Numerous important science books have been written throughout history, and many may be enjoyable reads for nonscientists as well as for members of the scientific community. Here, however, we have selected ten books that were monumental considering the historical moment in which they were written. These selections undoubtedly had a huge and potentially controversial impact on society from the moment they were available for consideration. And many of these books opened the door to where science has brought us today. They are informative, captivating, inspiring, controversial, and challenging, above all when considered in the period of their creation.
- Physica by Aristotle (approximately 330 B.C.)
Physica is Aristotle’s dissertation about the philosophical nature of motion, time, and change. This collection of his lessons regarded both living beings as well as inanimate objects. This book is eight books in one and these eight books are each divided into chapters. In this treatise, Aristotle lays the foundation for the study of the natural world. This methodology continued influencing for over two thousand years paving the way for modern-day science. Bertrand Russell described the Aristotelian work as ….”extremely influential, and dominated science until the time of Galileo….” (The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell (1946) p. 226 George Allen & Unxin Ltd., London)
2. De Humani Corporis Fabrica by Andreas Vesalius (1543)
This extraordinary set of books was written by anatomist Andreas Vesalius in 1543. Here Vesalius published the first illustrated textbook of human anatomy. Vesalius performed his dissections during his lectures in Padua and, thus was able to supervise the recreation of incredibly detailed illustrations of organs and the general structure of the human anatomy. The work appears in seven books each detailing a different set of fundamentals of anatomy (Bones and Cartilages, Ligaments and Muscles, Veins and Arteries, Nerves, Organs of Generation and Nutrition, Heart, Brain). The stunning illustrations in the collection are commonly attributed to students of the Italian Renaissance painter Titian.
3 .De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium by Nicolaus Copernicus (1543)
Written by astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus during the Polish Renaissance, Copernicus waited to publish his heliocentric theory because it was in contrast with the convictions of the Holy Roman Church at the time. It is divided into six parts and features a dedication to Pope Paul III explaining that the work isn’t heretical. After Copernicus’ death, no scandal followed immediately until Galileo broke with the Church’s theories and the work landed on the list of forbidden books during the Inquisition. The importance of this work and its influence are due to Copernicus’ argument that the earth revolved around the sun and not the other way around.
4. Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems by Galileo Galilei (1632)
This is the celebrated text by astronomer Galileo Galilei in Italian. The work was dedicated to his patron, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando II de’ Medici. Pope Urban VIII requested that Galileo write a neutral dissertation on the new theories of Copernicus that the sun was the center of the universe. Galileo wrote his treatise but presented it as a conversation of three characters: a disciple of Copernicus, a neutral educated outsider and a disciple of Aristotle named Simplicio (also the name of a renowned Byzantine philosopher and mathematician as well as an allusion to being “simple”), who embodied the Church’s position. Nonetheless, the Copernican theory got better treatment and as a thank you, Galileo received an invitation to the Inquisition.
5. Micrographia by Robert Hooke (1665)
English natural philosopher Robert Hooke constructed some of the earliest known Gregorian telescopes and developed the compound microscope. He used his microscope to examine the eyes of flies, hair, bee stingers, seeds, and even sand. In this volume, he details every aspect of what he observed thanks to the microscope and includes beautifully detailed illustrations of his subjects.
6. Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Isaac Newton (1687)
Otherwise known as “Principia”, this work of three volumes by Isaac Newton certifies the beginning of modern-day physics. Newton begins his work with the three well-known laws of motion and continues explaining the similarities between pond ripples and sound waves. It is in this work that he famously asserts that the force of gravity defines the orbit of the moon just as it guides the arc of a pebble that has been tossed. The power of Newton’s reasoning and incredible genius is on full display in this gripping scientific work.
7. The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (1859)
In his masterwork, Darwin presents his theory of evolution through natural selection. Before Darwin introduced his theory, common belief held that every species had always existed in its present form from the moment of the divine creation of the world. Humans were a superior species above nature and everything therein. Here Darwin knocks us down a notch or two. He worked on his theory for nearly two decades while compiling an extraordinary work of experiments and details before revealing it. Even now, after over a century and a half, some religious backlash persists.
8. Relativity: The Special and the General Theory by Albert Einstein (1916)
Here Albert Einstein overturns the long-held convictions about bodies that are in motion. He demonstrates that both time and space are not absolutes. What began as a short paper, ended up being published as a book originally in German and translated into English four years later. The book explains in the preface that it intends to provide insight into the theory of relativity even for those without a background in mathematics or physics. It also provides a window into the mind of a genius.
9. The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins (1976)
In this stunning read about evolutionary biology, Richard Dawkins contends that we are handy machines created to perpetuate our genes and not the other way around. Here Dawkins develops the theory of George C. Williams’s “Adaptation and Natural Selection” arguing the evolution theory that is “gene-centered”. In this view, it is logical that two individuals that are genetically related, behave selflessly and altruistically toward each other. What may seem to be altruistic is a form of selfishness. To cite the author, “our genes have survived, in some cases for millions of years, in a highly competitive world.”
10. The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould (1981)
A historical examination and critique of the statistical methodology and cultural motivations behind biological determinism. Biological determinism maintains that society is fundamentally an accurate reflection of biology, so those who benefit from class, race or gender would be genetically superior. Harvard scholar paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould bares the fallacies intrinsic to this theory, these being reification and ranking. The book was widely criticized in scientific circles but also won the National Book Critics Circle Award among other awards.
