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The scientist on books that he loves

“The Sword of Honour Trilogy” by Evelyn Waugh

– Dawkins’ interview to goodreads

Between Men at Arms, Officers and Gentlemen, and the culminating Unconditional Surrender, fans of Brideshead Revisited will not be disappointed in the Sword trilogy. A Catholic gentleman must live protestingly through war years, moving from a renewed sense of purpose in the struggle between Christian values and Nazi terror, toward a more confused understanding of human beings in their complexity. Guy Crouchback is a somewhat blurred version of the artist himself, and shows a reluctant sort of patriotism, mixed with pokes at political and wartime hypocrisy. There is satire, there is comedy – of a dark kind – and the characters are portrayed with warts on.

“Red Strangers” byElspeth Huxley

– Dawkins’ interview to theweek.com

Kikuyu tribesmen from Kenya, Muthengi and Matu, get upset when the long-lasting traditions and customs that they know get moved aside at the coming of the European strangers. Medicine men seem to have no defenses against the onslaught of new diseases, and the imposed foreign laws greatly contradict the Kikuyu rituals and beliefs. From war to justice to animal husbandry, all of the aspects of Western colonization take root and spit out fictional seeds across the pages. Readers may more easily recognize Huxley’s other work, The Flame Trees of Thika.

“Dark Universe” byDaniel F. Galouye

– Dawkins’ interview to theweek.com

Per The Guardian, post-apocalyptic literature is replete with humans who have retreated from the horrors of a new and disturbing world, from Hunger Games to The Road. In this tale, the underground dwellers are hiding from an invisible yet effective evil – radiation. People adapt to their new cave-dwelling status by developing an increased sensitivity to light and sound. Those who can actually see the infra-red spectrum of light, the Zivvers, are cast out from normal society as tainted beings. It’s up to an inquisitive Jared Fenton to find out some answers to the questions of light and darkness that plague humanity. This book was nominated for a Hugo Award.

“Uncle Fred In TheSpringtime” by P. G. Wodehouse

– Dawkins’ interview to theweek.com

If you’ve already worked through all of the Jeeves series, this Blandings Castle work is another Wodehouse classic that deserves a glance. Uncle Fred believes himself to be a heart surgeon of the romantic variety, and does his level best to help his nephew – Pongo Twistleton – out of difficulties. It’s a matter of borrowing a few hundred pounds that goes completely awry. In between a prize pig that goes missing from the castle, suspicious gentry, and dance enthusiasts with uncertain tempers, there’s a great deal of chicanery and tomfoolery that provides a welcome antidote to discouragement.

“Why Evolution IsTrue” by Jerry A. Coyn

– Dawkins’ interview

As a biology professor, Coyn makes a case for the validity of evolution as opposed to intelligent design, such as the vitamin-C gene and the similarity of DNA between humans and apes. From genetics to geology, from anatomy to paleontology, the author reveals the importance of regarding evolution as a fact rather than a theory. The inter-species combinations of dinosaurs with feathers, limbed fish, and reptiles turned into mammals are brought out to show the compelling nature of Darwinism. Evolutionists and creationists alike will find this a compelling read.

“Why We Get Sick: The NewScience of Darwinian Medicine” by Radolph M. Nesse and George C. Williams

– Dawkins’ interview to Thedailybeast.com

Perhaps illness is an important evolutionary function of the human body, and shouldn’t be tampered with by over-medication, argue the authors. These two professors, one of psychology and one of ecology, review the principles of natural selection set against the phenomena of illness. Our reactions to penicillin have undergone changes within its 60-year usage, and there may be good dietary reasons for allowing pregnancy-related morning sickness to continue unrelieved. Likewise, fever and pain have their place in the body’s rejection of small invaders who would otherwise take over.

“The Demon-Haunted World:Science as a Candle in the Dark ” by Carl Sagan

– Dawkins’ interview to goodreads

From the narrator of the television series Cosmos comes a treatise on the need to move beyond science as a way of understanding the stars and particles – to political and personal freedom. He promotes the art of ‘baloney detection’, or skepticism’s uses to ward off the gods and obsessions that occupy past or current thinkers, and hopes that further evidence can be found for the existence of extra-terrestrials and highly advanced UFO’s. Hailed by both the LA Times and the Dynasty Foundation as a brilliant manifesto of rationality and skepticism, and a defense against a new era of the Dark Ages.

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photo: Rachel Maddow

Popular economist’s book choice

“An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding” by David Hume

-from interview to The Browser

While not strictly throwing out morality and religious understanding, Hume separates ideas from impressions, and then distinguishes between related ideas and facts based on experience. In his own time, Hume was considered to be an atheist; currently, he is known as a moderate skeptic. His ideas on cause and effect and their relation to matters of fact, especially the idea that a denial of a matter of fact isn’t necessarily a contradiction, should be explored by serious students of philosophy and Western thought. Scientific thinkers may be surprised at his assertions on the shaky logical foundation of predictions.

“The General Theory OfEmployment Interest And Money” by John Maynard Keynes

-from interview to The Browser

A Cambridge scholar who resigned his Treasury representative post at the Treaty of Versailles, Keynes has influenced 20th century economics to an inordinate degree. Not only did he help to create the system of fixed-rate exchange between international currencies, but also encouraged banks to stabilize economies by lowering interest rates during times of price increase. His General Theory ideas, such as the link between consumption and demand, were born after Britain’s high unemployment rates during the 1930’s. His assertion that governments should get involved in unemployment by investing in public works was promoted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the New Deal era.

   “Essays in Persuasion” by John Maynard Keynes

-from interview to The Browser

    “Essays in Economics” by James Tobin

-from interview to The Browser

“The Restoration Game” by KenMacLeod

“I just finished Ken MacLeod’s “The Restoration Game,” which was great fun”

–from interview to The Boston Globe

Online gamers will love the combination of fantasy, revolution, and folk tales in this gripping story. Lucy Stone’s family has a long history mixed up with Russia, spy stories, and manufactured Krassnian folk tales. Somehow, she must distinguish between history and fantasy, and play her role in the game without losing sight of her own identity. The combination of themes ranges from political wranglings between former Soviet republics and the CIA, underground resistance movements, and small startup companies caught in the dance of conspiracy. Per io9, readers may also want to check out McLeod’s British futuristic fiction such as The Night Sessions and The Execution Channel.

 “The Foundation Series” by Isaac Asimov

-from interview to The Browser

Also recommended by Elon Musk

Besides Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, perhaps no other series has found its way into the hearts of the reading public and critics alike. Winner of the prestigious Hugo Award, this series covers philosophy, man’s origins, the laws of science, and whether or not man really can conquer space travel. As in Star Wars, politics and robots often determine the fate of …well, the Galaxy. Unlike in either Star Wars or Blade Runner, the hero (Hari Seldon) is a mathematician who has caught the attention of the Emperor. Seldon’s powerful tool will eventually prevent humans from devolving into savage beasts, thus securing a win for the future and civilization.

“Dune” by Frank Herbert

–from interview to The Boston Globe

Also included in Top 7 Sci-Fi Books According To Michael Arrington, recommended by Jeff Bezos

Herbert’s classic is still considered a necessary book list addition to real fans of science fiction. (Over 5,500 Wired magazine readers voted for Dune as their first book list choice, out of their top 10 favorite sci-fi novels.) Though the plot drags in some sections, just like the book-based film, the story of Arrakis’ political intrigues over the flow of a valuable spice (that gives long life and interplanetary travel capability) will also capture the imaginations of political science students, who may see some connections between this book and the influence of Machiavelli’s The Prince.

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Scholar, statistician and guru of risk-management recommends his favorite novels and the best professional books

“The Tartar Steppe” by DinoBuzzati

– Taleb on his personal website

Desolation, the fading quest for glory, and unfulfilled dreams are set against the backdrop of a military outpost in the mountains overlooking the vast Tartar Steppe. Drogo whiles away his youth in patient service, waiting for the enemy to come. Once they do, this medieval knight-like character succumbs to the weakness of age, after having faced trials that looked nothing like those he expected. The mountainous descriptions are based off of Buzzati’s teenage obsession to climb the impressive Dolomite peaks, which turned into fuel for his painting and writing efforts years later.

“The Opposing Shore” by JulienGracq

– Nassim Taleb’s review

While the distinguished Goncourt prize of France was refused by the crowd-shy author, this wartime novel depicts bloodless and seemingly pointless mental skirmishes. The invisible borderline separates the young aristocrat Aldo from the strangely fascinating opposite Mediterranean shore. The desert landscape at the back, and the wide expanse of water in front, make for rather surreal and poetic comparisons to the realistic tug-and-pull of a desire for something to happen rather than endless stagnation to drag on.

“Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin toMunger” by Peter Bevelin

– Nassim Taleb’s review

A wisdom book ranked with ‘Poor Charlie’s Almanac’ and ‘The Art of Worldly Wisdom’, the author’s choices of text center on those who gather knowledge with the intent of avoiding the death of meaning. The thinkers range from ancient Roman poet Terentius to physicist Einstein to VC Charlie Munger of Berkshire-Hathaway investments. Since the philosophy is meant to be practically applied in areas of thinking and judgment, especially in boardrooms by leaders of companies, this book has less of the academic feeling that accompanies most philosophical works.

  “The Paradox of Choice” by Barry Schwartz

– Nassim Taleb’s review

Our over-consumptive world is driven by a paralyzing excess of choice, leading to continual dissatisfaction and depression, says Professor Schwartz. By focusing on right choices within some defined rules, it’s easier to be satisfied and mentally stable. While freedom of choice and individual application are important, the overabundance of choice on mere supermarket shelves can feel debilitating. The author’s research goes beyond the 600 cable channels example to more life-altering choices of jobs, families, and even recreation time.

“Birth of a Theorem: A Mathematical Adventure” by Cédric Villani

– Nassim Taleb’s review

“The Tyranny of Experts:Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor” by William Easterly

– Nassim Taleb’s review

“Modelling Extremal Events: ForInsurance and Finance” by Paul Embrechts and Claudia Kluppelberg

– Nassim Taleb’s review

  “The Kelly Capital Growth Investment Criterion: Theory and Practice” by Leonard C. MacLean and Edward O. Thorp

– Nassim Taleb’s review

“The Science of Conjecture:Evidence and Probability before Pascal” by James Franklin

– Nassim Taleb’s review

“Probability, Random Variables and Stochastic Processes” by Athanasios Papoulis and S. Unnikrishna Pillai

– Nassim Taleb’s review

“Mathematics: Its Content,Methods and Meaning” by A. D. Aleksandrov and A. N. Kolmogorov

– Nassim Taleb’s review

 “The Hour Between Dog and Wolf:Risk-taking, Gut Feelings and the Biology of Boom and Bust” by John Coates

– Nassim Taleb’s review

“Information: The New Language of Science” by Hans Christian von Baeyer

– Nassim Taleb’s review

“Statistical Models: Theory and Practice” by David A. Freedman

– Nassim Taleb’s review

  “The (Mis)behavior of Markets”by Benoit B. Mandelbrot and Richard L. Hudson

– Nassim Taleb’s review

 “A Guide to Econometrics” by Peter Kennedy

– Nassim Taleb’s review

“Why Stock Markets Crash:Critical Events in Complex Financial Systems” by Didier Sornette

– Nassim Taleb’s review

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Genius inventor and engineer was also an avid reader: as a student Tesla set himself a goal to read all the books in the university library and to make it happen he left only a few hours a day for sleep

“Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain

– Nikola Tesla in one of his interviews, freedomtek.org

While Twain’s other classic (Tom Sawyer) is known for the chapter on the joys of fence-painting, Huck Finn is known for his friendship with an escaped slave and enmity with the Widow Douglas who adopts him. Being an enterprising and adventurous soul, Huck manufactures his own death to throw his drunken father off the scent of discovered treasure. While on the run down the Mississippi River, Huck discovers a different sort of life on boats that appeals to his love of change; the work also appealed to Ernest Hemingway and the American public, who ignored initial critical reviews.

“Faust” by Goethe

– Nikola Tesla in one of his interviews, freedomtek.org

Also recommended by Angela Merkel

Much learning has driven Faust mad – mad with the desire to discover the meaning of life. He wants to perceive order without the aid of outside or divine forces, and so he goes beyond prescribed limits to gain an understanding that is not his to obtain. From dabbling in magic to making an unwise pact with the cunning and diabolical Mephistopheles, this ‘everyman’ or Ecclesiastes-like poem could describe the lengths to which any human being will go to understand the trajectory of history and their place in both this world and the next.

 The Bible

– Nikola Tesla in his autobiography “My Inventions”

Also recommended by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

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“The father” of psychoanalysis shares the list of his most favorite books

“Paradise Lost” by John Milton

In one of his letters Sigmund Freud has named this book one of his favorites

The ancient tale of the loss of perfection, both in nature and in human form, is spelled out in slow detail by a man who suffered from blindness by age 43. His knowledge of the three most important Biblical languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Latin) provided the foundation for a five-year stint of solitary study that also paved the way for this work and for his blindness. This epic poetry takes four books to describe Satan’s rise and fall from grace, and eight books for Adam and Eve who succumbed to temptation. This work inspired Blake, Shelley, Tolkien, and many others.

“The Jungle Book” by RudyardKipling

In one of his letters Sigmund Freud has included this book in his list of “ten good books”

Those who grow up with the Disney version may be surprised by the real story of Mowgli, which features rather more of Jungle and less of Man. The ‘naked frog’, as he is affectionately called by his adopted brother wolves and other friends, comes into conflict that breeds understanding with the flexible rules and the inflexible laws of the jungle. Mowgli escapes certain death a few times by a combination of skill, necessity, cunning, and politeness – not to mention Baloo and Bagheera’s help with the cunning ally and snake Ka and the dangerous law-breaking tiger Shere Khan.

“Humorous Stories and Sketches”by Mark Twain

In one of his letters Sigmund Freud has included this book in his list of “ten good books”

From jumping frogs to politicians to journalists, Twain describes all that is odd and out-of-place in American life. He even takes a potshot at the celebrated author James Fenimore Cooper, who is accused of making literary blunders of the first order. If you’re not a fan of satire or farce, it’s possible that this work will not be your favorite bit of Twain, although the Stolen White Elephant truly offers some witty barbs at humans’ ridiculous protocols and the justice system’s many cracks.

Poems and Ballads” by HeinrichHeine

In one of his letters Sigmund Freud has named Heine’s poems among his favorite books

A Dusseldorf native caught in the throes of the French and Napoleonic uprisings, Heine studied for legal and government positions that he didn’t take – but the publication of a response to barbs about his Jewish heritage culminated in his swift remove to Paris. After working as a journalist and travel writer, Heine learned to thoroughly despise censorship and Romanticism, so his poems carry a continual flavor of disaffection and sarcasm, and death. ‘Solomon’ and ‘Morphine’ are particularly affecting, while the Homeward Bound saga is both moving and darkly comedic.

The Brothers Karamazov” by Dostoevsky

– Sigmund Freud in his paper titled “Dostoevsky and Parricide”

Also recommended by Albert Einstein, Vladimir Putin, mentioned in 5 Good Books To Read According To Haruki Murakami

This is of the best allegorical novels to explain the fractured nature of 19th century Russia. Each character is representative of one of the ruling classes. There is the father Fyodor, the landowner who is negligent about his land, but greedy in using its produce for himself. There’s Dmitri, who has been passed around from house to house, and has grown up an entitled but debt-ridden soul. There’s the skeptic Ivan, who wishes to live more among cold concepts than people. Third is gentle Alyosha, the mystic and religious peacemaker, and the illegitimate Smerdyakov. Throughout are themes of love, law, and duty, which makes this one of the best Dostoyevsky books to read besides Crime and Punishment.

“David Copperfield” by CharlesDickens

“David Copperfield” was Sigmund Freud’s favorite novel by Dickens. Freud also gave a copy of this book to his fiancee Martha Bernays on the day of their engagement.

The tragedy about Copperfield’s life is largely tied to the author’s own. There’s hardly a personal experience of love, loss, overwork, boarding school deprivation, financial peaks and valleys, and unsatisfying marriage that Dickens himself didn’t live through. Both Mr. Micawber’s sunny optimism mixed with deep despair, and Uriah Heep’s obsequious cunning, have been aped in many films and plays since the debut of a story about a boy who grew through loneliness to find success in the world – and yet longs for some deeper purpose rooted in love.

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The author of many great novels himself, Hemingway recommends the books he admires

“War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy

– from an article on openculture.com

Tolstoy’s most famous work, with the exception of Anna Karenina, doesn’t leave out much in terms of themes or timeless concepts. The Petersburg party crowd is made up of privileged persons with deep psychological and family issues, while the Moscow families are beset with debt but in better emotional states. Readers who don’t shy away from political, philosophical, or religious topics of all kinds will be fascinated by Tolstoy’s grasp of Napoleonic historical forces mixed with changeable but fascinating human individuals caught up in forces much larger than themselves.

                  “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy

– Ernest Hemingway in Esquire magazine

Also mentioned in Vladimir Putin’s 5 Favorite Books

More humanly centered than his other well-known work, War and Peace, Tolstoy makes it clear that life is far too complicated for easy handouts of mercy or judgment. The novel begins with a case of family brokenness and adultery, and sympathy is geared mostly toward the malefactor. As the story unfolds, the dark sides of the likable siblings appear (Anna and Stiva), who are outwardly accepted by society in the face of moral betrayal. The contrast between Anna, who runs away with her lover Vronsky, and Lenin (who marries Vronsky’s former romantic interest), is especially worth reading. As one falls, the other rises, seeming to imply that following one’s heart is only as worthwhile as true morality is also followed.

“Madame Bovary” by Gustave Flaubert

The tale of Emma Bovary lies somewhere between a cautionary tale of Victorian anti-womanhood, Bohemian ideals, and a George Bernard Shaw warning against middle-class morality. Flaubert doesn’t trouble to make his female protagonist a relatable person; the focus lies more on an examination of a thoroughly self-centered woman who has an astonishing lack of judgment. The despair and affairs brought on by boredom, and the resulting financial misery accompanying mounds of debt, are a much more graphic portrayal than any Thomas Hardy novel, and Flaubert never forgave his countrymen for putting him on trial for violating public morals.

“Sketches from a Hunter’sAlbum” by Ivan Turgenev

Also mentioned in Vladimir Putin’s 5 Favorite Books

Those who love the Hunger Games series won’t be disappointed by this Russia classic. These 25 real-life observations of Turgenev include the human landscape, from peasants to mothers and doctors, in their struggle for existence and poetic depictions of sorrow. In the end, his insights of beauty and sorrow led to the hunter becoming hunted by the state, although rumor has it that these tales also led to the abolition of the serf classes’ misery.

“The Brothers Karamazov” byDostoevsky

Also recommended by Albert Einstein, Vladimir Putin, mentioned in 5 Good Books To Read According To Haruki Murakami

This is of the best allegorical novels to explain the fractured nature of 19th century Russia. Each character is representative of one of the ruling classes. There is the father Fyodor, the landowner who is negligent about his land, but greedy in using its produce for himself. There’s Dmitri, who has been passed around from house to house, and has grown up an entitled but debt-ridden soul. There’s the skeptic Ivan, who wishes to live more among cold concepts than people. Third is gentle Alyosha, the mystic and religious peacemaker, and the illegitimate Smerdyakov. Throughout are themes of love, law, and duty, which makes this one of the best Dostoyevsky books to read besides Crime and Punishment.

“Buddenbrooks” by Thomas Mann

A shallow similarity to The Forsyte Saga could be traced to Mann’s work of fiction; both depict multiple generations of a wealthy family experiencing a slow decline, and both families move through spiritual and mental instability though they are held together by cords stronger than death or weddings. However, these German traders show more humor and less of a dependence on art and music as saving graces. Mann received the 1929 Nobel Prize for his literary efforts.

“Far Away and Long Ago” by W.H.Hudson

Readers who long for bird sanctuaries and decry the desire for smokestacks in cities will resonate with Hudson’s lament over South America. Later on in life, the author became an ornithologist and became friends with fellow novelist Joseph Conrad, but this book is a reflection of his childhood memories of Argentina and the strong lure of unspoiled nature. Depictions of family life are few, and saved for the last chapters.

“Adventures of HuckleberryFinn” by Mark Twain

While Twain’s other classic (Tom Sawyer) is known for the chapter on the joys of fence-painting, Huck Finn is known for his friendship with an escaped slave and enmity with the Widow Douglas who adopts him. Being an enterprising and adventurous soul, Huck manufactures his own death to throw his drunken father off the scent of discovered treasure. While on the run down the Mississippi River, Huck discovers a different sort of life on boats that appeals to his love of change; the work also appealed to Ernest Hemingway and the American public, who ignored initial critical reviews.

 “The Red and the Black” by Stendhal

This anti-society novel begins rather strangely, with a depiction of a carpenter’s son who believes himself duty-bound to create a love affair with the local mayor’s wife. After quite a few social gaffes and run-ins, Julien finally comes to the realization that he needs to drop the masks that plague his life and escape the desert of selfishness. However, he’s too late to escape the fate of the noose he’s placed around his own neck, despite the fact that he realizes his social ambitions before he dies.

“Dubliners” by James Joyce

Most readers know that Joyce experimented with form in his novels, but it’s no Ulysses, though Joyce kept to his classic themes of disaffection with social and spiritual forces beyond the invididual. The story of high schoolers Eveline and Jimmy, their hopes and dreams of the future, could help young adults to identify with the characters in this string of short stories. History students will be interested in the varying perspectives of 20th century Ireland, especially in «A Mother».