r/Physics • u/dannycarrey • 1d ago
Books for beginners
Im 45 now. Recently I found the universe fascinating especially in terms of speed of light, black holes. Could you please recommend any beginners books?
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u/supermultiplet 14h ago
Gravity's Engines, by Caleb Scharf
Brief History of Time, by Hawking
Fabric of the Cosmos, by Brian Greene
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u/Muraku 22h ago
If you'd like a fiction recommendation. Grab anything by Andy Weir.
Organised by release order:
The Martian - For readers who crave survival science-fiction centered on ingenuity against impossible odds, delivered with sardonic humor. Ideal if you like medium-tension pacing, tech-savvy problem-solving, and a lone human voice keeping terror at bay with jokes and duct tape.
Artemis - For readers who crave snappy, wisecracking sci-fi about the sharp-edged hustle of a moon-city heist. Ideal if you like breakneck pacing, problem-solving thrills, and a sardonic anti-hero over dense world-building or emotional depth, and you want your science served with explosive fun.
Project Hail Mary - For readers who crave humorous, hopeful science fiction about solitary scientific ingenuity against existential stakes. Ideal if you enjoy medium-paced, problem-solving adventures with levity, minimal romance, and accessible tech over dense world-building or grimdark tones.
They are all super easy to read, funny main characters, really wholesome. They are all set in space, and Weir has a perfect balance explaining all the science and making the book entertaining.
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u/physpana 21h ago
Pretty much anything by Michio Kaku is great for beginners. He won't throw any equations at you, just laying out the evolution of broad research questions. Very approachable, highly recommend.
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u/dannycarrey 13h ago
I didn't in my initial post I don't specify that I ask for a recommendation without equations and approachable in terms of readability. This looks perfect. Thanks you
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u/a3ahmad 1d ago
Black Holes and Time Warps by Kip Thorne is great.