Comments on: New Dawkins books now available http://zajonker.com/wouter/2009/09/new-dawkins-books-now-available/ love nature Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:50:19 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Wouter http://zajonker.com/wouter/2009/09/new-dawkins-books-now-available/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Wouter Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:19:39 +0000 http://zajonker.com/wouter/?p=6#comment-35 Nice list, I'll have a look into some of them. I also have the ebook from Hitchens(some 12 in 1 pack), but I don't enjoy reading books on the pc at all. I have however his book Letters to a Young Contrarian, which was great. I have also read The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker, and have How the Mind Works waiting on the shelf. TLI is a phenomenal book, I highly recommend it to you. Nice list, I’ll have a look into some of them. I also have the ebook from Hitchens(some 12 in 1 pack), but I don’t enjoy reading books on the pc at all. I have however his book Letters to a Young Contrarian, which was great.

I have also read The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker, and have How the Mind Works waiting on the shelf. TLI is a phenomenal book, I highly recommend it to you.

]]> By: Louis http://zajonker.com/wouter/2009/09/new-dawkins-books-now-available/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Louis Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:19:18 +0000 http://zajonker.com/wouter/?p=6#comment-32 Oops. The Blank Slate and How the Mind Works is by Steven Pinker, not Peter Atkins. My bad. Oops. The Blank Slate and How the Mind Works is by Steven Pinker, not Peter Atkins. My bad.

]]> By: Louis http://zajonker.com/wouter/2009/09/new-dawkins-books-now-available/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Louis Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:18:01 +0000 http://zajonker.com/wouter/?p=6#comment-31 When you say you're biased towards the biology faculty -- it's thanks to Dawkins' books that I decided to quit studying visual multimedia and get a degree in zoology instead, which I currently am! All thanks to The Extended Phenotype and The Blind Watchmaker, really! Some of my absolute favourite science books for a general audience: *Science in general: Galileo's Finger -- The Ten Geat Ideas of Science, by Peter Atkins Science: A History, by John Gribbin The Demon-Haunted World: Science As a Candle In The Dark, by Carl Sagan Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond Unweaving the Rainbow, by Richard Dawkins *Biology: Darwin's Dangerous Idea, by Daniel Dennett Genome, by Matt Ridley Why Evolution is True, by Jerry Coyne Your Inner Fish, by Neil Shubin *Psychology: The Blank Slate / How The Mind Works, by Peter Atkins Consciousness Explained, by Daniel Dennett The Mind Made Flesh, by Nicholas Humphrey *Physical Sciences: Cosmos / Pale Blue Dot, by Carl Sagan The Trouble With Physics, by Lee Smolin *Philosophy: Freedom Evolves, by Daniel Denett An Introduction to Philosophical Logic, by AC Grayling The System of Nature, by Baron d'Holbach An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, by David Hume ...and lots and lots of others... I could be here all day. :P I loved Christopher Hitchens' God Is Not Great. Have you read that one? Oh, and I have quite a few of these books in pdf format on my PC as well. I'd be happy to send them to you, if you'd like? When you say you’re biased towards the biology faculty — it’s thanks to Dawkins’ books that I decided to quit studying visual multimedia and get a degree in zoology instead, which I currently am! All thanks to The Extended Phenotype and The Blind Watchmaker, really!

Some of my absolute favourite science books for a general audience:

*Science in general:
Galileo’s Finger — The Ten Geat Ideas of Science, by Peter Atkins
Science: A History, by John Gribbin
The Demon-Haunted World: Science As a Candle In The Dark, by Carl Sagan
Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond
Unweaving the Rainbow, by Richard Dawkins

*Biology:
Darwin’s Dangerous Idea, by Daniel Dennett
Genome, by Matt Ridley
Why Evolution is True, by Jerry Coyne
Your Inner Fish, by Neil Shubin

*Psychology:
The Blank Slate / How The Mind Works, by Peter Atkins
Consciousness Explained, by Daniel Dennett
The Mind Made Flesh, by Nicholas Humphrey

*Physical Sciences:
Cosmos / Pale Blue Dot, by Carl Sagan
The Trouble With Physics, by Lee Smolin

*Philosophy:
Freedom Evolves, by Daniel Denett
An Introduction to Philosophical Logic, by AC Grayling
The System of Nature, by Baron d’Holbach
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, by David Hume

…and lots and lots of others… I could be here all day. :P

I loved Christopher Hitchens’ God Is Not Great. Have you read that one? Oh, and I have quite a few of these books in pdf format on my PC as well. I’d be happy to send them to you, if you’d like?

]]> By: Wouter http://zajonker.com/wouter/2009/09/new-dawkins-books-now-available/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Wouter Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:07:41 +0000 http://zajonker.com/wouter/?p=6#comment-30 Yes, I can't wait to read the Greatest Show myself as you should have gathered from my post. However some of my mental faculties are striking because I am biased towards the biology faculty :P. I need to read a bit on other sciences as well. I have been thinking to read some Feynman before I read another Dawkins book. What non biology popular science books would you recommend? Interesting that you mention the God Delusion, I have not read it. When it was released I only had some vague knowledge of the book's existence, but that was during a time in which I was studying political science and socio informatics at university and had no time for things outside of that scope. However when I finished in mid 2008 I had(still) a crisis of faith, which I had for about 3 years, so I wanted to know what makes an atheist tick and find out for myself why I am vibrating to it's notions. Somewhere in around 2005 I experienced what Christopher Hitchens calls the "baptism". <blockquote> Quite often, the ‘baptism’ of a future dissenter occurs in something unplanned, such as a spontaneous resistance to an episode of bullying or bigotry, or a challenge to some piece of pedagogical stupidity.</blockquote> The 'baptism' occurred was during a conservative Christian sermon. So I bought The Blind Watchmaker instead and that was good enough for me. Even after I have read it, I still struggled with personal incredulity, but reading Climbing Mount Improbable delivered me from my foolishness. Since then I have never looked back, and how thankful I am for being brave enough to respond to the baptism. Yes, I can’t wait to read the Greatest Show myself as you should have gathered from my post. However some of my mental faculties are striking because I am biased towards the biology faculty :P . I need to read a bit on other sciences as well. I have been thinking to read some Feynman before I read another Dawkins book. What non biology popular science books would you recommend?

Interesting that you mention the God Delusion, I have not read it. When it was released I only had some vague knowledge of the book’s existence, but that was during a time in which I was studying political science and socio informatics at university and had no time for things outside of that scope.

However when I finished in mid 2008 I had(still) a crisis of faith, which I had for about 3 years, so I wanted to know what makes an atheist tick and find out for myself why I am vibrating to it’s notions. Somewhere in around 2005 I experienced what Christopher Hitchens calls the “baptism”.

Quite often, the ‘baptism’ of a future dissenter occurs in something unplanned, such as a spontaneous resistance to an episode of bullying or bigotry, or a challenge to some piece of pedagogical stupidity.

The ‘baptism’ occurred was during a conservative Christian sermon.

So I bought The Blind Watchmaker instead and that was good enough for me. Even after I have read it, I still struggled with personal incredulity, but reading Climbing Mount Improbable delivered me from my foolishness. Since then I have never looked back, and how thankful I am for being brave enough to respond to the baptism.

]]> By: Louis http://zajonker.com/wouter/2009/09/new-dawkins-books-now-available/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Louis Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:36:05 +0000 http://zajonker.com/wouter/?p=6#comment-27 You're going to love The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing. I'm also a huge Dawkins fan, having read all of his books (more than once, or twice!) :P He is without a doubt my favourite non-fiction writer. Hands down. I can't wait to get the new book -- I've been phoning around over the past weekend, but nobody seems to have it yet. (I'm also from SA and I am not sure why but they're taking their precious time getting this one here -- we didn't wait this long for The God Delusion!). Will have a go again tomorrow. I can't wait to read it! Anyway... you'll thoroughly enjoy The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing. It's perfect for travelling or reading in bed at night, as the pieces aren't too long and can be read seperately. :) You’re going to love The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing. I’m also a huge Dawkins fan, having read all of his books (more than once, or twice!) :P He is without a doubt my favourite non-fiction writer. Hands down. I can’t wait to get the new book — I’ve been phoning around over the past weekend, but nobody seems to have it yet. (I’m also from SA and I am not sure why but they’re taking their precious time getting this one here — we didn’t wait this long for The God Delusion!). Will have a go again tomorrow. I can’t wait to read it! Anyway… you’ll thoroughly enjoy The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing. It’s perfect for travelling or reading in bed at night, as the pieces aren’t too long and can be read seperately. :)

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