TOP BOOKS TO READ IF YOU WANT TO STUDY
NATURAL SCIENCES AT UNIVERSITY www.immerse.education
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The Natural Sciences seek to understand the world around us. A university course in Natural Sciences may include the study of biology, chemistry, physics, and more.
With such a broad range of topics to be explored where should a prospective student begin? We spoke with our mentor team who are studying Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge to ask them what books they think a prospective student should read before applying to university. This guide is useful for those interested in studying Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Biochemistry, Physics and everything in between.
Table of Content The list below is some of the titles they recommended in no particular order. Power, Sex, Suicide: Symmetry and the Monster Mitochondria and the by M. Ronan ����������������������� 14 meaning of life ������������������ 4 The New World of Mr. by Nick Lane Tompkins ������������������������ 15 Genome by Matt Ridley ��������� 5 by George Gamow, edited by Chemistry of Life ��������������� 6 by Steven Rose
Russell Stannard
The Epigenetics Revolution ��������������������������������������� 16
Advice To a Young Scientist by Nessa Carey by Peter Medawar ������������������ 7 How We Live and Why Biological Sciences Review We Die: The Secret Lives of and The Student BMJ �������� 8 Cells by Lewis Wolpert �������� 17 QED by Richard Feynman ������� 9 Life At The Extremes ������� 18 Stuff Matters ������������������� 10
by Frances Ashcroft
by Mark Miodownik
The Seven Daughters of Eve
Why Chemical Reactions by Bryan Sykes ������������������� 19 Happen ��������������������������� 11 by Peter Wothers
What is Mathematics ������ 12 by Herbert Robbins and Richard Courant
How Not to Be Wrong by
Jordan Ellenberg ������������������ 20
Organic Chemistry ���������� 21 by David R. Klein
Bad Science �������������������� 13 What If by Randall Munroe ���� 22 by Ben Goldacre
Power, Sex, Suicide: Mitochondria and the meaning of life by NICK LANE
This is a very enjoyable book that, whilst slightly challenging at times, is described in an engaging and interesting manner.
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his book tells the story of the creation of the mitochondria, an extremely important event that has only occurred once and which led to the formation of eukaryotes. It describes the events that led to this, and the evidence that allowed scientists to discover the origin of eukaryotes. The knowledge gained from reading this will come into use over the course of a biological sciences degree, and is also highly interesting. Lane interestingly allies close molecular analysis with consequent evolutionary changes, and his explanations are clear and inspiring. He also focuses on bacteria for part of the book, which is particularly useful for school students as they are not covered much on a high school curriculum but will come up regularly in a Natural Sciences course.
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Genome by MATT RIDLEY
Upon learning that simple biochemical building blocks can encode the human body, it is difficult not to be in complete awe.
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roclaimed as ‘the autobiography of a species in 23 chapters’, Ridley cleverly uses each chapter to discuss each pair of human chromosomes, and the associated medical concepts with them, such as disease, immortality and cures. A fascination with the human genome is common to many prospective life science students, as upon learning that simple biochemical building blocks can encode the human body, it is difficult not to be in complete awe. A particularly poignant and captivating chapter is Chapter 4; ‘Fate’, which discusses the genetic sequence affected in Huntington’s Disease. Being able to understand the genetic principle behind Huntington’s, and then to relate it to the traumatic health consequence associated with the disease, is terrifying yet remarkable. Arguably, one of the overarching principles in medicine is death, which is discussed in Chapter 17, in relation to cancer. As 1 in 3 individuals in the UK are statistically predicted to encounter the disease in their lifetime, an understanding behind the mechanisms is essential when studying. Ridley discusses oncogenes and tumour suppressors, and how cancer mutations develop over time. This chapter is aptly followed by the discussion of cures, which explores how genetic manipulation and gene therapy could be used to treat cancer. “Genome” not only examines the scientific aspects of genetics in medicine, but also considers issues such as politics, eugenics and history- which are concepts just as important as scientific knowledge.
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Chemistry of Life by STEVEN ROSE
First published in 1966, ‘The Chemistry of Life’ has held its own as a clear and authoritative introduction to the world of biochemistry.
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t includes the latest developments in DNA and protein synthesis, cell regulation, and their social and medical implications.
Although Steven Rose’s introduction to the principles of Biochemistry explores concepts introduced at A-level, it does so at a depth which helps to bridge the gap between school and university. First year students often find the concepts of molecular biology difficult to pick up, so it is useful to have a book such as this under your belt before attending university. The chapters are not exhaustive, however provide a solid foundation and stimulate questions which are answered after later, more detailed study.
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Advice To a Young Scientist by PETER MEDAWAR
Nobel Laureate Sir Peter Medawar’s short novel directed at aspiring scientists provides a realistic insight into the broad field of theoretical and experimental aspects of science.
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o those interested in a life in science, Medawar deflates the myths of invincibility, superiority, and genius; instead, he demonstrates it is common sense and an inquiring mind that are essential to the scientist’s calling. He attempts to undo the longstanding views on scientists as innately infallible beings, but rather individuals with inquisition and persistence. He delivers many wry observations on how to choose a research topic, how to get along with collaborators and older scientists and administrators, how (and how not) to present a scientific paper, and how to cope with culturally ”superior” specialists in the arts and humanities. The ideas discussed by Medawar are not only helpful for aspiring students but to current ones and can help with everything from the approach taken towards practical classes, to decisions about future careers.
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Biological Sciences Review and The Student BMJ It is highly recommended an applicant reads from well respected scientific magazines.
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t is highly recommended an applicant reads from well respected scientific magazines. For example, the biomedical section of a few editions of the Biological sciences review is a great place to start. It bridges the gap between current biomedical breakthroughs and the scientific theory behind them, which, when written in scientific journals, is relatively inaccessible to A-level students. It allows students to stretch themselves beyond the curriculum as it builds on A-level biology and introduces more complex material. The ‘Student BMJ’ magazine is a great publication for gaining an insight into how the science relates to clinical practise. A lot of the specifics and details may go over your head but it gives a very good idea of what is currently the focus of evidence based medicine and you won’t be expected to know the details.
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QED by RICHARD FEYNMAN
‘QED’ was the one of the first attempts at bringing quantum mechanics into popular science.
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eynman was not only a pioneer in researching the quantum world but also in bringing science into the public consciousness. In ‘QED’, he explains the physics in an engaging and accessible way, without over simplification. Many popular science books written since attempt to copy ‘QED’, but the original remains the best for anyone wanting to learn about this topic.
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Stuff Matters by MARK MIODOWNIK
Why is glass seethrough? What makes elastic stretchy? Why does any material look and behave the way it does?
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hese are the sorts of questions that renowned materials scientist Mark Miodownik constantly asks himself. Miodownik studies objects as ordinary as an envelope and as unexpected as concrete cloth, uncovering the fascinating secrets that hold together our physical world. In ‘Stuff Matters’, Miodownik explores the materials he encounters in a typical morning, from the steel in his razor to the foam in his sneakers. Full of enthralling tales of the miracles of engineering that permeate our lives, ‘Stuff Matters’ will make you see stuff in a whole new way. ‘Stuff Matters’ is an incredibly interesting science book. It introduces Materials Science, something students don’t come across in school but do at university, by looking at objects and structures we see every day.
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Why Chemical Reactions Happen by PETER WOTHERS
Widely regarded as a “bible” for chemists studying at university level and beyond.
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hy Chemical Reactions Happen’ is widely regarded as a “bible” for chemists studying at university level and beyond as it provides an excellent overview of the fundamental concepts in Chemistry. The authors, James Keeler and Peter Wothers, are both members of the Department of Chemistry at Cambridge and even lecture first years. The book combines physical, inorganic and organic chemistry to answer fundamental questions in a way that is both accessible and enlightening, and is often present on university and/or personal statement reading lists. The book gives an excellent basis for the study of chemistry at degree level, introducing topics such as thermodynamics and organic chemistry, which get covered in the first year of a course. Each chapter builds on the last to help connect ideas while gradually bridging the gap between A-level and University; as a result, the reader is encouraged to think more deeply about what they have perhaps taken for granted at A-level. Rather than just stating the ‘rules’ of chemistry, it explains to the reader why there are rules, a way of thinking which takes a high school student out of the school mindset and into the university one.
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What is Mathematics: An Elementary Approach to Ideas and Methods by HERBERT ROBBINS AND RICHARD COURANT
‘What is Mathematics’ covers a diverse range of mathematical topics and seeks to explain them from the ground up.
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ritten for beginners and scholars, for students and teachers, for philosophers and engineers, ‘What is Mathematics?’ is a sparkling collection of mathematical gems that offers an entertaining and accessible portrait of the mathematical world. Covering everything from natural numbers and the number system to geometrical constructions and projective geometry, from topology and calculus to matters of principle and the Continuum Hypothesis, this fascinating survey allows readers to delve into mathematics. Each chapter covers a distinct field and is largely independent, making it is possible for the reader to easily target topics of interest. Although the emphasis of this book is on pure mathematics, it could be recommended to anyone wanting to pursue a degree in science as it equips you with the mathematical fluency necessary for a science course.
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Bad Science by BEN GOLDACRE
‘Bad Science’ provides any prospective Natural Sciences student with a really important perspective on the way modern medicine is publicised.
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any students studying Natural Sciences are interested in undertaking scientific research at graduate level, and this book is perfect for giving them an insight into the mindset of a researcher.
‘Bad Science’ provides any prospective Natural Sciences student with a really important perspective on the way modern medicine is publicised. Goldacre unpicks the evidence behind various claims made by the media, pharmaceutical companies and even government reports. Goldacre argues that the inability of the media and public to evaluate evidence is a public health issue and deals in detail with medical scams and alternative practices. It is a book which undoubtedly opens your eyes to the perceived role of science in general society. ‘Bad Science’ encourages critical analysis of many things we assume to just be, like the placebo, and ask questions of what we actually know. A critical skill that is used again and again in your medical career of diagnosis and problem solving. Goldacre’s extremely detailed criticism on badly performed trials and poor evaluation of statistics gives an insight into the errors one can make in a career as a researcher. www.immerse.education
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Symmetry and the Monster by M. RONAN
Symmetry underpins expansive areas of science.
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rom conservation laws, to molecular symmetry, to vector spaces, the appreciation of this bridge between the abstract mathematics of Group Theory and its implications in the physical sciences lays bare the foundations of many of the concepts found in the first year of undergraduate study in the sciences, often taken for granted by a young scientist. Ronan aims more for conceptual understanding; this is not a book on mathematics filled with equations. It is an interesting and informative essay on a concept that will rationalise the study of every science student.
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The New World of Mr. Tompkins by GEORGE GAMOW, EDITED BY RUSSELL STANNARD
Mr. Tompkins is a mild-mannered bank clerk with the short attention span and vivid imagination.
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his highly affable character embarks on a set of adventures that explore the extreme edges of the universe--the smallest, the largest, the fastest, and the farthest. Just by following the experiences and dreams of Mr. Tompkins, readers discover and come to know the merry dance of cosmic mysteries, including: Einstein’s theory of relativity, bizarre effects near lightspeed, the birth and death of the universe, black holes, quarks, space warps and antimatter, the world of the quantum, and that ultimate cosmic mystery, love. Stannard’s approachable adaptation of Gamow’s story of a bank clerk bumbling through a world in which time slows down and balls on a pool table appear fuzzy may seem childish at first glance, but it is in fact a resource for a potential science undergraduate. The essential ideas of modern physics are explored, from particle physics to relativity, such that the concepts are effortlessly grasped by the reader. Conceptual understanding of such topics, before embarking on the university application process, is tremendously useful.
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The Epigenetics Revolution by NESSA CAREY
Epigenetics can potentially revolutionize our understanding of the structure and behaviour of biological life on Earth.
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pigenetics is one of the fastest evolving areas in genetics, explaining the way that non-protein coding DNA has phenotypic effects, effects that can still be seen many generations later.
Epigenetics can potentially revolutionize our understanding of the structure and behaviour of biological life on Earth. It explains why mapping an organism’s genetic code is not enough to determine how it develops or acts and shows how nurture combines with nature to engineer biological diversity. Nessa Carey, a leading epigenetics researcher, connects the field’s arguments to such diverse phenomena as how ants and queen bees control their colonies; why tortoiseshell cats are always female; why some plants need cold weather before they can flower; and how our bodies age and develop disease. This book gives a prospective science student a bottom up explanation of what genetics is all the while giving many of its interesting applications. This book is on the cutting edge of science and can prove really valuable for a student. 16
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How We Live and Why We Die: The Secret Lives of Cells by LEWIS WOLPERT
‘In How We Live and Why we Die’, Wolpert provides a clear explanation of the science that underpins our lives.
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ewis Wolpert is a key figure in his field and is also the author of a reknowned development textbook called ‘Principles of Development’. In ‘How We Live and Why we Die’, Wolpert provides a clear explanation of the science that underpins our lives, an overview of most of the processes that take place within the cell. Cells are the basis of all life in the universe. Our bodies are made up of billions of them: an incredibly complex society that governs everything, from movement to memory and imagination. When we age, it is because our cells slow down; when we get ill, it is because our cells mutate or stop working. Wolpert explains how our bodies function and how we derived from a single cell - the embryo. He examines the science behind the topics that are much discussed but rarely understood - stem-cell research, cloning, DNA - and explains how all life evolved from just one cell. Lively and passionate, ‘How We Live and Why we Die’ is an accessible guide to understanding the human body and, essentially, life itself.
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Life At The Extremes by FRANCES ASHCROFT
A classic introduction to physiology, this book is really easy to read, but also interesting.
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t will arm you with a deeper understanding of how the body works to deal with interview questions and give you some cool facts to show off to your interviewer.
‘Life at the Extremes’ is an engrossing exploration of what happens to our bodies in seemingly uninhabitable environments. It discusses how animals (with an emphasis on humans) can survive in extreme environments such as at high and low altitudes, hot and cold temperatures and then ends with a chapter on the extremes a body experiences when running a marathon. Frances Ashcroft provides interesting, relevant examples of each scenario, such as what happens when an airplane is depressurized. Anyone interested in studying Biology or Medicine should read this book.
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The Seven Daughters of Eve by BRYAN SYKES
Skyes explains how about 90% of Europeans can all be traced back to 7 women through our mitochondrial DNA.
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he Seven Daughters of Eve’ explains in relatively simple terms the principles of mitochondrial genetics, written by an Emeritus Professor of Human Genetics at Oxford University. In this groundbreaking book, Sykes reveals how the identification of a particular strand of DNA that passes unbroken through the maternal line allows scientists to trace our genetic makeup all the way back to prehistoric times to seven primeval women, the “seven daughters of Eve.” Skyes explains how about 90% of Europeans can all be traced back to 7 women through our mitochondrial DNA, based on the fact that mitochondrial DNA mutates at a constant rate. Hence, by looking at the mutations in one’s mitochondrial DNA, you can determine its ancestry. This classifies us into 7 groups, the mitochondrial haplogroups, with each haplogroup defined by a set of characteristic mutations on the mitochondrial genome. This book covers a happy mix of scientific information about mitochondrial genetics, details about how genetic profiling of people is actually carried out in labs, as well as how various theories have been proved or disproved by these methods. For example, in his laboratory they disproved the theory that Homo sapiens are descended from the Neanderthals, as our mtDNA is too different. There are also some quirky anecdotes in the book, such as his research establishing to a near 100% certainty that the bones found in 1991 in Russian were indeed those of Czar Nicholas II and his family, and that Anna Anderson, the woman who long claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia, indeed was not. This is a great read for prospective applicants with an interest in genetics.
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How Not to Be Wrong: The Hidden Maths of Everyday Life by JORDAN ELLENBERG
‘How Not To Be Wrong’ is an excellent book about the application of maths to the real world and surprising results of statistics.
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he maths we learn in school can seem like an abstract set of rules, laid down by the ancients and not to be questioned. What Jordan Ellenberg seeks to shows us is that maths touches on everything we do, and a little mathematical knowledge reveals the hidden structures that lie beneath the world’s messy and chaotic surface. In ‘How Not to be Wrong’, Ellenberg explores the mathematician’s method of analyzing life, from the everyday to the cosmic, showing us which numbers to defend, which ones to ignore, and when to change the equation entirely. Along the way, he explains calculus in a single page, describes Gödel’s theorem using only one-syllable words, and reveals how early you actually need to get to the airport.
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Organic Chemistry by DAVID R. KLEIN
Dr David Klein’s organic chemistry textbook offers a comprehensive overview of basic organic chemistry knowledge
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r David Klein’s organic chemistry textbook offers a comprehensive overview of basic organic chemistry knowledge, which lays a solid foundation for further study in this realm. Furthermore, this textbook is highly readable with its concise but approachable language style. The emphasis of the textbook is upon skills development and, therefore, provides students with a greater opportunity to develop proficiency in the key skills necessary to succeed in organic chemistry.
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What If by RANDALL MUNROE
Randall Munroe has a unique skill of answering absurd questions with a serious scientific approach.
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andall Munroe has a unique skill of answering absurd questions with a serious scientific/mathematical approach to come up with an often hilarious answer. Although scenarios included in this book, such as throwing a baseball at 90% light speed or using extremely powerful lasers to light up the dark side of a half moon, are really unlikely to happen, Munroe would answer them based on serious scientific knowledge. Those who indulge in these questions would not only be entertained by Munroe’s answers, but also be fascinated by the science behind them.
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