Tag Archive for ‘raps & reviews’
The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence M. Krauss
The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence M. Kraus is Interesting, entertaining, and funny, but digresses a little bit too often and too long into general physics.
The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing by Richard Dawkins, Ed.
A treasure of excerpts in Richard Dawkins’s The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing, many of which make you instantly crave for more.
Lilac Day by Leonid Fedorov
Leonid Fedorov’s Lilac Day is an incredible album that reminds me of Neil Young’s sound track for Jarmusch’s Dead Man, Alfred Schnittke, and tunes from Yiddishe folk songs
The Life of the Cosmos by Lee Smolin
The Life of the Cosmos is Lee Smolin’s first popular science book, fascinating one in so many ways, from his fecund universes theory to philosophy of science.
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens
Among the “Four Horsemen,” Christopher Hitchens is the most rhetorically gifted, and so is his brilliant God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.
The Goldilocks Enigma: Why Is the Universe Just Right for Life? by Paul Davies
Sadly, Paul Davies wastes his talent for explaining complicated matters in easy terms by pandering to metaphysical evasions and Templeton Foundation godbots.
The Attack by Yasmina Khadra
The Attack by Yasmina Khadra, with its momentous premise and gripping subject matter, fails to bring its message across because it is too poorly written.
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds was the most fascinating sf novel I’ read in ages, a baroque space opera comprising a grand story and sarcastic dialog.
Confessions of an Advertising Man by David Ogilvy
Einiges zur Werbebranche ist sicherlich veraltet in David Ogilvys kurzweiligem, amüsanten Essay Confessions of an Advertising Man, vieles aber auch keineswegs.
Bones, Rocks and Stars: The Science of When Things Happened by Chris Turney
My lasting impression of Chris Turneys Bones, Rocks and Stars: The Science of When Things Happened is that it was way too thin. More meat please!
Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947 by Christopher Clark
If you don’t know Prussia, read this book. If you think you know Prussia, read it too. Clark’s Iron Kingdom is a scientific & literary achievement.
The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next by Lee Smolin
A sobering account of today’s sorry state of physics, and a devastating assessment of what String Theory has actually achieved after 30 years of research.
Learning to Read Midrash by Simi Peters
This is a terrific introduction to the methodology of reading Midrash: how to read, which questions to ask, how to follow the terse prose of the Hazal, i.e., the rabbinic commentators from the Talmudic era, and how to reconstruct their thoughts (and those of the redactors as well). Hazal readings, as a rule, are an… Read More ›
Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam by Michel Onfray
Michel Onfray makes his points in Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, but stops there instead of developing alternatives.
Chicks ’n Chained Males by Esther Friesner, Ed.
Hilarious feminst postmodern over-the-top fantasy stories. I wish there had been something like that already when I was a kid.
Other Asias by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak
In Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s Other Asias, the question of do-gooders vs. basic field work arises again. I would argue that exponential effects play a role.
The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design by Leonard Susskind
Leonard Susskind’s The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design is fascinating, but all depends on whether string theory is valid.
Berliner Aufklärung von Thea Dorn
Daß der Erstlingsroman Berliner Aufklärung von Thea Dorn den Raymond Chandler Preis verliehen bekam, sagt viel über den Preis, aber nichts über das Buch.
Il Principe by Niccolò Machiavelli
Based on the discourse of power, Niccolo Machiavelli’s Il Principe and its often brutal advice strongly resist a purely historical reading.
Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris
In Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris sketches the current situation, sums up the consequences, and addresses criticism directed against The End of Faith.