Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku

For fans of science fiction Physics of the Impossible is a big help in separating the currently possible from the "could be done" and the "maybe in another century or two" and the "never happen." To do this, Kaku describes state-of-the-art physics with regard to force fields, invisibility, teleportation, psychokinesis, extraterrestrials, UFOs, time travel, and other subjects. It is all buttressed with historic background in physics written in a clear and entertaining style. Good read, even if you're not especially into science fiction.

Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks

While there is much to be learned from Musicophila, I do not believe it is as good as Sacks' previous books. It's a little choppy in style and does not have the echoes of far-reaching implications that were so enchanting in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see how music can be used as therapy for people who have neurological diseases and to learn that perfect pitch is more frequent among people whose native language is tonal (e.g., Mandarin, Vietnamese.)

Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan

Bibi Chen, a purveyor of Asian art in San Francisco, dies right before leaving to take a group of people on a tour of China and Myanmar (Burma). As a recently deceased person, she becomes the omniscient narrator of this wonderful novel, and she watches as the group decides to do the trip without her and nominates someone else as leader. The ghost of Bibi goes along on the trip and chats to the reader about the members of the group and how they fall into the hands of an isolated tribe who believe that one of the members is the "Little White Brother" who has come to save them from persecution by the government. Amy Chen's knowledge of art and insight into the quirks of human nature make Saving Fish from Drowning a great read.

The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra

Capra has written the classic book about the parallels between modern (quantum) physics and eastern mysticism. My copy is the 25th anniversary edition of this work which was originally published in 1975. His description of the evolution of physics is juxtaposed with summaries of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, and classic Chinese thought. This makes it very easy to see that both quantum mechanics and religious mysticism point to an understanding of the universe as a dynamic whole. In describing particle physics Capra writes, "The vacuum is far from empty. On the contrary, it contains an unlimited number of particles which come into being and vanish without end." And then he quotes Chinese sage Chang Tsai who wrote "When one knows that the Great Void is full of ch'i, one realizes that there is no such thing as nothingness."