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Classics of science

Aristotle's Physics : A Guided Study translated by Joe Sachs. This isn't the most economical edition of the classical study of the physical world, but the excellent translation and introdutory material make it the best.

On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres by Nicolaus Copernicus. The masterwork from the guy who put the sun at the center of the solar system; up until this time, popular opinion was that the earth was the center of the universe.

Epitome of Copernican Astronomy & Harmonies of the World by Johannes Kepler is one of the earliest studies of the motions of the planets around the sun.

Francis Bacon's The New Organon was arguably the first standard of scientific method to come out of the scientific revolution.

Micrographia by Robert Hooke. This is a CD ROM version of the original monumental volume, complete with Hooke's 117 meticulous illustrations. Hooke, one of the earliest microscopists, published this volume in 1665. Stunning!

Galileo's masterwork, Two New Sciences : Including Centers of Gravity and Force of Percussion, the authoritative edition translated by Stillman Drake. Also available are Drake's translation of Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems : Ptolemaic and Copernican and Albert Van Helden's translation of Sidereus Nuncius or the Sidereal Messenger

The Principia : Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy by Isaac Newton. This is the best translation of this work into contemporary English. A bit more expensive than the Great Minds edition, but well worth the extra expense.

Opticks : Or a Treatise of the Reflections Inflections and Colours of Light by Sir Isaac Newton. Newton's classic study of optics in a sturdy Dover papaerback. Also available is a CD rom containing a facsimile of the original edition!

Experiments in Electricity By Benjamin Franklin. Another brilliant facsimile edition on CD ROM. This is arguably the most important book on electricity of the 18th century, and one of the founding studies on the subject. Goes way beyond the "lightning rod" experiments.

Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire by Sadi Carnot is a major and early (1824) contribution to the study of thermodynamics.

Principles of Geology (Penguin Classics) by Charles Lyell. This is a one volume abridgement of Lyell's classic, first published in 1830, which became a standard in the study of geology.

Cosmos : A Sketch of a Physical Description of the Universe, vol 1 and vol.2 by Alexander Von Humboldt is a brilliant overview of natural history from one of the 19th century's most insightful thinkers in the area.

On the Origin of Species: A Facsimile of the First Edition by Charles Darwin, 1859. The founding book of the theory of evolution.

Experiments in Plant-Hybridization by Gregor Mendel is the founding volume in the study of genetics.

Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, vol. 1 and vol.2, by James Clerk Maxwell. An excellent study of electromagnetism.

Origin of Continents and Oceans by Alfred Wegener introduces to the world (in 1915) the theory of continental drift.

The Meaning of Relativity by Albert Einstein is a collection of lectures Einstein delivered in 1921 at Princeton to describe his theory of relativity. This is the clearest description of Einstein's theorys as penned by Einstein himself.

There are many other classics of science, many of which were intended for a general audience, and I cannot possibly list a fair representation here. However, books such as Faraday's The Chemical History of a Candle, Charles V. Boys' Soap Bubbles, Huxley's On a Piece of Chalk (sadly out of print) are fine classic examples of seemingly simple events and objects brought into focus by talented scientists of the day and presented especially for the popular audience.

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