Such Promise

A few weeks ago I read what I thought was a glowing review of Margaret Wertheim's Physics on the Fringe. I was hooked.

We honor them because science is only a small part of human capability. We gain knowledge of our place in the universe not only from science but also from history, art, and literature. Science is a creative interaction of observation with imagination. “Physics at the Fringe” is what happens when imagination loses touch with observation.

The review had hooked me and I was sure that reading Wertheim's book would reel me into a world of dissident scientists who use what the see and know to explain the world around them. I was sure to be entertained and fascinated by the lives of these "noble" men searching for a truth they could understand.

Turns out, however, that what I was attracted to was Freeman Dyson's writing. His review is ten times better than what Wertheim produces. His writing is beautiful and powerful and finds a connection between science and art. I thought Werthiem's book was slow and plodding and boring. She managed to take a highly imaginative and interesting human and bore me to sleep with his life. Shame. There was such promise.


A note about reading. I am waiting. Waiting for the book that grabs me and holds me and rewards me for my efforts. I am looking for The Sisters Brothers or The Night Circus of 2012. I am looking for the book that keeps me engaged and entertained until the end. Actually, after close to 25 books this year, I am praying for that.