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Looking for inspiration for my Christmas book wish list
30 November 2009
By Tennie Videler
Tristram Hooley blogged about a book ‘If Hitler comes: a cautionary tale’ which had featured in his thesis and has been re-published. This inspired me to put it on my Christmas list. I have an eclectic taste in reading and like to explore these sorts of avenues. I am a big fan of popular science literature, especially about evolution, but am eager to expand my reading. The last scientific research I did studied ribosomes, which were the subject for this year’s Nobel Prize for Chemistry. I assume the fascinating story of how their structure was elucidated over the last 40 years or so will be turned into a book (and no doubt a major movie …) but not as far as I know in time for this Christmas.
Does anyone have recommendations from their own area of research? Has your thesis or research been turned into a book for a wider audience? I have already put Art Jonker’s ‘Magnetism in the age of sail’, based on his doctoral thesis on my list.
Edward’s Tufte’s beautiful book ‘Visual display of quatitative information’ is also on there. Another entertaining and vaguely useful book is ‘Guesstimation’ (I got that last year).
I am not to enchanted with the current deluge of celebrity (auto) biographies but thought Max Perutz’s I wish I’d made you angry earlier was a notable exception.
A book on academic careers development that looks good is ‘Moving on in your career- a guide for academic researchers and postgraduates’. Does anyone know of a more recent book?
Any ideas to share, anyone?
(Apologies for all the Amazon links- they’re not in fact financially contributing to this blog…)
Elizabeth Dodson30 November 2009 at 12:20 PM
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On my Christmas list this year is the philosophy book: Should You Judge This Book by Its Cover?: 100 Fresh Takes on Familiar Sayings and Quotations by Julian Baggini From the world of psychology, I love The Mind of a Mnemonist: A Little Book about a Vast Memory by Aleksandr Romanovich Luria Everyone should read at least one Oliver Sacks book (popular science explorations of fascinating neurological conditions). A good starting point is The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. And finally from my own area of research, I found this an interesting set of essays: Car Crash Culture by Mikita Brottman (Editor)
Sarah Davies30 November 2009 at 10:16 PM
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I love book lists! One of my favourites that I've read this year is 'On Roads', by Joe Moran. He's a cultural historian who's looked at the history and meanings of motorways in UK culture - everything from service stations to environmental protests. I loved it - and I don't even like cars...
Tennie Videler02 December 2009 at 01:36 PM
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That's brilliant, thanks- wish list duely expanded and your recommendations made me find some off the beaten track presents for other people too. I've just finished reading David Starkey's Henry, the virtuous prince, which seems based on lots of historical research.... Plenty of room for more ideas....
Nathan Ryder03 December 2009 at 11:21 AM
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Having seen it in action many times, I finally decided to read Edward de Bono's "Six Thinking Hats" - really accessible, interesting and good for getting you thinking about thinking. In fiction how about a bit of Douglas Coupland? After reading several of his novels recently (Microserfs, jPod and Miss Wyoming) I'm eager to read more. I totally agree with Elizabeth, The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat by Oliver Sacks is a wonderful book.
Tennie Videler25 December 2009 at 09:50 PM
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Merry Christmas everyone! yeah, I got The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat by Oliver Sacks and ‘If Hitler comes: a cautionary tale’ for Christmas! I'm so excited. Also the latest Richard Dawkins as well as some fiction. But they're going to have to wait as I am reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantle first (and really enjoying it).
Elizabeth Dodson26 December 2009 at 04:33 PM
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Merry Christmas and happy reading :-)