[Phil153]

Fame in the 20th Century by Clive James

The book is designed as an entertaining and funny read about celebrities and fame. But there's a deeper theme running through it, about how television and the Hollywood star have changed and perverted our perception of reality, sometimes dangerously so. It made me stop and think about what's real and how life would be without television and the media. It's also an excellent compendium of 20th century icons and a must read for anyone who wishes to get up to speed with 20th century popular culture. Highly recommended.

What Remains to Be Discovered: Mapping the Secrets of the Universe, the Origins of Life, and the Future of the Human Race by John Maddox.

This is a truly fascinating book about science, written by the former editor of Nature (a prestigious science journal). The first thing that strikes you about this book is the writing style; the author writes with a clarity and precision I've never seen before or since.

The book is written to be understand by a layman. The writing is so clear that the author lets you into his mind, and for a while you see the world from the privileged perspective of someone who's been at the forefront of scientific development for 25 years. You come out the other side and little wiser and somewhat in awe of science. This book shook any notions I had that science had slowed down, or that most major discoveries have been made.

How Brains Think: Evolving Intelligence, Then and Now - William H. Calvin

A fascinating book that explores intelligence from the perspective of neurons, synapses, and the physical structures in the brain, in a non technical and interesting manner. The author is a neurophysiologist, and goes into detail about how the brain stores and retrieves information and makes decisions, with a lengthy discussion on how these factors affect intelligence - and what intelligence is. The insights in this book are nothing short of profound - it will change the way you view consciousness and intelligence.