Sue Black is remarkable, and this is a remarkable book. For me, teaching anatomy, it's an incredible gift: to go literally lesson by lesson through stSue Black is remarkable, and this is a remarkable book. For me, teaching anatomy, it's an incredible gift: to go literally lesson by lesson through stories with a senior anatomy teacher, picking up bits of story, style, and knowledge that I can add to my own discussion of the skeleton. For someone else, the presentation might be a little dry or academic: though I think each chapter has enough interest to pull through true-crime fanatics or those who like memoirs of fascinating people.
It's a hard book to recommend to others, since so much of what Professor Black does is identify the remains of children. The language is never unnecessarily grotesque or dramatic, but it is precise and methodical, about the kind of work she does and the kind of swift, violent deaths she often uncovers. Avoid, I think, if you have any aversion to reading about such violence.
Her personal style (of writing, of thinking, of existing) is so distinct and unapologetic it makes her quite a character. I think if, when you start reading, you don't find yourself liking her immensely: you will probably find the book frustrating. Personally, I found her in most places charming: her stalwart self-identity as a Scot and her explanation of what, precisely, she thinks that means -- her embrace of her mother-hen image while doing some of the least stereotypical feminine work i can imagine -- her strong admonitions of this tattoo or that dissection practice -- her cheerful recounting of pranks involving baby bones.
On the whole, it gives an impression of a formidable powerhouse of a professor, a quirky and bizarre emotional landscape of a human, a good-hearted Boomer with a strong sense of moral justice. This book puts you sitting in her lectures, dazzled by her competence and showmanship. It puts you in the police precinct, grieving and grateful for her care and precision. It puts you at her dinner table, rolling your eyes at her thoughts on kids these days and laughing at her sharp wit. I enjoyed the journey immensely and will read it again to pull on the threads of expert knowledge to liven up my own work....more
A fascinating thesis, bravely and at points clumsily argued. I went hunting for this, like many others, after watching Westworld--and I was happy to fA fascinating thesis, bravely and at points clumsily argued. I went hunting for this, like many others, after watching Westworld--and I was happy to find this bold little book light and worth the read.
The central point Jaynes argues (although not in these words) is that consciousness is a software program: a way-of-using-a-brain that is neither mandatory nor particularly old. He proposes that the ancients had a different, bicameral software, the vestiges of which are with us. It's a cool theory, worth carrying around in your head for a while, even if you eventually decide to put it down. It shakes up your ideas about consciousness in a pleasing way.
Of course, the central point is supported by dozens of smaller arguments, drawn from everything from the schizophrenic brain to ancient fertility statues to the Iliad. Jaynes acts by turns as a historian, literary analyst, anthropologist, psychologist, neuroscientist, and sociologist...and in doing so, he stretches himself too thin. It gives the feeling of a pile of unsorted arguments, rather than a carefully curated collection of the best evidence. Still, the central thesis is so compelling, and some of the evidence-pile really does show promise, so it maintains most of its charm.
The first chapter(s) are strong, and present an intensely interesting story of human evolution. I definitely recommend that bit to every reader--thinkThe first chapter(s) are strong, and present an intensely interesting story of human evolution. I definitely recommend that bit to every reader--thinking about different hominid ancestors coexisting really sparks the imagination. Good job putting the best bit at the front.
The rest of the book is a broad, shallow survey of the history of humans, grouped into different periods (the agricultural revolution, the industrial revolution, etc). The author is neither trying to develop a comprehensive, well-supported thesis, nor is he trying to give an impartial account of the history of humans. Instead, he skates swiftly through history, sharing his opinions on a diverse variety of topics, and trying to construct a picture of humanity at such a distance that you can just barely glimpse all of it at once. His writing is clear, not particularly flowery or academic.
For what it's designed to be, I think Harari's book is successful, and I'm glad to have read it. Some of his opinions are in line with my own, others I think are totally off-base, but this book was clearly not intended to put forth and exhaustively support its claims. Instead, it's a sampling of big ideas, and I appreciate that some interpretations were new to me, and interesting. Overall, the length dragged this down a bit--it's hard to breeze over dozens of ideas without touching down for hundreds and hundreds of pages--but most chapters brought forth at least one point that was worth jotting down for me to think about later. I also have a weakness for books directed at the layperson that bring science and history/social science together!...more
Irreverent, smart, and surprisingly dense for a cute little book. The comics were helpful, as the language was a bit tricky for my students. Still, itIrreverent, smart, and surprisingly dense for a cute little book. The comics were helpful, as the language was a bit tricky for my students. Still, it was worth it!
I needed a short book to teach about evolution--but I wanted a bit more than the basics. I wanted my students to gain some historical context and broader appreciation for evolution, something beyond salt-and-pepper moths and long-necked giraffes. This book helped them contemplate the structure of scientific revolutions: how far-reaching the repercussions can be of one person's ideas, and also how silly it is to attribute an entire social, cultural, and intellectual movement to a single person.
I highly recommend this book. I don't think it's the best introduction to evolution, or even to Darwin. But it is an excellent work for exploring the particular upheaval in science that Darwin was in the middle of, from many angles. I have read a bit about Darwin's predecessors, contemporaries, and successors, but this book helped me put them all together in a new and satisfying way. Very useful for developing in students a more sophisticated appreciation for the history of science!...more
Not awful, but fuzzy-headed and intentionally opaque. This feels like what my brain would produce if I fell asleep cramming for finals in neuropsych, Not awful, but fuzzy-headed and intentionally opaque. This feels like what my brain would produce if I fell asleep cramming for finals in neuropsych, classical lit, and art history.
The good: excellent reproductions of really nice art, well-selected and often quite moving in its own right. Occasional moments of narrative excellence, and references to a lot of charming and interesting works.
The bad: I absolutely have no idea if there is a valuable (or even coherent) thesis under there. Each chapter was followed by excruciating notes, in which the author cited sources and offered criticisms of his own style and prose--not charming, just annoying. If you think your own writing has issues, please don't feel the need to stop every chapter and list them to me in the third person!
Overall, I'll probably read it again, since I suspect an author with such a wealth of literary, artistic, and scientific references must have something interesting to say. I missed it the first time, though. Too busy looking at the pictures I guess?...more
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