Popular Science Books: Three Tests

Popular science books and books on research can be very useful. The general public cannot be expected to read research articles (regrettably), so such books are excellent places to look for knowledge. Reading a good popular science book can be like being told about a hundred research articles (which you do not have the time or inclination to read yourself). Ph.D. students and starting researchers can very efficiently get up-to-date on a topic. And even experienced researchers of a closely related field stand a lot to gain from reading a competently executed summary of a research area. I have read a few dozens of those, and even when I thought I was close to being an expert on the topic, I still learned something useful. My library includes popular (social) science books on anything from the madness/wisdom of crowds to persuasion, willpower, and habits. But you have to be careful, because there are many bad popular science books out there.