Science ebook recommendations

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

This is not a book on science, nor evolution proper, yet I feel it may be of interest to readers of this forum.

The Evolution of God by Robert Wright

...

I thought I had that and had read it, but just searched around and am not finding it. Will have to get it.

Ah, just figured it out. I'm on the waiting list from the local library for this one.

[kennyc]

Another category is the scientific essay -- two writers who are IMO genius in this are are

Lewis Thomas - http://www.amazon.com/Lewis-Thomas/e..._athr_dp_pel_1

Lives of a Cell in particular

and

Loren Eiseley - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr...oren%20Eiseley

The Immense Journey in particular.

[kennyc]

There is an annual anthology that I usually pick up:

The Best American Science and Nature Writing XXXX

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?ur...riting&x=0&y=0

[kennyc]

This looks very interesting:

Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity (Paperback) - John Loftus

http://www.amazon.com/Why-Became-Ath...8893819&sr=1-4

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by kennyc

There is an annual anthology that I usually pick up:

The Best American Science and Nature Writing XXXX

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?ur...riting&x=0&y=0

Thanks for the link!

Best American Political Writing 2009 by Royce Flippin, The Best American Magazine Writing 2001 (Best American Magazine Writing) by Harold M. Evans, and The Best American Crime Writing 2006 by Mark Bowden are all available as e-books. Not so, any of the books from The Best American Science Writing series.

I would have thought that scientists, of all people, would have learned how to produce electronic books by now.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Thanks for the link!

Best American Political Writing 2009 by Royce Flippin, The Best American Magazine Writing 2001 (Best American Magazine Writing) by Harold M. Evans, and The Best American Crime Writing 2006 by Mark Bowden are all available as e-books. Not so, any of the books from The Best American Science Writing series.

I would have thought that scientists, of all people, would have learned how to produce electronic books by now.

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by cassidym

To all these recommendations, I would add The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence Krauss. Written back in the mid-90's, it examines all of the science in the Star Trek series, like warp factor speed, 'beam me up Scottie' etc and discusses the actual physics. Very interesting book.

Which brings to mind The Science of Jurassic Park and The Lost World. (Not available as an ebook, though Google has one)

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Jurass...dp/0060977353/

http://books.google.com/books?id=aIh...age&q=&f=false

And then THAT brings to mind How to Build a Dinosaur (co-written by one of The Biggies in dino paleontolgy, Jack Horner) This one is available as an ebook:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Build-Dino...dp/0525951040/

http://books.google.com/books?id=0AG...age&q=&f=false

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I thought I had that and had read it, but just searched around and am not finding it. Will have to get it.

Ah, just figured it out. I'm on the waiting list from the local library for this one.

"Speak of the Devil" I just got my notice from the library that this book is now available and I just checked it out!

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by kennyc

"Speak of the Devil" I just got my notice from the library that this book is now available and I just checked it out!

From The Evolution of God by Robert Wright:

... It's true that there's no biblical ode to Yahweh that compares with the Ugaritic boast that Baal copulated with a heifer "77 times," even "88 times," or that El's penis "extends like the sea." And it seems puzzling: If Yahweh eventually merged with El, and El had a sex life, why didn't the postmerger Yahweh have one? Why, more specifically, didn't Yahweh inherit El's consort, the goddess Athirat? Maybe he did. There are references in the Bible to a goddess named Asherah, and scholars have long believed that Asherah is just the Hebrew version of Athirat. Of course, the biblical writers don't depict Asherah as God's wife—this isn't the sort of theological theme they generally championed—but rather heap disdain on her, and on the Israelites who worshipped her. However, in the late twentieth century, archaeologists discovered intriguing inscriptions, dating to around 800 BCE, at two different Middle Eastern sites. The inscriptions were blessings in the name not just of Yahweh but of "his Asherah." The word "his" puts an intriguing spin on a passage in 2 Kings reporting that, near the end of the seventh century, Asherah was spending time in Yahweh's temple. A priest who didn't favor polytheism "brought out the image of Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem, to the Wadi Kidron, burned it at the Wadi Kidron, beat it to dust and threw the dust of it upon the graves of the common people."


Kenny,

I think you're going to like this book!

[ardeegee]

Here's a new one that I'm just starting to dig (heh, heh) into.

http://www.ucpress.edu/ebook.php?isbn=9780520944428

http://www.amazon.com/Dinosaur-Odyss...dp/0520241630/

[Angst]

I highly recommend A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Especially for the layman. It's a nice history of life, the universe and everything. And Bill has a wicked sense of humor.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Angst

I highly recommend A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Especially for the layman. It's a nice history of life, the universe and everything. And Bill has a wicked sense of humor.

Hmmmm, I don't know that name, but will check it out. Thanks!

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Hmmmm, I don't know that name, but will check it out. Thanks!

The book or the author? Both are worth checking out.

Cheers,
Marc

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

The book or the author? Both are worth checking out.

Cheers,
Marc

Both, but when I checked him out I did recognize a couple of the titles. Don't think I've read them, but just downloaded a sample from amazon...

[eeenmachine]

Didn't see this one mentioned, one of my favorite books of all time:
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

http://www.amazon.com/Short-History-...0039400&sr=1-3