Fun Stuff > ENJOY

History books.

<< < (3/9) > >>

BeoPuppy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Making_of_the_Atomic_Bomb

Now, I'm nowhere near nerdy enough to get the actual science. But it's not all science that's involved. There's politics and war and stuff as well!!

Plus, it's interesting to see this thing grow, with tiny little steps taken by many, many people. 

Scarychips:
I was reading a book about the Hezbollah not so long ago. Didn't finish it though, cause I had to bring it back to the library.

Aurjay:

--- Quote from: pilsner on 29 Oct 2009, 01:15 ---
--- Quote from: Aurjay on 28 Oct 2009, 19:32 ---Some of my favorite history books have been written by Jared Diamond. Guns, Germs and Steel: the fates of Human Societies and Collapse: How Societies choose to succeed or fail are the two that I've read.
--- End quote ---

So several years ago I find myself on a long train ride next to an ichthyologist.  We get to talking and Guns, Germs and Steel comes up.  With a look of contempt, Mister Ichthyologist tells me that Steve Irwin has written more peer reviewed articles than Jared Diamond.  At the time I think I changed the topic to smelt or something, but in retrospect that seems pretty funny in a morbid sort of way.

--- End quote ---

I never knew there was so much controversy over his books. Did a little google search and found that there has been defamation lawsuits filed against him for his depiction of Papau New Guinea tribes and he has had to redact and change some names. Who knew. I always took what he wrote as being scientific and not journalistic, guess i was wrong even according to him it was all meant to be taken as Journalism and not accurate Science. Kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

pilsner:
Heh, I felt the same way when I found out that The Prophet is basically some stuff that Khalil Gibran made up because he felt like it.  And read a little bit of his biography.  That being said, most of the people who I've spoken with with doctorates in the natural sciences give some of the insights in Guns, Germs and Steel some credit -- he just isn't quite as authoritative as he presents himself.  Generally I find that to be the case for most generalists attempting inter-disciplinary theories with an eye on a popular audience....

KvP:
Yeah there was the same sort of controversy over the Freakonomics dudes, who are incredibly popular yet also in many cases spectacularly wrong. Pop science is sort of a problem, because actual science is boring and when you're out partying you need something to start a conversation with that is interesting and makes you look smarter than you are. All that you need to be a widely-read theorist is an interesting corrolation in a single or handful of studies, which is just as good as thorough proof of causation right? Increased abortion leads to lower crime rates! Drunk driving is 8x safer than walking home from the bar! Yackety Schmackety do!

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page