Read Recently -- December -- Nonfiction
The Invention of Air: a story of science, faith, revolution, and the birth of America by Steven Johnson
The titular invention, the discovery of oxygen, itself takes up very few pages near the centre of the book. The main focus of the book is a biography of one Joseph Priestley, who did discover oxygen but had no idea how to deal with it. The main work was done by Lavoisier, who named oxygen. Priestley's work was, Johnson argues, more important in creating the science of ecology. He actually did a lot of brilliant stuff, but little of it was immediately useful in and of itself. He was a big influence on Thomas Jefferson, though, and eventually settled in America.
Recommended for biography fans, and those interested in the history of science.
Bright-Sided: how positive thinking is undermining America by Barbara Ehrenreich
A while back, Ehrenreich was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the process of undergoing treatment, she was exposed to the mantra that a positive attitude is key to beating cancer--which is carried, she claims, to the point that people being angry about getting cancer is frowned upon. From here she works her way through western feel-good culture to try to prove the subtitle.
I think she succeeds, but hey--I'm a glass half-empty kinda guy.
Highly recommended.
The titular invention, the discovery of oxygen, itself takes up very few pages near the centre of the book. The main focus of the book is a biography of one Joseph Priestley, who did discover oxygen but had no idea how to deal with it. The main work was done by Lavoisier, who named oxygen. Priestley's work was, Johnson argues, more important in creating the science of ecology. He actually did a lot of brilliant stuff, but little of it was immediately useful in and of itself. He was a big influence on Thomas Jefferson, though, and eventually settled in America.
Recommended for biography fans, and those interested in the history of science.
Bright-Sided: how positive thinking is undermining America by Barbara Ehrenreich
A while back, Ehrenreich was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the process of undergoing treatment, she was exposed to the mantra that a positive attitude is key to beating cancer--which is carried, she claims, to the point that people being angry about getting cancer is frowned upon. From here she works her way through western feel-good culture to try to prove the subtitle.
I think she succeeds, but hey--I'm a glass half-empty kinda guy.
Highly recommended.