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5I am accuracying the challenge of your statement. Diamond is the hardest metal known the man.
    • santaliqueur, on 04/22/2008, -3/+4And what about the overblown liberal reaction? Yawn.
      • petrodollar, on 04/22/2008, -3/+1The fact that it seems to have gotten you jesus freaks riled up suggests that it's anything but overblown.

        "Yawn."

        Uh huh. I'm guessing your computer screen is already covered with little bits of spittle from the last time your jesusy worldview was questioned.
        • CJMac, on 04/22/2008, -1/+4Dude, shut up. No one's getting all up in arms about the Bible not being on there, stop trolling, it does no one any good
          • petrodollar, on 04/22/2008, -5/+1I'M upset about the bible not being on there!!! How can I fight Al Gore and spread the gospel of intelligent design if I'm forced to rely exclusively on the works of actual SCIENTISTS? In case you haven't noticed, Charles Darwin is DEAD! What further proof do you need that evolution is a LIE?!?!
        • santaliqueur, on 04/22/2008, -2/+2If it's easier for you to lump me in with the jesus freaks, go right ahead.
    • FMDC, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Yeah dude, I agree that conservative religious fundamentalists suck, but you're not helping. You're actually just lowering yourself to their level.
      ...Well maybe not that low, but pretty low.
  • laserblazer, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The White Company' and 'Sir Nigel' are a must for anyone who likes a good story. Tolkien's Silmarillion is also good for anyone with intellectual fortitude and a real appreciation of philology and capital English literature.
  • chrisduser, on 04/22/2008, -2/+117 Top, Scientists recommended, life-changing books to read. Now I understand.
  • K4ot1K, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2It is wonderful to read and study as much as possible, and lists like this are a good start. But, always question everything. Too many people take information from one source at face value, and accept it as fact.
  • klineda, on 04/22/2008, -2/+5Blah, blah blah ... some comment about how dumb americans are! Yeah, I so schooled all you stupid Americans. Oh wait I am ... uh, but, I'm a good one.
  • leerayIG88, on 04/22/2008, -4/+1What if....you can't read? :(
  • nickcozy, on 04/22/2008, -0/+5Thanks it helped for a guy like me who is slightly depressed in life.
    • harmonik, on 04/22/2008, -1/+5Smoke some bud, man..
    • blackjack75, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3Or become a computer engineer! Then you'll miss the 'slightly' part.
  • philodygmn, on 04/22/2008, -1/+5Wikipedia ought to solicit these lists for their bio pages of these people, sort of like Celebrity Playlists in iTunes.
  • kenrayd, on 04/22/2008, -10/+0It looks like Darwin's "The Origin of Species" didn't make the list. Are the scientists waking up to the facts? He was nothing more than a convert of Karl Marx and used Biology as an avenue to help spread atheistic communism.

    The Bible on the other hand has the facts as confirmed by accuracy of past predictions. What else can you ask for?
    • pdangelo22, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3omg, you are so ignorant!!! people like u should all just die already, get on with yr lives in "heaven", and leave earth to the non-idiots
    • CJMac, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2What about the Bible has been confirmed, aside from some really broad historical events? The creation of the world in 7 days? The walking on water?
      • kenrayd, on 04/22/2008, -1/+0So much can be said! Just for starters, the book of Daniel (written just after the Babylonian conquest of Palestine around 500BC) predicted the next 3 empires succeeding Babylon in four parallel visions, mentioning the next two by name in Daniel chapter 8: Persia and Greece.

        Isaiah, written before the Babylonian conquest by at least 100 years in chapter 44:28 and 45:1,2, predicted the Persian king by name who would lead the conquest of Babylon and that was Cyrus. The text also gave some detail on how he gained access to the walled city of Babylon.

        To make this short, there are hundreds of Biblical predictions especially of Jesus Christ which have come true when they were supposed to. There has not been a single miss.

        Probably the greatest prediction in my mind is the foretelling of the year of Christ's birth in Daniel 9, ~500 years in advance (and also the town of His birth - See Micah 5:2, etc.) If you have any doubt about the dating of the Old Testament, check out information on the Dead Sea Scrolls, manuscripts of the OT written before Jesus appeared.

        Yes there are conflicting interpretations among Christians but if basic principles of interpretation are followed, that is, avoiding speculation, it's very simple (with the help of archeology, records of history, and the Holy Spirit). Seventh-day Adventists are recommended as having the most systematic and best contextual teaching on the prophecies, especially on the book of Revelation.
        • GuitaristTom, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Well apparently no one else wants to read what you had to say, and I cant blame them, but there's nothing I'd rather do than prove another one of you guys wrong.
          You need to not pull "facts" out of your ass. See, Daniel was quite good at that, by stating that something will happen, then predicting that it will happen sometime from when Daniel died to the end of history. Well good job. If someone wants to make a prediction they should be clear and concise or its obviously just a play on words that only the most diehard christians could ever possibly be close enough with God to understand (aka. test of faith). All faith is is just a competition to see who will blindly follow God with the least reason.
        • SpencerMc, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3I was about to dismiss you as a troll looking for lulz, but that is far too much text (and presumably research) to be simply for the sake of antagonizing. You truly are a deluded individual that holds a series of vague "prophecies" that can loosely be linked with events after their occurrence as evidence that this book which is meant to be taken figuratively in the first place is a better basis for establishing the workings of the natural world than systematic ongoing empirical research. Congrats, I guess...
    • thesonofdarwin, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3What are you going on about? These are "Life-Changing" book recommendations. While The Origin of Species is a very good read, it certainly isn't one of the better life-changing books. These suggested books take fact, and discuss the ethics, philosophy, etc. behind or surrounding them. The Origin of Species is not a philosophical book rather a scientific book...
      • kenrayd, on 04/22/2008, -3/+0You got to be kidding. The Origin of Species was written in a purely conjecturing manner. How scientific is that? If you want to know the life-changing consequences of his conjecturing, witness the school shootings and suicide rates of students in schools that teach evolution as science!
    • FMDC, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I'm not gonna argue with you, it's impossible to have a good argument with you people, so I'll just leave it at this:
      EAT ***** AND DIE. Don't reproduce either.
    • abuelos84, on 04/22/2008, -0/+51.- You are saying that Darwin was a communist, follower of Marx. That is wrong in oh so many ways...

      2- What is wrong with atheistic communism? (are you people really so afraid of the Red Menace???? it's called PROPAGANDA), religious capitalism isn't working that great either...
    • noig3, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3The bible has nothing confirmed except for historical geography and some of the wars in the OT. If you would like to "confirm" the raising of the dead (which is impossible), walking on water (which is impossible), and touch healing of the blind and sick (again, not possible). Please do so and I will worship you.

      God does not exist. Intelligent design is a polite repackaging of God and is false as well.
      Once again, God does not exist. It is as simple as that.
      • aadyss, on 04/23/2008, -1/+0Once again. If we can only ‘speculate’ on the origin of life, why do so many people state that evolution is a ‘fact’? Repeat a rumor often enough and people will swallow it.
        • Lyk4n, on 04/24/2008, -0/+1LOL.. You can't seriously be this dull minded..
          "Dur.. it's only a theory!"
        • noig3, on 04/25/2008, -0/+2Where did I state evolution is fact? Where did I even begin to demonstrate any semblance of belief in the theory of evolution? I believe that the series of statements I made spoke more toward a profession of atheism rather than an explicit belief in the theory of evolution. Just because someone disagrees does not mean that they adhere to the beliefs of other dissenters. It just means that I disagree. If you take umbrage at my disagreement then take a hike, read a different article or build a complete thought based on the content of the discourse rather than your own assumptions.

          Oh and also,

          ***** you.
    • captric, on 04/23/2008, -0/+2Name ONE past prediction that came true
  • santiago1, on 04/22/2008, -8/+5 Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
    • garths, on 04/22/2008, -2/+4I'm glad I read it, and I'm glad I'll never have to look at it ever again.
      • 32bytes, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Who dugg this down? It's a reference to south park.
    • Sinai, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1As much as I loved Atlas Shrugged, I'm glad it didn't change my life, because it's embarrassing at best to have your world views informed by Ayn Rand in sophisticated circles. It's like nihilism, unless you've passed through the nihilistic barrier and come to grips with the meaning of life, you're probably not worth talking to, but it's difficult not to condescend to an emo kid still struggling through the implications of such. That, and the writing can be atrocious at times.
    • SpencerMc, on 04/22/2008, -1/+2Yeah, selfishness is a virtue.

      What a crock of *****. Seriously, Rand was a self-serving apologist.
  • toconnor, on 04/22/2008, -2/+221. Dianetics
    2. Battlefield Earth
    3. ...
    Oh wait, did you say ScientISTS?
  • aidave, on 04/22/2008, -1/+4"DMT: The Spirit Molecule" by Rick Strassman.
    • abuelos84, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Grrrreat book! I really enjoyed it, and it's definitely a mind-opener in several ways.
  • ryan850, on 04/22/2008, -4/+1I'm guessing number 18 is A complete idiot's guide to Intelligent Design.
  • Chimmy, on 04/22/2008, -2/+0Now that we know what is on their "recommend read" list perhaps we can have a look at their grocery list...
  • pcunnane, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Gödel, Escher, Bach
    • thedaemon, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I clicked the link fully expecting this book to be on the list. It has had a profound effect on me.
  • kgorczyn, on 04/22/2008, -2/+51. Farthest North - Steve Jones, geneticist

    2. The Art of the Soluble - V. S. Ramachandran, neuroscientist

    3. Animal Liberation - Jane Goodall, primatologist

    4. The Foundation trilogy - Michio Kaku, theoretical physicist

    5. Alice in Wonderland - Alison Gopnik, developmental psychologist

    6. One, Two, Three... Infinity - Sean Carroll, theoretical physicist

    7. The Idea of a Social Science - Harry Collins, sociologist of science

    8. Handbook of Mathematical Functions - Peter Atkins, chemist

    9. The Mind of a Mnemonist - Oliver Sacks, neurologist

    10. A Mathematician’s Apology - Marcus du Sautoy, mathematician

    11. The Leopard - Susan Greenfield, neurophysiologist

    12. Darwin and the Emergence of Evolutionary Theories of Mind and Behavior - Frans de Waal, psychologist and ethologist

    13. Catch-22 / The First Three Minutes - Lawrence Krauss, physicist

    14. William James, Writings 1878-1910 - Daniel Everett, linguist

    15. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Chris Frith, neuroscientist

    16. The Naked Ape - Elaine Morgan, author of The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis

    17. King Solomon's Ring - Marian Stamp Dawkins, Zoologist
  • skabyss, on 04/22/2008, -1/+5No 1984? WTF
    • OffPiste, on 04/22/2008, -3/+1No it's 2008 dumbass. WTF????
    • abuelos84, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3There are a LOT of books, these are this people's preferred ones, don't panic if your book is not in the list, dude..
      • skabyss, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1AAAHHH!! MAH BOOK WASNT ON TEH LIST!!! CITIES WILL BURN!!!
  • davidw00t, on 04/22/2008, -0/+7Where's Carl Sagan?
    • blackjack75, on 04/22/2008, -0/+7I am sorry no one took the time to tell you. He's dead. But you can still read his books.
    • mikeman10001, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1oops
  • garths, on 04/22/2008, -0/+8Any of Richard Feynman's autobiographical books.

    Teaches you not only about science, but also how to question authority and the status quo. Basically a primer on how to change the world.

    /scientist
    • theOster, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3agreed - i was hoping that "surely..." would be on the list
    • arobicha, on 04/22/2008, -0/+0Yeah! How else are you going to learn how to pick locks at Los Alamos? Or spot a valve that could lead to catastrophic explosions at a refinement plant? Or deal with the death of your wife, or how to raise your kids to be Nobel prize winning physicists?
  • aclevernickname, on 04/22/2008, -1/+6No "Short History of Time", No "The Ancestor's Tale", No "Selfish Gene", No "Guns, Germs and Steel", not to mention "Hot Zone", and many others.
    what kind of a ***** list is this?
    Oh, the Newscientist writers recommend it. Ok then.
    • theOster, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1seriously - when i saw "worlds top scientists" and "michio kaku" in teh same sentence, i immediately discredited the whole article. that guy writes like a philospher or new age tarot card reader
    • ezran, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2it's the "BRIEF History of Time. Well, you are right, the book is kinda short.... :)
  • pdangelo22, on 04/22/2008, -0/+6how can "the origin of species" not be on that list???
    • Sinai, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1From an objective perspective, the actual science and experiments in The Origin of Species is pretty bad, so a scientist recommending a scientific book would likely stick to something "harder". It may be popular and well-known, but it's hard to recommend in good conscience as it's value is mostly historical.
    • mikeman10001, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1cause it's completely boring as hell to read?
    • arobicha, on 04/22/2008, -0/+0I'll admit I've never read the origin of species, but I would guess that if I was looking to change my perspective on life, I would pick something other than what I know I'll completely agree with before picking up the book. Age of Spiritual Machines, by Ray Kurzweil was one such book. It's been almost 10 years now, and I still hope his future comes to be.
    • captric, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1The origin of species was written before anyone knew of cellular biology or DNA. The book was correct but a little archaic by today's standards.
  • rolan1bp, on 04/22/2008, -0/+2Scientists would choose a prime number for their list...

    Also, I think just about everything that Oliver Sacks has written should be up there. However, I'm satisfied with just one book. Finally, as a neuroscientist I take pride in the fact that 4 of the 17 books were written by people in the neuroscience field.
  • Versh, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1The Idea of a Social Science and Its Relation to Philosophy (cited by Harry Collins) is a little difficult to get into, but after a fifth of the way through, it becomes second nature. Kind of like learning to read sheet music. :]
    I'm interested in what the average digg user would consider "life changing"... a few have posted above, but as for me:
    The Giver by Lois Lowry (even though I read it a while ago, occasionally I still think of it's implications)
    either that, or Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
  • JointVenture, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Wheres Joseph Campbell?
  • NeoCortex, on 04/22/2008, -1/+3Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
    It's gives everything a new perspective.
  • loquax, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1I'd have to go with _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ by Robert Pirsig. It was one of those things that tugged at my mind for years after reading it. _The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat_ was perhaps another.Joseph Campbell's entire _Masks of God_ works were another.
  • GuitaristTom, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Yeah, i just bought one two three infinity, but catch 22 is by far the highlight of the list.
  • triskele, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1So I've only read one book from the list (Alice in Wonderland). Does that mean I'm slacking or the list isn't all that hot. Really surprised at no Dune either way.
    • Karkian, on 04/22/2008, -1/+1Note: Not every book that you like is considered life changing by everyone who's read it.
      • triskele, on 04/23/2008, -0/+1I wouldn't even consider the one book that I have read from that list life changing, not to mention all of the others not found there. I just enjoy a good book.
  • ajb2015, on 04/22/2008, -0/+3Being and Time - Martin Heidegger
  • damienv5, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Top Five:
    Stranger in a Strange Land (Heinlein)
    The Alchemist (Coehlo)
    The Art of War (Sun Tzu)
    Inferno (Alighieri)
    Taiko (Yoshikawa)
    • thesonofdarwin, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I'm interested in how you found Inferno (or The Divine Comedy in general) life changing? I'm not being a smartass, it's just that I've read the three a few times and did not come away changing my life in any way. So I'd like to know what you got from it and I'll take a closer look next time. Definitely a great read, but not so much aiming for change.
    • rolan1bp, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1I completely agree with you about The Alchemist. It's a wonderful book that I've passed on to at least two other people.
    • charlietuna, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Heinlein's character development is hopelessly dated and two dimensional. Perhaps a seminal work, but not epic reading like Moby Dick.
  • teambosun, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1My list includes:

    The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime - Mark Haddon
    The Lost Moon - Jim Lovell
    The Stranger - Albert Camus

    Not necessarily your favorite :)
  • OffPiste, on 04/22/2008, -0/+41. Midget Amputee Anal Fisting compilation #23
    2. Camel Sutra
    3. Foot Freaks
    4. Sperm Garglers
    5. Two Girls one Porta-Jon


    Oh Books......... never mind.



  • Ender008, on 04/22/2008, -0/+1Maybe it's just me, but Ender's Game changed who I am in a lot of different ways.
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