Looking for Book Recommendation
Hello all. I'm looking for a book recommendation for my mom. She is Catholic, and I'm not trying to convert her to atheism, but I think she might enjoy learning a little more about basic science. I don't think she got much of an education on science at her Catholic schools all those years ago, and yesterday while playing a trivia board game with her, she was shocked and amazed to learn about the length of the human small intestine. I'm looking for a book for adults that presents basic scientific concepts in an interesting and readable way and that stays away from religion. Perhaps something that focuses more on biology. Any ideas? Thanks!
Tags: biology, book, books, recommendations, science
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Logicallunatic on
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Permalink Reply by Doug Reardon on -
Any of Isaac Asimov's science books, entertaining and informative.
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Permalink Reply by Dave G on -
Carl Sagan's Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark is a good one for introduction to basic scientific concepts.
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Permalink Reply by JD Baggaley on -
The Second Coming by John Niven.
It's a satirical novel and has nothing to do with science, but it's a really good read nonetheless. It's hilarious and makes you ask the question that even if there was a god, how the hell do we know what he would want from us? It spreads the word of being nice. That's it. That's all god wants from humanity in this book.
Hopefully religious people who reed it will loosen up a bit and realize that if you life a good life while just being nice to people then that's all you should really worry about. You don't need this organized religion bull crap.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Second-Coming/193109000779407?sk=...
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Permalink Reply by Reg The Fronkey Farmer on -
Here is a good one I am reading again. It is not anti religious. Chapter One - How to build a Universe......
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Permalink Reply by 52X Max GT on -
A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking.
The Demon-haunted world and Cosmos, by Carl Sagan.
Unweaving the Rainbow, by Richard Dawkins.
These are not books about atheism, but rather about science, and how the universe works in both micro and macro scales.
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Permalink Reply by Judith van der Roos on -
Please try A Short History Of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (1 Jun 2004). It is available on Kindle and in audio book form,
Bill brings science to the masses in an entertaining and easy to understand manner. It covers physics, biology, cosomolgy...........oh all of it and in an easy to understand way that just makes you want to learn more.
Regards
Judith vd R
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Permalink Reply by Gary Bergeron on -
I recommend COSMOS by Carl Sagan. He describes science as more than a body of knowledge, that it's a way thinking and he showcases the scientific method of thinking throughout the ages.
It was my introduction to the universe.
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Permalink Reply by Laura on -
Thanks for the suggestions, everybody! I'm going to check out A Short History of Nearly Everything and The Canon - I think these sound like exactly what I'm looking for.
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Permalink Reply by Tom on -
Joseph Campbell wrote several books on comparative mythology, The Hero with a Thousand Faces comes to mind first. The book mainly deals with what Campbell calls the "Monomyth", and delves into his theories on the "archetypal hero". I recommend it because Campbell, despite writing rather bluntly, doesn't come out and challenge Christian dogma head on (which tends to cause massive cognitive dissonance). Rather he compares world mythology and shows the similarities and patterns between ancient and modern myths. This sets the stage nicely for future, sustained critical thinking. Good luck!
http://www.amazon.com/Hero-Thousand-Faces-Bollingen-No/dp/0691017840
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