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Stephen Elliott



Posts: 1776
Joined: Oct. 2005

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,14:54   

I am fair sure that we used to have a thread on current reading here. Tried to search it but damned if I can.

Just started nto read "The ragged trousered philanthropists" and wanted to share thoughts.

  
J-Dog



Posts: 4402
Joined: Dec. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,15:34   

Quote (Stephen Elliott @ June 15 2007,14:54)
I am fair sure that we used to have a thread on current reading here. Tried to search it but damned if I can.

Just started nto read "The ragged trousered philanthropists" and wanted to share thoughts.

Under A Green Sky - Excellent - I recommend it and give it 2 Mastodon Tusks Up.  Discussion of global warming and previous mass extinctions.  Well written - moves along - interesting - the opposite of a Dembski tome.

http://www.harpercollins.com/books....ex.aspx

And we should always have a Current Books Read / Reading post easily accessable - I would bet that most of read all the time.

--------------
Come on Tough Guy, do the little dance of ID impotence you do so well. - Louis to Joe G 2/10

Gullibility is not a virtue - Quidam on Dembski's belief in the Bible Code Faith Healers & ID 7/08

UD is an Unnatural Douchemagnet. - richardthughes 7/11

  
C.J.O'Brien



Posts: 395
Joined: Aug. 2005

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,15:35   

I've got one.
Just finished Dennett's "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon."

In all the furor over the recent entries of Dawkins Harris and Hitchens (the new infernal trinity), there has not been much talk about Dennett's book. Anybody else read it?

Sorry if I'm OT, Stephen. I've not heard of "The ragged trousered philanthropists." It's a book, yes? By whom?

--------------
The is the beauty of being me- anything that any man does I can understand.
--Joe G

  
Kristine



Posts: 3061
Joined: Sep. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,15:43   

I am reading Gonick's The Cartoon Guide to Statistics and ran into two people now who raved about it. Also re-reading The God Delusion and The Extended Phenotype.

Re: Not finding threads - I remember SteveStory saying at one time "I made a funny on the UD thread and I'd like to refer to it but damned if I can find my comment and I'm not going to search." (Don't blame ya.)

This site could use an index (example), though perhaps not an A-Z one, something customized - I've been thinking about that - but it would be a huge job.

For very little pay.

Or none. :)

--------------
Which came first: the shimmy, or the hip?

AtBC Poet Laureate

"I happen to think that this prerequisite criterion of empirical evidence is itself not empirical." - Clive

"Damn you. This means a trip to the library. Again." -- fnxtr

  
Steviepinhead



Posts: 532
Joined: Jan. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,15:43   

Just finished Valentine's "On the Origin of Phyla."

Awesome.  Even if you don't want to read about the fine structural and developmental details of, oh, priapulids, Valentine is such a smooth writer that you keep on plugging away as if you were gonna learn whodunit just around the next paragraph (hint: not Teh Designist).

And VAlentine's an especially good writer when he's not writing about inividual phyla or fossils or traces or embryos.  When he's writing about the "combinatorial" construction kit of the genome, or overviews about almost anything, he's just awesome.  In fact, the further he drifts away from his academic and career specialties, and the more he has to explain things that are at least somewhat novel even to him, the more clarity and muscularity he brings to his writing.  

Great illos and diagrams as well.

And that's almost without presenting any form of critter that's newer than the ordovician.  No cute and cuddlies: 97% invertebrates.  And no "higher" cephalapods like octos, either.  But what cool-ass vermiform little invertebrates!

I can't reccommend this more highly for digging into the meat of the Cambrian "explosion" and the origin of metazoan phyla.

  
Albatrossity2



Posts: 2780
Joined: Mar. 2007

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,15:50   

I brought along "The Republican War on Science" for reading on the plane, since I had never gotten around to reading it when it first was published. It does get you some interesting looks from your fellow passengers.

While I was slumming at this literary conference this week, I naturally had to peruse the books being sold, and I even purchased oe. I bought "Postcards from Ed", a collection of letters and other writings by Ed Abbey. The conference price was $16, well off the $24.95 list price. I'm looking forward to reading it.

And I just finished and submitted my review of Francisco Ayala's "Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion" for the American Library Association's review journal (Choice).

--------------
Flesh of the sky, child of the sky, the mind
Has been obligated from the beginning
To create an ordered universe
As the only possible proof of its own inheritance.
                        - Pattiann Rogers

   
Dr.GH



Posts: 2333
Joined: May 2002

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,16:13   

Quote (Albatrossity2 @ June 15 2007,15:50)
And I just finished and submitted my review of Francisco Ayala's "Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion" for the American Library Association's review journal (Choice).

How was it?  I just picked up a copy at a talk Ayala gave.

--------------
"Science is the horse that pulls the cart of philosophy."

L. Susskind, 2004 "SMOLIN VS. SUSSKIND: THE ANTHROPIC PRINCIPLE"

   
Albatrossity2



Posts: 2780
Joined: Mar. 2007

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,16:51   

[quote=Dr.GH,June 15 2007,16:13][/quote]
Quote (Dr.GH @ June 15 2007,16:13)
 
Quote (Albatrossity2 @ June 15 2007,15:50)
And I just finished and submitted my review of Francisco Ayala's "Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion" for the American Library Association's review journal (Choice).

How was it?  I just picked up a copy at a talk Ayala gave.

I sent you my review by PM, since I don't think the ALA would take kindly to me posting it here on a website where they can't charge subscribers. And it is a short review; they limit you to 190 words...

In brief, it is sort of a schizophrenic book. As you know, he was training to be a Catholic priest before he went to grad school and got his PhD with Dobzhansky. That could explain the schizophrenic aspects, I guess. The description of basic evolutionary biology is quite good, and is worth reading if you don't have those facts properly straight in your head (are you reading this, FtK?). And he has an interesting notion that I have not heard before, that evolutionary theory solves the theodicy problem. You have to buy theistic evolution for this argument to be acceptable. And that is my real problem with the book. He sells it as a way to reconcile religion with science. And it might be that. But only in a narrower scope than he acknowledges, since he is only interested in talking about one religion, christianity. Granted, that is the religion whose adherents seem most recalcitrant on this subject, but I think it is a bit presumptuous to think that this is the only religion worth considering. So in the end it is an apologetic, similar to Miller and Collins. Shorter, and with a very succinct and readable biology section, but nevertheless a christian-targeted apologetic.

--------------
Flesh of the sky, child of the sky, the mind
Has been obligated from the beginning
To create an ordered universe
As the only possible proof of its own inheritance.
                        - Pattiann Rogers

   
Louis



Posts: 6436
Joined: Jan. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,18:03   

Quote (C.J.O'Brien @ June 15 2007,22:35)
I've got one.
Just finished Dennett's "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon."

In all the furor over the recent entries of Dawkins Harris and Hitchens (the new infernal trinity), there has not been much talk about Dennett's book. Anybody else read it?

Sorry if I'm OT, Stephen. I've not heard of "The ragged trousered philanthropists." It's a book, yes? By whom?

I've read it and I thought it was brilliant. I also thought it was far more damaging to faith/religion than the other two precisely because of it's comparatively quiet, scholarly tone and academic leanings.

I'm not saying the other two are ill considered, or wrong or unintellectual or anything like it. They are more polemical than the Dennett book in my opinion, and that doesn't detract from them at all but it does garner them the most publicity.

I'm reading three books at the moment: Douglas Hofstader's "Godel, Escher, Bach" which is a bit heavy going in places but very intriguing, Jared Diamond's "Collapse" which is an easy read in terms of technicalities but not in terms of implications, and lastly Stephen Fry's "An Ode Less Travelled" which is very funny and a bit densely poetic for me, but I find it very enjoyable and the exercises are fun. I usually have two or three books on the go at once because sometimes I don't feel like reading the very technical stuff late at night, or I feel more like something technical in the bath or what have you! I'm sure you all know the drill!

I've got a whole swathe of books on the Enlightenment and also on British History coming up on my little personal reading list. Then I have most of Gould's popular offerings to get through and finally The Gouldian Brick to reread properly (as opposed to dipping in and out). I reckon that's my serious reading for the rest of the year! I'll of course add the new Pratchett book when it comes out and a few other trashy novels I fancy for fun. Ooooh I've just had a thought, I'm off to Cyprus for a fortnight in a couple of months, I could build up to Gould's Brick before then and read it on holiday. Nice! Sun, brandy sours, evolutionary biology. If I could work in impertinent imbroglios with a famous atheist and ethologist I'd be almost as enviable as that shimmying siren Kristine!

Louis

--------------
Bye.

  
carlsonjok



Posts: 3326
Joined: May 2006

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,19:06   

Quote (Louis @ June 15 2007,18:03)
I've got a whole swathe of books on the Enlightenment and also on British History coming up on my little personal reading list.

I'm glad not to be the only one with a decidely non-sciency reading list.  I am currently reading Duff Cooper's biography of Talleyrand.  On deck I have "Son of Thunder: Patrick Henry and the American Republic", Stan Hoig's "The Battle of the Washita", Akhil Amar's "America's Constitution:A Biography", and some collected works of John Locke.

--------------
It's natural to be curious about our world, but the scientific method is just one theory about how to best understand it.  We live in a democracy, which means we should treat every theory equally. - Steven Colbert, I Am America (and So Can You!)

  
Steviepinhead



Posts: 532
Joined: Jan. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,19:49   

Well, we could always get into fiction.

But then, Behe's latest has already garnered a fair bit of mention on PT, Pharyngula, and elsewhere...

  
Reciprocating Bill



Posts: 4265
Joined: Oct. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,22:25   

Quote (C.J.O'Brien @ June 15 2007,15:35)
I've got one.
Just finished Dennett's "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon."

In all the furor over the recent entries of Dawkins Harris and Hitchens (the new infernal trinity), there has not been much talk about Dennett's book. Anybody else read it?

Sorry if I'm OT, Stephen. I've not heard of "The ragged trousered philanthropists." It's a book, yes? By whom?

I purchased and read "Breaking the Spell" when it was first published. I recall liking it least of all of the Dennett I've read - I found him obnoxiously arrogant and condescending - and the whole "bright" thing is fingernails on chalkboard for me, a horrible blunder IMHO. This from a guy who enjoys and essentially agrees with Dennett in many respects.  

My favorite Dennett is "Freedom Evolves." The essays in "The Intentional Stance" are fascinating and important.  "Darwin's Dangerous Idea" is OK, although a lot of it is recycled from earlier essays and a lot of it grinds various axes (vis Skinner and Gould).  I found the portions of "Consciousness Explained" I read unconvincing, at least with respect to phenomenal consciousness. "Brainchildren: Essays on Designing Minds" is fun. "Kinds of Minds" is sort of an introductory Dennett pastry.

--------------
Myth: Something that never was true, and always will be.

"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you."
- David Foster Wallace

"Here’s a clue. Snarky banalities are not a substitute for saying something intelligent. Write that down."
- Barry Arrington

  
Reciprocating Bill



Posts: 4265
Joined: Oct. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,22:50   

Quote (Louis @ June 15 2007,18:03)
   
Quote (C.J.O'Brien @ June 15 2007,22:35)
I've got one.
Just finished Dennett's "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon."

In all the furor over the recent entries of Dawkins Harris and Hitchens (the new infernal trinity), there has not been much talk about Dennett's book. Anybody else read it?

Sorry if I'm OT, Stephen. I've not heard of "The ragged trousered philanthropists." It's a book, yes? By whom?

I've read it and I thought it was brilliant. I also thought it was far more damaging to faith/religion than the other two precisely because of it's comparatively quiet, scholarly tone and academic leanings.

I'm not saying the other two are ill considered, or wrong or unintellectual or anything like it. They are more polemical than the Dennett book in my opinion, and that doesn't detract from them at all but it does garner them the most publicity.

I'm reading three books at the moment: Douglas Hofstader's "Godel, Escher, Bach" which is a bit heavy going in places but very intriguing, Jared Diamond's "Collapse" which is an easy read in terms of technicalities but not in terms of implications, and lastly Stephen Fry's "An Ode Less Travelled" which is very funny and a bit densely poetic for me, but I find it very enjoyable and the exercises are fun. I usually have two or three books on the go at once because sometimes I don't feel like reading the very technical stuff late at night, or I feel more like something technical in the bath or what have you! I'm sure you all know the drill!

I've got a whole swathe of books on the Enlightenment and also on British History coming up on my little personal reading list. Then I have most of Gould's popular offerings to get through and finally The Gouldian Brick to reread properly (as opposed to dipping in and out). I reckon that's my serious reading for the rest of the year! I'll of course add the new Pratchett book when it comes out and a few other trashy novels I fancy for fun. Ooooh I've just had a thought, I'm off to Cyprus for a fortnight in a couple of months, I could build up to Gould's Brick before then and read it on holiday. Nice! Sun, brandy sours, evolutionary biology. If I could work in impertinent imbroglios with a famous atheist and ethologist I'd be almost as enviable as that shimmying siren Kristine!

Louis

"Godel, Escher, Bach" created an enormous stir when first published, particularly as it was advanced by Martin Gardner at Scientific American. It proved much less influential in the long run than many expected, however.  (Hofstader eventually replaced Gardner in SciAm, supplying his "Metamagical Themas" column in place of Gardner's "Mathematical Games" for a couple years.) I agree with your assessment of "Collapse," human history often being a downer an' all. "Guns, Germs and Steel" is more fun - and renders assertions such as Uncommonly Denyse's recent speculation that "something happened" to the human race 6,000 years ago particularly ridiculous by contrast.  

Ah, the Gouldian Brick. I got through 1,000 pages of that thing during late summer and fall of '02, but never did quite finish it.  The level of detail is REALLY pathetic.  But I think I got the idea.

--------------
Myth: Something that never was true, and always will be.

"The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you."
- David Foster Wallace

"Here’s a clue. Snarky banalities are not a substitute for saying something intelligent. Write that down."
- Barry Arrington

  
someotherguy



Posts: 398
Joined: Aug. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: June 15 2007,23:22   

Quote (Steviepinhead @ June 15 2007,15:43)
Just finished Valentine's "On the Origin of Phyla."

Awesome.  Even if you don't want to read about the fine structural and developmental details of, oh, priapulids, Valentine is such a smooth writer that you keep on plugging away as if you were gonna learn whodunit just around the next paragraph (hint: not Teh Designist).

And VAlentine's an especially good writer when he's not writing about inividual phyla or fossils or traces or embryos.  When he's writing about the "combinatorial" construction kit of the genome, or overviews about almost anything, he's just awesome.  In fact, the further he drifts away from his academic and career specialties, and the more he has to explain things that are at least somewhat novel even to him, the more clarity and muscularity he brings to his writing.  

Great illos and diagrams as well.

And that's almost without presenting any form of critter that's newer than the ordovician.  No cute and cuddlies: 97% invertebrates.  And no "higher" cephalapods like octos, either.  But what cool-ass vermiform little invertebrates!

I can't reccommend this more highly for digging into the meat of the Cambrian "explosion" and the origin of metazoan phyla.

I've been wanting to read that for some time now.  Sadly, no libraries in my area carry it, and I'm to cheap to shell out the big bucks to buy it.

--------------
Evolander in training

  
Stephen Elliott



Posts: 1776
Joined: Oct. 2005

(Permalink) Posted: June 16 2007,01:26   

Quote (Louis @ June 15 2007,18:03)
Quote (C.J.O'Brien @ June 15 2007,22:35)
I've got one.
Just finished Dennett's "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon."

In all the furor over the recent entries of Dawkins Harris and Hitchens (the new infernal trinity), there has not been much talk about Dennett's book. Anybody else read it?

Sorry if I'm OT, Stephen. I've not heard of "The ragged trousered philanthropists." It's a book, yes? By whom?

...I'm reading three books at the moment: Douglas Hofstader's "Godel, Escher, Bach" which is a bit heavy going in places but very intriguing, Jared Diamond's "Collapse" which is an easy read in terms of technicalities but not in terms of implications, and lastly Stephen Fry's "An Ode Less Travelled"...
Louis

CJO,
Yes it is a book. Written by Robert Tressell and published after his death.  

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ragged-....6090363

Louis,
I also have Diamond's book "collapse" from the library. I will be reading that next. Can I assume it is good? Also read "Guns, Germs and Steel" plus "Why sex is fun" by him. I found both to be a good read.

  
stevestory



Posts: 13407
Joined: Oct. 2005

(Permalink) Posted: June 16 2007,08:53   

Quote (Reciprocating Bill @ June 15 2007,23:50)
Ah, the Gouldian Brick. I got through 1,000 pages of that thing during late summer and fall of '02, but never did quite finish it.  The level of detail is REALLY pathetic.

LOL

   
clamboy



Posts: 299
Joined: May 2006

(Permalink) Posted: June 16 2007,11:15   

At the recent meeting of the Seattle ATBC (motto "Dim lights and beer? Okay, I'll be seen in public."), I asked if anyone had read Victor Stenger's "God: The Failed Hypothesis," which I had just finished reading. I liked it quite a bit, though Stenger gets a bit into his own individual maybe-crackpot maybe-genius theories (but he clearly states, "This is *me* talking now, not the current scientific concensus!"). What impressed me was how he calmly and dispassionately addresses various arguments that have been proposed to prove the existence of the Jewish/Christian/Islamic God, and through evidence from the universe shows how those arguments fail.

Anyone else here read it yet?

I'm reading "god is not Great" now, which I think is quite well written; no matter what I think of Hitchens' substance, it is a page-turner. Since the topic is important to me, I have taken some time to look at some of the more reasoned reviews, such as that in "The New Yorker," and I think that a number of the reviewers focus almost solely on Hitchens' excoriative language, which does a disservice to the book. Hitchens has not written something like "An Atheist's Reply to 'Godless,'" which is how it could be perceived if one reads only the reviews.

  
Albatrossity2



Posts: 2780
Joined: Mar. 2007

(Permalink) Posted: June 17 2007,07:27   

I think I might have to order this and read it this summer...

--------------
Flesh of the sky, child of the sky, the mind
Has been obligated from the beginning
To create an ordered universe
As the only possible proof of its own inheritance.
                        - Pattiann Rogers

   
SpaghettiSawUs



Posts: 77
Joined: June 2007

(Permalink) Posted: June 17 2007,10:30   

Quote (C.J.O'Brien @ June 15 2007,21:35)
I've got one.
Just finished Dennett's "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon."

In all the furor over the recent entries of Dawkins Harris and Hitchens (the new infernal trinity), there has not been much talk about Dennett's book. Anybody else read it?

Sorry if I'm OT, Stephen. I've not heard of "The ragged trousered philanthropists." It's a book, yes? By whom?

I read it a while back, and I though it was excellent. I love Dennett's writing style, and the book is currently doing the rounds with my friends.

Meanwhile I've just finished Sir Arthur Eddington's Space Time an Gravitation, now that was a hard read. When you find you need to read a chapter for the fifth time you know it's a challenging read. Fantastic though.

Angela's Ashes followed by Love on the Dole the two most recent story books.

Meanwhile I've read everything published by Iain Banks / Iain M Banks and loved The Algebraist (although I guessed the "truth" quite early on.

Political polemics also occupy alot of shelf space John Pilger and Greg Palast the last two authors I've read, though I get very angry with such tomes and have to inersprese them with New Scientist/Viz and some light philosophy ;).

Cheers
Spags

--------------
On June 23, 2007, 01:06 PM AFDave wrote: "How can we dismiss their theories without first reading their work?"

  
Stephen Elliott



Posts: 1776
Joined: Oct. 2005

(Permalink) Posted: June 22 2007,20:39   

Just finished "The ragged trousered philanthropists"  and would recommend it to anyone. Took me longer than I thought as I spent too much time at work or on the internet.

Next is either,
Jared Diamond "collapse"
or
Richard Dawkins "the selfish gene"

Both look good.

  
Stephen Elliott



Posts: 1776
Joined: Oct. 2005

(Permalink) Posted: July 01 2007,14:54   

About 2/3 the way through "Collapse" now. Damn good read. This is my 3rd book by Diamond and I would recommend him. The other 2 where Guns,Germs and Steel and Why sex is fun. All good.

  
Rev. BigDumbChimp



Posts: 185
Joined: June 2006

(Permalink) Posted: July 01 2007,15:42   

I'm reading a few right now. Unfortunately my ADHD has be jumping all over the place reading different books.

Hitchens new book, a couple different cookbooks I'm sorting through and about 5 different technical books all of which are as exciting as this one sounds

Administrators guide to Tivoli Storage Manager.

  
IanBrown_101



Posts: 927
Joined: April 2007

(Permalink) Posted: July 01 2007,20:02   

Just finished (re)reading Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett, which is excellent.

Also reading The God Delusion.

--------------
I'm not the fastest or the baddest or the fatest.

You NEVER seem to address the fact that the grand majority of people supporting Darwinism in these on line forums and blogs are atheists. That doesn't seem to bother you guys in the least. - FtK

Roddenberry is my God.

   
J-Dog



Posts: 4402
Joined: Dec. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: July 01 2007,21:19   

The Richness of Life - The Essential Stephen Jay Gould, edited by Steven Rose.  This is a "best of" compendium, and excellent, but I have always liked Gould.  4 page essays to 20 + pages, and all Gould's excellent, readable prose.

--------------
Come on Tough Guy, do the little dance of ID impotence you do so well. - Louis to Joe G 2/10

Gullibility is not a virtue - Quidam on Dembski's belief in the Bible Code Faith Healers & ID 7/08

UD is an Unnatural Douchemagnet. - richardthughes 7/11

  
Richardthughes



Posts: 11178
Joined: Jan. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: July 01 2007,23:08   

CULTURE WARRIOR BY BILL O RIELLY. ITS SATISFYING LIKE A BIG, LONG POO.

--------------
"Richardthughes, you magnificent bastard, I stand in awe of you..." : Arden Chatfield
"You magnificent bastard! " : Louis
"ATBC poster child", "I have to agree with Rich.." : DaveTard
"I bow to your superior skills" : deadman_932
"...it was Richardthughes making me lie in bed.." : Kristine

  
Richardthughes



Posts: 11178
Joined: Jan. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: July 01 2007,23:10   

Quote (SpaghettiSawUs @ June 17 2007,10:30)
Meanwhile I've read everything published by Iain Banks / Iain M Banks and loved The Algebraist (although I guessed the "truth" quite early on.

I've often thought "the culture" is how a secular society of the future should be.

--------------
"Richardthughes, you magnificent bastard, I stand in awe of you..." : Arden Chatfield
"You magnificent bastard! " : Louis
"ATBC poster child", "I have to agree with Rich.." : DaveTard
"I bow to your superior skills" : deadman_932
"...it was Richardthughes making me lie in bed.." : Kristine

  
Glenn Branch



Posts: 19
Joined: May 2002

(Permalink) Posted: July 01 2007,23:36   

I suppose that the mention of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is reason enough to delurk: I read it while I was in college, primarily on the strength of the enthusiastic mention of it in Brendan Behan's Borstal Boy. Not many of the details remain with me now, perhaps not entirely unfortunately; it's a long book.

  
Arden Chatfield



Posts: 6657
Joined: Jan. 2006

(Permalink) Posted: July 01 2007,23:50   

I'm now halfway through Iggy Pop: Open Up and Bleed by Paul Trynka. A splendid read. I'm currently at around 1974~1975, after the Stooges had collapsed and Iggy was being a coked-out bum around LA.

It nicely complements the Iggy & the Stooges concert I went to last Spring.

Further info here.

--------------
"Rich is just mad because he thought all titties had fur on them until last week when a shorn transvestite ruined his childhood dreams by jumping out of a spider man cake and man boobing him in the face lips." - Erasmus

  
Albatrossity2



Posts: 2780
Joined: Mar. 2007

(Permalink) Posted: July 05 2007,17:04   

I was just sent another book to review for Choice, the review journal for the American Library Association. It is from Oxford University Press (2007), and is entitled Evolution and Religious Creation Myths: How Scientists Respond, by Paul F. Lurquin and Linda Stone (professors of Genetics and Anthropology, respectively, at Washington State University). I haven't started it yet, but two of the jacket blurbs are are from two of my scientific heroes, Paul Gross and and Luigi Cavalli-Sforza, so I suspect it is well done.

I promise not to let you influence my review, but I'd be interested if anyone out there in AtBC-land has read it and/or has any thoughts about it.

--------------
Flesh of the sky, child of the sky, the mind
Has been obligated from the beginning
To create an ordered universe
As the only possible proof of its own inheritance.
                        - Pattiann Rogers

   
stevestory



Posts: 13407
Joined: Oct. 2005

(Permalink) Posted: July 05 2007,18:19   

I haven't been reading much. NYT & the New Yorker, that's about it. I've had way too much stress lately so yesterday I realized I had to take a break. Started playing poker, Texas Hold 'Em, at PokerStars.com. I picked that site because Ed Brayton said it was his favorite, and he's a poker afficianado. It's been a lot of fun actually.

   
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