Science

Everything Bad is Good for You

1/24/2007
Jess Boettger
Steven Johnson has taken an unconventional stance on popular culture's effects on our society today.

Besides taking up the defense of an entity, popular culture, which most people have condemned, Steven Johnson's latest book is unorthodox in that it is a pleasure to read. Johnson draws from multiple and varied sources to make an erudite, scientific argument as to why pop culture is not only not rotting our brains, but is actually benefiting us. Drawing from economics, neuroscience, and pop culture offerings ranging from Finding Nemo to 24 to Zelda, Johnson logically and persuasively argues his case about the benefits of media.

Reviewer Rating: 
4.00Stars
ASIN: 
1594481946

The Coming Oil Crisis

9/5/2004
Marc Duane Anderson
When the well runs dry.

With gasoline prices seemingly spiraling out of control, books about oil production that may have previously appealed to only a specialized audience now seem noteworthy. One such book is The Coming Oil Crisis by geologist C. J. Campbell.

The author says he had no desire to write a book, but when he came across "compelling evidence" that the world's oil production was about to peak, he felt he had an obligation to warn people.

Talk of an oil crisis first surfaced in the 1970s when American oil production went into decline.

Reviewer Rating: 
5.00Stars
ASIN: 
906522110

Ageless Quest: One Scientist's Search for Genes that Prolong Youth

7/8/2003
Marc Duane Anderson
MIT scientist goes in search of the ever elusive fountain of youth.

Ah, yes ? the ever elusive fountain of youth. It's been pursued by everyone from explorers to anthropologists to scientists, with their efforts most often being regarded as nothing more than human folly.

But with recent advances in science, is it such a foolish notion anymore?

Reviewer Rating: 
3.00Stars
ASIN: 
879696524
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