I’ve been tagged by Science on Tap!
Imagine: YOU are asked to assign a half-dozen-or-so books as required reading for ALL science majors at a college as part of their 4-year degree; NOT technical or text books, but other works, old or new, touching upon the nature of science, philosophy, thought, or methodology in a way that a practicing scientist might gain from.
Post your list, and forward the meme to a half-dozen-or-so other science-oriented bloggers of your choosing.
Here’s my list:
1. Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams
2. Secrets of the Savannah by Mark and Delia Owens
3. The most recent edition of The Best American Science Writing
4. The most recent edition of State of the World
5. Where the Wild Things Were by William Stolzenburg
6. Conservation Education and Outreach Techniques by Susan K. Jacobson
And I’m tagging these blogs:
Science Says
Biochemicalsoul
Southern Fried Science
The Conservation Report
Women in Science
Observations of a Nerd
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Here are some of my picks:
Scientists Confront Creationism: Intelligent Design and Beyond [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Scientists-Confront-Creationism-Intelligent-Design/dp/0393330737/ref=pd_sim_b_1/184-3168184-5848254
The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinction (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Song-Dodo-Island-Biogeography-Extinction/dp/0684827123/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234121197&sr=1-2
Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Cod-Biography-Fish-Changed-World/dp/0140275010/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234121244&sr=1-1
The Eighth Continent: Life, Death and Discovery in the Lost World of Madagascar (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/Eighth-Continent-Death-Discovery-Madagascar/dp/0380975777/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1234121278&sr=1-3
Reinventing Nature?: Responses To Postmodern Deconstruction (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Reinventing-Nature-Responses-Postmodern-Deconstruction/dp/1559633115/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234121416&sr=1-1
The Idea of Wilderness: From Prehistory to the Age of Ecology (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Idea-Wilderness-Prehistory-Age-Ecology/dp/0300053703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234121528&sr=1-1
Done, at http://southernfriedscientist.wordpress.com/2009/02/08/some-good-science-books/
Here is the list so you have them all in one place:
1) Fish: An Enthusiast’s Guide by Peter Moyle- this is an excellent description of the world of fish and fish scientists, and is written for a general audience. It is funny and informative, and is one of the greatest thematic inspirations for my upcoming book.
2) The Shark Chronicles: A Scientist Tracks the Consumate Predator by Jack Musick and Beverly McMillan. Jack Musick is one of the most famous shark scientists of all time, and his wife Beverly is a wonderful science writer. Their combined work is fascinating.
3) What we Believe but Cannot Prove: Today’s Leading Thinkers on Science in the Age of Uncertainty, edited by John Brockman. The editors asked 100 world leaders in various fields, including but not limited to scientific fields, what they believe to be the case while being unable to prove it- in other words, what they think the next big discovery will be in their field. While sometimes the results aren’t what the editor was hoping for, most are really interesting.
4) The Devil’s Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America’s Great White Sharks by Susan Casey. As much about shark scientists and how crazy we are as about sharks, this book is a window into my world that I still refuse to let my parents read.
5) Finding Darwin’s God: A Scientist’s Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution by Kenneth Miller. As a religious (Jewish, specifically) guy as well as a scientist, I’ve read many books to try to synthesize my two worldviews. None were as well written or as helpful as this volume.
6) The Ancestor’s Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution by Richard Dawkins. While I hate Richard Dawkins as a person with a fiery passion, when he writes books that aren’t about how religious people are dumb, the result is very interesting. In the style of the Canterbury Tales, this book traces life back from humans to bacteria, with interesting facts about everything in between. The Southern Fried Scientist and I used this to study for our Organismal Biology final- which might explain our less than stellar grades. I still recommend the book, though not as a substitute for actual studying.
The Song of the Dodo is actually sitting on my bookcase, in my “to read” pile.
No doubt when your book comes out, it will be placed on my recommended reading list!