March in books
Continuing the trend I started in February and January (click on the "books" tag), here are brief summaries of the books I read in March. Numbering continues from last month.
17. The Fly in the Ointment, Joe Schwarcz
Another science-popularized-for-the-masses book. I've been reading a lot of those lately. Compared to Jay Ingram, Schwarcz's books are more science-heavy. He uses actual chemical terms and explains the science behind the things he's talking about in specific, as opposed to generalized, terms. You can tell by reading it that he's a university professor. His book was a nice counter-point to Ingram's, actually. Final verdict: good for non-science people who want to cut their teeth on something science-y.
18. Jewtopia: The Chosen Book for the Chosen People, Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson
The cover of this book shows Fogel and Wolfson lighting cigarettes off the menorah candles. That pretty much sets the tone for the book. It's a tongue-in-cheek review of all aspects of modern Jewish life, from family relations to holidays to how Jews act in restaurants. It doesn't pull punches, which makes it hilariously funny for Jews and probably a bit uncomfortable for non-Jews. It's the sort of humour that you can only get away with if you're already deeply entrenched in the sub-culture. Final verdict: highly recommended for Jews; gentiles can skip it.
19. Trump 101: The Way to Success, Donald J. Trump with Meredith McIver
Though I suspect McIver did most of the actual writing, the book is theoretically a guide by Donald Trump to the basics of succeeding in business. The chapters are short (4-5 pages each), concise, and fast-hitting. Generally they're on fairly self-explanatory subjects like the need for passion, the necessity to deal with change, and the willingness to go the extra mile. It's not a long read: I think I finished it in an afternoon. The down-side to this is that there isn't much elaboration of each topic. While Trump gets to the basics and gives short explanations of how to apply the topic to your life, I'd have appreciated some more details. Final verdict: a good introduction to Trump's business style, but not as handy a guide as it advertizes itself to be.
20. The Barmaid's Brain and other strange tales from science, Jay Ingram
Another science-for-the-masses book. This book, published in 1998, is somewhat older than the Ingram book I reviewed last month. This book focuses more on "unsolved questions" in science, some of which will likely never be explained (such as why Joan of Arc had visions or why the girls in Salem reacted to witches). Like the other book, Ingram explains the processes and theories behind the various topics he presents, and he does it in an approachable, readable way. Among my favourite chapters: is it possible to differentiate sane and insane people when already in a psychiatric institution?; why are barmaids' brains different from other peoples'?; is it possible to learn via cannibalism?; why are perpetual motion machines impossible?; is it possible to build an elevator from the earth to an orbiting space station? Final verdict: a fun introduction to some unexplained questions in science.
21. How the Brain Learns, David A. Sousa
This is a textbook I borrowed from Ian's dad. For a textbook, it's very well-written and approachable, but it is a textbook nonetheless. The subject is pretty much what the title suggests: an extended discussion about current neurscience theories about how the brain learns, and how this can be applied by educators to the classroom. Among other things, it provides a model for how the brain processes sensory input and memory; describes why transfer is such an important educational concept; discusses various centres of brain specialization and how this applies to certain areas of learning; and reviews Bloom's Taxonomy as a model for how to approach higher-level thinking tasks. I found it highly informative and often thought-provoking. The book recommends doing "action research," that is, taking its ideas and applying them to the classroom to see if they work. I may be doing just that in the upcoming months. Final verdict: a highly thought-provoking book for anyone interested in education or learning.
So that's it for this month. I notice that I didn't read a single fiction work the whole month. I suppose this is just another way higher education has influenced me: this situation would have been unthinkable in high school or cegep.
17. The Fly in the Ointment, Joe Schwarcz
Another science-popularized-for-the-masses book. I've been reading a lot of those lately. Compared to Jay Ingram, Schwarcz's books are more science-heavy. He uses actual chemical terms and explains the science behind the things he's talking about in specific, as opposed to generalized, terms. You can tell by reading it that he's a university professor. His book was a nice counter-point to Ingram's, actually. Final verdict: good for non-science people who want to cut their teeth on something science-y.
18. Jewtopia: The Chosen Book for the Chosen People, Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson
The cover of this book shows Fogel and Wolfson lighting cigarettes off the menorah candles. That pretty much sets the tone for the book. It's a tongue-in-cheek review of all aspects of modern Jewish life, from family relations to holidays to how Jews act in restaurants. It doesn't pull punches, which makes it hilariously funny for Jews and probably a bit uncomfortable for non-Jews. It's the sort of humour that you can only get away with if you're already deeply entrenched in the sub-culture. Final verdict: highly recommended for Jews; gentiles can skip it.
19. Trump 101: The Way to Success, Donald J. Trump with Meredith McIver
Though I suspect McIver did most of the actual writing, the book is theoretically a guide by Donald Trump to the basics of succeeding in business. The chapters are short (4-5 pages each), concise, and fast-hitting. Generally they're on fairly self-explanatory subjects like the need for passion, the necessity to deal with change, and the willingness to go the extra mile. It's not a long read: I think I finished it in an afternoon. The down-side to this is that there isn't much elaboration of each topic. While Trump gets to the basics and gives short explanations of how to apply the topic to your life, I'd have appreciated some more details. Final verdict: a good introduction to Trump's business style, but not as handy a guide as it advertizes itself to be.
20. The Barmaid's Brain and other strange tales from science, Jay Ingram
Another science-for-the-masses book. This book, published in 1998, is somewhat older than the Ingram book I reviewed last month. This book focuses more on "unsolved questions" in science, some of which will likely never be explained (such as why Joan of Arc had visions or why the girls in Salem reacted to witches). Like the other book, Ingram explains the processes and theories behind the various topics he presents, and he does it in an approachable, readable way. Among my favourite chapters: is it possible to differentiate sane and insane people when already in a psychiatric institution?; why are barmaids' brains different from other peoples'?; is it possible to learn via cannibalism?; why are perpetual motion machines impossible?; is it possible to build an elevator from the earth to an orbiting space station? Final verdict: a fun introduction to some unexplained questions in science.
21. How the Brain Learns, David A. Sousa
This is a textbook I borrowed from Ian's dad. For a textbook, it's very well-written and approachable, but it is a textbook nonetheless. The subject is pretty much what the title suggests: an extended discussion about current neurscience theories about how the brain learns, and how this can be applied by educators to the classroom. Among other things, it provides a model for how the brain processes sensory input and memory; describes why transfer is such an important educational concept; discusses various centres of brain specialization and how this applies to certain areas of learning; and reviews Bloom's Taxonomy as a model for how to approach higher-level thinking tasks. I found it highly informative and often thought-provoking. The book recommends doing "action research," that is, taking its ideas and applying them to the classroom to see if they work. I may be doing just that in the upcoming months. Final verdict: a highly thought-provoking book for anyone interested in education or learning.
So that's it for this month. I notice that I didn't read a single fiction work the whole month. I suppose this is just another way higher education has influenced me: this situation would have been unthinkable in high school or cegep.