Weekly Non-Fiction Reading List 9.12.22
This week, I finished four phenomenal books. The list starts off with a book that asks if science and religion are compatible as well as a book about the science of free will. Then, I read a book by one of my favorite authors as well as a fantastic evo psych book by the famous Robin Dunbar. Enjoy!
Each of the links to the books are affiliate links, so if you use my link to purchase any of these books, some comes back to support what I do (and it also helps fund my reading habit).
Faith Versus Fact: Why Science and Religion Are Incompatible by Jerry Coyne
I’m usually extremely reluctant to read books on atheism because many are simply written for atheists who love being told they’re correct. As an atheist, the question I’m regularly asking is, “Can science and religion coexist?”, and that’s why I grabbed this book from Coyne. Fortunately, Coyne’s book was fantastic and not just written in the typical “theists are wrong” sort of way. I really enjoyed it and learned a ton along the way.
I will say that this book took me a while to read because for me, personally, the first half was a bit boring. That’s nothing the author did, either. It just covered topics that bore me to tears like evolutionary biology, but it had parts that definitely piqued my interest. As the book went on, I got hooked and started to binge it because there were much more discussions about the mismatch of religion and science.
Free: Why Science Hasn't Disproved Free Will by Alfred Mele
I love reading about the topic of free will, and I just learned about Alfred Mele’s work. He’s written quite a few books, and this was one of the short ones, so I decided to go with it to get a feel for his thoughts. This is a great book that dives into the scientific research around free will, and Alfred provides some good arguments when looking at the results of the studies and debates around free will. Although I usually enjoy the philosophical look at free will, it was a nice change to see it combined more with the science. I definitely look forward to reading more of Mele’s work.
What Price the Moral High Ground?: How to Succeed without Selling Your Soul by Robert Frank
I don’t know how Robert Frank does it, but his books are all so different and so fantastic. I hadn’t heard of this one before, but I’m so glad I came across it. While living in this capitalist society, it’s hard to imagine that people can succeed without being unethical or using exploitation. In this book, Frank discusses this dilemma but then dives into a ton of research involving game theory and group cooperation. While you definitely learn about how people can be self-interested, some of the results give you some hope for humanity. This is a short read and definitely worth it. Some of the studies went a little over my head, but I was able to keep up as a layperson.
Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships by Robin Dunbar
I’ve heard of “Dunbar’s number” a million times, but I’ve never actually read any of Robin Dunbar’s work, so this was my introduction to him. This book was surprisingly good, and I only say that because some books on relationships only cover the good side. As someone who was an addict until I was 27 and group up in a toxic household, I respect when someone researches and writes about at least some of the dark side of relationships.
Dunbar is an evolutionary psychologist who studies relationships, and this book has so much awesome research. In this book, you’ll learn why your friends are your friends and why you lose touch with certain people. The book also discusses why we trust people, why relationships go south, and so much more. I think my favorite chapter by far was the last chapter on social media. You’d think this book would demonize social media like so many others, but it has a balanced, nuanced take and a solid interpretation of the research.
There were a couple of portions of the book that lost my interest, but it was rare, so I definitely recommend it for anyone who wants to learn more about the importance of relationships.
Also, if you’re interested, go over and check out my newest video essay on YouTube Hasan Piker: How Nepotism Created a Fake Socialist. The algorithm is being brutal and not distributing the video, so if you could watch, like, comment, and/or share, it’d be much appreciated
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