The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific Curiosity

by Robin Ince

Comedian Robin Ince quickly abandoned science at school, bored by a fog of dull lessons and intimidated by the barrage of equations. But, twenty years later, he fell in love and he now presents one of the world's most popular science podcasts. Every year he meets hundreds of the world's greatest thinkers.

In this erudite and witty book, Robin reveals why scientific wonder isn't just for the professionals. Filled with interviews featuring astronauts, comedians, teachers, quantum physicists, neuroscientists and more - as well as charting Robin's own journey with science - The Importance of Being Interested explores why many wrongly think of the discipline as distant and difficult. From the glorious appeal of the stars above to why scientific curiosity can encourage much needed intellectual humility, this optimistic and profound book will leave you filled with a thirst for intellectual adventure.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Audiobook, Philosophy, Humor, Psychology, Popular Science

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 2021

About the author

Robin Ince is an English comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage with physicist Brian Cox.

In 2005, Ince began running the Book Club night at The Albany, London, where acts are encouraged to perform turns of new and experimental material. The club gets its name from Ince's attempts to read aloud from, and humorously criticise, various second-hand books which the audience brought in for the occasion. The Book Club proved to be so successful that Ince took it on a full UK tour in 2006. In 2010, Ince published a book entitled Robin Ince's Bad Book Club about his favourite books that he has used for his shows.

~Wikipedia

Reviews

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, funny, and accessible, this was a pleasure to read but very different to what you'd expect from the blurb. I will be putting it in the "memoir and biography" portion of my bookshelf now, after it's been sitting uncomfortably in "science and technology" waiting to be read. It is about the author's personal philosophy, searching for meaning as an atheist through contemplation of scientific wonders, and how such a philosophy could support others in building a better world. If you pick this up hoping to learn about science, you may be disappointed, but if you've never considered reading a science book before then it might inspire you to do so.

Every chapter introduces a "mindf***" concept from the world of science (largely cosmology) and prompts the reader to muse on its implications for the big questions of life through a series of humorous vignettes and dialogues. It encourages you to adopt science not just as a means to an end, but as a religion that can bring depth and inspiration to your life. While there's no explicit atheist agenda, it does assume that the reader - like the writer - is interested in gaining the comforts of faith through science. In and of itself, the attitude is admirable and the reasoning sensible, but I find some passages, in which faith and science are presented as competing forces, to be rather one-dimensional.

I can't give it five stars because I don't think I learned much from this book. I neither improved my understanding of science nor gained a new philosophical perspective, but your mileage may vary depending on the concepts with which you are already familiar. That said, I did thoroughly enjoy reading it and will listen to the author's podcast as that may be a more suitable format for this kind of existential meandering.

[Sid Nuncius · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think The Importance Of Being Interested is excellent. It is witty, insightful and extremely interesting.

Robin Ince, as most readers will know, is a comedian who began with little knowledge of science but developed an interest and has now presented over 100 episodes of The Infinite Monkey Cage with Prof. Brian Cox on Radio 4. In The Importance Of Being Interested, he reflects on his and others’ responses to discoveries in science, using the very considerable knowledge he has gained combined with the humility of a non-expert, to try to understand what some of these ideas mean to people. These people include a wide range of scientists, astronauts and the like who have deep knowledge of the subjects, and also ordinary non-scientists. It’s a fascinating, thoughtful and entertaining read.

Ince addresses subjects like the relationship between science and religion, what space travel means for humanity, evolution and why some people refuse so violently to accept it and so on. He is plainly knowledgeable but wisely leaves most scientific exposition to experts whom he has talked to or read, while concentrating on the human aspects of what the science means. I found it fascinating and very well balanced; for example, as an atheist himself he has immense respect for a lot of rational religious people, strives to understand how it it possible to believe in both scientific rationalism and a God and concludes (correctly in my view) that it certainly is, even if it isn’t a set of beliefs he shares. Ince he has no truck with anti-scientific ideas which clearly go against the evidence, but is genuinely interested in finding out why some people hold them and seem to be immune to reason. He also recognises the importance of trying to re-establish rationality in areas where irrationality and conspiracy theory abound, and the importance of making genuine human contact and explaining scientific ideas with respect and humility. No one has ever been insulted into changing their mind.

One other aspect which I liked very much is that Ince stresses how much scientific knowledge has enhanced his – and humanity’s – awe, respect and wonder at the universe and the natural world. I have always thought that it was a naive and insulting view of the universe to insist that analysing and investigating a poem, for example, leads us to a greater appreciation of its beauty, but doing the same for the natural world somehow destroys all beauty and wonder in it. My own study of science has had quite the opposite effect and it is very pleasing to see this view shared and advocated so well.

In short, this is a fascinating, humane and very enjoyable read. I can recommend it very warmly.

(My thanks to Atlantic Books for an ARC via NetGalley.)

[James Kinsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

At several points reading this, my wife asked me what interesting facts I'd just learned and my reaction was usually "Erm..."

There are some interesting facts in here but don't make the mistake of thinking this is a pop science book. Ince knows his place and knows that there are hundreds of people better placed to write easy accessible entry points to science - after all, he's friends with most of them. What he wants to impart is the thirst for this knowledge and that's palpable. As with his live shows, he doesn't stay on any one subject long enough to really get into it, but what he does so magnificently is plant seeds. How they grow will be down to you.

[Loukas Moutsianas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what to make of this book. It felt at times like having a conversation at a pub with a friend. The author is likeable and I didn't mind the read (or listen, rather) but I didn't love it either, it felt like I might not be the intended audience for it, perhaps because the openness to science and scientific thought comes naturally to me. Then again, I am not convinced that someone for whom this is not the case will be converted by this book. So where does this leave us?

[Mehtap exotiquetv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neugierde ist der Grundstein für Wissenschaft. Doch wie können wir Neugierde entfachen? Robin Ince geht tief in diese Thematik ein. Dabei redet er nicht nur über Astronomie, sondern auch über Desinformationskampagnen und warum während der Pandemie Menschen sich der Schwurblerei gewidmet haben. Ein sehr inspirierendes Buch, was sofort die Neugierde für Wissenschaft wiederentfacht hat.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite all the grief, disruption to normal life and everything else negative resulting from the COVID pandemic, a couple of lockdowns prompted Robin Ince to create the best book I've read in a long time. I would like to think he would have written it anyway but I am SO glad he did nevertheless. A wonderfully entertaining, thoughtful and uplifting discussion on the benefit of questioning everything from a single atom to the entire universe(s). Even the later sections on death – from a devout atheist - are optimistic and strangely reassuring (to me at least). Could easily have the title “Life, the Universe and Everything” but I think someone else has nabbed that one already.

[Anton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's GREAT as an Audiobook. The author is a very skilled narrator. It reminded me of Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. Erudite and witty.

The chapter on finitude resonated with writings of Oliver Burkeman in Four Thousand Weeks and Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts.

In short, it's a solid recommendation from me.

Following up with more Robin Ince - Bibliomaniac: An Obsessive's Tour Of The Bookshops Of Britain

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin has such a way with words that made this an utter joy to read. I saw so much of my own early experiences in his (and no doubt, what many others will have found too) with the loss of a spark in secondary school science classes. Where all of a sudden all the bright colours of science are turned drab and grey and you can’t wait for the bell to ring to be out of that physics classroom!!

But it’s so important to keep a curiosity when it comes to science. It is everywhere whether we like it or not. In our lives, in what we do, in what we are. It can be an amazing thing when that spark for science is relighted and something I’m very grateful to the Infinite Monkey Cage podcasts for, which Robin Ince also hosts (would recommend!).

I found my love for science through curiosity and I’m now a scientist so, guess anyone can overcome their preconceived high school dislike of science.

Many people think science is for ‘others’. For people with an Einstein level IQ and those who were born with a quantum physics book in their hand. But science is everyone’s. Robin really goes a long way to show that and this book is beyond perfect to rekindle a curiosity in science. It can enrich your life and how you think, and can be nothing but a benefit to those who retain their curiosity about the world and the universe through science.

It really is greatly written and I love Robin’s style of writing. So easy going, entertaining, a pleasure to read and easy to sink into. Non fiction can be something that people struggle to read but not so with this one.

Whether it’s about conspiracy theories and questioning our information, on the topics of science and religion, the vastness of the universe, aliens or about our place in the universe, there’s definitely something in here for everyone to get your brain firing and your curiosity peaked. The chapter about life and death was so beautifully written and so well done.

The book also includes talks to many eminent researchers in their field, astronauts who have had a very unique perspective of earth and those who have had their own stories to tell when it comes to scientific curiosity. With that and Robin’s own thoughts and experiences, it made for very informative and great reading. A very worthwhile read! I loved it.

A massive thank you to the author and publishers via NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in return for my honest thoughts and review.

[Alex Sarll]

Inevitably, Brian Cox introduces his sparring partner's book: "There are two categories of idiot: the curious idiot – a category that includes all scientists – and the idiot – a category that includes all who are certain. Robin is a category one idiot, and that's why he's an engaging and wise guide". This is exactly the sort of line you can imagine coming across much better spoken, with a faint edge of awareness of its own paradox, than in writing. And at first I got some of the same sense from Ince's own writing here. Which is only to be expected; sure, he's written a couple of books before, but that's dwarfed by the amount of time he's spent honing his talents as a performer, so no wonder if he can't modulate his effects quite so perfectly on the page, especially when this particular book seems to have been less a thing he specifically wanted to do as a book, than a way to stop himself from going entirely potty in lockdown after live performance ceased to exist. Even aside from that, though, the book's early sections can sometimes feel a little limp, a bit too 'why can't we all just get along'. Yes, it's valuable to point out that the memes and shirts which suggest science is wholly objective are bullshit (Ince gives the solid example of Fred Hoyle, an astronomical pioneer in some respects but one doggedly unwilling to accept the big bang theory*), or that just telling people they're idiots is unlikely to shift beliefs - but when does politeness lapse into appeasement? I can veer fairly centrist dad myself at times, but I absolutely understand why people bridle at this. Though hell, you can see why someone who's previously put on the likes of Richard Dawkins, and then watched as, like pretty much everything else, atheism has become more annoying over the past decade, might feel the need to reformulate his position. Especially when you contrast Dawkins' gift for putting backs up with the example of Carl Sagan, one of Ince's scientific saints, whose humility and charm even managed to convert a 'creation scientist' he initially met while they were testifying against each other in one of those ludicrous US trials.

In a sense, that searching for connection and common ground is one of the main threads running through the book. Often, I loved it, as when Ince tweaks the nose of human exceptionalism by not only detailing but relishing our demonstrably close kinship not just to apes, or even other higher life, but with organisms right down to the level of yeast. Elsewhere, though, it can occasionally lapse into a false and cloying universalism. I adore the idea of an archaeologist proposing in front of a picture of a pharaoh and his bride, because these were people who had pledged to be together for eternity, and she wanted that same commitment. And maybe Egyptian love poetry really is impressively sexy, though we're told rather than shown as much. But then we get the point this is used to illustrate: "Just as the laws of the universe lead to the principle of uniformitarianism, so the principles of human lust and jealousy show that being human throughout time has not been so very different, simply because we didn't have smartphones and sandwich toasters."
Really? Even today, within a given country, let alone around the world, lust and jealousy, never mind the structures around them, can vary an awful lot. Would an Egyptian marriage be so very recognisable to us, or ours to them, when our own relationships are strange enough to each other to keep Channels 4 and 5 in large chunks of regular programming?
Still, I forgive a lot for the idea that of all the behaviours we've been told are uniquely human over the years, the relevant interviewee (and the book has many, including a few fairly big names) suggests that the only one really particular to us is the ability to contemplate multiple meanings of a single thing. Though even aside from my own example, which I would have liked to ask her about (not using tools directly, but using tools to make better tools), this does suggest depressing corollaries regarding the many people incapable of doing that, the regrettably numerous types who always take depiction for endorsement and assume all creators support their protagonists' actions.

When the book is at its best, though, there are some wonderful sections where Ince is using his academic contacts as supporting evidence rather than skeleton, and where his undoubted way both with concepts and words leads to some very smart and moving sections. Most impressively, the book is often at its most winning precisely when it's on the scariest ground. I don't recall ever before entirely putting together the pieces that if you're overwhelmed by the vastness of the universe today, just think - tomorrow it's going to be even bigger! Above all, towards the end there are absolutely gorgeous chapters on the end – both of ourselves, and of everything – which manage to address the biggest, most unappetising concepts there are, and yet still offer not just wisdom, but laughs: "If you think that Lost had a disappointing series finale, wait until you hear about the cosmos." So how does someone who can't abide being bored deal with the notion that "One day all of this will end and, before it ends, for billions, perhaps trillions of years, it may be very, very dull. You would end up praying for it to end with something as spectacular as a whimper"? By delighting in the fact that it's not that boring yet, of course. And as per the title, that sense of delight, and delighting in the delight of others, seems to be a big part of what keeps Ince going, and what makes him such an engaging guide. In particular, I enjoy his emphasis – and his disagreement even with the likes of Brian Eno – on the notion that it's possible to find entirely the same sort of joy and imagination and sense of wonder at what humans can do in science as it is in art. Even if that can't help but feel like its own futile gesture in the face of entropy for those of us living in a country where an awful yet apparently unshakable regime is determined to render the former as Gradgrindian as possible while altogether defunding the latter.

*No, not as in the TV show. Refusing to accept that vile thing is entirely right and proper.

(Netgalley ARC)

[Ilvesekerli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nii palju puudutavaid mõttekäike, arutlusi ja tsitaate elust-surmast, teadusest ja teadmatusest, uudishimust, kunstist, inimeseks olemisest, haridussüsteemist ja eelarvamustest!

Ei jõua kõiki ümber tippida, juhuvalim:
"Science should be equipping children with the desire to explore and question, to interrogate the world and the universe, allowing them to leave school with the tools of critical thinking that will make them questioning and self-questioning."
"Science discovers and art digests."
"It is the time limit that gives us our drive. Would you get anything done if you knew you had an eternity to do it? I bet heaven is a place of good intentions and very little happening."
"The problems come when we demand that others believe in or obey a reality that is very personal; when arrogance enters the frame, that demands all others banish their subjective perceptions because you decide your perception is the ultimate truth."
"Committing yourself to love means committing yourself to loss."
"The one thing that can live on after we die is our stories, so it is worth trying to make as many as you can." "Write your story down; leave your tracks on a page for someone to find."
"I think part of it is also these experiences remind us that we are so close to madness at all times. I think maybe that is what is at the core of the fear." (:

Did you ask a good question today?

[Mahdieh Ebrahimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was on my phone for a long time and I should have finished it, and I did.
the book is what the title says, small stories about the discoveries in science that make it enjoyable to work on and to learn.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-scientist was happy to be swept along by another non-scientist. Robin Ince, once as bored by the subject as I was at school, has taken the opportunity to discover, and immerse himself in the world of scientific discovery. And he communicates his excitement and enthusiasm for evolution, outer space... everything really, in an engaging and comprehensible manner. The jokey style that goes down so well in his irrepressible live appearances don't work so well on paper, but I'm prepared to forgive him for confirming that science is indeed far more fascinating and engaging than school science led me to believe.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a cruelly ironic twist, this book generally failed to capture my interest.

[Andrei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teadusteemalise taskuhäälinguga tuntust kogunud koomiku läbilõige sellest, mida teadus meile täna meid ümbritseva universumi kohta öelda oskab. Suurest paugust mustade aukudeni, kosmose uurimisest tulnukateni, jumala olemasolust tegelikkuse tajumiseni, vandenõuteooriatest vaktsiinideni. Nagu selliste populaarteaduslike amokijooksudega kipub olema, ühestki teemast kuigi põhjalikult teada ei saa, kuid tegemist on muheda lugemisega, kust võtta tõejärgseks ristitud ajastul kaasa üheltpoolt küllaga skeptitsismi igasuguse soolapuhumise suhtes, aga teisalt ka empaatiat põhjuste osas, mis selleni viivad. Ja muidugi elutervet stoitsismi oma savanniaju abil universumi hoomamatusega hakkama saada ning elutervet tasakaalukust ootuste osas, mida teadusliku meetodi abil saab või ei saa öelda. 3.5/5

[Len · Rating 5 out of 5]

A song of praise to the wonder of science and the search for knowledge and how, for those not gifted with the appropriate academic skills, it is so important to be curious and interested, to ask questions and always want to know why. We may all be surprised by how much we can understand and by how much people of science wants us to understand.

The author emphasizes the need to fight against those who peddle misinformation, deliberately false or knowingly foolish ideas, often for financial gain or their fifteen minutes of famous notoriety. Time and again he reminds the reader of the necessity for scientific research, education and dissemination of knowledge and urges patience and understanding when theories must be adapted or changed completely when new evidence comes to light.

If I have any criticisms it is that Mr. Ince, being a stand-up comedian by trade and the co-presenter of the wonderful radio show and podcast The Infinite Monkey Cage : Complete Series 1-5 with Professor Brian Cox, he can't resist the urge to demand top billing. When he reports on conversations he has had with so many leading scientists I suspect that he is only repeating what they said on the show or its on-the-road stage version. He may not be quite so widely read as his quotations represent. But, hey, that's show business. My main disagreement with the book is against an implication that to become a scientist in any discipline, or even to be interested in science, one needs to be an atheist or at the very least an agnostic. Seeking the truth is not unique to science and every proof of the complications of the universe or its origins do not confound religion.

Mr. Ince may perhaps regard my belief in God an intellectual weakness or a disqualification to the life scientific - I disagree. Not profoundly, profundity is not something I have ever achieved, but faithfully, and it has never stopped me being curious or accepting scientific proof when it is explained. The ever growing complexity of everything around us confirms my belief, it does not diminish it.

[Jeroen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audio book, as I have lots of books I still want to read and was hoping I could get through a larger set of books that interest me this way. To-date I'd read along with an audio book. Only listening to this book was a great experience. When reading a Robin Ince book I hear his voice inside my head anyway, so this was a wonderful experience. The book is not fully what I expected based on the title, providing a lot of interesting info on especially cosmology/astronomy, and not necessarily explain the need for scientific curiosity. More the outcome of that curiosity, for Robin anyway. Was still very interesting and enjoyable.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appropriately interesting. There are an almost daunting number of interviewees but, while it very often makes you stop & think, this is not a difficult book.
Like Robin’s shows the writing is thoughtful & deceptively well laid out, retaining a gentle & almost rambling feel.
Unlike Robin’s shows it could have done with tightening editing, occasionally it is said something will be discussed in more detail later, when actually it was covered earlier. Also, the chapters could have been better ordered.

[Sebastian]

A beautiful tribute to our curiosity, the scientific endeavor, and the general human experience! There are few in a better position to write a book like this than Robin Ince, who masterfully connects the world of science with the one of our daily lives, and thus bridges a perceived gap that should have never been allowed to arise in the first place.
I highly encourage everyone to read this wonderful book (or maybe better: listen to the author's audiobook narration), and I promise that you won't regret it.

[Anders Brabaek · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book consist mostly of reflexions around astrophysics - not science in general. The author also occasionally reflect on faith and religion. in other words, the title is slightly misleading.
The writing flows nicely but I was looking forward to a book on the importance of being interested and scientific curiosity - and this wasn't it

[Michael Lovell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tedious and repetitive. Is it the sound of his voice (audio book) or rather his evangelists certainty? A bright non-scientist seeks to convince us that he's 'got-it'. OK, I get it!

[Charlotte De Klerck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arguably one of the best books I have ever read

[Michelle Scott Roark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keep yourself interesting and interested in science, art, whatever catches your fancy.

[Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, for what it was, was really well done. The author is just as insightful as he is funny, and listening to this as an audiobook really got that across to me. My only real issue is that I feel like the title was a bit misleading as it doesn't really explain why it's important to be interested in things, but rather what that interest has uncovered (though maybe that is his point?). Either way, I found this book to be very interesting and informative, while also being accessible.

[Nivi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really fun! I was impressed that it managed to connect so many different science topics really well (sometimes not very detailed but it worked for me). And as a more 'traditional' scientist, it's nice to hear different perspectives on science problems :)

[David Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this. Robin treads a difficult path in the Cage shows, keeping the momentum going and not letting the subject matter experts descend too far into the well by bringing them back up for air with a gentle joke. This is something that works really well for subjects I know little about, but I also find it a tad irritating when I'm more comfortable with the topic, and his distraction tactics get in the way when somebody was just about to take a tin opener to a can of worms.
In other words, Robin manages to tread a consistent middle path, and occasionally I fail to appreciate his value when I get stuck on the left or right of him.
But in reading this book, it's very obvious that Robin is a good ninety degrees left of me! Before I go any further, I need to point out that I'm under no illusions of my own neutrality. I’m not a natural conservative (either with or without a capital C) and on the "political compass" test, I get as close to the centre as makes no odds, but my own biases are clear to me; I've got no time for identity politics or pandering to what I've come to think of as the Modern Left. I was rather surprised by Robin's rather obvious political bias, not because it exists (he’s entitled to his own opinions) but because he’s an author of a book on cognition who simply doesn’t seem to recognise his own biases.
Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised at all. Ince is a long-time BBC host, so it should be quite natural that somebody spending so much time in the liberal elite echo chamber would accept much of what is written in the Guardian as received wisdom, be an outspoken advocate of globalism and generally have very little time for any view that wasn't openly leftist.
In this book, there's a whole chapter on how the mind works, complete with memory distortions, cognitive biases and false assumptions. Robin seems entirely happy to frame the world through the distorting filter of his BBC bubble, never once realising that the water in which he swims doesn't reflect about 50% of the population’s view of reality. The underlying message is that the world would be much better if everyone saw the world like Robin. Perhaps it would, for all I know.
I think maybe the last three chapters of this book don't use "right wing" as shorthand for "ignorant" at some point. Most of the other chapters do. The same can be said for the pejorative use of "nationalist" , or the interchangeable way in which "religious" and "fundamentalist" are applied. To be fair, a number of these uses are to be found in quotes, but from a structuralist point of view, we can learn a lot by the quotes that were not selected.
Occasionally this got quite amusing, seeing just how far he's prepared to go to get thumbs up from colleagues in the staff canteen, such as earnestly discussing the merits of ‘Whitey on the Moon’, the inherent racism of western science, or the idea that "good aliens" (like those in Close Encounters) are Matriarchal , but "evil" invaders (like those in Alien) are Patriarchal, even though the boss-level Alien was a queen.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I’ll repeat that Robin is entitled to his own opinions and biases, just as I am. It’s only the fact that he talks a lot about right-wing (ignorant) detractors of science being blinkered because of their politics, without ever once recognising the splinter in his own eye.
That said, I can forgive all the globalist bias and lefty politics, because at the heart of this is a really good and interesting book. I found the chapter of death and dying particularly well done. We don't talk about dying nearly enough in the west, and his contribution was very welcome.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Loved this selection of essays on science - struggling with trying to understand the deepest parts of all subjects when this is so not your thing. I completely relate! You want to know more about how things work / why they happen, etc. and you end up in a rabbit hole of exploration. Absolutely fascinating.

Blurb: Robin Ince abandoned science at secondary school, bored by a fog of dull lessons and intimidated by the barrage of equations. But, twenty years later, he fell in love with it and now he presents one of the most popular science podcasts. Every year, he meets hundreds of the world's greatest thinkers.
In this witty and often profound tour through science, Robin argues that scientific wonder should be for everyone. Packed with interviews featuring astronauts, comedians, teachers, quantum physicists, neuroscientists and more - as well as charting Robin's own journey with science - The Importance of Being Interested argues that many wrongly think of the discipline as distant and difficult. From the glorious appeal of the night sky to why scientific thinking helps us navigate a divided world, this optimistic book will leave you with a thirst for intellectual adventure.

This book is not for reading in one sitting - well, not for me! I've been reading a chapter (an essay), then reading something fluffy in between. That way, what Robin says can sink into my brain, which has always struggled with science. I also want to know "why", but the maths involved gets me every time! It's nice to know that I'm not alone, and Robin can explain things so that I can understand them. A fascinating, and fabulous read.

Not from a box. I should have picked this up when Robin came to give a talk in Linlithgow, and get it signed. I didn't - damn' COVID! I haven't seen Robin since the mid-'90's, when I won tickets on the local radio station to see him give a comedy show in Bath! My husband and I went to Uni with Robin, and he remembered my husband, as he used to be head of the Union Security. It would have been interesting to meet him again, 500 miles away and 30 years distant from our last encounter, and see if there was any recollection then! Oh, well - COVID got in the way, but I still managed to get a signed copy held back for me at the bookshop. Definitely a keeper.

[Kiril Valchev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Намразил природните науки в детските си години, английският комик Робин Инс, с течение на времето, развива силно влечение към тях. Днес, когато не поглъща с нестихващ апетит книга след книга, той води (заедно с проф. Брайън Кокс) една от най-обичаните научнопопулярни радио-поредици – „The Infinite Monkey Cage“. Предаването, което вече има над 100 епизода, обсъжда теми от всякако естество, с гости от най-различни сфери на познанието.
„The Importance of Being Interested“ е истинска ода, възхвала и обяснение в любов към науката, любознанието и магическите думички „Не знам“. Срещайки се с учени, астронавти, учители и комици, Инс демонстрира нуждата от научния метод в живота на всеки един от нас.

[Sausagecreature · Rating 1 out of 5]

The ramblings and musings of a non scientific mind on scientific topics. What is the point? There isn't one.

This is one of the worst books I have ever read. Wildly inconsistent and incompatible ideas and contradictions from a man who demonstrates he does not know much at all about science. So one has to ask why is he writing a book about something he openly admits he does not understand?

It claims to be popular science. Written by a man who confesses to not understand science, yet tells us to accept what science teaches us, because you know science is fact. Well, it isn't really, is it? But Ince thinks it is even though he is incapable of proving or understanding anything science tells him. Meanwhile he summarily and harshly disparages other schools of thought such as theology, religion, conspiracy theory and accuses those writers and thinkers of blinding people with lies and mistruths to confuse the listener to a point where they accept without understanding, and Ince is very clear on his distaste for such thinking. Yet, he accepts the science he is told even though he fails to understand it. This is very much a case of "Listen to what I say, but don't listen to anyone else, everyone else is wrong, I am right but I cannot prove it".
So I personally fail to see how this mans mind can arrive at a conclusion where he dismisses certain schools of thought in favour of others, claiming one to have no value where as science has all the value. But how can this man tell us this when he understands neither?

His arguments for dismissing pseudo sciences do not stand up to scrutiny, because if he consistently applied the same approaches to all his thinking he would absolutely have to dismiss science as well, otherwise he becomes a crack pot of mixed ideas and philosophies that are just not compatible and create contradictions that are unresolvable. So how can the reader accept the man's judgements against one school of thought in favour of another when the way he arrives at these conclusions are inconsistently applied! Extremely poor quality thinking in this book!

He frequently resorts to "non science" to illustrate his points about science! For example, there is a chapter that is largely using science fiction films to illustrate scientific achievements. It is nonsense from top to bottom and one of the most poorly thought through books I have ever read. If anything it is more damaging to an inquiring and developing mind than it is beneficial.

For those who know C.S.Lewis's take down of the Green Book in The Abolition of Man lectures, we have a very similar situation here with Ince. Lewis accuses the authors of "The Green Book" of unwittingly doing damage to the young mind through poor quality teaching of values, meaning and how we react to them. In a similar way, Ince will damage the developing mind with his extremely poorly thought through ideas, because he tried to inure us against psuedo science, conspiracy and theology with weak arguments that are more emotional than scientific, and yet if he applies the same to what he knows of science then he absolutely has to throw science out the window as well as religion. It teaches the reader to have inconsistent set of values to judge the worthiness of information, whereas what a person needs is to be able to judge the value of information on a consistent basis. Ince does not do this once.

At one point I was keeping notes of just how bad this book is, but I got fed up of filling in a page of notes for every page I read. It is that bad.

It has the value of a coffee table book, or a toilet read. Nothing more. If you want science and insights, look elsewhere.

It is absolutely awful and I almost hated every single page of this drivel.

FWIW, the other book I consider to be this bad is Nick Spaldings Love from Both Sides, recommended by an educated friend. It was awful. Ince is almost as bad. They are the two worst books I have read.

[Isla Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book - its certainly very thought provoking and likely to make you imagine many wondrous, space related/cosmology related things. Its a thoughtful read and its mostly a fairly easy read, at least I found it pretty accessible to start with but I admit I was in a bit of a rush to finish it and towards the end, it felt a bit more of a slog to read. Some subjects of course are more interesting than others I guess and certainly at the end, thinking too much about the ultimate death of the universe may feel a bit cold and depressing, so you may well want to be in the right frame of mind to read some of this but for the most part, this is a good read, with contributions from numerous scientists and some celebrities. I liked the quotes and the images provided alongside the text.

I enjoy reading Robin's books - his previous book called 'I'm A Joke and So Are You?' was one I really liked, when I read it a few years ago. I've seen some of his live stream shows via his Cosmic Shambles organisation online and I see myself in his anxiousness. Reading the book, his anxiety becomes quite clear but for me its good in that I can relate and understand his perspective on things. One mild down point would be that sometimes I felt a little confused about when it was him as the main author talking to the reader and when it was the previous interviewee. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention but I can't deny I got something out of this book - for me, overall, it was a re-assuring read and I like that there are pages of notes at the back, including some URLs and in the main text itself are references to authors and books that may interest the reader, if their curious about what's being discussed.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone with a curious mind, especially anyone with a if basic interest in philosophy and science. Thank you for reading my review, I hope you found it useful.

[Brenda Greene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robin considers a number of big topics for which there are no or few or highly variable rational, testable hypotheses and their equally variable emotional responses. He garners his expositions from various interviews with experts that he contrasts with his own largely emotional viewpoint and self stated ineptitude. He can be funny, self deprecating, writes well, is obviously intelligent and I am sure funnier if listened to rather than read.

Overall the chapters are patchy. Robin often heads off down a path, then skews off it at random, ignoring his own questions and leaving them stranded. Furthermore is not a book about being curious but more about science philosophy in relation to the cosmos and the human brain.

I got the impression I was witnessing the internal narrative of a creative ADHD mind. So I looked him up on Wikipedia and yes ADHD. This is probably why his now cancelled podcast with Brian Cox, "the infinite monkey cage", worked.

The book's initial premise is that having a questioning, open mind, willing to embrace uncertainty and face uncomfortable facts is important. The first part of the book is good, focussing on that. That premise changes into other things such as how science can be experienced by scientists, or Ince's existential crises, which appear to be many. The second half of the book is mainly his personal opinions about a range of philosophical premises.

Perhaps the book is about the intersection of the rational and emotional mind, where either or both can be a hindrance or a help. Perhaps Ince is just playing with sometimes connected and disconnected experiences. Perhaps he just rushed it during Covid19 lockdowns.