Noah's Flood by William Ryan and Walter Pitman

Noah's Flood is a novel whose subject has been the debate of religious experts and scientists alike since the beginning of written history. Almost every creationist story has an origin pertaining to or involving in some way a "great flood" in which the world that the ancients knew was destroyed. In this book, the authors describe in great detail their research and expeditions in an effort to solve this mystery. One of the things that I found most interesting about the book was how detailed the research that they did on the sea and river beds was. Some of the fossil remains that they examined varied only in minute detail, but implied drastic changes in environment. To ensure that an accurate depiction of the past was created, the team members responsible for analyzing the remains had to be meticulous in their examination. It turned out, however, that the painstaking attention to detail and identification of the fossilized organisms along with the analysis of the mineral concentration in various parts of the Black Sea led them to the theory that the Ancients did witness a huge flood, but it was more than likely not the result of divine intervention. They, along with the rest of their expedition, hypothesized that the ancients inhabiting the world at that time were congregated around the Black Sea because of its centralized location. They believe that next, because of rising sea levels, the Mediterranean Sea level rose so high that it overflowed into the Black Sea, causing a huge flood. Although the subject of the book is quite fascinating (the mingling of religion and science), the way that the book is written is rather dull. I would recommend this book only to friends who are able to maintain focus through pages of fossil analysis and sea bed material composition comparisons.

Questions:

1. If the author is writing on a debatable issue, does he or she give proper consideration to all sides of the debate, or does he or she seem to have a bias?

The topic of this book is one of the most hotly debated among geologists and religious experts. However, the authors of this book do an excellent job of providing an objective environment throughout their expedition as well as providing an objective environment for the reader in order to develop his or her own perspective on the matter. They also make an effort to provide examples of religious texts from various different sources as well as alluding and analyzing pertinent ancient texts such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. It is because of this objectivity, along with the results that they obtained, that the theory they propose is so widely discussed by the scientific community.


2. How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

This book has increased my interest in the subject matter of geology through the way its authors used it to solve an age-old question. Too often, we forget that there is application in all fields of science. However, this book is refreshingly symbolic of how science can be used not only to improve technology, but how it can also be used to solve ancient mysteries both logically and effectively.


(Word Count: 486)

Book Blog #7: Tiki By Tiki Barber

Tiki by Tiki Barber was a particularly interesting book to me. The author of the book is a former superstar of my favorite football team, the New York Giants. Before reading the book, I viewed Tiki Barber as a great football player, but solely as that; I was unaware of his background or history before entering the NFL. That part of Tiki's story was the most inspiring, and ultimately my favorite part of his memoir. His early childhood is one right out of the story books. He lived in a rural town in Virginia with only his mother and brother to fall back on, but that was more than enough. He goes into great detail as to how his mother's personality played into who he is as a person, and how it contributed to his success as a person as well as a football player. He also goes into great depth about how his relationship with his brother made him a better, more competitive player. Before reading the book, I was aware that Tiki had a twin brother, and assumed that they were close. However, I was unaware of just how close they were. The two seem to be a perfect pair, one being more academic, and the other being more athletic. They both pushed the other to excel in the others forte. In doing so, they made each other more competitive while strengthening their bond. While I enjoyed the background that Tiki developed and put into the book, at times I disliked the way the book was written. Several times throughout the book, I found myself re-reading parts of paragraphs because the sentence structure confused me and abrupt punctuation stopped the flow of the text. Perhaps the book was written this way on purpose, but on more than a few occasions it bothered me. After taking all of this into consideration, I would recommend this book to any of my friends who happen to enjoy football as well as to anyone who wants to read a true story of a man (in all reality, two men) who overcame adversity.

Question:


1. How has reading this book change your opinion of a certain person or topic?

This book has changed my opinion about Tiki Barber. Before reading the book, I saw him not so much as a person, but as a football player distanced from society. After reading the book, I see him as more than just a player- I see him as a down-to-Earth person. Throughout most of the book, he maintains a relatively humble approach to writing it. At certain times, he does add an unnecessary shot at a defender or someone assigned to stop his rushes; he also has a controversial perspective on his former coach, Tom Coughlin. However, after reading the book, I view Tiki Barber as a more intellectual and profound person.

2. If the author is writing on a debatable issue, does he or she give proper consideration to all sides of the debate? Or does he/she seem to have a bias?

Tiki Barber does address a topic of controversy- his comments about his former coach, Tom Coughlin. He has said in the past that Coughlin pushed him and many of the other veteran players too hard, and that they should have been treated differently because not only are they more experienced, but because some play more contact-intensive roles, such as running back (in Tiki's situation). Although I disagree with Tiki's perspective, he does address the opposing side of the argument respectfully and defends his side effectively.

(Word Count: 546)

Book Blog #6: Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku

Physics of the Impossible is an inquiry into much of the technology and seemingly incomprehensible ideas being developed in the realm of theoretical physics. There were several aspects of the book that I enjoyed, one such thing being the seemingly endless amounts of references that the author had in respect to what he was trying to describe. He also had a great deal of analogies the he used to explain the more complex ideas in a way that almost anyone could understand. The last thing that I recognized as being unique to this book over almost any other physics book that I have read was the tone that was projected throughout the novel. More often than not, when an author decides to write a book about such a subject, the focus of the novel is on the information, and little thought is given to the tone and overall entertainment value evoked in the audience. This book is an exception. Kaku creates both a learning and entertaining atmosphere that improves an already fascinating work. The only aspect that I did not enjoy thoroughly was the predictions that the author gave to when such technology might be available to a large population. The conclusion consistently seemed to be centuries (or more) away. Such conclusions are understandable, seeing as no one can accurately determine who will be responsible for the world's next great discovery. However, it is somewhat frustrating as a reader to read that what you are reading about will not be part of society until the distant and unforeseeable future. That being said, I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in science fiction, theoretical physics, or to someone who enjoys thinking outside of the box.

Questions

1. What did you find surprising about the facts introduced in this book?

The most surprising facts that were introduced in this book from my perspective were the ideas that some of these technologies are well on their way to becoming part of reality. Science-Fiction creations such as plasma barriers and windows have actually been created, but on a small scale. The same could be said for Anti-Matter, supposedly the most volatile substance that can be created. Approximately 1.5 nanograms are created each year in particle accelerators. Such a number might seem small, and rightfully so. However, such findings are encouraging, and improved methods are being developed that will (by estimation) increase the rate at which it can be produced by ten times. It has been said by many scientists that the growth of technology has been and will continue to be that of exponential increase. If this holds to be true, we will witness some of the largest advancements in human history to date.

2. Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he or she achieve this?

The author presents information in both interesting and insightful ways through the analogies that he uses to describe the technologies and engineering aspects behind them, as well as by providing references that the general public can relate to, such as Star Trek and Star Wars. These bits of information as well as the overall enlightening tone of the novel create a unique atmosphere that is interesting and exploratory.

Book Blog #5: Unearthing Atlantis by Charles Pellegrino

     Unearthing Atlantis is one of the books that I have most enjoyed reading since the beginning of this year. The subject of the book is predominantly an archaeological discovery, but the author does a good job of incorporating many different fields of science into the  novel as well. One of the parts that I particularly enjoyed was the brief history of the world that the author puts together in order to give the reader a grasp of the huge geological time that has elapsed since the creation of the planet. He gives a summary of what the world looked like, and the events that unfolded  in reverse chronological order (multiplying by factors of 2 after each summary to avoid boring the reader). This was helpful to me because I have a hard time putting the past two millennia into perspective, let alone prehistoric events. The only aspect of this book that I did not enjoy was the author's use of names and eras so early and often. Throughout the book, he uses names of rulers and dynasties as reference points rather than actual dates, which is understandable due to the uncertainty of some of the times in which the figures came into power. However, it does get confusing at times, and I lost interest several times because of it. That being said, I would recommend this book to my friends and family, because it addresses a very interesting topic, and it did improve my understanding of our planet's history. I would advise whoever I encourage to read this book to be familiar with prehistoric eras and some important rulers of the ancient world.

Questions

1. How has reading this book changed your opinion of a certain person or topic?

     Before reading this book, I had a very different perspective on what I believed Atlantis to have looked like. It was one straight out of the pages of a fantasy-fiction novel; a civilization with the technology to fly over vast areas, and possibly even the technology to have created structures difficult for our finest architects and engineers to produce today. It could be said that this book brought my expectations down to, but it gave me a greater appreciation for what the Atlanteans might have actually been capable of. The author of the book is summarizing the events of an expedition that was being done to uncover the remnants of a volcanic eruption in Thera, an island in the Mediterranean near Crete. The archeologist were able to uncover several buildings that stood to be three stories tall, and several had indoor plumbing; the amazing thing is that they are thousands of years old! Tere were also several gold and silver artifacts found dating back to the same time period. These aren't exactly the feats of technology that one would expect after hearing about Atlantis, but it is still an amazing feat of engineering to have produced such things thousands of years before anyone else.

2. Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he or she achieve this?

      The author does present information in several different ways, all being insightful and interesting. Several times throughout the novel, the author sites information from ancient texts (often times written by Plato) in order to provide the most accurate information available. He also provides pictures of the expedition several times throughout the book in an effort to illustrate what he is saying in addition to describing it.


Word Count: 543

Book Blog #4: Intelligence in Nature by Jeremy Narby

     This novel focuses on one basic, yet hotly debated question: are there animals that have a conscious being with complex thoughts such as the ones that humans have? In order to answer this question, the author of the book goes to various different places throughout the world, conducts many different experiments, and draws conclusions based on his data. There were several different facets of this novel that I enjoyed, such as the wide variety of experiments conducted, the in-depth biological information that the reader is given to digest during each interview with respected biologist in each of their fields, and the elaborate imagery used by the author while describing his ventures in so many different places. I enjoyed the wide array of experiments that Dr. Jeremy Narby conducted because it kept the book interesting, as well as providing a more stable basis for his hypothesis. I also enjoyed the dialogue that the author included from his discussions with the experts in their respective fields. At times it can be difficult to take in, but it is worth reading over an extra time if necessary in order to grasp the point that the author is presenting. I found that more often than not, the information is an accumulation of several people's career studies. The imagery used is just as fascinating as the information that is presented. One event that sticks out vividly in my mind is when the author is talking about his experience with a group of biologists studying macaws. Dr. Narby describes the macaws as they jump off of the edge of the cliff, then glide down in a massive flock to eat the clay at the bank of a nearby river. I would recommend this book to people that enjoy nonfiction books and learning about animals.

Questions:

1. How has reading this book changed your opinion of a certain person or topic?

    Before reading this book, I had a conservative view on its subject. However, it opened my eyes to the possibility that many of the animals that we share this planet with might not be as "stupid" as we think. It is quite possible that they make conscious decisions based on previous experiences. One of the experiments conducted in the book is a test aimed towards proving that butterflies actually see in color. The scientist interviewed in the book and who is accredited with the discovery has experimental data that supports his theory that the butterflies make conscious decisions based on the color of the flowers (i.e. whether to pollinate). If it is possible for butterflies to be "intelligent", then why wouldn't it be possible for many other animals to be so as well?


2. If the author is writing on a debatable issue, does he or she give proper consideration to all sides of the debate? Does he or she seem to have a bias?

     Throughout the book, the author makes an apparent effort to maintain his objective view of the topic. In order to do so, he explains the "classical" views shared by many previous scientists, and even scientists of today that will be skeptical until there is concrete proof that his hypothesis is correct. He also explains their rationale, but respectfully refutes it and supports his own views. There is no apparent bias in my opinion.


Word Count: 503

Book Blog #3: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

     This epistolary tells the bitter-sweet story of a middle-aged man who is given a chance to become average, possibly even above average in intelligence after being mentally retarded his entire life. There were several aspects of the book that I enjoyed, such as the format in which the book was written, the conflict that was the plot of the book, as well as the foil that is created by the main character at the beginning of the book and who he turns into. I enjoyed the format in which this book was written because it not only gives the reader a visual representation of the progress that the main character makes after the operation- it also gives a depiction of his condition before the operation. The transition is fascinating. The main characters goes from knowing little to no grammar to writing a scientific theory in a matter of months. The conflict that emerges approximately half way through the book between "old" Charlie and "new" Charlie is tragic, but adds much more depth to the story. Charlie views himself as a completely different person after the operation, and tries to completely shut out the person that he once was. This gets particularly depressing when the effects of the operation begin to wear off, and he begins to regress. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story, but I would warn them of an impending emotional roller-coaster.

Questions:

1. Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their perdicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?

     The characters in this story do seem real, even though the events of the story are not yet possible. I can relate to the situation that they are in in that I have experienced failure through experiment when it seemed as though the results were promising. The scientists in the story remind me of what I expect my future to hold, in a sense. Much of what can be considered success in science is gained through trial and error, very much like what happened in this story. The experiment was a failure, but, through that failure, the scientist gained a better understanding of their study.

2. How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?

     This novel is centered on the metamorphosis that is experienced by the main character. He is subject to an experiment in the beginning of the story that is supposed to make him permanently more intelligent. The operation is very successful at the beginning, and continues to work until the middle of the story. At this point in time, the main character undergoes another transformation (not literally, but morally). After the success of the operation, the main character becomes cold and distances himself from the people who once cared for him when he couldn't care for himself. When he realizes that the experiment has gone wrong, he also realizes what he has done to the people that are important to him. Eventually at the end of the story, the final transformation takes place, and Charlie regresses back into his mentally retarded state.

Word Count: 486

Book Blog #2: The Search for The Last Undiscovered Animals by Karl P. N. Shuker

       The book that I did my second book blog on is The Search for The Last Undiscovered Animals by Karl P. N. Shuker. Throughout this book, the author explored numerous accounts of various kinds of undiscovered animals varying from wolves and worms to even sea monsters. There were many things that I liked about this book, one thing being the author's use of in-depth, scientific detail while explaining the reports and sightings recalled by people, as well as what he had uncovered in articles and books. Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was the enormous amount of research that clearly went into it. Countless sources of all kinds are used in order to create the most accurate depiction of the creature that is possible. There are many anecdotes and first-person stories about events that are said to have happened involving certain animals that are being researched in the book make the book itself more entertaining. One thing that I didn't like, however, was the lack of conclusions drawn by the author. The author leaves the reader to ponder the question of whether the creatures are real or not at the end of every description after putting forth all of the known evidence and witness reports. It can be frustrating; to say the least, when suspense has been built up over twenty pages (relatively) just to find out that there is no definitive, scientific conclusion. One thing that I found very surprising while reading this book was the variety of creatures that are believed to be seen by so many different people. The classics that everyone has heard about such as the "Loch Ness Monster" and "Bigfoot" are not the focus of this book. Other creatures such as mysterious, man-eating plants and miniature ink monkeys are some of the many things discussed in this book. This book has brought to light one important thing to me. When I was a child, I used to dream about being a cryptozoologist, and going out to discover all of these strange animals. However, upon reading this book, I realized that much of the work that cryptozoologists do is not in the field actually trying to find the creature. A large part of what they do is researching, studying, and interviewing people who have experienced things that they cannot explain. From this, they put all of their information together and try to come up with a reasonable explanationfor the phenomenon that they were researching. After all of this is done, they might or might not go out on the expeditions that we see on the History or Discovery channel in an attempt to discover the creature that they have been researching for so long. I would recommend this book to my peers if they are interested in science and folklore, but I would caution them not to get their hopes up about getting a definitive answer to the age-old question: "Does Bigfoot really exist?".