Directly selected by current high school physics, chemistry, biology, and earth science teachers
40 must-read science books for students in one volume

With the new college entrance exam system and the high school credit system that will be fully implemented starting in 2025, 'special abilities and special skills' have emerged as the core of the comprehensive student record selection process.
Among them, the book 『40 Must-Read Books for Science in the Life Science Department』 was published, which introduces a method to perfectly fill the three special subjects of science in the life science department of students through 'reading'.
The authors of this book are current high school teachers who teach physics, chemistry, life science, and earth science, and are veterans who have worked at science high schools, gifted high schools, international schools abroad, and regular middle and high schools.
In this book, the four authors take charge of each subject-specific section, introducing books that provide an interesting approach to physics, chemistry, biology, and earth sciences, books that make theories and concepts easy to understand, and books that provide in-depth explanations of related majors and career paths.


The authors say that the competencies that science and engineering universities require from their students are clear.
The point is, 'Please show us a process of self-directed, in-depth study through scientific curiosity.'
The authors agree that there are many cases where students' special characteristics are left with regret.
This is especially true when the presentation content is limited to a fragmentary textbook explanation.
The evaluations of students who simply write down "what I was curious about in the class" and leave it at that, students who research the material on their own and learn more deeply, students who expand their thinking by connecting it to real life, and students who add their own thoughts to scientific issues and write about them are bound to be different.


In this book, "40 Essential Readings for Science in the Life Science Department," the author-teachers guide students through the process of going beyond a thorough understanding of science curriculum content to satisfy their own curiosity and the activities of expanding their knowledge and exploring it, so that they can faithfully incorporate the special features of the Life Science Department.
These 40 must-read books, selected by the authors, cover a wide range of interdisciplinary scientific topics, from research ethics for scientists to cutting-edge future industries and science and technology.
It also provides more than 130 specific suggestions for in-depth research, research presentations, and project activities related to this topic, and presents the direction of inquiry in a broad framework.
In particular, by advising students to organically connect each section of the life section, such as autonomous activities, career activities, club activities, taxation specials, and behavioral specials (behavioral characteristics and comprehensive opinions), through reading, we took care to cover even the parts that students might easily miss.


Through this book, students will be able to create the optimal science and engineering resume that admissions officers will appreciate by incorporating the scientific thinking, inquiry skills, and research ethics that universities seek, and they will be one step closer to achieving their goal of successful admission.

We conducted a performance assessment in which students recorded a ‘class diary’ during class time.
It was an activity where we had to write down any questions or concerns that arose after class.
Most students asked questions about things they found difficult to understand in class, but some connected the material to things they had previously learned or to things they had learned in other subjects, leading to their curiosity about "why?"
Students who create questions that even teachers haven't thought of and try to resolve those questions are the ones who stand out for their scientific curiosity and critical thinking skills.

--- p.19

The research process is usually not smooth.
So you learn more than you ever thought possible and experience pushing yourself beyond your limits.
Although students may experience stress while conducting research, many say that afterward, research was the most memorable and enjoyable part of their experience, and they are confident in pursuing a career in science and engineering.
As a science teacher, I've observed that some students have exceptional research skills, separate from their problem-solving abilities.
If you can demonstrate and fully utilize that ability, it will lead to a more solid and differentiated life force.
--- p.35-36

As a science teacher, the most important thing I consider when writing a thesis statement is to ensure that students' sincerity and growth in their field of interest are evident.
To achieve this, it is more helpful to understand what the student feels rather than what knowledge the student conveys in the performance assessment.
Therefore, when structuring the content of your presentation, I recommend emphasizing not only the transfer of knowledge, but also what you felt, how your thoughts changed, and where you grew.

--- p.50

BOOK 1: "My First Time with Physics"
In the first class, the teacher introduces physics as “the study of uncovering the secrets of nature through exploration.”
Sounds great, right? But unfortunately, the physics subject students actually experience isn't quite as romantic.
Even before finishing Chapter 1, "Force and Motion," students often find physics difficult and boring.
This book says that the reason students find physics boring is because of the 'process of learning concepts.'
This is because the concept is approached through memorization of diagrams, formulas, and equations, rather than through 'meaning'.

---p.64-65

[Expanding into follow-up activities of the Life and Death Foundation]
Present your research using physics concepts
＊The book explains physics concepts based on meaning, without using formulas or diagrams.
Let's explore and introduce some advanced concepts not covered in the book.
At this time, we will focus on helping friends understand the meaning rather than formulas and diagrams, borrowing a book-like method.
If you choose a topic related to your career path, you can show your passion and love for your career.
For example, if you are a student who dreams of majoring in electrical and electronic engineering, you can introduce Maxwell's equations, which are the foundation of electromagnetism.
Maxwell's equations are characterized by their complex and difficult form.
Rather than trying to explain the formulas of Maxwell's equations themselves, you can show that the four formulas of Maxwell's equations are related to the textbook equations Gauss's law, the absence of magnetic monopoles, Faraday's law, and Ampere's law.

--- p.67-68

BOOK 15: The Alchemy of Air
What does "alchemy of air" mean? Could it be that they're using air to create some precious substance? Yes, that's right.
This book is literally about a scientist who 'created bread out of thin air'.
The main characters are German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch.
To understand how these two men succeeded in alchemy, we must first learn about 'nitrogen'.

--- p.151

[Expanding into follow-up activities of the Life and Death Foundation]
Science and technology have a significant impact on our lives.
Therefore, the ethical issues that arise during the development of science can have a much greater impact and be more serious than in other situations.
Fritz Haber's life reveals the human side of a scientist and the impact of science on society.
Although Haber's solution to humanity's food problem through ammonia synthesis was a great achievement, his development of poison gas during World War I has been criticized for ethical issues.
Let's discuss with our friends the roles and responsibilities of scientists, and what research I would have done for my country if I were Fritz Haber.
Additionally, let's examine the impact of scientists' research on society through the Nuremberg Code and the Declaration of Helsinki, and learn about the importance of ethical responsibility.

--- p.155

BOOK 18 The Botanist in a Container
"Biopharmaceuticals" is a word that inevitably comes up when students dreaming of a career in the life sciences are asked, "What field do you want to study in the future?"
The principles of biopharmaceuticals, which are made using living organisms and biotechnology, can only be vaguely understood after learning about genetic recombination technology in the "Biotechnology and Human Life" section of "Life Science II."
The concept itself is difficult and it is a field of study that has been conducted relatively recently.

--- p.177

[Expanding into follow-up activities of the Life and Death Foundation]
The author is breaking the formula of 'biopharmaceuticals = animal cell CHO' and is realizing his dream of creating antibody drugs using plant cells.
Even if it sounds absurd, all science begins with imagination, and the author describes scientists as people who "draw and erase things that don't exist in the world."
Paying attention to the message of this book that science is about revealing that what everyone thought was A is actually B, I recommend activities such as finding inconveniences in things we take for granted in our daily lives and designing items that can improve them.
If you don't just imagine it, but scientifically verify its feasibility and analyze its limitations and possibilities, you can write a good report.

--- p.181

BOOK 31 A Cloud Every Day
When you open the book, every page is filled with beautiful and magical cloud photos.
So, I slowly turn the pages, savoring the book.
I thought I was reading the book comfortably, but after I closed it, many things about clouds remained in my mind.
This book introduces the beautiful clouds and optical phenomena that can be seen in the sky.
It contains various common knowledge related to clouds, such as beautiful landscape photos of clouds, unique cloud photos that are rarely seen, optical effects seen in the sky, and scientific principles.

--- p.277

[Expanding into follow-up activities of the Life and Death Foundation]
Topic Exploration Presentation 1: Introducing Unique Clouds and Their Formation Principles Let's introduce the principles of unique cloud formation, or the beautiful phenomena created by optical effects.
＊ The formation principle of 'Hector the Convector', a rare thundercloud that appears in the Tiwi Islands in northern Australia every year from September to March
＊ Rough wave clouds, officially classified as a new cloud type after first being captured in Iowa, USA in 2006
＊Artificially created contrails (aircraft condensation trails)
＊Unique clouds such as diamond dust, scroll clouds, lenticular clouds, and luminous clouds
＊Rainbow, filled, zenith lake, and sun phenomenon, etc.

--- p.279