The Science of Discworld II: The Globe (Discworld) author: Terry Pratchett Ian Stewart Jack Cohen rating: asin: 0091888050 binding: Paperback list price: $8.70 USD amazon price: $21.16 USD

This is the second in a trilogy of books by Pratchett, Stewart and Cohen. I'd link to the first, but it appears to be out of print in the US. (UK bookstores online probably still stock it; there is also Abebooks.com.)

Unlike other "the science of" books, these books do not attempt to paste scientific explanations onto an existing fantasy world (ie., how would Harry Potter's broom work in real life?). Instead, this series intersperses a short, standalone story by Pratchett with Stewart and Cohen's thoughts on science.

The original Science of Discworld centered around a story about the wizards of Discworld, wherein they accidentally witness the creation and evolution of our universe. Cohen & Stewart non-fiction discuss Big Science.