Review
When Harvard psychologist Marc Hauser in conversation, turned to Dan Dennett (Center for Cognitive Studies, Tufts University) at a dinner given by John Brockman in Cambridge, Massachusetts 2003, the seeds for this conversational book were sown. The friendly, exchange of ideas and opinions that flowed around the table gave rise to topics such as intuition, artificial intelligence, neuroscience and evolutionary biology amongst many others. Brockman was in his element. 'I recall thinking that dinner table conversation doesn't get much better than this!' Hauser and Dennett had begun to ask questions of each other. How old were they when they discovered these issues were interesting? When did they get passionate about ideas? Who gave them the impetus to expand their curiosity? For Hausser, it wasn't until college did he discover his particular interests but as one of the other dinner guests suggested 'it all started when we were kids'. This book is a collection of twenty-seven essays contributed by a portion of the world's leading scientists, which offer insight into their personal lives, their regrets, their attitudes and what makes them the people they have become. Exciting and surprising at times, this book aims to inspire, encourage and motivate, revealing as much about the scientist as it does life itself, whilst bringing the subject of science much closer and more accessible to a wider audience. (Kirkus UK)
Product Description
When We Were Kids is a book of original essays by celebrated third culture thinkers - scientists who, through their work and writing, are taking the place of the traditional intellectual in rendering visible the deeper meanings of our lives, redefining who and what we are. The authors, all of whom are world-class scientists, are also well-known as authors of books for the general public. The subject and starting point for these 27 essays is the subtitle of the book, but while the narratives focus on early influences and experiences, the essays are informed by the same kind of intelligent scientific thinking and writing for which the contributors are renowned. They include Paul Davies (The Cosmic Blueprint), Richard Dawkins (A Devil's Chaplain), Daniel C. Dennett, (Freedom Evolves), Freeman Dyson (Disturbing the Universe), Murray Gell-Mann (The Quark and the Jaguar), Marc D. Hauser (Wild Minds), Nicholas Humphrey (Conscious Regained), Lynn Margulis (Acquiring Genomes), Marvin Minsky (The Society of Mind), Steven Pinker (The Blank State), V. S. Ramachandran (Phantoms in the Brain - co-author), Martin Rees (Our Final Hour), Robert M. Sapolsky (A Primate's Memoir), Lee Smolin (Three Roads to Quantum Gravity). They explore questions such as 'What happened when you were a child that led you to pursue a life of science?' 'What got you interested in your current field of research?' 'Who were your parents, peers, teachers?' 'What were the turning points, influences, epiphanies, mistakes?' Personal, passionate, revealing, enthralling, these essays tell us a great deal about science and about life.
