Wrote up a good collection of books about Science, Math and Philosophy...just thought it'd be kind to share.

1. A Brief History of Nearly Everything, Bryson<br />Another very readable classic, for someone who has some basic math under his belt anyway: Mandelbrot's Fractal Geometry of Nature.Emphasizing the layman's side, with almost no technical content at all, maybe Rudy Rucker's The Fourth Dimension -- and, of course, the ancient classic that inspired it, Flatland.<br />Baby Rudin (aka Principles of Mathematical Analysis by Walter Rudin)R+C Analysis by Walter RudinAlgebra by Serge LangThese books are a absolutely required of anyone who wants a firm understanding in mathematics. There are, of course, others. However, these are a great start. Do every exercise in Baby Rudin and you will be a much stronger mathematician for it.<br />Critique of Pure Reason-- KantInquiry Concerning Human Understanding-- HumePhenomenology of Spirit-- HegelFoundations of Arithmetic-- FregeProblems of Philosophy-- RussellTractatus-- WittgensteinInvestigations-- WittgensteinBlue and Brown Books-- WittgensteinOn Certainty-- WittgensteinIntention-- AnscombeEmpiricism and the Philosophy of Mind-- SellarsPhilosophy and the Mirror of Nature—Rorty---A book of much importance—Davidson's articlesNaming and Necessity-- KripkeWittgenstein on Rules and Private Language-- KripkeMind and World—McDowell<br />Einstein's Dreams By Alan Lightman <br />Elegant Universe Brian GreeneThe Selfish Gene Richard Dawkins<br />Ending Aging: Aubrey de Grey with Michael Rae –A little biology would help. I must admit I find his method of curing cancer just a little scary.The Mathematical Experience: Philip Davis, Reuben Herch. - In the style of Hofstadter's classic.<br />Gödel, Escher, Bach an eternal golden braid: Douglas Hofstadter. – Not to be missed. <br />I have not read the following work (always wanted to) but it receives universal praise and seems a worthy book to mention, Antsby Bert Hölldobler and E .O. Wilson: http://www.amazon.com/Ants-Bert-H%C3...567870&sr=8-11-------quot;
This is the definitive scientific study of one of the most diverse animal groups on earth; pretty well everything that is known about ants is in this massive work. But books do not win Pulitzer Prizes, as this one did in 1991, for exhaustiveness; besides being the last word in science, this work is beautifully written, and accessible to the lay reader. Wilson, of Harvard, and Holldobler of the University of Wurzburg, may inspire a whole new generation of budding entomologists. Every branch of biology is covered, from evolution to taxonomy to physiology to ecology. Lavishly illustrated, it is full of amazing facts, many concerning the incredible social behavior of these creatures. quot;
<br />I think that How to Think About Weird Things by Theo Schick and Lewis Vaughn is the best book on critical thinking I have ever read. It seems to be out of print, but there are dozens of copies available on Amazon.<br />It's About Time by David Mermin is a nice and inexpensive book about special relativity.<br />Pretty damn good philosophy books---not vey laman are these all but I recommend.<br />Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. Great intro to philosophy, and a decent story as well. (--philosophy--)<br />Spinoza Ethics. First time I have ever used the word god without irony.<br />The Blind Watchmaker, Richard DawkinsThe Evolution of Cooperation, Robert AxelrodProofs and Refutations, Imre Lakatos<br />The Demon-Haunted World, Science as a Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan. Not especially profound but it is an excellent defense of Science and Reason and Skepticism and is well written in an engaging style - A sober book for these un-sober times.An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, by David Hume. The great empiricist at his succint best. A shorter work than his other tomes and more easily digested.The Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell, by that old aristocratic codger. This book offers a broad range of subjects covering science, philosophy, mathematics, logic and societal implications of each and branches into morals, ethics, religion, history, and other diverse topics. Russell is always lucid and interesting even when you disagree, and the essays are not as dated as some would think. If this book is too much Russell for some, then I suggest the short Unpopular Essays, as worthy of an afternoon's reading.<br />The Lightness of Being by Frank Wilczek. A very readable and entertaining look at quantum physics. It was written in the last year, so it's very up to date, and talks about the current state of the theoris, and some about what they expect to find at the LHC.<br />The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rodes (received the Pulitzer Prize and justly so):http://www.amazon.com/Making-Atomic-...1116601&sr=8-1<br />The meme Machine by Susan Blackmore<br />The Red Queen by Matt Ridley (also take a look at The Origins of Virtue)Before The Dawn by Nicholas Wade (best book out there on human evolution)<br />The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe----very good but technical-be aware.<br />The Sacred Depths of Nature is a favorite of mine. It argues that humans are wired to ponder the sublime, and that nature and science are appropriates choices for sacralization if you lack religious faith. http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Depths-...8&sr=1-1-spell<br />The Sphere and Duties of Government - Wilhelm von HumboldtPolitical Philosophy book. <br />Thinking Physics: Understandable Practical Reality, by Lewis Carroll Epstein. Quick/fun questions and answers for nonexperts. I especially liked the explanation of magnetism as a consequence of relativistic length contraction.Vibrations and Waves, by A.P. French.If you like Richard Feynman's autobiograhical stuff, try Dancing Naked in the Mind Field, by Kary Mullis. Dude is certifiable.Cosmos, by Carl Sagan.MathPartial Differential Equations for Engineers, Stanley J. FarlowDiv, Grad, Curl, and All That: An Informal Text on Vector Calculus, by H. M. Schey.Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem, by Simon Singh and John Lynch.Fourier Series and Harmonic AnalysisVector AnalysisLaplace TransformsComplex VariablesDifferential EquationsEngineering MathematicsFurther Engineering Mathematics A History of Western Philosophy, by Bertrand Russell.Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl.<br />Relativity The Special and the General Theory, by Albert Einstein A Mathematician’s Apology, by G. H. HardyThe Story of Philosophy, by Will DurantWhat is Life? by Erwin Schrödinger (this real gem of a book has an epilogue titled 'Determinism and Free Will' which is a wonderful Ferris wheel ride of thought).<br />Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer. Great book about the merits of science, the folly of pseudoscience, and how to tell the difference, with great topics like: how to debunk common creationist arguments, how we know the Holocaust happened, how quot;
weirdquot;
ideas emerge, the cult of Ayn Rand, and why smart people believe weird things.<br />