Here at JMP, we love a good nonfiction book. And if it involves data, numbers, statistics or science, then all the better.
I asked my colleagues to share the names of nonfiction books that are quantitative, analytical or scientific that they have enjoyed. Perhaps their ideas will help you find a gift for a friend, co-worker or family member. Or maybe you can add some of these suggestions to your own reading list. And please share, in comments, your favorite nonfiction books of this kind.
Here's our collective list (presented alphabetically by author's last name):
Against The Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk by Peter L. BernsteinAn Accidental Statistician: The Life and Memories of George E.P. Box by George E.P. BoxThinking: The New Science of Decision-Makin g, Problem-Solvin g, and Prediction by John BrockmanAt Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill BrysonParticle Physics: A Very Short Introduction by Frank CloseGinkgo: The Tree That Time Forgot by Peter CraneNumbersense: How to Use Big Data to Your Advantage by Kaiser FungOptimal Design of Experiments by Peter Goos and Bradley JonesThe Improbability Principle: Why Coincidences, Miracles, and Rare Events Happen Every Day by David Hand (to be published in February 2014; a colleague got an advance copy)The Elements of Statistical Learning: Data Mining, Inference, and Prediction by Trevor Hastie, Robert Tibshirani and Jerome FriedmanThe Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven JohnsonThe Eighth Day of Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Biology by Horace Freeland JudsonIn the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives by Stephen LevyThe Theory That Would Not Die: How Bayes' Rule Cracked the Enigma Code, Hunted Down Russian Submarines & Emerged Triumphant from Two Centuries of Controversy by Sharon Bertsch McGrayneDo Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies? The Surprising Science of Pregnancy by Jena PincottGulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary RoachThe Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas TalebFooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Nicholas TalebWeird Life: The Search for Life That Is Very, Very Different from Our Own by David ToomeyEverything and More: A Compact History of Infinity by David Foster WallaceArati Mejdal wrote:
Thank you, Mark! Glad to hear that. Let us know if you have any to add.
Mark wrote:
Solid list. I've added several books to my 'to-read' list on Goodreads. Thanks for sharing.
