9-12 Science Reading List

Nature of Life: Readings in Biology

Parts of Animals Aristotle

The Way Things Are Lucretius

Novum Organum^*Francis Bacon

Conclusion to On the Origin of Species Charles Darwin

Struggle for Existence Charles Darwin

The Descent of Man^* Charles Darwin

Natural Selection Charles Darwin 

Experiments in Plant Hybridization^* Gregor Mendel

An Introduction to the Study of Experimental Medicine^* Claude Bernard

The Snout Loren Eiseley

Silent Spring^* Rachel Carson

Ecce Homo! Konrad Lorenz 

Rats Konrad Lorenz

The Double Helix^* James D. Watson

The Selfish Gene^* Richard Dawkins

Why Big Fierce Animals Are Rare Paul Colinvaux

Just in the Middle Stephen Jay Gould

The Diversity of Life^* Edward O. Wilson

Life from Scum Lynn Margulis

^*Indicates a selection taken from a longer work.

Keeping Things Whole: Readings in Environmental Science

Rules for the Direction of the Mind^* René Descartes

Katahdin* Henry David Thoreau

Death of a Pine Henry David Thoreau

Man and Nature^* George Perkins Marsh

The Biosphere^* Vladimir I. Vernadsky

The Climax Concept Frederic E. Clements

The Ecosystem A. G. Tansley

The Land Ethic Aldo Leopold

Odyssey Aldo Leopold

The Economics of the Coming Spaceship Earth Kenneth E. Boulding

The Tragedy of the Commons Garrett Hardin

The Closing Circle^* Barry Commoner

The World's Biggest Membrane Lewis Thomas

Intricacy* Annie Dillard

The Recognition of Gaia^* James E. Lovelock

The End of Nature^* Bill McKibben

The Words Nature, Wild, and Wilderness Gary Snyder

Water Songs Terry Tempest Williams

The Politics of Wilderness and the Practice of the Wild R. Edward Grumbine

Cutover Jan Zita Grover

Dimensions of Deformity Gordon L. Miller

*Indicates a selection taken from a longer work.

What's the Matter: Readings in Physics

The Uncertainty of Science Richard Feynman

The Science of Nature Aristotle 

Moving Things Aristotle 

Falling Bodies and Projectiles Galileo

Forces Isaac Newton

Laws of Motion Isaac Newton

Time, Space, and Motion Isaac Newton

Rules of Doing Philosophy Isaac Newton

On Light Isaac Newton and Thomas Young

Heat and Friction Count Rumford (Benjamin Thompson)

The Mechanical Equivalent of Heat James Prescott Joule

Entropy: The Running-Down of the Universe Arthur Eddington

Induction of Electric Currents Michael Faraday

On the Physical Lines of Magnetic Force Michael Faraday

The Science of Electromagnetism James Clerk Maxwell

Electricity and Electromotive Force James Clerk Maxwell

A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field James Clerk Maxwell

Extending the Theories of Physics Max Planck

The Special Theory of Relativity Albert Einstein

The General Theory of Relativity Albert Einstein

E=mc2 Albert Einstein  

Quantum Uncertainty George Gamow

Quantum Behavior Richard Feynman

The Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Theory Werner Heisenberg 

Quantum Perplexity and Debate John Polkinghorne

The Origin of the Universe and Beautiful Theories:
Symmetry and Mathematics Steven Weinberg

Why Physics Is the Easiest Science:
Effective Theories Gordon Kane

Metaphor in Science Alan Lightman

Black Holes and Predictable Worlds Stephen Hawking

The Scientist's Responsibilities Albert Einstein