100 Best Wave Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

A Brief History of Time

Stephen Hawking

5.0

In the ten years since its publication in 1988, Stephen Hawking's classic work has become a landmark volume in scientific writing, with more than nine million copies in forty languages sold worldwide. That edition was on the cutting edge of what was then known about the origins and nature of the universe. But the intervening years have seen extraordinary advances in the technology of observing bot

Recommended by Richard Branson, Adam Hart-Davis, Anurag Ramdasan, and 2 others.

Richard Branson

Founder/Virgin Group

Today is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. [source]

Adam Hart-Davis

When Stephen Hawking wrote A Brief History of Time..his publisher told him that every equation he left in would halve the number of readers [source]

Anurag Ramdasan

My first intro into the world of physics and this got me completely hooked!

2

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character

Richard P. Feynman

5.0

Preview Summary

A series of anecdotes, such as are included in Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman, shouldn't by rights add up to an autobiography, but that's just one of the many pieces of received wisdom that Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman (1918-88) cheerfully ignores in this engagingly eccentric book. Fiercely independent (read the chapter entitled "Judging Books by Their Covers"), intolerant of st

Recommended by Larry Page, Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, and 12 others.

Larry Page

Co-Founder/Google

Google co-founder has listed this book as one of his favorites. [source]

Sergey Brin

Co-Founder/Google

Brin told the Academy of Achievement: "Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broad-minded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo da Vinci, an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life." [source]

Naval Ravikant

CEO & Co-Founder/AngelList

Learn about the inner mindset and external state of someone who was absolutely brilliant. [source]

3

QED: The Strange Theory of Light & Matter: Alix G. Mautner Memorial Lectures

Richard P. Feynman

4.8

Famous the world over for the creative brilliance of his insights into the physical world, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman also possessed an extraordinary talent for explaining difficult concepts to the nonscientist. QED--the edited version of four lectures on quantum electrodynamics that Feynman gave to the general public at UCLA as part of the Alix G. Mautner Memorial Lecture serie

Recommended by Larry Page, Marcus Chown, and Ryan Shea.

Marcus Chown

When Feynman was at Cal Tech, this wealthy couple who’d grown up in the same New York neighbourhood as he had said, Look, you’ve won this Nobel Prize, now explain to ordinary people what for. And Feynman said, No, it’s too complicated. But eventually he did this series of public lectures, and that was the book. It’s a tiny book and in it he describes the whole of quantum electrodynamics without a single equation. [source]

Ryan Shea

@jaltma @AriannaSimpson Incredible book. Perhaps my favorite physics book. [source]

4

Harry Potter Boxset (Harry Potter, #1-7)

J. K. Rowling and Mary GrandPré

4.7

Now for the first time ever, J.K. Rowling’s seven bestselling Harry Potter books are available in a stunning paperback boxed set! The Harry Potter series has been hailed as “one for the ages” by Stephen King and “a spellbinding saga’ by USA Today. And most recently, The New York Times called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the “fastest selling book in history.” This is the ultimate Harry Pott

Recommended by Barack Obama, Gretchen Rubin, Emma Watson, and 5 others.

Barack Obama

Former USA President

As a devoted reader, the president has been linked to a lengthy list of novels and poetry collections over the years — he admits he enjoys a thriller. [source]

Adam Lawrence

I hate reading. I always have. Except for Harry Potter and To Kill A Mockingbird, which I've read dozens of times. [source]

Benjamin Kwan

I used to read more fiction when I was a lot younger just like any young boy. And of course the favourite book that teens my generation love would be Harry Potter! It just gives us an avenue to be part of that fantasy world that we have always dreamt of. [source]

5

The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave, #1)

Rick Yancey

4.7

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors

6

The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean

Susan Casey

4.7

From Susan Casey, bestselling author of The Devil’s Teeth, an astonishing book about colossal, ship-swallowing rogue waves and the surfers who seek them out.

For centuries, mariners have spun tales of gargantuan waves, 100-feet high or taller. Until recently scientists dismissed these stories—waves that high would seem to violate the laws of physics. But in the past few decades, as a startling numb

7

Wave

Sonali Deraniyagala

4.6

On the morning of December 26, 2004, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, Sonali Deraniyagala lost her parents, her husband, and her two young sons in the tsunami she miraculously survived. In this brave and searingly frank memoir, she describes those first horrifying moments and her long journey since. She has written an engrossing, unsentimental, beautifully poised account: as she struggles throu

8

The Feynman Lectures on Physics

Richard P. Feynman

4.6

The legendary introduction to physics from the subject's greatest teacher
"The whole thing was basically an experiment," Richard Feynman said late in his career, looking back on the origins of his lectures. The experiment turned out to be hugely successful, spawning a book that has remained a definitive introduction to physics for decades. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics

Recommended by Bill Gates and David Bainbridge.

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

You don't have to take a course to learn physics. If you're hardcore, read the Feynman book and do the problems. [source]

David Bainbridge

I think that he is one of the most intelligent people to live in the 20th century. Yet at the same time, surprisingly, he is an amazingly good teacher. This is quite an unusual combination. [source]

9

Gravitation

Charles W. Misner, Kip S. Thorne, John Archibald Wheeler, David I. Kaiser

4.5

First published in 1973, Gravitation is a landmark graduate-level textbook that presents Einstein's general theory of relativity and offers a rigorous, full-year course on the physics of gravitation. Upon publication, Science called it "a pedagogic masterpiece," and it has since become a classic, considered essential reading for every serious student and researcher in the field of relativity. This

Recommended by Eric Weinstein, Kirk Borne, and Seamus Blackley.

Eric Weinstein

Managing Director/Thiel Capital

Eric Weinstein recommended this book on Twitter. [source]

Kirk Borne

#Gravity is the only one of the four fundamental forces of #Physics that doesn’t (yet) have a quantum explanation — learn how our understanding of Gravity has evolved, from Newton’s great insight to Einstein’s: https://t.co/DZJz9OJ9Lv 👇See this gravitationally heavy 3-kg book👇 https://t.co/9whUOUJqxi [source]

Seamus Blackley

A couple things saved me. One of them I found the other day, slipped into my all time favorite physics book. It was a simple note from my dad, still in it’s envelope. It said that he believed in me, and that things would work out. https://t.co/z48r12w6m6 [source]

10

Reality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity

Carlo Rovelli, Simon Carnell, Erica Segre

4.5

“The man who makes physics sexy . . . the scientist they’re calling the next Stephen Hawking.” —The Times Magazine

From the New York Times–bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, a closer look at the mind-bending nature of the universe.

What are time and space made of? Where does matter come from? And what exactly is reality? Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli has spent his whole life

Recommended by Caspar Henderson.

Caspar Henderson

He’s got a good, simple style, and he has a great capability to explain. [source]

Cover unavailable

11

The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave, #2)

Rick Yance

4.4

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the

12

The Wave

Todd Strasser

4.4

The Wave is based on a true incident that occurred in a high school history class in Palo Alto, California, in 1969.

The powerful forces of group pressure that pervaded many historic movements such as Nazism are recreated in the classroom when history teacher Burt Ross introduces a "new" system to his students. And before long The Wave, with its rules of "strength through discipline, community, and

13

Why Does E=mc²? (And Why Should We Care?)

Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw

4.4

The most accessible, entertaining, and enlightening explanation of the best-known physics equation in the world, as rendered by two of today’s leading scientists.

Professor Brian Cox and Professor Jeff Forshaw go on a journey to the frontier of 21st century science to consider the real meaning behind the iconic sequence of symbols that make up Einstein’s most famous equation, E=mc2. Breaking down t

Recommended by Phil Plait and Philip Plait.

Phil Plait

“Why Does E=mc^2” is a *great* book. It’s short, well-written, and makes it a lot easier to understand just why the speed of light is what it is. https://t.co/nfuYjouX0r [source]

Philip Plait

This book, written by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, is wonderful. Brian, who is a friend of mine, is a physicist in England. By exploring the equation “energy equals mass times the speed of light squared”, this book helps you to understand why the universe is what it is. [source]

14

The Three Waves of Volunteers and the New Earth

Dolores Cannon

4.3

This is a fascinating narrative that reveals the cosmic forces that have been in play over the past 66 years. Help has come from the outside to preserve the human race.

In 1945 when the atomic bombs, our "protectors" and "watchers" in outer space saw that Earth was on a collision course with disaster. The prime directive of non-interference prevented them from taking any action, but then they came

15

The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe

Steven Weinberg

4.3

A Nobel Prize-winning physicist explains what happened at the very beginning of the universe, and how we know, in this popular science classic.

Our universe has been growing for nearly 14 billion years. But almost everything about it, from the elements that forged stars, planets, and lifeforms, to the fundamental forces of physics, can be traced back to what happened in just the first three minutes

Recommended by Dan Hooper, David Goldberg, and Tim Radford.

Dan Hooper

Steve Weinberg is arguably the most brilliant physicist of the last many decades. He’s an absolute luminary. He also happens to be a really good writer and communicator. I’ve liked all of the books of his I’ve read, but I picked The First Three Minutes because it is the classic book about the Big Bang and the first three minutes of our universe’s history. [source]

David Goldberg

Another one that has to be on any list like this is The First Three Minutes by Steven Weinberg, a Nobel Prize-winner. It’s a relatively slim volume, in which he describes what happened in the first three minutes of the Big Bang, as it was known and understood back then 1977. We’ve learned a fair amount since then and some of the details in his original version are a little off, but the basic picture is still incredibly accurate. It’s just a really great description of the beginning of the universe, and almost every book on cosmology will include some variants of Weinberg’s description because he walks through it in such a clear way. [source]

Tim Radford

Not only is it the beginning of the universe, it’s the beginning of books about the universe. [source]

Cover unavailable

16

Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field: How Two Men Revolutionized Physics

Nancy Forbes and Basil Mahon

4.3

The story of two brilliant nineteenth-century scientists who discovered the electromagnetic field, laying the groundwork for the amazing technological and theoretical breakthroughs of the twentieth century.

Two of the boldest and most creative scientists of all time were Michael Faraday (1791-1867) and James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879). This is the story of how these two men - separated in age by for

Recommended by Charles T. Munger.

Charles T. Munger

Vice Chairman/Berkshire Hathaway

It's a combination of scientific biography and explanation of the physics, particularly relating to electricity. It's just the best book of its kind I have ever read, and I just hugely enjoyed it. Couldn't put it down. It was a fabulous human achievement. And neither of the writers is a physicist. [source]

17

Escaping the Giant Wave

Peg Kehret

4.3

When an earthquake hits on their family vacation, can Kyle and his sister survive the following tsunami?

The Worst Vacation Ever!

Thirteen-year-old Kyle thought spending a vacation on the Oregon coast with his family would be great. He’d never flown before, and he’s never seen the Pacific Ocean.

One evening Kyle is left in charge of his younger sister, BeeBee, while his parents attend an adults-only

Cover unavailable

18

Madness, Rack, and Honey: Collected Lectures

Mary Ruefle

4.3

This is one of the wisest books I've read in years... —New York Times Book Review

No writer I know of comes close to even trying to articulate the weird magic of poetry as Ruefle does. She acknowledges and celebrates in the odd mystery and mysticism of the act—the fact that poetry must both guard and reveal, hint at and pull back... Also, and maybe most crucially, Ruefle’s work is never once stuffy

19

Bluets

Maggie Nelson

4.3

Suppose I were to begin by saying that I had fallen in love with a color...

A lyrical, philosophical, and often explicit exploration of personal suffering and the limitations of vision and love, as refracted through the color blue. With Bluets, Maggie Nelson has entered the pantheon of brilliant lyric essayists.

Maggie Nelson is the author of numerous books of poetry and nonfiction, including Someth

20

The Darkest Minds Series Boxed Set

Alexandra Bracken

4.3

All four novels in the New York Times best-selling Darkest Minds series--The Darkest Minds, Never Fade, In the Afterlight, and Through the Dark--are now available in one thrilling paperback boxed set. With gorgeous, fresh designs and exclusive bonus short stories from the perspectives of fan-favorite characters Liam, Vida, and Clancy, this collection will delight loyal fans and new readers alike,

21

Shock Wave (Virgil Flowers, #5)

John Sandfor

4.3

The thrilling new Virgil Flowers novel from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author.

Talk about risky business.

The superstore chain PyeMart has its sights set on a Minnesota river town, but two very angry groups want to stop it: the local merchants fearing for their businesses, and the environmentalists predicting ecological disaster. The protests don't seem to be slowing the project down, though,

22

The First Wave: The D-Day Warriors Who Led the Way to Victory in World War II

Alex Kershaw

4.2

The New York Times bestselling author of The Liberator and Avenue of Spies returns with a thrilling, action-heavy account of D-Day combat.

Beginning in the predawn darkness of June 6, 1944, The First Wave follows ten men attempting to carry out D-Day's most critical missions. Their actions would determine the fate of the invasion of Hitler's Fortress Europe.

The ten make a charismatic, unforgettable

23

The Last Star (The 5th Wave, #3)

Rick Yancey

4.2

The enemy is Other. The enemy is us.

They’re down here, they’re up there, they’re nowhere. They want the Earth, they want us to have it. They came to wipe us out, they came to save us.

But beneath these riddles lies one truth: Cassie has been betrayed. So has Ringer. Zombie. Nugget. And all 7.5 billion people who used to live on our planet. Betrayed first by the Others, and now by ourselves.

In these

24

The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe

Lynne McTaggart

4.2

Science has recently begun to prove what ancient myth and religion have always espoused: There may be such a thing as a life force.

Lynne McTaggart, indefatigable investigative journalist, reveals a radical new biological paradigm -- that on our most fundamental level, the human mind and body are not distinct and separate from their environment but a packet of pulsating power constantly interacting

25

Rescuing Ladybugs: Inspirational Encounters with Animals That Changed the World

Jennifer Skiff

4.2

Most children delight in interacting with ladybugs, butterflies, even ants. At a petting zoo, they marvel at goats, cows, and chickens. They often go on to lock eyes with a dog, cat, or hamster. Rescuing Ladybugs is about those moments with animals when we feel a connection. In 1997 the author came face to face with a bear imprisoned in a cage, confined by a straightjacket. What could she do? She

26

The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol 3

Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, Matthew Sands

4.2

This revised edition of Feynman's legendary lectures includes extensive corrections Feynman and his colleagues received and Caltech approved, making this the definitive edition of "The Feynman Lectures on Physics." For all readers interested in physics.

27

Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the Tenth Dimension

Michio Kaku

4.2

28

Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe

Simon Singh

4.2

A half century ago, a shocking Washington Post headline claimed that the world began in five cataclysmic minutes rather than having existed for all time; a skeptical scientist dubbed the maverick theory the Big Bang. In this amazingly comprehensible history of the universe, Simon Singh decodes the mystery behind the Big Bang theory, lading us through the development of one of the most extraordinar

29

The 5th Wave Collection

Rick Yancey

4.2

Rick Yancey's entire blockbuster bestselling 5th Wave series is now available in a boxed set--great for binge-reading!

In The 5th Wave, Cassie finds herself in a world devastated by alien attack, desperate to save herself and find her lost brother. As the onslaught from the Others--the beings that look human and kill anyone they see--continues, Cassie's mission is to stay alone and stay alive. But

30

Rogue Wave (Waterfire Saga, #2)

Jennifer Donnelly

4.2

Serafina, Neela, Ling, Ava, Becca, and Astrid, six mermaids from realms scattered throughout the seas and freshwaters, were summoned by the leader of the river witches to learn an incredible truth: the mermaids are direct descendants of the Six Who Ruled-powerful mages who once governed the lost empire of Atlantis. The ancient evil that destroyed Atlantis is stirring again, and only the mermaids c

31

The Fourth Phase of Water: Beyond Solid, Liquid, and Vapor

Gerald H. Pollack

4.2

World renowned scientist, Dr. Gerald Pollack, takes us on a fantastic voyage through water, showing us a hidden universe teeming with physical activity - providing simple explanations for common everyday phenomena, which you have inevitably seen but not really understood.

For instance, have you ever wondered. . .

How do clouds made up of dense water droplets manage to float in the sky? Why don't you

32

Bringers of the Dawn: Teachings from the Pleiadians

Barbara Marciniak

4.2

Compiled from more than four hundred hours of channeling by Barbara Marciniak, Bringers of the Dawn imparts to us the wisdom of the Pleiadians, a group of enlightened beings who have come to Earth to help us discover how to reach a new stage of evolution.

Master storytellers and humorists, they advise us to become media free, to work in teams, and to eliminate the words "should" and "try" from our

33

Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality

Max Tegmark

4.2

Our Mathematical Universe is a journey to explore the mysteries uncovered by cosmology and to discover the nature of reality. Our Big Bang, our distant future, parallel worlds, the sub-atomic and intergalactic - none of them are what they seem. But there is a way to understand this immense strangeness - mathematics. Seeking an answer to the fundamental puzzle of why our universe seems so mathemati

Recommended by Mark Cuban.

Mark Cuban

Entrepreneur / Shark Tank

On Mark Cuban's list of books to read in 2018. [source]

34

Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio

Mike Senior

4.2

Discover how to achieve release-quality mixes even in the smallest studios by applying power-user techniques from the world's most successful producers.

Mixing Secrets For The Small Studio is a down-to-earth primer for small-studio enthusiasts who want chart-ready sonics in a hurry. Drawing on the back-room strategies of more than 100 famous names, this entertaining guide leads you step-by-step thr

35

In Pursuit of the Unknown: 17 Equations That Changed the World

Ian Stewart

4.2

In In Pursuit of the Unknown, celebrated mathematician Ian Stewart uses a handful of mathematical equations to explore the vitally important connections between math and human progress. We often overlook the historical link between mathematics and technological advances, says Stewart—but this connection is integral to any complete understanding of human history.Equations are modeled on the pattern

Recommended by Ante Shoda and Nick Higham.

Ante Shoda

This is written by a professor of mathematics from the United Kingdom, and it describes a number of mathematical breakthroughs and their consequences related to engineering and the practical usage of mathematics in machines and other things that we use every day. It’s a great introduction to the underlying principles of engineering. [source]

Nick Higham

He is a brilliant writer and one of the most famous people in the world for popularising mathematics. [source]

36

Experiments in Electronics Fundamentals and Electric Circuits Fundamentals: To Accompany Floyd, Electronics Fundamentals and Electric Circuit Fundamentals

David Buchla

4.2

37

My Private Property

Mary Ruefle

4.2

Author of Madness, Rack, and Honey ("One of the wisest books I've read in years," according to the New York Times) and Trances of the Blast, Mary Ruefle continues to be one of the most dazzling poets in America. My Private Property, comprised of short prose pieces, is a brilliant and charming display of her humor, deep imagination, mindfulness, and play in a finely crafted edition.

Personalia

When I

38

World Radio TV Handbook 2020: The Directory of Global Broadcasting

WRTH Editors

4.2

39

Waves of Mercy (Waves of Mercy, #1)

Lynn Austin

4.2

Geesje de Jonge crossed the ocean at age seventeen with her parents and a small group of immigrants from the Netherlands to settle in the Michigan wilderness. Fifty years later, in 1897, she's asked to write a memoir of her early experiences as the town celebrates its anniversary. Reluctant at first, she soon uncovers memories and emotions hidden all these years, including the story of her one tru

40

You Good Thing

Dara Wier

4.2

"This anti-elegy, both reverent and funny, anticipates the funny reverence that Wier finds, makes up, and sustains throughout her decades of subsequent writing."—Jacket Magazine

Dara Wier's loose sonnets insist on a living language in the face of death, cycling and vibrant as the water that runs through them.

. . . Assigned to
Adventure said the motto on our buttons. The last thing we knew
Before we l

41

When the Waves Came

Michael Larson

4.2

42

Nobody's Boy

Hector Malot and John B. Gruell

4.2

A compelling story in which orphaned Remi gets hired out to a traveling street entertainer when his foster parents fall on hard times. Going from village to village with its act, ‘nobody’s boy’ has numerous adventures until his boss also falls on hard times and perishes, homeless and destitute. Remi’s life includes a number of surprising twists and turns, leading to a climax and a very happy concl

43

Of Mongrelitude

Julian Talamantez Brolaski

4.2

Of Mongrelitude is a colloquy on the mongrel body, texual and actual, sexual, specieal, and racial. Composed in a hybrid style, it makes the argument that everything can and does come into ‘englyssh’: ancient and invented languages, european and indigenous, tongues not yet named. All of this ‘made up as medicine’, as ceremony for all creatures, as literal song.

Julian T. Brolaski is the author of

44

Principles of Quantum Mechanics

Ramamurti Shankar

4.2

Reviews from the First Edition:

"An excellent text ... The postulates of quantum mechanics and the mathematical underpinnings are discussed in a clear, succinct manner." (American Scientist)

"No matter how gently one introduces students to the concept of Dirac's bras and kets, many are turned off. Shankar attacks the problem head-on in the first chapter, and in a very informal style suggests that th

Recommended by Eric Weinstein.

Eric Weinstein

Managing Director/Thiel Capital

Eric Weinstein recommended this book on Twitter. [source]

45

A Student's Guide to Waves

Daniel Fleisch

4.2

Waves are an important topic in the fields of mechanics, electromagnetism, and quantum theory, but many students struggle with the mathematical aspects. Written to complement course textbooks, this book focuses on the topics that students find most difficult. Retaining the highly popular approach used in Fleisch's other Student's Guides, the book uses plain language to explain fundamental ideas in

46

My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla

4.1

This important title is the autobiography of Nikola Tesla. Nikola Tesla appropriately titled his work on his life, My Inventions, as he was one of the most important inventors and scientists in history. The book touches on his life and career, his first inventions, discovering the magnetic field, tesla coil and transformer and the manifying transmitter. There is also a chapter on the art of teleau

Recommended by Elon Musk and Larry Page.

Elon Musk

Founder/SpaceX

I didn't read actually very many general business books, but I like biographies and autobiographies, I think those are pretty helpful. Actually, a lot of them aren't really business. … I think it's also worth reading books on scientists and engineers. Tesla, obviously. [source]

47

Ghost Wave: The True Story of the Biggest Wave on Earth and the Men Who Challenged It

Chris Dixon

4.1

Rising from the depths of the Pacific lies a fabled island, now submerged just below the surface of the ocean. Rumors and warnings about Cortes Bank abound, but among big wave surfers, this legendary rock is famous for one simple (and massive) reason: this is the home of the biggest rideable wave on the face of the earth. In this dramatic work of narrative non-fiction, journalist Chris Dixon unloc

48

The Ankh, The: African Origin of Electromagnetism

Nur Ankh Amen

4.1

49

The Character of Physical Law

Richard Feynman

4.1

In the Messenger Lectures, originally delivered at Cornell University & recorded for TV by the BBC, Feynman offers an overview of selected physical laws & gathers their common features into one broad principle of invariance. He maintains at the outset that the importance of a physical law isn't "how clever we are to have found it out, but...how clever nature is to pay attention to it" & tends his

50

Face of the Wave

Jordan Ford

4.1

She was out cold. He was her lifeline. Will their unlikely connection survive the shocking truth? Skylar's memory fractured when she fell from the pier. After waking from a coma, the high school troublemaker has no clue if someone pushed her or she jumped. Surrounded by confusion, she discovers the kind voice that protected her unconscious moments belongs to a boy who's nowhere near her type...

Jed

51

Electromagnetism

Paul Lorrain, Dale R. Corson

4.1

An abbreviated version of the more advanced Electromagnetic Fields and Waves, the second edition of Lorrain and Corson's Electromagnetism and Applications is a text for applications-oriented, one-semester courses covering all the essentials of electromagnetism - from Coulomb's Law to Maxwell's Equations. Many features of the longer work appear in this version, including: problems from the current

52

Structure and Interpretation of Classical Mechanics

Gerald Jay Sussman

4.1

We now know that there is much more to classical mechanics than previously suspected. Derivations of the equations of motion, the focus of traditional presentations of mechanics, are just the beginning. This innovative textbook, now in its second edition, concentrates on developing general methods for studying the behavior of classical systems, whether or not they have a symbolic solution. It focu

53

The Universal One

Walter Russell

4.1

A “must” for the serious student of Russell science and philosophy, The Universal One is Walter Russell’s first expression of his new Cosmogony explaining the Mind-centered electromagnetic universe.

Russell later revised some of the content of The Universal One in The Secret of Light and A New Concept of the Universe. Students of the Russell science should be aware of the historic sequence of Walte

54

Gauge Fields, Knots and Gravity

John Baez, Javier P Muniain

4.1

This is an introduction to the basic tools of mathematics needed to understand the relation between knot theory and quantum gravity. The book begins with a rapid course on manifolds and differential forms, emphasizing how these provide a proper language for formulating Maxwell's equations on arbitrary spacetimes. The authors then introduce vector bundles, connections and curvature in order to gene

55

Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness

Bruce Rosenblum, Fred Kuttner

4.1

The most successful theory in all of science - and the basis of one third of our economy - says the strangest things about the world and about us. Can you believe that physical reality is created by our observation of it? Physicists were forced to this conclusion, the quantum enigma, by what they observed in their laboratories. Trying to understand the atom, physicists built quantum mechanics and

56

1988-89: The New Wave Punk Rock Explosion

Caroline Coon

4.1

'1988: the New Wave Punk Rock Explosion' by Caroline Coon is her inside 'as it happened' story of punk, with musicians and fans speeking for themselves. Caroline Coon managed The Clash from 1978 to 1980, through the UK Sort It Out tour and the USA Pearl Harbour tour.

57

Thin Kimono

Michael Earl Craig

4.1

"I like being in the world of Craig's poems. Anything can happen, and probably will, and it will affect me in small or large ways that I couldn't have imagined. The precision of their imagery keeps me reeling with delight."—James Tate

Thin Kimono continues Michael Earl Craig's singular breed of brilliant absurdist poetry, utterly and masterfully slanting the realities of daily existence.

Michael Ear

58

The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life

Robert Becker

4.1

"In this landmark book, Robert O. Becker, M.D., a pioneer in the field of bioelectric science, presents a fascinating look at the role electricity plays in healing, challenging the traditional mechanistic model of the body. Colorful and controversial, this is a tale of engrossing research, scientific and medical politics, and breakthrough discoveries that offer new possibilities for fighting disea

Cover unavailable

59

Hattie Big Sky (Hattie, #1)

Kirby Larson

4.1

After inheriting her uncle's homesteading claim in Montana, 16-year-old orphan Hattie Brooks travels from Iowa in 1917 to make a home for herself and encounters some unexpected problems related to the war being fought in Europe.

60

In Waves

AJ Dungo

4.1

In this graphic novel, surfer and illustrator AJ Dungo remembers his late partner and the shared love of surfing that endured throughout their time together.

Dungo explores the beauty and complexity of his relationship with his partner as they face her prolonged battle with cancer. With his passion for surfing uniting many narratives, he intertwines his own story with those of some of the great her

61

The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes: How a Stone-Age Comet Changed the Course of World Culture

Richard Firestone

4.1

Newly discovered scientific proof validating the legends and myths of ancient floods, fires, and weather extremes

• Presents new scientific evidence revealing the cause of the end of the last ice age and the cycles of geological events and species extinctions that followed

• Connects physical data to the dramatic earth changes recounted in oral traditions around the world

• Describes the impending d

62

The Art of Fielding

ChadHarbach

4.1

At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended.

Henry's fight against self-doubt threatens to ruin his future. College president Guert Affenlight, a longtime bachelor, has fallen unexpectedly and helplessly in love. O

Recommended by Julia Enthoven and Leo Babauta.

Julia Enthoven

For non-business, I’ve loved so many different books that it’s hard to pick a favorite. Recently, I’ve enjoyed The Art of Fielding and Americanah, and I love classics like A Farewell to Arms and Lord of the Flies. [source]

63

Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics (Perennial Classics)

Gary Zukav

4.1

Gary Zukav has written "the Bible" for those who are curious about the mind-expanding discoveries of advanced physics, but who have no scientific background. Like a Wu Li Master who would teach us wonder for the falling petal before speaking of gravity, Zukav writes in beautifully clear language—with no mathematical equations—opening our minds to the exciting new theories that are beginning to emb

64

Atomic Spectra and Atomic Structure

G Herzberg

4.1

65

Quantum Mechanics: Concepts and Applications

Nouredine Zettili

4.1

Quantum Mechanics: Concepts and Applications provides a clear, balanced and modern introduction to the subject. Written with the student's background and ability in mind the book takes an innovative approach to quantum mechanics by combining the essential elements of the theory with the practical applications: it is therefore both a textbook and a problem solving book in one self-contained volume.

66

All Our Waves Are Water: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment and the Perfect Ride

Jaimal Yogis

4.1

In this meditative memoir—a compelling fusion of Barbarian Days and the journals of Thomas Merton—the author of Saltwater Buddha reflects on his "failing toward enlightenment," his continued search to find meaning and a greater understanding of grace in the world’s oceans as well as everyday life.

Born to a family of seekers, Jaimal Yogis left home at sixteen to surf in Hawaii and join a monastery—

67

The 5th Wave Box Set (The 5th Wave #1-2)

Rick Yancey

4.1

Rick Yancey's blockbuster bestsellers "The 5th Wave" and its sequel "The Infinite Sea" aren ow available in a boxed set just in time for the release of the major motion picture of "The 5th Wave."

In "The 5th Wave," Cassie finds herself in a world devastated by alien attack, desperate to save herself and find her lost brother. As the onslaught from the Others the beings that look human and kill any

68

Dunce

Mary Ruefle

4.1

Through her many projects across numerous genres, Mary Ruefle has proven herself a singular artist, drawing many fans from around the world to her unique vision. With Dunce she returns to the practice that has always been at her core: the making of poems. With her startlingly fresh sensibility, she enraptures us in poem after poem by the intensity of her attention, with the imaginative flourishes

69

The Big Wave

Pearl S Buck

4.1

Kino lives on a farm on the side of a mountain in Japan. His friend, Jiya, lives in a fishing village below. Everyone, including Kino and Jiya, has heard of the big wave. No one suspects it will wipe out the whole village and Jiya's family, too. As Jiya struggles to overcome his sorrow, he understands it is in the presence of danger that one learns to be brave, and to appreciate how wonderful life

70

Something I Expected to Be Different

Joshua Beckman

4.1

Of Beckman’s follow-up collection to his APR-Honickman award winning first book, Tomaz Salamun writes: "There are no similarities with Apollinaire or Ginsberg, except with what they were doing to Time while they were young." The contemplative poems of this collection unfurl in startling and beautiful new ways.

71

Animal

Dorothea Lasky

4.1

The third book in Wave’s Bagley Wright Lecture Series presenting the vibrant and generous poetics of Dorothea Lasky.

Constellating four central topics—ghosts, colors, animals, and bees—in highly attuned prose, Dorothea Lasky explores the powers and complexities of the lyric, “metaphysical I,” which she exposes as one of the central expressions of human wildness. In deceptively simple language carr

72

Atomic Physics

Max Born

4.1

First published in English in 1935, this classic treatment is well known to students and teachers of physics around the world. Since its original publication, Professor Born (Nobel laureate, 1954) continually updated the book to incorporate new developments in all branches of physics, particularly in the field of elementary particles. For this eighth edition he also wrote a new chapter on the quan

73

The Shore

Chris Nealon

4.0

74

Op-Amps and Linear Integrated Circuits

Ramakant A. Gayakwad

4.0

This text presents the basic principles of op-amps and integrated circuits, with a very practical approach. It provides the latest available information, while retaining its blend of theory and practice within a straightforward presentation.

75

Over Nine Waves

Marie Heaney

4.0

Journalist Marie Heaney skillfully revives the glory of ancient Irish storytelling in this comprehensive volume from the great pre-Christian sequences to the more recent tales of the three patron saints Patrick, Brigid, and Colmcille.

76

Classical Mechanics

John R. Taylor

4.0

John Taylor has brought to his new book, Classical Mechanics, all of the clarity and insight that made his introduction to Error Analysis a best-selling text.

77

Ariel Makes Waves (Disney Princess Beginnings, #3)

Liz Marsham

4.0

Disney Princess Ariel and two of her sisters are swept out to sea by an enormous wave in this all-new story! Lost and with no clue how to get home, the young girls encounter many new things. The little mermaid is fascinated by her first trip to the surface and a human shipwreck! But can Ariel’s quick thinking help them find a way home or will they be lost forever?

78

The Others

Matthew Rohrer

4.0

A gripping, eerie, and hilarious novel-in-verse from poet Matthew Rohrer. In a Russian-doll of fictional episodes, we follow a midlevel publishing assistant over the course of a day as he encounters ghost stories, science fiction adventures, Victorian hashish eating, and robot bigfoots. Rohrer mesmerizes with wildly imaginative tales and resonant verse in this compelling love letter to storytellin

79

The Wave at Hanging Rock

Gregg Dunnett

4.0

What if the best friend you had growing up turned out to be a psychopath? Might just a little of it rub off on you?

JESSE is just twelve years old when his dad dies and his mum moves him from the Sunshine Coast in Australia, to a village in Wales where it never stops raining. And that’s where his luck really runs out.

He’s stuck with a grieving mother, classmates who won’t accept him, and worst of a

80

How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog

Chad Orzel

4.0

When physics professor Chad Orzel went to the pound to adopt a dog, he never imagined Emmy. She wasn’t just a friendly mutt who needed a home. Soon she was trying to use the strange ideas of quantum mechanics for the really important things in her life: chasing critters, getting treats, and going for walks. She peppered Chad with questions: Could she use quantum tunneling to get through the neighb

81

The Most of It

Mary Ruefle

4.0

“[Mary] Ruefle . . . brings us an often unnerving, but always fresh and exhilarating view of our common experience of the world.”—Charles Simic

Fans of Lydia Davis and Miranda July will delight in this short prose from a beloved and cutting-edge poet. Here are thirty stories that deliver the soft touch and the sucker punch with stunning aplomb. Ducks, physicists, detectives, and The New York Times

82

Introduction to Classical Mechanics

David Morin

4.0

This textbook covers all the standard introductory topics in classical mechanics, including Newton's laws, oscillations, energy, momentum, angular momentum, planetary motion, and special relativity. It also explores more advanced topics, such as normal modes, the Lagrangian method, gyroscopic motion, fictitious forces, 4-vectors, and general relativity. It contains more than 250 problems with deta

83

An Introduction to Mechanics

Daniel Kleppner

4.0

In the years since it was first published in 1973 by McGraw-Hill, this classic introductory textbook has established itself as one of the best-known and most highly regarded descriptions of Newtonian mechanics. Intended for undergraduate students with foundation skills in mathematics and a deep interest in physics, it systematically lays out the principles of mechanics: vectors, Newton's laws, mom

84

Your Time Has Come

Joshua Beckman

4.0

Award-winning poet Joshua Beckman returns with 150 extraordinary short lyrics which build a kind of meta-narrative throughout this haunting and powerful book. This new collection showcases Beckman’s ability, even within the confines of a few brief lines, to suggest and sustain emotions, landscapes, humor and desire.

85

Beyond Einstein: The Cosmic Quest for the Theory of the Universe

Michio Kaku, Jennifer Trainer Thompson

4.0

Beyond Einstein takes readers on an exciting excursion into the discoveries that have led scientists to the brightest new prospect in theoretical physics today -- superstring theory. What is superstring theory and why is it important? This revolutionary breakthrough may well be the fulfillment of Albert Einstein's lifelong dream of a Theory of Everything, uniting the laws of physics into a single

86

Black Wave: How Networks and Governance Shaped Japan's 3/11 Disasters

Daniel P. Aldrich

4.0

Despite the devastation caused by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and 60-foot tsunami that struck Japan in 2011, some 96% of those living and working in the most disaster-stricken region of Tōhoku made it through. Smaller earthquakes and tsunamis have killed far more people in nearby China and India. What accounts for the exceptionally high survival rate? And why is it that some towns and cities in t

87

Project: Soul Catcher: Secrets of Cyber and Cybernetic Warfare Revealed

Robert Duncan

4.0

Volume 2 details the CIA's practices of interrogation and cybernetic mind control in their pursuit to weaponize neuropsychology. It covers the art of bio-communication war. Human beings are complex machines but their inner workings have been deciphered. Mind control and brainwashing have been perfected in the last 60 years. Hacking computers and hacking into individual minds are similar. The 21st

Cover unavailable

88

String Theory, Volume 1: An Introduction to the Bosonic String (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)

Joseph Polchinski

4.0

String theory has advanced rapidly over the last 15 years and is increasingly seen as the best, and perhaps only, route to the complete unification of the four fundamental forces--the so-called theory of everything. This text provides, in two volumes, a thoroughly modern and comprehensive introduction to strings and superstrings, and brings the reader up to date on the latest developments in strin

Recommended by Steven Gubser.

Steven Gubser

Polchinki’s book stands as a very different achievement. It’s something which he spent years writing and refining, so it’s this gorgeously edited and refined book. He also retains an impressive website where he’s caught all the errors in the equations, and corrected them. It is a work of tremendous care and detail, but it doesn’t quite have that quality of Green, Schwarz, Witten of being the instant classic. It’s more the considered classic. [source]

89

Shake

Joshua Beckman

4.0

90

The Light Course: Ten Lectures on Physics (Foundations of Waldorf Education, 22)

Rudolf Steiner, Raoul Cansino

4.0

"Now the time has actually arrived when ... we have a subconscious glimmering of the impossibility of the modern approach to nature and some sense that things have to change." - Rudolf SteinerRudolf Steiner's course on light, which includes explorations of color, sound, mass, electricity and magnetism, presages the dawn of a new world view in the natural sciences that will stand our notion of the

91

Names of the Lion

Ibn Khalawayh, David Larsen

4.0

An English translation of the late tenth century Arabic lexicographer Ibn Khalawayh’s list of names of lions. This unique collection engages an ancient scholarly practice of documenting with precision and clarity. Larsen's lively introduction, notes, and the 400 epithets are an engrossing work of cultural studies.

David Larsen’s graduate studies in Comparative Literature ran parallel to years of ac

92

Physics of Solitons

Thierry Dauxois

4.0

The basic properties of solitons are introduced here using examples from macroscopic physics (e.g. blood pressure pulses and fibre optical communications). The book then presents the main theoretical methods before discussing applications from solid state or atomic physics such as dislocations, excitations in spin chains, conducting polymers, ferroelectrics and Bose-Einstein condensates. Examples

93

Classical Mechanics

Herbert Goldstein, Charles P. Poole Jr., John L. Safko

4.0

For 30 years, this book has been the acknowledged standard in advanced classical mechanics courses. This classic book enables readers to make connections between classical and modern physics -- an indispensable part of a physicist's education. In this new edition, Beams Medal winner Charles Poole and John Safko have updated the book to include the latest topics, applications, and notation to refle

94

The Great Wave: Price Revolutions and the Rhythm of History

David Hackett Fischer

4.0

David Hackett Fischer, one of our most prominent historians, has garnered a reputation for making history come alive--even stories as familiar as Paul Revere's ride, or as complicated as the assimilation of British culture in North America.

Now, in The Great Wave, Fischer has done it again, marshaling an astonishing array of historical facts in lucid and compelling prose to outline a history of pr

95

Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab: A Mystery with Electromagnets, Burglar Alarms, and Other Gadgets You Can Build Yourself

Bob Pflugfelder, Steve Hockensmith

4.0

Nick and Tesla are bright 11-year-old siblings with a knack for science, electronics, and getting into trouble. When their parents mysteriously vanish, they’re sent to live with their Uncle Newt, a brilliant inventor who engineers top-secret gadgets for a classified government agency. It’s not long before Nick and Tesla are embarking on adventures of their own—engineering all kinds of outrageous M

96

Idiot's Guides: Quantum Physics

Marc Humphrey, Paul V. Pancella, et al.

4.0

Quantum physics explores the behavior of matter and energy at the molecular, atomic, nuclear, and even smaller levels. Idiot's Guides: Quantum Physics makes this very complex topic easy to understand. It skips the complicated math and dives right into all the concepts, paradoxes, thought experiments, and implications that make quantum mechacs so fascinating to armchair science buffs. Topics covere

97

Applied Mathematical Methods in Theoretical Physics

Michio Masujima

4.0

98

Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean

Jonathan White, Peter Matthiessen

4.0

In Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean, writer, sailor, and surfer Jonathan White takes readers across the globe to discover the science and spirit of ocean tides. In the Arctic, White shimmies under the ice with an Inuit elder to hunt for mussels in the dark cavities left behind at low tide; in China, he races the Silver Dragon, a twenty-five-foot tidal bore that crashes eighty miles up th

Cover unavailable

99

Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything

Ervin Laszlo

4.0

Presents the unifying world-concept long sought by scientists, mystics, and sages: an Integral Theory of Everything

• Explains how modern science has rediscovered the Akashic Field of perennial philosophy

• New edition updates ongoing scientific studies, presents new research inspired by the first edition, and includes new case studies and a section on animal telepathy

Mystics and sages have long

100

Modern Quantum Mechanics

J. J. Sakurai

4.0

Revised edition includes discussions of fundamental topics and newer developments such as neutron interferometer experiments, Feynman path integrals, correlation measurements, and Bell's inequality. DLC: Quantum theory.