I need to find a book for my Dad...
November 29, 2010 8:00 AM Subscribe
Book suggestions for my intellectual Dad?
So, I need to buy a book for my dad as a gift for the holidays. And I'm at a loss. A bit of background about him:
--Majored in physics in philosophy in college
--Became a lawyer and did corporate litigation for 25 years
--his intellectual icons are Milton Friedman (no relation to us), Richard Feynman, Richard Posner, Stephen Hawking, Bertrand Russell, John Wheeler, Leonhard Euler, etc.
So: what new science/math/philosophy/law books are out there that are worth checking out?
It goes without saying, I hope, that most science/math/philosophy books aimed at a popular audience will not interest him.
Thanks!
So, I need to buy a book for my dad as a gift for the holidays. And I'm at a loss. A bit of background about him:
--Majored in physics in philosophy in college
--Became a lawyer and did corporate litigation for 25 years
--his intellectual icons are Milton Friedman (no relation to us), Richard Feynman, Richard Posner, Stephen Hawking, Bertrand Russell, John Wheeler, Leonhard Euler, etc.
So: what new science/math/philosophy/law books are out there that are worth checking out?
It goes without saying, I hope, that most science/math/philosophy books aimed at a popular audience will not interest him.
Thanks!
Best answer: This isn't a particularly new book, but I think it's fascinating -- and definitely geared towards people with more on their mind than who's going to win "Dancing With the Stars". ;-)
"Forbidden Knowledge: From Prometheus to Pornography" by Roger Shattuck
You can read more about it on the link, of course, but basically it explores the premise that there are some kinds of knowledge that people shouldn't be allowed to possess.
Alternatively, pretty much anything by Umberto Eco will keep him challenged.
posted by rhartong at 8:17 AM on November 29, 2010
"Forbidden Knowledge: From Prometheus to Pornography" by Roger Shattuck
You can read more about it on the link, of course, but basically it explores the premise that there are some kinds of knowledge that people shouldn't be allowed to possess.
Alternatively, pretty much anything by Umberto Eco will keep him challenged.
posted by rhartong at 8:17 AM on November 29, 2010
Friedman guy, huh. Well, I am going to go with philosophy and Popper. Popper has plenty of books on his own and you can still have some fun with Wittgenstein's poker about Popper and Wittgenstein arguing.
How does he feel about Hayak? Nothing beats a date giving you a copy of _The Road from Serfdom_ (I know this for a fact).
This is indeed a pretty broad topic. So any help narrowing would be good.
On a totally different track, what about going to outside the west and seeing material from the other parts of the world? There is plenty of intellectual ferment in Europe and eastern shores.
posted by jadepearl at 8:26 AM on November 29, 2010
How does he feel about Hayak? Nothing beats a date giving you a copy of _The Road from Serfdom_ (I know this for a fact).
This is indeed a pretty broad topic. So any help narrowing would be good.
On a totally different track, what about going to outside the west and seeing material from the other parts of the world? There is plenty of intellectual ferment in Europe and eastern shores.
posted by jadepearl at 8:26 AM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: I'd recommend Fate, Time, and Language by David Foster Wallace. It's Wallace's undergraduate honors thesis in modal logic. The book, however, includes all the foundational essays on "Fatalism" (Richard Taylor's paper) and responses to the rebuttals. As a book, it's beautifully structured to put Wallace's argument in context. I don't know what sort of philosophy your father studied, but even those with a passing interest in semantics, logic, and free will might find the read stimulating.
posted by mattbucher at 8:35 AM on November 29, 2010
posted by mattbucher at 8:35 AM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: Dr. Adrian Johns has some really interesting stuff about early-modern Europe which, as a lawyer, I've used extensively in my own research. The Nature of the Book: Print and Knowledge in the Making is an extended argument about the epistemic development of "print culture" starting in sixteenth-century England, and a fascinating read. The follow up Piracy: The Intellectual Property Wars from Gutenberg to Gates is also really interesting.
On a more economic bent, I'd suggest More Heat Than Light: Economics as Social Physics, Physics as Nature's Economics by one of my professors, Dr. Philip Mirowski. It's a delightfully iconoclastic take on economic history and philosophy, the thesis of which can be summed up as "No economist from any dominant economic tradition has ever been able to make his math work." And then does the math to show it.
All three of those are academic monographs not really targeted at a general audience, but anyone interested in law, economics, and philosophy should find them at least moderately engaging. Add in an interest in history and they're solid gold.
posted by valkyryn at 8:36 AM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
On a more economic bent, I'd suggest More Heat Than Light: Economics as Social Physics, Physics as Nature's Economics by one of my professors, Dr. Philip Mirowski. It's a delightfully iconoclastic take on economic history and philosophy, the thesis of which can be summed up as "No economist from any dominant economic tradition has ever been able to make his math work." And then does the math to show it.
All three of those are academic monographs not really targeted at a general audience, but anyone interested in law, economics, and philosophy should find them at least moderately engaging. Add in an interest in history and they're solid gold.
posted by valkyryn at 8:36 AM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Is there a reason you're required to get him a book? I find what you're planning to do - impress a specialist with The Perfect Gift from within their specialty, without yourself having any knowledge of said specialty - the most difficult kind of gift giving.
People who like philosophy, science, and law also tend to like other totally ordinary and universal things. Does he travel, garden, or cook? Is there any beverage or cuisine he really likes to consume? Is he a snappy dresser at all? Does he play a sport in his spare time? Does he like to be warm and comfortable? Does he own a vehicle? If you can answer yes to any of those questions, it should be much easier to find a gift for him about one of those things than it will be to do what you're attempting here.
posted by Sara C. at 8:55 AM on November 29, 2010
People who like philosophy, science, and law also tend to like other totally ordinary and universal things. Does he travel, garden, or cook? Is there any beverage or cuisine he really likes to consume? Is he a snappy dresser at all? Does he play a sport in his spare time? Does he like to be warm and comfortable? Does he own a vehicle? If you can answer yes to any of those questions, it should be much easier to find a gift for him about one of those things than it will be to do what you're attempting here.
posted by Sara C. at 8:55 AM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: The "new" is questionable, but I enjoyed:
An insider gem of particle physics might be Nobel Dreams, a less-than-flattering portrait of Carlo Rubbia, half of 1984's Nobel prize. The book has quite the reputation at CERN and is jokingly only referred to as "that book" in order not to anger the (demi-)gods of particle physics.
posted by themel at 8:56 AM on November 29, 2010
- A Passion For Discovery - anecdotes about 20th century physicists (2007)
- Tales of Mathematicians and Physicists - anecdotes about mathematiciands and physicists throughout history (2006)
- Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman is quite good and refreshing in its contrast to Feynman's self-projected image (ancient). I presume he would have it though.
- The Road To Reality is the most pounds of math per dollar you'll ever get
An insider gem of particle physics might be Nobel Dreams, a less-than-flattering portrait of Carlo Rubbia, half of 1984's Nobel prize. The book has quite the reputation at CERN and is jokingly only referred to as "that book" in order not to anger the (demi-)gods of particle physics.
posted by themel at 8:56 AM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: Godel, Escher, Bach might be too obvious, but if it's not on his bookshelf it's a classic and should be attempted.
Kant and the Platypus is my personal favorite mind bender
posted by OHenryPacey at 8:58 AM on November 29, 2010
Kant and the Platypus is my personal favorite mind bender
posted by OHenryPacey at 8:58 AM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: Is Sam Harris's The Moral Landscape (2010) aimed at too popular an audience? Though the text itself may leave him wanting a bit more, it's fully annotated and has plenty of extra science and philosophy in the notes section.
posted by BlooPen at 9:02 AM on November 29, 2010
posted by BlooPen at 9:02 AM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: Seconding Godel, Escher, Bach -- if he's read that, maybe he would like some other Hofstadter: Metamagical Themas (his collection of columns), The Mind's I (great essay collection edited/with commentary by Hofstadter and philosopher Daniel Dennett) or Hofstadter's newer book I am a Strange Loop.
Also, maybe something by Martin Gardner (Hofstadter's predecessor at Scientific American).
posted by anotherthink at 9:41 AM on November 29, 2010
Also, maybe something by Martin Gardner (Hofstadter's predecessor at Scientific American).
posted by anotherthink at 9:41 AM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: Speaking as someone who's hugely into math - even though it's not directly related, Good Calories, Bad Calories enthralled me. It gives a thorough breakdown of the bad science and politics behind how the nation's dietary recommendations got to be how they are, and how exactly they are wrong. There is a lot of discussion of the biochemical mechanisms that regulate the body's homeostasis, and how they respond to different types of food. Ultimately, a theory of obesity is presented. I had my mind blown by this book several times. Some of the hormonal justifications are incomplete, as has been shown by later research, so I would encourage further reading as well. Overall it is a fantastic book.
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 10:23 AM on November 29, 2010
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 10:23 AM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: I love science, too, along with the philosophical repercussions, so I’m using that perspective to answer this question and pick new books that are interesting to me.
The recently published, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”; the story is about HeLa cells, which are used in labs throughout the world today to study diseases and cancer. These cells, though, came from a women who died of cancer, and this is the story about her (Henrietta Lacks) and her family. It is very moving and to me, asks philosophical questions. If you listen to this podcast, ‘Totally Tumors’ from Radiolab, you can hear this story in particular from the author, starting at 17:00.
Another possibility is: How close in proximity does your father live to you? Are there any researchers that he respects? Would you be willing to share this interest with him? Some ideas off the top of my head that could meet this criteris if he is interested (Im using topics from past years, you can look at websites for a location/place near both of you if applicable: a lecture(s) by scientists at 92 Y (Brian Green has spoken in past years) - and then both of you could read the book for the lay public afterwards (or he could read the primary literature if he is still into the topic), etc.
posted by Wolfster at 10:36 AM on November 29, 2010
The recently published, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”; the story is about HeLa cells, which are used in labs throughout the world today to study diseases and cancer. These cells, though, came from a women who died of cancer, and this is the story about her (Henrietta Lacks) and her family. It is very moving and to me, asks philosophical questions. If you listen to this podcast, ‘Totally Tumors’ from Radiolab, you can hear this story in particular from the author, starting at 17:00.
Another possibility is: How close in proximity does your father live to you? Are there any researchers that he respects? Would you be willing to share this interest with him? Some ideas off the top of my head that could meet this criteris if he is interested (Im using topics from past years, you can look at websites for a location/place near both of you if applicable: a lecture(s) by scientists at 92 Y (Brian Green has spoken in past years) - and then both of you could read the book for the lay public afterwards (or he could read the primary literature if he is still into the topic), etc.
posted by Wolfster at 10:36 AM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: I've enjoyed some books that he might also enjoy. None of them is brand spanking new, but it sounds like he hasn't likely read any of them:
* Robert Kanigel's The One Best Way, a biography of Frederick W. Taylor. Accessible prose, but I don't recall it being all mainstream and overhyped.
* Robin Einhorn's American Taxation, American Slavery, on the effect of slaveowners' tax avoidance on the structure of the US Constitution and government. Excerpt. He loves Friedman so he might disagree passionately with Einhorn, but he'll find it interesting. Academic prose.
* The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity by Roy Porter. Comprehensive, thought-provoking, a little dry, littered with great anecdotes and quotes. Like a giant case study, over and over, for Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions.
posted by brainwane at 10:41 AM on November 29, 2010
* Robert Kanigel's The One Best Way, a biography of Frederick W. Taylor. Accessible prose, but I don't recall it being all mainstream and overhyped.
* Robin Einhorn's American Taxation, American Slavery, on the effect of slaveowners' tax avoidance on the structure of the US Constitution and government. Excerpt. He loves Friedman so he might disagree passionately with Einhorn, but he'll find it interesting. Academic prose.
* The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity by Roy Porter. Comprehensive, thought-provoking, a little dry, littered with great anecdotes and quotes. Like a giant case study, over and over, for Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions.
posted by brainwane at 10:41 AM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: I really liked Voyager, by Stephen Pyne. It's a very meaty, substantive book about both the science and culture of space exploration.
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:00 AM on November 29, 2010
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:00 AM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: Emperor of all Maladies: a biography of cancer is getting great reviews; looks like a good read in general.
posted by theora55 at 12:38 PM on November 29, 2010
posted by theora55 at 12:38 PM on November 29, 2010
Best answer: Wheeler is almost universally celebrated when his name comes up in the memoirs of other physicists I've chanced to read (especially Feynman, who was almost impossible to impress), but even that is far less than he deserves in my opinion.
I'd recommend one or all of three of his books, depending on what your dad's already got:
Geons, Black Holes and Quantum Foam is Wheeler's (intellectual) autobiography, full not only of fascinating personal details of his life at the center of the most exciting physics being done in his time, but also of philosophical and physical insights he simply never had time to pursue, or that were too far ahead of then possible experiments to be properly addressed.
A Geon, for example, is Wheeler's theoretical construction of a particle made up entirely of photons. Somehow, it turns out to have the shape of a torus. I have little doubt Geons or their mode of construction or both will be significant in physics eventually.
Gravitation and Inertia (with Ignazio Ciufolini) is an exploration of the arguable equivalence of inertial and gravitational mass. It's pretty mathematical, but it displays in full measure Wheeler's almost unique ability to properly subjugate even the most advanced math to the physics, and as a result can be understood to a surprising degree without really understanding the math. I think of it as the deepest philosophical exploration of cosmological physics I am ever likely to find.
Spacetime Physics (coauthored by Edwin F. Taylor) is an attempt to make special relativity as intuitively accessible as classical physics was to previous generations. Extremely visual without sacrificing rigor at all (as far as I could tell, anyway). This is about the only one of my old physics texts I'd shove aside the necessary mountain of obligations for a week to try to reread if I had a couple of like-minded companions.
posted by jamjam at 1:52 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'd recommend one or all of three of his books, depending on what your dad's already got:
Geons, Black Holes and Quantum Foam is Wheeler's (intellectual) autobiography, full not only of fascinating personal details of his life at the center of the most exciting physics being done in his time, but also of philosophical and physical insights he simply never had time to pursue, or that were too far ahead of then possible experiments to be properly addressed.
A Geon, for example, is Wheeler's theoretical construction of a particle made up entirely of photons. Somehow, it turns out to have the shape of a torus. I have little doubt Geons or their mode of construction or both will be significant in physics eventually.
Gravitation and Inertia (with Ignazio Ciufolini) is an exploration of the arguable equivalence of inertial and gravitational mass. It's pretty mathematical, but it displays in full measure Wheeler's almost unique ability to properly subjugate even the most advanced math to the physics, and as a result can be understood to a surprising degree without really understanding the math. I think of it as the deepest philosophical exploration of cosmological physics I am ever likely to find.
Spacetime Physics (coauthored by Edwin F. Taylor) is an attempt to make special relativity as intuitively accessible as classical physics was to previous generations. Extremely visual without sacrificing rigor at all (as far as I could tell, anyway). This is about the only one of my old physics texts I'd shove aside the necessary mountain of obligations for a week to try to reread if I had a couple of like-minded companions.
posted by jamjam at 1:52 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I majored in physics (and psychology, go figure) in college too, and I periodically buy non-academic math books for fun. I don't know what you consider "books aimed at a popular audience," and with Euler as an intellectual hero, your dad sounds like he may be on a high intellectual plane than me, but here goes ...
First, the Spacetime Physics recommendation above is a terrific idea, unless your dad already has it. I think I have the first edition, which was (google sez) published in 1965, so it's possible your dad already has this. It was used in certain undergrad courses, including mine.
Boyer's History of Mathematics would, I think, be interesting even to an academic mathematician. Then there are books about particular numbers, e.g., e and i. Finally, I just finished this fun book with lots of interesting math-bits, but perhaps this verges too far into "popular audience" territory.
posted by lex mercatoria at 2:21 PM on November 29, 2010
First, the Spacetime Physics recommendation above is a terrific idea, unless your dad already has it. I think I have the first edition, which was (google sez) published in 1965, so it's possible your dad already has this. It was used in certain undergrad courses, including mine.
Boyer's History of Mathematics would, I think, be interesting even to an academic mathematician. Then there are books about particular numbers, e.g., e and i. Finally, I just finished this fun book with lots of interesting math-bits, but perhaps this verges too far into "popular audience" territory.
posted by lex mercatoria at 2:21 PM on November 29, 2010
Response by poster: These are all great suggestions, thanks!
Now I have to go off to Amazon and look at them all.
posted by dfriedman at 5:16 PM on November 29, 2010
Now I have to go off to Amazon and look at them all.
posted by dfriedman at 5:16 PM on November 29, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by John Cohen at 8:15 AM on November 29, 2010