We had a good meeting this week and a lively discussion of The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education, by Diane Ravitch. If you haven’t read this book yet, we recommend it. You may not agree with everything the author says, but her basic argument is compelling. This book is the hot topic in education right now and is full of interesting information.
For July, we will be reading Physics for Future Presidents, by Richard A. Muller. We’ll meet on Wednesday, July 14, 6:30 PM in the food court at Colony Mill Marketplace. I hope you will be able to join us.
Planning ahead, for August we are going to read Strength in What Remains, by Tracy Kidder.
Linda Cates
Reviews of Physics for Future Presidents
Should be required reading for all informed citizens, as well as Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain. (
Publishers Weekly )
A book so brilliant that I can’t help feel (as a writer), ‘I wish I’d thought of that.’ (Brian Clegg – Popular Science )
A marvelously readable and level-headed explanation of basic science and how it relates to the issues. (John Tierney – New York Times )
“A triumph.”—Steve Weinberg, Boston Globe This is “must-have” information for all presidents—and citizens—of the twenty-first century: Is Iran’s nascent nuclear capability a genuine threat to the West? Are biochemical weapons likely to be developed by terrorists? Are there viable alternatives to fossil fuels that should be nurtured and supported by the government? Should nuclear power be encouraged? Can global warming be stopped?
Richard A. Muller is professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a past winner of the MacArthur Fellowship. His book Physics for Future Presidents is based on his renowned course for non-science students. He lives in Berkeley, California.
