Reddit mentions of The Kitchen as Laboratory: Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)

Good luck with training!

I would love to have this book, if it's still on sale. If not, this one also looks amazing. I would love to learn more about the science of cooking.

The Science of Good Cooking

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Cooking-Cooks-Illustrated-Cookbooks/dp/1933615982

The Kitchen as Laboratory: Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)

http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Laboratory-Reflections-Traditions-Perspectives/dp/0231153449

I finished with a bachelor's degree in food science at Oregon State University in the U.S. It was fantastic. There are so many directions you can go with food science. OSU's program focuses on the food chemistry side as opposed to the nutrition side of things. There are students specializing in beer, wine, cheese, meat and food in general. Each specialty means different classes. If you're into wine, you study varying degrees of viticulture. If you're studying meat, you get into farming. Students and professors have a vast array of cross-disciplinary experiences. Another great thing about food science is industry involvement. Before you even leave college you can meet industry members through your local IFT chapter. That really provides another dimension to your education if you can take advantage of. I love asking people about their jobs and what they're doing. The thing that pulled me in initially was the high rate of employment after school. I've been out two years and am working as a research technician at a manufacturing plant. I love it.
Edit: Oof, guess I went off on a tangent there. The thing I find most motivating are books like this The kitchen as a laboratory and this Molecular Gastronomy