I am currently reading the Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt.
It’s an excellent book, and it makes me very happy to be a Unitarian. Not because the author is, but because the ideas expressed in it are so amazingly and repeatedly Unitarian that the whole bloody book comes off as nothing so much as a strikingly amazing Unitarian sermon or group of sermons.
Also, LTGW at work keeps saying, “You have to read Cialdini‘s Influence, you have to read Cialdini’s Influence” and now that I’m reading the Happiness Hypothesis I guess I’ll have to because Haidt cites it constantly.
The metahypothesis is that science and emotion don’t have to conflict. This is actually the big scrap between Faith and Reason right now, or as seen by the religious types, Big Satanic Soulless Violent Freedom Hating Science and Poor Put-upon Faith, or by atheists, Rationality vs. Whiny Ass Crybaby Hyperemotional GodWalloping.
Anyway, I’m havin’ a lovely time laying about reading and hanging with the folks. Jeff just turned up… I’m going to see if I can get him to run me out to the mall.
And _then_ you should read Stephen Jay Gould’s “Nonoverlapping Magesteria”, which despite the daunting title, is the best explanation I’ve read of how the realms of science and of faith can and should co-exist.
Here’s the link:
http://www.stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_noma.html
You really must meet my mom. She likes SJ Gould too. Burgess Shales (Actually it’s called Wonderful Life) is sitting on the kitchen table right now.
Did you know that Karen and I have another name for the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Scar Tissue?” It started with a mis-heard lyric:
With Burgess Shales, such a lonely view…
Sounds like a good book to start the new year. Will be off to Chapters to see if they have it in stock. Thanks, Allegra.