“Our ability to understand the universe and our position in it is one of the glories of the human species. Our ability to link mind to mind by language, and especially to transmit our thoughts across the centuries is another. Science and literature, then, are the two achievements of Homo Sapiens that most convincingly justify the specific name” – Richard Dawkins

Here is a list of books I think Physics A-level students might enjoy – I’d encourage them to read a selection from each section:

• The Meaning of Science by Tim Lewens or Philosophy of Science (a very short introduction) – Samir Okasha (Philosophy of Science)
• Storm in a Teacup by Helen Czerski – covers lots of school science in an engaging way
• The Golem: What You Should Know About Science –  Collins and Pinch (Philosophy of Science)
• Science: A History by John Gribbin
• A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
• How the Universe Got Its Spots by Janna Levin (Physics / Cosmology)
• Black Bodies and Quantum Cats by Jennifer Ouellette
• The Unnatural Nature of Science by Lewis Wolpert (Philosophy of Science)
• The Ascent of Gravity by Marcus Chown
• Smashing Physics by Jon Butterworth (particle physics)
• Structures: Or Why things don’t fall down by J.E. Gordon (Engineering)
• Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You / We need to talk about Kelvin by Marcus Chown
• Quantum by Manjit Kumar (a more detailed history of quantum mechanics)
• Big Bang by Simon Singh (Cosmology)
• Six Easy Pieces by Richard Feynman
• QED by Richard Feynamn

Chemistry:

• The Periodic Table by Primo Levi (Chemistry. Also, just to be a decent human being, you should read “If this is a Man” and “The Truce” by him)
• The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum
• Stuff Matters by Mark Miodownik

Biology:

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• Creation: The Origin of Life / The Future of Life by Adam Rutherford
• The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being by Alice Roberts
• The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing – edited by Richard Dawkins (contains extracts from lots of other good science books)

General:

• What If? Serious answers to absurd hypothetical questions by Randall Munroe