I know what I'll be reading this summer

1. Them - Jon Ronson - book about extremists and conspiracy theorists and how they form their beliefs...and that some of them might actually be right.

2.The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths - Michael Shermer

3.The Beautiful and Damned - F. Scott Fitzgerald - Hey, it's a classic.

4. The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty - Simon Baron-Cohen

5. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut - because it is high time I finally read this book, said to be great modern lit.

6. 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America - Albert Brooks - more fun with science fiction. Did I mention I LOVE science fiction?

7. The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry - the latest by Jon Ronson - psychologists themselves are often crazy...

8. The Age of Reason - Thomas Paine - it's his views on a lil something called Deism and religious reasoning in his hey day.

9. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother - Amy Chua - Ya, I'm actually going to read this.

10. Braintrust: What Neuroscience Tells Us about Morality - Patricia S. Churchland - according to Churchland, morality is all about your biology. We are biologically programmed, to one extent or another, to have a degree of ingrained morality. Also, morality = empathy. The ability to empathize means you are more likely to be a moral person. Makes sense to me.

I'm sure I'll add more to this...I also probably will not get through all of these, decide midway through not to read them or just skim some. Whatever, most all seem to be a good brain chew and highly recommended reading. I've included links for those who want to know more. Got other suggestions? Please, do share :)

Comments

abby said…
I tried reading The Beautiful and the Damned. It was filled with bored rich people which is a theme in Fitzgerald's works. The Great Gatsby is by far his best work and there is a reason why it is famous. The lesser known Fitzgerald masterpiece you should read is Tender is the Night. Think of it as love mixed with a nervous break down like his marriage to Zelda. A few critics think it is his finest work next to Gatsby.

Slaughterhouse Five was pretty good if I remember it.

My classic this year is Middlemarch. It's like a Jane Austen novel mixed with sarcasm. Eliot has some funny commentary on her characters. Once you get through the 19th century language it's actually a good read.

I think I'll put up my summer reading list on my blog too.
Unknown said…
Yes, inspiration!

I, too, am a bit bored with Fitzgerald's B and D. The title sounds so wonderful...and then blah! However, Them and the Believing Brain are totally interesting...but then I tend to lean toward interesting/brainy non-fiction stuff.
Steve said…
I also love SciFi and just finished The Doomsday Book. This book is one of the best I have read in a long time. Not super sci-fi-y (time travel is about the extent), but you come to love some of the characters and really care what happens, which isn't always easy to predict. Won both the Nebula and Hugo awards in the 90's!!!!

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