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Darwin, Hawking, Dawkins… 91av readers voted for the 10 popular science books that helped changed the world

HALF a century ago, biologist Rachel Carson sent shock waves through US society. By the time her book Silent Spring hit the shelves on 27 September 1962, it had already sparked fierce debate. In the weeks before publication, President John F. Kennedy had to field questions about the widespread use of pesticides, an issue he noted had become a central scientific concern – .

As well as bringing scientific ideas to a broader audience, piquing fascination and providing entertainment, popular science writing helps further scientific and social discussion. Carson’s book divided opinion, and drove a public conversation that shaped policy and paved the way for the environmental movement.

There is a wealth of books with similarly powerful legacies – not written for academic circles, but for anyone curious enough to crack the spine. With the help of eminent scientists and writers we made a shortlist of 25 such popular science books. With close to 4000 votes cast, you helped us whittle it down to the top 10 that helped changed the world.

Most influential, according to 91av readers, is Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. It marked the foundation of evolutionary biology, but it wasn’t just for scientists. From old ladies to philosophers, in the words of Thomas Henry Huxley at the time, “everybody has read Mr Darwin’s book”.

“On the Origin of Species wasn’t only for scientists – everyone from old ladies to philosophers read it”

1

Darwin’s hugely influential book, which introduced what Richard Dawkins , was selected by more than 90 per cent of voters.

2

Perhaps the world’s best known book on cosmology – by its best known physicist – this modern classic tackles the big questions of the universe.

3

Taking evolutionary theory to a new level, Dawkins argued that individual organisms are “survival machines” for the genes that they carry. The book also introduced a now familiar cultural idea: the meme.

4

An account of the discovery of DNA’s double helix by one of the Nobel winners behind the breakthrough.

5

Fifty years on, Carson’s exposé of the impact of chemical pesticides continues to have a profound impact.

6

One of the first books to portray humans as the animals that we are, The Naked Ape caused quite a stir when it was first released.

7

This finalist for the Pulitzer prize was the first popular science book to tackle the emerging field of chaos theory, and helped kick-start the subject across many fields.

8

Lovelock’s book introduced the Gaia hypothesis – that everything on and of the Earth is an interconnected, evolving and self-regulating system.

9

This highly controversial work examined the possibility of humans outstripping natural resources.

10

The work celebrates human ingenuity, from the early use of tools to breakthroughs in modern science.