Harry Potter I - VII, Lots of good fun! And I have seen the movies -- also fun.
Sociobiology
June 03: The Future of Life, Edward O. Wilson
Easy read. Depressing presentation on human population growth and the pressures this places on biodiversity. Offers solutions.
The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins This introduces us to role of genes in behavior. And Memes. Necessary.
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Thomas S. Kuhn This guy introduces "Paradigm" to common usage. If you want to understand how ideas come into the mainstream of scientific thought start here. Not an easy read but worth the effort.
Consilience The Unity of Knowledge, Edward O. Wilson Read it.
Dawkins vs. Gould, Survival of the Fittest; Kim Sterelny, Quick read and does kind of explain the issue between these 2 points of view.
Non Zero, The Logic of Human Destiny; Robert Wright, Interesting point of view on how non zero sum games may be the driving force behind advancement in all systems including human culture.
The Evolution Wars, A Guide to the Debates; Michael Ruse
Mathish Science stuff
Flatterland, Ian Stewart A takeoff on Flatland which you should read first.
To Infinity and Beyond, A Cultuural History of the Infinite; Eli Maor Just another book
A History of Pi, Petr Beckmann. Kind of fun to read
Genius, The Life and Science of Richard Feynman; James Gleick I have a signed copy!
Civil War
The Last Full Measure, Jeff Shaara
A Stillness at Appomattox; Bruce Catton
The Passing of the Armies; Joshua Lawrence Chamberllain
This Astounding Close, The road to Bennett Place; Mark L bradley
By Month
June 03: Living with Our Genes (Why They Matter More Than You Think), Dean Hamer.
Easy read. Covers the subject. Of special interest his his work on homosexuals.
July 03: The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature, Steven Pinker.
Tough read. Not sure I understood all of it. But this book is good. Pinker knows a lot of stuff and touches on lots of issues.
July 03: The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown -- Fun quick adventure read.
July 03: East of Eden, Steinbeck -- What?
July 03: Crypto: Steven Levy
August 03: Scourge, The once and Future Threat of Smallpox, Jonathan B Tucker
Spring 04: The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature, Matt Ridley, Damn interesting.
July 04: Killer Diller, Clyde Edgerton, Nod Namn
Sept 04: Physics and Psychics; Victor J. Stenger; If you are prone to think there is Psychic shit going on -- reality check!
Sept 04: FREETHINKERS a History of American Secularism, Susan Jacoby, God is NOT mentioned in our constitution!!!!
I have not been keeping up with this. Teaching physics takes all my time. Teaching Physics Now :-(
Summer 2005: Ancestors Tale, The World is Flat, Collapse
2007:
Misquoting Jesus, Ehrman Helps understand how the bible was constructed.
The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins -- Rehash of views in his other books
Jesus for the Non-Religious, Spong -- Better than Ehrman on the source of the bible.
iWoz, Steve Wozniak, WOW look what I did. He's a clueless creative guy.
The Rising, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins Left Behind series. Holy crap. These folks are nuts. Read one. Should be enough!
A People's History of Science, Clifford D. Connner -- A real easy book to put down. Marxish. Lots of good information. Hammers sociobiology in last chapter!
2008:
March: Degrees Kelvin, David Lindley -- Biography of Lord Kelvin. Good history on the development of Thermodynamics and other science in the 19th century
September: The Age of American Unreason, Susan Jacoby Some good spots but Freethinkers was a better book.
October: Titanic's Last Secrets: Brad Matsen
Fun to read.
Why Evolution Matters, Michael Shermer Good
The Double Helix, James D. Watson. Nice
read
2009
February The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes, Richard Firestone. Theory on how bay lakes formed. Comet.
March: The Canon, Natalie Angier. Presents several science themes. Good presentation but too cute.
April Galileo's Finger the Ten Great Ideas of Science, Peter
Atkins. Very well written and I very much enjoyed what I understood.
Good section on entropy.
The Singularity, Ray Kursweil. Will computing power
be sufficient to create mind. Lots of great stuff but it got too crazy so
I only read about half of it.
May: Einstein's Telescope, Evalyn Gates. Dark Matter & Energy. Good
July: Einstein's Clocks, ... Peter Galison. Good
history on development of relativity. Did not enjoy writing style.
Time, Its Origin, Its Enigma, Its History. Alexander Waugh.
Not too technical. Picks at god. Fun History.
Walking Zero. Chet Raymo.
Some science history. Development of our place in universe. Good
little read.
AUGUST: is GOD a Mathematician? Mario Livio. Good
math history. Is math invented or discovered? Good book
Halley's Quest, Julie Wakefield. Decent view of Halley's ocean
voyage to study magnitism + other views
Mexico, Michener. Bull fights define a people. Glade I finally read a Michener book.
DECEMBER: Caravan, Michener
2010 2010 2010 2010
Jan: The Copernican Revolution, Thomas S. Kuhn. An example of how a scientific revolution occures.