The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific Curiosity
£6.80£10.40 (-35%)
***A Waterstones Best Paperback of 2022 pick***
Perfect for fans of Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage and Professor Brian Cox.
‘A delightful and scintillating hymn to science.’ Professor Carlo Rovelli
Comedian Robin Ince quickly abandoned science at school, bored by a fog of dull lessons and intimidated by the barrage of equations. But, twenty years later, he fell in love and he now presents one of the world’s most popular science podcasts. Every year he meets hundreds of the world’s greatest thinkers.
In this erudite and witty book, Robin reveals why scientific wonder isn’t just for the professionals. Filled with interviews featuring astronauts, comedians, teachers, quantum physicists, neuroscientists and more – as well as charting Robin’s own journey with science – The Importance of Being Interested explores why many wrongly think of the discipline as distant and difficult. From the glorious appeal of the stars above to why scientific curiosity can encourage much needed intellectual humility, this optimistic and profound book will leave you filled with a thirst for intellectual adventure.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Atlantic Books, Main edition (1 Sept. 2022) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 400 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1786492644 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1786492647 |
| Dimensions | 12.7 x 3.05 x 19.69 cm |
by Gonch888
A book to dip into for one man’s view
by Kevin Treweeks
Listening to Robin talking about his book over some noodles at the B-Bar I resolved to buy it off him more as a thank you for his entertainment than to read it. My plan was to gift it at Christmas
Unfortunately I started reading before I wrapped it and ended up having to buy it again on Kindle.
Maybe I can’t explain the universe and still romantically cling to Newtonian physics, but I did enjoy this book and like a child eating hidden veg in the Bolognese I think he may have sneaked a little extra understanding in without me realising
by AlecMac
I’m a big fan of Robin Ince, particularly in his Monkey Cage version.
This book is a meander through his thoughts and relationship with science, which very much align with my own. Perhaps that alignment was a little bit of an issue as I found myself in gentle agreement throughout, but not really learning much or being challenged.
If you’re already on board with evidence based thinking I’m not sure you’ll have any moments of epiphany or amazement, I didn’t.
by Natasha Hewson
Well recieved
by GREG BORGARTZ
Robin Ince doing what he does so brilliantly and making us as interested as he is in the world around us.
His writing is engaging and unforced and I found myself wishing the book was longer.
If you enjoyed his previous book ” I’m A Joke And So Are You” then you will enjoy this. If you haven’t read that – why not?
by Darren Lysenko
…This book is a fabulous love letter to science, fascination and human endeavour.
Robin Ince manages to take us on a journey which, at the outset, feels like it will be a whistle-stop tour of science’s grandest principles and marvels (and to a great extent, it is), but really this book is about us; where we fit into the universe, how to come to terms with how small we often feel in the grand scheme of things, and the joy we can find in the sheer mind-boggling complexity of our spectacular universe, whether we understand it or not.
I actually bought this book twice, firstly for myself, and then as a gift. It is certainly something you will want to share.
by Neil Carlill
Reading this insightful and entertaining book is like taking a road trip to visit the local and the farther-flung attractions of evolved critical thinking, guided by an adventurous spirit of inquiry and discovery. Mr Ince, who reports of having had his youthful curiosity crushed by academia, here dives into the scientific realm with a joie de vivre that proves infectious, as he solicits the expertise of a wide circle of friends working in various branches of the arts and sciences. The book is a celebration of incremental learning, and, as promised, I found myself considering the complexities of quantum theory without the usual depressing feeling of defeat, instead allowing myself to inch along the road to understanding with a more open attitude. Ince has a mind spilling over with intellectual curiosity, and he also has the wit to make the acquisition of knowledge feel like a good time (fans of Clive James will recognize the flavour.) Ince’s enthusiasm for knowledge is irresistible, and despite his obvious book-smarts he engages his subjects with warmth, humility, and more than a tinge of absurdist humor.
In twelve chapters, the book touches upon concepts ranging from biophilia to black holes, from the origins (and the inevitable fate) of the universe to human mortality, and there is much here to spur further reading and investigation (my favourite chapter, on Time, not only re-ignited my interest in the physical and perceptive elasticity of time but also gave me my next novel to read—Alan Moore’s epic Jerusalem.) In the first chapter of The Importance, on Scepticism, Ince ponders society’s appetite for disinformation and false conspiracy theory (and this, I think, accounts for the hostility expressed in a couple of the reviews here) which, disseminated by the toxic, manipulative elements of social media, leads to the clouding of minds and the destruction of important social and familial relationships. Far from polemical, though, Ince navigates the waters reflectively, looking for a channel to better understanding. The same goes for the well-named chapter “Is God on Holiday?,” in which Ince is generous in his acceptance of the faithful and those who would reconcile faith with the analytical mind.
The Importance of Being Interested would make a great gift for a young person, offering the kind of bite-size nourishment that makes you hungry for the learning that is awaiting you. There’s nothing like comedy to fire-up the parts of the brain that make it interesting to be alive, and it’s available to all of us. Even if the entropic heat-death of the universe was never a concern for you, the least you could take away is a funny anecdote or a cutting line of argument for the family dinner table. In short, I recommend that this book be used by humans as a serotonin uptick thingy.
by Kevin Rees – Author
Okay, I am a Robin Ince fan. I love his wit and humour, especially on the radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage. This book is peppered with inspired wit and his take on science, aliens, and the death of the universe. I highly recommend starting with this tome if you haven’t read anything by Robin.