Interesting Books

This is a small list of books that I have read and found particularly interesting.  Just click the cover, or title, to find out the price and more information.

	The Life of Birds by D. Attenborough. A wonderful, and entertaining, book !
	The Private Life of Plants by D. Attenborough. The first half is really interesting and fun, but it gets a little repetitive towards the end. More Books by David Attenborough

	Life Itself by B. Rensberger. A great "first" book about cells and their functions.  The cell organisms are described in a lively and clear manner.  The "living-room cell", where the author scales the cell to the size of an living-room and describes the flow of things is brilliant.  The history of cell research is briefly described, and you will learn what actin (and lots more) is !   Click to see price at Amazon.com !
	Genome by Matt Ridley A very interesting book about the role of genes in our daily lives, and as a part of evolution.
	The Molecular Origins of Life edited by A. Brack. Starts with theories about the origins of the atmosphere and oceans, then goes on to questions about the origins of organic matter, where life could have originated (hydrothermal vents, ocean itself, meteorites).  Well organized book that covers (almost) all aspects of present day thinking. Click to see price at Amazon.com !

	Life's Matrix: A Biography of Water by Philip Ball. A very nice, readable book.  Water, being one of the most studied materials on Earth, is amazingly complicated.  The very fact that it is densest at 4 deg C, makes life possible here on Earth.  Ball goes through the historical explanations of waters properties, and also, the modern physics experiments.  All is done in a very readable and easy to follow manner. List of books by Philip Ball
	The First Three Minutes by Steven Weinberg A classic.  Goes through what scientist believe is the most likely sequence of events after the Big Bang !
	A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking Another classic book.  Great book to have.

Þröstur Þorsteinsson
Seattle, August 28, 2001.