Episode · Conversations with Tyler · 2024-09-04
Tyler Cowen & Philip Ball: books mentioned on Conversations with Tyler
Philip Ball on the Interplay of Science, Society, and the Quest for Understanding
Register for our LA Listener Meetup Philip Ball is an award-winning science writer who has penned over 30 books on a dizzying variety of subjects. Holding degrees in chemistry from Oxford and physics from the University of Bristol, Ball's multidisciplinary background underpins his versatility.
Philip Ball discussed Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, The Republic, Dracula by Bram Stoker and others, Frankenstein by Mary W. Shelley, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [12 stories] by Arthur Conan Doyle. Tyler Cowen discussed The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, How Life Works by Philip Ball, and The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Brave New World
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a classic dystopian science fiction novel that depicts a technologically advanced future society controlled through engineered reproduction, psychological conditioning, and constant superficial pleasure.
Discussed“Brave New World which essentially talks about this sort of invetro gestation of of whole populations”
Where to get it
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The Invisible Man
Discussed“you've written a book on invisibility after I read your book I was wondering how much would it be worth today to be you know Wells as the Invisible Man say you're an able-bodied 30-year-old man in the United States or in the UK”
Where to get it
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The Republic
Plato's foundational classical text "The Republic" explores justice, political structures, and the nature of reality.
Discussed“um a myth of the of of a chap called GES who is a Shepherd who finds a ring of invisibility”
Where to get it
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The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R.
Discussed“I mean look it's that's of course that's what happened in The Lord of the Rings right um that was the uh entirely the metaphor of the the you know the rig of power there”
Where to get it
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Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe is a classic adventure novel about a castaway who spends decades on a remote tropical island facing isolation and survival challenges.
Discussed“now you've written a book about myths do you think there are myths from the last 10 or 20 years that will stick say the way Robin Caruso is still around as a story or Sherlock Holmes is still around”
Where to get it
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Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 epistolary novel by Bram Stoker that chronicles the vampire's attempt to move from Transylvania to England and his subsequent conflict with Abraham Van Helsing.
Discussed“so they were things like Frankenstein Dracula Jael and Hyde Sherlock Holmes”
Where to get it
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Frankenstein
Frankenstein by Mary W.
Discussed“so they were things like Frankenstein Dracula Jael and Hyde Sherlock Holmes”
Where to get it
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [12 stories]
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a classic collection of twelve short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the legendary detective.
Discussed“so they were things like Frankenstein Dracula Jael and Hyde Sherlock Holmes”
Where to get it
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How Life Works
Discussed“let's turn now to your new book again how life Works a user's guide to the new biology which I enjoyed very much and learned a great deal from a simple question”
Where to get it
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The Selfish Gene
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins is a prominent 1976 work of evolutionary biology that popularizes the gene-centric view of evolution.
Discussed“tell us why you reject Richard Dawkins his vision of The Selfish Gene as his book was titled”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“but most notably he has a new book out this year a major work called how life Works a users's guide to the new biology”
“ah well there's um the way I presented it in in in my book I've my book Universe of stone and the idea behind that title was that in some sense the gothic Cathedrals and chhatra is it's certainly my favorite”
“just again your latest book how life works user's guide to the new biology final query what will you do next”