Long weekend reading
Feb 21, 2005I finished reading [Descartes Baby](http://isbn.nu/046500783X) by Paul Bloom today. An overview of cognitive development and human nature that a layman can understand. His ruminations on perception, cognition, altruism, morality, good and evil, disgust and dualism were engaging but he falls short when he tries to consider “Gods, Souls and Science” in one brief chapter. I was surprised to read that some theories that I’d been exposed to, particularly those of Piaget, were largely proven false. I’d love to dive into the extensive bibliography but short of taking a Master of Science in Psychology, I know I probably won’t.
Stacked on the table are:
- [America: A Citizen’s Guide To Democracy Inaction](http://isbn.nu/0446532681) from The Daily Show and Jon Stewart. Bought this before the election and I keep picking it up, reading a little of it, snickering and putting it down for other books.
- [Blink](http://isbn.nu/0316172324) by Malcolm Gladwell. I read the cover flap and a random passage and I’m already dubious, but his writing was interesting in the New Yorker and the book has good buzz.
- [9/11 Commission Report](http://isbn.nu/0393326713). I’ve had this waiting for me since July but I can’t get past the cover.