Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Latest TED Book Club Selections

Today, I received the latest TED Book Club selections.  People have told me they find these recommendations valuable, so I'll give the description of these books as provided in the TED accompanying letter.  

It Happened on the Way to War: A Marine's Path to Peace
This book, written by a TED Fellow Rye Barcott, is a moving memoir that chronicles the period of his life as a Marine deployed in Africa and the Middle East while establishing a youth-focused peacekeeping NGO, Carolina for Kibera in Kenya.

Spark: How Creativity Works, Inside the Minds of America's Greatest Writers, Filmmakers, Musicians & Artists
In this book, Julie Burstein selects a handful of creative geniuses who have graced the Studio 360 stage - a talk radio show - and takes you on an intimate voyage into their minds.  No topic is left unearthed as you'll discover what inspires them - their struggles and triumphs, the wonders of childhood, and the ups and downs of relationships, all while helping you spark the creative genius that lives in you.

In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works and Shapes Our Lives
WIRED journalist, TEDster, and best-selling author Stephen Levy gives us the most penetrating behind-the-scenes portrait yet of the force of nature that is Google.  Levy chronicles the growth of the company from inception to present day.  This book will not only help you understand the ideology that makes Google such a force in today's world but also gives an intimate look into the personalities of its founders.

The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World
Laura Snyder transports the reader to the 1800s, into the lives of William Whewell, Charles Babbage, John Herschel and Richard Jones - four friends who left their mark on the way science is conducted and whose legacy persists to this day.  This fascinating period gave birth to scientific method, among other things.  Outside of this past half century, no other period in history witnessed such great scientific breakthroughs.

1 comment:

Clopin said...

Thanks for this! If TED would offer a book-club only part I'd jump on it ;)