FiveBooks Newsletter 55

This week on FiveBooks, we invited autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen to
discuss books on [5]empathy’s role in our science and society, novelist
Imraan Coovadia to talk about [6]South African fiction, and Roman Catholic
scientist Kenneth Miller to give the [7]argument against creationism, among
more.
Links:
5. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/simon-baron-cohen-on-empathy
6. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/imraan-coovadia-on-south-african-fiction
7. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/kenneth-miller-on-arguments-against-creationism

Required reading next week includes interviews on wine, the cosmos and Cuba
… and journalism professor Jay Rosen picks five online articles on media in
the internet age.

Explore our full archive [8]here.
Links:
8. http://thebrowser.com/fivebooks/archive

FiveBooks News

[9]Simon Baron-Cohen on Empathy
Links:
9. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/simon-baron-cohen-on-empathy

Friday July 15

The autism expert tells us about the links between empathy and language, and
says our acts of cruelty to one another have at their root a failure to
empathise [10]Continue reading…
Links:
10. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/simon-baron-cohen-on-empathy

[11]Ellen de Bruin on Women and Happiness
Links:
11. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/ellen-de-bruin-on-women-and-happiness

Thursday July 14

The Dutch science journalist takes a light-hearted look at national
stereotypes, why Dutch women are happy, and what it means to be blonde
[12]Continue reading…
Links:
12. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/ellen-de-bruin-on-women-and-happiness

[13]Kenneth Miller on Arguments against Creationism
Links:
13. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/kenneth-miller-on-arguments-against-creationism

Wednesday July 13

The biology professor, and Catholic, tells us what we should read to
understand the battle being fought between scientists and creationists
[14]Continue reading…
Links:
14. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/kenneth-miller-on-arguments-against-creationism

[15]Imraan Coovadia on South African Fiction
Links:
15. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/imraan-coovadia-on-south-african-fiction

Tuesday July 12

The South African novelist gives us an unvarnished view of the writer’s
life, and explains how literature told the story of apartheid and why comedy
is the easiest way to talk about race [16]Continue reading…
Links:
16. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/imraan-coovadia-on-south-african-fiction

[17]Gregory Long on Gardening
Links:
17. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/gregory-long-on-gardening

Monday July 11

The president of the New York Botanical Garden tells us about the books that
all aspiring gardeners should have on their bookshelves, from reference
works to the most fun guide to making the best of your garden [18]Continue
reading…
Links:
18. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/gregory-long-on-gardening

[19]Andy Stern on Bringing Change to America
Links:
19. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/andy-stern-on-bringing-change-america

Sunday July 10

The former union boss shares his reading list for American progressives, and
tells us what makes a good leader and how it takes only a few committed
people to bring change [20]Continue reading…
Links:
20. http://thebrowser.com/interviews/andy-stern-on-bringing-change-america

[21]The Unselfish Gene
Links:
21. http://b.rw/o0CUtY

Yochai Benkler | HBR | 4 July 2011

Superb essay challenging notion of innate human selfishness and the rational
actor theory. Biology, sociology, experimental economics, political science.
All contain powerful ideas about natural cooperation [22]More like this
Links:
22. http://thebrowser.com/browsings