Hi everyone,
I'm reading a great book by Neil DeGrasse Tyson called Death by Black Hole, and Other Cosmic Quandaries. Dr. Tyson is the youngest director of the Hayden Planetarium in NYC and over the past several years has become one of the most recognizable astrophysicists in the world. He has the same ability as Dr. Carl Sagan to translate complex cosmic phenomena into something everyone can grasp. His lectures are interesting and funny (search on YouTube) and he's got a great personality which translates well in print.
I've recently bought a lot of books to read:
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, about a politically active Muslim woman trying to reform Islam.
Second Chance by Zbigniew Brzezinski, another political book
Monkey Girl by Edward Hume, about the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District.
The latter book was so named because of the teasing a 14 year old girl got from the religious fundamentalists that she was attending school with. Well, we all know how cruel children can be. Anyway, it's about the trial which pitted creationists against parents (and the ACLU) who felt strongly about the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and how science won. It's a revealing tale about what is really behind the creationist movement and how they are using pseudoscience to fool the ignorant public. Sad.
I'm off to play tennis and have lunch with the girls. These three ladies are great friends of mine and, although we are all at different levels, we get together just to play and laugh. Last week, after tennis, we sat in the clubhouse for over 2 hours talking about death and religion over a glass of wine. As you can imagine, I gave them something different to think about and, funny thing, no one was offended. Mmmmmmm......
This is getting long and I've got things to do for DH. Hey, feel free to comment on my emails. I know I'm being controversial (my nature) but I was hoping for some dialogue.
Summer
2 comments:
I am awaiting my copy of Infidel. sounds like an interesting lady. She was here in Australia last week to speak at the Sydney writers festival much to the chagrin of the local muslims. would have loved to have made it to the festival as Richard Dawkins was giving a lecture by satellite as well.
Summer and Sean, if you like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, come check out my blog.
Summer, I am hoping to read Tyson's "Death By Black Hole" this summer. C-Span televised a speaking engagement he did at the Hayden Planetarium several months ago. He is quite an engaging speaker.
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