Category Archives: Book Notes

Narrativium and Lies-to-children

Posted on Thursday 18 June 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

I was looking at the third volume in this series, published in the US last week (the publisher, Penguin Random House/Anchor, has kindly been sending me copies), and realized the book wasn’t at all what I’d thought at first glance … Continue reading →

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Links and Comments: Jerry Coyne; Max Planck; Creationism and Education; Human history and progress; and others

Posted on Thursday 11 June 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Finished reading Jerry Coyne’s new book Faith Vs. Fact, subtitled “Why Science and Religion Are Incompatible”, which I took extensive notes on that at some point I will summarize here on my blog. Meanwhile, Coyne did a Q&A with National … Continue reading →

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Links and Comments: Flip-Flopping Politicians; Jerry Coyne’s new book; Six Basic Storylines; Trigger Events

Posted on Wednesday 20 May 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Slate: Our Best Presidents Are Flip-Floppers Politicians are attacked for changing their positions due to political expediency — as Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, a one-time biology major, has done about the teaching of creationism in schools, to appeal to his … Continue reading →

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Bad Astronomy, 1

Posted on Tuesday 12 May 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

I’m currently reading through the eponymous book by the popular ‘Bad Astronomy’ blogger Phil Plait, now posting regularly at Slate.com, where he celebrates scientific breakthroughs and criticizes anti-science movements (anti-vaxxers, state-sanctioned teaching of creationism, etc.). His first book, which I’ll … Continue reading →

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Jordan Ellenberg, How Not to Be Wrong, Post 3

Posted on Thursday 19 March 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled: The Power of Mathematical Thinking. Third post (after this and then this) about this fascinating book, an examination of several basic principles (linearity, inference, expectation, regression, and existence) and how they apply to every-day, real world situations, situations that … Continue reading →

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Jordan Ellenberg, How Not to Be Wrong, Post 2

Posted on Wednesday 11 February 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled: The Power of Mathematical Thinking. Second post (first post here) about this fascinating book, an examination of several basic principles (linearity, inference, expectation, regression, and existence) and how they apply to every-day, real world situations, situations that are often … Continue reading →

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Jordan Ellenberg, How Not to Be Wrong

Posted on Sunday 8 February 2015 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled: The Power of Mathematical Thinking. This is the first of what may turn out to be several posts about this book, an examination of several basic principles (linearity, inference, expectation, regression, and existence) and how they apply to every-day, … Continue reading →

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Phil Zuckerman, Living the Secular Life

Posted on Monday 22 December 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled: New Answers to Old Questions. This is a book that addresses the growing trend of non-religious people especially in the US, and how they live their lives without the assumptions that the faithful think are necessary for living a … Continue reading →

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Hawking’s Theory of Everything

Posted on Wednesday 17 December 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Stephen Hawking & Leonard Mlodinow, THE GRAND DESIGN (2010) This is the most recent book authored (or co-authored) by Stephen Hawking, the well-known brilliant physicist, subject of the recent film The Theory of Everything. The film depicts (in addition to … Continue reading →

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The Science of Interstellar

Posted on Wednesday 10 December 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Just finished reading Kip Thorne’s THE SCIENCE OF INTERSTELLAR, a big trade paperback with lots of diagrams and a few photos. Takeaways: 1) Thorne was one of the creators of the initial premise for the film, long before Christopher Nolan … Continue reading →

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