I’ve been pretty bad about reviewing our past books of the month, which is unfortunate because I actually have read all of them! To save you from some epic tl;dr and as the only way to finally be done with these books, I’m jamming them all into one post. This way I can give some short commentary instead of headdesking my way through full-fledged reviews for each book.

January’s book of the month was Timothy Ferris’ Coming of Age in the Milky Way. The book elegantly recounts our species’ interest in space, from ancient Sumerians and Greeks through Copernicus to modern-day theoretical physicists. While our knowledge of the universe seems infinitely superior to our ancestors, Ferris reminds us that:

Science is young. whether it will survive long enough to become old depends upon our sanity and courage and vigor, and, as one always must add in this nuclear age, upon whether we blow ourselves up first. “Nothing that is vast enters into the life of mortals without a curse,” as Sophocles said, and the knowledge of how the stars shine is very great, and its dark side is very dark indeed.

I love Ferris’ writing style throughout this book, especially when recounting the more personal histories of various scientists. Genius did seem to walk hand in hand with madness (or at least extreme eccentricity) for Kepler, Newton, etc… and Ferris’ gently amusing treatment of them made their stories all the more enjoyable. In fact, I loved his writing so much I recently purchased another book of his, called Seeing In the Dark – all about backyard astronomers. I strongly believe that the communications gap (more like gaping chasm, really) between scientists and non-scientists needs to be closed, and if there were only more writers like Ferris, that would happen all the more quickly.

Final Grade: A

In April we read another nonfiction, David Grann’s The Lost City of Z. Grann intertwines two epic voyages in one double biography. The first was British explorer Percy Fawcett’s quest to find an ancient, beautiful, and wondrously rich civilization called “Z” that was supposedly hidden in the Amazon jungle – instead, his entire party disappeared and despite following searches, no clues were ever discovered as to their fate. The second voyage was Grann’s own attempt to retrace the explorer’s steps some 75 years later to discover what happened to the missing expedition. Neither journey lacked for adventure; in fact, the entire history of the search for Z is one larger-than-life story after another:

[E]verything in this story is true: a movie star really was abducted by Indians; there were cannibals, ruins, secret maps, and spies; explorers died from starvation, disease, attacks by wild animals, and poisonous arrows; and at stake amid the adventure and death was the very understanding of the Americas before Christopher Columbus came ashore in the New World.

I enjoyed each story Grann told – his writing was perfectly suspenseful, mysterious, amusing, and serious in all the right places – but the format really didn’t work for me. Much like our February’s book of the month, Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City, the biographies alternate every chapter. For the White City, this worked beautifully. For Lost City of Z, not so much. For me the difference was that Larson’s stories were synchronous and both in the third person, while Grann’s stories were asynchronous and awkwardly shifting from first person to third. About 80 pages in I finally realized I was going to have to read Fawcett’s story all the way through first, and then come back to read Grann’s. When read in this way, the book flowed much more smoothly and was immensely more enjoyable.

Final Grade: B

Last month’s book choice was The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho. The premise behind this book is that it is a collection of statements made by acquaintances, friends, and family of a murder victim named Athena. It’s only by tying all perspectives together that the reader can begin to understand Athena’s existence.

Who knows, perhaps she sought death the way a shipwrecked victim sees an island. She must have stood late at night in many a Tube station, waiting for muggers who never came. She must have walked through the most dangerous parts of London in search of a murderer who never appeared or perhaps tried to provoke the anger of the physically strong, who refused to get angry. Until finally, she managed to get herself brutally murdered.

After beginning with her death, the transcripts then move forward chronologically from her adoption at a young age, to her early marriage and career restlessness, to her search for her birth mother and the Mother goddess, all of which stemmed from an intrinsic wanderlust that she could never satisfy.

Having previously been impressed by Coelho’s The Alchemist, I was really looking forward to this book, and I was only very slightly disappointed in my expectations. I sometimes felt that description needlessly overpowered the plot, slowing the story down without enriching my appreciation of the objects described. However, the flow of Athena’s story was impressively smooth, given the shifting narrative voices, and the surprising twist at the end of the book was neither too obvious nor too out of left field, leaving me pleased that my suspicions were correct. In the end the novel was not about Athena at all, but about her impact on those telling her story.

Final Grade: B

Author and physicist Lee Smolin bravely faces the sad truth about the state of his science in his book The Trouble With Physics. As his introduction makes abundantly clear, “This is a story of a quest to understand nature at its deepest level… To put it bluntly… we have failed.”

Why have physicists failed? And, more importantly, where do they go from here? The heart of Smolin’s book discusses these questions while providing an intricate yet accessible chronology of physics since 1900, when Max Planck famously discovered that energy is quantized and began a new revolution in the field.

The central issues in Smolin’s book revolve around the split between string theory and other theories (loop quantum gravity, etc.) as physicists attempt to determine a unified theory that answers the greatest unsolved problems in theoretical physics. Specifically, they are attempting to unite general relativity with quantum theory into something called “quantum gravity.” (For more details than that, you’ll have to read the book. Trust me, Smolin’s explanation far surpasses any attempt I could make.)

Smolin describes a break between string theorists and other physicists that is responsible for the breakdown of science as an ethical practice.** String theory is now the dominant point of view within the academy such that is is harmful to a physicist’s career to pursue other theories.

Why is this bad, you ask? Isn’t string theory the hottest idea since sliced bread? I certainly thought so – that’s what the The New York Times’ “Science Times” always told me when I was growing up. I found Smolin’s answer surprising and persuasive. Smolin illustrates many issues with string theory – there are no unique testable predictions, there are actually multitudes of different string theories, and there is an insidious pressure felt by young physicists to join the field if they have any hope of successful careers. This has led to a consensus for string theory, but not because the evidence favors it. Smolin argues that this limited focus is damaging to how physics is studied, because science progresses only when researchers pursue multiple avenues of study.

Controversy is essential for the progress of science… When we are forced to reach a consensus by the evidence, we should do so… until the evidence forces consensus, we should encourage a wide diversity of viewpoints… Science proceeds fastest when there are competing theories. [Emphasis added.]

String theory is not a consensus by the evidence, because as mentioned earlier, string theory does not provide testable predictions that are unique to the theory (that cannot be explained just as well by other theories). Smolin sheds light on the fact that the academic community is in many ways closed off to other ideas – a very disturbing issue.

In case you couldn’t tell, I found the subject of Smolin’s book compelling. However, it is more than picking an interesting topic that makes a book great. Whenever I read a nonfiction book about math or science, there are two issues I always attend to first. Will I understand the complexity of the subject? And can I trust that this author is objective? For this book, the answer to both questions is an emphatic “yes!” As someone whose knowledge of physics is more informed by Star Trek than by that one sad year of introductory physics in college, I was surprised and delighted to find the technical aspects Smolin discusses elucidated so well. The clarity of Smolin’s writing greatly increased my understanding and appreciation of his arguments, and further reinforced my own personal belief that the general public can and should understand the modern issues of scientific research.

Because I am not a theoretical physicist (ha!), while reading I had to decide whether Smolin objectively described the rift within the academic community and the pitfalls of string theory’s dominance. Fortunately, his rational arguments supporting all of his points convinced me that he did. Smolin’s own research path has led him to both string theory and other theories, and he is thus able to paint an accurate picture of the crisis in physics today without mud-slinging at any colleagues. Smolin is clear – his issue is with the current paradigm, not his fellow scientists. And this is essential, if there is any hope for his arguments to be heard. I strongly believe they should be.

Final Grade: A+

See larger image The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next (Paperback) By (author) Lee Smolin List Price: $15.95 USD New From: $4.99 In Stock Used from: $3.07 In Stock

Hey y’all, Readhead Reviews is happy to announce a new feature – video posts! In our first post, I give a brief review of a Jane Austen-based book and a preview for a book I’m starting to read about paleontology and dinosaur fossils. Let us know what you think of the post format! I’ve included the video on both Vimeo and Youtube. If the Vimeo format doesn’t work for you, hit the jump to watch the Youtube version!

Books mentioned:

• Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure
• Grave Secrets of Dinosaurs: Soft Tissues and Hard Science

Here’s the Youtube video in case Vimeo didn’t work for you:

When I first found out the Book of the Month was going to be a science book, I wasn’t completely thrilled. Science and I do not get along and the idea of reading a 500 page book revolving around all things science did not sound like a good time to me. Luckily, while reading Coming of Age in the Milky Way, I found myself enjoying at least 60% of what I read.

I found Ferris’ narrative very engaging on the biographical side, and somewhat engaging on the science side. I admit, it was difficult for me to get beyond the concepts and graphs, but for those brief chapters where I was able to focus on the scientist and not the science, I loved learning about all the crazy quirks that made these people so interesting. The fact that Newton was the definition of socially awkward and reminds me of Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory?” Or knowing that Lambert would only strike a profile when speaking to someone instead of facing them? Definitely makes this English-lit freak not feel so freak-like anymore.

Ferris clearly spent those years writing Coming of Age in the Milky Way well. I only wish I was more interested in science so I could fully enjoy it!

Final Grade: B

See larger image Coming of Age in the Milky Way (Paperback) By (author) Timothy Ferris List Price: $15.99 USD New From: $9.70 In Stock Used from: $5.60 In Stock Release date July 29, 2003.

The controversial Richard Dawkins’ new book responds to creationists’ question, “Where is the proof?” The Greatest Show on Earth generally takes a gentler, more persuasive tone than his previous books, but Dawkins may be preaching to the choir. Given his reputation and the vitriol of his earlier The God Delusion, it would be surprising if creationists can approach the book with an open mind, or if most even care to read it.

Dawkins refrains from creationist bashing for the most part, except for some passages in the book’s introduction “Only a Theory”, which is an unfortunate placement in a book meant to persuade the doubtful. Those who believe the earth is less than 10,000 years old, however, are not spared from Dawkins’ continuous derision. Dubbing these young earthists “history deniers,” Dawkins draws a controversial parallel with Holocaust deniers.

In contrast, the meat of the book is accessible and straightforward. In “Dogs, Cows, and Cabbages,” Dawkins begins with a discussion of artificial selection in domesticated animals to soften up the doubtful reader. He progresses to the process of sexual selection, and finally to natural selection. The transitions are deftly written and considerably persuasive.

Fascinating case studies abound, of which my favorites were the mbuna of Lake Malawi, the lizards of Pod Mrcaru and Pod Kopiste, and Dr. John Endler’s livebearers. While the segments on plate tectonics and sedimentary rock may drag a bit, The Greatest Show on Earth blends powerful evidence with wit. Dawkins relates an amusing exchange between J.B.S. Haldane and woman in attendance of his lecture:

Skeptic: Professor Haldane, even given the billions of years that you say were available for evolution, I simply cannot believe it is possible to go from a single cell to a complicated human body with its trillions of cells organized into bones and muscle and nerves, a heart that pumps without ceasing for decades, miles and miles of blood vessels and kidney tubules, and a brain capable of thinking and feeling.

Haldane: But Madam, you did it yourself. And it only took nine months.

The ire that Dawkins inspires notwithstanding, The Greatest Show on Earth is a much-needed book filled with cogent arguments. I’m inclined to agree with his claim that no unbiased reader will finish the book without recognizing evolution’s explanatory power.

Final Grade: B+

See larger image The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution (Hardcover) By (author) Richard Dawkins List Price: $30.00 USD New From: $9.99 In Stock Used from: $7.85 In Stock

Every month the readheads pick one book that all three of us read and review. Our first book of the month for 2010(!) is Timothy Ferris’ Coming of Age in the Milky Way (2003 edition).

Synopsis from Publishers Weekly:

The ancient Egyptians regarded the sky as a kind of tent canopy. Thirty centuries later, astronomer William Herschel argued that the sun belongs to a huge cluster of stars (a galaxy, as we call it today) and charted great swaths of intergalactic space through a telescope. How the human species slowly awakened to the vast reaches of space and time is the story absorbingly told by popular science writer Ferris (The Red Limit, Galaxies). His narrative humanizes the scientific enterprise […] from Darwin’s and Lyell’s investigations of the age of the earth to modern physicists’ quest for a perfectly symmetrical, hyperdimensional universe.

Have you guys read Coming of Age in the Milky Way? If so, please tell us what you thought in the comments! If not, the start of a new year is the perfect time to learn more about the history of the universe and our understanding of it. Read along with us and check back for our reviews later this month!

Updated: Check out our reviews: Kim’s and Ranjana’s.