Reading List
Science and Secrets
Junk Science: How Politicians, Corporations, and Other Hucksters Betray Us
By Dan Agin, PhD
"In this provocative, wide-ranging, and hard-hitting book, Agin argues from the center that we will pay a heavy price for the follies of people who consciously twist the public's understanding of the real world. In an entertaining but frank tone, Agin separates fact from conveniently "scientific" fiction and exposes the data faking, reality ignoring, fear mongering, and outright lying that contribute to intentionally manufactured public ignorance."
Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution - and How It Can Renew America
By Thomas L. Friedman
"Friedman explains how global warming, rapidly growing populations, and the expansion of the world's middle class through globalization have produced a dangerously unstable planet--one that is "hot, flat, and crowded." The challenge of a sustainable way of life presents the United States with an opportunity not only to rebuild its economy, but to lead the world in radically innovating toward cleaner energy."
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
By Thomas L. Friedman
"In this brilliant new book, the award-winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman demystifies the brave new world for readers, allowing them to make sense of the often bewildering global scene unfolding before their eyes. With his inimitable ability to translate complex foreign policy and economic issues, Friedman explains how the flattening of the world happened at the dawn of the twenty-first century; what it means to countries, companies, communities, and individuals; and how governments and societies can, and must, adapt."
The Case Against Sugars
By Gary Taubes
"With his signature command of both science and straight talk, Gary Taubes delves into Americans' history with sugar: its uses as a preservative, as an additive in cigarettes, the contemporary overuse of high-fructose corn syrup. He explains what research has shown about our addiction to sweets. He clarifies the arguments against sugar, corrects misconceptions about the relationship between sugar and weight loss, and provides the perspective necessary to make informed decisions about sugar as individuals and as a society."
Betrayers of the Truth: Fraud and Deceit in the Halls of Science
By William Broad and Nicholas Wade
"The lures of careerism and big money, the pressures of huge research factories, the repeated failure of supposedly fail-safe mechanisms of scientific inquiry to detect and correct fraud – Betrayers of the Truth is about how science really works and why scientists are tempted to cheat. From the tidying up of experimental data to the invention of whole scientific experiments out of thin air, the book examines the various means by which fraud is committed and how it can remain undiscovered for moths, years, or even centuries."