Oh yes, regarding bright (n): I think the problem is that it is supposedly a deliberate attempt at emulating the successful ‘gay’ meme. Problem is, no-one I know says, “I’m a gay”, using it as a noun. Now, I don’t mind saying, “I’m bright” at all - it’s true on so many levels. As is, “I’m vain and arrogant”, for instance. “I’m a bright”? Naaaah.
Maybe this is a good idea for an opinion poll? To bright, or not to bright etc.
I have got a few books that i enjoyed.
Sham: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless by Steve Salerno ( Has a good crack at some of the woo woo things these guys sell.)
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett ( One of my favorites )
Small God’s: Terry Pratchett
Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed by Jim Al-Khalili ( Dispelled all the nonsense I had about Quantum theory)
The God Delusion: by Richard Dawkins
The Ancestor’s Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution by Richard Dawkins (Listened to the audio book while going through Siberia)
I want to find out what podcasts you listen to.
My favorites are-
The skeptics guide to the universe ( James Randi has a nice segment in the show)
Skepticality ( A bit slow, but still good)
The Skeptic tank ( Just started listening to them. Good Ozzie podcast. They seem to have a strong sceptic movement in Australia)
Universe today ( Space stuff)
Evolution 101 ( Evo stuff)
The Penn Jillette show ( The big half of Penn & Teller, Can be quite funny. Tends to have strong Libertarian views)
The point of inquiry ( Podcast of the Center for inquiry)
Nature podcast ( Podcast for the Nature Journal)
New scientist podcast ( Podcast for the magazine)
Anybody else have any intresting podcasts?
Although it’s mostly videos, they do have audio downloads for most of the stuff. Some very good ones, Dawkins, Dennet, Shermer… the usual suspects. But then also very nice talks from other interesting people.
Aubrey Degrey, about immortality and longevity.
Burt Rutan, about commercial spaceflight.
…and many more, to much to mention.
Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy - made me always be aware of the crucial need for humour!
Hmm, yes, humour can be important, but one needs to be careful: too much of the wrong kind of humour can, through trivialising it, obscure or even negate an underlying message. Such occasionally encumbers Adams’ writing, I think. Also, a while ago, I started rereading the whole of HHGTTG, intending to read all five books in uninterrupted succession, and halfway through So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (book #4), the constant barrage of loopy irreverence and illogic became simply tedious, so I abandoned the “project.”
That is, of course, an entirely personal and subjective appraisal.
'Luthon64
I reccommend Bede Rundle’s “Why is there Something rather than Nothing.” Also ‘Arguing for Gods,"’ Arguing for Atheism" and God,Freedom and Immortality." And books by George Smith and MIchael Martin. Thanks to Paul Kutz’s Prometheus, there are so many supporting the naturalist perspective now.
Last night I started to read a little book by erstwhile Cambridge philosophy lecturer Jamie Whyte. At ±150 pages the book is quite short. It also happens to be so yummy, both subject matter- and prose-wise, that I just had to read it cover to cover in one sitting (“lie-in,” actually ;D ).
The book’s title is Crimes Against Logic and it deals with many common logical fallacies one encounters daily. Definitely a worthy candidate for inclusion in the “Must Read” list.
'Luthon64
Yeah Project Gutenberg’s got some nice titles. Another OLD book i got from there was The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine. I really enjoyed the book and even though it was written a century ago it very much relates to current thinking. The book was actually banned at first so you can find under banned books on the Gutenberg site.
Chris Mooney : The Republican War on Science
And you don’t have to be American to enjoy.
Mooney has also recently released Storm World, but I have not read it yet.
Phil Plait aka The Bad Astronomer: Bad Astronomy
http://www.badastronomy.com/
Hawking’s “Brief History of Time” was my first eye-opener.
Two more books with the same theme but from different perspectives:
Any books by or of Feynman, especially the one compiled by his daughter, Michelle: “Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From The Beaten Path.”
This is a valuable collection of Feynman’s correspondence, providing wonderful humor and a special appreciation of how he dealt with his Nobel Prize.
“The Feynman Lectures” should be compulsory reading to any freshman. At least then “Six Easy Pieces”, followe by “Six Not So Easy Pieces”.
John Horgan, ex staff writer for Scientific American. His first book: “The End of Physics.”, I particularly enjoyed. At about the time of its publication, Horgan disappeared off the S.A. staff writer list. Could it be he upset too many scientists?
Hugh Eales: “Riddles In Stone. Controversies, Theories and Myths About Southern Africa’s Geological Past” Wits University Press.
Read it!!
And lastly:
William (not Bill) Nealy: “Kayak. The animated Manual of Intermediate and Advanced Whitewater Technique.” Menasha Ridge Press. 171pp. ;D
Thanks, looking for something to read right now, will start with some off your list 
I also recently read this book. Quite enjoyed it. On a similar subject, you might also want to read Science: A History 1543-2001 by John Gribbin. In my opinion, written with a bit more insight into the scientific world. For that matter any book by Gribbin is highly recommended.
Thanks, Bluegray.
I had a rare break for 5 days and my first stop was Exclusive Books. A also visited two other branches and was disappointed not finding a “science” section in any of the three stores??!!
I’m back from my brief holiday during which time I read “Charlie Wilson’s War” by George Crile (between glorious bouts with crayfish, kabeljou and dry white).
Its a rather startling account (at least, to me) of how a maverick Texas congressman wheeled and dealed the CIA into its biggest foreign adventure. I’m referring to the CIA’s “covert” backing of the Mujihadeen in Afghanistan against the occupying Russians in the 1980’s. At 500-something pages of smallish print, it does go on a bit, but as far as I can make out, the author went to some lengths to verify his factual content. If even half of the anectdotes are true, its worth taking note of how dramatically world affairs can be influenced by just a few unknown, but powerful individuals.
Has anyone else noticed Exclusive Book’s removal of their “science” sections?
I’ll see if I can find John Gribbins work on Amazon or Loot.
Not the branches that I visit ???
I’ve been shopping in the science section at Greenstone, Eastgate and Village Walk (maybe that one’s a Facts and Fiction). Last year I bought a few books at those branches.
Actually, I went into a CNA at Sandton City in December and I saw the most laughable mis-categorisation ever! In the Science section was Sylvia Browne’s “Exploring the Levels of Creation”. I laughed, I took a picture (intending to blog about it at some stage) and then I became worried that the average believer of woo might be encouraged by seeing a book like that on the science shelves. I tracked-down the section manager and pointed-out the obvious problem. I suggested that it probably belonged in a section on religion (Sylvia has her own church after all and the book is about creation) or some-such similar section. She took one of the books to her workstation where she looked-up the ISBN to see the publisher’s info about the book. At this point I wanted to chime in that it isn’t important where the publisher thought that it belonged but rather what the subject was about. Before I opened my mouth she said “You’re right, the category is Self help and popular psychology”.
On the way out of the shop I took a walk past the very long religion shelves and cast a look back at the science section, woefully under stocked (about ten titles including the Guinness Book ??? with multiple copies to fill the shelves of what should have been thirty or forty titles) and less than one third the size.
Perhaps that is why some branches of book stores are removing the section?
sigh
I absolutely love this resource ;D
Cram-packed with quotable quotes …
And the discussion by Daniel Dennett on dangerous memes is so full of brilliance I’d have to transcribe the whole video just to cover the bits I loved.
I found my way here last week when I heard about Gell-Mann’s talk on the meaning of beauty in mathematics, the unified theory and more.
Back to the topic of recommended reading …
For a gentler introduction, I’d recommend the “Science of Discworld” series by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen. With the observational humour of Pratchett and the clear explanation of scientific concepts by Stewart and Cohen, this is a book for thinkers from aged 15 to 105.
But more on the side of serious reading, I am currently reading Professor Robert Winston’s “The Human Mind” which is a neuropsychological exploration of where the mind emerges from. Professor Winston presents programmes on the BBC on a variety of topics in an entertaining way and this translates well to his book. You may have seen him in documentaries like “The Human Body”, “Child of Our Time”, “Human Instinct” and “Walking with Cavemen”.
Problem is, no-one I know says, "I'm a gay", using it as a noun.
How about Daffyd Thomas!
Alexander Cameron’s The New Age of Stupidity. Impressively comprehensive and comprehensible at fewer than 30 pages, it covers the common elements of assorted New Age stupidities with a refreshing no-nonsense approach. From the Introduction:
And, best of all, it’s free.
'Luthon64
Not so much a book, but for comedy thats thoroughly enjoyable, brilliantly irreverent, and strangely persuasive, you can’t beat Pat Condell’s series of video’s available from Youtube.
I believe that everybody should read Charles Darwin - “The Origin of Species” and “The Voyage of the Beagle”. If not both then The origin. Susan Blackmore’s book “The Meme Machine” was a facinating read.