Category Archives: science

Death by Black Hole

Posted on September 10, 2009 by smellincoffee

Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandries© 2007 Neil deGrasse Tyson384 pages Although I’ve encountered Dr. Tyson before — chiefly through interviews in podcasts like The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe and the Humanist Network News — I’ve never … Continue reading →

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The Demon-Haunted World

Posted on September 6, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark © 1995 Carl Sagan 457 pages Carl Sagan’s Demon-Haunted World is a classic of the modern skeptical movement. I initially began to phrase that “will be considered”, but quickly changed … Continue reading →

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Dolphins

Posted on August 13, 2009 by smellincoffee

Dolphins © 1975 Jacques-Yves Cousteau 304 pages In every color, there is the light. In every stone sleeps a crystal. Remember the shaman, when he used to say — “Man is the dream of the dolphin.” – “The Dream of … Continue reading →

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Anthropology for Dummies

Posted on August 9, 2009 by smellincoffee

Anthropology for Dummies: From Archaeology to Linguistics — Your Plain-English Guide to the Study of Humankind © 2008 Cameron Smith with Evan T. Davies 360 pages “The human species has found many ways to be human.” – p. 259 I … Continue reading →

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Why Evolution is True

Posted on June 28, 2009 by smellincoffee

Why Evolution is True © 2009 Jerry A. Coyne 282 pages Evolution is actually one of my favorite science topics to read about. Back in high school, I was a young-earth creationist who wore Kent Hovind tapes out while shaking … Continue reading →

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Medical Firsts

Posted on June 24, 2009 by smellincoffee

Medical Firsts: From Hippocrates to the Human Genome © 2004 Robert Adler 232 pages A little over a year ago, I read Science Firsts, a fairly enjoyable book that prepared me well for a summer focusing on the history of … Continue reading →

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Black Holes and Baby Universes

Posted on June 23, 2009 by smellincoffee

Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays © 1993 Stephen Hawking 182 pages Well, this is one book that recquires very little explaination. It’s a book of essays written by Stephen Hawking, most of them being on scientific topics. … Continue reading →

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Asimov on Astronomy

Posted on June 10, 2009 by smellincoffee

Asimov on Astronomy © 1975 Isaac Asimov 271 pages Although in the back of my mind I knew the existence of Charon was a relatively recent discovery, I did not realize how recent until I read this book and realized … Continue reading →

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A Brief History of Time

Posted on June 3, 2009 by smellincoffee

A Brief History of Time from the Big Bang to Black Holes© 1988 Stephen Hawking198 Our minds can play tricks on us: my experience with this book is a case in point. I remember vividly being at a big chain … Continue reading →

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American Mania

Posted on May 20, 2009 by smellincoffee

American Mania: When More Isn’t Enough© 2005 Peter Whybrow338 pages The title “American Mania” caught my eye as I wandered through library bookcases trying to familiarize myself with the library’s recent reshuffling of the shelves after a discarding period: everything … Continue reading →

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