BOOKS I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO MY STUDENTS AND OTHERS
(DEPENDING UPON HIS OR HER INTERESTS)
1. The Republic, by Plato.
Whether or not you agree with Plato’s views, if you never read another Platonic dialogue, read this one. In Book I of the Republic, Plato against the Nietzschean view that people who are unjust according to conventional standards are actually noble and good; and that Kant (not that he mentions any of these philosophers by name of course, since they all lived after him) is wrong about promise-keeping and lying. In other Books, he argues that pleasure is not the ultimate good, that philosophers would make the best rulers, that democracy is an average form of government, that women are just as good as men, that the tyrant is truly unhappy, that beauty is an objective truth you can know, that censorship is a good idea, and that you cannot know any sensible objects, but you can know Ideas or Forms. If that is not enough, he presents different views of knowledge in the Divided Line Analogy of Book VI (of Aristotle, Locke, Hume, Berkeley, Descartes), he discusses the pros and cons of six different forms of government, and defends his view of the ideal state. Actually, there’s much more in there than I’ve just related, but hopefully you’re convinced that this is a major work of philosophy worth dealing and reckoning with at this point. I’d recommend any translation other than Benjamin Jowett’s. The Penguin version is translated by Desmond Lee and is around $7 or so.
2. Mortal Error: The Shot That Killed JFK, by Bonar Menninger.
Not that I’m either an expert or even a buff of the
JFK assassination, but this is a great theory on what happened on that day in
3. Astronomy on Trial: A Devastating and Complete Repudiation of the Big Bang Fiasco, by Roy C. Martin, Jr.
OK, so this book is neither well-written, nor scholarly, in the sense that Martin does not cite really professional journals in physics or cosmology. That said, he really gives Big Bang fans something to think about, so from a philosopher’s perspective (namely, mine, given that I do not have a degree in physics …), this is one interesting book! I would really like to hear from some physicists or cosmologists as to the arguments and objections that Martin makes here. It will be interesting to see if and how they can be answered ... if they can be. Click Here for a picture of the front cover.
3. Gödel’s Proof, by Ernest Nagel.
This gem goes into a problem in mathematics as well as logic. The problem deals with how mathematics cannot prove that its theorems are consistent with all other theorems, without using theorems from mathematics in order to attempt making that proof. In short, if you’re interested either in math, logic, or in the possible (or proven) shortcomings of both, this is definitely a must-read! Click Here for a picture of the front cover.
4. On
This book is a book that all Americans, if not every person in the world, should definitely read. Mill lays out his argument that we should be free to do whatever we want, as long as we do not directly harm another person. But he also argues about just how free, free speech should be, and the benefit of hearing points of view that a whole culture is absolutely sure are wrong views. Definitely worthwhile stuff, and he wrote this with his wife, Harriett Taylor. Click Here for a picture of the front cover of one edition, though any will do. (The Hackett edition will almost certainly be the cheapest.)
5. The Age of Spiritual Machines, by Ray Kurzweil.
This is one of the few books that have ever really blown my mind. Kurzweil first demonstrates how many of his past predictions he had made concerning computers were accurate. Then he makes predictions (the book was written in 1999) far into the future about what will happen. He explains, for example, how neural nets are already picking the best stocks for mutual funds, what nanotechnology is, its benefits and possible misuse. He also ends up predicting that we humans (and our vehicles) have nanobodies and we’ll “copy” our brains onto neural nets (much like a hard drive) and put these new “brains” into our nanobodies! Click Here for a picture of the front cover.
6. The O Really? Factor, by Peter Hart and FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting).
Ah, critical thinking! Where would we be without it? Well, here’s a good look at someone who could use some more critical thinking skills: Bill O’Reilly, host of the “O’Reilly Factor” on Fox News. Hart, the author, goes through what O’Reilly says on his show that is factually incorrect and/or inconsistent with his other statements or opinions he holds. The main thesis seems to be that O’Reilly’s whole catch phrase, “No Spin Zone” is really a spin zone – he was a registered Republican, endorses almost every policy of the Bush administration, criticizes much of Clinton’s administration, and yet claims that he is an independent. (I won’t separately list the other similar book below, but I also recommend The Way It Isn’t: Rush Limbaugh’s Reign of Error by Peter Hart and the same organization.) Click Here for a picture of the front cover.
7. The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D’Oh! Of Homer, by William Irwin, Mark T. Conrad, and Aeon J Skoble, eds.
Surely you’ve seen the Simpsons! Well, now you can blend your love of philosophy with popular culture! Here are eighteen different essays on some of the Simpsons characters, Simpsonian themes, and ethics in the Simpsons, as seen through the eyes of some philosophers. My favorite articles are “Lisa and American Anti-intellectualism,” by Aeon Skoble, and “Thus Spake Bart: On Nietzsche and the Virtues of Being Bad,” by Mark T. Conrad. There are other books in the series which I also recommend, depending on how interested you are in the following shows, books, and/or movies: Seinfeld and Philosophy, The Matrix and Philosophy, and Buffy and the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy. Lord of the Rings and Philosophy is out, but got panned by critics and has a worthless article on Plato and the Ring (that’s the only article I’ve read), so I don’t recommend that one, but feel free to check it out. Harry Potter and Philosophy is due out in Fall of 2004. Click Here for a picture of the front cover of the Simpsons and Philosophy.
8. Sophie’s World, by Jostein Gaarder.
OK, confession time: I’ve been given a copy of this one for free, and though I haven’t actually read it myself yet (but plan on doing so), I’ve had students tell me to recommend it to you, so there you go. It’s a novel about Sophie, who receives some mail with two questions: Who are you? and Where does the world come from? From there she enrolls in a philosophy correspondence course, covering many philosophers, and unraveling the mystery of why she’s getting letters and who is sending them to her. Fun for the whole family!(?) Enjoy! Click Here for a picture of the front cover of Sophie’s World.
9. Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of our Time, by Michael Shermer.
This is a great book for questioning what some people are convinced about, but haven’t really used the scientific method to verify, at least as far as Shermer is concerned. Chapter 3 is entitled, “How Thinking Goes Wrong,” and it’s pretty informative. He discusses the paranormal, Edgar Cayce, near-death experiences, alien encounters, medieval and modern Witch crazes, Ayn Rand, evolution and creationism, and holocaust deniers, among other things, and does his best to debunk each of them. Check it out! Click Here for a picture of the front cover of Why People Believe Weird Things.
(More recommendations on the way …)
