Origins: A skeptics guide to the creation of life on earth

Amazingly, the university library didn't have this book; I had to track it down on amazon. -I apologize for my unexpected hiatus; I review books for amazon and so I wouldn't lose my status as a Vine reviewer, I had to read 3 books and get the reviews done before 7/15. 1.5 down, 1 to go.-I'm puzzled as to why Shapiro's book is no longer in print. Dating from '86/'87, I also will have to state my concern that its arguments are also dated; we shall see. -==OT==-Some of the books I chose to review included two targeted directly to Christianity; "Constantine's Bible," and "The First Seven Ecumenical Councils." -This 1-2 combination should be an absolute MUST for anyone who wants to get a critical insight into the formation of early Christianity. "Constantine's Bible " for its demonstration of the cultural backdrop the early Roman church inherited from the Greeks and the history of the ecumenical councils--while dry--does alot to explain much of the course of the early church, as well as root causes for many of the problems we've inherited on the origins debate. -The best book I read however is "Ghosts of Cannae." I had already posted a review on Amazon for that, but if you're interested at all in the 2nd punic war, buy it. Hannibal and Scipio live again!-The other book I have to review is "The Edge of Physics."

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\"Why is it, Master, that ascetics fight with ascetics?\"

\"It is, brahmin, because of attachment to views, adherence to views, fixation on views, addiction to views, obsession with views, holding firmly to views that ascetics fight with ascetics.\"

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Amazingly, the university library didn't have this book; I had to track it down on amazon. 
> 
> I'm puzzled as to why Shapiro's book is no longer in print. Dating from '86/'87, I also will have to state my concern that its arguments are also dated; we shall see. -I had to get a used copy when I read it. Arguments and observations are not dated.

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Amazingly, the university library didn't have this book; I had to track it down on amazon. 
> > 
> > I'm puzzled as to why Shapiro's book is no longer in print. Dating from '86/'87, I also will have to state my concern that its arguments are also dated; we shall see. 
> 
> I had to get a used copy when I read it. Arguments and observations are not dated.-C'mon David, saying that is like saying Aristotle's arguments and observations aren't dated. 24yrs is a VERY long time in science. -I've completed the prologue and the first chapter. As it stands, so far it's just a textbook review of science, taken with the mention of Kuhn's seminal work. So far--boring--but a refresher is never a bad thing. I could have skipped it but I always feel guilty doing that.

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> C'mon David, saying that is like saying Aristotle's arguments and observations aren't dated. 24yrs is a VERY long time in science. -
Except when there is no progress, other than learning what paths not to follow. His book is 35-40 years after the start of the quest for origin of life. If he wrote something now it would just be more negatives.

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> > C'mon David, saying that is like saying Aristotle's arguments and observations aren't dated. 24yrs is a VERY long time in science. 
> 
> 
> Except when there is no progress, other than learning what paths not to follow. His book is 35-40 years after the start of the quest for origin of life. If he wrote something now it would just be more negatives.-Well so far I'm through to the 3rd chapter; and his criticisms of the first two paradigms ring true on such "results" as this: -http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=how-did-life-begin-on-earth-2010-06-29-When you read the blog... it DOES read more like propaganda than a real scientific statement. However, so far--Shapiro has caused no "paradigm shift" in my own thinking. Though so far his skepticism in general is a mirror image of my own; continuously stating that we cannot say "x" is true if we really cannot know "x" is true, or have evidence "x" is true. He rightly shoves the "watch" argument right into the nethers where it belongs.

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I've completed Chapter 6 and I must say that though (for Shapiro) it was a detour from the main topic, the example of Lysenko serves as a powerful reminder of what exactly the Origins debate is at this point;-The competition of memes. -I will start a broader post shortly.

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I'm so sorry for the caps, but I'm deep into chapter 7, and...-After everything we've talked about at this site, I'm positively convinced that if even to only understand David's thinking--you need to read this book; I'll even send you my copy for free once I'm done with it, if that's what it takes.-It's written for a lay audience, but I can help with any chemistry you may need--It's been 2 years but I can still follow along well. I can help you with anything. -He writes in a way that really; is training in how to spot nonscientific arguments. When he discusses (in chapter 7) the progression of origins as depicted in well, a very MODERN light, you view immediately (at least for someone trained in natural philosophy) all the red flags that have gone off for a great many reasoned persons. -to David: He does make some mathematical errors, but we've only been able to measure time at this scale for a few years: all his statistical calculations assume (as I made mention of in previous posts) 1 try per second. This does NOT take into consideration the actual amount of time needed for any rxn (shorthand for 'reaction' for the uninitiated) to occur. And I'm sorry for waiting so long to read this!

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to David: He does make some mathematical errors, but we've only been able to measure time at this scale for a few years: all his statistical calculations assume (as I made mention of in previous posts) 1 try per second. This does NOT take into consideration the actual amount of time needed for any rxn (shorthand for 'reaction' for the uninitiated) to occur. And I'm sorry for waiting so long to read this!-I kept telling you. Shapiro teaches you to be skeptical, and how to think along those lines. His latest offerings suggest an entirely inorganic energy cycle as a starting point.

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Origins: A skeptics guide to the creation of life on earth (Origins)