Science and Inquiry discussion

It's time to nominate books for the June Book Club Read. Please post your nominations here. Nominations will be open until April 26, then I'll open up the poll for a few days.

I'd like to nominate Consilience The Unity of Knowledge by Edward O. Wilson. I've been eying this book, it looks good, and I love Wilson's work.

How did the tie for May get broken? It might be a good idea to enquire as to whether people want to have the second book that tied be June's read, or not.

Valerie wrote: "How did the tie for May get broken? It might be a good idea to enquire as to whether people want to have the second book that tied be June's read, or not."

I think it's set up so that we'll be reading both books next month.

Also, I'd like to nominate Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach.

The Well-Dressed Ape: A Natural History of Myself by Hannah Holmes

I don't know if we've done this one before I joined, but if we haven't, I'd like to nominate the book Parasite Rex : Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures. I've had that one on my to read shelf for a long time, and I've heard really good things about it.

Kirsten wrote: "I'd like to nominate Consilience The Unity of Knowledge by Edward O. Wilson. I've been eying this book, it looks good, and I love Wilson's work."

What a coincidence! I just bought a (used) copy of this book a couple of months ago, and I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet. It looks like a great book by a very famous author!

Donegal wrote: "Valerie wrote: "How did the tie for May get broken? It might be a good idea to enquire as to whether people want to have the second book that tied be June's read, or not."

I think it's set up so t..."

That's right--it was a tie between The Information A History, A Theory, A Flood and The Physics of Star Trek. So both books will be our "book of the month" in May. (Unfortunately, only one book or the other can show up on the Science and Inquiry home page in the "Upcoming" feature.)

Four excellent books have been nominated for the June Book of the Month. Please take a moment to review the choices and vote for the book you would really like to read. This poll will close on May 30, so vote soon!

I've started reading Stiff now. I have quite an expressive face, and read a lot on my daily train commute. I don't quite know how to describe some of the contortions my face is making, but I bet it's entertaining for my fellow passengers!

I love this book! It's gross and funny and fascinating!

I knew I'd love this author and I'm glad I finally read one of hers. Can't wait to check out the rest at some point. Now this has me mulling over my own burial decisions and I hope I'm to young to be even thinking about this!

Jenny wrote: "I've started reading Stiff now. I have quite an expressive face, and read a lot on my daily train commute. I don't quite know how to describe some of the contortions my face is making, but I bet ..."

That's how I was. I finished it on a long weekend at a friend's house and her 5th or 6th grader wanted to borrow it after I was finished. I figured, heck, I sure would have dug it at that age. Why not?

I finally started Stiff last night. I'll let you know what I think once I get farther into it.

There hasn't been much discussion about Stiff. Who else is reading it? What do people think about it?

David wrote: "There hasn't been much discussion about Stiff. Who else is reading it? What do people think about it?"

I'm reading it still, among many other things. I like her style, and the subject matter is fascinating. I'd always planned to leave anything useful left of me for medical science, but now I'll specify use in any way that's useful (subject to the usual ethical approval of 'useful'!)

I thought the aircraft accident investigation bit particularly good. I'm currently on ballistics, but am feeling less enthralled by that since the ambitions of those concerned seems to have moved on from minimising damage to immediate 'immobilisation' as cheaply as possible.

Not sure what the UK animal rights people would make of much of any of this - either chucking guinea pigs over cliffs (or did I dream that??) or shooting at pigs, cows etc!

All totally fascinating though.

I finished yesterday.
I liked the aircraft accident chapter too...interesting stuff. I also thought that the ecological funeral, as they called it, sounded pretty appealing compared to most other options.
Overall, I thought it was an interesting book and I even got used to the grossness after awhile. I am a person who doesn't even like looking at dead people at funerals so it is amazing that I even picked up this book! But I liked Packing with Mars and knew from reading that, that her style of writing would make me laugh even if I was creeped out. :-)

Still reading. I got a late start.

Finished Stiff. I thought it was good, definitely worth reading. Informative, frequently humorous, not morbid or ghoulish. I thought she got bogged down in China, but on the whole I liked it.

My review

I really enjoyed Stiff.

Betsy wrote: "Finished Stiff. I thought it was good, definitely worth reading. Informative, frequently humorous, not morbid or ghoulish. I thought she got bogged down in China, but on the whole I liked it.
..."

Yeah China wasn't my favorite part either.

Jenny wrote: "I've started reading Stiff now. I have quite an expressive face, and read a lot on my daily train commute. I don't quite know how to describe some of the contortions my face is making, but I bet ..."

Got strange looks in the gym when I would laugh out loud reading this book while engaged in cardio.