Science and Inquiry discussion

Have you read any nonfiction books, especially science or intellectual inquiry related, that you think changed your life in a significant way? If so, what and how?

Please do not include self-help books.

For me, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande had a big impact on me. I read it not long after losing my mother, after a several year stay in an assisted living facility, so much of what he says about end of life care really hit home. And I'm old enough that I've spent a lot of time thinking about how to plan for my own end.

Another book that really hit home for me was The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, which I read shortly after my own bout with cancer. Fortunately not one of the bad ones, and I'm years past it.

So many nonfiction books that I read are interesting and instructive and very much worth reading. But not many really apply to me personally or impact my behavior. Both of these did.

This is a big question and it's a lot to ask of any book which I think is why people are hesitating to answer it. When I was young, I read any book about Astronomy that I could get my hands on and though I couldn't pinpoint one title from my youth, there's no doubt that all that reading material helped foster a love for space that has persisted to this day. So just to link a title that might be a little bit obvious... Cosmos by Carl Sagan. It's certainly not the first book I read on the subject, but it was definitely impactful. In fact, it might be time for a re-read and I have a couple copies of the book, one of which I've never read. This summer should be perfect for that. Thanks Betsy!

Jessica wrote: "This is a big question and it's a lot to ask of any book which I think is why people are hesitating to answer it. When I was young, I read any book about Astronomy that I could get my hands on and ..."

You're welcome. And yes, it's a big question. I had trouble answering it myself. The books I mentioned impacted me mostly by reinforcing what I was already thinking. They didn't really change me, except maybe by strengthening my understanding of those topics.

And yes, reread Cosmos. I don't think I've actually read it, but I saw the original TV series, which was incredible. Sagan was a true treasure.

This is a strange one, but in high school during the 2010s, I read a red botany text book by James Mauseth. I was able to get my hands on it, as my father, who worked at a university, was able to bring discarded textbooks home for me to read.
The way Mauseth wrote about science and understanding it, as well as the indirect lessons I applied from plants to the human experience, paved the way for my line of thinking moving forward.

Around the same time, the book Spark by John Ratey taught me the importance of running from a scientific perspective. It's the book that instilled a life long running habit in me.

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson made me research and appreciate my family history.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot made me think about all of the DNA and blood samples that I provide mindlessly to doctors upon demand. Started making me consider what happens and where I leave my footprint.

Mindf*ck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America by Christopher Wylie made me more aware of the psychological ramifications of data collected online and the war being waged upon society through psychological manipulation. Really fascinating and oh so scary book. Also made me painfully aware of the amounts of data being collected daily and how it is being used.

Meaningless wrote: "This is a strange one, but in high school during the 2010s, I read a red botany text book by James Mauseth. I was able to get my hands on it, as my father, who worked at a university, was able to b..."

My Grandfather was a janitor at a high school and he would grab textbooks before they made it into the dumpster and give them to me and I thought it was so totally awesome! So I was reading high school text books before I was in high school as you were reading university textbooks before you were at university. Definitely a win!

I'm going to have to add some of these books to my list. I think I have The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks somewhere on my shelf.

Jessica wrote: "This is a big question and it's a lot to ask of any book which I think is why people are hesitating to answer it. When I was young, I read any book about Astronomy that I could get my hands on and ..."

Interesting ... when I was young, I was also deep into reading all books I could find about astronomy. I think it started one day, maybe I was 10 or 12, when my father came home with a half-dozen paperback books about astronomy. That was my jump-start.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi - a book written by a neurosurgeon with a Masters degree in English Literature. It's such a strong book that I keep coming back to years after I read it for the first time.

David wrote: "Interesting ... when I was young, I was also deep into reading all books I could find about astronomy. I think it started one day, maybe I was 10 or 12, when my father came home with a half-dozen paperback books about astronomy. That was my jump-start."

Greetings fellow space enthusiast! Most of my Astronomy books came from the library. The internet wasn't a household word back then and TV was a black and white fuzzy thing that got 5 channels so I spent my evenings scrounging for books at the library.

Betsy wrote: "For me, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande had a big impact on me. I read it not long after losing my mother, after a several year stay..."

Yes to that book and also Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life by Louise Aronson

Katy wrote: "Betsy wrote: "For me, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande had a big impact on me. I read it not long after losing my mother, after a sev..."

Thanks. Added to my Maybe list.

Katy wrote: "Betsy wrote: "For me, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande had a big impact on me. I read it not long after losing my mother, after a sev..."

I also really enjoyed reading this book!