Welcome
to the All Text version of the Science and Religion Library, the following is a list of all the books currently in the library and comments from Dr. Rossano about them. Also, you can see the Syllabus for Psyc482/582 and get General information about the course.
Mindwaves: Thoughts on Intelligence, Identity, and Consciousness
Author(s): Blakemore, C., and Greenfield, S. (Eds.)
Publisher: Basil Blackwell, New York
Year of Publication: 1987
Rossano's Comments: Like any book that is a collection of essays this has some good ones and some not so good ones. There are getting a little dated, but still there is good amount of useful information here about various theorists attitude on the mind and consciousess
The Biology of Mind
Author(s): Bounds, M. D.
Publisher: Fitzgerald Science Press, Bethesda MD
Year of Publication: 1999
Rossano's Comments: Excellent text book on the biological basis of mental function. Good chapters on the evolution of the brain and on comparisons between human and ape mental capacitites. Bounds integrates Merlin Donald=s evolutionary approach to the human mind throughout the book, and discusses religion, mediation, mystical experience, and advances in technology in later chapters. Highly recommended for those wishing to get a solid grounding in neuroscience.
The Mind's Eye
Author(s): Dennett, D, and Hofstadter, D. (Eds.)
Publisher: Basic Books, New York
Year of Publication: 1981
Rossano's Comments: A number of really good essays in here about the mind, consciouness, and artificial intelligence. Dennett has a great one called "Where Am I." Also there is an essay about God, John Searle=s famous "chinese room," and Richard Dawkins views on evolution and emergence of consciousness. It is an old book, but still quite valuable.
The Psychology of Consciousness
Author(s): Farthing, G.W.
Publisher: Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Year of Publication: 1992
Rossano's Comments: Excellent textbook on nearly all aspects of consciousness.
Goes over the research in a number of areas including sleep, effects of drugs,
meditation, mystical experiences, out of body experiences and others areas.
Farthing is an experimental psychologist at the Universithy of Maine, and he
does a good job of presenting research with an objective but appreciative tone.
Sadly, I hear there are no plans for an revised, update version. That's a shame
because this is a solid resource.
The Problem of Pure Consciousness
Author(s): Foreman, R.K.C.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1990
Rossano's Comments: Is there such a thing as pure consciousness, that is, conscious awareness without contents. Most researchers in the area would say no - that consciousness is always "about something." Foreman and others in this collection beg to differ. Foreman draws an analogy between pure consciousness and the ganzfeld phenomenon in perception. The idea of pure consciousness is discussed from an historical/religious perspective. Interesting book, can get dense in places.
The Age of Spiritual Machines
Author(s): Ray Kurzweil
Publisher: Viking Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1999
Rossano's Comments: Ray Kurzweil is a graduate of MIT and the inventor of numerous technologies in artificial intelligence (AI). He argues that the future of AI is one of human-machine convergence. Humans brains become more interconnected with silicon, while machines become more massively parallel. The end result is a blurring of the lines between what is human and what is machine. Some may find this exciting, others forboding, but either way it will be challenging. Good book. First part is historical/scientific, last part is speculative and lighter in delivery if not tone.
Phantoms in the Brain
Author(s): Ramachandran, V. S. and Blakeslee, S.
Publisher: William Morrow, New York
Year of Publication: 1998
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this yet, but my understanding is that it reports quite a bit of research on brain damaged patients. Ramchandran has attracted media attention by his finding that religious/mystical experiences seem to be associated with activity (sometimes abnormal activity) in the temporal lobe. Both religious and non-religious people have seized upon this as somehow supportive of their views. I hear he has an entire chapter devoted to the subject in this book. It=s on my "got to get to this soon" list.
Decartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain
Author(s): Damasio, A.
Publisher: G.P. Putnam, New York
Year of Publication: 1994
Rossano's Comments: Poor Descartes. He's always getting trashed by modern scientists! Damasio uses neuroscience research and a reconstruction of Phineas Gage's head to argue that reason, emotion and morality are closely linked in the brain. Thus, contrary to Descartes and numerous philosophers before him, reason is not above emotion, but works with emotion to help us construct an understanding of right and wrong.
Eve Spoke
Author(s): Philip Lieberman
Publisher: W.W. Norton, New York
Year of Publication: 1998
Rossano's Comments: Lieberman is an expert on the evolution of language at Brown University. He sees spoken language as central to the human moral sense. He's also skeptical of Neanderthal language. This is good book. It's well written, easy to understand. Highly recommnded for students who want to learn about human language, ape language, the evolution of language and how it (in Lieberman's view) is related to morality.
Uniquely Human: The Evolution of Speech, Thought, and Selfless
Behavior
Author(s): Philip Lieberman
Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA
Year of Publication: 1991
Rossano's Comments: This is similar to Eve Spoke in terms of content and message (see that review for more info), however, Lieberman goes into more details here concerning the physiology of langage. He ends by comparing human linguistic (and other) abilities to those of apes and our hominid ancestors. He argues that spoken language is central to morality.
Human Evolution, Language and the Mind: A Psychological and
Archaeological Inquiry
Author(s): Noble, W. and Davidson, I.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this yet, but it looked good. I hope that it makes a good compliment to the Lieberman books on the evolution of language.
Evolving the Mind: On the Nature of Matter and the Origin
of Consciousness
Author(s): Cairnes-Smith, A.G.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: Caires-Smith is a biochemist who has joined the fray of scientist who, in their later years, are trying to unravel the mystery of consciousness. The first part is a good review of the evolution and physiology of the nervous system. The second part is where he gets into his ideas about consciousness which includes a discussion of quantum physics. Like Eccles and Penrose, he sees quatum phenomena as playing an important role in consciousness. Can be dense in sections, but he writes with Scottish wit and that makes it fun. Remember, it=s not consciousness that is mysterious, its matter.
Evolution of the Brain: Creation of the Self
Author(s): John C. Eccles
Publisher: Routledge, London
Year of Publication: 1989
Rossano's Comments: Eccles is a Nobel prize winning brain scientist and an unabashed dualist when it comes to mental function. His book traces the various stages in the evolution of the nervous system and brain and concludes with the notion that self-consciousness cannot be explained in scientific terms. His arguments are not always very compelling, but it's hard to dismiss a scientist of his stature. He seems more sympathetic to the A.R. Wallace view of evolution than the Darwinian view.
Darwin's Dangerous Idea
Author(s): Daniel Dennett
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, New York
Year of Publication: 1995
Rossano's Comments: Dennett is a philospher, a staunch materialist, and a strong advocate of artificial intelligence (AI). He's also a very good writer. For him, consciousness is a non-issue. There's nothing more to it then the physcial processes of the brain and Darwininan evolutionary principles are adequate to explain it. Read this and learn about "cranes," "skyhooks," and other Dennettism.
The Humanizing Brain: Where Religion and Neuroscience Meet
Author(s): Ashbrook, J. and Albright, C.
Publisher: Pilgrim Press, Cleveland OH
Year of Publication: 1997
Rossano's Comments: Book contains an interesting discussion of Paul MacLean's idea of the triune brain and its relationship to our evolving understanding of the notion of God. However, that only constitutes about 1/3 of the book and the rest is, unforntunately, not all that substantive. Still, it is decent start for someone interested in learning some basic neuroscience and how it might be related to religious ides.
Origins of the Modern Mind
Author(s): Merlin Donald
Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA
Year of Publication: 1991
Rossano's Comments: Using neuroscience, archeology, anthropology, and comparative psychology, Donald traces the evolutionary history of human thought. Upon what is the human ability to use rationality, language, and other mental capacities based? How does human thinking differ from that of Apes and of our hominid ancestors? All questions Donald hopes to answer in this remarkable book. Highly recommended.
Self Awareness: Its Nature and Development
Author(s): Ferrari, M., & Sternberg, R.
Publisher: Guilford Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1998
Rossano's Comments: A collection of articles and essays on various aspects of self awareness and self consciousness. The ones on the evolution of self awareness and compartive studies were of most interest to me including Povinelli's chapter on apes and Parker's chapter on emotions.
Matter and Consciousness
Author(s): Paul Churchland
Publisher: MIT Press, Cambridge, MA
Year of Publication: 1994
Rossano's Comments: Churchland is one of the most well known materialist philosophers, shares much in common with Dennett, but not quite as witty a writer. This is good introduction to philosophy of mind with excellent chapters on physiology and artificial intelligence. Start here if you want to learn about philosophy of mind.
How the Self Controls the Brain
Author(s): Sir John Eccles
Publisher: Springer-Verlag, Berlin
Year of Publication: 1994
Rossano's Comments: This really just a collection of previously published essays and articles. The only new information is a chapter written by a physicist named Beck who has been working with Eccles' microsite idea. Eccles died in 1996, so as far as I know this was his last published work.
The Mystery of the Mind
Author(s): Wilder Penfield
Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ
Year of Publication: 1975
Rossano's Comments: Wilder Penfield is the neurosurgeon well-known for his brain mapping studies and his work with electrode stimulation of the brain. In his later years, Penfield concluded that there was something about the brain that was not explainable in physical terms. He tries to express that in this book.
The Self and Its Brain
Author(s): Karl Popper and John Eccles
Publisher: Springer-Verlag, New York
Year of Publication: 1977
Rossano's Comments: This book is in three parts. Popper discuss philosophy of mind. Eccles discusses physiology of mind/brain, while the last part presents a dialogue between the two of them highlighting points of agreement and disagreement. They both try to articulate and defend their dualistic view of mind/brain. I found Popper=s first few chapters to be the most interesting.
The Emperor's New Mind
Author(s): Roger Penrose
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year of Publication: 1989
Rossano's Comments: Roger Penrose is highly acclaimed mathematical physicist who is now tackeling the problem of consciousness and (potentially) conscious machines. There is, in his view, something non-computational about the human mind. He loses me with all the equations, but there sections where he makes sense. Not for faint of heart.
Shadows of the Mind
Author(s): Roger Penrose
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year of Publication: 1994
Rossano's Comments: Well he's back. Penrose is at it again with his non-computational view of the brain. Now he has isolated the microtubules of the neuron as the location for possible quantum effects that could be the key to consciousness. There are some interesting sections here, but man he dense in places with all his math and physics.
The Rediscovery of the Mind
Author(s): John R. Searle
Publisher: MIT Press, Cambridge Ma
Year of Publication: 1992
Rossano's Comments: Searle wants neither dualism (a la Eccles) nor materialism (a la Churchland), but biological naturalism. The mind naturally arises from mental processes, but subjective experience is no illusion, must be taken seriously be scientists and philosophers. Searle has biting wit that makes this fun in many places.
The Nature of Consciousness: Philosophical Debates
Author(s): Block, N., Flanagan, O., Guzeldere, G.
Publisher: MIT Press, Cambridge, MA
Year of Publication: 1997
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this one yet, but the authors especially Block and Flanagan are heavyweights in the philosophy of mind business, so I'm betting its a good one. I'm also betting its a doozy to comprehend. Flanagan, by the way, is the one who coined the term "mysterians" to describe McGinn, Chalmers, and others who think consciousness is too mysterious to fully understand. Good luck!
The Problem of Consciousness
Author(s): McGinn, C.
Publisher: Basil Blackwell, Oxford, UK
Year of Publication: 1991
Rossano's Comments: McGinn is hardcore mysterian. Why, he asks, should we expect
to be able to understand everything about our world. Our minds have evolved
to allow us to survive and reproduce, not to understand their own inner workings.
Dogs cannot do calculus, humans cannot understand consciousness. Its perfectly
natural to have cognitive limitations. Like most philosophers he can be dense
at times. He also not entirely unsympathetic to a religious outlook on the universe,
though he himself is not.
Science and Religion
Author(s): Brooke, J.H.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Year of Publication: 1991
Rossano's Comments: Brooke is an historian and his book looks at the relationship
of science and religion beginning about the Renaissance up to modern times.
He has especially interesting sections on Newton, Descartes, reactions to Darwin,
and the social/political fallout from Protestant/Catholic rivalries and the
effect this had on scientific progress. Good history, detailed at times, but
worth reading.
When all the Gods Trembled: Darwinism, Scopes, and American
Intellectuals
Author(s): Conkin, P.K.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD
Year of Publication: 1998
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this one yet, but it looks good. Those who
assume the Scopes trial was like "Inherit the Wind," might be surprised
to read an actual history of that trial and the context surrounding it.
The Galileo Affair: A Documentary History
Author(s): Finocchiaro, M.A.
Publisher: University of California Press, Berkeley, CA
Year of Publication: 1989
Rossano's Comments: I use the introduction of this in class to teach the basics about the trial of Galileo. The first part does a nice job of laying out the events, issues, and arguments surrounding the trial of Galileo. The second part of the book allows the reader to examine the actual documents (some just recently released from the Vatican) that were the grist for the affair itself.
Cognitive Psychology in the Middle Ages
Author(s): Kemp, S.
Publisher: Greenwood Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: Kemp is not the easiest author to read. His sentences are often long and tortured, but I think he does a decent job of trying to unearth what medieval scholars thought about the mind, memory, and thinking. His conclusions may surprise a number of readers and may engender a new respect for the creativity and intellectual prowess of our medieval ancestors. A major focus of his is on the Medieval theory of the inner senses, a physiological approach to mental function which had theological ramifications.
Medieval Psychology
Author(s): Kemp, S.
Publisher: Greenwood Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1990
Rossano's Comments: Of the two, this book is more interesting and easier to read. He deals with a wide range of issues in psychology and examines ancient writings to glean what the general medieval attitude or approach was on that topic. Kemp is generally sympathetic toward the church and points out how it used rationality and debate to try to draw conclusion about the workings of the human mind.
The Beginnings of Western Science
Author(s): Lindberg, D.
Publisher: University of Chicago Press, Chicago
Year of Publication: 1992
Rossano's Comments: This is the basic historical textbook I use for the Science and Religion Seminar. It traces the history of science with an emphasis on its emergence from, relationship to, and interaction with religious ideas and institutions. While it generally discusses Western science and Christianity, it does have a chapter on Islamic science and religion. A good starting point for anyone wanting to learn about the historical background of science and religion. The book, however, only goes up to about the high Middle Ages period.
The Religion of Technology: The Divinity of Man and the Spirit
of Invention
Author(s): Noble, D.F.
Publisher: Knopf, New York
Year of Publication: 1997
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this yet, but it looks interesting. I'm hoping it will have something insightful to say about artificial intelligence and religion.
Inventing the Flat Earth
Author(s):Russell, J.B.
Publisher: Praeger Pub, Westport, Conn
Year of Publication: 1991
Rossano's Comments: Many students are surprised to learn that the idea of the flat earth was a 19th century invention and never an accepted notion among ancient or Medieval scholars. No one ever thought the earth was flat, and the church never taught or accepted this idea as dogma. Russell does a nice job of tracing the history of the "flat error" as he calls it and describes why and how it we came to believe something utterly false about our Medieval ancestors. A good, quick, and enlightening read.
The Birth of Christianity: Discover What Happened in the years
Immediately After the Execution of Jesus
Author(s):Crossan, D
Publisher: Harper Collins, San Francisco
Year of Publication: 1999
Rossano's Comments: As I write this I am about halfway though Crossan's gigantic book about the history of early Christianity. Crossan is Roman Catholic historian/theologian, who is one of the most prominent scholars involved in the search for the historical Jesus. He spends a great deal of time discussing methodology and the technical aspects of reconstructing history. He sees Jesus and the Jesus movement as a social reaction to Roman commercialization and oppression of Palestine. A thought provoking book so far, a bit difficult for students I think, but worth the effort for those who like to think deeply about why it was that Jesus had such an impact on those around him.
The Presence of God: A History of Western Christian Mysticism
Author(s):McGinn, B.
Publisher: Crossroads, New York
Year of Publication: 1991
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this one yet. I'm hoping it discusses such things as the Benedictine disciplines, St. John of the Cross, St. Theresa, and other well-known Christian mystics and mystical practices. A connection between the history of mysticism and William James's work on mysticism would be interesting.
The Foundations of Mysticism: Origins to the 5th Century
Author(s):McGinn, B.
Publisher: Crossroads, New York
Year of Publication: 1997
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this yet either, but the same general comments I made about McGinn's other book would apply.
The Historical Figure of Jesus
Author(s):Sanders, E.P.
Publisher: Penguin Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1993
Rossano's Comments: Sanders is a religious studies/historian at Duke University. I think anyone interested in getting started with the "historical Jesus" literature would do well to start here. Sanders does not try to make big headlines or shock anyone with needlessly provocative statements or conclusions. Instead he takes a cautious, scholarly approach and tries to piece together a story of Jesus that is interesting, challenging and historically defendable. A very good read for both religious and non-religious thinkers.
Jesus
Author(s):Wilson, A. N.
Publisher: W.W. Norton, New York
Year of Publication: 1992
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this. However, I have read Wilson's book on St. Paul. Based on that I would expect Wilson to be provocative, sometimes without a real solid historical base.
Paul: The Mind of the Apostle
Author(s):Wilson, A. N.
Publisher: W.W. Norton, New York
Year of Publication: 1997
Rossano's Comments: This is an interesting book. Wilson likes to tell a good story and he sometimes strays far afield from the historical evidence in order to do that. He sees Paul as one of the Temple guards who arrested Jesus in the garden. He also sees Paul as the man who "democratized" Christianity and gave it and more universal and intellectual foundation. Conservative and literalists will have problems with this book, I think, but it does have value and merit and I would encourage those who are interested in the historical origins of Christianity to give it a read, and then go read other similar books and think about it all.
Rossano's Comments: Barbour won the 1999 Templeton award for progress in religion. He's a physicists and theologian currently at Carleton College. This is Barbour's now classic book that generated interest in the interaction of science and religion.
Religion in the Age of Science
Author(s):Barbour, I.
Publisher: Harper & Row, New York
Year of Publication: 1990
Rossano's Comments: A more recent work of Ian Barbour that spells out the different ways in which science and religion can relate to one another from complete separation to integration. There is also a strong ethical element to this book and much discussion of technology, ecology and other issues of mutual concern to scientists and religious folks.
Whatever Happened to the Soul
Author(s):Brown, W.S., Murphy, N., & Malony, H.N.
Publisher: Fortress Press, Minneapolis, MN
Year of Publication: 1998
Rossano's Comments: I am only familiar with Nancy Murphy's contributions to this collection. I assume this book traces the historical roots of the idea of "soul" and then discusses more modern interpretations of that. Murphy adopts a position she calls "non-reductive physicalism" that is non-dualistic, but also anti-reductionist. She has interesting things to say about the soul, especially its historical Jewish roots which were not the same as the Platonic dualism that dominated Christianity. Read this and find out what Jesus probably thought about the soul - it may not be what you think.
In Whose Image: Science, Faith, and the New Genetics
Author(s):Burgess, J.P.
Publisher: Westminister/John Knox, Louisville KY
Year of Publication: 1998
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this yet, but it looks good. Genetic ethics will probably be the most controversial issue of the next century.
Bioethology: A New Synthesis of Science and Religion
Author(s):Cavanaugh, M.
Publisher: University Press of America, Lanham, MA
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: Cavanaugh is a lawyer who made enough money to stop lawyering and start thinking and writing (that sounds worse than what I intend!) His book covers history, biology, theology, ecology, and other far reaching topics in an attempt to fashion a rationally based Christian belief system. Since he is not a philosopher or theologian he does not get bogged down in minuscule arguments over semantics. Instead he presents a book understandable by wide audience with some pretty sound ideas.
The Holy Quran and the Sciences of Nature
Author(s):Golshani, M.
Publisher: Global Publications
Year of Publication: 1999
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this yet, but I'm looking for a good book that talks about religion and science from an Islamic perspective. I hope this is it.
Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life
Author(s):Gould, S.J.
Publisher: Ballantine books, New York
Year of Publication: 1998
Rossano's Comments: I guess Steven Jay Gould just couldn't resist putting his two cents in on the religion and science issue. Gould is a paleontologists from Harvard and probably the most well-known science writer today - and deservedly so. He writes clearly with an entertaining wit, although I find him a bit pompous and arrogant at times. Here he argues for what he calls "non-overlapping magisterium" or what Barbour would call "separation" between science and religion. A respectful and peaceful coexistence, where science deals with the natural world and religion deals with ethics, meaningfulness, and purpose.
Science and Religion
Author(s):Haught, J.
Publisher: Paulist Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1995
Rossano's Comments: Haught is theologian from Georgetown University. This is very good book for those who want a discussion of just about every major scientific issue today and how it relates to and affects religious belief. He deals with evolution, consciousness and complexity, cosmology and the big bang, quantum physics and other current scientific topics and explores how they impact traditional religious (strictly Christian) teachings and beliefs. He uses the basic Ian Barbour framework to describe different theological reactions to scientific findings. Very good book for students who want to educate themselves on the interaction of science and religion.
Cosmos, Bios, Theos
Author(s):Margenau, H. & Vargese, R.A.
Publisher: Open Court Pub, La Salle, IL
Year of Publication: 1992
Rossano's Comments: This is a collection of essays where the authors asked a number of prominent scientists (many Nobel prize winners) to give their reactions to questions about God, religious faith, the origin of the universe, and the relationship of science and religion. Most of the respondents are sympathetic to religion, which supports the basic purpose of the book which is to rebut the notion that all scientists are grouchy, skeptical, atheists. The last section contains a debate between two philosophers discussing the existence of God. Interesting book.
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this yet, but it looks interesting.
Theology in the Age of Scientific Reasoning
Author(s):Murphy, N.
Publisher: Cornell University Press, Ithaca
Year of Publication: 1990
Rossano's Comments: Nancy Murphy has established herself as one of the most respected theological voices on the relationship of religion and science. She is a Quaker who studied philosophy under Paul Feyerabend at Berkeley. In her writings she seeks to develop a theology that is consistent with our understanding of the natural world. She also wants to construct a theological research program, based on the philosophy of Lakatos, that will permit the testing of theological ideas and hypothesis and thus produce "progress" in our understanding of God in a way similar to how science has resulted in progress in our understanding of the natural world. Interesting and ambitious.
Theology for a Scientific Age
Author(s): Peacocke, A.
Publisher: Basil Blackwell, Cambridge MA
Year of Publication: 1990
Rossano's Comments: Author Peacocke is a biochemist and Anglican priest whose writings concentrate on the development of a Christian faith that is consistent with our scientific understanding of the world. I haven't read this book, but I have read other articles and essays by Peacocke. He talks a lot about how God "informs" the universe bringing order out of chaos and how humans have access to that naturally occurring God-information. This, he argues, is how Jesus can be understood as the "Son of God" - as one utterly open to God-information. Read this and see what you think.
Science and Theology: The New Consonance
Author(s): Peters, Ted
Publisher: Westview, Boulder CO
Year of Publication: 1998
Rossano's Comments: I met Ted Peters in Tallahassee about a year ago. Very nice gentleman and a systematic theologian (that sounds strange). His specialty has been religion and ethics especially as it pertains to genetics and genetic engineering. I expect this book will have a good deal to say along those lines.
Science and Theology
Author(s): Polkinghorne, J.
Publisher: Fortress Press, Minneapolis MN
Year of Publication: 1999
Rossano's Comments: Polkinghorne is a particle physicists and an Anglican Priest from Cambridge University in England. Like Peacocke, Polkinghorne seeks to create a theology that is consistent with our scientific understanding of the universe. He may be regarded as somewhat more conservative than Peacocke. As a physicists, he uses many ideas from physics, cosmology, and the history of physics as the basis for his theology. Interesting and thought-provoking.
Religion and Science: History, Method, Dialogue
Author(s): Richard, W.M. & Wildman, W.J.
Publisher: Routledge, London
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: This is a collection of chapters from some of the heavyweights in the science and religion domain. I found the chapters by Peacocke, Rolston, Irons, and Cole to be the most interesting. The book covers all the major issues in science and religion such as history, philosophy, quantum physics, anthropology, and evolutionary biology. Some of the chapters can be dense but it is worth the effort for those willing to put in the work.
Evidence of Purpose: Scientists Discover the Creator
Author(s): Templeton, J.M.
Publisher: Continuum, New York
Year of Publication: 1994
Rossano's Comments: A collection of essays from a number of scientists on religion, science and God. I found Gingerich's essay on "Dare a scientist believe in design," especially interesting. Other good essays include those by Stannard on relativity, Davies on the unreasonable effectiveness of science, and Polkinghorne on the nature of the universe. A good, easy but interesting read.
The Marriage of Sense and Soul: Integrating Science and Religion
Author(s): Wilber, K.
Publisher: Random House, New York
Year of Publication: 1998
Rossano's Comments: You just can't help but like Ken Wilber. I call him a free-lance philosopher since he is well versed in philosophical traditions and arguments, but has no formal degrees and is not affiliated with any academic institution. Wilber sees science dealing with the experience of the external world (sense), and religion dealing with our internal, subjective experience of life and meaning (soul). He draws a lot from Eastern mysticism and meditational traditions, but is not dismissive of Western (Judeo-Christian) traditions of prayer and meditation. Good book, well worth reading.
Science and the Modern World
Author(s): Whitehead, A.N.
Publisher: The Free Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1967
Rossano's Comments: Whitehead was always a religious man until his close association with Bertand Russell (an atheist) led him to a spiritual crisis. In his later writing he sought to reconcile his rational, scientific understanding of the world with his religious beliefs. He produced what is called "process theology or philosophy" where God and creation are in an ongoing relationship, moving ever onward toward greater perfection. God is in the process for Whitehead.
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Author(s): Csikszentmihalyi, M.
Publisher: Harper and Row, New York
Year of Publication: 1990
Rossano's Comments: Pronounced "chick-SENT-me-hi," he is a psychologist at the University of Chicago who has studied what makes people the happiest, most satisfied and fulfilled in life. The results may sunrise you. People find their greatest satisfaction, not in watching television or in a self-absorbed pursuit of pleasure, but instead in rigorous, disciplined, challenging activities where individuals actually lose their sense of self and ego. Religious ritual and discipline has often contributed to this attainment of optimal experience according to the author. Read this and find out why true happiness is not selfish, but selfless.
The Evolving Self: A Psychology for the Third Millennium
Author(s): Csikszentmihalyi, M.
Publisher: Harper Collins, New York
Year of Publication: 1993
Rossano's Comments: This is the follow-up to Flow. In it he offers the framework for an evolutionary-based value system (religion?), based on the requirements for flow (optimal experience) and the general tendency toward increasing complexity in the evolutionary process. Humans, he argues, also require increase psychological complexity in order to achieve a state of flow, or optimal experience in life. The right belief system can promote this and lead to happy, productive life.
Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine
Author(s): Dossey, L.
Publisher: Harper Collins, San Francisco
Year of Publication: 1993
Rossano's Comments: Well here's Dr. Larry Dossey's book about the use of prayer in medicine. Dossey is a big advocate of prayer as part of, not in place of, a typical medical regime of treatment. He believes that prayer can be very effective in aiding the healing process and in helping to maintain good health, and he argues that the scientific data is there to support his view. He argues that the best kind of prayer is general intercessory prayer "Give me strength, thy will be done," as opposed to specific petitionary prayer "Relieve this pain in my side, remove my tumor," etc. He also argues that prayer can be effective not just for the one who prays, but for those who are prayed for. Read it and see what you think.
Prayer is Good Medicine
Author(s): Dossey, L.
Publisher: Harper Collins, San Francisco
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: This is the follow-up to his first book. It goes into more detail concerning some the basic ideas discussed earlier. Here he also describes some of the studies that he believes provide the scientific foundation for the effectiveness of prayer.
The Psychology of Religion: An Empirical Approach
Author(s): Hood, R.W., Spilka, B., Hunsberger, B., & Gorsuch, R.
Publisher: Gilford, New York
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this, however, the psychology of religion (how religious beliefs affect ones mental well-being) is becoming an increasing popular topic. I expect that this will describe how this type of research is done and what the general results are.
The Healing Power of Faith: Science Explores Medicines=s
Last Great Frontier
Author(s): Koenig, H.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, New York
Year of Publication: 1999
Rossano's Comments: Koenig is one of the researchers at the Duke Medical Center that has been looking at how religious beliefs impact one's physical health and well being. In general, those with strong religious beliefs tend to be healthier and tend to recover faster from illness. Koenig has been looking into why this is the case. This also relates to some studies in evolutionary biology and anthropology that suggest that religion provides and adaptive advantage in the survival of the species.
Rossano's Comments: This book summarizes the research into happiness. It looks at what variables separate those who are happy from those who aren't so happy. Religion and belief systems play a major role in this area of research.
Rossano's Comments: Alexander examines evolutionary biology and morality in this well-known and often cited book. One of his central ideas is that of "indirect reciprocity" where cooperative organisms are nice those who are nice and nasty to those who are nasty. This forms the evolutionary basis for the development of social communities and the selection pressures that keep a community cohesive. A good book to read if you want to learn about how natural selection can create cooperative rather than just competitive organisms.
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this yet but it sure does sound good.
Good Natured: The Origins of Right and Wrong in Humans and
other Animals
Author(s): de Waal, F.B.M.
Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: DeWaal is primatologist at Emory University in Atlanta. He grabbed a lot of attention with his earlier book "Chimpanzee Politics," where he described the shifting power alliances that chimps use to jockey for position in the troops. In this book he discusses evidence of chimpanzee ethics, empathy, friendship, and other rather noble traits. I think deWaal is a bit too generous in his interpretation of Chimpanzee behavior, in other words he envisions more happening in their heads than what I think is justified. Still the book is a fascinating look at what may very well be the evolutionary basis for human ethics and morality.
Genes, Mind, and Culture
Author(s): Lumsden, C.J. & Wilson E.O.
Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA
Year of Publication: 1981
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this but I'm guessing that it will be heavily flavored by Wilson's sociobiological view of evolution, and thus sure to be provocative. Read it and tell me what you think.
Promethean Fire: Reflections on the Origins of Mind
Author(s): Lumsden, C.J. & Wilson E.O.
Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA
Year of Publication: 1983
Rossano's Comments: Ditto for this.
Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism
Author(s): Rachels, J.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Oxford
Year of Publication: 1991
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this, but my understanding is that Rachels analyzes morality as reflecting regard for self, kin, group, and then ultimately universalism. All of this is done from a Darwinian perspective. Sounds interesting.
The Origins of Virtue
Author(s): Ridley, M.
Publisher: Viking, London
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments:I think this is an especially good book for students. Ridley is a biologist, but he has made his living as a science writer more than a scientist. Thus, he has a good understanding of science and an excellent ability to communicate in an entertaining and informative way. In this book he examines the evolutionary basis for the human moral sense. He weaves together research on bats, apes, dolphins, bees, along with game theory, anthropology, economics and even a little religion in order to explain why humans cooperative as much as we fight (and he even explains why we fight as well). A very good book for those who want to get a good start on the evolutionary basis of human ethics. Highly recommended.
Biology, Ethics, and the Origins of Life
Author(s): Rolston, H.
Publisher: Jones & Bartlett, Boston
Year of Publication: 1995
Rossano's Comments: This is a collection of essays from scientists and philosophers on evolution, ethics, religion, and science. I'm familiar with Francisco Ayala's chapter on ethics where he argues that ethics is uniquely human owing to our rational sense.
Genes, Genesis, and God
Author(s): Rolston, H.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1999
Rossano's Comments: Rolston is a philosopher at Colorado State University. He wrote this book as a reaction to the moral point of view put forth by such folks as Michael Ruse, E.O Wilson, and Richard Dawkins, where morality is seen as a clever "sham" hoisted on us by our genes in order to get us to cooperate with one another. For Rolston morality is real and purposeful and while it may have genetic roots, it flowers in human reason and culture. He has a good chapter on the "progress" in evolution debate, plus good chapters on ethics and religion. His problem is that he has a hard time making his case in a clean, straightforward manner and the power of his reasoning and conclusions often get lost in his verbiage.
The Darwinian Paradigm
Author(s): Ruse, M.
Publisher: Routledge Press, London
Year of Publication: 1989
Rossano's Comments: Michael Ruse is one of the foremost philosophers of biology. He's an anti-progressivist and a great student of the history of evolutionary biology. The interesting thing about Ruse though is that he is not dogmatic. He changes his mind, and he has done so a couple times over the years. He also has a great interest in Christianity and the relationship of Christian belief and evolution. He has at times claimed that one could not be a Christian and an evolutionist. He discusses some of that here in the last chapters dealing with the really "big" questions. Keep your eye on Ruse because you never know exactly what he will say next. He thinks!
Sociobiology: the New Synthesis
Author(s): Wilson, E. O.
Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA
Year of Publication: 1975
Rossano's Comments: This is Wilson's monumental work on sociobiology where everything, according to Wilson comes down to passing along one's genes. Wilson also has interesting, and for some, inflammatory things to say about religion and ethics in this book.
On Human Nature
Author(s): Wilson, E. O.
Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA
Year of Publication: 1978
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this but I understand that in this book Wilson more directly applies his sociobiological views to humans and the human condition.
Interpreting Evolution: Darwin and Teilhard de Chardin
Author(s): Birx, J.H.
Publisher: Prometheus Books, New York
Year of Publication: 1991
Rossano's Comments: Birx is a no-nonsense secular humanist (at least as far as I can tell) and yet he has a curious, almost unexplainable attraction to the mystical, progressivist thinking (and persona) of priest and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. This book does a nice job of summarizing the different interpretations placed on evolution from the strictly mechanistic (Darwin, Huxley) to the religious (Whitehead, de Chardin). Two longer sections are dedicated to Darwin and de Chardin respectively. Birx's preference for the secular and materialistic is obvious, but why not just dismiss de Chardin as so much mystical, wishful, whoha? Strange - and interesting.
The Blind Watchmaker
Author(s): Dawkins, R.
Publisher: Norton, New York
Year of Publication: 1987
Rossano's Comments: Richard Dawkins is an Oxford biologist (born in Kenya) who takes no prisoners when it comes to expressing his interpretation of evolution. The universe is a pitiless, indifferent place and evolution operates by the simple unrelenting principle of blind chance. There is no design, no purpose, no God in Dawkins' universe. It is up to us humans to construct a meaningful life from our meaningless origins. You may not like or agree with Dawkins, but he makes you think.
Climbing Mount Improbable
Author(s): Dawkins, R.
Publisher: Norton, New York
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: More of the typical Dawkins stuff, only here he concentrates on how, despite the incredible improbabilities involved, human life could emerge on earth.
Unweaving the Rainbow
Author(s): Dawkins, R.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, New York
Year of Publication: 1999
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this yet, but my understanding is that Dawkins deals with issues of mystery and religion in this book. Of course I expect no compromises from his earlier positions, but it will be interesting to see how he handles it.
The Phenomenon of Man
Author(s): de Chardin, P.T.
Publisher: Harper & Row, New York
Year of Publication: 1959
Rossano's Comments: De Chardin was a well-respected paleontologist and confirmed evolutionist, however, he was first and foremost a priest. His ideas didn't sit well with his superiors in the Jesuit order, so he was prohibited from publishing them while he was alive. Published after his death, this book lays out de Chardin's progressivist, Christian view of evolution. For de Chardin, the world moves ever onward toward greater complexity and consciousness, ever toward unity with the ultimate consciousness of God. The introduction by Huxley is very helpful in getting the meaning from this work, as de Chardin himself can be dense, and complicated to pick apart.
Full House
Author(s): Gould, S.J.
Publisher: Three Rivers Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: Gould and de Chardin in a room together would produce a fist-fight (or at least of food-fight). Gould is as wildly anti-progressive as de Chardin is progressive, and he vents his usual chagrin in this well-written book. This is a good book to read if you want to learn about Darwin, baseball, the drunkard's walk, and the basic arguments against progress in evolution.
At Home in the Universe
Author(s): Kauffman, S.A.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1995
Rossano's Comments: This is one of my favorite books. Kauffman is a biologist at the Sante Fe Institute. His book deals with complexity theory and its application to biological evolution. Complexity theory, according to Kauffman, reveals the beautiful, deep laws underlying the evolutionary process. Kauffman's writing is at times poetic and inspiring. He marvels at the natural organizing tendencies of matter and he argues strenuously that natural selection is not enough to explain the emergence and proliferation of life. I highly recommend this book. It may not be easy to read for those with limited background in complex systems or connectionist models, but it well worth the effort.
The Naked Ape
Author(s): Morris, D.
Publisher: McGraw-Hill, New York
Year of Publication: 1967
Rossano's Comments: This something of classic in the area of understanding human nature in terms of biological evolution. He looks at our physical nature (for instance: why are we nearly hairless primates, i.e. naked apes), our behavioral tendencies, sex differences, our thought patterns, all from the perspective of a zoologist trying to describe why an certain animal is the way it is based on its survival needs and evolutionary history. An thought-provoking book that has some interesting things to say about religion, sex, and human uniqueness. Highly recommended.
Chance and Necessity
Author(s): Monad, J.
Publisher: Knopf, New York
Year of Publication: 1971
Rossano's Comments: Monad is a Nobel Prize winning biologist who spells out the basic mechanisms by which evolution operates. Chance: the random mutations and directionless path of evolution and Necessity: the natural selection of those chance events that produce an adaptive advantage. Its a rather cold, lonely picture painted by Monad, but biology is to tell things as they are not how we wish them to be.
The Neanderthal Enigma
Author(s): James Shreeve
Publisher: William Morrow and Co. New York.
Year of Publication: 1995
Rossano's Comments: Shreeve is a science writer for Discover Magazine. In this book he asks the question, Why us and not them? In other words, why are we (Homo sapiens sapiens) here asking what happened to the Neanderthals, and not the other way around. He weaves a great tale, and in the process informs, educates, and introduces the reader to a cast of scientific characters you won't soon forget. He also forces us to ask what it is that make us human. What was it (is it) that allowed us to survive. His answer may sunrise you.
The Basis of Progressive Evolution
Author(s): Stebbins, G. L.
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill
Year of Publication: 1969
Rossano's Comments: In this book, Stebbins argues that there is a natural tendency toward greater complexity inherent in the evolutionary process. He uses such concepts as the conservation of structure, the marginalization of local environments, and the differential probabilities of fatal mutations to build a case for what he calls "opportunistic progress." For those interested in the whole "progress in evolution" debate this is a good book look at.
African Exodus: The Origins of Modern Humanity
Author(s): Stringer, C., and McKie, R.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. New York
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: Stringer is a strong advocate of the "out of Africa" hypothesis, where anatomically modern humans arose in Africa from the mitochondrial "Eve" and then set out on a 100,000 year long trek across the continents displacing and replacing all earlier hominid forms, including the Neanderthals in Europe. The big question, once again, becomes what was it that made those humans better adapted compared to those other hominids? What make us unique? Stringer is cautionary though, as the Bible says, "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong," chance and eventually extinction befall us all.
Are We Unique?
Author(s): Trefil, J.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, New York
Year of Publication: 1997
Rossano's Comments: Trefil is a physicist who has authored many popular science books. In this book he looks at human uniqueness and what it is, if anything, that separates humans from other creatures and machines. His final chapters on consciousness, AI, and complexity were the most interesting to me. For those looking for a place to start in understanding the role of complexity theory in consciousness or in learning about AI (artificial intelligence) and its potential, read this.
Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge
Author(s): Wilson, E. O.
Publisher: Knopf, New York
Year of Publication: 1998
Rossano's Comments: This is one of those books you read a lot about before you ever get a chance to read. My understanding is that Wilson argues for greater interaction between the sciences and the humanities, but he does so by proposing that the humanities be "absorbed" somewhat by science in the process. Apparently he also takes some pretty good shots at postmodernism and other humanity foibles.
God and the New Physics
Author(s): Davies, P.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, New York
Year of Publication: 1984
Rossano's Comments: This was one of the first books that brought Paul Davies to the attention of many in the public. In it he looks at how new developments in physics relate to our understanding of God and traditional teachings in religion.
The Mind of God
Author(s): Davies, P.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, New York
Year of Publication: 1992
Rossano's Comments: Steven Hawking has called science the pursuit of understanding the mind of God. Paul Davies, a rather flamboyant Australian physicist, decided his book deserved no less a title. Davies is the 1997 Templeton Award winner for progress in religion (despite the fact that he practices no religion!). What seems most intriguing to Davies is our capacity to understand the universe - why, he wonders should an ape, just come down from the trees a few million year ago, with a mind designed for survival and reproduction, be able to understand the workings of the atom or origins of the universe. For Davies, consciousness is too deeply interwoven into the fabric of the universe to be a fortuitous accident. With knowledge, mystery only deepens.
The Cosmic Dance: Scientific Harmony in the Universe
Author(s): Del Re, G.
Publisher: Templeton Foundation Press, Radnor, PA
Year of Publication: 1999
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this yet but it looked interesting.
Before the Beginning: Cosmology Explained
Author(s): Ellis, G. F. R.
Publisher: Boyars/Bowerdean, New York
Year of Publication: 1993
Rossano's Comments: George Ellis is a South African physicist, who also happens to be a religious Quaker. His book does a nice job of explaining some basic concepts in cosmology such as the big bang, inflation, cosmic evolution, and the anthropic principle. His last few chapters deal with cosmology and religion, where he poses questions that he believes are beyond the scientific method. An interesting book for those wishing to explore the relationship of cosmology and God.
The Whole Shebang
Author(s): Ferris, T.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, New York
Year of Publication: 1997
Rossano's Comments: Timothy Ferris is another one of the those scientists-turned-science writer guys, who does a good job of explaining technical concepts in layman's terms. This is another good source for educating yourself on the cosmology and quantum physics. Ferris also deals with some of the religious aspects of cosmology, although he makes it clear that there are severe limitations what science can say about God or religious teachings. Good, entertaining and at times inspiring book.
Cosmos and Creator
Author(s): Jaki, S.
Publisher: Scottish University Press, Edinburgh
Year of Publication: 1980
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this, but Jaki is an astronomer and also a Jesuit priest, so I figured he might have some interesting things to say.
God and the Astronomers
Author(s): Jastrow, R.
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Co., New York
Year of Publication: 1978
Rossano's Comments: Jastrow stirred a hornet's nest when he published this over 20 years ago. A well-respected scientist and not religious by any means, Jastrow simply could not ignore the connections he saw between big bang cosmology and the religious doctrine of creation. After its publication, he was attacked unmercifully by fellow scientist who felt he had betrayed them or "gone soft." One of the first books to dig into the physics/cosmology - God connection.
Universes
Author(s): Leslie, J.
Publisher: Routledge, London
Year of Publication: 1989
Rossano's Comments: Suppose you were infront of a firing squad and every single one of them missed. Would you conclude that there were an infinite number of firing squads and, of course, by chance one of them would miss and it just happened to be yours? That's how Philosopher John Leslie views the multiple universes explanation for the basis of cosmic fine tuning. Leslie boils it down this way: either there is a God or there are multiple universes, or there might be something he calls the "ethical necessity" that explains our universe. Well, you know how philosophers are!
On the Moral Nature of the Universe
Author(s): Murphy, N. & Ellis, G. R. F.
Publisher: Fortress Press, Minneapolis
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: Theologian Nancy Murphy and Physicist George Ellis combine
on this to construct a proposed integration of science and theology based on
the ethic of "kenosis" or self denial or self-emptying. They see theology
as the broadest of intellectual pursuits dealing with issues of ultimate purpose
and meaning (why is there something and not nothing?). With theology at the
apex they then construct a hierarchy of the physical and social sciences moving
from the general to the specific. Many interesting ideas here including their
arguments about the necessity of God in choosing among moral systems, their
focus on non-violence and self-denial, their interpretation of Jesus in political
terms.
The Faith of a Physicist
Author(s): Polkinghorne, J. C.
Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ
Year of Publication: 1994
Rossano's Comments: In criticizing Richard Dawkins, Polkinghorne wrote: " We are entitled to require consistency between what people write...and the way they live their lives. I submit that no one lives as though science were enough. The Procrustean oversimplification of a fundamentalist reductionist will not begin to suffice." Polkinghorne, the physicist and Anglican priest from Cambridge University in England, has written quite a bit about how to reconcile modern science with traditional Christian belief. Faith must evolve and progress just as science does, according to Polkinghorne. In this and other writings he describes some ideas for how that can be done. Read it and see what you think.
Belief in God in and Age of Science
Author(s): Polkinghorne, J. C.
Publisher: Yale University Press: New Haven, CT
Year of Publication: 1998
Rossano's Comments: This is actually a series of lectures (the Gifford Lectures, I believe) that Polkinghorne gave concerning reinterpreting Christian beliefs in light of modern science. In this, he draws parallels between how scientific theories, especially quantum theory, evolve and how the historical understanding and interpretation of Jesus evolved over time. This is a good starting place for understanding Polkinghorne's approach.
The Physics of Immortality
Author(s): Tipler, F.
Publisher: Doubleday, New York
Year of Publication: 1994
Rossano's Comments: Watch out, here comes Frank Tipler! Tipler is a physicist at Tulane (who has a bit too much time on his hands if you ask me!). In this book he describes how the equations of physics can lead us to an understanding of God, resurrection, immortality, and other theological ideas. Tipler's model depends on a "big crunch" universe, as opposed to an ever expanding one, and that is one potential weakness of his theorizing. Tipler argues that he is an atheist, and he just followed the equations where they led, however, they haven't led to many other physicists this direction.
The Spiritual Universe
Author(s): Wolf, F. A.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, New York
Year of Publication: 1996
Rossano's Comments: I thought I'd pick out a book for you new agers! Fred Wolf is a physicist who goes ever further than Frank Tipler. The first few chapters of this book are actually well-grounded. He discusses ancient philosophy and makes some interesting points about the relevance of the ancient Greeks to modern times. The further you go however, the weirder it gets.
The Anthropic Cosmological Principle
Author(s): Barrow, J. D. & Tipler, F.
Publisher: Oxford University Press, New York
Year of Publication: 1986
Rossano's Comments: The anthropic principle is one of the more hotly debated topics in cosmology, especially among those who bring a strong theistic or atheistic commitment to their science. It seems that the requirements for life are finely tuned, and the tuning is just right in our universe. Does that imply a purpose or design inherent in our universe? Recently, physicists as group have become more religious in their world-view compared to other scientists (especially biologist). This book might give you some idea as to why that is.
Theories of Everything: The Quest for the Ultimate Explanation
Author(s): Barrow, J. D.
Publisher: Claredon Press, Oxford
Year of Publication: 1991
Rossano's Comments: Barrow is an astronomer in England. He marvels at many things, including the moon. If it weren't for our moon, we wouldn't be here. It exerts just the right gravitational pull on the earth to prevent the earth from varying too much on its axis and thus leaving the earth subject to such drastic climate shifts that the evolution of life would be highly improbable. In this book Borrow contemplates this and other issues, especially physic's search for the unifying force theory - the theory of everything. What would that mean for science and human belief systems?
The Cosmic Blueprint
Author(s): Davies, P.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, New York
Year of Publication: 1988
Rossano's Comments: Consciousness seems to have been written into the very fabric of the universe from the first moment of it history. Davies, one of the most prolific writers in physics and cosmology, takes up the origin and nature of the universe, and how what happened 14 billion years ago in the first few seconds of the universe's history has made you and me and our rationality possible.
Ghost in the Atom
Author(s):Davies, P. & Brown, J.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Year of Publication: 1986
Rossano's Comments: This is a good book to look at if you want to get started in trying to understand quantum physics (of course, "understanding quantum physics" is literally an oxymoron!). Davies and Brown do their best to describe the experiments, such as the double slit experiment, Aspect's experiment, even Schrodinger's cat (a thought experiment), that make up the major landmarks in quantum theory. They also discuss the different interpretations of quantum physics and their implications. Read this a begin to understand why quantum physics caused Werner Heisenberg to walk the parks of Copenhagen late at night muttering "Can nature truly be this absurd?"
Infinite in all Directions
Author(s): Dyson, F.
Publisher: Harper Collins, New York
Year of Publication: 1989
Rossano's Comments: I haven't read this, but the title sounds intriguing and Freeman Dyson is one of the top physicists in the business. Read it and report back to me.
The Elegant Universe
Author(s): Green, B.
Publisher: W. W. Norton, New York
Year of Publication: 1999
Rossano's Comments: This is the most recent book describing the virtues of string theory. Right now string theory is the most viable candidate as a theory of everything. Green is a physicists at Columbia and his writing style is very accessible, even to the layperson. He does the best job I have ever seen (read) in describing relativity, quantum physics, and some other "basic" ideas in physics necessary before tackling string theory. Unfortunately even he can't make string theory entirely understandable. Even if he could, it wouldn't make sense. Let's start with the fact that the universe is 10 or 11 dimensional.
A Brief History of Time
Author(s):Hawking, S..
Publisher: Bantam Books, New York
Year of Publication: 1988
Rossano's Comments: This was probably the book that really got the average person thinking about the origins of the universe and its implications for human existence and belief. Hawking is generally regarded as the premier physicist of our time. In this book he discusses the idea of an unbounded (always existing) universe, but with a finite history in time. It was time, an not necessarily the universe, that began 14 billion years ago with the big bang. Written for a broad audience this is a good book to start with (as many did) in their exploration of the really big questions.
Quantum Reality
Author(s):Herbert, N.
Publisher: Anchor Press/Doubleday, New York
Year of Publication: 1985
Rossano's Comments: Here is another good book for those who want to get started in getting some background in quantum physics. I read this many years ago, but still vividly recall how it shook me to realize that the universe is ultimately constructed from empty space. I pounded on the wall next to me trying to figure out how something so solid could be made of atoms so empty and open. Take your time and read as much about quantum physics as possible. Science reveals to us a universe more wondrous than all the myths heretofore conceived.
Beyond Einstein
Author(s):Kaku,M.
Publisher: Anchor Books
Year of Publication: 1975
Rossano's Comments: Now this book is getting a little old, but Kaku is good writer and worth the time to look at. He also does a good job of covering the perplexing ideas of modern physics. He also spends some time with string theory and tries to make the idea of a 10 dimensional universe something imaginable, if not understandable.
The First Three Minutes
Author(s): Weinberg, S.
Publisher: Andre Deutsch, London
Year of Publication: 1977
Rossano's Comments: Owen Gingerich call Steven Weinberg an arrogant atheist. Weinberg is also a Noble Prize winning physicist, who is often quoted as saying that the more we learn about the universe the more pointless it seems to be. Though I haven't read this, but I'm betting you'll get some of that flavor here. The first three minutes after the big bang is when all the major forces that account for our physical laws were created. It took only three minutes to set the universe on the course that ultimately produced us (although we certainly weren't inevitable).