The grand design

By Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow

http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Design-Stephen-Hawking/dp/0553805371

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II

I am not a physicist, although I took physics in high school.  I am not a scientist although both of my parents were, and I pursued a pre-medicine curriculum from 9th grade through my second year at the University of Michigan.  I say this only as a preface to my review, for unlike some who have reviewed this book who have sufficient credentials to examine the argument here, and unlike others who come at it from a definite viewpoint (or even worldview), I am but a lay reader interested in science and scientific information.  I love living in the age of the Hubble telescope just because of the wonders it has unfolded and the new definitions it has forced us to formulate.

I did not read this book to get answers to the three questions the authors pose toward the beginning of the book (p. 29): 1) What is the origin of the laws (that govern nature)? 2) Are there any exceptions to the laws (i.e., miracles)? And 3) Is there only one set of possible laws?  Common sense alone serves as a guide to the answers to these questions.  1) Human beings are the originators, 2) Of course there are exceptions; however, there is no such thing as miracles — never were! And 3) There are numerous sets of laws; there have to be.  (Now you see my point of view and from where I am coming.)

I read the book with an open mind.  After all, the authors have written an incredibly accessible book about a very complex set of ideas.  It’s a picture book, too, although the pictures really add very little to the substance.

I have never been fond of the big bang theory — even though I think those who support it really don’t understand it completely.  At the AllAboutScience web site, it makes the theory simple when it says: “Discoveries in astronomy and physics have shown beyond a reasonable doubt that our universe did in fact have a beginning. Prior to that moment there was nothing; during and after that moment there was something: our universe. The big bang theory is an effort to explain what happened during and after that moment.”  To this day, I do not believe there was ever “nothing.”  That doesn’t mean I support a static theory, just that universes are ever evolving and forever have evolved — there is no specific beginning; there will be no specific ending (except for human life on this planet, which is likely to end when the precious and precarious vicissitudes that allow for our existence change). The authors discuss these conditions.

The authors’ very simple explanations of the various scientific laws that govern the universe are wonderfully described.  I liked it when they said, “Einstein didn’t attempt to construct an artificial explanation for this [time as a physical process].  He drew the logical, if startling, conclusion that the measurement of the time taken, like the measurement of the distance covered, depends on the observer doing the measuring” (p. 97).

Readers need to take note of this important statement: it “depends on the observer doing the measuring,” for this observation can serve as a template for what the authors’ have labeled “the grand design.”  There is no reason to become disturbed or annoyed by their self-anointed position of supreme scientific authority (after all, this is Stephen Hawking!) in promulgating their grand design.  Because it is a catch-all, multi-faceted, all-encompassing theory that subsumes what theories exist and what theories may come to be, it makes sense for its versatility and widely encompassing embrace.

I thought the authors were courageous to take on those who believe that “the grand design is the work of some grand designer.  In the United States, because the Constitution prohibits the teaching of religion in schools,” they say, “that type of idea is called intelligent design, with the unstated but implied understanding that the designer is God.”  It may have been courageous; however, the argument is basic, fundamental, and easy to understand.

The authors continue in the next paragraph, “This is not the answer of modern science.  . . . Many people through the ages have attributed to God the beauty and complexity of nature that in their time seemed to have no scientific explanation.  But just as Darwin and Wallace explained how the apparently miraculous design of living forms could appear without intervention by a supreme being, the multiverse concept can explain the fine-tuning of physical law without the need for a benevolent creator who made the universe for our benefit” (pp. 164-165).

For readers who have no scientific (or physics) in their background, these authors may provide challenging (even threatening) information.  But, something that these authors do, and that readers should be especially thankful for, is to strengthen our appreciation of our place as humans on earth.  My goodness, how fortuitous!

This is a well-conceived, carefully written, thoroughly explained (especially for neophytes) book that deserves consideration.  In the end, of course, it may have far greater purpose and usefulness than what may be thought about today.  It could contain the explanation — the final theory — that becomes the grand design.

The Grand Design can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Design-Stephen-Hawking/dp/0553805371







 

100 Simple things you can do to prevent Alzheimer’s and age-related memory loss

By Jean Carper

http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Things-Prevent-Alzheimers-Age-Related/dp/0316086851

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II

You must buy this book!

I have reviewed over 200 books, but this one — among them all so far — is one that should be read by everyone.

If you believe the title, Carper’s book is about Alzheimer’s and age-related memory loss, but when you read the book you quickly realize it is a book about healthy living, having a healthy lifestyle, and following a regimen that will bring you strength, vitality, and wellness.

100 suggestions seems like a lot; however, when you get going (each suggestion only takes up two or three pages) in this small, 294-page book.  She has over 200 references for the book, and she gives you the web site where you can go to check out her sources:

What I especially enjoy is finding a book that underscores and supports the lifestyle that I have already adopted.  I found that many of the suggestions by Carper are things I am already doing.  Most healthy readers will find the same thing; however, most healthy readers (like myself) will also be interested in obtaining just a little more, going for that extra edge (the extra mile), and not just getting their current lifestyle reinforced but finding something that pushes them a little harder, a little farther, too.

A couple of the suggestions I have highlighted include #24, “Build ‘Cognitive Reserve’—Fill up your brain with lots of fascinating stuff.”  That idea delighted me because of the book reviews and essays I write.  I think loving school, too, helps anyone build a cognitive reserve right from the outset.  Getting immersed in information, learning, knowledge, and experiences builds a useful lifelong benefit.

In addition to writing about the importance of higher education, Carper also upholds the value of reading and writing in her #56, “Learn to Love Language — Linguistic skills build bigger, smarter, stronger brains” (p. 168).

There are so many of her ideas that are just smart and worthy of adoption.  Whether you have heard much of this before, Carper offers the research to support her ideas.  We all need reminders to live properly and to be concerned about good health.

Two parts of the book need highlighting.  First, within each chapter Carper ends with “What to do?” where she translates what she has said in explaining the idea of the chapter into practical, down-to-earth, specific kinds of things readers can do to achieve the results they want.  For example, in #80, “Get a Good Night’s Sleep,” she writes as the first sentence of “What to do?”: “Don’t think of sleep as an inconvenience but as a legitimate way to subdue some of the brain’s most devastating enemies.  Take naps. . . . (pp. 233-234).

Also, the second part of the book that needs highlighting, I thought her section at the back of the book, “Putting it all together: Your anti-Alzheimer’s plan” was especially good for it underscored what everyone can begin doing right now — or, in other words, what the absolute, bottom-line, essentials are that can be started immediately: 1) surprise your brain, 2) get physical activity, 3) eat the right stuff and take supplements, and 4) take care of yourself.

You must buy this book!  (I’m encouraging my wife and my other family members to read it.  It’s that good!)  We purchased copies of the book and gave it as a gift to each of our four children.

100 Simple things you can do to prevent Alzheimer’s and age-related memory loss can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Things-Prevent-Alzheimers-Age-Related/dp/0316086851

Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage

By Hazel Rowley

http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Eleanor-Extraordinary-Hazel-Rowley/dp/0374158576

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II

I had no idea what a terrific book this was until I gave it to my 98-year-old father-in-law.  Not only does Edgar Willis know history, but he lived through the Roosevelt era and even had the opportunity to shake Eleanor’s hand at one point.  His impression of her was extremely positive.  She wanted to know where Edgar was from, and Edgar remembered that she was very tall (5 feet 11 inches).

Edgar was thoroughly pleased with Rowley’s book (as most of the reviewers at Amazon.com were).  First, he thought Rowley’s writing was smooth, flawless, and engaging.  Edgar, having written a number of books himself (including several college textbooks), is a language guru.  By that I simply mean that one of the first things he looks for in another’s writing, is that author’s language: grammar, sentence construction, word choice, and vividness (or verbal flourishes).  He was very impressed.

Although this book is nonfiction, it is written much like a novel.  Edgar began reading it not thinking that he was even going to spend time with it), and he was quickly caught up in it.  I have brought him a number of books, and because he has several available to read, often he chooses to read those he already has rather than take on a new one.  This book by Rowley was truly an exception.  (He gives me back many that I offer him to read.)

Edgar wrote the book Civilian in an Ill-Fitting Uniform: A Memoir of World War II (And Then Some Publishing, 2009), and for that book he did a great deal of research and reading of history books.  For this reason, he was able to find several minor historical inaccuracies in Rowley’s book.  It should be clear, however, that Edgar is an expert on this period of history; thus, it is unlikely that most readers would be as astute, perceptive, and historically knowledgeable as he is.  (As an aside, he relished sharing those inaccuracies with my wife and myself as he cradled the book in his lap.)

Another element that both Edgar and I like in the nonfiction books we choose to read is the resources authors use.  The substance or text takes up 302 pages.  There are 8 pages of black and white pictures (19 pictures total).  There are 24 pages of notes — a total of 302 references (average of one note per page).  Also, her sources are outstanding.  She has really done her homework, and not only are her comments throughout the book well documented, but she has uncovered a number of sources that previous writers about the Roosevelt’s have either missed or not used.

One of the remarks Edgar made about the book, just after reading it and as he embraced it in his hands, is that he learned a number of new details about the Roosevelts that he did not know before.  For those who know little, they will learn a great deal.  It is not just about the Roosevelts, too.  One of the things you learn is the history of the time and the way the president and his wife impacted that history.  Thus, if you are a history buff, this is a great read.

One other positive aspect of the book is how well Rowley describes the relationship that Franklin and Eleanor had.  Not only does Rowley beautifully explain their humanity and their strengths and weaknesses, but you also get a clear picture of how the two respected each other, grew as a couple throughout their lives, and experienced an unusual and unconventional marriage.  

Dr. Wayne S. Swift wrote the following as a portion of his short review of this book at Amazon.com: “Cutting through myths and unfair characterizations, [Rowley] confidently portrays a much stronger and more flexible marriage than previous biographers had dared to see. I love and admire the authority and courage with which [Rowley] guides [readers] through [the Roosevelt’s] complex and fascinating world.”

Because of her engaging writing style, thorough documentation, and ability to bring Franklin and Eleanor’s relationship to light in a resonant, meaningful, and interesting manner, I give Rowley’s wonderful  book the full five stars it so richly deserves.

Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Franklin-Eleanor-Extraordinary-Hazel-Rowley/dp/0374158576

Soulpancake: Chew on life’s big questions (Speak your mind, unload your questions, figure out what it means to be human)

By Rainn Wilson

http://www.amazon.com/SoulPancake-Chew-Lifes-Big-Questions/dp/1401310338

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II

This is an impressive book — not a great one — but it is striking.  The artwork throughout is awe inspiring.  You can just sit back, turn the pages, and be mesmerized by stunning impressions.  Each page (or every-other-page) is full of astonishing, colorful, provocative, thought-inducing, and, in some cases, shocking images.  What I had fun doing with each image was to simply try to imagine how the artwork related to the quotations on the page.  In some cases this was easy; however, in some it was, indeed, a challenge.  In many cases, the relationship was remarkably creative.

What I found most unique in the entire book were the first six-and-a-half pages where Rainn Wilson introduced himself and his life’s journey.  I found it honest (as honest as a reader who doesn’t know Rainn Wilson at all can determine), straightforward, attention-grasping, and interesting.  If you are wondering how Rainn Wilson determined life’s essential questions, or what he reads and what he has experienced, or even how he became a spiritual being, he tells you.  

If you want a taste of his humor, he talks about the time when he and Phil (a friend) were watching a Mets game in Phil’s ramshackle apartment and Rainn told Phil about his “recent conversion to a belief in Wakan Tanka.”  They wanted to put his new belief to the test and the Mets were down 5-4 at the bottom of the ninth inning.  Rainn held up his arms in prayer and said, “Oh great spirit Wakan Tanka . . . If it is your will, please allow Darryl Strawberry to hit a home run and win the game.”

As soon as Rainn finished his prayer, THWACK, Darryl Strawberry “hit a two-run homer, and the Mets won.  Phil and I looked at each other, jaws dropped. . .” (p. iv).  Now, that’s enough to make just about anyone a believer (in Wakan Tanka!).

If the artwork doesn’t spellbind you, then the quotations will.  They are delicious, to say the least.  On average, there are about two or three quotations per page in this 205-page book.  The range of authors (for quotations) is broad including Mahatma Gandhi, Ambrose Pierce, Benjamin Spock, James Joyce, Aristotle, Viktor E. Frankl, Albert Schweitzer, Alexandre Dumas, George Santayana, Coretta Scott King, Eric Hoffer, Adolf Hitler, Buddha, Franz Kafka, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Bill Maher, William Shakespeare, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Elbert Hubbard, and many, many others.

But, here is the interesting thing about this book.  The artwork and the quotations are really not what this book is all about.  Surprise, surprise!  This is a workbook, and the artwork and quotations are there as catalysts.  That is, they are there as agents to assist in and speed up your reaction to the overall thought on the page.  On page 164, for example, the thought is “Gyrate Your Genius,” the artwork is amazing (objects designed to symbolize storage, tuning, sawing, and massaging), and there is a blank (on p. 164), for your reaction to this: “If the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office can sign off on Chia Pets and the Beerbrella, then what’s stopping you from throwing your idea into the mix?  Step 1: Think of a problem that irritates you.  Step 2: Channel your inner inventor. Step 3: Create a solution.  No matter how far-fetched it seems, sketch it out and name it.”  

On most pages, the questions occur under the heading, “Dig Deeper.”  On page 63, the overall thought is, “What one eye-opening experience should every person have?”  And, on the previous page, the third “Dig Deeper” question is, “What single experience most transformed you?”

I am not claiming this book is one of heavy substance; however, it is, more than anything, exactly what you make it.  You, as the reader/thinker/analyst, bring the “heavy substance” — or not!  If you simply want to look at the pictures and read the quotations, then it will likely perceived as lightweight.  It is as philosophical as you want to make it.  It is as spiritual as you want to make it.  It is as challenging or “deep” as you want to make it.  That is, indeed, what makes this book so fascinating, intriguing, and personal.

I liked Rainn Wilson’s own sales pitch for the book (p. xv).  He said, “The book is fun.  And cool to carry around.  Or put on a handsome shelf.  Or casually leave out on a coffee table as a conversation starter.  Or throw like a discus at the side of the head of an attacker” (p. xv).  How often are you likely to read such a paragraph by the author of a book?

So, where do I stand on this book?  I like artwork, quotations, and challenging questions.  Of course, I prefer more substance; however, I am willing to foregoe my quest for more substance (since I’m unlikely to answer all the questions and fill in all the blanks — bringing the “heavy substance” myself) just to experience such a unique book as this one.  If nothing else, it is just plain fun!

Soulpancake: Chew on life’s big questions (Speak your mind, unload your questions, figure out what it means to be human) can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/SoulPancake-Chew-Lifes-Big-Questions/dp/1401310338