Top 10 popular physics books of 2011

http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/multimedia/48100

You will hear a little about each of our top 10 books in the podcast, including a short explanation of why we liked them so much. There are a few detours as well, as the three of us seize opportunities to discuss bad physics in films, Richard Feynman's legacy and the unusual career of one of Stephen Hawking's postdocs. You will also find out which very well-publicized physics book did not make our list (and why!).

Our selections (see below for a full list) include books on condensed matter, biophysics, astrophysics and astronomy, as well as science history and policy. Regardless of their subject matter, though, all of the choices are well written, scientifically interesting and novel – and we think this year's winner is a worthy successor to The Strangest Man and The Edge of Physics, which scooped our number-one honours in 2009 and 2010, respectively.