Science and Inquiry discussion

Please post a comment below to nominate a book for the group to read for November 2024.

Please do not nominate a book unless you have read it or you have the sincere intention to read it if it is selected.

Please use the "add book/author" link just above the comment box to insert a link to the Goodreads book page for the book you are nominating, so other members can more easily assess it. Apparently this only works on the desktop version of the site; if you use the app, the link is not available yet, so just be sure to put the full title and author.

To check whether a book has been previously read or already selected to be read, check the following list: https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

You may nominate a book which has been suggested previously and did not win. You may nominate more than one book, but we might not include all of your nominations in the voting.

Authors and publishers may not nominate their own books.

Please do not nominate a book which is unlikely to be available to most members, such as one which was just published within the last four months or which is only available on Kindle in the U.S. We will be checking availability more strictly than we have before. Any book nominated should be available in at least one print version (hardback and/or paperback), at least one ebook edition, and at least one audio edition.

A nominated book should have at least 500 ratings in Goodreads and it's average rating should be at least 3.5.

Nominations will close on September 22 or when we have about 7 good nominations, whichever occurs first.

Perhaps Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics.

Hopefully this is finally eligible this month? Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight-Loss Drugs by Johann Hari - here's my 4-star review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

In case there are skeptics or if it never crossed your mind, water (ice) is a mineral. Ice: From Mixed Drinks to Skating Rinks—A Cool History of a Hot Commodity https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Starborn: How the Stars Made Us
Never read, but I mean to. :-)

Michael wrote: "Starborn: How the Stars Made Us
Never read, but I mean to. :-)"

This looks interesting, but it doesn't have enough ratings.

I would like to propose Turning to Stone - Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks by Marcia Bjornerud. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
This is part autobiographical and part an exploration of the world through 10 different rock types that have influenced her life and how they are the foundations of all our lives. It is written in a very lyrical and personal style and explores some of the issues & challenges she faced as a young female geologist in a male dominated field of study.

Betsy wrote: "Michael wrote: "Starborn: How the Stars Made Us
Never read, but I mean to. :-)"

This looks interesting, but it doesn't have enough ratings."

Oh, my mistake, Betsy. I'll see if I can find another one.

Martin wrote: "I would like to propose Turning to Stone - Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks by Marcia Bjornerud. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
This is part autobiographical and part an explor..."

Martin, this book was just published in August. Please wait a few months, allow the number of ratings to exceed 500, and nominate it again. Thanks!

Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World please!

In the Company of Crows and Ravens by John M. Marsluff and Tony Angell
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

Under Alien Skies: A Sightseer's Guide to the Universe by Philip Plait

My nomination for the Science & Enquiry Book Club to read is: ”‘The Return: Fathers, sons & the lands between.’ By Hisham Matar" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2....
The author has been consistent in his output. His first book ‘My Friends’ won the Booker prize while this book ‘The Return’ won the Pulitzer prize for 2024. A fascinating aspect of the book is how fast changes take place in the present world. Although the book depicts events that took place in 2011 much of the technology, as for instance lack of CCTV coverage around London, is already dated. At the same time much, especially in the realm of human interactions, remains the same. The only consistent factor in the book seems to be the story of man’s inhumanity to man. The prose is simple yet evocative. Take for instance an episode when the protagonist is in a taxi on the way to a boarding school in which he has been enrolled. The cab gets lost (no GPS) and runs low on fuel. The cabbie stops at a petrol pump and leaves the engine running while fuel is being filled. Shocked at the wastage in keeping the engine idling for such a long period the protagonist asks: “Why did you leave your engine running?” to which the terse reply from the cabbie is: “That’s right my engine.” Which is atypical of what might take place in such a situation.

I would like to nominate Endless Novelties of Extraordinary Interest: The Voyage if HMS Challenger and the Birth of Modern Oceanography

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

The Challenger Expedition was a great adventure & achievement in its own right, but Doug MacDougall's account is a masterpiece. Well researched & brilliantly written, it talks not only about the journey itself, but also the scientific discoveries made, the scientists & crew involved and the enduring legacy of this expedition. It was a great collaborative scientific endeavour, funded by the government and supported by the Royal Navy, it captured the imagination of the public and founded the new science of oceanography. In some ways similar to the Apollo Space program it explored new frontiers and laid the foundations for many later discoveries including plate tectonics, climate change & the importance of the oceans in maintaining the planet's biodiversity.

Martin wrote: "I would like to nominate Endless Novelties of Extraordinary Interest: The Voyage if HMS Challenger and the Birth of Modern Oceanography

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

The Challenger..."

This looks interesting, but it doesn't have enough ratings in Goodreads.

Nominations are now closed. I will post a poll tomorrow.

Please vote for your preference, at the following poll:

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

which will be open through September 23.