Book reviews | Three popular science books you should read (and one you shouldn't)

I'm an avid reader so I'm starting a book review series! I chat about three of my favourite popular science books, and moan about one that I really didn't enjoy!

Books:
Bad Science - Ben Goldacre
The unnatural history of the sea - Callum Roberts
A short history of nearly everything - Bill Bryson
The greatest show on earth - Richard Dawkins

Music:
Bongo by KV
Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0

----------|----------

I am Chantel Elston, a third year marine biology PhD student. Join me on my journey as I discover our wonderful oceans and try to survive PhD life.

[novantembo]

I do not have words for how good, in my opinion, A History of Nearly Everything

[KaimanaConservation]

Huge bookworm here! I get asked all the time if I had any book recommendations for aspiring scientists. I can't wait to read Ben Goldacre's Bad Science - it sounds very interesting!

[Seamemaria]

Perfect video for a lab break ^^ Thanks for the great suggestions. I am also an avid reader, sometimes a bit too obsessive I would say =P and I love book recommendation videos and talking about books (not only science) so this is just perfect!
Bad science added to my Want to read bookshelf on Goodreads =D. I have read the Bill Bryson book, he is so funny, I really enjoy most of his books. I have the Unnatural History of the Sea on my shelf as one of my next reads, very excited for it. I have the Selfish Gene from Richard Dawkins but still haven´t gotten into it, but I am quite curious. I know he sparks quite a lot of controversy in the way he exposes his ideas.

[Mustafa-cpwc]

I read the selfish gene by Richard Dawkins and it's one of my favourite books of all time

[subolqmdlg]

Im now reading the richard dawkins book, and I think its been really informative and i've learned a lot. I've been helping myself as Im not an english native speaker, with his audiobook, and he doesnt sound arrogant at all, at least in my perspective. Maybe you have seen him in different religious debates and therefore you had an idea of his voice that was only on your head. I dont feel like que repeats himself as if you are being stupid, of course you are a scientist and you understand much more about the topic, but the objective of the book is also for people uneducated in science to understand this topics, and for someone that has a religious belief interfering with the understanding of a concept, explaining more than once in different perspectives might help a lot. Thats my take on that book, and I'll definitely try to get the other 3 you mention, hopefully in spanish hahaha

[GRosa]

I read the one by Bill Bryson, and the one by Dawkins is already for some years on my bookshelf without me reading it. Bryson's was a good read, although a bit telegraphic considering the large number of stories he covers. I read The God Delusion by Dawkins. As an atheist myself, it was very informative, but it's not for everyone. I also read some books by the late evolutionary biologist Stephen J Gould, in particular a few collections of his essays. Have you read any of his books?

[sayantansur]

I just finished Sapiens and I'm looking forward to reading "a short history of everything". I'm just worried it may get a tad bit monotonous since they both sound quite similar.

[marmarmar]

I was looking for this kind of book reviews!!!! You´re smart, but humble and that's lovely!

[isaacsaganasimmov]

Thanks to scientifics books we can keep expanding our curiosity....💪🏾

[GJames]

I love listening to Richard Dawkins in debates and interviews but his books are hard to get through! Right now I am like 60% through The Selfish Gene which I started a while ago and then now have restarted.

[milaantonets]

I dont really like to read, but I really like science, (chem and microbiology in so I guess I will try to read some of them :)

[LXSUR]

I've read almost every single book on evolution out there and The Greatest Show on Earth is probably the best book out there to understand what's the evidence of evolution (also Why Evolution is True by J.Coyne). Saying what you're saying of this book with the increible amount of people out there who doesn't understand evolution is a negligence.
Moreover, Dawkins isn't arrogant, and repeating that like a mantra is damaging the enormous contribution he has done with his books.
I recommend you continue reading his books and watching his speechs because then you'll rectify. I really think so.

[deandraznin]

Quick heads up for lovers of science and tech: The famed father of anticipatory systems in computing, Mihai Nadin's new book from Springer, Disrupt Science: The Future Matters, drops on Dec 20. His brilliant cross-disciplinary POV argues for ditching the "cult of machines" which is ineffective at predicting and averting disasters. He says the future of humanity and the planet depends on drawing on a deeper intelligence, as exhibited in actual life forms. He's the Univ of TX, Dallas, Ashbel Smith Emeritus Professor. You may love his iconoclastic insider insights!

[melancholiac]

I think you do Richard Dawkins a tremendous disservice. If you have only tried The Greatest Show On Earth then you have done yourself a disservice.

As a scientist, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society. As an author, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Neither a mean feat.

With the publication in the 1970s of The Selfish Gene, he created a sensation by refocusing evolution on the genetic level. Such was the impact, he reached well outside the scientific field to a general public. He has written many excellent works of popular science.

In my lifetime I have read hundreds of popular science books and would not hesitate to recommend any of his works at the very apex of the genre.

[kind]

I like you and I am from India ambitious to become scientist hope you do well ur PhD

[matpikachu]

What are the black colored books at the back of you?

[sanchitshukla]

video is helpfull.. Hope you share some more videos..thanku

[hootahooota]

What about the gynecologist written by the auther Leslie heron

[markczarny]

I think Stephen fry got most of the material for Q I from Bryson s Short history.

[blackjack-kszn]

7:10
For me : so that I could show off a bit