Books that teach the science behind cooking and baking, and/or specific techniques

Preferably aimed at beginners aiming to get to a more professional level on their own. I do basic home cooking and baking but I'm not that much aware of what's actually going on beyond mixing ingredients together, and I want to progress to a level good enough to reasonably make more original recipes and maybe make money out of it in the future.

Any book offering the same knowledge but centered around healthy/high protein cooking that still tastes good would also be great, thx 🙂