6 books on science that Mark Zuckerberg recommends reading

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

2015 the head of Facebook marked the year of literature. For 365 days, Mark Zuckerberg stuck to the media diet, trying to read at least two pieces a month. If you love nonfiction, check out these books.

1. “Sapiens. A Brief History of Humanity ", Yuval Noah Harari

We weren't always the only members of our kind. About 100 thousand years ago, there were about six types of people on Earth. Yuval Noah Harari's book tells how it happened that only Homo sapiens were able to stay alive and reach the current point of development.

“When I read Sapiens, I liked the chapter on the evolution of religion in human life. This is a topic that I would like to delve into,”Zuckerberg wrote on the A Year of Books page.

2. On Immunity, Eula Byss

The popularity of the anti-vaccination movement in Europe and the United States prompted Eula Biss to investigate the true benefits of vaccination. She presented the research results in the 2014 book On Immunity. She was recommended to Zuckerberg by scientists and friends in the healthcare system.

On Immunity argues with antivaccinators and talks about how vaccines are really important, how they protect people from infectious diseases and contribute to the health of society as a whole.

3. The Gambler, Ian Banks

The Gambler, written by Ian Banks in 1988, is a science fiction novel from the Culture series. This work tells about what could happen if humanity conquers the Galaxy and gains fabulous wealth thanks to superintelligent robots.

Zuckerberg is not a big fan of science fiction. According to him, "The Gambler" was chosen for reading with the aim of changing the environment and abandoning old habits. This recommendation of the head of Facebook is also joined by CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk, who noted the "Culture" of Banks.

4. "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" by Thomas Kuhn

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, first published in 1962, expresses the idea that scientific and technological progress affects social life. Also Thomas Kuhn argues that scientific knowledge develops in leaps and bounds, through scientific revolutions. This book is about science, society and their mutual influence on each other.

“I think that science is a force consistently fighting for good in this world. Investing in science and acting on the results of scientific research will benefit us all,”with this thought Zuckerberg summed up his review of Thomas Kuhn's book.

5. "Genome" by Matt Ridley

Matt Ridley's book "Genome" tells about one of the most important discoveries in modern history - the mapping of the human genome. The ability to figure out which genes cause certain diseases and predispositions to them has fundamentally changed the way scientists study the human body and the way doctors treat it.

“This book tells the story of humanity from the point of view of genetics, not sociology, and perfectly complements what I read in 2015,” - wrote Zuckerberg.

6. "The Beginning of Infinity" by David Deutsch

The last book read by Mark Zuckerberg in 2015. British theoretical physicist David Deutsch is convinced that the world is fraught with not only mysteries, but also many answers that are just waiting to be discovered. In his book, the author says that the scientific method can reveal almost any truth. It can be applied not only in science, but also in art or politics.