Anyone need a reprieve from serious books next month?
Here’s what I have lined up for our next couple of reading selections:
- Ghost: A Novel by Alan Lightman.
- Irreligion: A Mathematician Explains Why the Arguments for God Just Don’t Add Up by John Allen Paulos.
Here’s what I’d like to add as a non-serious interlude:
- How to Fossilize Your Hamster: And Other Amazing Experiments for the Armchair Scientist by Mick O’Hare.
We’ll discuss science communication and popularization, as well as ideas for getting kids interested in science (although this is not a kid’s book — it includes boozy science projects!). Plus we’ll just have fun.
I’d like March to be a light reading month… Any objections?
There was a great interview with the author of Irreligion on the Point of Inquiry podcast at the end of January. He uses math to refute some basic creationist arguments, among other things. plus he teaches in Philly, so there was some local pride, at least for me.
http://www.pointofinquiry.org/john_allen_paulos_i…
I think taking a light month after Infidel is probably a good idea. How to Fossilize Your Hamster looks to make a nice chaser. I'm all for it! Especially if it has boozy science! (Which is the best kind.)
I found Irreligion pretty light-hearted, actually. While one could imagine Dawkins yelling at some children, "Hey, kids, get off of my lawn," John Allen Paulos would just pick up their lost baseball, toss it against the siding of his house and say, "See how the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection?"
At which point the children run away and never play near the house of the crazy Math Man ever again. . . .
Wow, I think I am going to be reading along this time, gonna go get that book.
I have a review of Irrelgion saved for a future Quickies post – I've heard some good things about it and haven't read it yet, so my vote goes to that.
ArchaeologyKnits, which book?
(We'll read all of these, just deciding on the order….)
Boozy science projects?! I can't object to that ;)
They all sound good, especially irreligious and fossilize your hamster, but the latter sounds the best.
Hey, I have never done one of the monthly reading things before, when do we start, and what book first?
Hi. I'll post a summary this week when we start the next book, Irreligion by John Allen Paulos .
In general, I post a short introduction to the book in the first week of the month and update the "what we're reading" icon on the sidebar. Then we read the book all month, and I post at least a copule of discussion topics during that time. At the end of the month (or a little late), I post an interview with the author or a review of the book.