enCompassCulture is a worldwide Reading Group, the place to find your next book and talk about books with other readers around the world. It has full details of over 5,000 books for all age ranges and is full of useful features.

Activity 1: Pre-reading task

Have you ever read a ‘popular science’ book? How did you choose it?

a) You liked the look of the cover
b) It was recommended by a friend
c) You’ve read something else by the same author
d) It was a birthday present
e) You heard people talking about it on the TV or radio
f) You thought you had a duty to read it
g) You read a review of it somewhere

You are now going to have a look at a new online site for books in English.

Activity 2: Comprehension task

Go to the enCompassCulture website

Click on BOOKS FOR ADULTS
Click on ‘Science’
Click on ‘Geology and Earth Sciences’ and GO!

When you get the Results, can you answer some questions?

Activity 3: Follow-up task

Here are some opinions on the ‘popular science’ genre:

			‘I think it helps to know about the people behind some of the great scientific breakthroughs of the last few hundred years.’
			‘I don’t feel so overawed by complex ideas if a non-scientist like Bill Bryson can explain them.’
			'I read a book the other day that was supposed to be an idiot’s guide to quantum physics and when I’d finished I still didn’t understand a thing.'
			'The more people that have a basic grasp of, say, genetics and the implications for all of us, the better.'
			'It doesn’t matter how science is presented-in the end, it’s still difficult. That’s why not many people end up doing it as a career.'

What do you think? Send us your opinions on the subject.