reviews

Hoarder of Heads... Author:  Simon Winchester Photographer:  Nick Mann It’s ok to admit it.   You’ve always wondered what the skull of a North Sulawesi Babirusa looks like.  The cephalic underpinnings of the Rhinoceros Hornbill have great potential to intrigue you.  A view inside the head of a Burmese Python proves irresistible.  If you’re willing to come out and confess that skulls fascinate you or even if you’re still in the closet, I’ve got the book for you.   Skulls is an amazing photographic excursion into quite possibly the world’s greatest skull collection. Featuring writing by Simon Winchester, photography by Nick Mann [...]

Rationality as Illusion... Author:  Daniel Kahneman Despite what you see on TV or read in the newspaper, humans are generally considered to be rational creatures.  We use our senses to gather information and respond in ways that best serve our interests.  This belief in our rationality has helped form much of the basis for modern science, economics and politics.  However, recent discoveries in psychology have begun to reveal that this belief may be more illusion than reality.  Maybe our brains go out of their way to convince us that we’re rational, even when we’re not.   In Thinking, Fast and Slow, [...]

Deep Topic, Shallow Treatment Author: Donna Cooner A while back I read an article about Donna Cooner’s YA novel Skinny.  The author of the article was critical of the book for not taking enough care with its topic – teenagers having weight loss surgery.  What’s that?  A potentially controversial YA book?  Of course I had to read it as soon as possible.  And despite some strengths, I agree with the article – Skinny is not the book it could or needs to be. Ever (yeah – don’t even start me on her name) is 15 years old, a sophomore in [...]