[n9zee]

Well, I guess it's up to me to make the first pick for our book, so I thought I'd pick something that is non-fiction and more part of the intellectual stoof for something different.

The Canon, by Natalie Angier:



This book is described as a "whirligig tour of science" and is intended to explain to the average person what scientists of many fields would like people to know and understand about what they do. The so-called "hard sciences" are all represented and the key concepts of each are laid out carefully, beginning with an explanation of just what science is. Ms. Angier is very enthusiastic about writing about science and her joy in it really shows through, though she does tend towards verbosity, which may turn some people off. Ms. Angier interviewed many scientists before starting to write, so you may even see a name or two that you recognise from the news or TV specials. (Brian Greene, in particular, comes to mind)

Anyway, this is our first book, folks. It shouldn't be too controversial, and it's possible that some of you have read it before, but I hope you won't mind reading it again. You have the weekend to find a copy and begin reading, should you so be inclined. As always, I am willing to accept your submissions for possible books. Enjoy!

Edited to add: This will be up until July 3rd, so you've got two weeks to read as much of it as you can. If you finish before then, feel free to start the discussion early!

[n9zee]

Hopefully, there's a few of you enjoying the book. I'll post my thoughts on it on July 3rd.

[Glix]

I'll be enjoying a copy as of tomorrow all I was able to find so far are audiotape versions.. To the Library! *strikes a pose*

[n9zee]

Okay, my thoughts:

Overall, it was a nice book. While the narration tended to be a bit "purple" at points, I thought it did a reasonable job at getting points across. Now, as to the content, I can't say that I came across anything that I didn't already know, but I thought that Ms. Angier did a good job at explaining the concepts, though that's likely due to her insistence on getting simple answers from her interview subjects. She obviously enjoys science, and I must say that her enthusiasm really came across to me. I'd definitely recommend it to my friends.

Now, tell me what you think: Was it good? Bad? Would you rather read another book? Do you need more time?

I'm also taking suggestions for our next book, so post away!

[Glix]

It was nice yeh it stayed interesting throughout.. which, I'll admit, I had doubts about when I realised it was about science.. now I know better

It was a nice change from the books I normally read too... All in all a good first choice and a good read