Ye Olde Natural Philosophy Discussion Group

Books suggested for possible discussion in the future

This is a list of books that have been suggested as possible choices for our group in the
future. They are sorted by publication year, with the most recent at the top. Color codes for titles:

  • Red: physics
  • Maroon: cosmology, astronomy
  • Fuchsia: math
  • Green: biology, genetics, zoology, ethology, etc.
  • Teal: psychology, neurology, consciousness
  • Lime: environment
  • Olive: linguistics
  • Blue: social sciences, anthropology
  • Navy: economics
  • Aqua: philosophy, religion
  • Purple: politics
  • Black: miscellaneous


Title Author Year Suggested by Comments
Adam's Tongue: How Humans Made
   Language... 		Derek Bickerton 2009 Scott Amazon, PB: $10.80; 249 pp.
On the origin of language.
Eating the Sun: How Plants
   Power the Planet 		Oliver Morton 2008 Emily/
Kirby 		Amazon, HC: $19.11; 480 pp.
How photosynthesis works.
The First Word: The Search
   for the Origins of Language 		Christine Kenneally 2008 Kirby Amazon, PB: $10.88; 368 pp.
Musicophilia: Tales of Music
   and the Brain 		Oliver Sachs 2008 Kirby Amazon, PB: $10.17, 448 pp.
1421: The Year China
   Discovered America 		Gavin Menzies 2008 Kirby Amazon, PB: $12.44; 672 pp.
Outliers: The Story of Success Malcolm Gladwell 2008 Kirby Amazon, HC: $15.39; 320 pp.
The Dominant Animal: Human
   Evolution & the Environment 		Paul & Anne
Ehrlich 		2008 ? Amazon, HC: $23.10; 406 pp.
Death by Black Holes and Other
   Cosmic Quandaries 		Neil deGrasse Tyson 2007 Ron Amazon, HC: $15.72
Corrupted Science: Fraud,
   ideology and politics in Science 		John Grant 2007 Scott Amazon, HC: $10.36; 321 pp.
This is Your Brain on Music Daniel Levitin 2006 Rosie Amazon, PB: $10.88.
The Future of the Brain: The
   Promise and Peril... 		Steven Rose 2006 Scott PB Amazon, $12.71; 352 pp.
Conversations on Consciousness Susan Blackmore 2006 Scott Amazon, HC: $15.64; 288 pp.
Survey of current views.
Lost World Tom Koppell 2005 Kirby Amazon, PB: $10.20; 320 pp.
Early discoverers of America.
Fabric of the Cosmos Brian Greene 2004 Kevin S. Amazon, PB: $11.53; 592 pp.
Our Final Hour: How Terror, Error
   & Environmental Diasaster
   Threaten Humankind's Future 		Martin Rees 2004 John Amazon, PB: $10.50
Mapping Human History: Genes,
   Race, and Our Common Origins 		Steve Olson 2003 Kirby Amazon, PB: $10.17; 304 pp.
Seeing in the Dark Timothy Ferris 2003 Rich On amateur astronomy.
Amazon, PB: $11.90.
Lowly Origin: Where, When and
   Why Our Ancestors Stood Up 		Jonathan Kingdon 2003 Rosie Amazon, PB: $13.57; 416 pp.
Natural-Born Cyborgs: Minds,
   Tech. & the Future
   of Human Intelligence 		Andy Clark 2003 Scott Amazon, PB: $10.17; 229 pp.
Faster Than the Speed of Light: The
   Story of a Scientific Speculation 		Joâo Magueijo 2003 ? HC Amazon, $17.68; 288 pp.
Magueijo fancies himself
the new Einstein!
Synaptic Self: How Our Brains
   Become Who We Are 		Joseph LeDoux 2003 Rosie Amazon, PB: $10.88; 416 pp.
Entanglement: The Unlikely Story of
   ... Einstein's Spookiest Theory 		Amir Aczel 2003 Scott PB list price: $14.00;
260 pp. + notes.
The Triumph of Sociobiology John Alcock 2003 Kirby Amazon, PB: $11.17; 272 pp.
A Mind at a Time Mel Levine 2002 Rich On education; Amazon, pb: $6.49.
The Five Ages of the Universe: A
   History... From the Big Bang On 		Greg Laughlin &
Fred Adams 		2002 Rich PB may be o/p; 288 pp.
E = mc2: A Biography of the
   Most Famous Equation 		David Bodanis 2001 Kevin C. PB Amazon, $11.20; 337 pp.
The Code Book Simon Singh 2000 Rich Cryptography. Amazon, PB: $10.85.
Are We Unique? James Trefil 1997 Rosie Amazon, PB: $9.25; 256 pp.
The Great Depression: America,
1929-1941 		Robert McElvaine 1993 Scott Amazon, PB: $11.53; 349 pp.
Excellent social & economic
history.




















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