October Book of the Month suggestions needed!

[Chris OConnor]

Everyone:Seeing as most of us have expressed an interest in including fiction into our mix, you all might want to start thinking about a book suggestion for the month of October, 2002. Maybe October would be a good month to try out our first fiction book.Our goal here at BookTalk will always be to have the Book of the Month decided by the 15th of each month, so that we all have 2 solid weeks to go out and acquire the new book. So the time is here for throwing some suggestions at the group for October. Chris "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,for there you have been, and there you will always want to be." -- Leonardo da Vinci

[Chris OConnor]

My suggestion is Massimo Pigliucci's newest book, "Denying Evolution: Creationism, Scientism, and the Nature of Science."www.secweb.org/bookstore/bookdetail.asp?BookID=856Quote: Denying Evolution aims at taking a fresh look at the evolution-creation controversy. It presents a truly "balanced" treatment, not in the sense of treating creationism as a legitimate scientific theory (it demonstrably is not), but in the sense of dividing the blame for the controversy equally between creationists and scientists--the former for subscribing to various forms of anti-intellectualism, the latter for discounting science education and presenting science as scientism to the public and the media. The central part of the book focuses on a series of creationist fallacies (aimed at showing errors of thought, not at deriding) and of mistakes by scientists and science educators. The last part of the book discusses long-term solutions to the problem, from better science teaching at all levels to the necessity of widespread understanding of how the brain works and why people have difficulties with critical thinking.Amazon.com www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0878936 ... 748648Info about Massimo www.secweb.org/bookstore/author.asp?AuthorID=6Chris "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,for there you have been, and there you will always want to be." -- Leonardo da VinciEdited by: Chris OConnor  at: 9/2/02 3:46:12 pm

[NaddiaAoC]

I love that suggestion, Chris. I've also really been wanting to read Tales of the Rational. Either of those books by this author would greatly interest me if we go with a non-fiction selection for October.Cheryl

[AckItsJamie]

That does sound like a great book. I'm going to add that to my "to read" list, regardless...If we go fiction, I already raved quite a bit about "Ender's Game" in the suggestion box forum.

[Chris OConnor]

Jamie:This books sounds good...feel free to tell us a bit more about it in this forum. Any websites with reviews? Chris "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,for there you have been, and there you will always want to be." -- Leonardo da Vinci

[AckItsJamie]

Well, there are always the Amazon reviews...It's really hard to describe this book without giving too much away. The main character, Ender, is a very young boy who shows promise in being the next great military hero (and in fact, that is the purpose for which he was born), so he is taken to a school for the training of such young geniuses. The reason that this is important is that the Earth has been attacked twice by another species, and a third attack could be the end of humanity. The book is more about Ender though, you really start to empathize with him fully.

[ZachSylvanus]

Ender's Game was very good, I agree...but I really don't know if we can get much of a discussion out of it...although this may be because It's been some time since I've read it.

[AckItsJamie]

Argh, I could tell you EXACTLY what we could discuss, but I don't want to give away any of the plot!!!There is one issue in particular that I would like to get everyone's opinion on.=(

[ZachSylvanus]

I think I know what it might be, but....I know his name has been mentioned, but I think we could get a fairly decent discussion out of Frank Herbert's Dune.There are quite a few things in that little book that reflect our current world fairly well, and its also a great read.

[Chris OConnor]

Zach:I personally think Dune is to large of a book. I know it is highly rated, but I just don't have any desire to read a monster like this right now. If people vote on it I'll go with the flow, but it doesn't excite me. I barely finished the last few months books.I nominate Denying Evolution or Ender's Game.Chris "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,for there you have been, and there you will always want to be." -- Leonardo da Vinci