Science Nature Books

The Lets-Read-and-Find-Out Science book series is great. It is the right amount of information and the right level for young readers. My first grader read 200 books last school year and it was nice to know she was learning about her world at the same time. She read this and other books from the series to my four year old who also retained much of the information.

This book has an experiment that worked. My 8-year-old daughter likes the book a lot. My 5-year-old son likes the book because the book teaches him how to hear his heart.

This book has captivated my 4 1/2 year old son. (My 8 year old daughter likes it, too) My son actually stood up in preschool yesterday (he is normally quiet) and taught the class details of how the heart works and the parts of the heart. His teacher's were amazed that he was sharing something, so they let him teach. We have to read this book over and over again.

An introduction into how the heart works along with feeling your pulse and listening to a hearts beat with amusing illustrations reader can imitate and view diagrams of the heart.

My son frequently will tell me he can hear his heart once he rests after playing around. I figured he would enjoy exploring the activities among the last two pages in Hear Your Heart like How to Measure Your Heart Rate and How to Make a Stethoscope.

There are several kids, adults and babies illustrated among the thirty-three pages of Hear Your Heart in various settings as well as illustrations of the heart in pink, red and black colors. The areas are identified to which is a vein and artery with other illustrations showing arrows in how the heart actually beats.

Hear Your Heart begins with a girl at the Doctor's office showing a real stethoscope that is cold and making the girl shiver. She much prefers her homemade stethoscope made out of a cardboard tube. There are a few pages showing the girl and her sister listening to each other's heart and then other kids doing the same thing.

Hear Your Heart is easy to follow written in a way that kids can understand and comprehend based on the detailed illustrations. The style Hear Your Heart is written in offers all the answers that my child has along the way. This encourages my son to watch the second hand while he counts how many times his heart beats in one minute. There are times we learn like when exercising that the pace will be faster. Also noted is the ninety times a minute for an eight-year old. This is now a figure my son is striving to reach. A man's will be in the area of seventy-two while an infant is around one hundred twenty times a minute.

My son is much more aware of his heart and pulse rate and wants to check everyone that he comes in contact with, including his teddy bear. The activities enhance the book so it becomes more than just a reading tool but an overall learning experience. These books focus on the grades from one to three within the age group of six to nine.

Here is a great book I think we all should read. Steingraber's thesis is relatively simple: environmental factors play a much larger role in the increase of cancer than hitherto assumed by individuals, public health officials, and regulators, and we should act accordingly. Her argument is well-researched and takes into account many of the pollutants we find in our air, water, earth, and bodies, and is presented intermittently as narrative and analysis.

I like the structure of the book, the organization into chapters titled "time," "space," "war," and the like. I also like her alternating personal narrative (she is a bladder-cancer survivor, a native of Illinois, a graduate student, a researcher--we find out lots of things) with the cold hard facts and sometimes the fuzzy facts of cancer research and regulation of chemicals. The only thing that holds me back, which is why I gave it four stars, is that the book is a bit too long for my taste at almost 400 pages--I, a layperson, could have done with a bit less detail (though I understand she's covering her bases) and a bit more politics (though I understand she's being careful, not naming too many names).

The best chapter is the final one: if you come across this book and have other things to do, at least read the last chapter--most convincing is her deconstruction of the public policy of 'personal responsibility': sure, some cancers may be associated with personal lifestyle, but more important are the things we have little individual control over, such as the air we breathe, the land our kids play on, the streams we swim in. Blame, Steingraber implies/states (she's not always so outspoken), lies less with us citizens, taxpayers, cancer patients, than with the companies that manufacture products and byproducts that may be carcinegous and are simply allowed to do so until proven otherwise, and the regulators (our government, at all levels) who let them do so. Bravo--it needed to be said, and I'm glad Steingraber did it.

There's an image that stands out from this book, that encapsulates its heart and soul... the image of a petri dish with a deceased nun's "immortal" breast cells. These cells live on in cancer research, continuing to divide and offer themselves up, though the nun has since passed on. Regarding these cells, Steingraber makes the comment, "This is my body broken for you."

A body broken for us. That is Steingraber herself, who was diagnosed with cancer, as a young woman still in college. A heart broken for us. Again, it is Steingraber, as she loses her best friend to cancer and reveals some of her most intimate thoughts about the experience. And it is all the bodies that still pile up in brokenness... one in three Americans now get cancer, she reminds us.

It is also the brokenness of animals, soil, earth, water, and air--each of which she examines with a keen scientific eye, loads of research, and surprising poignancy.

Reading this book, one questions not so much why we, or our fathers, or our sisters get cancer, but why we as a society let this brokenness go on and think we can be immune from its effects. I wish that we'd all read this book and begin to put the pieces together again.

Anyone who has ever wondered about the environmental causes of cancer will be fascinated by this book. Steingraber is a gifted writer and a solid scientist (a rare but good combination) and she weaves scientific research and personal story together in a skillful way. The gist is that damning results from initial studies on the environmental causes of cancer need further study, but when all these initial studies are brought together like this it surely seems we are our own worst enemy when it comes to these terrible illnesses.

Because of the immense importance of the subject matter- chemical contamination of our environment, this book was written for a general audience and Ms Steingraber's writing style flows with easy to understand, but alarming expose' of the hazards of chemicals in our environment.

It is a beautiful continuation of Rachel Carson's work of environmental responsibility and the examination of the dangers of chemical contamination of our shared world.
Ms Carson's famous book, "Silent Spring", published in 1962, opened up to the public the hideous side-effects of chemicals, i.e., cancer causing, biome pollution and disruption, and killing of non-targeted species. Remember the Brown Pelican and Bald Eagle almost being killed-off from DDT poisoning? Carson's work eventually led to the banning of that harmful chemical, but as Ms Steingraber so expertly points out, there is a plethora of other dangerous chemicals on the market that tests have shown should not be.

Sandra Steingraber wrote her book over 35 years after "Silent Spring" and having the benefit of a huge amount of accumulated evidence of chemical side-effects and personal experience with the serious health problems caused by chemical contamination of our environment, she has put together a powerful indictment of the irresponsibility of industry and government alike in their continuing agenda of down-playing the dangers of chemicals and this constitutes one of the most irresponsible and insidious snake-oil scams ever perpetrated against life.

Huge corporate profits from the sale of deadly, often-time untested or inadequately tested chemicals purchase lackadaisical government over-sight and slick advertising on the "benefits" of chemicals.

This book is well researched and concise, yet will give simple explanations of such topics as "biomagnification"- the accumulation of chemicals the higher up the food chain we go. Most importantly, is the topic of "risk as recklessness" in taking dangerous chemicals to market without proper safety testing, but especially allowing known carcinogens to remain on the market long after they have proven to be harmful, hence, government complicity.

And the governments stand on this? They publish guidelines for changing one's "lifestyle" to help reduce chemical exposure! In other words, they attempt to shift responsibility for health on to the public who has no control over or proper warnings of where these chemicals are and most ludicrous of this is the fact that the spread of chemicals cannot be controlled once released into the environment, so they're everywhere and unavoidable. A good summation of this irresponsible nonsense is quoted from the anthropologist, Martha Balshem: [In the end, Balshem came to believe the lesson she was transmitting-"accept authority and accept blame"-was the wrong one]. (p 262) Indeed!

The Epilog starting on page 285 is a good resource guide for finding out more about chemicals, government agencies "responsible" for monitoring their use, where chemicals are concentrated, educational materials, etc.

Sandra Steingraber has put together a beautiful, important and educational statement in this book and it is one of the most profound publications of it's type since "Silent Spring". I found it to be a great honor to Rachel Carson's legacy- thank you Ms Steingraber!

This is a powerful and moving account that dissects, piece by piece, the system which allows cancer-causing chemical agents to be released within the United States, primarily by corporations.

Cancer survivor Sandra Steingraber is a poet at heart, and a scientist by trade. For me, the weakest parts of the book were the ones in which the poet takes over, speaking in deeply personal dramatic tones that, quite frankly, made me a little uncomfortable.

Much more interesting is the scathing indictment of the processes by which chemicals are regulated in the United States. With impeccable logic, Steingraber frightens the bejeezus out of us by demonstrating that, when it comes to protecting the environment and public health, no one is driving the bus.

The vast majority of chemicals released into the environment have not been held up to proper scrutiny. For chemicals that are suspected of causing cancer or other problems, there is an almost impossibly high burden of proof put on those who seek to have the chemicals banned.

Steingraber builds the case, simultaneously removing all doubt that certain chemicals are responsible for cancer outbreaks in certain areas while showing us that the case cannot be proved to the satisfaction of the regulatory agencies (who are themselves heavily influenced by the offending companies).

A detective story, an expose, and a lyrical narrative all in one, Steingraber has given concrete form to the sometimes-vague notion that Corporate America is behind many of our country's biggest threats.

We love the book not only does it have very good information of the solar system is also a work book, my son loves it.

my grandson and myself find this book very interesting and easy to go through. it keeps his interest and anything that will keep him interested so he will learn is a good thing

I homeschool my kids and this is a great workbook. There are enough pictures and color to be interesting without being overbearing. It has good explanations of each topic and then lots of practice pages so the kids can really get a good feel for each topic. Many workbooks just touch on a subject but do not provide enough daily assignments and then you have to supplement. This book is more than sufficient on its own. There is an answer key in the back. This is a nice thick substantial book.

~Note for fellow homeschoolers~
'The Complete Book of...' line offers many great great workbooks. Some of the others we use are: Animals, English and Language Arts, Grammar and Punctuation, US History, Presidents and States, Dinosaurs, Science... just to name a few. They are great!

After nearly 20 years as an environmental scientist, regulator and educator, I am truly excited to have encountered a book written with such elegance and obvious scientific rigor regarding a subject that is both fascinating and timely. Great apes and cetaceans are species which have long captivated human imagination and curiosity, and Bearzi and Stanford provide ample reason why this connection is warranted. I do hope this pair author further readings of such quality and accessibility.

This book is a rare gift to a reader interested in natural history and wildlife behaviour. Two world-class wildlife researchers share with us their knowledge and insights obtained through their lives' work, as well as that of the researchers before them, with a thoughtful, engaging and inspiring presentation. Speaking from both analytical and in-field experiences the authors combine their two voices in an eloquent conversational manner while filling each paragraph with a wealth of information. The fascination comes two-fold while we learn not only about the impressive intelligence of dolphins and of primates, but also of how similar the cultural and behavioural strategies are between the two species... and, then we see the parallels to our own species. I recommend this book to students and wildlife enthusiasts as well as to anyone just interested in a good non-fiction read.Argentina: The Bradt Travel GuideBear Attacks in CanadaNorthern California nature GuideWashington & Oregon nature GuideCanada Flying HighWorld Volunteers, 4th Edition: The World Guide to Voluntary Work in Nature Conservation (World Volunteers: The World Guide to Humanitarian & Development Volu)Archaeo-Volunteers: The World Guide to Archaeological and Heritage Volunteering (We Care Guides)

As a scientist and educator, I found this book to be a very satisfying and enjoyable read, in terms of the scientific content, educational value, and the fascinating stories that are told. I would recommend this book for the scientist/non-scientist, evolutionist/creationist (it will enlighten you, you will learn more about yourself, for sure!). The book focuses on the cetaceans (dolphins) and apes (mainly chimpanzees) of course, but it will make you think about the human mind, how similar we can be to both groups, not in a genetic or anatomical sense but in terms of our behaviors. I highly recommend this book, it is rare to find a work that combines the introspective/contemplative side of science, with sound field science (as both authors are highly respected and prolific researchers in their respective fields).

My review will be biased and I will keep it short, as I happen to be the brother of one of the Authors of "Beautiful Mind" (Maddalena).

Being myself a scientist who has been working on cetaceans for over 20 years, and an author and reviewer of several scientific publications, I am naturally inclined to strong criticism when I read this kind of literature.

And yet, I really like this book. It is elegantly written, full of intriguing stories and ideas, intellectually rich and even good-looking and pleasant to handle in its present novel-like format.

Craig and Maddalena chose a fascinating but also challenging subject and they managed to unfold it with a clear and understandable language and lots of real-life examples.

Their love for the animals gets across every single line of text, but there is no trace of romanticism, pietism or new age. Instead, the reader finds a clear conservation message and a vibrant call to ensure the protection and well-being of these magnificent and highly-evolved creatures.

Five stars.

Somewhere along the evolutionary path, cetaceans and the great apes parted ways and headed in different evolutionary directions...one to the forests and one to the oceans. And, that was quite some time ago; around 50 million years, and yet the two groups share many common threads behaviorally. How is that possible?

The answer lies in the development of the brain and adaptations to the surrounding environments of each of the species involved. Chimpanzees have adapted to forest life in one way, while gorillas another. The same can be said for dolphins as opposed to orcas and other cetacean species.

This book is an eloquently written look into the minds of the great apes, the cetaceans when compared to humans. It manages to enlighten while being highly entertaining and avoiding the trap of anthropomorphism that is so common when comparing animal species to humans. I would highly recommend this book to all, with the exception of staunch creationists, as it will make you look at dolphins and apes in an entirely new light.

this series is great, and my daughter absolutely loves when i read them. this book is probably the best and most descriptive evolution book geared towards kids! highly recommend for any parent who wants to teach their kids about the origin of the earth and the evolution of all live on it!

I'm no longer a kid, but I've learned a great deal from Mammals Who Morph. I'd read Morgan's two earlier volumes in this trilogy, and this was very helpful, though not absolutely necessary to appreciate the third.

What I value most in all three volumes is the appreciation and satisfaction I derive on several levels. The science is clear, and if the other reviewers here are to be believed, rock solid. But so is the story-telling. I've just been carried away in the tale. Morgan's contention, I think, is that this is MY tale as well as the universe's. It's all of ours. I feel a strong sense of recognition. Something's touched, and the sensation is unmistakably familiar.

She's also included a glossary and resources and avenues for further learning. How often do you see that in a book for children that is also this entertaining?

And then, of course, there's the art work. The full-page color illustrations accompanying every page of written work are not merely beautiful, they're worth savoring.

Quite a package. Quite a trilogy. Quite a remarkable accomplishment.

This is the concluding volume of a bizarrely brilliant trilogy on the history of the universe and of life. Every school and public library - no, every family! - in America should own all three volumes in the trilogy. (The earlier volumes are "Born With a Bang" and "From Lava to Life.")

There is a rising tide of anti-science ideology in the United States, accompanied (and caused) by a vast scientific illiteracy. This is frightening not only because modern economies are so heavily dependent upon scientific knowledge but also because it is science which dissipated the ancient fear-ridden world of witches and ghosts and demons. Take away science and the old terrors can return to haunt humankind. And those terrors long served, and can still serve, to justify man's inhumanity to man.

The reasons for the anti-science tide are complex: America, for example, has an anti-intellectual tradition going back to the Romantic era of the early nineteenth century (see, e.g., E. D. Hirsch's discussion in "The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them"). Because knowledge in general, and especially in science, is necessarily "elitist," science also runs against the populism and egalitarianism long endemic in the United States.

Most disturbing is the use of anti-science propaganda by various political and cultural forces to cynically advance their own political agenda (and make some money on the side). For example, Ann Coulter, in her recent book "Godless," launched a lengthy and virtually unhinged attack on the fact of evolution.

At a higher intellectual level, the noted Jewish "neoconservative" intellectual Irving Kristol has declared, "All I want to do is break the bonds of Darwinian materialism which at the moment restrict our imagination." Robert Bork, more briefly, has announced, "Darwinism cannot explain life as we know it." (There is reason to doubt that Kristol at least really believes evolution is false: this may be just a crass ploy for political influence.)

Jennifer Morgan's trilogy is the best cure I have seen for the anti-science hysteria.

Although the evidence for evolution and modern cosmology is, logically and rationally, overwhelming, one of the big problems is that scientists have failed to grab the popular imagination in the same way that mythical religious tales of the Garden of Eden or the Tower of Babel have done.

Morgan has taken the discoveries of science and done what we scientists ourselves seem unable to do: packaged them with a sense of wonder and imagination that can show ordinary people, and most especially children, the grandeur and spectacle of the transcendental truths uncovered by modern science.

Most importantly, she is scientifically accurate: while her books read almost like books of lyrical poetry written for children, I was stunned by the care with which she hewed to the best science available as she wrote (I have a Ph.D. in theoretical physics - I was looking for errors).

This concluding volume in the trilogy discusses the Cenozoic Era, the "age of mammals," focusing especially on the evolution of human beings. Morgan's technique throughout the trilogy is to have the universe tell her own story.

In this volume, she begins by reviewing the chain of catastrophes discussed in the previous two volumes - the nearly total annihilation of elementary particles at the Big Bang, the nearby supernova that is believed to have triggered the formation of the Solar System, the "oxygen crisis" that poisoned much of the early life on earth, and of course the asteroid that ended the age of the dinosaurs.

The theme of this book is that these apparent catastrophes led to us.

She moves through the mammalian and avian radiations, briefly discusses the rise of the hominids, and finally ends the trilogy in an inspiring reminder that, in us human beings, the universe is finally able to understand and comprehend itself.

The book is aimed at children - I read it with my early grade-school children and it would certainly be appropriate through middle school. The book will necessarily offend religious creationists, but should not offend anyone with any other religious beliefs - whether Catholics, mainstream Protestants, non-Christian religious believers, or atheists. It has beautifully imaginative illustrations.

There is a useful appendix with more of the serious science for older kids or adults.

Like most scientists, I am, frankly, skeptical of any attempt to combine "spirituality" with science. In science, the only true "spirituality" is the truth. Morgan shows that this is indeed the truest spirituality of all. She grasps what it is that caused so many of us to become scientists and what motivates so many scientists to continue working at the hard task of patiently teasing out the secrets of reality.

Our generation is the first in human history to have a clear picture of the entire history of the universe and of life on earth. Every human being is entitled to share in this wondrous knowledge.

Get this book (and the other two books in the trilogy) and read it with your kids and grandkids - and for yourself. Show them the incredible beauty, grandeur, and wonder of the universe we inhabit.

This is the greatest story ever told.

As a resident of Princeton, New Jersey, a town filled with eminent scientists (including my Noble Laureate physicist uncle) I have lived for years believing that science was beyond my ken, beyond my capacity for even the faintest glimmering of understanding.

In the last few years I have been thrilled to discover Jennifer Morgan, a Princeton author who has written three science books designed for children, entitled A Universe Story Trilogy. The first book, Born With a Bang, covers the history of the universe from its beginning 13.7 billion years ago to the beginning of Earth. The second book, From Lava to Life, tells the story of life beginning as bacteria . . . to the reign of the dinosaurs. Mammals Who Morph, the third book, takes the story from the extinction of the dinosaurs to the rise of Homo sapiens.

The three books are charming and work as wonderful bedtime story reading. But despite the charm and the beautiful illustrations, Ms. Morgan is writing hard science. In a recent seminar which she led, I learned that she spent a number of years talking with cosmologists, evolutionary biologists, and anthropologists, doing her best to be sure that these children's stories were rigorously in accord with current scientific thinking.

To be sure, scientific thinking changes, as Ms. Morgan is the first to acknowledge, and indeed theories which are current today are subject to revision tomorrow. But the extraordinary gift which Jennifer Morgan has given, is a sense that science is full of wonder, excitement and reverence. I, for example, finally got a glimmering of my uncle's work having to do with something called CP Violation and the mindbending concept that if the symmetry between particles and antiparticles had not been broken in the first second after the Big Bang, the rest of the Universe Story would not have happened.

Ms. Morgan's books will turn kids on to science. . . to say nothing of the grownups who literally walked away from Ms. Morgan's presentation with stars in their eyes.

Linda Fitch

"Mammals Who Morph" is Jennifer Morgan's 3rd book of a trilogy that successfully condenses 3.7 billion years of natural history from the big bang beginning to the present into a story told by the universe itself (who else could do it?). She highlights important scientific concepts and presents them in a way that is compelling to children and makes them feel good about being part of a greater whole. Morgan's ability to make difficult scientific concepts easy to understand and to weave spiritual concepts of unity, commonality and community throughout these stories makes them a great bridge for children wrestling with what politicians have made into polarized issues between science and religion. Although Morgan's degree is in theology, she sticks to the facts as they are now known and spins them into an easily readable story that all ages and religions can enjoy and learn from. In this last book of the trilogy she describes the population of the planet by an assortment of mammals in a way that conveys the beauty of evolution without dwelling on the how. Cleverly, the text is written with two type sizes enabling the youngest readers to hear the story without much detail by reading the largest type. Every elementary school, church, synagogue, mosque and parent should have a set and read it to their children. Without a doubt, this is a comforting story that all who ever have seriously asked the question "Where did we come from?" will enjoy.

The whole premise of this book, is DH looking at what exactly is considered the self. He relates personal identity to the feedback produced by a tv camera or microphone/speaker. He also suggests to some degree it's all an illusion, brought about by learned response of the neurons in your head, and as such, other people can have a working representation of you that's almost as good as you. He uses this belief to console himself about his wife's death, that she is still somewhat alive in his head.
There are long tangents dealing with his various in depth analogies, and consideration of how much of a "soul" various being and things have. Overall, he doesn't break much new ground, doesn't take a stand in favor of any beliefs, and the reader comes away with what could have simply been a carefree dinner discussion probably involving several glasses of wine. His other books are much better, and though I'm a DH fan overall, I was rather disappointed with I am a Strange Loop.

Hofstadter isn't for everyone, and the subject of his musings is difficult, but he has a wonderful ability to make deep ideas accessible and he is full of fun. If you took great delight in Godel, Escher, Bach or The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self & Soul you will find renewed inspiration in Strange Loop. The author's facility in offering real world analogies to fairly abstruse philosophical puzzles is his forte. Having read fairly widely in the subject of the science of mind, I still experienced "aha!" moments reading this volume.

More than ever, I can now apprehend that my consciousness is an emergent property in a self-aware brain of sufficient capacity to infinitely categorize experience using symbols. "I" is, perhaps, the greatest and simplest symbol of all, condensing, as it does, the experience of each lifetime into a working hypothesis. "I" is illusory, yet highly useful, in the same way that it is useful for a gardener to know where the sun "comes up" and "goes down" in planning a garden, while the sun actually does neither. Like most convincing illusions, "I" is hard to shake, and there is the downside--the doomed feeling that one day "I" will die.

For my part, I find a great deal of comfort in bursting the illusion. If "I" never existed in the first place, it seems difficult to worry about what happens when my body drops. To the extent that I have loved and been loved, some vestige of my consciousness will drift on for a spell in others' memories, and that is enough.

Wonderful brain candy, for those of a certain appetite. Highly recommended.

The ideas of the book are an interesting extension of what I took away from GEB. Hofstadter's breaking down of the scale of perspective as a defining factor in how we understand phenomena of all kinds is interesting and well done. I also like his notion of the fundamental nature of analogy in all kinds of thought and reasoning, and the chapter on consciousness as a fundamental essence. He is as insightful and enlightening as ever, but I found myself having to wait a little longer for those insights than I'd like.

I haven't read any of Hofstadter's work between GEB and I Am A Strange Loop, so I don't know if those books represent a continuum in styles. In any case, I got the sense that decades of dealing with very enthusiastic people who he felt hadn't quite absorbed his message have taken their toll on Mr. H.

As demanding a read as GEB was, it lead with its ideas, and compensated for its difficulty with enthusiasm and the exciting implications of the material. In this book, he seems to be focusing on making these ideas available to a different audience, or as a kind of un-intimidating rehash for the people who he felt missed the core of his ideas in GEB. In doing so he takes a more coddling, almost apologetic tone, and takes his conversational writing style to greater lengths.

The result is something that I think might make for an interesting conversation, but was a little boring for me to get through as a book. I respect and appreciate his desire to communicate without wallowing in jargon or turning people off with pretentious style, but it distanced me from the material a little.

The ideas in the book are strong and provoking, but they are in a very different vehicle than I expected. I guess I was hoping for something with more of the intensity, or as thrilling a reading experience as GEB, and I found this a little more drawn out and slightly saccharine. Still, this book is full of ideas worth getting to, and his playfulness and sense of analogy make for some fun reading along the way, too.

Loved Goedel Escher Bach; utterly disappointed by this new work. Again, Hofstadter uses Goedel's theorem as an (overly abstract) analogy for how tangled mappings "just might" lead to a sense of autobiographical self. Details are missing.

DH gives a poignant and worthwhile story of how we make a coarse-grained internal model for the autobiographical self of those close to us, and that after their death, that rough model can continue to run as software in our brain, giving a kind of fleeting immortality.

That is as close as he gets to making a direct analogy between the mind-body problem and software running on hardware. Software interacts with hardware via A/D converters, serial ports, USB-II, etc. Despite DH's own software expertise, he misses the chance to make explicit how software running on hardware is itself a strange loop, in that the software is a (rather Goedelian) model for the state of the hardware.

Instead we get a vague and irritating "Careenium", with symbols as a high level description of colliding ball bearings. Aunt Hillary was far better.

Since GEB, Hofstadter seems to have read only Dennett and Hofstadter.

No mention of Antonio Damasio's utterly brilliant "The Feeling of What Happens". Summarizing AD barbarically: we map how a change in our external sensory maps is followed by a change in our internal mileau maps; this secondary map constitutes "the feeling of what happens" and is then laid down breath by breath as our (terabyte-huge) autobiographical self. (Much more to it than that.)

No mention of J LeDoux's "Synaptic Self" or "The Emotional Brain", or M Gazzagnia or S Pinker or J McCrone or many others.

No mention of even S Wolfram on software, cellular automata, emergent phenomena, and computational irreducibility, and its tight relevance to free will. No mention of the related fields of self-organizing systems at the edge of chaos.

Summary: the Mind-Body problem, the free will problem, and "the feeling of what happens" have been pushed forward since GEB, but DH seems to have read only himself.

Philosophy, to those who are disdainful of it, is a sucker for *a priori* sleights of hand: purely logical arguments which do not rely for grip on empirical reality, but purport to explain it all the same: chestnuts like "cogito ergo sum", from which Descartes concluded a necessary distinction between a non-material soul and the rest of the world.

Douglas Hofstadter is not a philosopher (though he's friends with one), and in "I am a Strange Loop" he is mightily disdainful of the discipline and its weakness for cute logical constructions. All of metaphysics is so much bunk, says Hofstadter, and he sets out to demonstrate this using the power of mathematics and in particular the fashionable power of Gödel's incompleteness theory.

Observers may pause and reflect on an irony at once: Hofstadter's method - derived *a priori* from the pure logical structure of mathematics - looks suspiciously like those tricksy metaphysical musings on which he heaps derision. As his book proceeds this irony only sharpens.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, for I started out enjoying this book immensely. Until about halfway I thought I'd award it five stars - but then found it increasingly unconvincing and glib, notably at the point where Hofstadter leaves his (absolutely fascinating) mathematical theorising behind and begins applying it. He believes that from purely logical contortion one may derive a coherent account of consciousness (a purely physical phenomenon) robust enough to bat away any philosophical objections, dualist or otherwise.

Note, with another irony, his industry here: to express the physical parameters of a material thing - a brain - in terms of purely non-material apparatus (a conceptual language). In the early stages, Professor Hofstadter brushes aside reductionist objections to his scheme which is, by definition, an emergent property of, and therefore unobservable in, the interactions of specific nerves and neurons. Yet late in his book he is at great pains to say that that same material thing *cannot*, by dint of the laws of physics, be pushed around by a non material thing (being a soul), and that configurations of electrons correspond directly to particular conscious states in what seems a rigorously deterministic way (Hofstadter brusquely dismisses conjectures that your red might not be the same as mine). Without warning, in his closing pages, Hofstadter seems to declare himself a behaviourist. Given the excellent and enlightening work of his early chapters, this comes as a surprise and a disappointment to say the least.

Hofstadter's exposition of Gödel's theory is excellent and its application in the idea of the "Strange Loop" is fascinating. He spends much of the opening chapters grounding this odd notion, which he says is the key to understanding consciousness as a non-mystical, non-dualistic, scientifically respectable and physically explicable phenomenon. His insight is to root consciousness not in the physical manifestation of the brain, but in the patterns and symbols represented within it. This, I think, is all he needs to establish to win his primary argument, namely that Artificial Intelligence is a valid proposition. But he is obliged to go on because, like Darwin's Dangerous Idea, the Strange Loop threatens to operate like a universal acid and cut through many cherished and well-established ideas. Alas, some of these ideas seem to be ones Douglas Hofstadter is not quite ready to let go. Scientific realism, for example.

The implication of the Strange Loop, which I don't think Hofstadter denies, is that a string of symbols, provided it is sufficiently complex (and "loopy") can be a substrate for a consciousness. That is a Neat Idea (though I'm not persuaded it's correct: Hofstadter's support for it is only conceptual, and involves little more than hand-waving and appeals to open-mindedness.)

But all the same, some strange loops began to occur to me here. Perhaps rather than slamming the door on mysticism, Douglas Hofstadter has unwittingly blown it wide open. After all, why stop at human consciousness as a complex system? Cconceptually, perhaps, one might be able to construct a string of symbols representing God. Would it even need a substrate? Might the fact that it is conceptually possible mean that God therefore exists?

I am being mendacious, I confess. But herein lie the dangers (or irritations) of tricksy *a priori* contortions. However, Professor Hofstadter shouldn't complain: he started it.

Less provocatively, perhaps a community of interacting individuals, like a city - after all, a more complex system than a single one, QED - might also be conscious. Perhaps there are all sorts of consciousnesses which we can't see precisely because they emerge at a more abstract level than the one we occupy.

This might seem far-fetched, but the leap of faith it requires isn't materially bigger than the one Hofstadter explicitly requires us to make. He sees the power of Gödel's insight being that symbolic systems of sufficient complexity ("languages" to you and me) can operate on multiple levels, and if they can be made to reference themselves, the scope for endless fractalising feedback loops is infinite. The same door that opens the way to consciousness seems to let all sorts of less appealing apparitions into the room: God, higher levels of consciousness and sentient pieces of paper bootstrap themselves into existence also.

This seems to be a Strange Loop Too Far, and as a result we find Hofstadter ultimately embracing the reductionism of which he was initially so dismissive, veering violently towards determinism and concluding with a behavioural flourish that there is no consciousness, no free will, and no alternative way of experiencing red. Ultimately he asserts a binary option: unacceptable dualism with all the fairies, spirits, spooks and logical lacunae it implies, or a pretty brutal form of determinist materialism.

There's yet another irony in all this, for he has repeatedly scorned Bertrand Russell's failure to see the implications of his own formal language, while apparently making a comparable failure to understand the implications of his own model. Strange Loops allow - guarantee, in fact - multiple meanings via analogy and metaphors, and provide no means of adjudicating between them. They vitiate the idea of transcendental truth which Hofstadter seems suddenly so keen on. The option isn't binary at all: rather, it's a silly question.

In essence, *all* interpretations are metaphorical; even the "literal" ones. Neuroscience, with all its gluons, neurons and so on, is just one more metaphor which we might use to understand an aspect of our world. It will tell us much about the brain, but very little about consciousness, seeing as the two operate on quite different levels of abstraction.

To the extent, therefore, that Douglas Hofstadter concludes that the self is that is an illusion his is a wholly useless conclusion. As he acknowledges, "we" are doomed to "see" the world in terms of "selves"; an *a priori* sleight-of-hand, no matter how cleverly constructed, which tells us that we're wrong about that (and that we're not actually here at all!) does us no good at all.

Neurons, gluons and strange loops have their place - in many places this is a fascinating book, after all - but they won't give us any purchase on this debate.

Olly Buxton

Fr. Thomas Berry emphasizes that all things and beings have a place in Creation. It is a stimulating relief to have such a well respected scholar support what is my heart's understanding of the world I know. He is calm and accepting of the concept 'inclusiveness'. Science and spirituality are shown to be not only compatible but inseperable. The Universe Story tells us how our world was formed and comes alive. Thomas Berry emphasises appreciation of the beauty and strength found all around us. We are told we are moving into a new geologic time called the 'ecozoic' by the author. This book will help smooth our moves into the next chapter of the Creation.

Outstanding brief introduction to the thoughts of Thomas Berry, one of the visionary thinkers of our time in terms of ecology, impact of the human on the earth, and providing a promising larger vision of the possibilities for the future. The collection of thoughts will appear a bit repetitive at first glance, but I found the repetition of the key thoughts from different perspectives useful. Highly recommended. Rated 4 star instead of 5 due only to the repetitiveness.

Every politician should read this book and then look into their hearts. I must say that Mary Tucker's Editorial Preface says everything about Thomas Berry and his desire to enhance human beings' relationship to Earth. His writing is accessible and undaunting. The gift of his genius, still going strong at 90 years of age is expressed again in this book and the message will bring you into the fold of his views with keen insight and compassion. I am so grateful for his gifts and just want you to read it and give it to everyone else you know.

The perspective I have come to is that for most of my life I lived in a human world which has not been able to offer in any comprehensive way, what really matters.

What is going on is that the sources of human survival, imagination, knowledge and emotional balance have been diminished, distanced, ignored and replaced by an enslaving, stale and insulting world views.

Enter Thomas Berry who after a lifetime of scholarship on human cultures has received the gifts of the scientific community and relit our human drama and our personal value. We are fortunate to be born into a community that knows how to survive through amazing trials. We are fortunate to be born into a school that has incomprehensible libraries and teachers to access. We are made with genes already experienced in phenomenal truth, art, music, flexibility and openness to diversity and enhancing possibility. There is nothing in the vast developing universe that is really foreign to us--it is our home and at this time in human history, we have a dinguished role to play. You'll have to read him to see what these remarks mean.

There is no one I have ever met, heard or read who comes close to explaining the grief and chaos of our times and to offering a healing of being and living as does Thomas Berry.

This is what children need to learn. This is the heroic task that young adults yearn to be presented. This is the good news that will bring a sign of contentment to more than our hopes. This is the story that provides a standard for every profession but especially education, economics, religion and government. At last we begin to hear what really matters.

Not many readers know about this book that is literally the most "Complete" book on science fair projects out there. This is an all-new revision of the original book that came out in the 90's and it has been updated with great information, drawings, photos and more. It is the best resource for students who need to do a science fair project and need to know everything from finding a topic to carrying out an experiment to delivering a presentation before judges. Resourceful ways in which to find a topic, where to go for help, how to measure and calculate data, etc. There are also 50 classic sample project outlines with illustrations that give students ideas for projects in all scientific disciplines, an ample list of possible project topics, a detailed list of possible subject areas to find a topic in, with a useful list of websites where a student can find information on almost any topic, scientific supply stores across the US and Canada, a list of every science fair in the country and around the world and their corresponding websites (where available), and a list other competitions students can enter their projects in. In all my years of working with our school science fair, this book is still the authority on the subject. Highly recommended for all in grades 5-12.

Great for bilinqual ed and also students who are learning Spanish.
Clear pictures and neat labeling.
edconnectionsllc.com

It amazes me to hear my grandson and granddaughter using the Spanish words from this volume and the others in the author's bilingual series. I guess that is the best tribute to the quality of the books in the series--they reach and they teach. The books are thoughtfully put together and have great visual appeal. Lots of fun for the grandkids (and for me) as we learn.

Que suerte! What luck! We are so glad we came across this book and the others in Gladys Rosa-Mendoza's series. The author does a nice job of introducing basic English and Spanish vocabulary words in an interesting way. My son enjoys listening and looking at the colorful drawings and trying to repeat the words. All in all it's a nice addition to our children's bilingual collection. Gracias Amazon for providing these great teaching tools!!!!

This book is nice, sturdy, and slick so it's lasted through countless Spanish classes as well as my own three children for close to four years. If you're looking for a story, this isn't it. It has an English word and a Spanish word on each page. The main thing it lacks is the phonetic Spelling. Overall, a good vocabulary builder, or an addition to a comprehensive curriculum's chapter on weather, like Flip Flop Spanish.

Bright pictures and nice sized words are easy to see, but just not a real show-stopper for daily use with my own children. However, it is great in my Spanish classes.

At home, it would be a great addition to any curriculum, to change things up with some colorful pictures. Many of my clients use it with Flip Flop Spanish.
Sra. Gose
Author of Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 1 & Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 2

Wonderful little book. The illustrations are terrific. It really is a beautiful book that my 21 month old really enjoys and I enjoy it tremendously simply for the stunning pages.

What a wonderful find! This short, simple book is absolutely charming in its presentation of nature! What a delightful way to introduce different types of literature!

This is a short book, but it is so very sweet. The pictures and the poetry are fabulous. It would be a perfect gift book for a new baby. My 18-month old toddler likes it, but she breezes right through it. When she is learning to read down the road, I would think it would be a great one to re-visit as the haiku is simple to read.