While there are many courses and tutorials online, learning from a book is still one of the best ways to greatly improve your skills. Below I have selected top Science History books.
- Worldviews: An Introduction to the History and Philosophy of Science (2018)
- The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution (2016)
- A Little History of Science (2013)
- The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors (2004)
- The Beginnings of Western Science: The European Scientific Tradition in Philosophical, Religious, and Institutional Context, Prehistory to A.D. 1450 (2008)
- The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History (2015)
- Timelines of Science: The Ultimate Visual Guide to the Discoveries That Shaped the World (2015)
- Science: A Four Thousand Year History (2010)
- A People’s History of Science (2005)
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2018)
- A Short History of Nearly Everything (2004)
Worldviews: An Introduction to the History and Philosophy of Science (2018)
PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS EDITIONS “This is a brilliantly clear introduction (and indeed reframing) of the history and philosophy of science in terms of worldviews and their elements…. In addition, the book is incredibly well-informed from both a scientific and philosophical angle. Highly recommended.”Scientific and Medical Network “Unlike many other introductions to philosophy of science, DeWitt’s book is at once historically informative and philosophically thorough and rigorous.
The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution (2016)
A companion to such acclaimed works as The Age of Wonder, A Clockwork Universe, and Darwin’s Ghosts—a groundbreaking examination of the greatest event in history, the Scientific Revolution, and how it came to change the way we understand ourselves and our world.We live in a world transformed by scientific discovery. Yet today, science and its practitioners have come under political attack.
A Little History of Science (2013)
Science is fantastic. It tells us about the infinite reaches of space, the tiniest living organism, the human body, the history of Earth. People have always been doing science because they have always wanted to make sense of the world and harness its power.
The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors (2004)
In this ambitious new book, John Gribbin tells the stories of the people who have made science, and of the times in which they lived and worked.
The Beginnings of Western Science: The European Scientific Tradition in Philosophical, Religious, and Institutional Context, Prehistory to A.D. 1450 (2008)
When it was first published in 1992, The Beginnings of Western Science was lauded as the first successful attempt ever to present a unified account of both ancient and medieval science in a single volume.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History (2015)
Over the last half-billion years, there have been Five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us.
Timelines of Science: The Ultimate Visual Guide to the Discoveries That Shaped the World (2015)
Now available in paperback, Timelines of Science is an informative guide to the history of scientific discovery and technology. that follows the path chronologically, and explores everything from ancient Greek geometry to quantum physics.
Science: A Four Thousand Year History (2010)
In Science, Patricia Fara rewrites science’s past to provide new ways of understanding and questioning our modern technological society.
A People’s History of Science (2005)
We all know the history of science that we learned from grade school textbooks: How Galileo used his telescope to show that the earth was not the center of the universe; how Newton divined gravity from the falling apple; how Einstein unlocked the mysteries of time and space with a simple equation.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2018)
Official U.S.
A Short History of Nearly Everything (2004)
In A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson trekked the Appalachian Trail well, most of it. In A Sunburned Country, he confronted some of the most lethal wildlife Australia has to offer. Now, in his biggest book, he confronts his greatest challenge: to understand and, if possible, answer the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves.
Best Science History Books You Should Enjoy
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some science history books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors
Author(s): John Gribbin
ID: 2393827, Publisher: Random House, Year: 30 July 2019, Size: 41 Mb, Format: epub
State of the Heart: Exploring the History, Science, and Future of Cardiac Disease
Author(s): Haider Warraich
ID: 2392516, Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Year: 23 July 2019, Size: 2 Mb, Format: epub
Psychedelic Apes: From parallel universes to atomic dinosaurs—the weirdest theories of science and history
Author(s): Alex Boese
ID: 2392672, Publisher: Macmillan, Year: 23 July 2019, Size: 764 Kb, Format: epub
Please note that this booklist is not errorless. Some books are absolutely hot items according to The Wall Street Journal, others are drafted by unknown writers. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant links you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.