Recommended Summer Reading

Last Year’s list included mostly light, fun titles. While I have included some of those, this year I have focused on more challenging literary titles. This list was comprised in conjunction with Bay Area Independent School Libraries (BAISL). Disclaimer: Many of the books, especailly in the 10-12 area are of high literary caliber, may include more adult themes and may not be appropriate for “all” students.

Other great places to look for teen books:

Voice of Youth Advocates
American Library Association

English -- Grade 9

Nazario, Sophia. Enrique's Journey --
This is a fascinating book about the influx of young Central Americans coming to the United States and the treacherous journey they undertake. These brave young people, who travel almost 2,000 miles by foot and on the tops of trains, come to find their mothers — mothers who left them many years before in order to find a job and earn enough money to support their children and extended families at home. Often the only contact information they have is a phone number, written on a scrap of paper.

Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars --
This is a love story and murder mystery set in a town haunted by the memory of what happened to its Japanese residents during WWII.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Green Hills of Africa; The Nick Adam Stories -
The first is a thrilling account of hunting expeditions in the Africa that has almost disappeared. The second is a collection of short stories about one of Hemingway’s most memorable characters depicting events spanning the protagonist’s childhood and adolescence (spent in the woods of Michigan) and early adulthood (when he was a soldier). A good introduction to Hemingway’s style and themes.

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World -
A social experimenter for much of his life, Huxley was interested in utopias — planned, ideal social systems. In this novel he depicts one of the most famous nightmares in modern literature.

Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees --
Set in the South, this is a coming-of-age story reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird. Kidd creates memorable characters and a strong narrative which the reader will not forget.

Kincaid, Jamaica. The Autobiography of My Mother --
A tough story about a young life in the Caribbean: “My mother died at the moment I was born, and so for my whole life there was nothing standing between myself and eternity; at my back was always a bleak, black wind.”

Kingsolver, Barbara. The Bean Trees; The Poisonwood Bible --
The counter-cultural heroine of The Bean Trees leaves home to test her life skills and meets the extraordinary challenge of having an Indian toddler abandoned in her car. The odyssey is full of more fascinating encounters thereafter. In the second title, the wife and four daughters of a zealous missionary tell their version of what it was like to live in an isolated village in the Belgian Congo in the 1950’s, the hapless victims of the husband/father who dominated their lives and of political upheaval as the country fought for independence.

Knowles, John. A Separate Peace --
This novel tells the story of the friendship between Phineas, Devon School’s top athlete and most charming extrovert, and Gene, an introverted intellectual, both of whom succumb to the evil forces represented by World War II.

Lee, Gus. China Boy --
A lively version of the “Rocky” boxing myth told from the perspective of a young, tiny Chinese boy growing up in San Francisco during the 1950’s. Troubles at home, on the street, and on the playground result in the narrator taking boxing lessons at the YMCA where he meets a terrific group of mentors.

Markham, Beryl. West with the Night --
In this autobiographical account, Beryl Markham recalls her extraordinary childhood spent among the Masai tribe in Kenya. She tells fascinating stories of her adventures as a solo pilot delivering supplies and mail to rural Central African villages.

McCullers, Carson. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter --
Set in a small Southern town, this eloquent coming-of-age story features a strange, quiet heroine who defines herself in relation to the group of lost, voiceless, rejected characters whom she befriends.

Ng, Fae Myenne. Bone --
San Francisco’s Chinatown is the setting for this story of three sisters. Their relationships with each other and with their parents are the “bone” of this first novel by a Bay Area writer.

Orwell, George. 1984 --
“Big Brother is watching you.” Or he will be when you read this terrifying novel depicting our world as Orwell imagined (in 1948) it might become: thought and love are punished, and privacy is impossible.

Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country --
Written in 1948, this still powerful novel about South Africa - then a black man’s country under white man’s law - was a groundbreaking depiction of a land and people scarred by racial injustice.

Potok, Chaim. The Chosen --
This novel follows two Jewish boys through the odyssey from boyhood to manhood, amid the conflict between generations and questions of religious traditions between Hasidic and Orthodox Jews in modern Brooklyn.

Remarque, Erich M. All Quiet on the Western Front --
The story of a young German private, taken from school at the age of nineteen to serve in the trenches during World War I. A powerful indictment of war.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath --
The physical struggles and spiritual triumphs of the Joad family, as they migrate from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl to the Salinas Valley during the Depression.

Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club --
The lives of four Chinese women in San Francisco are told over a forty-year period. You will learn the deep and profound secrets behind the determined faces of these immigrants. Also check out Tan’s Hundred Secret Senses and The Opposite of Fate.

English -- Grades 10-12

Allende, Isabel. House of the Spirits – As Allende crafts this Chilean epic, we are drawn into the saga of the Truebas family. From Esteban, who is haunted by his past, to Clara, who predicts the future, the stormy, violent, and passionate lives of the characters will make you laugh, cry, and think. This book is a wonderful example of the style of magical realism so prevalent in contemporary Latin American fiction.

Atwood, Margaret. The Handmaid’s Tale --
This novel was included in the American Library Association’s list of books that were most commonly banned and censored. An exaggerated yet hauntingly truthful tale of censorship and oppression, The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in a future where women are no longer allowed to read, let alone think or function independently.
Austen, Jane. Emma; Sense and Sensibility --
Try one or both of these classic period novels. Austen is the grant mistress of irony and creator of spirited female characters who defy convention.

Baldwin, James. Go Tell It on the Mountain --
This is Baldwin’s lyrical story of his apprenticeship as a young teenager to Christian ministry — a calling he later determined was not for him.

Chabon, Michael. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay --
The author reveals the real genesis of American comic books. The Jewish immigrants on the margins of society who brought us vaudeville and delicatessens also created this slice of pop culture. Chabon weaves the history of the Golem, the Holocaust, Superman, and the transitions to post-World War II suburbia in a story of start-up comics and epic struggles with evil characters you will never forget. See also his Wonder Boys and Mysteries of Pittsburgh.

Chevalier, Tracy. Girl with a Pearl Earring -
This book is the coming-of-age story of sixteen year-old Griet in the Holland of the 1660’s. A tale of awakening and art, it takes a famous Vermeer painting by the same title as an imaginative starting point.

Collins, Wilkie. The Moonstone --
The classic detective story: Sgt. Cuff and others try to uncover secrets, unravel relationships, and find a missing jewel in a Yorkshire country house.

Conway, Jill Ker. The Road from Coorain --
The author recounts her childhood growing up in the Australian outback and highlights the experiences that led her to become the president of one of America’s finest colleges.

De Bernieres, Louis. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Greece is occupied by the Italians during World War II. This book has short chapters, eccentric characters, romance, mystery, tragedy — the works!

Eggers, Dave. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius --
Eggers was just out of college when his parents died. In this memoir, Eggers takes charge of his nine-year old brother, moves them both to the Bay Area, tries to get a gig as a VJ on MTV, looks for love, and starts a magazine. He’s thirty-something now, kind of a geeky Adonis, lives in Marin, and has taken the money from this bestseller and started a publishing company (McSweeney’s) that publishes authors he likes. If you want a taste of McSweeney’s, take a look at the website.

Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying-- FIC FAU
Black comeday from a literary master. A morbid yet comical story of a family journey to bury their mother and just about everyone in the family has a secret except wise Darl.

Fowles, John. The Collector --
A young man obsessed by desire and power takes a young woman into his “possession” and then the discoveries begin. The book is psychologically insightful and philosophically fascinating.

Goldberg, Myla. Bee Season --
Bee Season is a beautifully written first novel that follows a family’s deterioration as each member pursues a secret passion toward estrangement. Although it begins as a funny story, later it turns serious. It is both riveting and disturbing.

Grass, Gunter. The Tin Drum --
This book us the challenging, bittersweet, but often hilarious story of a small boy who literally refuses to grow up.

Jhabvala, Ruth. Heat and Dust --
Set in India, this novel speaks of Anglo-Indian relationships in the 1920’s and the 1970’s and specifically focuses on the life and love of a woman as revealed through her letters and interviews conducted by her stepdaughter fifty years later. In some respects, the book reminds one of Forster’s A Passage to India.

Kawabata, Yasunari. Snow Country --
Incredibly, this Nobel Prize-winning author captures the honesty and tragic trust of a Japanese country geisha named Komako. This book will transport you to the unforgettable world of a young woman.

Kesey. Ken. Sometimes a Great Notion --
Kesey’s family saga is set in the Northwest lumbering country in the 1960’s. Hank Stamper is one of literature’s most memorable characters.

Lahiri, Jhumpa. Interpreter of Maladies --
This series of stories has been a best seller because it exquisitely describes the lives and struggles of modern Indians, both new immigrants and those living in India. Also check out Lahiri’s The Namesake.

London, Jack. The Valley of the Moon --
The description of California, particularly of Oakland and the coastal regions in the early 1900’s, enrich this love story to London’s second wife, Charmain, and the area. There’s something to be said for “happily ever after” stories.

McBride, James. The Color of Water --
Fall under the spell of the intertwined stories of a mother and son in this double memoir. Born into a Polish Orthodox Jewish family, his mother breaks out of tradition when she falls in love and marries a black man and becomes the matriarch of a large brood of lively kids.

Melville, Herman. Typee (in Selected Writings of Herman Melville) --
Danger and romance in the valley of the cannibal Typees are the subjects of this real-life adventure, based on Melville’s experiences when he and a comrade jumped ship in the Marquesas.

Oates, Joyce Carol. American Appetites --
When tragedy strikes the lives of Ian and Glynnis McCullough, who appear to be living the American Dream, many dark secrets are revealed about this middle-aged couple. This is a riveting story about a couple living a fast-paced, wealthy life so typical of Manhattan’s upper class in the 1980’s.

Patchett, Ann. Bel Canto -- This powerful novel reminds us of our common humanity, even with terrorists who take hostages in a South American country. Flawed by its narrow perspective of the First World (wealthy countries), it is still an affecting look at human relations that should transcend political violence but seldom do.

Proulx, Annie. The Shipping News -- On the Atlantic coast of northern Canada, a man beset by tragedy tries to “regroup” in his ancestral land. A colorful, interesting, and often humorous cast of Newfoundlanders relates to each other and to the sea. The story and the writing are memorable.

Scott, Walter. Ivanhoe --
A tale of knights and fair ladies, conspiracies and counterattacks, set in the period following the Norman Conquest.

Sedaris, David. Me Talk Pretty One Day --
Sedaris mines his slacker past, his French present, and his family dinners for these short and VERY funny pieces. In the title story Sedaris is learning French in a Paris school. His teacher is a sadist par excellence, and the students console each other (in interesting French) after class: “Sometimes me cry alone at night” …. “That be common for I, also, but more strong, you. much work and some day you talk pretty. People start love you soon. Maybe tomorrow, okay?”

Seth, Vikram. An Equal Music The story of love lost, and love found, and the enduring passion for music that fuels it.

Tan, Amy. The Kitchen God’s Wife -- If you liked The Joy Luck Club, you will love Tan’s second novel. As Winnie Louie tells her life story to her daughter Pearl, family secrets are revealed and myths are transferred to the next generation. Tan has written this novel about the world of Chinese immigrants in California with a lot of passion and humor.

Tolstoy, Leo. Anna Karenina -
This novel is a dramatic tale of love in pre-revolutionary Russia. Tolstoy is a tireless observer of family and social strata.

Tsukiyama, Gail. The Samurai’s Garden --
Love stories that take place during a beautiful, tumultuous time in Japanese history.

West, Dorothy. The Wedding --
The last of the Harlem Renaissance authors has written an elegant, short novel about African American, middle-class life in the 1950’s. Portraits of family members and their relationships will ring a bell of recognition with any reader.

Wolff, Tobias. Old School --
This novel brilliantly recreates the world of an Eastern boys’ boarding school in the 60’s, especially the obsessive rivalries of several young literati.

Winchester, Simon. The Professor and the Madman --
The author blends dark moments of the American Civil War, Victorian England, a history of the treatment of the insane, and a friendship between two intellectual giants into a work that reads like a suspense thriller.

Woolf, Virginia. The Voyage Out – A young woman goes on her first real journey as an adult. Her journey is not only physical, but within herself as well. This isz a long, but beautifully written book.

Arts

Banes, Sally. Terpsichore in Sneakers --
Concerned with the development in contemporary dance known as post-modern, this is a thorough and accurate account of the innovative choreographers of the 60’s and 70’s whose performances, working processes and ideas blasted open traditional concepts of what dance should be.

Casals, Pablo. Joys and Sorrows --
Cellist Pablo Casals tells of his early years in Spain, of his role in the Spanish Civil War, and of his self-imposed exile. It is of a rich, compassionate life that he writes.

Chaplin, Charlie. My Autobiography --
A fascinating journey from grinding poverty to incredible wealth by a legendary actor. Chaplin had a complicated and glitzy personal life of shallow pleasures coupled with deep political commitments that cost him dearly … and above all, a great self-consciousness and insight into his own genius.
Davenport, Marcia. Mozart --
A personalized and sensitively written biography, recommended for anyone who is curious about the man or enjoys listening to his music.

Edwards, Betty. The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain Workbook -- This book teaches the reader to develop the concentration and approach necessary to observe and draw from life. Using a variety of exercises and a thorough explanation of the theory of the right brain, the book covers line, positive/negative space, seeing light, and proportions. It should be used as a study book and the exercises should be carried out in sequence.

Gassner, John. Masters of the Drama -- This comprehensive history of world drama explains and analyzes theatrical movements and provides a detailed account of the work of virtually every important dramatist from classical times to the present.

Gibson, William. American Primitive -- This is a documentary theater piece, drawn verbatim from the letters, diaries, and other writings of John and Abigail Adams.

Guinness, Alec. Blessings in Disguise -- The humble autobiography of one of the greatest English-speaking drama and film acts — where and how he learned his craft.

Lessac, Arthur. The Use and Training of the Human Voice --
What is relevant to the user of this book is that s/he can learn much about voice and speech and gain insight into a fundamental, overall development at the same time.

Newhall, Beaumont. The History of Photography --
This interesting and beautifully written book represents the history of photography as a means of communication and expression. With the medium’s contribution to the visual arts as the main subject, Newhall traces changes in style, the struggle of photography to be accepted as an art form, technical innovations that affected content, and recent trends.

Nicolaides, Kimon. The Natural Way to Draw --
This thorough drawing book provides exercises covering various media, techniques, and common drawing problems such as proportion, design, drapery, musculature, and weight of line. Filled with illustrations, it also provides an interesting history of the medium. It should be used as a study book and the exercises should be carried out in sequence.

Reck, David. Music of the Whole Earth --
The richness and variety of sound, instruments, and music from many different cultures and a great variety of musical traditions are explored here. Since it is over 500 pages long, a summer reading project could include selections — perhaps tribal, folk, and classical music of India, Tibet, China, Japan, Africa, Europe, or the Americas — including pop, rock, jazz, soul, and country. Take your pick!

Roberts, John Storm. Black Music of Two Worlds --
This beautifully written book offers a layman’s introduction to black music on both sides of the Atlantic, principally in the Americas. The whole musical spectrum is covered: areas of the Caribbean, Latin bands, the calypso of the West Indies, the blues, jazz, and soul music of North America, and the new musical styles of Africa itself. Of great interest to one who is familiar with these musical styles, or who is interested in black music in general.

Roby, Robert C. and Barry Ulanov. Introduction to Drama -- An anthology of fifteen plays from Sophocles to Chekhov, accompanied by a glossary, bibliography and chronology.

Rubinstein, Artur. My Young Years --
The memoir of the early years of a great pianist reveals a man with tremendous strength of character and an ability to tell his story well.

Schickele, Peter. The Definitive Biography of P.D.Q. Bach --
A very funny book about a fictional composer, containing both subtle “educated” humor that those who like classical music will enjoy and a lot of plain fun that anyone can appreciate.

Schonberg, Harold C. The Great Pianists [from Mozart to the Present] --
This book traverses the development of piano performance since its inception 200 years ago. It is a lively and amusing account of the personalities, methods, and technical peculiarities of those who contributed to the art of piano playing, from Mozart and Clementi to Arthur Rubinstein and Vladimir Horowitz.

Shaffer, Peter. Amadeus --
Here is a play of the most infinite diversion, a play to savor and enjoy. W. A. Mozart accuses a rival composer, Antonio Salieri, of having poisoned him. In 1823, they say, Salieri confessed to that murder.

Siegal, Marcia B. The Shapes of Change --
A revolutionary study of the development of modern dance by one of the most important of today’s dance critics. Starting with American dance pioneers Loie Fuller and Isadora Duncan, the author analyzes more than 40 landmark dances.

Sorell, Walter. Dance in its Time --
This book explores the world of dance against the backdrop of the social, political, and artistic climate that helped shape its development. It ranges from the dancing of the 14th century to the present creations of the New York City Ballet and Broadway theaters.

The Theatre Guild. Theatre Guild Anthology --
An anthology of fourteen plays brought together by the Theatre Guild of New York, including many well-known plays such as Porgy and Saint Joan, as well as works by A.A. Milne, Eugene O’Neill and George Bernard Shaw. The plays are reproduced in full along with brief biographies of the playwrights.
Health Sciences
Riera, Mike. Surviving High School --
Students face a variety of issues when they begin high school, and they continue to encounter new issues throughout their four years. This book gives students an idea of what to expect and offers helpful suggestions on how to approach their new circumstances.

History

Achebe, Chinua. No Longer at Ease
These stories of Africa on the eve of colonization and independence are both brilliant and accessible.

Adler, Mortimer J. We Hold These Truths --
Discover the philosophical roots of the American Constitution. Sound and understandable with a provocative discussion of where we should take it from here.

Allen, Frederick Lewis. Only Yesterday --
America in the 1920’s comes to life in this lively history.

Ambrose, Stephen. Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy since 1938 The author interprets American foreign policy in a brief, concise, and readable manner.

Chang, Jung. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China --
The saga of China in the twentieth century told through the lives of three women. This is history that reads like a novel.

Cheng, Nien. Life and Death in Shanghai --
The Cultural Revolution from the perspective of one of its victims. Moving and informative.

Cronon, William. Nature’s Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West -- An environmental history of the urban and wild frontier, which traces the effect that stockyards, banks, and railroads in Chicago had on prairies in Montana, rivers in Colorado, and forests in Wisconsin. A beautifully written modern classic.

Dower, John W. War Without Mercy -- The author analyzes the nature and extent of American racism toward the Japanese and Japanese racism toward Americans and other Asians during World War II. This process of dehumanization paved the way for atrocities on all sides.

Forster, E.M. A Passage to India -- A classic account of the clash between East and West in colonial India. The movie is good too.

Fraser, Antonia. The Wives of Henry VIII --
Anyone who likes biography will enjoy reading about all of Henry’s wives (not just Anne Boleyn) and will learn a great deal about Tudor England as well as becoming acquainted with these fascinating, unfortunate women.

Gabler, Neal. An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood --
A look at the Jewish immigrants who created the Hollywood studio system, and how, despite their wealth and power, they never felt fully accepted into American society.

Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom the Bell Tolls -
A young American, serving with the Loyalists in the Spanish Civil War, is detailed to blow up a bridge. The novel, which centers on this action, gives a vivid account of Spanish people and politics at a critical point in history.

Keegan, John. Six Armies in Normandy --
The story of the American, Canadian, British, German, Polish, and French armies in one of the most momentous campaigns of the Second World War, as told by one of the best military historians writing today.

McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era --
An eminently engaging account of the Civil War. This book provides the reader with a solid understanding of the political, social, and cultural context of the central event in the life of the nation.

Oman, C. W. A History of the Art of War in the Middle Ages --
A short essay on the evolution and decline of cavalry in the Middle Ages. Written for the general reader.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm
Homage to Catalonia --
Two short classics of twentieth-century literature. The first tells the story of the Russian Revolution through barnyard metaphor, and the second the author’s experiences in the Spanish Civil War.

Pruitt, Ida. A Daughter of Han --
A very moving autobiography of a Chinese working woman, as told to the author.

Remarque, Erich M. All Quiet on the Western Front --
The story of a young German private, taken from school at the age of nineteen to serve in the trenches during World War I. A powerful indictment of war.

Renault, Mary.
The King Must Die; The Last of the Wine; The Bull from the Sea; The Charioteer -- FIC Salzman, Mark. Iron and Silk --
A Yale graduate travels to China to study the martial arts and to teach English. In a series of beautifully written vignettes, Salzman captures the essence of Chinese culture.

Satrapi, Marjane.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and Persepolis 2:The Story of a Return -- In the first of these two powerful graphic novels, Marjane Satrapi tells the story of her childhood in Iran. The book chronicles the changes that occurred during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The second book tells the story of Marjane's return to Iran as an adult.

Scott, Paul. The Jewel in the Crown -- A vividly told epic of twentieth-century India that illustrates the world of the British colonials and their relationship to their Indian subjects.

Thornton, Lawrence. Imagining Argentina -- A powerful portrayal of the dark days of “The Disappeared” in the late 1970’s in Argentina, told in novel form, but historically based. Great for incoming 9th graders as preparation for World Civilizations.

Turki, Fawaz. The Disinherited: Journal of a Palestinian Exile -- A personal perspective on the Palestinian question and a scathing indictment of Israel.

Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World -- This is a very interesting overview of how Genghis Khan and his band of Mongols managed to conquer almost all of the known world. This book pays special attention to the contributions the Mongol empire made to Western Civilization.

Weisel, Elie. Night --
Arguably the best single account of the Holocaust by one of the most famous survivors. A tribute to the human will to survive.

Xueqin, Cao. The Dream of the Red Chamber -- FIC HSU
Romeo and Juliet style story from old China. Lose yourself in the world of mandarins and concubines.

Mathematics and Technology

Banks, Robert B.
Slicing Pizzas, Racing Turtles, and Further Adventures In Applied Mathematics -- How fast should you run in a rainstorm to best protect your shoes? Banks turns this and other trivial and weighty questions into mind-expanding demonstrations of the magical powers of mathematics, generously garnished with his unpredictable wit.

Burger, Dionys. Sphereland -- A fantasy about curved spaces and an expanding universe.

Davis, Martin. The Universal Computer: The Road from Leibniz to Turing -
Davis tells the story of seminal mathematicians who set out to define the limits of human knowledge and wound up inventing computers in the process. Very little background in mathematics or logic is required.

Davis, P. J. and Reuben Hersh. The Mathematical Experience -- 5
Highly recommended if you’ve taken calculus or are about to. Challenging subjects, easy prose. Especially recommended for interested juniors and seniors.

Devlin, Keith. Life by the Numbers --
This book, that accompanies the PBS television series of the same name, highlights applications of math to the real world. In many ways, it’s “better than the movie” because it contains more interesting details.

Dewdney, A. K. The Planiverse --
This is a very entertaining and thoughtful book about what life would be like in a two-dimensional world.

Dunham, William. Journey Through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics --
This book combines history, biography and mathematics. Entertaining to browse through, and an excellent reference.

Flannery, Sarah. In Code: A Young Woman’s Mathematical Journey --
An Irish girl in high school got involved in a mathematics project and won a local science fair contest. Her project was even more valuable than she thought, and she wrote this book about it!

Garland, Trudi and Charity Kahn. Math and Music --
This book, written by two Head-Royce teachers, details many “harmonious connections.” It compiles many facts in an interesting, not overly technical fashion.

Hofstadter, D. Gödel, Escher, Bach - An Eternal Golden Braid --
This is a modern classic. “If you have ever pondered the relationships between molecular biology, number theory and Zen Buddhism, this book is for you.” (Wayne Christopher, CPS ‘82)

Ifrah, Georges. The Universal History of Numbers -- A comprehensive overview of numbers and counting, spanning all the inhabited continents, as far back in time as recorded. The 27 chapters are chiefly organized by culture, though there are some cross-cultural overviews of topics like letters and numbers.

Körner, T.W. The Pleasures of Counting --
Dr. Körner describes a variety of lively topics, ranging from the design of anchors and the Battle of the Atlantic to the outbreak of cholera in Victorian Soho, that continue to intrigue professional mathematicians.

Paulos, John.
Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and its Consequences; -- Beyond Numeracy: Ruminations of a Numbers Man --
Scores of astonishing facts, a fistful of powerful ideas, and, most important, a more quantitative way of looking at the world in both books. Paulos brings home the question, “How will I ever use what I am learning in math class?”

Peterson, Ivars. The Mathematical Tourist -- Covers the most important and fascinating mathematical advances of the century. Easily approached and enjoyed by the non-mathematician.

Peterson, Ivars. Islands of Truth: A Mathematical Mystery Cruise -- In this sequel to The Mathematical Tourist, Peterson makes the arcane intelligible. Modern mathematical topics such as surprising applications of number theory, new developments in fractal geometry, and the power of computer graphics are included.

Rose, Frank. Into the Heart of Mind -- 006.3 ROS
The limits of human intelligence are being proved at the UC Berkeley Department of Computer Science. Full of local color, this book describes the latest work on artificial intelligence.

Salzburg, David. The Lady Tasting Tea:
How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the 20th Century --
The lady really did taste tea; she claimed that she could tell whether the milk was poured into the cup before or after the tea. Her mathematical friend decided to find out if she was right. From this came the cornerstone of all research. Salzburg conveys many of the key ideas of statistics in a readable format.

Scientific American Library [series]
All books about mathematics in this series are interesting, current, and filled with effective illustrations. We particularly recommend Mathematics and Optimal Form (511 HIL) by Stefan Hildebrandt and Anthony Tromba, a study of “the best shape” for things.

Singh, Simon. Fermat’s Enigma -- The fascinating story of Andrew Wiles’ quest to solve the most famous and long-standing unsolved problem in mathematics.

Stewart, Ian. Does God Play Dice? --
Ian Stewart is the author of a number of short, interesting books, including A Fine Math You’ve Got Me Into and Game, Set and Math. He is brilliant at simplifying difficult ideas without stripping them of their basic nature.

Tobias, Sheila. Overcoming Math Anxiety --
This is a good book if you think you have problems with math.

Biological Sciences

Adams, Douglas. Last Chance to See --
Travelogue of Adams’ journey to observe animals that are on the verge of extinction in their native habitats. Both humorous and thought-provoking.

Baker, Ken. Man Made --
An Olympic hopeful in ice hockey, Baker developed a brain tumor in his late teens which caused him to secret enormous amounts of prolactin, the female hormone responsible for mammary gland growth and milk production.

Dawkins, Richard. Climbing Mount Improbable --
Lots of great insights about evolution.
Dennett, Daniel C. Darwin’s Dangerous Idea --
By all accounts, the best biography of Darwin to date.

Desmond, Adrian. The Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs --
A revolutionary study of paleontology. Enjoyable.

Durrell, Gerald. My Family And Other Animals --
An account of the Durrell family on the island of Corfu. Discusses adventures with animals and various bizarre people.

Garrett, Laurie. The Coming Plague --
A description of epidemiological techniques and evolution of pathogens.

Gould, Stephen Jay. The Mismeasure of Man --
This traces various attempts to classify human intelligence, from phrenology to IQ tests. Absorbing and horrifying.

Gould, Stephen Jay.
Ever Since Darwin; The Panda’s Thumb --
These titles are collections of lively essays, mainly on topics related to evolution.

Karlen, Arno. Biography of a Germ --
Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for causing Lyme Disease, is accorded a life history.

Keller, Evelyn and W.H. Freeman. A Feeling for the Organism -- An autobiographical account of Barbara McClintock, a woman scientist in the field of genetics who faced some hostility in a male-dominated research world.

Lopez, Barry. Of Wolves and Men --
A poetic and scientific comparison of creatures in the wild and “civilized” man.

Nuland, Sherwin B. How We Die --
An understandable but knowledgeable description of how various diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, affect the body and mind. Sounds grimmer than it is.

Pollan, Michael. Botany of Desire -- The natural history of four plants and the history of human interactions with those plants is Pollan’s subject. All of the topics covered — from the origins of domesticated apples to the cultivation of marijuana — are fascinating.

Preston, Richard. The Hot Zone --
The story of the ebola virus and its spread. Reads like a novel.

Ridley, Matt. Genome --
The autobiography of humans in 23 chapters, each of which describes the life of a single gene from our 23 pairs of chromosomes. It gives students a good idea of what DNA does and does not do for us.

Roach, Mary. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers --
Students always ask how scientists figure stuff out! This book doesn’t explain everything, but it will certainly get you thinking about your own body.

Sacks, Oliver.
The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and An Anthropologist on Mars --
Island of the Colorblind --
Uncle Tungsten --
A neurologist examines brain function and dysfunction from a clinical and amusing perspective.

Thomas, Lewis.
Late Night Thoughts on Listening to Mahler’s Ninth Symphony –
The Lives of a Cell and A Long Line of Cells
The Medusa and the Snail –
The Youngest Science: Notes of a Medicine-Watcher --
Each of the volumes of essays covers a wide range of topics in a lively and thoughtful manner; and all are exceptionally well written.

Weiner, Jonathan. Time, Love, Memory --
The story of Seymour Benzer, a maverick scientist whose studies of fruit flies have led to some startling links between genes and behavior.

Physical Sciences

Atkins, P.W. Molecules --
A fascinating gallery of molecules.

Bryson, Bill. A Short History of Nearly Everything --
Cleverly woven and interestingly written chapters about the development of scientific thinking and applications. Gives the reader a sense of how we smart monkeys have developed our world view.

Davis, Nuel Pharr. Lawrence and Oppenheimer --
Development and control of the atomic bomb. These two men, both at UC Berkeley, had a profound influence on the way the world is today.

Ferris, Timothy. Coming of Age in the Milky Way --
An absorbing account of astronomy and cosmology, dating from ancient times to the present.

Ferris, Timothy. Seeing in the Dark: How Backyard Stargazers are Probing Deep
Space and Guarding Earth from Interplanetary Peril -- A wonderful history of amateur astronomy.

Ferris, Timothy, ed. The World Treasury of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics --
A collection of short stories written by various authors that illuminate scientific phenomena from different perspectives in clever ways.

Feynman, Richard. QED -- An introduction to the theory of light and matter for the thinking non-scientist.

Feynman, Richard. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman -- This is a very amusing and entertaining book. It is a series of monologues about safe-cracking, hypnosis, and other facets of life as a physicist by one of the most brilliant scientists of the twentieth century.

Gamow, George.
Mr. Tompkins in Paperback; Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland -- There are several books in this series, and all of them are very entertaining introductions to relativity and atomic structure.

Gamow, George. One, Two, Three ... Infinity -- Good introduction to physics. It’s a bit dated but still accurate, well written and easy to understand.

Gleick, James.
Chaos --
Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman -- Chaos is the first good introduction to the study of chaos written for the layman. And don’t miss his readable biography of the late Cal Tech physicist and teacher extraordinaire, Richard Feynman.

Capra, Fritjof. The Tao of Physics -- A wonderful and accessible look at the quantum world.

Levi, Primo. The Periodic Table --
A budding chemist comes of age in Mussolini’s Italy. This is an exciting story for anyone interested in science or history.

Guch, Ian. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Chemistry -- --
For the curious, especially those who will be taking Chemistry in the fall.

Lightman, Alan. Einstein’s Dreams --
A series of meditations on the meaning of time.

McPhee, John.
Assembling California --
Rising from the Plains --
Basin & Range --
McPhee travels with geologists and discusses the geology of California, the Rockies, and the Great Basin (in that order). All of the titles are entertaining and informative.

McPhee, John. The Control of Nature --
McPhee profiles three situations in which people battle against natural forces — landslides in Los Angeles, lava flows in Iceland, and the Mississippi River in Louisiana.

Pagels, Heinz. The Cosmic Code --
A good, non-mathematical introduction to quantum mechanics and to the standard model of particle physics.

Rhodes, Richard. The Making of the Atomic Bomb -- The definitive study on the politics and science behind this momentous project. It reads like a novel.

Sobel, Dava. Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius
Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of his Time --
This is the lively story of modern timepieces.

Thorne, Kip S. From Black Holes to Time Warps: Einstein’s Outrageous Legacy -- A readable account of the nature of time and astronomical phenomena.

Trefil, James S. Scientist in the City; Scientist at the Seashore --
Science is everywhere. Take it from Trefil. It will expand your horizons.

Walker, Jearl. The Flying Circus of Physics -- A big book of physics questions and demonstrations.

Zukav, Gary. The Dancing Wu Li Masters -- An overview of the new physics. Non-mathematical introduction to some very difficult concepts, but told in easy prose.