Tyson, Neil D. 2007. Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries. New York: W. W. Norton.

A collection of essays from Tyson’s monthly ”Universe” column in Natural History magazine on how science works and how we have come to understand our place in the universe.

Tyson, Neil D., and Donald Goldsmith. 2004. Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution. New York: W. W. Norton.

The companion book to the NOVA series “Origins,” conveys the latest understanding of the origin of the universe, galaxies, stars, planets, and life.

Weinberg, Steven. 1993. The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe. New York: Basic Books.

An explanation of what happened during the Big Bang.

DeSalle, Rob, and Michael Yudell. 2004. Welcome to the Genome: A User’s Guide to the Genetic Past, Present, and Future. New York: Wiley.

Discusses the science, the applications, and the potential of human genetics.

Ridley, Matt. 1999. Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters. New York: HarperCollins.

A chromosome-by-chromosome investigation of how genetics research could change human life.

Watson, James D., and Andrew Berry. 2003. DNA: The Secret of Life. New York: Knopf.

A history of genetics written in part by the scientist who uncovered the structure of DNA.

Ayala, Francisco J. 2006. Darwin and Intelligent Design. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

A comparison of evolutionary theory with the ideas proposed by the backers of “intelligent design creationism.”

Baker, Catherine, and James B. Miller. 2006. The Evolution Dialogues: Science, Christianity, and the Quest for Understanding. Washington, DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Alternating chapters present the findings of science and the Christian response to those findings in a publication generated as part of the dialogue on science, ethics, and religion sponsored by the AAAS.

Collins, Francis. 2006. The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. New York: Free Press.

The director of the Human Genome Project describes his religious beliefs in the context of his scientific research.

Forrest, Barbara, and Paul R. Gross. 2004. Creationism’s Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design. New York: Oxford University Press.

A close analysis of the positions and tactics taken by the intelligent design branch of creationism.

Humes, Edward. 2007. Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America’s Soul. New York: HarperCollins.

An eyewitness account of the Kitzmiller vs. Dover Area School District trial.

Kitcher, Philip. 2006. Living with Darwin: Evolution, Design, and the Future of Faith. New York: Oxford University Press.

A philosopher of science compares different versions of creationism to evolution while examining the broader differences between religious and scientific perspectives.

Matsumura, Molleen. 1995. Voices for Evolution. Berkeley, CA: National Center for Science Education. Continually updated at http://www.ncseweb.org/article.asp?category=2.

A collection of statements supporting the teaching of evolution from many different types of organizations: scientific, civil liberties, religious, and educational.

Miller, Kenneth R. 1999. Finding Darwin’s God: A Scientist’s Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution. New York: HarperCollins.

A biologist seeks to reconcile evolutionary theory with a belief in God.

Moore, John A. 2002. From Genesis to Genetics: The Case of Evolution and Creationism. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

An argument for the educational importance of teaching evolution.