false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1168276993m/31487.jpg 31487 13 Why do poets and artists so often disparage science in their work? For that matter, why does so much scientific literature compare poorly with, say, the phone book? After struggling with questions like these for years, biologist Richard Dawkins has taken a wide-ranging view of the subjects of meaning and beauty in <I>Unweaving the Rainbow</I>, a deeply humanistic examination of science, mysticism, and human nature. Notably strong-willed in a profession of bet-hedgers and wait-and-seers, Dawkins carries the reader along on a romp through the natural and cultural worlds, determined that "science, at its best, should leave room for poetry."<p> Inspired by the frequently asked question, "Why do you bother getting up in the morning?" following publication of his book <I>The Selfish Gene</I>, Dawkins set out determined to show that understanding nature's mechanics need not sap one's zest for life. Alternately enlightening and maddening, <I>Unweaving the Rainbow</I> will appeal to all thoughtful readers, whether wild-eyed technophiles or grumpy, cabin-dwelling Luddites. Excoriations of newspaper astrology columns follow quotes from Blake and Shakespeare, which are sandwiched between sparkling, easy-to-follow discussions of probability, behavior, and evolution. In Dawkins's world (and, he hopes, in ours), science <I>is</I> poetry; he ends his journey by referring to his title's author and subject, maintaining that "A Keats and a Newton, listening to each other, might hear the galaxies sing." <I>--Rob Lightner</I> 3323916 1998 Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder total:501|5:158|4:199|3:122|2:20|1:2| 501 1994 940 44 0 2 false false Tue Nov 06 06:45:10 -0800 2007 Fri Nov 09 07:58:19 -0800 2007
i had never read any of his books, a...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Nov 15 06:18:38 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 15 06:18:38 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 1 false false Sat Dec 22 10:28:12 -0800 2007 Sun Dec 23 07:16:27 -0800 2007 more...]]> 4 1 false false Fri Apr 25 12:34:42 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 25 12:37:27 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Sun May 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun May 31 17:02:55 -0700 2009 Sun May 31 17:07:21 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Sep 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 10 14:48:39 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 14 23:37:34 -0700 2009 Unweaving the Rainbow Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder as a layman's introduction to the wonders of science. The premise of the book is that the scientific view is not the bleak and cold perspective that it has a reputation for. In support of this, the book i...more...]]> 4 1 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 27 12:11:44 -0800 2008 Wed Feb 27 12:36:51 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Mar 05 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 27 14:58:39 -0800 2008 Thu Mar 06 15:07:16 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 1 false false Wed Jul 08 04:24:53 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 08 04:27:26 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Dec 15 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Dec 11 15:05:26 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 02 09:55:30 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Apr 30 03:07:57 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 30 03:37:52 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Tue Dec 30 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 07 19:09:19 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 07 19:11:47 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Tue Aug 25 19:12:24 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 25 19:13:16 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Nov 22 10:08:34 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 22 10:16:38 -0800 2009 4 0 true false Mon Nov 17 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Nov 14 12:40:19 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 17 14:01:35 -0800 2008 1
Dawkins discusses these spec...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun May 31 08:12:41 -0700 2009 Sun May 31 08:14:15 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Jun 17 05:04:52 -0700 2007 Wed Jul 04 08:26:14 -0700 2007
It's certainly won me over. I can literally FEEL my brain expanding every time...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Apr 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Feb 21 18:05:30 -0800 2009 Sun Apr 05 14:59:06 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sat Sep 12 14:31:07 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 12 14:32:21 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Thu Nov 20 18:51:39 -0800 2008 Thu Nov 20 18:52:25 -0800 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=31487