A brief but deep book! He covers a wide range of topics with clear coherence. The deep dive into neuroscience provided helpful depth and context. He eA brief but deep book! He covers a wide range of topics with clear coherence. The deep dive into neuroscience provided helpful depth and context. He expresses profound sympathy for those who easily get lost, the wanderings of Alzheimers patients, and the challenges inherent in navigating. One of my most appreciated insights was that "mental maps" are not so much spatial maps as they are maps of cognition, neurons marking familiar places, boundaries, or orienting on a point so as to show degrees of deviation from that "fixed" point... but the mind isn't producing Google Maps internally.
Another helpful insight is that some people (or at some times) navigate in an "egocentric" fashion, meaning turn-by-turn directions. Other people (or at other times) use "spatial navigation" where they have a larger picture sense of where they are. Overall, the latter are better navigators and can deal with shortcuts or blockages of route, but the former method has its place too.
He is not anti-GPS but says that it doesn't really engage the brains aeons-old navigational systems. An unanswered question to me is if one uses GPS to gain a spatial sense of where things are and not just for turn-by-turn (egocentric) navigation, is it as deleterious?
Clearly, a thought-provoking book, with lots of great historical anecdotes and examples....more
Such an insightful and fascinating book! It's filled with so many scientific recountings of the lives of birds: how they see and hear, the mechanics oSuch an insightful and fascinating book! It's filled with so many scientific recountings of the lives of birds: how they see and hear, the mechanics of bird flight, feeding habits, group dynamics, migration, evolution, etc. This book did just what I had hoped: added a lot of insight and detail to my thoughts when I observe birds. I was pestering my daughter for days with random bird facts!...more
A fascinating a detailed history... perhaps a little wonkier than his first book on dinosaurs? There are detailed excurses on jawbones, teeth, etc. thA fascinating a detailed history... perhaps a little wonkier than his first book on dinosaurs? There are detailed excurses on jawbones, teeth, etc. that can get a little heady. But still, the message about the deep history of mammals (mammals during the Jurassic era!) is loud and clear. Mammals thrived alongside dinosaurs and simply adapted after their extinction. Another message of the book is the recurring climactic change that has occurred throughout geological history and the resultant necessity of adaptation (or extinction). Lastly, I appreciated his discussions of the scientific/scientific community side of modern day paleontology....more
A truly fascinating book where the overall narrative of his trip to Alaska succeeds at providing a thematic framework for the subjects he explores. ThA truly fascinating book where the overall narrative of his trip to Alaska succeeds at providing a thematic framework for the subjects he explores. There is much wisdom here about the need for silence, nature, movement, restrained eating, physical and mental challenge, etc....more
This was a fun book as long as you don't take it too seriously. I enjoyed this different path through Tolkien's world, looking at it as a series of "pThis was a fun book as long as you don't take it too seriously. I enjoyed this different path through Tolkien's world, looking at it as a series of "plausible" scientific explanations of elements of Tolkien's work, not definitive explanations. The Ring is radioactive? Maybe!...more
A rather intriguing investigation of the modern world. I particularly found the discussions of chemical plants, etc. interesting. The ultimate idea isA rather intriguing investigation of the modern world. I particularly found the discussions of chemical plants, etc. interesting. The ultimate idea is that lots of bad things will happen before nature eventually recovers on its inexorable timeline, but it will recover. I also enjoyed how he investigated the world *before* humans for insight....more
McCarthy powerfully interweaves his personal story of how nature provided him reprieve and healing from childhood trauma with a potent philosophical aMcCarthy powerfully interweaves his personal story of how nature provided him reprieve and healing from childhood trauma with a potent philosophical argument for joy in nature. Beyond merely utilitarian arguments for nature, which can only go so far, he argues that we must rediscover our joy and wonder in nature if we are to have a hope of saving it from ecological disaster.
In contrast to the brand of Christian theology that says "this world is not our home," McCarthy brings the simple facticity of our evolution in nature to bear in this argument. If, for 50,000 generations we lived in close connection to nature, knowing its rhythms and fullness, then we are are most ourselves when we are in touch with a natural world that is vibrant and healthy. Thus, to save "nature" is also to save ourselves for--in the end--we are one and the same.
Another aspect of the ecological catastrophe he highlights that I found rare and therefore illuminating is not so much species extinction as species diminuation. Specifically, this is the idea that environmental degradation has not only driven some species entirely out of existence but it has also so diminished the numbers of many more species that the fullness of nature is much diminished. This is from whence the title of the book derives: In his childhood, a car with its headlights might drive through a "snowstorm" of moths there were so many; now, they are never to be found in such numbers. He highlights moths, butterflies, and birds in particular, none of which are among my favorites types of critters, but my understanding and sympathies were expanded all the more so because of that. Now, when I walk, I listen for the fullness of birdsong in the meadows and even somewhat appreciate the bugs that swarm me, evidence as they are that nature has not been entirely attenuated.
We are meant to live in the midst of such fullness, and we starve in a famine of our own making when we don't....more
This is an essential read in our era of mindless browsing, clicking, and 'liking.' Since social media provide "some" value, we have given ourselves fuThis is an essential read in our era of mindless browsing, clicking, and 'liking.' Since social media provide "some" value, we have given ourselves fully over to them, exchanging true connection for a sad patina of interconnectedness. We don't know how to sit with our own thoughts, to hold a conversation without our mind wandering, to regulate our own emotions without quickly grabbing our phone to see if anyone liked our most recent post or retweet. These media are designed to be addicting, to hijack our need for intermittent social approval, like little slot machines in our pockets, and in the process they deprive us of real solitude, connection, and leisure. Our lives are being radically restructured in a mere decade by college-aged designers profiting madly off our endlessly distracted lives.
This book provides a reasonable way to still engage in modern technology without being subsumed by it. Even though I'm not the most phone-addicted person, I still made some modest changes after reading it, such as not having Facebook open automatically when I open my browser, removing the shortcuts for social media from my phone homepage (except for Instagram, which I use almost exclusively to follow nature photographers), and unsubscribing from many, many emails. Highly recommended!...more
This is an important profound book, making the point that for only the second time in human history, we have made our own extinction possible (the firThis is an important profound book, making the point that for only the second time in human history, we have made our own extinction possible (the first being nuclear weapons). The first half of the book importantly recounts the many effects of climate change, beyond the often-thought rising oceans: wildfires, droughts, famines, human displacement, rampant disease, etc. Before long, climate change will adversely affect everyone, not just poor folks and those living near the coasts, as we often think.
The second half of the book was unique to my reading and bears repeated readings and thought. It details the cultural effects and reverberations of disastrous climate change: how it's anticipated (and denied) in our art and popular media (loads of disaster films accompanying climate change denialism), changes upon politics, technology (where the wealthy fear AI takeovers more than climate disaster), ways we will be forced to reconceive history, what ethics are plausible in this era, etc. The book also helpfully interacts with the plethora of other climate change books out there at the moment.
As the author says, because of indifference to climate change, we are "a civilization enclosing itself in a gaseous suicide, a running car in a sealed garage."...more
This book is a stunningly fascinating exploration of the possibilities of life on other planets, as well as the broader impact of species' co-evolutioThis book is a stunningly fascinating exploration of the possibilities of life on other planets, as well as the broader impact of species' co-evolution with the planet, namely the ways life dramatically affects the other systems of a planet. From discussing how micro-organisms oxygenated the Earth to predicting the weather patterns on Mars, the author is always rigorous and yet clear in his explanations. The conclusions of the book are as profound as they are unsettling: statistically, it is highly improbable that there *haven't* been many instances of other intelligent life on other planets, and the capacity of species to pass the point of no return in terms of climate change is pretty high, given the nature of self-reinforcing feedback loops.
In short, we are just one small part of the story of life in the universe, and our choices will decisively impact how much of that story the human species gets to be around for....more
Fascinating for the details of how nuclear weapons were developed, designed, and deployed, as well as the many mishaps that happened and yet--miraculoFascinating for the details of how nuclear weapons were developed, designed, and deployed, as well as the many mishaps that happened and yet--miraculously--never resulted in a massive, accidental nuclear disaster, a deeper impulse of this book is the terrifying technological complexity we have created and and the very real issue of things getting out of control, as though we are getting stuck in our own web. The Soviets had a system called "Death's Hand" that would launch missiles even if all command centers in the USSR were destroyed. Of course this system, like all sensors and automated systems, was subject to mistakes and flaws... just with infinite consequences in this case.
Great achievement, remarkable stupidity, and technological nihilism, all rolled into one....more
A terrific way to update your knowledge of the evolution, characteristics, and science of dinosaurs if--like me--most of your knowledge about these suA terrific way to update your knowledge of the evolution, characteristics, and science of dinosaurs if--like me--most of your knowledge about these subjects was formed decades ago during childhood. Brusatte amusingly details the quixotic personalities of paleontology, as well as anecdotes illustrating the kind of field work performed. Little did I know of the many, many types of dinosaurs, the diverse geological eras that separated them, and the complex survival of mammals, who managed to survive but did not really outdo the dinosaurs....more
This book was refreshing (especially at this point in (political) history!) for its optimism and ambition. Sometimes the best way to overcome challengThis book was refreshing (especially at this point in (political) history!) for its optimism and ambition. Sometimes the best way to overcome challenges is to truly aim beyond the initial obstacles. I appreciated his critique of the stagnation of NASA (we've actually moved backwards in our ability to put people into orbit or beyond! The energy and ambition of people like Elon Musk are inspiring and many of the issues involved with surviving on Mars are--at least cursorily--discussed. Most fascinating were the speculations on terraforming and genetic engineering (so that humans can breathe a different gas mix, for instance)....more
There was really a lot of interest in this book. He makes the interesting and compelling argument that morality vastly predates religion, that empathyThere was really a lot of interest in this book. He makes the interesting and compelling argument that morality vastly predates religion, that empathy, cooperation, conflict resolution, etc., are formed in homo sapiens via evolution and are thus shared with other primates and even other social animals. Religion simplifies codifies and intensifies this innate morality (and occasionally abuses it). He also makes the fair point that in the "science versus religion" wars, religion isn't going away quickly as it is rooted so much more deeply in the human psyche and societies than science, which is relatively new, though invaluable.
The best aspects of this book were the examples he gave from various animal studies, such as how primates will make prosocial choices, given the option, how pigeons develop "superstitious" rituals about how to bring about a food reward even when the food is given on an absolutely regular, indifferent schedule, etc. His anecdotes of decades of working with animals in the field and the lab are fascinating and illustrative too. His frequent forays into discussing the art of Bosch is more a strange distraction than anything.
I definitely recommend this book as a readable, conversational consideration of the intersection of philosophy, animal studies, and religion around the subjects of evolution and morality. Further, de Waal just seems a very likable and amicable person and narrator....more
This is a young adult book and a little dated, but I found it quite enjoyable! I learned quite a lot about the history of paleontology, and what I fouThis is a young adult book and a little dated, but I found it quite enjoyable! I learned quite a lot about the history of paleontology, and what I found most interesting was the ways ideas about dinosaurs developed (such as the realization that species become extinct, the idea that dinosaurs were actually quite evolutionarily successful, etc.). The book is organized around certain influential names in the history of paleontology, and I found their zeal for knowledge and dedication to science and adventure to be inspiring....more
At first, I was put off by his "episodic" structure to this book, hoping instead for a more systematic treatment of the Pacific Ocean. But it is a masAt first, I was put off by his "episodic" structure to this book, hoping instead for a more systematic treatment of the Pacific Ocean. But it is a massive subject, so some kind of delimiting structure was necessary. And by the end of the book, I felt like most of the topics I was interested in were covered: various points of history, geography, geology, commerce, politics, culture, colonialism, etc. What a fascinating path through an absolutely massive subject......more
This book is a fascinating look at humans' complex interactions with animals, from our deep desire to connect with them, to our fear and abuse of themThis book is a fascinating look at humans' complex interactions with animals, from our deep desire to connect with them, to our fear and abuse of them. Our mythological tales about animals show the deep structure of these relations, a subconscious understanding that we are connected to the rest of the animal kingdom.
It's a brief consideration of the subject, but it is an (advanced) youth book. It has many interesting sidebars discussing the capacities of animals, our ambiguous feelings about zoos, horrific stories such as the exploitation and execution of an elephant named "Chunee."
Some beautiful photographs and thoughtful, if brief, consideration of important issues. Definitely recommended!...more
As others have said, this is a fascinating book. In a general sense, the pictures all show how the world has changed, and the text gives details aboutAs others have said, this is a fascinating book. In a general sense, the pictures all show how the world has changed, and the text gives details about those changes. Specifically, this book focuses upon the many negative effects that humans have had upon the environment through urbanization, pollution, resource-mining, warfare, etc. It's a sobering wake-up call about the devastating effects we can have upon the natural environment. This book is easily absorbed in bite-sized chunks, and it made fascinating reading over my lunches for a period of time....more
This is an important book that's also fun to read. The chapters deal with different species that have either gone extinct or are in danger of doing soThis is an important book that's also fun to read. The chapters deal with different species that have either gone extinct or are in danger of doing so, and take the reader from isolated islands, to caves in New Jersey, to the jungles of South America. As such, it's an enjoyable travel narrative, but with an important thread of an argument that runs through the chapters. This thread is that, while extinction of species is nothing new in earth's history, it is happening at an incredibly rapid pace right now, and this is owing to humanity's intense and usually devastating impact on nature. Probably the most important subject Kolbert raises is the idea of the "Anthropocene Era," the notion that humanity is having such a pivotal impact on the earth so as to constitute its own geologic era, one that will be noticeable in the geological record millenia from now. Kolbert does a good job of setting things in perspective, helping the reader to realize that, in geologic time, humanity is just a very recent blip on the radar, yet we are having a disproportionately deep and negative impact on the environment.
The other aspect of the book that I most enjoyed was her discussion of the history of science as it pertains to the very notion of 'extinction.' Just as the 'origin of species' was a paradigm shift and subject for debate raised by Darwin and the like, so also was there a time when people had no notion that species could disappear from existence. This required scientific study and philosophical shift to realize the dynamism of the earth that species can not only originate but also disappear from the planet. Previously, the paradigm had been that of relative stability, that the species now extant had always been and always would be extant; now we realize just how much things can and do change.
For a very readable book on an important subject in science, this book is highly recommended!...more
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