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Jim Ottaviani

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

https://gt-labs.com/

Twitter

gtlabsrat

Genre

Comics & Graphic Novels, Science

Member Since

April 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jim_ottaviani

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I've worked at news agencies and golf courses in the Chicagoland area, nuclear reactors in the U.S. and Japan, and libraries in Michigan. When I'm not staying up late writing comics about scientists, I'm spraining my ankles and flattening my feet by running on trails. Or I'm reading. I read a lot. ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

I was raised in a fundamentalist home, literally taught the story of "The Flood" as science/history in the school I attended, and am now trying to educate myself about science as a 40-something. Could you recommend some good, basic texts with which to start? (Reading your books helped sparked my interest to try this, btw; thank you!)

Jim Ottaviani Hi Gwynfor,

Thanks for the note, and how exciting that you've decided to open the doors to this world!

(Also, I'm delighted that books I've written are …moreHi Gwynfor,

Thanks for the note, and how exciting that you've decided to open the doors to this world!

(Also, I'm delighted that books I've written are how you got interested in learning more...thank you for the compliment, since this is the best possible result of making them, from my perspective.)

Where to start, then? There are many right answers, and I don't know what will work best for you. But since you asked me — ask other people too! — I'm going to offer a couple books I have in my own library that are written for non-specialists, and most (though not all) have a strong biographical arc to them. None are hardcore science books. Think narrative as the main course, with science as both the sides and dessert!

If any of these pique your interest, you'll find more to read in these books' bibliography and/or you can head over to your local community college to go deep.

Natural history/evolution
"The Beak of the Finch" by Jonathan Weiner
"Why Fish Don't Exist" by Lulu Miller
"An Immense World" by Ed Yong

Physics
"Einstein" by Walter Isaacson
"In Search of Schrodinger's Cat" by John Gribbin

Math
"How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking" by Jordan Ellenberg
"Men of Mathematics" by E.T. Bell (dated title, and written in 1937, but a good introduction nonetheless)

Astronomy/Cosmology/Space
"Galileo's Daughter" by Dava Sobel
"The Universe in a Nutshell" by Stephen Hawking
"Packing for Mars" by Mary Roach (everything by her is fun to read)

Chemistry
"Bright Earth" by Philip Ball

General/Science and Society
"Seeing Further" by Bill Bryson (ed)
"The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes

Comics
Anything and everything by Jay Hosler
The "Science Comics" series published by First Second
(note: Jay's a friend, and First Second has published many of my books, so I'm probably biased. But I've bought many with my own money, so I'm the opposite of a paid advertiser :)

I could go on and on here, but I hope this is enough to help get you started. And...thanks again!

Jim(less)

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Who are the other scientists whose biography you plan to cover in the times to come?

Jim Ottaviani Thanks for asking: I'm working on a book about scientists who study water — oceans, lakes, and more — right now!…moreThanks for asking: I'm working on a book about scientists who study water — oceans, lakes, and more — right now!(less)

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Jim Ottaviani’s books

Average rating: 3.78 · 20,803 ratings · 2,791 reviews · 23 distinct works • Similar authors

	Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani (Goodreads Author), Maris Wicks (Illustrator) 3.84 avg rating — 7,388 ratings — published 2013 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Feynman by Jim Ottaviani (Goodreads Author), Leland Myrick (Illustrator) 3.81 avg rating — 7,105 ratings — published 2011 — 26 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Imitation Game by Jim Ottaviani (Goodreads Author), Leland Purvis 3.60 avg rating — 1,968 ratings — published 2014 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier by Jim Ottaviani (Goodreads Author), Maris Wicks (Illustrator) 4.03 avg rating — 857 ratings — published 2020 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hawking by Jim Ottaviani (Goodreads Author), Leland Myrick (Illustrator) 3.55 avg rating — 766 ratings — published 2019 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	T-Minus: The Race to the Moon by Jim Ottaviani (Goodreads Author), Zander Cannon (Illustrator), Kevin Cannon (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 3.73 avg rating — 555 ratings — published 2009 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Naturalist by Jim Ottaviani (Goodreads Author) (Adapter), Edward O. Wilson, C.M. Butzer (Illustrations) 3.91 avg rating — 352 ratings — published 2020 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Suspended In Language: Niels Bohr's Life, Discoveries, And The Century He Shaped by Jim Ottaviani (Goodreads Author), Leland Purvis (Illustrator), Roger Langridge (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 3.82 avg rating — 306 ratings — published 2004 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fallout: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leo Szilard, and the Political Science of the Atomic Bomb by Jim Ottaviani (Goodreads Author), Janine Johnston, Jeffrey Jones (Artist) 3.51 avg rating — 305 ratings — published 2001 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Einstein by Jim Ottaviani (Goodreads Author), Jerel Dye (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 3.66 avg rating — 251 ratings — published 2022 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Jim Ottaviani's Blog

Place Names Matter

A round of recent executive orders manages to add insult to real injuries by proposing name changes that disrespect…everything.

The insult brought to mind the following from a lovely (and freely available; click on the title) book about Glacier National Park that I read not long after visiting. Because names matter, I’ve used the modern and factually correct ‘Native American’ in place of the old wo

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Jim rated a book liked it The Burglar in the Library (Bernie Rhodenbarr, #8) by Lawrence Block (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 14, 2026 05:33PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Burglar in the Library by Lawrence Block. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Burglar in the Library by Lawrence Block <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jim rated a book it was ok Thunderstruck by Erik Larson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Jim rated a book really liked it How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius by Donald J. Robertson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 07, 2026 11:10AM · like
Jim rated a book really liked it Cannery Row (Cannery Row, #1) by John Steinbeck	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 04, 2026 06:35AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Cannery Row by John Steinbeck <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jim rated a book really liked it Sweet Thursday (Cannery Row, #2) by John Steinbeck	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 01, 2026 02:05PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jim rated a book liked it The Avon Annual 1947: 11 Great Modern Short Stories; Complete and Unabridged by Unknown Author	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Jim rated a book liked it Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion by Jay Heinrichs (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Jim rated a book liked it City Primeval by Elmore Leonard	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Jim rated a book liked it True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color—from Azure to Zinc Pink by Kory Stamper (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Jim rated a book it was ok Hurricane Room (Double O, #3) by Kim Sherwood	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Polls

March is Women's History Month in the U.S.A., the U.K., and Australia.
Which women-centric book should we read for March 2017?

This poll will close at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, February 28, 2017.

Pretty In Ink: North American Women Cartoonists 1896-2013 by Trina Robbins

3 votes, 50.0%

Woman Rebel: The Margaret Sanger Story by Peter Bagge

1 vote, 16.7%

Not Funny Ha-Ha: A Handbook for Something Hard by Leah Hayes

1 vote, 16.7%

Red Rosa: A Graphic Biography of Rosa Luxemburg by Kate Evans

1 vote, 16.7%

Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani

0 votes, 0.0%

6 total votes

3 comments

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