Book Recommendations Please

[HoldingFolding]

OK I need to get my Xmas wish list sorted. I'm interested in well written non-fiction:
Biology/Evolution/Religion along the lines of Dawkins/Harris
Physics/Cosmology along the lines of Hawking/Greene
AI/Futurism

Any other recommendations would be very welcome as long as they are 'a good read'.

[vhawk01]

I really enjoyed Ancestor's Tale by Dawkins and Consciousness Explained by Dennett.

[Daisydog]

I found these books to be interesting:

The Golden Ratio
Chaos
Fooled by Randomness
Against the Gods
Fortune's Formula

[Prodigy54321]

A while ago I went on a little spree and started with these...I haven't read all of them yet, but I'm fairly certain they are all great.

you've also probably already read some of these, but here goes

Dawkins
-The Selfish Gene
-The Blind Watchmaker
-The Ancestor's Tale
-The God Delusion

Greene- The Elegant Universe
Hawking- A brief History of Time
Harris - The End of Faith

Michio Kaku
-Parallel Worlds
-Hyperspace
(maybe not up your alley..I love them though
-Einstein's cosmos
-Beyond Einstein
(if you want a couple great books about Einstein's life and his ideas)

C.S. Lewis - Mere Christianity (if you're into that)

[vhawk01]

This thread will bring financial ruin for me, if it gets going. I am a helpless bibliophile, and this is feeding the addiction.

[yukoncpa]

[ QUOTE ]
This thread will bring financial ruin for me, if it gets going. I am a helpless bibliophile, and this is feeding the addiction.


[/ QUOTE ]
I saved myself from financial ruin when I broke down and got a library card.

[vhawk01]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This thread will bring financial ruin for me, if it gets going. I am a helpless bibliophile, and this is feeding the addiction.


[/ QUOTE ]
I saved myself from financial ruin when I broke down and got a library card.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope, that doesnt do it for me. I enjoy reading them, but i enjoy buying/having them more.

[John21]

At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization (http://www.amazon.com/At-Home-Universe-Self-Organization-Complexity/dp/0195111303/ref=pd_rhf_p_1/002-2810031-3296818) - Stuart Kauffman

Wholeness and the Implicate Order (http://www.amazon.com/Wholeness-Implicate-Order-David-Bohm/dp/0415289793/sr=1-1/qid=1164960983/ref=sr_1_1/002-2810031-3296818?ie=UTF8&s=books) - David Bohm

Process and Reality (http://www.amazon.com/Process-Lectures-Delivered-University-Edinburgh/dp/0029345707/ref=pd_rhf_p_8/002-2810031-3296818) - Alfred North Whitehead

[siegfriedandroy]

dawkins will crucify any theist you dislike. 'darwin on trial' by berkeley prof johnson is all lies. everythin dawkins says is truth. einstein's words are lies. zees are true. masons false, and ds's semi false. this forum is tired and

[Metric]

I recommend "The Trouble With Physics" by Lee Smolin, if you want to get a novel take on the whole superstrings vs. everything else debate that is heating up these days. It's definately an eye-opener on more levels than a lot of these pop physics books.

[madnak]

[ QUOTE ]
einstein's words are lies

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, to those interested, Dawkins has stated that he can respect Einsteinian religion (and only Einsteinian religion).

[HoldingFolding]

Has anyone read any Daniel C. Dennett? Any recommendations?

[vhawk01]

Consciousness Explained was good and I am working on Breaking the Spell right now. I hear its fantastic though.

[moorobot]

[ QUOTE ]
Biology/Evolution/Religion along the lines of Dawkins/Harris

[/ QUOTE ]

The Origin of Wealth by Beinhocker
The Triumph of Sociobiology by Alcock

[bluesbassman]

Popular science/math/physics: "Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas Hofstadter is probably my favorite nonfiction book; it's awesome.

Religion/philosophy: "Atheism: The Case Against God" by George H. Smith is excellent. I don't see how a rational person could continue to be a theist after reading and understanding that book.

[vhawk01]

[ QUOTE ]
Popular science/math/physics: "Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas Hofstadter is probably my favorite nonfiction book; it's awesome.

Religion/philosophy: "Atheism: The Case Against God" by George H. Smith is excellent. I don't see how a rational person could continue to be a theist after reading and understanding that book.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree with GEB. But go ahead and set aside a month or so for this thing, its about 800 pages and its pretty dense. In a good way but dense nonetheless.

[siegfriedandroy]

anything by dawkins is A+

[GMontag]

[ QUOTE ]
Popular science/math/physics: "Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas Hofstadter is probably my favorite nonfiction book; it's awesome.

[/ QUOTE ]

A good read for an opposite viewpoint is "The Emperor's New Mind" by Roger Penrose.

[FortunaMaximus]

GEB is a chore, but, a worthwhile one if you find the time, as someone mentioned.

Also: Amazon Linky: The Man who Knew Infinity - A Life of the Genius Ramanujan (http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Knew-Infinity-Ramanujan/dp/0671750615/sr=8-1/qid=1165276599/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-8291345-7944046?ie=UTF8&s=books)

Very entertaining read too.

[bluesbassman]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Popular science/math/physics: "Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas Hofstadter is probably my favorite nonfiction book; it's awesome.

[/ QUOTE ]

A good read for an opposite viewpoint is "The Emperor's New Mind" by Roger Penrose.

[/ QUOTE ]

I actually agree with this; I enjoyed both books.