Recommend a book

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

This is a thread to recommend books that would be a good introduction to your area of interest. For instance, if you're into astronomy maybe you could recommend a book for people who'd like to know a little about it.

"The End of Early Music" by Bruce Haynes is a very good introduction to the various schools of thought on musical performance that have existed in the past few hundred years. It covers things from a more philosophical level than a technical one covering things such as the intention and authority of the composer, the role of the performer, the expectation of the audience and how those things have changed drastically over the past few hundred years. It gets into technical matters too but it won't overwhelm somebody who isn't a professional musician. He compares and contrasts the romantic playing style of the 19th century, the modernist playing style of the 20th century and the newly emerged period performance style of the mid 20th century to the present. With the book are many audio samples. You can read a little of it here: http://books.google.com/books?id=nOAtpUT...=html_text

[FallentoReason]

Poe talking about the Bible in 3, 2, 1...

[Angrboda]

Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me):
by Elliot Aronson and Carroll Tavris

A stunning exploration of how cognitive bias and specifically cognitive dissonance affects judgements about relationships, professional judgement in fields ranging from law to psychology, and even international politics.

The best book I've read all year.

"By turns entertaining, illuminating and — when you recognize yourself in the stories it tells — mortifying." — The Wall Street Journal

[Autumnlicious]

Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror
by Michael Scheuer

... a growing segment of the Islamic world strenuously disapproves of specific U.S. policies and their attendant military, political, and economic implications. Capitalizing on growing anti-U.S. animosity, Osama bin Laden’s genius lies not simply in calling for jihad, but in articulating a consistent and convincing case that Islam is under attack by America. Al Qaeda’s public statements condemn America’s protection of corrupt Muslim regimes, unqualified support for Israel, the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and a further litany of real-world grievances. Bin Laden’s supporters thus identify their problem and believe their solution lies in war. Anonymous contends they will go to any length, not to destroy our secular, democratic way of life, but to deter what they view as specific attacks on their lands, their communities, and their religion. Unless U.S. leaders recognize this fact and adjust their policies abroad accordingly, even moderate Muslims will join the bin Laden camp.


A very dense read but quite telling in answering the question "Why Islamic terrorism?"

[Kayenneh]

I'm a jack of all trades, master of none, so I like to know a little about a lot of things. This book was really interesting:

[Faith No More]

I know I've pimped this book here a few times, but I think it is worth mentioning again.

The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths

In this work synthesizing thirty years of research, psychologist, historian of science, and the world's best-known skeptic Michael Shermer upends the traditional thinking about how humans form beliefs about the world. Simply put, beliefs come first and explanations for beliefs follow. The brain, Shermer argues, is a belief engine. From sensory data flowing in through the senses, the brain naturally begins to look for and find patterns, and then infuses those patterns with meaning. Our brains connect the dots of our world into meaningful patterns that explain why things happen, and these patterns become beliefs. Once beliefs are formed the brain begins to look for and find confirmatory evidence in support of those beliefs, which accelerates the process of reinforcing them, and round and round the process goes in a positive-feedback loop of belief confirmation. Shermer outlines the numerous cognitive tools our brains engage to reinforce our beliefs as truths.

Interlaced with his theory of belief, Shermer provides countless real-world examples of how this process operates, from politics, economics, and religion to conspiracy theories, the supernatural, and the paranormal. Ultimately, he demonstrates why science is the best tool ever devised to determine whether or not a belief matches reality.

[Something completely different]

Auto Da Fe (The Blinding) by Elias Canetti.




I only know 2 other people who read that book and one only made it to page 50, the other to page 100. Both of them "because it is so depressing".
Ellias Canetti is a genius, a rumanian born german speaking jew, his life was often struck by tragedy by his fathers early death and him being forced to leave Vienna after the nazis took over Austria. He only wrote 1 novel, 1 autobiography, 3 theater plays, a small book of poetry and an antropological study - for which he gained the nobel prize for literature.

As an admirer of Sigmund Freud and living in Vienna at the same time as Sigmund Freud made his mark, this novel is defined by the detailed description of the characters. By pointing out their most inner needs, drives and thoughts on sociaty.

I dont want to describe to much for spoiler reasons.
Yet I can say that is a very in dept portrail of several peoples characters and motivations who all are in need of different things to satisfy their needs, whilest not understanding the motivations and needs of others.
This leads to conflict and a clash of needs which results in violents and other.

[Cyberman]

Oh, where to start...

Ok, I've spoken about this one before several times and I can't recommend it enough:



(Click image for Amazon listing.)

Simon Singh takes the reader on a voyage of discovery from the earliest mythological speculations about our origins right up to the current knowledge and schools of thought. On the way we encounter some of the real people involved in this fascinating story, giving flesh and character to the bare bones of what are generally merely names on scientific papers.

Singh writes in an easily digestible style, meaning this book isn't some dry, dusty academic tome filled with equations and demanding knowledge of advanced physics of the reader, meaning that it's as engaging to the uninitiated with an interest in the subject as it is to the professional.

---

On a totally different subject, here's another of my favourites:



(Again, click for the listing.)

Here, we follow the late Leslie Reade in a compelling and thorough investigation into the characters and events surrounding the Titanic disaster, with emphasis on the rôle of the infamous Leyland line steamer Californian. Almost literally, no stone is left unturned and no piece of evidence, however small, is left unexamined.

For instance, he devotes several pages to the analysis of the oft-repeated claim that the rockets seen by the Californian's bridge officers were merely company signals; Reade goes through the records of all known shipping lines, where their vessels were at the time, whether their signals were rockets, flares or some other device, coloured or plain white etc so as to determine whether such a misidentification is feasible. The events of those final hours, as petaining to evidence given to the two official inquiries, are recreated in such detail as to make the reader believe they are actually there. A stunning and revealing book.

[thesummerqueen]

The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World


This was my introduction to Michael Pollan, who has written several food and plant related books that had interesting ideas and perspective shifts for me. The chapters on apples (sweetness) and marijuana (intoxication) were particularly intriguing.

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex


Highly entertaining read - especially when people try to look over your shoulder. If you want a preview, Neil deGrasse Tyson did a very funny Star Talk episode interviewing her and Dr. Ruth.

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

FANTASTIC historical read. She brings the '20's to life, but also early chemistry. Sounds like dry stuff? (hahah, that was sort of a Prohibition pun...you'll get it if you read the book) It's not. It's a quick read, and full of personality. Consumer skeptics especially should enjoy it.

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World

Slightly less easy of a read, but no less interesting. I soon got caught up in fascination with how this man studied cholera.

[downbeatplumb]

I'm a jack of all trades, master of none, so I like to know a little about a lot of things. This book was really interesting:

In a similar vein I would recommend all three science of the discworld books.