The great book for you is the book that has the most to say to you at the moment when you are reading. I do not mean the book that is most instructive but the book that feeds your spirit. And that depends on your age your experience your psychological and spiritual need.
Of course not everybody's willing to go out and do the experiments but for the people who are willing to go out and do that - if the experiments don't work then it means it's not science.