Curious Minds

July 19, 2004
In this anthology of reminiscences by prominent scientists, the roll includes Richard Dawkins, Murray Gell-Mann, Joseph Ledoux and Ray Kurzweil, along with 23 others. The mandate of the book's editor, literary agent Brockman (The Third Culture
), to each of these authors was to write an essay explaining how he or she came to be a scientist. Some take him at his word and write meandering stories of childhood. David Buss found his calling—the study of human mating behavior—while working at a truck stop after dropping out of school. Paul Davies says he was born to be a theoretical physicist. Daniel Dennett, on the other hand, seems to have tried every other profession before landing, as if by accident, in science. A few writers let their essays get hijacked by the science they have devoted their lives to. And in the midst of this, like a keystone in an arch, is an essay by Steven Pinker explaining why the entire exercise is a bunch of hooey: scientifically speaking, he says, people have no objective idea what influenced their behavior, and that writing a memoir is creative storytelling, not objective observation of what actually happened. Whether or not these essays are scientifically sound is open to debate, but they do offer occasionally inspiring glimpses into the minds of today's scientific intelligentsia. Agent, Max Brockman.

September 1, 2004
Just what turns a child on to science? This is the determinant that editor and author Brockman (The Next Fifty Years) seeks to elicit in this collection of 27 essays. Notables like Robert Sapolsky, Steven Pinker, V.S. Ramachandran, and others from the worlds of mathematics, physics, psychology, biology, and anthropology present miniature autobiographies in which they describe the influences that led them into their present areas of expertise. Decisions to follow science did not arise as epiphanies but through serendipitous events, natural aptitudes, family encouragement, and intellectual arousal. Pinker ascribes "genes and chance" to explain why people go into science. From these diverse essays, readers can assemble their own recipe for what attracts scientists to their career specialties. An interesting overview for popular and academic science collections.--Rita Hoots, Woodland Coll., CA

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2004
Twenty-seven scientists credit a satisfying suite of epiphanies, mentors, teachers, and books as reasons and inspiration for their career choices. Most remember their parents as being vital influences who enriched their childhoods with zoo and field trips and the like. And most contend that native intelligence is insufficient: mastering a subject is key. As crucial as hard work to becoming a scientist, however, is retaining one's impressionability. As one of Brockman's contributors remarks, "My childhood continues." With bylines from world-famous scientists such as Freeman Dyson and Murray Gell-Mann, these autobiographical stories will fully gratify the general science audience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)