The cold and snow made for a smaller gathering at last week’s Nevermore, but the discussion was as wide ranging as ever. Here are some highlights:
The Joy of X by by
Steven H. Strogatz is just the book for all those folks with math anxiety. He uses pop cultural references and humor to explain a wide range of mathematical concepts, including (gulp!) calculus. The book isn’t a textbook or manual; it explains basic concepts in a fun, enlightening way.
Mortality is
Christopher Hitchens’ final book, which he wrote while dying of cancer. Much of the book comes from essays he wrote for various publications in his final months. Hitchens was known for his wit, intelligence, and contrarian stances on a number of subjects, including religion; dying didn’t soften him one bit. Fans admire his straightforward approach and his refusal to sugarcoat anything as well as his eloquence and lucid arguments on a variety of topics.
This led to a discussion about religion and a recommendation for the books of
Karen Armstrong. Armstrong is a well respected commentator on religion. One of her best known books is A
History of God, which compares Judaism, Islam and Christianity. She looks for shared beliefs among the world’s religions.
Finally, there was a recommendation for
It’s Even Worse Than It Looks by
Thomas Mann and
Norman Ornstein. Both are government scholars. They argue that partisan politics and ideological extremism have set up roadblocks to governing and, unless the two parties can work together, the country faces disaster.
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