Science Book Club

Facilitating a book discussion group devoted to books about science is a lot harder than leading one devoted to fiction. There are no grand plots to dissect and the tone of the work is less apt to be an issue. Instead, one must talk about the facts--did the author convey them well and convincingly? Does he or she get his/her message across? Did the book hold your attention? You can ask, as you can also about fiction, how does this work relate to pressing issues of the day?

A recent discussion of Natalie Angier's book, The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science, led naturally to a conversation about science literary in the U.S. and why it is lacking and what we as individuals might do to promote it.

Has anyone else had experience with this type of book group? I'd love to hear about it!

1st Novel for Cooks

Erica Bauermeister's The School of Essential Ingredients is light, but tasty fare. Bauermeister interleaves the stories of the participants in a chef's cooking class with mouth-watering descriptions of the various dishes they prepare. From the older couple who from the outside seem to have a flawless marriage to the young mother who feels as if she has lost her identity to Tom with the sad eyes, they each reflect on their pasts and gain perspective on the present through the wise tutelage of Lillian, the chef, and the support and comfort of each other. A bit slow to start and not a work of great depth, it is nonetheless, a pleasant and touching diversion.