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As we've done fiction and poetry, what about some suggestions for the best piece of non-fiction you've ever read. Let's try to avoid the more obvious English text books (Fowler, Partridge et al) I'll kick off with a few suggestions. Ivars Peterson The Jungles of Randomness is a maths book which deals with probability and chance and as it goes explains some of the reasons people hold some wrong views about how likely things are too happen. Bill Bryson's new book A Short History of Nearly Everything is a cracking explanation of where the Universe, the planet and all of us came from. I'd recommend Douglas Hofstadter's Godel, Escher, Bach : An Eternal Golden Band but some might find that it gets to be rather heavy going. I also love all of the books that accompany the various Michael Palin TV Series, especially the ones with Basil Pao's photography - so that's Around The World In Eighty Days, Pole To Pole, Great Circle and Sahara. Why should I let the toad work Squat on my life ? Can't I use my wit as a pitchfork And drive the brute off ? Read all about my travels around the world here. Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog. | ||
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quote: Yep, those are great. Let me think. The Corner by David Simon and..and...another guy whose name I always forget. (A writer and an excop/teacher spend a year hanging out with and getting to know the people in an open air drug market in Baltimore.) The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould (A look at intelligence testing and its inherent problems.) There are more I like, but my mind just went blank. | |||
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I remembered a few more. Lovejoy: A Year in the Life of an Abortion Clinic by Peter Korn No matter where you sit on the issue, it's a fascinating book. No one is a saint;no one is a demon in it. The Lovejoy clinic is not a non-profit organization, so that adds some additional things to think about. Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl Oh just hush. I really like it. | |||
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The Tree of Culture, by Ralph Linton, is probably dated by now, but I found it exhilarating in its breadth when I read it the first time. One, Two, Three...Infinity by George Gamow, was a wonderful introduction to non-trivial mathematics, even for the non-mathematically inclined. Godel, Escher, Bach is a tour de force but gets, as you said, rather heavy at times. (It has the dubious honor of being called the most esoteric book to make the NYTimes Best-Seller list.) Try to locate and read the Scientific American book review first (the Mathematical Games feature by Martin Gardiner, in the July 1979 issue) to get a good flavor of the book. If after reading the review you think the book might appeal to you, dive in! You won't be disappointed. | |||
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Hmmm, I have some reading to do! Bob, I completely agree with you about Bill Bryson's new book "A Short History of Nearly Everything"....or any of his books for that matter. Shufitz and I really liked "Mother Tongue", as well. Hab, you reminded me of Martin Gardner's mathematical puzzle books (isn't he the Scientific American columnist? You spelled it Gardiner, so I am not sure.), such as "Knotted Donuts and Other Mathematical Entertainments." My husband is much better at his puzzles than I am! I have always wondered if the same Martin Gardner edited one of my favorite poetry collections, "Best Remembered Poems." Now, what about Isaac Asimov? One can hardly talk about nonfiction without mentioning him. Of course, he wrote fiction, too, but he also wrote wonderful nonfiction. Just how many books he has actually written seems to be controversial, so I will just say "hundreds!" Here is a list of all the books that he has written. Particularly for this board, I think "Words of Science and the History Behind Them" (1959) and "More Words of Science" (1972) are intriguing. | |||
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quote: Of even more importance to the board is the fact that he wrote a couple of collections of dirty limericks. I used to have one of them (and very good it was too) but I misplaced it somewhere. That or it was stolen by a visitor. Why should I let the toad work Squat on my life ? Can't I use my wit as a pitchfork And drive the brute off ? Read all about my travels around the world here. Read even more of my travel writing and poems on my weblog. | |||
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His "Annotated Shakespeare" is a delight, too. He gives the relevent history and geography and sociology of the times, and sometimes the politics too. It's a delightful fleshing out of the plays into a broader context. | |||
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Oh, and it _is_ Martin Gardner the SciAm writer. Guess my sojourn on the "infallible" list is indeed only days long :-) | |||
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quote: While staioned with the Air Force in Germany I was able to visit Scandinavia (loved it, natch) where I was able to pick up an unusual souvenir. After Heyerdahl and crew sailed the Atlantic in their papyrus ship "Ra," they had to do considerable repairs and such. Sections of the ship that had to be replaced with new materials were cut up, mounted, verified as genuine, and sold to tourists. Part of Thor Heyerdahl historic ship is presently proudly displayed on a hallway wall in my home here in Illinois. It doesn't seem to impress anyone but I think it's neat! | |||
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quote: Dear god, sir! Are you and I twins, separated at birth???? I'm particularly impressed with his reading of Hamlet. It seems spot-on right, and changes entirely how one understands the play. | |||
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quote:Heh, heh! Now, for Arnie!  | |||
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Anything by Asimov is worth reading and, of course, his range was very broad - probably the broadest of any writer. But let's not forget his British contemporary, now resident in Sri Lanka, Arthur C Clarke. Also an imaginative and prodigious writer, although he never strays too far from science or science fiction. Richard English | |||
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