Read Books This will provide a list of the books I've read with a brief review. Users are blocked, contact me for access. I welcome discussions, but I'm tired of spam.

March 24, 2013

Doctor Who and Philosophy by Courtland Lewis

Filed under: Philosophy — Randolph @ 7:09 am

Doctor Who and Philosophy by Courtland Lewis

As with the others in the series, this book presents philosophical concepts that are not only easy to grasp, but easy to remember. Unlike the others, this one places less emphasis on individual philosophers and a bit more on the philosophical concepts.

Much of the book looks at identity and existence, something the Doctor deals with time and again. It examines who we are and why we believe that, and how we decide the identity of others. What would make us change our minds? They delve into the common issues such as creating two of a person or the slow replacement of body parts until the original is gone.

The book continues to look at time and ethics, two more topics that are big in the series. The last section of the book examines culture. Throughout the book, anecdotes and stories involving many of the Doctor’s opponents from early episodes through the latest and occasional references to the comics.

This is a great book for any Dr. Who fans with a passing interest in philosophy, or not.

March 5, 2013

Heads by Greg Bear

Filed under: Science Fiction — Randolph @ 9:29 pm

Heads by Greg Bear

This books is about a political struggle. The science fictions setting provides the opportunity for unusual political forms, family businesses on the moon manage large sums of money, power, and political will. There is also a religious element which seems a thinly veiled form of Scientology. The plot poses a family unit’s struggle against the combined bureaucracy of the Moon and the Earth. Then there is a wildcard of the religious element, their role isn’t clear through most of the book.

The book opens as the family purchases some cryogenically preserved heads, some of which are recent ancestors of Marco, who is responsible for the family’s financial transactions. His sister, Rho, and her husband have made the purchase with the intent of reading the minds of these heads without restoring them through the use of new technology.

It is difficult to go into more details without giving the plot secrets away. The book is short and wall written. It is a good story, not great.

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