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This is a continuation of the original topic at the following location:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3...

Hi Betsy. Not more than 500 comments per thread isn't great. Could you please go to this link and request an improvement: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1...

BTW I recently finished Drive by Daniel H. Pink and here is my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Not a true science book though I must warn.

Thanks.

Thanks, Rohan. That group is where I learned about the limitation. But it's not really a strict limitation; it's just that it becomes unwieldy for Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ to track new messages in that long a thread. It's not that big a deal to start a new thread.

Yes any forum with threads with hundreds of posts becomes "difficult" due to database requirements to keep it all linked together. There's probably not a lot that can be done to 'improve' it Rohan as it is likely already optimized etc. The optimal solution is to simple limit the thread lengths by deleting old posts or as in this case starting new threads (and letting the old threads be purged eventually).

Just finished Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe by Simon Conway-Morris. I wanted to read it because it deals with his views that counter those of S. J. Gould. I learned much more about the phenomenon of convergence than about the debates. He makes no attempt to soften, define or dispose of the technical jargon of the various fields involved.

Here's my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Just finished the new book by Google big wigs Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen called The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business. The authors prognosticate on how digital technology will impact everything from the domestic sphere; to government and international relations and conflicts; to the developing world (where 5 billion people are expected to come online in the next 20 years). The authors have some very interesting perspectives on how the digital age will play out. I've written a full executive summary of the book available here:

Cheers,
Aaron

Finished reading Near-Earth Objects: Finding Them Before They Find Us by Donald K. Yeomans. A quick and interesting introductory read on the subject. Here is my short review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Just finished the new book by Jaron Lanier called Who Owns the Future? The book focuses on the information economy, and argues that the Internet is creating a system of winners (the major Internet companies), and losers (the ordinary people who freely provide the content and data that is being used by the Internet companies to create mega-profits). In order to preserve a middle-class going forward--as the information economy comes to represent an ever greater proportion of the economy as a whole--Lanier argues we must monetize information, and pay ordinary people for the contributions they make to the Internet. An interesting idea. I've written a full executive summary of the book available here:

Finished reading How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown. It was an amazing book. Loved Author's writing style. A must read for all of you science lovers in this group. Here is my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Extreme: Life, Death and the limits of the Human Body by Kevin Fong.
Ties in vivid stories ranging from the exploration of the cosmos to his own experiences whilst diving to illustrate the physiology and inner workings of the human body. A truly excellent book. As a doctor myself, Im left grappling with how easily he explains some pretty complex concepts and reveals the importance of some of the things I had taken for granted at med school!

by Hali Felt Marie Tharp drew the map that showed the mid-atlantic ridge had a valley down the middle of it. It could only mean one thing to her. Continental Drift was real! The maps she drew eventually covered all of the oceans. Largely forgotten, Hali Felt has written a very readable story of her life.

Just finished reading the new book by Adam Rutherford called Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself. The book looks at the latest research in genetics and focuses on 2 topics in particular: the quest to understand how life originated in the first place; and the burgeoning field of synthetic biology (the effort to turn genetic manipulation into an engineering science). The book is well-written and highly informative. I've written a full executive summary available here:

Cheers,
Aaron

I read E=mc²: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation by David Bodanis in June and also finished reading A Planet of Viruses, which was a group read for July. Here are the brief reviews:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Thanks guys! Always appreciate your reviews!

Currently reading Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe as part of the UCB "On The Same Page" program ().

I don't like the writing at all. It's far more convoluted than it needs to be. One wonders where the editors were. The topic definitely has my attention, though. I'm finding it fascinating to be able to connect Enigma and Bletchley Park with the bomb development at Los Alamos.

Thanks Margie. I hate books that are convoluted like that. I throw them across the room because there is no excuse for that kind of writing. I also complain to the authors and publishers.

Just finished reading the new book by Ben Way called Jobocalypse: The End of Human Jobs and How Robots Will Replace Them. The book explores the present and future of robotics and its impact on the economy, and argues that automated technology will come to increasingly usurp jobs from us humans (as well as what we can do about this). It's a fun and very interesting read. I've written a full executive summary of the book available here:

Cheers,
Aaron

I'm re-reading "The Trouble with Physics" by Lee Smolin. Great stuff

The Trouble with Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science and What Comes Next

Looking forward to your review, Kenny. Looks intriguing, though I'm worried that I don't have enough of a physics background to be able to weigh his argument.

Margie, it doesn't much require any background, written for popular audience. Some likely think he is jaded, he does lash out a bit at university research but I'm more of the opinion he is being realistic from what I know.

Many areas of physics have gotten into places where they are more like philosophy or mysticism then science. Smolin being an insider exposes some of this, in a healthy manner IMO.

I can certainly confirm that Dr Smolin writes in a way that doesn't presuppose any heavier knowledge of physics. It's been a while since I've read it, but from looking at the pdf (always try to obtain one after buying a book), even if you don't really get the how and why of electrons, you should be fine.


The one that I'm finishing right now:

The Magic Furnace: The Search for the Origins of Atoms

This is my 2nd book by the author and while the other one actually seemed kinda lightweight and repeated a lot of the information that always gets mentioned (but with the title "Quantum Theory Can't Hurt You" what else could be expected?), this one was much more focused both on the subject matter and the colorful details as well.

What Mr Chown set out to explain here is the answer to a simple question: how did all the different chemical elements come to existence? The short answer is really short (they were made inside stars), but the longer one is a lively story of scientists making a long chain of discoveries. What's so beautiful is how much he has to say about the people themselves, while also slowly unveiling that next piece of the puzzle. The scientists are shown as real flesh and blood people and the information gets transferred in nicely digestible chunks.

To sum up: Have you ever wanted to know more about the two most important processes happening in stars (the proton-proton chain and the CNO cycle) and/or the great people who made this knowledge possible? If so, then boy, have I got a book for you! ;)

That sounds interesting. We have previously bemoaned the apparent dearth of books about chemistry -- especially those written for the lay person. I will add it to the group bookshelves.

That one does sound interesting.

Just finished The rise and fall of the Southern Alps, the story of New Zealand's South Island picturesque mountain chain. Beautifully and informatively illustrated - a great way to get a feel for plate tectonics.

Just finished "The Universe Within". Probably one of the best books I've read, clearly written for both those versed in scientific endeavors and the layman alike, that presents an integration of cosmology and biology in support of how we came to be.

Looks like a great book - I have added this to my want to read list :)

Ksz wrote: "I can certainly confirm that Dr Smolin writes in a way that doesn't presuppose any heavier knowledge of physics. It's been a while since I've read it, but from looking at the pdf (always try to obt..."

I am reading The Tree: A Natural History of What Trees Are, How They Live & Why They Matter and if you are interested in the natural history and genetics of plants this is an excellent book. I have a fairly strong background in the genetics of animals but was astounded to learn of the vast difference in the genetic complexity of plants - wow! Very awesome!

Craig wrote: "Just finished "The Universe Within". Probably one of the best books I've read, clearly written for both those versed in scientific endeavors and the layman alike, that presents an integration of co..."

Craig, there are several books with that title. Who was the author of the one you read?

Just finished and reviewed The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space, which is finally available on Kindle and in fact was free for a brief time.

I had wanted to read this for some time because several authors of space exploration books mention it and the author, Gerard O'Neill, frequently.

It's a bit unfair to criticize a work that was written in 1977 for being wildly off the mark in 2013 so I tried to evaluate it for it's historical value as well as for it's predictions of where we'd be in space by now. Here's the review:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Just finished Sacred Cows and Golden Geese: The Human Cost of Experiments on Animals. It argues that animal experimentation offers no usable data for human disease, and is in fact killing people. I found it convincing, for the most part, though a less biased look would have been better.

I'm currently reading The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe. I requested it from my local library and didn't realise it had 1000+ pages until I went to pick it up! It turned out to be quite good, but it's really inconvenient to carry with me.

I'm always skeptical when anything claims to be "A Completer Guide to ...." :)

The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe is a pretty complete guide to physics, and not an easy read. Chelsea, if you make it through the book--even the first half--I congratulate you!

Order Out of Chaos by Ilya Prigogine. Science gets rather complicating (for me, as a layman) in part III but overall one of the most interesting books i've read. A must for people into things on the edge between math, order and life... (And - chauvinistic alert- belgian nobelprize winner)

by Brian Switek An overview over what is known about dinosaurs and unanswered questions. enjoyed it.

Patricrk wrote: " by Brian Switek An overview over what is known about dinosaurs and unanswered quest..."

I enjoyed it too, Patricrk, but I liked his first book, Written in Stone: Evolution, the Fossil Record, and Our Place in Nature, even more so you might want to check it out.

Just finished reading the new book by Jeff Stibel called Breakpoint: Why the Web will Implode, Search will be Obsolete, and Everything Else you Need to Know about Technology is in Your Brain. The book is about networks, and how networks evolve; and it focuses on the internet (which is one enormous network). Stibel argues that the internet is still in the early phases of its evolution, and that based on how other similar networks evolve (such as the ant colony and the human brain), we can expect some big big changes out of the internet in the coming years (including the development of real intelligence and consciousness). This was an extremely interesting read. I've written a full executive summary available here:

Cheers,
Aaron

I just finished The Spark of Life by Frances Ashcroft The Spark of Life: Electricity in the Human Body. It was ok. I'm always a bit disappointed when I feel as if the author dumbed down a topic to make sure the general public would understand what she is saying. Many chapters gave me that impression. That said, I think many people don't understand how chemical impulses are utilized in living systems, so from that point of view, the book provides some insights. My favorite chapters were those covering historical topics and there many moments I wanted to try to recreate some of the old experiments. The author wisely cautions against this (the experiments are simple, but dangerous), but still, I was VERY intrigued. Chapters dealing with more modern discoveries were a little hum-drum to me - maybe because I already have a solid background in physiology. I would recommend the book as a quick read for non-biologists and the general public - informative and interesting, but not too thought provoking.

Just finished reading the new book by David Epstein called The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance. The book explores how genes and environment interact at every step of the way in the development of elite athletes. This is without a doubt one of the best books I've read all year, and I highly recommend it. I've written a full executive summary available here:

Cheers,
Aaron

I just finished reading Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Here is the link to my review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I just finished reading Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by T. Colin Campbell. It is an excellent book about the importance of a "wholistic" approach to preventing disease and maintaining health. I recommend it very highly to anybody interested in medical science, research, and the medical industry. Here is my review.

My latest read was Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors by Nicholas Wade. Five stars. I much preferred it to Last Ape Standing: The Seven-Million-Year Story of How and Why We Survived. It will go on my Read Again list. It's a fascinating overview of the new field of Archaeogenetics.

My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Steve, I agree: Before the Dawn is an excellent book. The lines of reasoning used in archaeogenetics are very interesting. Highly recommended.

Aaron wrote: "Just finished reading the new book by David Epstein called The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance. The book explores how genes and environment interact at every s..."

I liked the look of this Aaron - might make a good book of the month...Hadith been nominated?

Angus wrote: "Aaron wrote: "Just finished reading the new book by David Epstein called The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance." ...I liked the look of this Aaron - might make a good book of the month.."

Angus, it's too new to have been nominated previously. It was just published this month. Maybe in three or four months you could nominate it. I know I'd be interested.

Iam Currently reading the Grand Design

Just finished The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey by Spencer Wells.

This turned out to be the third volume of a "trilogy" of sorts. I had just read Last Ape Standing: The Seven-Million-Year Story of How and Why We Survived (2013) and Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors (2006). Naturally I was a little concerned that it might be largely redundant with all or parts of the other two, or that it might be dated, having been published in 2002.

The rest of my review:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Just finished reading The Quantum Story: A History in 40 Moments.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

BetseaK wrote: "I just finished reading Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Here is the link to my review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."

I haven't read that one in particular, but the story of the great debate in physics during that time period is fascinating.

Werner Heisenberg was pulled over by a police officer one day in Amsterdam for speeding. The officer asked him if he knew how fast he was going. Heisenberg responded, "I have no idea, but I know exactly where I am." A bit of humor!

Leonardo wrote: "BetseaK wrote: "I just finished reading Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Here is the link to my review:
http://www.goodreads.com/re..."

There are bits of humor and anecdotes both in Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality and in The Quantum Story: A History in 40 Moments but that particular anecdote was not mentioned in either. :)