The Science Masters books in order

The Science Masters is a fourteen-book popular science series curated by Daniel C. Dennett, collecting short, accessible books from leading scientists on topics from evolution and quantum gravity to brain function and cosmology.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Last Three Minutes 1995 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
2 River Out of Eden 1996 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
3 One Renegade Cell 1998 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
4 Symbiotic Planet 1998 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
5 Words and Rules 1999 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
6 Three Roads To Quantum Gravity 2000 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
7 What Evolution Is 2008 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
8 Kinds Of Minds 2008 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
9 The Human Brain 2008 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
10 The Periodic Kingdom 2008 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
11 The Origin Of Humankind 2008 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
12 Laboratory Earth 2014 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
13 The Origin Of The Universe 2014 Daniel C. Dennett Buy
14 The Pattern on the Stone 2014 Daniel C. Dennett Buy

The Science Masters series brought together short, accessible books from prominent scientists, each tackling a major scientific topic for a general audience. Contributors include Richard Dawkins (River Out of Eden), Steven Pinker (Words and Rules), and Lee Smolin (Three Roads to Quantum Gravity), among others. Dennett’s editorial vision shaped the series’ commitment to clarity and accessibility over specialist depth.

Published across the 1990s and 2000s, many titles were reissued in 2008 and 2014, keeping the series available as introductory texts. For readers interested in popular science from the era when public science writing was experiencing a significant revival, the Science Masters series is a useful collection.


Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the The Science Masters series?

There are fourteen books in the The Science Masters series, published between 1995 and 2014.

What is the first book in the The Science Masters series?

The first book in the The Science Masters series is The Last Three Minutes, published in 1995.

Did Daniel Dennett write all the Science Masters books?

No — Dennett served as series editor, not author. The books were written by various leading scientists including Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, and Roger Penrose, among others. Dennett curated and championed the series.

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