What to Read

[Pizza]

I found this interesting:

===========================================================
Neil deGrasse Tyson Lists 8 (Free) Books Every Intelligent Person Should Read
in Audio Books, Books, e-books, Physics | December 21st, 2011 385 Comments



A Reddit.com user posed the question to Neil deGrasse Tyson: “Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on the planet?”

Below, you will find the book list offered up by the astrophysicist, director of the Hayden Planetarium, and popularizer of science. Where possible, we have included links to free versions of the books, all taken from our Free Audio Books and Free eBooks collections. Or you can always download a professionally-narrated book for free from Audible.com. Details here.

If you’re looking for a more extensive list of essential works, don’t miss The Harvard Classics, a 51 volume series that you can now download online.

1.) The Bible (eBook) – “to learn that it’s easier to be told by others what to think and believe than it is to think for yourself.”

2.) The System of the World by Isaac Newton (eBook) – “to learn that the universe is a knowable place.”

3.) On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn of our kinship with all other life on Earth.”

4.) Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn, among other satirical lessons, that most of the time humans are Yahoos.”

5.) The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn how the power of rational thought is the primary source of freedom in the world.”

6.) The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn that capitalism is an economy of greed, a force of nature unto itself.”

7.) The Art of War by Sun Tsu (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art.”

8.) The Prince by Machiavelli (eBook – Audio Book) – “to learn that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it.”

Tyson concludes by saying: “If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world.”

He has also added some more thoughts in the comments section below, saying:

"Thanks for this ongoing interest in my book suggestions. From some of your reflections, it looks like the intent of the list was not as clear as I thought. The one-line comment after each book is not a review but a statement about how the book’s content influenced the behavior of people who shaped the western world. So, for example, it does no good to say what the Bible “really” meant, if its actual influence on human behavior is something else. Again, thanks for your collective interest."

==============================================================

Read what I put in bold above, he makes a very good point about the Bible as well as the other books.

 

[Kathi]

What every intelligent person should read?I don't have to read it.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

You said it, not us.

 

[Kathi]

You said it, not us.

You bet.

 

[jasonc]

What every intelligent person should read?I don't have to read it.

well of that list, I have some of darwins book. its online, it chapters aren't that long. Thomas paine, the guy whom started the revolutionary war effort isn't a person to just dismiss. yes he is into reasonism? and is a diest but the point is missing to you. you do realize that you vote and not understanding western culture is not good. America is the west, one of those books are the basis of capitalism. the art of war? you depise isis? yet I bet they have some tactics suggested by sun Tzu.

apologetics, the art of defending what you believe and also needs to know what the other arguments are.

 

[Kathi]

well of that list, I have some of darwins book. its online, it chapters aren't that long. Thomas paine, the guy whom started the revolutionary war effort isn't a person to just dismiss. yes he is into reasonism? and is a diest but the point is missing to you. you do realize that you vote and not understanding western culture is not good. America is the west, one of those books are the basis of capitalism. the art of war? you depise isis? yet I bet they have some tactics suggested by sun Tzu.

apologetics, the art of defending what you believe and also needs to know what the other arguments are.

Darwin's books?No thanks.

 

[jasonc]

Darwin's books?No thanks.

so by reading that, you are that weak to convert? wow, just wow.

I take you haven't listen to icr.org on the radio. they talk more about adaption to the environment and how they work then in the end mention creationism. when they go into just plain science without the origins controversy, its not any different then any science show.

a fish dying in the lagoon needs to tested for what did that to him. an origins debate will not solve the problem.when we look at nature and what it is and how it works, whether its from a creationist view or theistic view both do give glory to god.

 

[KevinK]

No Book of Five Rings?

 

[TOG]

1.) The Bible (eBook) – “to learn that it’s easier to be told by others what to think and believe than it is to think for yourself.”

Can people not even put the Bible on a list of books without having to say something to put down its contents?

The TOG​

 

[Milk-Drops]

I wouldn't recommend the Origin of Species to anyone unless they just want to get a historical idea of what Darwin actually thought. The book is a very dry read and a large chunk of it have been revised by later scientists mainly because Darwin was unaware of Genetics.

I think Dr Tyson is a great speaker when it comes to Astro Physics, but I find him to be less impactfull when he strays form his expertise. Though I do admire that his outlook is not cynical and he does have a willingness to actually bridge understanding than just ignore that there are Christian scientists in fields such as Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. He has made quite a few jabs at Atheists' egos at conferences and called out many speakers for what he views as just plain silly hand waving.

He is a pretty interesting person. I would recommend reading to understand a viewpoint or to explore new avenues of thought. Tyson's commentary is his own opinion, and I don't agree with all of his opinions, but many of the books he mentioned are actually a pretty good read.

 

[Pizza]

Can people not even put the Bible on a list of books without having to say something to put down its contents?

The TOG​

Tyson is not going to mention the Bible without attacking it - odd, since he defends Christians in the sciences. His outlook is one of total intellectualism, the man has NO faith and NO spirituality.

 

[Pizza]

I wouldn't recommend the Origin of Species to anyone unless they just want to get a historical idea of what Darwin actually thought. The book is a very dry read and a large chunk of it have been revised by later scientists mainly because Darwin was unaware of Genetics.

I think Dr Tyson is a great speaker when it comes to Astro Physics, but I find him to be less impactfull when he strays form his expertise. Though I do admire that his outlook is not cynical and he does have a willingness to actually bridge understanding than just ignore that there are Christian scientists in fields such as Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. He has made quite a few jabs at Atheists' egos at conferences and called out many speakers for what he views as just plain silly hand waving.

He is a pretty interesting person. I would recommend reading to understand a viewpoint or to explore new avenues of thought. Tyson's commentary is his own opinion, and I don't agree with all of his opinions, but many of the books he mentioned are actually a pretty good read.

WOW. I could have typed all of that. Emphasis mine - very insightful observation.