Recommendations based on Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdomby Sean B. Carroll

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design

    by Richard Dawkins
    A detailed exploration of the evidence for evolution, and its implications for our understanding of the world.

    ***30th Anniversary Edition*** Cover note: Each copy of the anniversary edition of, The Blind Watchmaker, features a unique biomorph. No two covers are exactly alike. Acclaimed as the most ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Selfish Gene

    by Richard Dawkins
    A study of evolutionary biology, exploring how genes act and how they impact behavior.

    Inheriting the mantle of revolutionary biologist from Darwin, Watson, and Crick, Richard Dawkins forced an enormous change in the way we see ourselves and the world with the publication of The ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution

    by Richard Dawkins
    A journey through the history of life on Earth, tracing the emergence of species.

    The renowned biologist and thinker Richard Dawkins presents his most expansive work yet: a comprehensive look at evolution, ranging from the latest developments in the field to his own provocative ... (Barnes & Noble)

  4. Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body

    by Neil Shubin
    Exploration of human evolution through the lens of anatomy, revealing our connection to our ancient ancestors.

    Why do we look the way we do? What does the human hand have in common with the wing of a fly? Are breasts, sweat glands, and scales connected in some way? To better understand the inner workings of ... (Goodreads)

  5. Why Evolution Is True

    by Jerry A. Coyne
    Comprehensive exploration of the evidence for evolutionary biology.

    Why evolution is more than just a theory: it is a fact. In all the current highly publicized debates about creationism and its descendant "intelligent design," there is an element of the controversy ... (Goodreads)

  6. The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature

    by Matt Ridley
    Examines how evolutionary biology shapes human behavior and sexuality.

    Referring to Lewis Carroll's Red Queen from Through the Looking-Glass , a character who has to keep running to stay in the same place, Matt Ridley demonstrates why sex is humanity's best strategy for ... (Goodreads)

  7. Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life

    by Daniel C. Dennett
    An exploration of the implications of Darwin's theory of evolution, and how it has shaped our understanding of life and the universe.

    In a book that is both groundbreaking and accessible, Daniel C. Dennett, whom Chet Raymo of The Boston Globe calls "one of the most provocative thinkers on the planet," focuses his unerringly logical ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Double Helix

    by James D. Watson
    A personal account of the discovery of the structure of DNA, revealing the scientific process and the personalities involved.

    By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry & won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only 24, a young ... (Goodreads)

  9. Cosmos

    by Carl Sagan
    Voyage through the vastness of space, unlocking the mysteries of the universe.

    Cosmos has 13 heavily illustrated chapters, corresponding to the 13 episodes of the Cosmos television series. In the book, Sagan explores 15 billion years of cosmic evolution and the development of ... (Goodreads)

  10. Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science

    by Carl Sagan
    A collection of essays exploring the wonders and limitations of science, and the intersection of science and society.

    Carl Sagan, writer & scientist, returns from the frontier to tell us about how the world works. In his delightfully down-to-earth style, he explores & explains a mind-boggling future of intelligent ... (Goodreads)

  11. Chaos: Making a New Science

    by James Gleick
    Investigation of complex systems and the impact of chaos on scientific understanding.

    A work of popular science in the tradition of Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan, this 20th-anniversary edition of James Gleick’s groundbreaking bestseller Chaos introduces a whole new readership to ... (Goodreads)

  12. The Origin of Species

    by Charles Darwin
    Comprehensive scientific exploration of the evolution of species and the natural world.

    Darwin's theory of natural selection issued a profound challenge to orthodox thought and belief: no being or species has been specifically created; all are locked into a pitiless struggle for ... (Goodreads)

  13. Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe

    by Simon Singh
    A comprehensive exploration of the Big Bang Theory, from its earliest beginnings to its implications today.

    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 ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

    by Carl Sagan
    A critical look at superstition and pseudoscience, advocating for the power of science and reason.

    How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don’t understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales

    by Oliver Sacks
    A collection of case studies, illustrating extraordinary neurological phenomena.

    If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it. Dr. Oliver Sacks recounts the ... (Goodreads)

  16. Free Will

    by Sam Harris
    An exploration of the implications of determinism, examining the role of free will in our lives.

    Belief in free will touches nearly everything that human beings value. It is difficult to think about law, politics, religion, public policy, intimate relationships, morality—as well as feelings of ... (Goodreads)

  17. Hitch 22: A Memoir

    by Christopher Hitchens
    A journey through life, reflecting on the ideas and experiences that have shaped the author's beliefs.

    Over the course of his 60 years, Christopher Hitchens has been a citizen of both the United States and the United Kingdom. He has been both a socialist opposed to the war in Vietnam and a supporter ... (Goodreads)

  18. A Brief History of Time

    by Stephen Hawking
    Exploring the depths of time and space and the emergence of the universe.

    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 ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Grand Design

    by Stephen Hawking
    Exploring the origins of the universe and the laws of nature that govern its operation.

    THE FIRST MAJOR WORK IN NEARLY A DECADE BY ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT THINKERS—A MARVELOUSLY CONCISE BOOK WITH NEW ANSWERS TO THE ULTIMATE QUESTIONS OF LIFE When and how did the universe begin? Why are ... (Goodreads)

  20. The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason

    by Sam Harris
    An exploration of religion, its implications for our world and how it can be replaced with reason.

    In The End of Faith , Sam Harris delivers a startling analysis of the clash between reason and religion in the modern world. He offers a vivid, historical tour of our willingness to suspend reason in ... (Goodreads)

  21. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

    by Adam Smith
    An exploration of the economic principles underlying the development of nations.

    Adam Smith's masterpiece, first published in 1776, is the foundation of modern economic thought and remains the single most important account of the rise of, and the principles behind, modern ... (Goodreads)

  22. A History of Western Philosophy

    by Bertrand Russell
    A comprehensive overview of the major philosophical thinkers and their ideas.

    Since its first publication in 1945 Lord Russell's A History of Western Philosophy has been universally acclaimed as the outstanding one-volume work on the subject—unparalleled in its ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Art of Happiness

    by Dalai Lama XIV
    A spiritual guide to finding lasting joy and contentment.

    An updated edition of a beloved classic—the original book on happiness, with new material from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard Cutler,Nearly every time you see him, he's laughing, or at ... (Barnes & Noble)

  24. Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind

    by V.S. Ramachandran
    An exploration of the human brain, examining its functions and mysteries.

    Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran is internationally renowned for uncovering answers to the deep and quirky questions of human nature that few scientists have dared to address. His bold insights about ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus

    by Richard Preston
    An exploration of the discovery and containment of one of world's deadliest viruses.

    A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret ... (Goodreads)

  26. Letters from a Stoic

    by Seneca
    A collection of Stoic philosophies and advice on living a meaningful life.

    The power and wealth which Seneca the Younger (c.4 B.C. - A.D. 65) acquired as Nero's minister were in conflict with his Stoic beliefs. Nevertheless he was the outstanding figure of his age. The ... (Goodreads)

  27. Fermat's Enigma

    by Simon Singh
    Uncovering the centuries-old mathematical mystery of Pierre de Fermat's Last Theorem.

    xn + yn = zn, where n represents 3, 4, 5, ...no solution "I have discovered a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain." With these words, the ... (Goodreads)

  28. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

    by Elizabeth Kolbert
    Examination of the current extinction of species caused by human activity and the potential global implications.

    Over the last half-billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring ... (Goodreads)

  29. God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything

    by Christopher Hitchens
    Criticism of organized religion, arguing it is the root of much suffering in the world.

    With his unique brand of erudition and wit, Hitchens describes the ways in which religion is man-made. "God did not make us," he says. "We made God." He explains the ways in which religion is ... (Goodreads)

  30. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

    by Alison Bechdel
    An autobiographical story of a daughter's complex relationship with her father and her own journey of self-discovery.

    The narrative of Fun Home is non-linear and recursive. , Incidents are told and re-told in the light of new information or themes. , Bechdel describes the structure of Fun Home as a labyrinth , ... (Wikipedia)