Good cheap books on science

[Jro]

HEY YOU. YEAH YOU! What don't you know about? What do you know about? Let's have a science book thread where we trade links to cheap as chips books. Fact is, Amazon is so cheap these days that it's relatively easy to amass a good collection of textbooks without the $400 orders.

I'm a larval biologist doing research on evolution. If I had to recommend some cheap, easy to read books on evolution I'd go with some of these.

Doug Futuyma's Evolutionary Biology- $3! Come on!
Amazon.com: Used and New: Evolutionary Biology

Amazon.com: Used and New: Evolutionary Biology, Third Edition

Sean Carroll's Endless Forms Most Beautiful- $3!
Amazon.com: Used and New: Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo

and, hey, what's this a COMPLETELY FREE COPY OF THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES.
Literature.org - The Online Literature Library

How many of us haven't read the thing cover to cover? SHAMEFUL!

Anyway, what I don't know about is space and physics. I've started taking an open course undergrad physics class, and I'm looking for a cheap textbook to go with it. Something that really holds your hand through the scary math parts. :o

I'm also looking for a solid textbook on space as I know very little about it, besides what I've learned from reading and watching Cosmos. Again, undergrad level or so please.

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

I'll top that

The National Academies—National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council—are committed to distributing their reports to as wide an audience as possible. Since 1994 we have offered “Read for Free” options for almost all our titles. In addition, we have been offering free downloads of most of our titles to everyone and of all titles to readers in the developing world. We are now going one step further. Effective June 2nd, PDFs of reports that are currently for sale on the National Academies Press (NAP) Website and PDFs associated with future reports* will be offered free of charge to all Web visitors.

More than 4,000 National Academies Press PDFs Now Available to Download for Free | Notes From NAP

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

also
Science and Religion in an Impersonal Universe by Matt Young


free
FreeDownload

 

[Nostromo]

Anyway, what I don't know about is space and physics. I've started taking an open course undergrad physics class, and I'm looking for a cheap textbook to go with it. Something that really holds your hand through the scary math parts. :o

I don't know how cheap you can get it these days, but K. A. Stroud - Engineering Mathematics was one I bought on a recommendation during my first year of physics, and I found it very good. Regarding the hand-holding, it might be ok, but you may want to have a look at a few first. I wouldn't want you to get something based on my opinion and regret it

 

[Davian]

...
and, hey, what's this a COMPLETELY FREE COPY OF THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES.<link>

How many of us haven't read the thing cover to cover? SHAMEFUL!

Alright already. I've got the audio version read by Dawkins. It's really good but there is so much other stuff to read and listen to....

Anyway, what I don't know about is space and physics. I've started taking an open course undergrad physics class, and I'm looking for a cheap textbook to go with it. Something that really holds your hand through the scary math parts. :o

I'm also looking for a solid textbook on space as I know very little about it, besides what I've learned from reading and watching Cosmos. Again, undergrad level or so please.

If you are looking for something easy to listen to like Cosmos, but up-to-date and with more detail, go to the Astronomycast podcast:

"Astronomy Cast takes a fact-based journey through the cosmos as it offers listeners weekly discussions on astronomical topics ranging from planets to cosmology"

 

[pgp_protector]

Google books

Physics - Google Search

 

[Rai1234]

I remember ordering a bunch of free science DVD's from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute a while back (and they actually arrived!), and I also believe they have a number of online resources on their website as well.

HHMI's BioInteractive