Recently, at the 3rd National Reading Conference and Popular Science Reading Forum held in Kunming, Yunnan Province, the 2023 list of China's outstanding popular science books was officially released to the public. A total of 20 excellent popular science books have been recommended on the list, 10 excellent popular science books have been nominated and recommended, and 5 excellent popular science books have been recommended for publishing integration.
The event was hosted by the Publishers Association of China, the China Periodicals Association, and the Taofen Foundation, co-organized by the Encyclopedia of China Publishing House, and undertaken by the Encyclopedia Knowledge Magazine.
Since its launch in January 2017, more than 5,000 books from more than 300 publishers have participated in the selection in the past seven years, and 16 quarterly lists and 6 annual lists have been released.
The 2023 list of China's outstanding popular science books was launched on February 28, 2024 and ended on March 10, 2024, with nearly 1,000 books published by more than 170 publishers in 2023 to participate in the evaluation. The organizing committee invites many science popularization experts, publishing experts, well-known book reviewers, and representatives of various organizers to participate in the selection to ensure that the selection is professional, authoritative, fair and just.
In order to meet the continuous progress of the publishing form, this year's list has set up a new section of "Publishing and Integrating Excellent Popular Science Books", focusing on the integrated publications launched by various book publishers using new technologies such as big data and virtual reality.
In recent years, the topic, content and binding of domestic original popular science books have been greatly improved, and many popular science books published by non-scientific and technological professional publishing houses and publishing companies have shown an upward trend in quantity and quality, and the category and quality of published integrated books have also made great progress.
After 7 years of development, the China Excellent Popular Science Book List has closely united more than 300 publishing institutions across the country, and the selected publishing houses have also displayed the book list logo in various publicity activities. At the same time, the "book list bookshelves" have also been set up in libraries, reading spaces, rural bookstores, primary and secondary schools, and bank post offices across the country, effectively playing the role of "popular science publishing-popular science reading" as a "promotion position".
The scene of the award ceremony
At the press conference, Wu Shangzhi, President of the China Periodicals Association, and Wei Yushan, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Taofen Foundation, presented certificates to the representatives of the recommended books. Cao Jianshen, director of the newspaper and periodical distribution bureau of China Post Group Corporation, Liu Jinshuang, deputy editor-in-chief of China Encyclopedia Publishing House, Yin Chuanhong, vice chairman of China Science Writers Association and president of Science Times, and Zhao Xinyu, president of Encyclopedia Knowledge magazine, attended the meeting.
The China Periodicals Association, together with the Organizing Committee of the China Excellent Popular Science Book List, donated popular science books and periodicals to the representatives of the Rural Bookstore.
Logo of "China Excellent Popular Science Book List".
The following is the specific bibliography of the "2023 List of China's Excellent Popular Science Books".
20 books were selected
"It's a Good Question: Li Miao's World Q&A for Children (All 2 Volumes)"
Written by Li Miao, Vertical Painting, Beijing Science and Technology Press, April 2023 edition
Was the sun doused by water? Did Newton really hit the head with an apple? How can I win the Nobel Prize?...... In the age of artificial intelligence, learning to ask a good question has become an even more precious ability. This set of picture book-level popular science questions and answers includes 123 "ridiculous" questions from children - see how physicist Professor Li Miao solves them one by one, how he cleverly sorts out and explains the operating principles of things, and focuses on presenting the scientific truth about the material world.
Chinese Animals: Nice to Meet You (4 volumes)
Beijing Institute of Technology Press, November 2023 edition
With the theme of "Chinese Animals", this book selects 40 species of animals that are native to China or have left a deep imprint on traditional Chinese culture. The book contains 4 volumes, with "Wild Animals Around You", "Companion Animals", "Wronged Animals" and "Uninvited" Animals as the core, popularizing science from both natural and cultural aspects, and stimulating children's natural love for animals into the cognition and practice of animal science, green life concept, and ecological civilization construction.
"The Lost Landscapes of Earth"
Edited and illustrated by Aina Bestad, translated by Zhang Xiaoxuan, Beijing United Publishing Company, United Bass, August 2023 edition
The book illustrates a very tumultuous period in Earth's history: from the creation of the Big Bang, to the formation of the solar system, the Earth, and the Moon, to the emergence of the earliest life, and then to the Ordovician explosion, to the mass extinction at the end of the Dinosaur Age, to the appearance of humans on Earth. Now let's explore the history of the earth, and see the landscapes that no longer exist on our planet, so far away from us, and so different from the present, that our brains can't even imagine it......
"My Naturalist Classroom" Series (4 volumes)
Written by Elizabeth Jenner, illustrated by Natasha Dooley, translated by Xiang Chang, Beijing Fine Arts Photography Publishing House, January 2023 edition
This series of books integrates popular science education and aesthetic education, reveals the mysteries of nature with exquisite illustrations, and guides children to understand the magic and beauty of all things in the world. At the same time, this is also a set of poetic popular science picture books, with popular science content with prose poetic language and decorative illustrations, so that children can explore the beauty of all things under the brushstrokes of literature and appreciate the natural legend in the artistic edification.
Great Metals: How Metals Shaped Human History
Written by Peter Volzit, illustrated by Victoria Stepleva, translated by Wang Zi, Guizhou People's Publishing House, unread, October 2023 edition
Metal is one of the earliest materials used by mankind and one of the most important inventions. Without metal, there would be no modern civilization. This book will take you into the wonderful world of metal, from the basic concept of metal to the discovery process, from the physical and chemical properties to the smelting method and practical application, metal not only shapes the history of mankind, but also shapes the human body itself.
Time
Written by Quedo Tonelli, translated by Wang Lie, Hebei Science and Technology Publishing House, October 2023 edition
This book covers not only scientific theories and discoveries about time, but also ancient myths, art, poetry, literature, history, and human fears. Grounded in theoretical science and supported by a passion for art, the author not only illuminates all aspects of the physical quantity of "time", but also gives it a rare imagination.
Lost Animals
Written by Luc Semar and Yannick Fourier, translated by Zhang Ming, Strait Books, Hou Lang, April 2023 edition
Life has existed on Earth for hundreds of millions of years as species are born and die. However, in the last few hundred years, about 260 species of vertebrates have become extinct due to human activities. This book aims to sound the alarm bells of the sixth mass extinction with 69 portraits of extinct animals. The author's chronological narrative of short stories, accompanied by high-resolution photographs of the valuable collections of the Leiden Museum of Natural History in the Netherlands, is intended to inform people that extinction has begun and that maintaining biodiversity balance is imminent.
A Yangtze River, From the Snow Mountain to the Ocean
Edited by the Yangtze River Conservation and Green Development Research Institute and Jiangsu Science Writers Association, Jiangsu Phoenix Science and Technology Publishing House, January 2023 edition
This is an encyclopedia about the Yangtze River. The book takes the five major regions of the Yangtze River as the main line, and organically connects the important locations, classic species and cultural pictures of the Yangtze River basin from the three dimensions of habitat, biology and life, which not only describes the unique geomorphological characteristics formed in each region of the Yangtze River under the influence of crustal movement and climate characteristics, but also describes the magnificent, vast and steep and special geographical landscapes of different river basins, and shows the rich species and cultural scenery bred under the water and soil.
Decameron on Biological Invasion
Liu Bing, Liu Quanru, Zhao Yahui, Shandong Science and Technology Press, May 2023 edition
This book is a "brief history of invasion" for non-professionals, in the form of a three-person dialogue, selecting nearly 100 invasive species of ten types in China, such as the notorious cockroach, crayfish and other "table delicacies" that cannot be solved by eating, "ragweed", the initiator of "hay fever", and the Brazilian turtle that turns "release" into "killing", etc., to explain the important concepts in the field of biological invasion in simple terms, express their opinions on popular invasion events, and present readers with a full picture of biological invasion.
What the Animals Taught Me: A Nature Observer's Naturalist Notes
Zhang Yu, The Commercial Press, May 2023 edition
This is a naturalist notebook written by Zhang Yu, a veteran nature observer, with 30 years of accumulation, and is a masterpiece that leads nature observation and enlightens scientific thinking. Ducks, squirrels, praying mantises, hedgehogs, and other seemingly ordinary urban wildlife have become no longer ordinary in the author's pen. His daily observations of these animals not only led him to gain scientific knowledge, but also changed the way he looked at nature and influenced his life.
"Doctor, What Are You Thinking: Everyone's Disease Lesson"
Wang Xing, Shanghai Translation Publishing House, June 2023 edition
Wang Xing, a doctor and popular science writer, wrote a popular medical science book for all those who need to see a doctor. Medical knowledge is closely related to everyone, but in our education and learning from childhood to adulthood, this link is missing, "Doctor, What Are You Thinking" is a professional doctor, starting from the relevant problems that people may encounter in all aspects of medical treatment, consultation and treatment after they are sick, combined with certain scientific knowledge and humanistic thinking, to provide a set of basic cognition and ideas for ordinary people who are confused and worried in the face of disease, and provide everyone with a "everyone's disease lesson".
The Quest for Light: From the Galilean Telescope to the Strange Quantum World
Written by Serge Arroche, translated by Sun Jiawen and Wu Haiteng, World Book Publishing Company, November 2023 edition
In this book, Nobel Laureate in Physics Professor Serge Aroche places his education and career in a rich pedigree of scientific discoveries, from Galileo and Newton to Einstein and Feynman, from early measurements of the speed of light to cutting-edge work on quantum entanglement.
Mathematics and Art
Written by Lynne Ghemwell, translated by Li Yongxue, proofread by Liu Yue, Tianjin Science and Technology Press, unread, December 2023 edition
This book is an in-depth cultural history of ancient and modern culture that explores the relationship between mathematics and art. From the ancient Greek period to the Enlightenment period, from Arabic mathematics to Chinese Taoism, art historian Lynne Ghimwell takes readers through the practice of mathematics and the philosophical ideas that drive the discipline, points out the important ways in which artists express mathematical concepts, and shows readers how mathematical ideas are embodied in the visual arts with a large number of rich artwork illustrations.
Addiction: Finding Balance in Indulgence
Written by Anna Lembuck, translated by Zhao Qian, New Star Press, March 2023 edition
We live in a world of extreme material abundance, and all kinds of addictive substances that stimulate dopamine secretion flood our lives. We are more and more lost in ourselves, feeling unhappy, spiritually empty, and even depressed and miserable. Dr. Lembuck uses the case studies of patients who have suffered from addiction to incorporate these vivid stories into the book, and analyzes the reward mechanism of the brain from a neuroscientific perspective, hoping that we can benefit from the experiences and lessons of these patients. She tells us about the balance between pleasure and pain, and suggests effective solutions such as self-discipline strategies.
Encyclopedia of Magical Experiments to Make Children Fall in Love with Science
Edited by Denjiro Yonemura, translated by Lin Lan, Zhejiang Juvenile and Children's Publishing House, December 2023 edition
Edited by the famous natural scientist Denjiro Yonemura and translated by translator Lin Lan, this book is an interesting encyclopedia that guides children to discover the science around them through a series of magical and interesting scientific experiments. The book contains 22 themes such as atmosphere, buoyancy, surface tension, inertia, etc., teaching children experiments through manipulating photos, illustrating relevant scientific principles with comics, and guiding children to explore science in life, discover science, and fall in love with science by using columns such as "Exploration Team" and "Small Column".
Do You Want to Fly, Like a Bird?—— a Paper Museum About Flying
Written by Richard Dawkins, illustrated by Yana Renzova, translated by Gao Tianyu, Hunan Science and Technology Publishing House, January 2023 edition
It's a book about flight, from the mythical Icarus to the extinct and majestic Argentine eagle, from the quolls to the jumping spiders, from the Wright to the Boeing plane, Dawkins depicts the tremendous evolution of living beings to fly, and the painstaking efforts of humans to overcome the gravity of the earth. Science itself is an epic flight towards the unknown. Just as flying is breaking free from gravity and entering the third dimension, science is moving away from everyday life and spiraling to the subtle heights of imagination.
The Course of Science: Juvenile Edition (Hardcover Volume II)
Wu Guosheng, CITIC Press, July 2023 edition
This book covers the context and structure of the general history of science, spanning more than 2,000 years from the beginning of ancient Greece, covering all the important scientists and major discoveries, and is rich in content, including philosophy, astronomy, physics, mathematics, biology, computer and electronic technology. At the same time, it is accompanied by more than 1,400 vivid illustrations, which helps young readers to read science in a more relaxed way. By reading this book, young readers can cultivate scientific thinking and understand the scientific spirit.
Chinese Children's Marine Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of China Publishing House, November 2023 edition
This book is an original popular science book for children aged 6~15 and ocean lovers. The book consists of 8 chapters, 114 topic pages, and more than 500 knowledge points, showing marine knowledge from the perspectives of historical evolution, geographical distribution, ecological resources, and human features, focusing on deep-sea scientific research, marine utilization, marine ecological protection, and China's oceans.
The Beauty of Deep Time: From Cosmic Stardust to Human Civilization, Spanning 4.5 Billion Years of Earth Stories
Written by Reilly Black, translated by Liu Xiaoou, Beijing Science and Technology Press, Mark, June 2023 edition
"Deep time" is the time scale that shapes the geological events of our planet. Bringing together cutting-edge research results and nearly 200 beautiful images, this book explores the wonderful moments and major events in the history of the earth in chronological order, from ancient rock formations to "extraterrestrial visitors", from fossilized shark teeth to underwater forests, and reveals evidence of "deep time". This book depicts 4.5 billion years of geological history, telling the story from the formation of the earth to the dawn of human civilization, as well as the story of time itself.
Origin of Crops
Chen Guiquan, editor-in-chief, Tang Jing and Lu Wei, illustrated by Yu Hongyan, Beijing United Publishing Co., Ltd., May 2023 edition
This book selects more than 60 kinds of crops that we are very familiar with, covering the grains, fruits, vegetables and cash crops that are often eaten in daily life, and shows the origin and spread of these daily crops in a panoramic way through exquisite pure hand-drawn drawings, showing the unusual evolution of crops for children. Crops are a gift from nature, and only by treating crops well will they be treated well.
10 nominated books
Kay's Anatomy
Written by Adam Kay, translated by Hu Xiaoyang, Beijing Times Chinese Book Co., Ltd., No.2 Factory, March 2023 edition
This book is the latest popular science work of Adam Kay, the original author of the million-volume phenomenal bestseller "Absolute Laughter: The Journal of an Abandoning Doctor" and the Douban high-scoring hit British drama "Pain is Inevitable". A hilarious encyclopedia of human body knowledge, involving 14 major topics of the human body, 73 most useful body terms scientific explanation, and 96 human body cold & hot common sense. Each page is accompanied by cute comics, which tell the knowledge of the body in an interesting and warm way, as well as important themes closely related to the body, such as the human body, sexes, diseases, life and death, etc.
Illustrating the History of World Science: From Agriculture to Artificial Intelligence
Written by Mary Cruise, translated by Bai Shun, August 2023 edition
This book outlines the development of world science from 3000 BC to the 21st century in broad lines based on time and disciplines. The book is large, wide-ranging, and well-organized in full-color illustrations, with a clear timeline, information columns, and special reports on key people, inventions, and events that provide additional archival information.
Eating the Sun: A Chinese Story at the Dinner Table
Written by Li Xinsheng and illustrated by Ma Haoran, Jiangsu Phoenix Science and Technology Publishing House, Phoenix Space, March 2023 edition
It is often said that "the people regard food as the sky" and "there is food at home, and there is no panic in our hearts", we can't do without it every day, but how much do we know about their classification? How many are original and how many are foreign? This is a book about crops, which tells the story of how our common food came to our table.
Popular Romance of Physics
Gao Peng, Tsinghua University Press, July 2023 edition
This book is a popular science work on the history of physics. From the perspective of a director, the author arranges the intricate and magnificent history of physics by sorting out the relationships between characters, designing clues, and arranging it in a unique genre of popular romance, starting from the contributions of physics in ancient China, focusing on the comprehensive development of modern physics, and finally ending with modern space exploration.
A series of books entitled "A Diverse World of Life: Reading Nature".
Yu Yiming, Editor-in-Chief, Gao Yan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Juvenile and Children's Publishing House, August 2023 edition
This series is jointly planned and launched by the Shanghai Museum of Natural History and Juvenile and Children's Publishing House, and is compiled by more than 100 biological researchers. A full set of 6 volumes, a collection of nearly 180 natural science articles, novel and unique topics, professional and rigorous discussions, and relaxed and interesting writing. The full set of books is not only illustrated with texts, but also accompanied by 6 audio albums, which are broadcast by professional docents from the Shanghai Natural History Museum, leading young readers to deeply appreciate the magic and magnificence of the biological world and feel the wonders of natural museums.
"Brain-Computer Revolution"
Written by Miguel Nicolellis, translated by Cheng Zhiyuan, Zhang Shengnan, and Yang Jinchen, Zhejiang Education Press, Zhanlu Culture, May 2023 edition
With the help of research in evolutionary biology, neurobiology, artificial intelligence and other fields, MiG Nicolellis, the pioneer of "brain-computer interface", gave a negative answer: machines can never surpass the "brain network" of humans. The human "brain network" has the power to create all things, and it also has the power to destroy itself. This book subversively proposes a "brain-centric cosmology", which integrates cutting-edge ideas from social psychology, behavioral science, and neuroscience to comprehensively explain how the human brain has created human civilization and why it has regressed human civilization.
Ask the Psychologist: What Does Psychology Study and What Does a Psychologist Do?"
Peng Danling and Ding Guosheng, China Textile Publishing House, Psychological Longitude and Latitude, May 2023 edition
This book is an original popular science book written by Professor Peng Danling, the founder of Chinese psychology, and suitable for Chinese readers. This book is problem-oriented and dialogue-oriented, clarifying common misunderstandings in psychology for the public, understanding what psychology is and what psychologists are doing.
Taotao Diary: A Decade of Growth of a "Wild" Giant Panda
Xie Hao and Zhou Xiao, China Forestry Publishing House, May 2023 edition
This book records Taotao's growth experience spanning more than ten years from Walnut Ping to Liziping, from birth to rewilding training to wild release. recorded the panda team behind the scenes, accompanying Taotao's common experience. This book combines scientific research and science popularization to popularize the scientific knowledge of giant pandas, enhance the public's understanding of the rewilding and reintroduction of giant pandas, and also show the scientific and innovative spirit of the "panda people" who are fighting for the cause of giant panda conservation.
Man's Greatest Adventure: A History of Space Exploration
Written by Colin Burgess, translated by Yanzi, China Science and Technology Press, Science and Technology Press, January 2023 edition
The exploration of outer space is perhaps the greatest technological breakthrough of the 20th century and the greatest adventure of mankind. This book mainly tells the history of human space exploration, including the exploration process of space exploration in the Soviet Union and now Russia, the United States, China, India, Japan, Europe and other countries and regions, objectively and truly reflects the achievements of human beings in the process of space exploration, and leads readers to recall the journey of human exploration of outer space in the past few decades.
From Hall to Life: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Everyday World
Huang Yan, Editor-in-Chief, Sichuan University Press, May 2023 edition
Laundry products, do you know Marseille soap? It used to be second to none, and the soap was an accident. Fluorine was used in the manufacture of atomic bombs and the sequencing of proteins and other biological macromolecules, and the preparer of fluorine gas defeated Mendeleev to win the Nobel Prize. Chemistry plays a pivotal role in the process of understanding and transforming the world in human society, and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry is not the "comprehensive science" or "dynamite" award that people jokingly call it, nor is it a "palace-level achievement" that is high above and far away in the clouds.
Published 5 kinds of fusion books
"Heavenly Creations: Encyclopedia of Ancient Chinese Science and Technology VR Gift Box for Children" (Children's Fun Publishing Co., Ltd.)
This book is "5G New Reading · One of the achievements of the VR panorama "Tiangong Kaiwu" project", which is an innovative project of traditional publications, was selected as a digital reading recommendation project in 2022, and the material was selected from the Wenjin Book Award-winning "Tiangong Kaiwu: An Encyclopedia of Ancient Chinese Science and Technology for Children", which is not only faithful to the original work, but also popular and interesting. Wearing VR glasses, children can experience the life of Chinese 400 years ago in a panoramic way, and the ancient crafts containing Chinese wisdom become accessible.
The Great Wall of China Through Time and Space (Encyclopedia of China Publishing House)
The book depicts the development of the Great Wall from ancient times to the present day in the form of panoramic pictures. It uses time as a clue to connect the Great Wall in various periods and places, and tells the construction of the Great Wall and the historical stories that happened around the Great Wall: there are Qi Huan Gong under the city of Chu Fang, the Border Fortress Games held on Juyansai, the border trade under the platform in the north of the town, and the intercontinental car rally next to the Tumu Fort. Scan the QR code at the back of the book, you can open the H5 content, listen to historical stories, watch the annotations of the Great Wall, and listen to synchronized audio. The inside pages of the book are also made into a large digital image scroll, so that you can watch the dynamic Great Wall.
"Innovation Serves the Country: China's Story of Major Scientific and Technological Achievements" (Zhejiang Education Press Group Co., Ltd.)
The project was created by well-known writers such as Chen Yingsong, Li Chunlei, Ji Hongjian, etc., and performed and recorded by the professional broadcasting and hosting team of Beijing Radio and Television Station, and was selected into the "14th Five-Year Plan" national key publication publication plan. In the form of an audiobook, it tells the major scientific and technological achievements and construction processes since the founding of the People's Republic of China, such as the construction of the Beijing Positron Collider, the Qinghai-Tibet scientific expedition, the control of locusts, and the development and utilization of salt lakes, and shows the touching stories of scientific and technological workers who have worked hard and pioneered in the process of scientific climbing.
"Southeast Coastal Biology Series" (Strait Book Publishing Co., Ltd.)
The book "Appreciation of Aquatic Animals in the Southeast Coast" is not only an ecological photography manual focusing on appreciation, but also has the general function of species illustrated book and sea guide. The book "Biological Atlas of the Southeast Intertidal Zone" conducts a comprehensive survey and combing of the biodiversity of the intertidal zone in the southeast of the mainland, covering the main animal groups, and selects nearly 800 common intertidal animals for graphic introduction, and at the same time matches the short video data of 200 species of animals, depicting the graceful intertidal habitat and rich biodiversity in multiple dimensions.
"Zhihu Edition 100,000 Whys (Reading Edition)" (Juvenile and Children's Publishing House Co., Ltd.)
The book collects the real questions of contemporary children, and invites institutions and experts in various fields to recommend new answers for children, which is dedicated to the popular science enlightenment of Chinese children. Let children's questions have answers! Readers can listen to the theme song and Xiaokanshan dialogue by clicking on the cover to stimulate children's interest in reading; by clicking on the IP characters in the book, they can listen to interesting colloquial dialogues to guide children to explore the answers; by clicking on the illustrations of the text scenes, they can listen to the simple knowledge narration and let children grasp the key information; by clicking on the Chinese characters in the book, they can listen to the complete knowledge explanation, so that children can enrich their knowledge reserves; by clicking on the back cover, they can listen to the whole book Q&A to help children review and consolidate what they have learned.
The Paper
Editor: Xiang Yanhong