Read by Stephen Wolfram
What books does Stephen Wolfram recommend?
Like the reference shelf of a working scientist, Stephen Wolfram's book recommendations lean toward the classics of physics, mathematics, and the history of ideas, fitting for the physicist and computer scientist behind Mathematica and Wolfram|Alpha. These 14 titles come largely from his own detailed writings, a 2012 Reddit AMA, and podcast interviews, and they concentrate on science and technology, philosophy, and history. The book he returns to with the most affection is The Feynman Lectures on Physics, which he first encountered at 14 and still calls his favorite. He keeps "classics" nearby as benchmarks and companions, from Euclid and Newton to Boole's The Laws of Thought, and praises D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson's On Growth and Form as "full of interesting questions." Wolfram has also authored eight books of his own, including work on the Wolfram Language, computation, and the foundations of physics.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
The Feynman Lectures on Physics
The New Millennium Edition
byRichard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, Matthew Sands
20111552 Pages(8,100)
“Back from when I first saw it at the age of 14 it was always my favorite page in The Feynman Lectures on Physics.”
— Stephen Wolfram
Source: Stephen Wolfram Writings, 'A 50-Year Quest'
Read by Stephen Wolfram
byD'Arcy Wentworth Thompson
19171116 Pages“Just to ask the question is interesting, and On Growth and Form is full of interesting questions—together with all manner of curious and interesting answers.”
— Stephen Wolfram
Source: Stephen Wolfram Writings, 'Are All Fish the Same Shape...'
Read by Stephen Wolfram
The Laws of Thought
An Investigation of the Laws of Thought on Which are Founded the Mathematical Theories of Logic and Probabilities
byGeorge Boole
1958448 Pages“I have a bunch of reference books that I've been using as benchmarks for Wolfram|Alpha… as well as a few 'classics' that I just feel I should have nearby... there's Boole.”
— Stephen Wolfram
Source: Stephen Wolfram Reddit AMA, 2012
Read by Stephen Wolfram
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica
The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy
byIsaac Newton
1999992 Pages“I have a bunch of reference books that I've been using as benchmarks for Wolfram|Alpha… as well as a few 'classics' that I just feel I should have nearby... there's Newton.”
— Stephen Wolfram
Source: Stephen Wolfram Reddit AMA, 2012
Read by Stephen Wolfram
The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended
To Which is Prefix'd, A Short Chronicle from the First Memory of Things in Europe, to the Conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great
byIsaac Newton
1728376 Pages“In addition to the famous books by these folk, I see I also have... Newton's chronology of ancient kingdoms...”
— Stephen Wolfram
Source: Stephen Wolfram Reddit AMA, 2012
Read by Stephen Wolfram
The Autobiography of Charles Darwin
1809–1882
byCharles Darwin
1993224 Pages“In addition to the famous books by these folk, I see I also have e.g. Darwin's autobiography...”
— Stephen Wolfram
Source: Stephen Wolfram Reddit AMA, 2012
Read by Stephen Wolfram
Living Cirripedia
A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia, with Figures of all the Species
byCharles Darwin
18511084 Pages“In addition to the famous books by these folk, I see I also have... Darwin on barnacles...”
— Stephen Wolfram
Source: Stephen Wolfram Reddit AMA, 2012
Read by Stephen Wolfram
Elements
Books I–XIII Complete in One Volume
byEuclid
2002529 Pages“I have a bunch of reference books... as well as a few 'classics' that I just feel I should have nearby... there's Euclid.”
— Stephen Wolfram
Source: Stephen Wolfram Reddit AMA, 2012
The Man Who Knew Infinity
A Life of the Genius Ramanujan
byRobert Kanigel
1991438 Pages“I found Kanigel's book a very enjoyable read.”
— Stephen Wolfram
Source: Stephen Wolfram Writings, 'Who Was Ramanujan?'
Read by Stephen Wolfram
Language, Thought, and Reality
Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf
byBenjamin Lee Whorf
1956290 PagesSource: People Behind the Science Podcast, Episode 283
Read by Stephen Wolfram
Ada, the Enchantress of Numbers
A Selection from the Letters of Lord Byron's Daughter and Her Description of the First Computer
byBetty Alexandra Toole
1992439 Pages“There’s a good book by Betty Toole called Ada, the Enchantress of Numbers, that collects many of Ada’s letters...”
— Stephen Wolfram
Source: Stephen Wolfram Writings, 'Untangling the Tale of Ada Lovelace'
Read by Stephen Wolfram
Alan Turing: The Enigma
The Book That Inspired the Film The Imitation Game
byAndrew Hodges
2014587 PagesSource: Wolfram Science Bibliography
Read by Stephen Wolfram
byBrian L. Silver
1998552 PagesSource: Wolfram Science Bibliography
Read by Stephen Wolfram
byCharles W. Misner, Kip S. Thorne, John Archibald Wheeler
20171279 Pages(1,686)
“I picked up the classic Misner, Thorne & Wheeler Gravitation... and learned about general relativity.”
— Stephen Wolfram
Source: Stephen Wolfram Writings, 'How We Got Here'
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Stephen Wolfram recommend?
His 14 recommendations include The Feynman Lectures on Physics, On Growth and Form by D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, The Laws of Thought by George Boole, Newton's Principia Mathematica, and Euclid's Elements.
What is Stephen Wolfram's favorite book?
The Feynman Lectures on Physics, which he first saw at age 14. He recalls one page as "always my favorite page" in the Lectures, and the work looms large in his account of his own path into physics.
Where do Stephen Wolfram's book recommendations come from?
They are drawn mainly from his own long-form writings and essays, a 2012 Reddit AMA in which he described the reference books he keeps nearby, podcast interviews, and the bibliography of his Wolfram Science project.
Has Stephen Wolfram written any books?
Yes, eight, including Adventures of a Computational Explorer (2019), A Project to Find the Fundamental Theory of Physics (2020), and What Is ChatGPT Doing ... and Why Does It Work? (2023), alongside An Elementary Introduction to the Wolfram Language.
What science books does Stephen Wolfram recommend?
Beyond the Feynman Lectures, he points to Robert Kanigel's The Man Who Knew Infinity, which he found "a very enjoyable read," the Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler textbook Gravitation, and Betty Toole's Ada, the Enchantress of Numbers on Ada Lovelace's letters.
All 14 Books Stephen Wolfram Has Recommended
- The Feynman Lectures on Physics · Richard P. Feynman
- On Growth and Form · D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson
- The Laws of Thought · George Boole
- Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica · Isaac Newton
- The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended · Isaac Newton
- The Autobiography of Charles Darwin · Charles Darwin
- Living Cirripedia · Charles Darwin
- Elements · Euclid
- The Man Who Knew Infinity · Robert Kanigel
- Language, Thought, and Reality · Benjamin Lee Whorf
- Ada, the Enchantress of Numbers · Betty Alexandra Toole
- Alan Turing: The Enigma · Andrew Hodges
- The Ascent of Science · Brian L. Silver
- Gravitation · Charles W. Misner