Category: Thinking Turf

Just wrapped up the audio version of “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams” yesterday, and let me tell you, it’s pretty intriguing. Matthew Walker, the neuroscientist and sleep guru behind it, dives deep into the significance of sleep and dreaming. The book was first published in 2017.

Just wrapped up with “Fever Dream”, the shortest one (120 pages) I’ve picked up in a while. However, it is real rollercoaster ride. The book is written by Samanta Schweblin. Born in 1978, Schweblin is an Argentine author. Through her psychological thriller novel “Fever Dream” (“Distancia de Rescate” in Spanish), she gained global recognition. Additionally, this book was shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize in 2017.

“The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe” by Sir Roger Penrose span over 1,100 pages. It was published in 2004. Sir Penrose is renowned for his contributions to the mathematical physics of general relativity and cosmology. In 2020, he was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity.

“The Trouble with Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next” by the theoretical physicist Lee Smolin delves into the history of physics, starting from Copernicus. The book also explores the contemporary state of physics research. It was written in 2006, and at that time, string theory had significant influence in the field.

James Gleick is a prolific author and essayist renowned for his insightful exploration of the intersection between science, technology, and their profound cultural impacts. In “Chaos: Making Sense of a Complex World,” he introduces us to a world where order arises from apparent disorder. It was first published in 1987.

DMT: The Spirit Molecule is an engaging book written by Dr. Rick Strassman. It was first published in 2001. Its focus is on psychedelics, particularly DMT (Dimethyltryptamine). Dr. Strassman suggests that because DMT is present in our bodies, the pineal gland located in our brains might be where it originates. Hindus see it as the seventh chakra location, and Descartes thought it’s where the soul resides. Although modern medicine remains uncertain about the gland’s function. Research behind the book took almost five years. During the tenure, Dr. Strassman “administered approximately…

Stoner is an academic novel written by John Edward Williams. It was first published in 1965. The book happens to be his third novel, first two being – Nothing But the Night (1948) and Butcher’s Crossing (1960). The novel, Stoner, follows the life of William Stoner, a working-class student who becomes a professor of English literature at the University of Missouri. It explores his struggles both at personal as well as professional front as he navigates through his career and relationships.

The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason is a brilliant piece written by Sam Harris in 2004. Samuel Benjamin Harris (1967) is an American philosopher, neuroscientist, and an author. This book presents a stark difference between “faith” and “reason”. A profound stuff that is needed to be heard. Similar motif was also seen in Richard Dawkins’ famous book, The God Delusion. Why do religious ideas often look up to a unique level of respect? These ideas, are also exempted from scrutiny in many societies. While other…

In this post, we will be covering the second segment of Schrödinger’s famous book, What Is Life? with Mind and Matter. We have already talked about the first portion – What Is Life? Now, here, we will be focusing on Mind and Matter. (If you haven’t read, I’d recommend to go through the previous post – What Is Life? by Erwin Schrödinger. It will help in better understanding of his ideas. Thanks 🙂 In this series of the lectures, Schrödinger has tried to blend physics, evolutionary theory, and philosophy.