Throughout the application process, it will be hugely beneficial to read around your subject. From your personal statement
to your interview, extra knowledge of the scope and depth of your subject will go a long way to ensuring your application reflects your interest in your subject.
With this in mind, we have compiled our most successful techniques to help you fit in the necessary reading alongside your school work, to make sure you get the most out of your Oxbridge application experience.
• Plan what you are going to read for your subject
• Use the lists your teachers have provided. Check out our Reading Rooms in our Free Online Resources
• For personalised, subject-specific reading recommendations, come in and see one of our consultants for a Private Consultation. They will build upon what you have already read, taking into account your interests, and direct you away from the more commonly read texts.
• Call us for a few suggestions to get you started on +44 (0)207 499 2394
The next step is figuring out how to find the time to read the books on your list:
• Blogs and articles are a good start – it will take you a maximum of 30 minutes to read the longest article, so you feel you get more for your time.
• For longer texts, find time in your week – just an hour or so – that you can dedicate to your reading.
• Free periods at school are a great time to do this. Regardless of how much time you spend reading, make sure this time is sacred and uninterrupted.
• Keep a book with you at all times – you’d be surprised how much a difference a few minutes here and there can make.
Having made the effort to read around your subject, the next step is to ensure you retain all of your new knowledge:
• Use an index card or a postcard as a bookmark and note down interesting passages and ideas on it as you come to them
• When you finish a book, write a 15 minute summary of it and include your thoughts
• When you’ve finished your summary – write the names of three other texts and how they could link and form interesting comparisons to get you thinking across different topics
Take a look at your university recommended reading lists, any lists your teachers have given you and the ideas we’ve suggested here. Circle around 5 texts that particularly interest you and then begin to compile your own list from there. Do your research and build outwards.
Below you’ll find a selection of subject-specific reading suggestions, compiled by our crack team of consultants, tutors and advisory board. As much of your degree will be spent analysing scholars’ articles and publications, it is essential to get a handful of interesting texts into your personal statement.
For all students the following resources are powerful tools for research and wider study:
Google Scholar. A free and simple way to search for up-to-date scholarly literature and research
JSTOR. A comprehensive collection of scholarly journals in all disciplines and their full archives, this massive source of information is invaluable but you will need to subscribe. Most unis subscribe their students to this as it is an invaluable tool.
Google books. This is particularly useful for looking at old texts which have gone out of copyright – that is, the author died over 70 years ago – and read sections of them for free online.
OED. An incredible way to understand language and etymology, as well as the history of the words you’re reading. You can get it all online but you will need to subscribe.
Cambridge Companions. You have probably seen these at school. If you are particularly interested in a topic, Cambridge Companions are collections of critical essays from the top scholars in a topic to give you an excellent introduction into periods, authors, movements and other major areas of humanities studies. You can either buy individual books according to your interest, or subscribe to the site and have access to all of them.
Classics: A Very Short Introduction – Mary Beard & John Henderson
An excellent book for understanding the breadth of Classics, and introduces the reader to potentially new areas, such as Archaeology. It’s also very well written.
Greek Tragedy – Albin Lesky
A masterful overview of tragic theatre in Greece, with a chapter on each of the ‘three tragedians’, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, and a discussion of each of their plays in turn.
The Iliad – Homer
Homer’s works are the bedrock of all Classical literature – an inspiration for other author’s works for centuries (think of Aeschylus’ Agamemnon, and Sophocles’ Ajax). Homer is a fundamental feature of the Classics course at Oxford and Cambridge.
Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy – Simon Blackburn
Good for those who are worried about how they will cope with the philosophy on the course. This text will also help you to think about wider, more challenging topics in preparation for interview.
‘Do the Classics Have a Future?’ – online here
Sparky article exploring how we respond to and fight against the Classical world and literature nowadays, from the inimitable Mary Beard. Interesting for you to think about the value of Classics and its relationship with modernity.
Black Athena: The Afroasiatic Roots of Classical Civilisation – Martin Bernal
Brings together the influences of other cultures on Ancient Greece – a good springboard to start thinking independently and originally about Classics.
Makers of Ancient Strategy – edited by Victor Davis Hanson
Ten essays commissioned by the editor.
The Classical World – Robin Lane Fox
A sweep across hundreds of years of Classical Greek and Roman history by a Fellow of New College, Oxford
Pompeii and The Life of Roman Town and The Parthenon – Mary Beard
Tragedy: Oedipus Tyrannos – Sophocles
Comedy: Clouds or Birds – Aristophanes
History of the Peloponnesian War – Thucydides
The Pelican History of Greece – A R Burn
From the Gracchi to Nero – H H Scullard
Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice – C Renfrew and P Bahn
This is a basic for any Archaeology student, and is an important introduction for the starting point of most essays. Great for finding a specific aspect of archaeology that is of interest to you to discuss in more detail at interview.
Structure and Function in Primitive Society – A R Radcliffe-Brown
A good basis for an understanding of the Functionalist perspective in Anthropology. It is essential to have an understanding of this approach as it will come up in many essays throughout the degree. Other classical anthropological texts would also be useful.
Darwin’s Island: The Galapagos in the Garden of England – S Jones
Jones’ gives a good account of all of Darwin’s extensive experiments, not just his famous ones on the Galapagos Islands. Jones is a very accessible science writer and if you enjoy this, try Almost Like a Whale, which rewrites Origin of Species for the 21st century, or Y: The Descent of Men.
Veiled sentiments: honor and poetry in a Bedouin society – Lila Abu-Lughod
Fascinating study of power and gender structures in Bedouin tribes, illuminated by an analysis of the frequent use of informal poetry performances, which affect both of these structures. Invaluable reading for those interested in social anthropology.
Who Owns Antiquity – James Cuno
Interesting argument against the nationalistic perspective that objects of antiquity should be returned to their country of origin. Great to get you going on the nitty-gritty of issues surrounding museums and heritage.
Guns, Germs and Steel – Jared Diamond
Great book explaining how Europe became so powerful, and what causes societies to become more advanced than others in general. Encompasses social and evolutionary perspectives and is very readable.
The Oxford Illustrated prehistory of Europe – B.W. Cunliffe
The Journey from Eden – B. Fagan
Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice – C. Renfrew, & P Bahn
Patterns in prehistory – R. Wenke
Take a look at your university recommended reading lists, any lists your teachers have given you and the ideas we’ve suggested here. Circle around 5 texts that particularly interest you and then begin to compile your own list from there. Do your research and build outwards.
Below you’ll find a selection of subject-specific reading suggestions, compiled by our crack team of consultants, tutors and advisory board. As much of your degree will be spent analysing scholars’ articles and publications, it is essential to get a handful of interesting texts into your personal statement.
For all students the following resources are powerful tools for research and wider study:
Google Scholar. A free and simple way to search for up-to-date scholarly literature and research.
JSTOR. A comprehensive collection of scholarly journals in all disciplines and their full archives, this massive source of information is invaluable but you will need to subscribe. Most universities subscribe their students to this as it is an invaluable tool.
Google books. This is particularly useful for looking at old texts which have gone out of copyright – that is, the author died over 70 years ago – and reading sections of them for free online.
OED. An incredible way to understand language and etymology, as well as the history of the words you’re reading. You can get it all online but you will need to subscribe.
Cambridge Companions. You have probably seen these at school. If you are particularly interested in a topic, Cambridge Companions are collections of critical essays from the top scholars in a topic to give you an excellent introduction into periods, authors, movements and other major areas of humanities studies. You can either buy individual books according to your interest, or subscribe to the site and have access to all of them.
Global Geomorphology – M Summerfield
A great introduction to the study of landforms and a key book for first year physical geography – pick out some chapters that are of interest to you.
Against Extinction: The Story of Conservation – William M Adams
Looks at the ideas and issues that have driven and emerged from the practice of conservation.
The Global City: London, New York, Tokyo – S Sassen
Reading this will take your interest in, and understanding and analysis of, cities up a level – Sassen shows how these three became command centres of the world.
The Wretched of the Earth – F Fanon
Fascinating – the psychological effect of colonisation on the psyche of a nation (Algeria) as well as its broader implications for building a movement for decolonisation. Fanon was not a geographer but a psychiatrist.
Space and Place – Yi Fu Tuan
Seminal study on how humans use different markers to construct their environment – drawing on a vast range of cultures, time periods and media, including literature, theology and psychology.
Capitalism and Conservation – Dan Brockington and Rosaleen Duffy
Timely recent book on the possible contradiction in pursuing consumer-based solutions to conservation issues. Specific examination of safaris, Fairtrade and ecotourism, and the role of NGOs in capitalism.
Earth Sciences (Geology)Earth: Evolution of a Habitable Planet – J I Lunine
Destiny or Chance: Our Solar System and Its Place in the Cosmos – S R Taylor
Global Tectonics – P Kearey and F J Vine
Earthquakes and Inside the Earth – B A Bolt
Human Geography – John Agnew
Although primarily designed for Geographers, this is an excellent resource for Land Economists as well.
Rural Economy and the British Countryside – Paul Allanson and Martin Whitby
Economics: Principles and Policy – William J Baumol and Alan S Blinder
The Land Problem in the Developed Economy – Andrew H Dawson
Economics – Begg, Fischer and Dornbusch
Nutshells: Land Law – William Howarth
Microeconomics: Principles and Policy and Macroeconomics: Principles and Policy – William J Baumol and Alan S Blinder
Take a look at your university recommended reading lists, any lists your teachers have given you and the ideas we’ve suggested here. Circle around 5 texts that particularly interest you and then begin to compile your own list from there. Do your research and build outwards.
Below you’ll find a selection of subject-specific reading suggestions, compiled by our crack team of consultants, tutors and advisory board. As much of your degree will be spent analysing literature, it is essential to get a handful of interesting texts into your personal statement. We’ve structured our list to start with some suggestions of interesting texts, then to propose a few challenging authors in each subject.
For all students the following resources are powerful tools for research and wider study:
Google Scholar. A free and simple way to search for up-to-date scholarly literature and research
JSTOR. A comprehensive collection of scholarly journals in all disciplines and their full archives, this massive source of information is invaluable but you will need to subscribe. Most unis subscribe their students to this as it is an invaluable tool.
Google books. This is particularly useful for looking at old texts which have gone out of copyright – that is, the author died over 70 years ago – and read sections of them for free online.
OED. An incredible way to understand language and etymology, as well as the history of the words you’re reading. You can get it all online but you will need to subscribe.
Cambridge Companions. You have probably seen these at school. If you are particularly interested in a topic, Cambridge Companions are collections of critical essays from the top scholars in a topic to give you an excellent introduction into periods, authors, movements and other major areas of humanities studies. You can either buy individual books according to your interest, or subscribe to the site and have access to all of them.
Literary Theory: An Introduction – Terry Eagleton
An excellent place to start If you’re new to reading criticism and literary theory – introduces you to many different approaches. It will also help you to start thinking about Literature as an academic discipline, rather than just reading for pleasure.
Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages – Guy Deutscher
Extremely readable study of how language influences the way we view the world. Using three examples (colour, direction and gender), Deutscher teases out the implications of links between language and life.
The French Language Today – A. Battye, M. A. Hintze and P. Rowlett
Clear and well-structured introduction to linguistics, including the emergence of a standard language, phonetics and sociolinguistics. Aimed at students already proficient in the language.
Imperial Germany 1871-1918 – Retallack, James (ed.)
Explores the development of the German empire from inception to collapse in 1918, giving a broad overview of policy, society and culture without suggesting easy links between empire and Nazism.
On Linguistic Aspects of Translation – Roman Jakobson
Important explanation of how meaning is created by words, rather than being inherent in the objects described. Creates interesting questions on what are the important elements of translation, particularly with regard to grammatical structure.
Why Translation Matters – Edith Grossman
French: Rousseau; Voltaire; Hugo; Balzac; Stendhal; Flaubert; Baudelaire; Verlaine; Rimbaud; Maupassant; Zola; Proust; Gide; Cocteau.
Spanish: Rojas; Cervantes; Vega; Galdos; Jiminez; Cernuda; Lorca; and the Latin American writers Borges; Neruda, Marquez; Llosa and Fuentes.
Italian: Machiavelli; Castiglione; Verga; Pirandello; Lampedusa; Sciascia;
Levi; Calvino.
German: Goethe; Schiller; Holderlin; Keller; Hoffmann; Schlegel; Heine; George; Nietzsche; Hofmannsthal; Rilke; Kafka; Brecht; Kraus; Mann.
Russian: Pushkin; Gogol; Turgenev; Dostoevsky; Tolstoy; Blok; Chekhov; Akhmatova; Bulgakov; Gorky; Pasternak; Tsvetayeva.
Portuguese: Camoens; Ferreira; Queiros; Pessoa; Sena; Pires; Andrade.
Scandinavian Languages: Ibsen; Strindberg; Hamsun; Gustafsso.
Limits of Language: Almost Everything You Didn’t Know About Language and Languages – Mikael Parkvall
Parkvall’s fascination for languages of the world and linguistics is infectious. An enjoyable and whimsical exploration of linguistics, filled with interesting facts. Parkvall is meticulous with his sources so further reading abounds.
The Articulate Mammal: An Introduction to Psycholinguistics – Jean Aitchison
This is an excellent introduction to the field of linguistics known as Psycholinguistics. Aitchison looks at questions such as: What is language? Why is it restricted to humans? And how do children learn language? She also explores the topic of language evolution and confronts the newest theories in linguistics, such as whether there is a language gene.
‘New York Review of Books Special Supplement: Chomsky’s Revolution in Linguistics’ – online here
Great summary of Chomsky’s influence on linguistics from the 1950’s onwards – the shift from describing the structure of sentences to identifying deeper grammatical rules that allow for infinite sentences. Good guidance for further reading and problems in these theories.
Your complimentary “So you want to go to Oxbridge? Tell me about a banana…”
If you’re looking for resources and advice before making your application to Oxford or Cambridge, then you’ve come to the right place! We have been industry-leading experts in applying to Oxbridge since 1999, amassing quite a catalogue of info, tips, and tricks to help you get into the best position possible to get that elusive Oxbridge offer you’ve been dreaming of.
We’ve condensed the stuff that most people want to know into our free E-book “So you Want to Go to Oxbridge? Tell me About a Banana…”. Packed full of over a decade’s research and up-to-date advice on how to prepare, Tell me about a banana draws on the experiences of thousands of successful Oxbridge graduates and how they would approach the application process if they had to do it all over again.
Take a look at your university recommended reading lists, any lists your teachers have given you and the ideas we’ve suggested here. Circle around 5 texts that particularly interest you and then begin to compile your own list from there. Do your research and build outwards.
This will usually mean expanding out into the period. If you want to read Marx, you will not be alone. Look at the dates of when Marx wrote each of his major works. Then make your reading stand out and inform your own understanding of these plays by reading Marx’s contemporaries such as Bakunin, or those who developed subsets of Marxist theory, such as Lenin or Trotsky. Or why not read about early forms of anarchist communist thought, such as those of Winstanley during the English Civil War?
For all students the following resources are powerful tools for research and wider study:
Google Scholar. A free and simple way to search for up-to-date scholarly literature and research
JSTOR. A comprehensive collection of scholarly journals in all disciplines and their full archives, this massive source of information is invaluable but you will need to subscribe. Most unis subscribe their students to this as it is an invaluable tool.
Google books. This is particularly useful for looking at old texts which have gone out of copyright – that is, the author died over 70 years ago – and read sections of them for free online.
OED. An incredible way to understand language and etymology, as well as the history of the words you’re reading. You can get it all online but you will need to subscribe.
Cambridge Companions. You have probably seen these at school. If you are particularly interested in a topic, Cambridge Companions are collections of critical essays from the top scholars in a topic to give you an excellent introduction into periods, authors, movements and other major areas of humanities studies. You can either buy individual books according to your interest, or subscribe to the site and have access to all of them.
The Prince – Machiavelli
A classic book that analyses the use of power. To quote one Oxford PPE graduate, ‘the book possibly has a permanent home on Lord Mandelson’s bedside table.’
Britain Since 1918 – David Marquand
A superb study of post 1918 British political history – the bare bones of which can be lacking in Politics applicants.
Nudge – Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler
How you can get people to do things by making them opt out rather than opt in – a more psychological approach to economics. See our review to the right.
The Ascent of Money – Niall Ferguson
Tells the history of banking and gives great insights into how globalisation came about.
Political Philosophy – a Guide for Politicians and Students – Adam Swift
A really good thematic overview of the key areas in modern political thought.
Philosophy: The Basics – Nigel Warburton
A very good introductory philosophy text book.
Utilitarianism – J.S Mill
Essential reading for any budding Philosopher. One of the most important and contentious works of moral philosophy. Its articulation of a ‘hedonic calculus’ and its development of Mill’s mentor’s (Bentham) ideas on what makes mankind ‘happy’ make it a classic.
The Social Contract – Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Rousseau argues for the preservation of individual freedom in political society. An individual can only be free under the law, he says, by freely embracing that law as his own. This work is a defence of civil society, but also a study of the darker and potentially dangerous aspects of political systems, evident in many political cultures today.
Straw Dogs – John Gray
This is a march through the history of Philosophy, and whilst entertainingly dismissing all belief sets saying they might make you feel better, concludes that ultimately we live in chaos.
Consolations of Philosophy – Alain de Botton
In this, Botton explores different philosophies to cope with the stresses of modern day living. A great introduction to the philosophers he uses at the same time as being a useful way of feeling better about your life (and not getting in to your chosen university if that is the way it turns out).
The Imitation of Christ – Thomas Kempis
One of the best known books on Christian devotion, written in the fifteenth century, which explores how to near Christ through worship. An insight into how Catholic devotion was changing in this period in Northern Europe and how far removed it was from common practices today.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist – Mohsin Hamad
A novel exploring how American culture might have fostered Islamic fundamentalism.
God is Back, How the Global Revival of Faith is Changing the World – Micklethwait and Wooldridge
A new book by Editor in Chief of the Economist and Washington Bureau Chief about the rise of fundamentalism in the West as well as the East.
Theology: A Very Short Introduction
Jesus and Gospel – Stanton
An Introduction to Judaism – de Lange
Coleridge, Philosophy and Religion: Aids to Reflection and the Mirror of the Spirit – Hedley
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy – online
Black Swan – Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Arguably the most pertinent book to read right now on flawed economics. This is a defining text for the failure of economic science to predict the most recent financial collapse.
The Economics of Modern Britain – J Black
Mathematics for Economics and Finance – Anthony and Biggs
Thinking Strategically: The Competitive Edge in Business, Politics, and Everyday Life – Dixit & Nalebuff
The Economics of Social Problems – J Le Grand
The World Is Flat – Friedman
Economics and Management (E&M)In addition to the above texts in the Economics section, have a look at:
Understanding Organisations – Charles Handy
Organisation Theory – Derek S Pugh
Rise of the Corporate Economy – Leslie Hannah
Scale and Scope: The Dynamics of Industrial Capitalism – Alfred Chandler
Take a look at your university recommended reading lists, any lists your teachers have given you and the ideas we’ve suggested here. Circle around 5 texts that particularly interest you and then begin to compile your own list from there. Do your research and build outwards.
Below you’ll find a selection of subject-specific reading suggestions, compiled by our crack team of consultants, tutors and advisory board. Just because a substantial amount of your university work will be laboratory and problem-based, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be pushing yourself to read around the subject. Stretching yourself beyond your A level syllabus is critical to success at interview; exposure to new and challenging theories is essential to presenting yourself as a potential Oxbridge scientist.
For all students the following resources are powerful tools for research and wider study:
Google Scholar. A free and simple way to search for up-to-date scholarly literature and research
JSTOR. A comprehensive collection of scholarly journals in all disciplines and their full archives, this massive source of information is invaluable but you will need to subscribe. Most unis subscribe their students to this as it is an invaluable tool.
Google books. This is particularly useful for looking at old texts which have gone out of copyright – that is, the author died over 70 years ago – and read sections of them for free online.
OED. An incredible way to understand language and etymology, as well as the history of the words you’re reading. You can get it all online but you will need to subscribe.
Cambridge Companions. You have probably seen these at school. If you are particularly interested in a topic, Cambridge Companions are collections of critical essays from the top scholars in a topic to give you an excellent introduction into periods, authors, movements and other major areas of humanities studies. You can either buy individual books according to your interest, or subscribe to the site and have access to all of them.
A Briefer History of Time – Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow
This is much more digestible and goes into more detail on a few of the most interesting concepts than the original.
The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives – Leonard Mlodinow
He is a very good writer and this is interesting and witty.
The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, The Character of a Physical Law and QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter, and Six Easy Pieces – Richard Feynman
Advanced Physics explained in an accessible manner. The latter covers the progression of physics from the 16th Century to the present day. Illuminates inspiring ideas and highlights the constant state of revision in modern Physics.
Fermat’s Last Theorem – Simon Singh and David Rintoul
Good read and a look at the history of trying to solve one of the most famous theorems.
Constants of Nature – John D. Barrow
Compelling storytelling about the minutiae of the fabric of the universe, and whether constants such as electrons are changing over time (with potentially disastrous cosmic consequences).
Chaos, Making a New Science – James Gleick
Covering the physical side of maths, this is an accessible introduction to Chaos Theory, which has been quite popular over the last 50 years.
Alex’s Adventures in Numberland: Dispatches from the Wonderful World of Numbers – Alex Belllos
If you’re a fan of the importance of mental arithmetic (in an increasingly digital age) Bellos’s new 448 page book which aims to introduce “the excitement and wonder of mathematical discovery’ to a wider audience, is the one for you.
It Must be Beautiful: Great Equations of Modern Science – edited by Graham Farmelo
A collection of essays which sets out to reveal the true nature of an equation.
The Problems of Mathematics, Nature’s Numbers, From Here to Infinity, Game, Set and Math and The Magical Maze – Ian Stewart
What is Mathematics? – Courant and Robbins
Mathematics: The Golden Age – Devlin
A Mathematician’s Apology – Hardy
Makers of Mathematics – Hollingdale
Additionally, one of our mathematics tutors, James, has recommended a list of formulas which students should look over before their interviews:
Core:
Pythagoras; area of a circle sector (radians); arc length of a circle segment (radians); the Quadratic Formula; binomial expansions; sum of an Arithmetic sequence; sum of a Geometric sequence; the definition of a Log (log(a)=b ~ 10^b=a) and the Log rules.
Mechanics:
‘SUVAT’ equations; projectile motion.
Statistics:
The major distributions (Bernoulli, binomial, geometric, poisson, normal, uniform); standard deviation, variance, expectation; Baye’s Theorem.
An Introduction to Algorithms – Cormen et al
This is really well written and getting to grips with the content is likely to impress – be warned, it is quite tricky.
The Mythical Man-month – Fred Brooks
This book is focused on quite a bit in the first year lectures. It has a fairly simple message, but uses a series of anecdotes to illustrate it.
Harley Hahn’s Student Guide to Unix – Harley Hahn
During your degree you do spend time using Unix. Getting experience early on is therefore useful.
The Emperor’s New Mind – Roger Penrose
Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach – Stuart J Russell and Peter Norvig
Computer Science: A Modern Introduction – Les Goldschlager and Andrew Lister
The Pleasures of Counting – Tom Körner
The New Turing Omnibus – A Kee Dewdney
The New Science of Strong Materials or Why You Don’t Fall Through the Floor – J E Gordon
A good introduction to modern material science.
Structures or Why Things Don’t Fall Down – J E Gordon
An excellent general introduction to Engineering.
Metals in the Service of Man – W Alexander and A Street
Made to Measure – P Ball
Chemistry (5th Edition) – Berg, Tymoczo, and Stryer
This is the main Chemistry text used in Oxford. Everyone calls it ‘Stryer’ as he was the main author of all the previous editions. It covers similar ground to the other volumes listed here, but different publications are better for individual topics and it’s good to have a second opinion on some things.
Foundations of Organic Chemistry – Hornby
It’s only little and covers some important stuff very well.
Fundamentals of Chemistry – Voet, Voet, and Pratt
The Periodic Table – Primo Levi
A novel that will expand your mind!
Why do chemical reactions happen? – Keeler
Mathematical Methods for Science Students – G Stephenson
This is the main set text for the course and will cover all the maths that you will need right up until the end of your second year. Although a bit dry, this book is the essential text for the first few years of your course and is worth having just as a reference on your shelf.
Engineering Mathematics – K A Stroud and D J Booth
This covers the syllabus in a lot more detail but it is often hard to find the relevant material in amongst the more advanced theory.
Strength of Materials and Structures – Case, Chilver and Ross
Invention by Design: How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing – Henry Petroski
What Engineers Know and How They Know It – W G Vincenti
Take a look at your university recommended reading lists, any lists your teachers have given you and the ideas we’ve suggested here. Circle around 5 texts that particularly interest you and then begin to compile your own list from there. Do your research and build outwards.
Below you’ll find a selection of subject-specific reading suggestions, compiled by our crack team of consultants, tutors and advisory board. As much of your degree will be spent reading articles and textbooks, it is essential to expand on your A level knowledge and prove you are able to read scientific texts.
You should be reading the British Medical Journal or other publications on a regular basis – your school or library is likely to have a subscription. For all students the following resources are powerful tools for research and wider study:
Google Scholar. A free and simple way to search for up-to-date scholarly literature and research
JSTOR. A comprehensive collection of scholarly journals in all disciplines and their full archives, this massive source of information is invaluable but you will need to subscribe. Most unis subscribe their students to this as it is an invaluable tool.
Google books. This is particularly useful for looking at old texts which have gone out of copyright – that is, the author died over 70 years ago – and read sections of them for free online.
OED. An incredible way to understand language and etymology, as well as the history of the words you’re reading. You can get it all online but you will need to subscribe.
Cambridge Companions. You have probably seen these at school. If you are particularly interested in a topic, Cambridge Companions are collections of critical essays from the top scholars in a topic to give you an excellent introduction into periods, authors, movements and other major areas of humanities studies. You can either buy individual books according to your interest, or subscribe to the site and have access to all of them.
Private Life of the Brain – Susan Greenfield
Written by a neuropharmacologist, this book is very accessible and assumes little former knowledge about the subject. The book takes a very multi-disciplinary approach, making it a very riveting read for any Medic!
Complications – Atul Gawande
Whilst focusing on complications in surgery, this book is an honest discussion about the social and ethical dilemmas faced in the medical world – everything from who novice surgeons should be practicing on to medical negligence issues. Very interesting.
Emperor of all Maladies – Siddhartha Mukherjee
A look at modern day views on cancer as a disease and its various treatments.
The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat – Oliver Sacks
An interesting look at neurological conditions. Oliver Sacks looks at the psychological and philosophical reasons behind each of his patients different maladies. Read our review.
Bad Pharma – Ben Goldacre
In the wake of his comic expose Bad Science, this is more systematic medical journalism about the drugs industry.
The Viral Storm – Nathan Wolfe
Counters the suggestion that fear about pandemics is merely caused by scaremongering, exploring how proximity to various animal species has increased the threat of this rapid disease spread.
The Rise and Fall of Modern Medicine – James Le Fanu
A gripping read about the history of medicine from the Second World War until the present day. Le Fanu’s argument is that an intense period of medical progress and innovation followed the 1939 – 1945 war, which resulted in medicine conquering all the major chronic diseases which affected the young and old. Following 1970, there only remained a few rarer diseases and the progress slowed. This is an incredible story about research and treatment as well as an insight into the way that modern medicine views disease.
The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution – Richard Dawkins
Everyone has read The Selfish Gene, but this is the most offering for adults from Dawkins. With every book, he continues in his relentless crusade against creationist theories. Like his others, this is well written, but be careful not to adopt too many of his opinions without proper thought and deliberation. Think about what don’t you agree with as well!
The Single Helix – Steve Jones
‘I read this when I was applying’ says one of our tutors – brilliantly written overview of where research currently stands on genetics. Obviously a few years old now, so not fully up-to-date but still fascinating.
Also, worth noting, Jones has published another book called Darwin’s Island. He is a less well known Dawkins, but with similar values and an excellent scientist. One Oxbridge Applications tutor suggests it may be interesting to put his writing in the context of ‘Everyone reads Dawkins, but does Jones give a much better argument?’
Bugs Britannica – Peter Marren and Richard Mabey
A follow up to Flora Britannica and Birds Britannica, this book brings bugs to life.
Foundations of Organic Chemistry – Hornby and Peach
This is an excellent book to take you from sixth form to undergraduate level.
Circulation – Thomas Wright
Strong and lucid argument for the influence of William Harvey’s Renaissance book on circulation on subsequent scientific thought – due to his understanding of hydraulics. Winner of the Wellcome Book Prize 2012.
Biochemistry Biochemistry (5th Edition) – Berg, Tymoczo, and Stryer
Foundations of Organic Chemistry – Hornby
Fundamentals of Biochemistry – Voet, Voet, and Pratt
Principles and Problems in Physical Chemistry for Biochemists, (First edition) – Price and Dwek
Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour – Richard Goss
Goss is a first rate writer for Psychology, and one that a lot of undergraduates rely on. This is a weighty tome, but it will cover all the major domains of Psychology in 50 very clear chapters. Pay particular attention to the links between different areas of Psychology and the case studies used.
Musicophilia – Oliver Sacks
Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at Columbia University looks at the healing effect of music on the brain. This is a very interesting interdisciplinary approach to Psychology.
How the mind works – Steven Pinker
A brilliantly fun read, this is like a freakonomics for Psychology. From questions ranging from why do fools fall in love, why does salary increase with height and how do optical illusions give us an insight into the human soul, this is a really interesting book. It’s certainly not simple though, so don’t worry if you have to go over the more challenging things more than once. Another interesting book by Pinker for Psychologists is The Language Instinct. You can see our graduate’s review to the right.
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Documents the experiment with a simulated prison environment and its effects on behaviour at Stanford University in 1971, with lots of further reading and parallels with contemporary incidents.
Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
Very interesting 2011 exploration of cognitive psychology in contemporary society by Nobel Prize winner Kahneman. Explores the way in which intuitive thought often takes precedence over conscious deliberation, leading to self-delusion.
The Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy – Dyce, Sack and Wensing
Getting into Veterinary Science – J Handley
Careers Working with Animals – Helen Young
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