Two desert island books.

Watch this and be in awe of our unknown universe.



While I'm on the subject of universal inspiration, I highly recommend Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything (book or unabridged audiobook) published in 2004 Bryson starts with the birth of the universe and the creation of the earth, then tells us how they measured the earth, weighed the earth and all the crazy adventures that took place in between. With his usual wit (he's made me laugh out loud when reading, which is no easy task), he tells us about the personalities involved in all the great (and the downright dangerous) discoveries. He has talked to the world’s most advanced archaeologists, anthropologists, and mathematicians to tell us about evolution, the discovery of elements, the counting of comets, the makeup of chromosomes and DNA, the mysteries of the seas, the composition of the air, and potential natural disasters.
 
My other favorite book is Seven Mysteries of Life written in 1975 by Guy Murchie. Although science has moved on significantly since he wrote this book, the themes, ideas and aspects he looks into are still relevant. This was where I first came across the comparison of humanity to a virus (visually, really impactful). Guy took 17 years to write The Seven Mysteries of Life, he set out to tell us about all aspects of life. His book is a delight to read, insightful and poetic, and a work so beautiful that it has been described as art.

• A Short History of Nearly Everything, By Bill Bryson
• The Seven mysteries of life: an exploration in science & philosophy, By Guy Murchie