What's at the top of your "to read" list?

[Melissa]

Just wondered if folks would like to share titles that they are looking for and hoping to read (in the science realm). If you aren't shy, please explain why you are interested in reading it as well. Helps us get to know one another better!

I'll start by saying that I have been studying the effects of neurotransmitters on mood and have recently become very interested in the connection between food, nutrition, addiction, and the production of dopamine and serotonin. So I'm hoping to find a copy of

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite

Melissa

[Julie]

Melissa, I borrowed that book from my dad but haven't gotten to it yet. He says it was very good.

[Melissa]

Thanks Julie! Another good review. . .all the more reason to read it.

[Projwal]

Hey, Currently I am reading, From eternity to here, to get a better understanding of time, or the illusory arrow of time.

[David]

Melissa wrote: "... I'll start by saying that I have been studying the effects of neurotransmitters on mood and have recently become very interested in the connection between food, nutrition, addiction, and the production of dopamine and serotonin. So I'm hoping to find a copy of

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite
"

I read about the author of this book in an article in the newspaper. The article was very interesting; it talked about the author sifting through restaurant dumpsters, to determine the true ingredients of restaurant foods. So I read it... but didn't enjoy the book as much as others on the same subject (like, for example, The Pleasure Trap). Maybe you will like it better than I did.

[Melissa]

I hope to learn specifically about how particularl foods are connected to the manufacture of neurotransmitters (that is which amino acids promote more of say dopamine, and which will result in indirect decline when a different neurotrnsmatr increases . Wow I'm sleepy . . . I hope this book can address some of thses questions. Snnnoooore. To late to go further tonight. Later

[Betsy, co-mod]

At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity for this group, The Believing Brain : From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths for another group, then I think I'll read A Planet of Viruses.

[David]

Betsy wrote: "At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity for this group, [book:The Believing Brain : From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---Ho..."

Betsy, let us know how you like "The Believing Brain". The book sounds intriguing.

[Julie]

David wrote: "Betsy, let us know how you like "The Believing Brain". The book sounds intriguing. ..."

Yes...I second that thought and request! :-)

[Kirsten]

My to-read list is obscenely long, but top three currently:
1.) Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything This was given to me by a friend, she feels it will be a good post surgical read for me.

2.) The Great Lakes: The Natural History of a Changing Region I love the Great Lakes, and as a resident of the region, feel that I should probably know more about them.

3.) Eating the Sun: How Light Powers the Planet I picked this book up the other day, and it looks really interesting. Will definitely be an important concept to understand in the coming energy struggles.

[Betsy, co-mod]

David wrote: "Betsy, let us know how you like "The Believing Brain". "

Will do, but I think "At Home in the Universe" is going to take me a while.

[Gofita]

Betsy wrote: "At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity for this group, [book:The Believing Brain : From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---Ho..."

The first part of the Believing Brain was excellent about the brain and how it can affect our thinking and how the brain works. It was all new to me, anyway. He also talks about the third man effect that was a total eye opener. The second half was more a rehash of this earlier work Why Believe Weird Things. Overall, excellent book, IMO.

[David]

I enjoyed reading At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity so much, that I've started reading another book on the same theme, The Plausibility of Life: Resolving Darwin's Dilemma. This book investigates how genetic mutations can supply the necessary variability, on which natural selection can act. The book introduces a new theory, complementary to the standard theory of evolution through natural selection. We'll see ...

[Cheryl]

I just finished Kluge - good one to recommend to friends who don't normally read science as it's quick and offers helpful ideas.

[Patty]

This one

[Cheryl]

Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard to Think Straight About Animals because I was at the library, opened it to a random page, and found an aspect of statistics I never knew before.

p. 145 "When two bell curves overlap, even a small difference between the average scores of the groups will produce big differences at the extremes."

And his explanation of that makes sense to me. And I have friends who are totally illogical about which animals get which roles, succumbing to the cuteness of squirrels for example. And Temple Grandin recommended it. So, yeah, I checked it out.