Help me choose...!

[Ea]

What am I to read now? I have these seven books I'd like to read at the moment, now I finished the bio of E. M. Forster - but which one to start with? And just as important, why?!

'Good calories, bad calories' by Gary Taubes
'Candide' by Voltaire
'My life in France' by Julia Child
'Desert Flower' by Waris Dirie
'Eating Animals' by 'Jonathan Safran Foer
'On the Origin of Species' by Charles Darwin
'Testament of Youth' by Vera Brittain

[cearbhallain]

Read the Taubes. It will really p*ss you off, if you care about science and its role in public health policy - and seriously, can we afford not to care? It's not easy reading in any sense of the word, but Taubes has done an excellent job of illustrating the ways in which personality and politics can color the way data is accepted and evaluated. His research is exhaustive and regardless of your dietary religion, he makes a very clear case for why it's important that we look at the data in studies and not rely on the bits we are presented in news stories about the latest in dietary science.

[dreams]

Wow, interesting list of choices..

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain is one that I have considered myself. Her strength in pursuing what she wanted (in that era) and her work during the War was what peaked my interest.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by cearbhallain

Read the Taubes. It will really p*ss you off, if you care about science and its role in public health policy - and seriously, can we afford not to care? It's not easy reading in any sense of the word, but Taubes has done an excellent job of illustrating the ways in which personality and politics can color the way data is accepted and evaluated. His research is exhaustive and regardless of your dietary religion, he makes a very clear case for why it's important that we look at the data in studies and not rely on the bits we are presented in news stories about the latest in dietary science.

I expect something along the line of Michael Pollan's lates books, but perhaps more detailed.

I think you'll like this one: PHD Comics: Science News Cycle

Originally Posted by dreams

Wow, interesting list of choices..

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain is one that I have considered myself. Her strength in pursuing what she wanted (in that era) and her work during the War was what peaked my interest.

Yep, that's why it's difficult to choose

I wanted to know more about the early 20th century in England, and about WW1 and what it did to people, so this book was recommended. I've also got hold of Robert Graves' Goodbye to all that.

[poohbear_nc]

I second the Vera Brittain - this was a fascinating period in English history.

[Ea]

Hmm... I'll have to wait with 'Testament of youth' - the ebook is 24 USD (or 20 GBP)! I can get a used p-book for a quarter of that including shipping, but then it won't be here until in a week. One book less to choose from

[cearbhallain]

Originally Posted by Ea

I expect something along the line of Michael Pollan's latest books, but perhaps more detailed.

I think you'll like this one: PHD Comics: Science News Cycle[/I].

Thanks for the giggle, that is part of what I was describing.

If you would like a preview of what you'll find in GCBC here's a link to a webcast of a talk he gave at Berkeley after his book came out:

http://webcast.berkeley.edu/event_de...ebcastid=21216