Science

We recommend starting with A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson — it covers an extraordinary range of science in prose that is warm, witty, and accessible to any reader regardless of background. If you prefer something more focused, Cosmos by Carl Sagan offers a poetic and inspiring introduction to astronomy and scientific thinking. Both are ideal starting points that build genuine enthusiasm for science reading.

Science reading prepares you for exams in three direct ways: it builds scientific vocabulary so you can decode technical passages quickly; it trains you to follow evidence-based arguments — the chain from observation to conclusion that underpins both scientific writing and RC question logic; and it develops comfort with unfamiliar, complex topics, which is essential since exam passages are deliberately chosen from subjects you may not have studied. Science passages appear in every sitting of CAT, GRE, and GMAT — they are non-negotiable.

Elementary: Popular science written for general audiences — clear explanations, vivid analogies, minimal prior knowledge required. Intermediate: More technical depth, discipline-specific vocabulary, and multi-step arguments. Advanced: Dense scientific writing requiring careful reading and some background knowledge to follow fully. Master: Near-academic texts engaging with cutting-edge research and competing scientific interpretations at a sophisticated level.

Read the full book whenever possible. Science books build understanding incrementally — each chapter adds a layer to the argument. Reading only a summary gives you conclusions without the reasoning process that trains your mind to handle scientific writing. Our reviews help you approach each book with the right framework; the mastery quiz then tests whether you can engage with the scientific arguments at exam depth.

Science books in our collection range from short, focused texts to broad surveys like Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything. At 1 hour of reading per day, most titles take 1–3 weeks. We recommend slowing down at technically dense sections — re-reading a paragraph until you have genuinely followed the argument is far more valuable than moving on quickly. The depth of understanding you build is what the mastery quiz and exam passages actually test.

Yes. Our quizzes are modelled on CAT, GRE, and GMAT question patterns — testing inference, author’s tone, main idea, vocabulary in context, and logical structure. For science titles, we place particular emphasis on interpreting experimental findings, identifying the author’s central claim, and understanding how evidence supports or qualifies a scientific argument — the exact skills demanded by the science RC passages on these exams.