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astillarSo if there's one good thing about this Dallas job, is that it's afforded me a lot of spare time to catch up on my reading. I always have trouble picking new authors to read so I let Discover magazine's list of the "25 Greatest Science Books of All Time" pick for me. I figured this way, even if I didn't like the book, at least I'd learn something from it.
The first book I read was "Guns, Germs, & Steel." It covers the last 13,000 years of human progress (since the last Ice Age). I wouldn't call it a history book though. GGS focuses on the ultimate forces behind the rise and fall of human societies; why do some prosper, conquer, and advance, while others stagnate and disappear? I'd always wondered about stuff like that, for example, why didn't American Indians industrialize? Or why did Western Europe gain and hold the technological advantage into the imperial era? One thing that amused me as I read the book was the growing realization that there was no such thing as a superior government, religion, race, etc. Those are all just the shell on the egg. The prestige and power of any nation is due to more fundamental forces than those, factors that are outside of the reach of man's influence. By the time I finished the book, I was dumbfounded. All I could think was, "Wow . . . So THAT is why the world is the way it is. It makes so much sense." It was really a profoundly insightful book. I'd recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in such matters.
The next book I read was "Breaking the Spell." This book was about the evolution of religion as a human creation. It was a tougher read than GGS because it dealt with softer sciences like psychology and sociology (stuff I don't have a good handle on). The ultimate message of BtS was the need for critical analysis and understanding of the major religions. Understandably, religion (which is probably the world's oldest meme) enjoys the protection of being sacred. Understanding between the religions and/or the secular world is thwarted by the common reaction of denial or dis-information. Because if someone asks critical questions about a faith, then it must be because they're trying to dis-prove it, the common perception goes. BtS claims that since religion influences multiple levels (personal, social, regional, national) and has good and bad effects at different levels, that it cannot be ignored and should be understood. BtS calls for a greater dialogue and openness towards this goal. I agree and admire that aspiration, but I doubt that'll happen. Faith's great strength comes from that mystical, supernatural, beyond-understanding aspect. I doubt that aspect will be forfeited by the faithful anytime soon. For me, the most interesting part of BtS was the hypothesis of the evolution of religion. Any major faith will claim that it is as it was decreed by God, but if you look back far enough, it becomes apparent that they were the creations of man. I was most interested in the psychological and physiological roots of man's need, ability, and inclination to believe in the supernatural.
The next book was actually one I bought back around Christmas, but had to put down after it got too intense too fast. I finally managed to finish it recently. "A Long Way Gone" is the true story of a Sierra Leone boy whose family and village are destroyed by the civil war in his country. He survives, but is eventually pressed into service of the government army which is just as depraved and cruel as the rebel army. After years of that darkness, he is selected for "rehabilitation" by the UN, which proves to be a journey more painful than his time as a civilian or soldier. His story is a painful and unhappy one, so it's not for everyone, but I think it's a story worth knowing.
Next in line was "The Selfish Gene." I chose this one more for the author's reputation than the book's subject. He's often referred to as "Darwin's Doberman" for his un-apologetically pro-atheistic stance. I figured I knew most of what genetics was all about, but I was curious to see what all the bru-haha was about. I was surprised to find out I was wrong (in assuming I knew it all). TSG clarifies the concept of "survival of the fittest" which although a popular concept, has been over-simplified. TSG states that the fundamental unit of evolution isn't the single organism or the single species, but the GENE. Any species is just a unique method of survival for a certain suite of genes. In effect, all organisms (plant, animal, AND human) are essentially just vehicles for genes that have succeeded in making themselves immortal. That may not seem like anything impressive, but continued examination of this concept shows that much of human behavior (and even laws) are extensions of this fundamental "what is best for the gene" logic.
In the preface for this book, the author included many letters from readers who had had lost their faith or descended into depression after reading his book. I found it both sad and amusing that their world-views could be overturned by a single book. They had come away from it with the conclusion that they were not in control, that they were just puppets of their genes. The author's arguments are powerful but he takes care to explain that humans are the sole species that can counter-act their genetic impulses. I think the faithful villian-ize him because his theories are so solid and powerful, yet leave no room or make any mention of a higher power. It's a shame that his insightful research has been cast in an ugly color by other people with their totally un-related agendas.
Somehow I managed to save the hardest book for last. "Fabric of the Cosmos" is an introduction and explanation of the leading theories about the fundamentals and origin of the universe. Considering I've been reading science magazines since middle school, I assumed that I was up-to-date on all the hot new theories. WRONG! General relativity, okay, yeah, I had an okay grasp of, more or less. But trying to understand quantum mechanics had my brain groaning and shaking and shuddering like an old wooden roller-coaster during "Fatties Ride Free" day at Six Flags. OMG. I've never cursed at a book until this one. The concepts of quantum mechanics are just so counter-intuitive, it's hard to really accept and understand. And those two topics were just the introduction!
The book covered a lot of ground, from the origin of the universe to the single, unifying theory of all forces in existence, and more. I was most titillated by the evidence for higher dimensions and the possibility that gravity is the sole force that communicates throughout the 10 dimensions. As humans, all of our perception, whether through our own bodies or our scientific instruments, is confined to the electromagnetic spectrum (light, x-ray, infra-red, gamma, radiation, etc etc). The EM spectrum is confined to these 3 dimensions so no matter what type of device we build, we're inherently blind to other dimensions; only gravity bleeds through. That theory alone got me all sorts of excited. A lot of the theories and experiments to prove them are far removed from our earthly experiences and understanding, so it's easy to say, "So what?" But as the author describes, even if these realities and possibilities are something that we will never personally experience in our life-time, knowing that they exist around us increases our sense of wonder and appreciation of what we DO understand. I.E, you could go your entire life without really knowing what 'electricity' is, but when you do know it, that knowledge gives you a sense of awe and wonder that you've not felt since you were a child. That's beautiful, I think.
This last book wasn't on my list. It was a fluke, honestly. Katherine (my sister-in-law) gave it to me to give to Liz so she could read it. Well, while I was bringing it back to Dallas there came a moment when I didn't have a book of my own to read and I thought, "Well hell, I'll read this." I never thought I would've read a romance novel (since I'm not a middle-aged house-wife), but . . . I guess that's why you never say never.
"Dead Until Dawn" is listed as mystery/suspense but yeah, it's a romance novel at heart. Everyone's beautiful and the sex is legendary (which might not have annoyed me if I were actually getting some). Normally I would've quit reading, but the author expands upon the well-worn vampire genre and expands it with a strong amount of unique and creative extrapolations. It was a curious mix of lowest-common-denominator romantic junk and wholly original vampire lore. She created enough new territory to keep me interested. After I admitted to Katherine that I'd read the book, she told me that that series was the basis for Showtime's "True Blood" series. I dunno how to feel about that. Grudgingly I'll admit that I liked the book, but the little bit I've seen of TB looked ridiculous.
P.S.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
beansalad's youtube clip has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the book and series are one and the same. Now I'm even more embarrassed that I read the book.
The first book I read was "Guns, Germs, & Steel." It covers the last 13,000 years of human progress (since the last Ice Age). I wouldn't call it a history book though. GGS focuses on the ultimate forces behind the rise and fall of human societies; why do some prosper, conquer, and advance, while others stagnate and disappear? I'd always wondered about stuff like that, for example, why didn't American Indians industrialize? Or why did Western Europe gain and hold the technological advantage into the imperial era? One thing that amused me as I read the book was the growing realization that there was no such thing as a superior government, religion, race, etc. Those are all just the shell on the egg. The prestige and power of any nation is due to more fundamental forces than those, factors that are outside of the reach of man's influence. By the time I finished the book, I was dumbfounded. All I could think was, "Wow . . . So THAT is why the world is the way it is. It makes so much sense." It was really a profoundly insightful book. I'd recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in such matters.
The next book I read was "Breaking the Spell." This book was about the evolution of religion as a human creation. It was a tougher read than GGS because it dealt with softer sciences like psychology and sociology (stuff I don't have a good handle on). The ultimate message of BtS was the need for critical analysis and understanding of the major religions. Understandably, religion (which is probably the world's oldest meme) enjoys the protection of being sacred. Understanding between the religions and/or the secular world is thwarted by the common reaction of denial or dis-information. Because if someone asks critical questions about a faith, then it must be because they're trying to dis-prove it, the common perception goes. BtS claims that since religion influences multiple levels (personal, social, regional, national) and has good and bad effects at different levels, that it cannot be ignored and should be understood. BtS calls for a greater dialogue and openness towards this goal. I agree and admire that aspiration, but I doubt that'll happen. Faith's great strength comes from that mystical, supernatural, beyond-understanding aspect. I doubt that aspect will be forfeited by the faithful anytime soon. For me, the most interesting part of BtS was the hypothesis of the evolution of religion. Any major faith will claim that it is as it was decreed by God, but if you look back far enough, it becomes apparent that they were the creations of man. I was most interested in the psychological and physiological roots of man's need, ability, and inclination to believe in the supernatural.
The next book was actually one I bought back around Christmas, but had to put down after it got too intense too fast. I finally managed to finish it recently. "A Long Way Gone" is the true story of a Sierra Leone boy whose family and village are destroyed by the civil war in his country. He survives, but is eventually pressed into service of the government army which is just as depraved and cruel as the rebel army. After years of that darkness, he is selected for "rehabilitation" by the UN, which proves to be a journey more painful than his time as a civilian or soldier. His story is a painful and unhappy one, so it's not for everyone, but I think it's a story worth knowing.
Next in line was "The Selfish Gene." I chose this one more for the author's reputation than the book's subject. He's often referred to as "Darwin's Doberman" for his un-apologetically pro-atheistic stance. I figured I knew most of what genetics was all about, but I was curious to see what all the bru-haha was about. I was surprised to find out I was wrong (in assuming I knew it all). TSG clarifies the concept of "survival of the fittest" which although a popular concept, has been over-simplified. TSG states that the fundamental unit of evolution isn't the single organism or the single species, but the GENE. Any species is just a unique method of survival for a certain suite of genes. In effect, all organisms (plant, animal, AND human) are essentially just vehicles for genes that have succeeded in making themselves immortal. That may not seem like anything impressive, but continued examination of this concept shows that much of human behavior (and even laws) are extensions of this fundamental "what is best for the gene" logic.
In the preface for this book, the author included many letters from readers who had had lost their faith or descended into depression after reading his book. I found it both sad and amusing that their world-views could be overturned by a single book. They had come away from it with the conclusion that they were not in control, that they were just puppets of their genes. The author's arguments are powerful but he takes care to explain that humans are the sole species that can counter-act their genetic impulses. I think the faithful villian-ize him because his theories are so solid and powerful, yet leave no room or make any mention of a higher power. It's a shame that his insightful research has been cast in an ugly color by other people with their totally un-related agendas.
Somehow I managed to save the hardest book for last. "Fabric of the Cosmos" is an introduction and explanation of the leading theories about the fundamentals and origin of the universe. Considering I've been reading science magazines since middle school, I assumed that I was up-to-date on all the hot new theories. WRONG! General relativity, okay, yeah, I had an okay grasp of, more or less. But trying to understand quantum mechanics had my brain groaning and shaking and shuddering like an old wooden roller-coaster during "Fatties Ride Free" day at Six Flags. OMG. I've never cursed at a book until this one. The concepts of quantum mechanics are just so counter-intuitive, it's hard to really accept and understand. And those two topics were just the introduction!
The book covered a lot of ground, from the origin of the universe to the single, unifying theory of all forces in existence, and more. I was most titillated by the evidence for higher dimensions and the possibility that gravity is the sole force that communicates throughout the 10 dimensions. As humans, all of our perception, whether through our own bodies or our scientific instruments, is confined to the electromagnetic spectrum (light, x-ray, infra-red, gamma, radiation, etc etc). The EM spectrum is confined to these 3 dimensions so no matter what type of device we build, we're inherently blind to other dimensions; only gravity bleeds through. That theory alone got me all sorts of excited. A lot of the theories and experiments to prove them are far removed from our earthly experiences and understanding, so it's easy to say, "So what?" But as the author describes, even if these realities and possibilities are something that we will never personally experience in our life-time, knowing that they exist around us increases our sense of wonder and appreciation of what we DO understand. I.E, you could go your entire life without really knowing what 'electricity' is, but when you do know it, that knowledge gives you a sense of awe and wonder that you've not felt since you were a child. That's beautiful, I think.
This last book wasn't on my list. It was a fluke, honestly. Katherine (my sister-in-law) gave it to me to give to Liz so she could read it. Well, while I was bringing it back to Dallas there came a moment when I didn't have a book of my own to read and I thought, "Well hell, I'll read this." I never thought I would've read a romance novel (since I'm not a middle-aged house-wife), but . . . I guess that's why you never say never.
"Dead Until Dawn" is listed as mystery/suspense but yeah, it's a romance novel at heart. Everyone's beautiful and the sex is legendary (which might not have annoyed me if I were actually getting some). Normally I would've quit reading, but the author expands upon the well-worn vampire genre and expands it with a strong amount of unique and creative extrapolations. It was a curious mix of lowest-common-denominator romantic junk and wholly original vampire lore. She created enough new territory to keep me interested. After I admitted to Katherine that I'd read the book, she told me that that series was the basis for Showtime's "True Blood" series. I dunno how to feel about that. Grudgingly I'll admit that I liked the book, but the little bit I've seen of TB looked ridiculous.
P.S.
beansalad's youtube clip has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the book and series are one and the same. Now I'm even more embarrassed that I read the book.
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Date: 2009-10-06 04:35 am (UTC)