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23 Science Books That Are So Exciting They Read Like Genre Fiction

Some of the greatest nonfiction books about science read like novels. They borrow tropes and narrative tricks from science fiction, fantasy, horror, and more — turning great discoveries into great adventures. Here are twenty-three science books that are better than genre fiction because they're true.
This is just a starter list for you because there are dozens more books I could have included from the dawn of scientific writing up through stuff published last month. I've tried to offer a representative sample, picking from classic works as well as science books that borrow their styles from a few popular genres.
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from io9.gizmodo.com · made by Bobbi Green
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On the Origin of Species (Charles Darwin)
On the Origin of Species
1
Charles Darwin
Coming of Age in Samoa (Margaret Mead)
Coming of Age in Samoa
2
Margaret Mead
Silent Spring (Rachel Carson)
Silent Spring
3
Rachel Carson
Encounters With the Archdruid (John McPhee)
Encounters With the Archdruid
4
John McPhee
Future Shock (Toffler Alvin)
Future Shock
5
Toffler Alvin
Sociobiology (E O Wilson)
Sociobiology
6
E O Wilson
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid (Douglas R. Hofstadter)
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
7
Douglas R. Hofstadter
The World Without Us (Alan Weisman)
The World Without Us
8
Alan Weisman
Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet (Bill McKibbin)
Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet
9
Bill McKibbin
Death From the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End... (Philip Plait)
Death From the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End...
10
Philip Plait
Collapse by Jared Diamond
Collapse by Jared Diamond
11
The Coming Plague (Laurie Garrett)
The Coming Plague
12
Laurie Garrett
Cosmos (Carl Sagan)
Cosmos
13
Carl Sagan
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Rebecca Skloot)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
14
Rebecca Skloot
Physics of the Impossible
Physics of the Impossible
15
Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences Of
Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences Of
16
Regenesis (George Church)
Regenesis
17
George Church
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York (Deborah Blum)
The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
18
Deborah Blum
Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution
Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution
19
Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes (Maria Konnikova)
Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes
20
Maria Konnikova
1491
1491
21
The Medea Hypothesis (Peter Ward)
The Medea Hypothesis
22
Peter Ward
The Technology of Orgasm (Rachel Maines)
The Technology of Orgasm
23
Rachel Maines
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