The book biologists hate to read but love to cite: D’Arcy Thompson’s On Growth and Form

This is well done but it seems it's missed an important reason this fine book goes unread—it uses (at least films) the abridged version! The original is huge—and hugely rewarding, for its prose as well as its ideas. (I studied the history of biology back in the day, especially the developmental angle of attack on evolution, so I read the whole thing, which Dover has made available, god bless ‘em, but honestly anyone could enjoy it.)