Cosmos
Mar 7, 2010 Philosophy & Thinking, Politics and Society, Science and Technology
A journey through the history of the universe, our own human perspective on it and a look into the possible futures of mankind amongst the stars – Cosmos is a beautiful book that conveys Carl Sagan’s constant awe and wonder at the sheer size and strangeness of the cosmic ocean in which we are merely a floating speck.
The thirteen chapters in the book correspond to the 13 episodes of the original TV series, and the content ranges from philosophy and cultural history to hard physics and astronomy, and the book as a whole is both a celebration of the wonders of the universe, and a plea for us to come together as a species to explore it before we tear ourselves apart.
Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness
Feb 16, 2010 Learning and Knowledge, Philosophy & Thinking, Self Help & Personal Training
This is one of the many books I’ve reviewed that focusses on irrational behaviour and its causes. Two things in particular stand out about this one:
1. It focusses on the economic repercussions of irrational choices, both for the individual, companies and the entirely of society
2. It advocates, and outlines, ways to structure options to gently steer people towards choices that clearly give more net benefits, while ensuring that all other choices are still open to them – having organ donations opt-out instead of opt-in, for example.
Some may find this idea a little bit controlling for their taste, but as the authors point out, “choice architecture” already exists – private companies in particular can, and do, nudge us towards choices that may not be the best for us. The authors argue that their own ideas of choice architecture simply work to redress the balance. Check it out, and tell me if you agree with them in the comments.
Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior
Jan 24, 2010 Learning and Knowledge, Philosophy & Thinking, Self Help & Personal Training, Skeptical books
This fun book leans towards irrationality in economics and politics, presenting examples of poorly thought-out decisions and then using science to explain the psychological mechanisms behind them. Probably the most interesting section looks at en masse diagnosis of bipolar disorder, why it became such a common diagnosis, and the effects that such a diagnosis can have on a developing child.
It’s not a thick book, and if you’ve read several things in the same sort of area then you might feel a little cheated to find it repeats information you already know. On the other hand, if you want a light refresher or you’re just delving into this area, this is a good one to pick up.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Jan 13, 2010 Learning and Knowledge, Philosophy & Thinking, Self Help & Personal Training
This book is a massive eye-opener. It explains the fundamental mechanisms behind suggestion and influence as used in sales tactics and to establish authority. This is a far cry form those cheesy NLP-style influence technique books, and Cialdini makes no assertions that he cannot back up through scientific research and experimentation, unlike some of the cringeworthy trash out there. It’s not at all dry, though, and the author’s self-deprecating humour lightens the mood of the entire book.
Synopsis: “Influence”, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say “yes” – and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding field of influence and persuasion. His thirty-five years of rigorous, evidence-based research along with a three-year program of study on what moves people to change behavior has resulted in this highly acclaimed book. You’ll learn the six universal principles, how to use them to become a skilled persuader – and how to defend yourself against them. Perfect for people in all walks of life, the principles of “Influence” will move you toward profound personal change and act as a driving force for your success.
Breaking The Spell: Religion As A Natural Phenomenon
Dec 6, 2009 Philosophy & Thinking, Religion and Ethics
In Breaking The Spell, Daniel Dennett argues for taking a rational, objective view of religious belief and behaviour in light of discoveries in neuroscience, evolutionary theory and other advancements in human understanding. Beginning with a discussion of the taboo of treating religion as a natural occurrence and examining it scientifically, the book goes on to do just that, and plead for the reader to do the same. I found it lacks the sometimes-harsh tone of Dawkins and Hitchens, and is aimed at believers as well as atheists, making it hard to accuse Dennett of preaching to the choir.
Summary: In his characteristically provocative fashion, Dennett, author of Darwin’s Dangerous Idea and director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, calls for a scientific, rational examination of religion that will lead us to understand what purpose religion serves in our culture. Much like E.O. Wilson (In Search of Nature), Robert Wright (The Moral Animal), and Richard Dawkins (The Selfish Gene), Dennett explores religion as a cultural phenomenon governed by the processes of evolution and natural selection. Religion survives because it has some kind of beneficial role in human life, yet Dennett argues that it has also played a maleficent role.
Daniel Dennett: Breaking The Spell: Religion As A Natural Phenomenon
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion – Free Download
Dec 4, 2009 History, Philosophy & Thinking, Religion and Ethics, Skeptical books
The Scottish Enlightenment was the dawn of a new way of thinking – rationalism, and the rejection of reasonless authority. Intellectuals were gathering in Edinburgh to discuss the discoveries of Newton, Copernicus and Bacon, and were churning out treatises and essays on philosophy, economics and political science at a breathtaking rate. Right in the middle of this was David Hume.
Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion consists of a debate between three characters – Cleanthes, Philo and Demea – who between them hash out some of the conflicts between rational thought and religious belief. Hume does not challenge the idea of a god as such, and this is not an atheist treatise, but he intelligently questions the assumptions of the time about such a being’s omnipotence and morality. He also presents arguments against the apparent self-evidence of intelligent design, a debate that still rages on over two centuries later.
The very idea of looking at, and questioning, the idea of god through the lens of rationality is something that many of us take for granted, and it can be hard to remember that it was once a novel concept. It’s worth picking up this book just to be reminded of that.
Free download from Librivox
The Right Way to Do Wrong: An Expose of Successful Criminals – free download.
Nov 24, 2009 History, Philosophy & Thinking, Skeptical books, Special Offers
Sticking with our magic theme this week we have a great release for anyone interested in magic. Writen by Houdini himself, The Right Way To Do Wrong is an interesting look in to the techniques of what has to be the world’s greatest magician.
Houdini spent a lot of his time debunking people who made fraudulent claims, from psychic abilities to magical powers. The Right Way is Houdini’s first book and is more directed towards exposing criminal activity, but there is a passage or two on “spiritual frauds”. From Burglars, thieves, pickpockets and beggars it’s all covered here, but don’t take my word for it. You can download a free copy of the audio book here.
LibriVox recordings are Public Domain in the USA. If you are not in the USA, please verify the copyright status of these works in your own country before downloading, otherwise you may be violating copyright laws.
SYNOPSIS: The legendary Harry Houdini started the tradition of magicians debunking charlatans and revealing secrets of the trade that continues today through the likes Penn and Teller or James “The Amazing” Randi. But Houdini went even further here, in this delightful 1906 novelty: he revealed the working secrets of thieves, swindlers, and con artists. Culled from his conversations with “the chiefs of police and the most famous detectives in the world,” Houdini’s tales of the tricks of the trade of beggars, pickpockets, and burglars are instructive and amusing. The master showman was also a surprisingly entertaining writer-and this is one of his most enjoyable books, one that will enthrall readers of true crime as well as fans of Houdini himself. Hungarian-American magician and professional skeptic EHRICH WEISS (1874-1926)-aka Harry Houdini, “Handcuff King and Jail Breaker”-also wrote Magical Rope Ties and Escapes (1920) and A Magician Among the Spirits (1924).
Amazon Link
Letter to a Christian Nation
Nov 7, 2009 Philosophy & Thinking, Religion and Ethics, Skeptical books
Sam Harris books are usually to be found sitting next to that of Hitchens and Dawkins in the “New-Atheism” sections of a bookshop (if you’re lucky to have such a section). This is one of those obvious releases that anyone who is of the atheist mind set should own a copy of. It is if anything the introductory book for many who haven’t bothered to define themselves spiritually or are perhaps sitting on the fence on the whole issue.
As a book it’s a set of letters very much written AT Christians, asking them questions from someone who has obviously become tired with the tolerance shown to Christianity. They range from the straight up questioning of the clearly flawed historical events in the bible (possibly the weaker section) to the deeper questions about God’s omnipotence and why the universe exists.
You could probably read this book in a few sittings as it’s fairly thin and some sections take just moments to read. But each chapter addresses a single idea and puts forward all the arguments against Christianity without referring to too much biblical scripture.
The book isn’t without it’s faults and at times the tone becomes a little abrasive, but never at any time wanders in the the ascorbic rhetoric associated with Hitchens and appears less “snitty” than Dawkins’ God Delusion. It’s clear that Harris is no biblical scholar and glosses over some of the core ideas of Christianity painting all Christians with the same brush.
However this very much seems to be a response to the fact that in the US Christianity is a default position for many and so he’s fighting an uphill battle. It would be easy to argue against Harris if you are a biblical scholar, but so often many people who call themselves Christians aren’t. In fact many haven’t even bothered to read the bible – this is a key point in the titling of the book and should not be forgotten.
If you don’t know this book it’s well worth reading as a follow up to something like The God Delusion. If you’re the sort of person who simply wants to find the atheist position on a wide variety of subjects it’s a great place to start. It’s not the God Delusion, but it is a bite size version that’s very quick and easy to digest.
Mind Hacks: Tips & Tricks for Using Your Brain
Nov 6, 2009 Learning and Knowledge, Philosophy & Thinking, Self Help & Personal Training
Unlike the Life Hacks website the mindhacks (www.mindhacks.com) website is very much about general brain news. However the book contains useful resources on everything from mnemonic techniques to myths about the brain. It’s well written and is like a lot of the “hacks” series of books, a dip-in-and-out style.
Despite this it is more of a guide to the workings of the mind, how we interface with our visual and audio systems and as a result there’s not so many actual hacks. If you’re looking for a book that will help you to actually “hack” your mind you might try this release: Mind Performance Hacks (link).
In an ideal world the two would have been combined as the latter much thinner and content light release lacks the chunky content of Mind Hacks. However they are both considerably reduced in price now and can be picked up together for less.
There is a good flow to the book, from the structure of the brain through to the differing functions, the information output and how we as humans perceive this. The final section on “Other People” is my favourite chapter and is a great ending to what can be quite a trek. It’s hard to remember everything that’s in there but the annotated summaries and guides really help.
Product Description: The brain is a fearsomely complex information-processing environment–one that often eludes our ability to understand it. At any given time, the brain is collecting, filtering, and analyzing information and, in response, performing countless intricate processes, some of which are automatic, some voluntary, some conscious, and some unconscious.Cognitive neuroscience is one of the ways we have to understand the workings of our minds.
The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers
Nov 4, 2009 Learning and Knowledge, Philosophy & Thinking
Illustrating decades of research with compelling and often bizarre examples of glitches and miscues, Daniel L Schacter’s The Seven Sins of Memory dusts off an old topic and finds material of both practical and theoretical interest. Chair of Harvard’s Department of Psychology, Schacter knows his stuff and how to present it memorably.
Organising the book by examining each of seven “sins” such as absent-mindedness and suggestibility, Schacter slowly builds his case that these sometimes enraging bugs are actually side effects of system features we wouldn’t want to do without. For example, when we focus our attention on one aspect of our surroundings, we inevitably draw attention away from others.
