7 Timeless Science Reads with a 2025 Book Recommendation

Speedy summary

• Scientific American has been reviewing science books for over a century adn offers recommendations combining ancient works with modern ones.
• Topics covered include health, evolution, polar ecology, artificial intelligence, carbon dioxide’s impact on Earth, and mathematics. Books from past decades are paired with contemporary releases.

– Health: Frank H. Livingston’s Tuberculosis: Its Cause, Prevention, and Care (1930) reviewed positively for its accessible style. Paired with John Green’s Everything is Tuberculosis (2025), which explores global inequities in tuberculosis treatment despite widespread cures.
– Hearing: W.C. Phillips & H.G. Rowell’s Your Hearing (1932) focused on hearing conservation methods; now complemented by Chris Berdik’s Clamor: How Noise Took Over the World (2025), investigating sound-related issues affecting humans and animals globally.- Life on Earth: The monumental collaboration in The Science of Life (1931) co-authored by famous zoologist Julian Huxley and writer H.G wells discussed evolution extensively; Riley Black’s When the Earth Was Green (2025) shares exploration of life billions of years ago with humor and insight.
– Antarctic Ecology: M.W Holdgate’s 1970 study highlighted ecological conservation efforts paired with Neil Shubin exploring evolving northern poles ecosystems crisis via “Ends Of Future”.
These… math