Re: Books for a 17-yr old

Joe E. Dees (jdees0@students.uwf.edu)
Wed, 30 Dec 1998 03:12:16 -0600

From:           	Stardrive9@aol.com
Date sent:      	Wed, 30 Dec 1998 02:42:47 EST
To:             	extropians@extropy.com
Subject:        	Books for a 17-yr old
Send reply to:  	extropians@extropy.com

>
> Sasha writes:
> **********************************************************************
> I am trying to suggest some good book to a 16yo correspondent
>
> with a religious background who is trying to find interesting ways
>
> to look at the world and see what's out there.
>
>
>
> Do you have any suggestions of books that could open somebody's
>
> mind to the marvels of science, provide interesting new views on
>
> science, religion, world, and humans, or generally inspire, without
>
> being too specialized, or difficult?

Metaphysical mind-expanders include
THE TAO IS SILENT by Raymond Smullyan
BUDDHISM WITHOUT BELIEFS by Stephen Batchelor FINITE AND INFINITE GAMES by James P. Carse SUPERIOR BEINGS by Steven J. Brams

Perception expanders include
EXPERIMENTAL PHENOMENOLOGY by Don Ihde
EXISTENTIAL PHENOMENOLOGY AND THE WORLD OF ORDINARY EXPERIENCE by Paul T. Brockelman THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF PERCEPTION by Maurice Merleau-Ponty
THE SPELL OF THE SENSUOUS by David Abram

cognitive sharpeners include
PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION by Edward G. Ballard KNOWLEDGE AND THE FLOW OF INFORMATION by Fred Dretske ON MEANING by A. J. Greimas
FOUNDATIONS OF THE THEORY OF SIGNS by Charles Morris ON CERTAINTY by Ludwig Wittgenstein
STRUCTURALISM by Jean Piaget
COMPLEXITY AND POSTMODERNISM by Paul Cilliers

books to encourage self-reflection on the structure, function and meaning of self- and other-awareness include THE HUMAN USE OF SIGNS by John Deely
MIND AND NATURE by Gregory Bateson
THE CONTEXT OF SELF by Richard M. Zaner THE FIELD OF CONSCIOUSNESS and MARGINAL CONSCIOUSNESS, both by Aron Gurwitsch
THE PRINCIPLES OF GENETIC EPISTEMOLOGY and THE EQUILIBRATION OF COGNITIVE STRUCTURES, both by Jean Piaget
THE MYTH OF SISYPHUS by Albert Camus
EXPERIENCING AND THE CREATION OF MEANING by Eugene T. Gendlin