The best popular science books of 2023 have taken readers from the outer reaches of the solar system to deep under the planet's surface, via medicine, nuclear physics, mathematics, biology and more. Scientifically proven to be sensational reads, discover the popular science books that we recommend this year.
Blasting off into the publishing stratosphere this year,
Tim Peake put the human story at the centre of
space exploration whilst
Carlo Rovelli conveyed grand astronomical concepts with his trademark enthusiasm and accessible style. Elsewhere,
Lawrence M. Krauss and
Giorgio Parisi brought physics to life and
Mustafa Suleyman sounded a note of caution in humanity's rush to embrace A.I.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
From the first moon walk to the future of space travel, the astronaut and author of Limitless delivers a fascinating and highly readable history of the remarkable individuals who have taken space exploration to where it is today, as well as shedding light on what's coming next.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
Fizzing with the adventure and excitement of the unknown, the physicist and bestselling author of Helgoland takes readers on a thrilling and enlightening journey to the edge of theory and experiment.
Paperback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
The acclaimed space scientist and TV presenter Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock celebrates the wonders of astronomy in this essential guide to stargazing and naked-eye observation.
Hardback
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Following the interstellar fortunes of four private companies, the author of Elon Musk tracks the progress of the new space race run by mavericks and entrepreneurs and asks searching questions about where it could all lead.
Hardback
5+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
A vivid and eye-opening account of one of the least understood yet most important tools in contemporary science, Pontzen’s highly engaging book guides the reader through the history of cosmic simulations.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
Turning the limelight on cosmology's greatest unknowns, this mesmerising book from the author of The Greatest Story Ever Told...So Far introduces the reader to the topics that will shape the state of science for the next few decades.
Hardback
5+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
The bestselling author of In Search Of Schrodinger's Cat delivers a truly illuminating volume that reveals the fascinating explanations to some very simple questions.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
A love letter to the cultural value of science and its role in society, this enthralling book from physics Nobelist Giorgio Parisi explores the network of experiences, ideas and principles that connects different disciplines from biology to finance and beyond.
Hardback
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
From fleeing the Nazis to cheering up his parrot Bibo, Graydon's masterly biography of Albert Einstein focuses on the maverick physicist's extraordinary life story as much as his scientific genius.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
Authoritative yet accessible, this addition to Susskind's superlative physics series tackles Einstein's theory of relativity with cogent description and a new collaborator.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
The co-founder of DeepMind reveals his thoughts and concerns about the inexorable rise of Artificial Intelligence in this urgent and provocative volume that calls for better preparedness for the imminent technological onslaught.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
The author of the hilarious Mr Gum children's books takes on ChatGPT in a side-splitting quest to discover whether A.I. really does sound the death knell for creative industries.
Exposing the dangers of processed food and the global food system respectively,
Chris van Tulleken and
Henry Dimbleby delivered shocking slices of investigative writing this year, whilst
Cat Bohannon and
Lewis Dartnell revealed just how completely humanity is shaped by its
biology and
Jonathan Kennedy and
Tom Ireland probed the consequences of infectious disease and viruses.
Hardback
Out of stock
Passionate and eye-opening, Van Tulleken's authoritative account of the damage that ultra-processed food is doing to our bodies, our health and the planet makes for essential reading.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
The co-founder of the Leon restaurant chain and author of the National Food Strategy reveals the shocking truth behind the global food system, including extensive damage to both human health and the environment, in this vitally important volume.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
As witty and accessible as it is illuminating and deeply researched, Cat Bohannon's revisionist work reveals the specific science behind the development of the female sex and its crucial role in the evolutionary success of our species.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
A treasure trove of information, surprising discoveries and personal reflections from explorer and expert archaeologist Ludovic Slimak, The Naked Neanderthal is a captivating, bracing introduction to our prehistoric ancestors.
Hardback
5+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
From the bestselling author of Origins, Being Human is an absorbing investigation into the various ways our biology has shaped our societies, economies, relationships and progress throughout history.
Hardback
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
The fascinating story of the microbiome laid out in eye-opening, accessible detail by scientist and surgeon Kinross, Dark Matter conveys the importance of this genetic universe inside of us and how it is under threat from our globalised lifestyles and the ongoing environmental crisis.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
From the dawn of humanity to the Industrial Revolution and beyond, Kennedy's authoritative and revelatory account of how infectious diseases have fundamentally altered the course of human history makes for jaw-dropping reading.
Hardback
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Seeking to counter the bad press viruses have received over the past few years, Ireland's engrossing volume spotlights phages and the fine work these viruses do infecting and destroying harmful bacteria.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Drawing on hundreds of interviews with experts, patients and activists, MacPhail's definitive investigation into the inexorable rise of allergies also seeks remedies both medical and social for an ever-growing problem.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
Interrogating the dramatic yet largely undocumented changes that women undergo during pregnancy and motherhood, Jones' fascinating study reveals why we must devote more time to examining the effects of 'matrescence.'
Hardback
5+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
On the 75th anniversary of the NHS, Whitaker reflects on how political, medical and sociological factors have changed both the roles of the GP and the patient in this clear-headed yet passionate and highly informed inquiry.
Hardback
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
A bold, brave account of living with chronic illness, Some of Us Just Fall documents the years of medical misdiagnosis Atkin endured as well as exploring the chimera of the 'nature cure.'
Hardback
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
A meticulously researched account of one of the biggest medical cover-ups of the twentieth century, Vanderbes' volume dissects the American Thalidomide scandal in shocking detail.
From tracking the seismic changes that have taken place beneath humanity's feet with
Christopher Somerville and
Clive Oppenheimer to urgent enquiries about the current state of the planet from
Johns Vaillant and
Vidal, get more acquainted with the awesome properties of
Earth with our pick of the year's best books below.
Hardback
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
A sweeping view of evolution across five extinctions, this jaw-dropping book accompanying the groundbreaking Netflix series of the same name depicts an epic battle for survival on Planet Earth.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Globe-spanning and revelatory, Oppenheimer's immersive account of the story of volcanoes blends cultural history, science, myth and adventure into a lyrical and inspiring masterwork.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Taking the reader on an immersive journey from the Outer Hebrides to the Thames Estuary and from ancient farming traditions to the current climate crisis, the acclaimed author of Ships of Heaven delivers a passionate and spellbinding exploration of how the land below our feet has affected human history.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Full of fascinating science and written with gripping narrative flair, Big Meg unravels the mystery of the Megalodon - the legendary ferocious marine predator that has left an enduring mark on human imagination.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
Blending marine biology, history and climate change concerns with novelistic skill, Blue Machine is a spellbinding exploration of the ocean – its complex, interlinked system and the multitude of ways life on the rest of the planet depends on it.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Through the story of the twenty-first century's most intense urban fire, Vaillant examines the devastating effect of climate change on the temperature of the planet and how deadly wildfires will only become more prevalent.
Hardback
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Exposing the deadly links between environmental damage and the rise of global pandemics, Vidal's incisive book argues for a recalibration of our relationship with the natural world to preserve the health of both the planet and humanity.
Hardback
Out of stock
The Mayor of London - diagnosed with asthma at the age of 43 due to the appalling pollution in the capital - presents his seven-step plan for environmental activism and arguing against sceptics and Climate Change deniers.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
An invaluable guide to all the issues surrounding eco-anxiety, It's Not Just You argues for a reframing of the debate around the climate crisis and mental health to focus on associated injustices such as racism, sexism and capitalism.
Tracing the remarkable workings of the human brain with page-turning flair, authors such as
Andy Clark,
Professor David Nutt and
Richard Wingate produced mind-blowing volumes on
neuroscience this year, whilst books on the application of
mathematics by
Marcus du Sautoy,
Kate Kitagawa and
Eugenia Cheng added up to highly informative and entertaining reading.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
Offering radical new perspectives on the ways we communicate, neuroscientist Shane O'Mara's luminous volume explores what happens in our brain when we talk and the wide-reaching effects of this deeply human activity on individuals, groups and societies.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
Groundbreaking and revisionist, philosopher and cognitive scientist Clark's account of how the brain is an active agent in forging our experiences rather than a passive one makes for revelatory reading.
Hardback
5+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Both witty and wise, Gregg's survey of human intelligence and its worth relative to the animal kingdom is playful, provocative and extremely eye-opening.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Taking a radically revisionist look at the history and practice of psychedelics, leading neuropsychopharmacologist Nutt argues persuasively that such substances can have a game-changing effect on a wide variety of mental health conditions.
Hardback
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Lyrically written and revelatory, Wingate's exploration of our brain draws out the differences between and purposes of these remarkable cells in exquisite detail.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Written in pithy, insightful bite-sized chunks, Middleton's enlightening account of living with ADHD, autism and neurodivergence is a clarion call for inclusion and understanding in modern society.
Paperback
In stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
The acclaimed mathematician and author of The Ten Equations That Rule the World explains the quartet of easily applied approaches to the problems we all face on a daily basis.
Hardback
5+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
As entertaining as it is eye-opening, this stimulating volume from the author of The Maths of Life and Death explores the art of prediction and offers indispensable tips on how to recognise phony forecasts and make better ones yourself.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
A captivating gift for any game aficionado, this brilliant book from the mathematician and author of The Creativity Code explores the integral place games play in human culture around the world, as well as revealing how to use maths to up your chances of winning.
Hardback
10+ in stock
Usually dispatched within 1-2 days
Revisionist and inclusive, Kitagawa and Revell's lucid history of mathematics highlights the unsung trailblazers of the discipline's past, from the Arabic scholars of the House of Wisdom to the 'lady computers' who revolutionised astronomy.
Hardback
Not available
Currently not available to order
Passionate, eye-opening and accessible, Is Maths Real? is a love letter to the curious spirit of the discipline from mathematician and author of X+Y Eugenia Cheng.
Comments
There are currently no comments.