The fact that I actually finished chapter 3 the day before yesterday and it took BT's first status update for me to remember to also comment on my own progress probably tells you all you need to know about the priority this book has in my reading.

Well, the good news, I guess, is that chapters 2 and 3 are actually readable.  I don't think I'll retain from them much more than I already knew (and chapter 2 is another example of Kean getting stuck on two elements, amplified on by way of numerous details, after setting out to make a more general point), but at least he held my attention for the duration of those two chapters, and chapter 3 also contains a historical positioning of the periodic table.  Since this is the final chapter of the introductory section of the book, I'll retract my criticism that he didn't give any sort of historical introduction at all.  Which however doesn't excuse the amount of condescension and outright innuendo going on in the description of the key biographical details of the scientists whose works he is describing in chapters 2 and 3.

That said, two days have gone by and I still haven't been able to bring myself to move on to chapter 4.  As I mentioned in my comments on BT's status update, somehow the combination of atoms as a topic and this author's fractured approach to narrative and explanations doesn't portend much encouragement.  Nor does his approach to the presentation of scientific theories (psst, Mr. Kean -- that's where footnotes just might be put to good use) ... or his dealings with the biographies of several eminent scientists of the past, who can actually count genuine, important discoveries among their achievements.  I'll be on a full-day trip tomorrow, and although it will include some train travel, I don't see myself actually taking this book.  I also don't think I'll be in much of a mood to touch it tomorrow night when I get back.  I guess what I'm saying is I'm still on the fence whether or not to finish this.

In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a scale of “madness” along which we all sit. Incorporating the latest advances in brain scanning and neuroscience, Dutton demonstrates that the brilliant neurosurgeon who lacks empathy has more in common with a Ted Bundy who kills for pleasure than we may wish to admit, and that a mugger in a dimly lit parking lot may well, in fact, have the same nerveless poise as a titan of industry.

As Dutton develops his theory that we all possess psychopathic tendencies, he puts forward the argument that society as a whole is more psychopathic than ever: after all, psychopaths tend to be fearless, confident, charming, ruthless, and focused—qualities that are tailor-made for success in the twenty-first century.

If you choose to read this book, I would advise regarding it completely as entertainment. Don’t expect it to reveal too much about the issue of psychopathy—it tells the reader much more about the author than about this mental condition.

This is a book to be enjoyed for its anecdotes, not for its scholarship. The author seems to believe that quite a number of psychopaths populate his life—from his father to one of his childhood friends. Plus he tells an entertaining story of his visit to Broadmoor Hospital, where psychopaths are securely housed.

Despite the author’s enthusiasm, I’m not sure that we regular folk have anything of any great import to learn from psychopaths. Much more significant in my opinion is the ability of regular folk to recognize these damaged people and deal with or avoid them, something that the author doesn’t even broach. This seems to be more the author as a fan, rather than a realist about the condition.  Still an entertaining read.

Well, let's just say Mr. Kean clearly isn't Helen Czerski (and that is not a good thing).

He either has no clear conception of who his target audience is, or he doesn't know how to talk to his audience.  Someone with an average to advanced training in science obviously wouldn't need any explanations as to the structure of the periodic table, to begin with.  The rest of us might need one -- but (and it speaks volumes that I even have to emphasize this) a clearly structured one, please, not an assortment of anectdotes that blows any explanatory structure clean out of the window.  Also, if you're writing a book subtitled (in part) "...Tales of ... the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements", wouldn't it be a good idea to give your readers an idea when and how the periodic table itself made its first appearance in the history of the world?  Just a paragraph or so, for reference in conjunction with its basic structure, so we know where we are, both in chemical terms and the history of science?  (Ms. Czerski did just that.  But as I said ... Mr. Kean clearly isn't Helen Czerski.) 

So far, he's managed the feat that only one of my school teachers ever managed, and that was my physics teacher, who, like Sam Kean, presented his material full of enthusiasm as to the magic of it all, or the big joke associated with a given scientific fact / discovery, or some other reaction clearly warranted in his eyes, while completely failing to transport to the rest of us -- and hence, leaving us entirely mystified -- what all all of this had to do with any of us and why it was actually important (other than in a way that only the initiated would be able to appreciate).  I used to actually like chemistry in school (unlike physics), and I believed I had a fairly good grip on the subject -- an impression my teachers seemed to share, judging by my grades.   A major reason for this was the fact that (unlike in physics class) I never had a moment's doubt as to why what I was learning mattered, and how it all fitted together in the grand scheme of things.  But if I didn't at least have this distant reservoir to rely on, I'm pretty sure I'd be entirely baffled already.  And I can only hope that this state of affairs is going to improve, because otherwise I'm either going to throw in the towel or it's going to take me eons to finish this book (and it won't earn a particularly high rating, either).

Conscious Living and Castas in IndiaSpirituality, Power of Mind, Mindfulness, Articles, consciousness, Healthy Living

Super Sisters Bees Eusociality consciousness Evolution

by Nataša Pantović

Eusociality, from Greek εὖ eu "good", is the highest level of organization of animal sociality, found in bees and ants, and include care of offspring from society, or a division of work into reproductive and non-reproductive tasks. This division of labor within the animal world our biologists call “castes”. An interesting behavior characteristics of caste members is that a member of one caste loses the ability to perform the task of another.

Honey bees, super sisters’ bees and their Eusociality has developed over the 1,000s of years of evolution and has always fascinated people with its efficiency and complexities. In haplodiploid species, bees included, females develop from fertilized eggs and males from unfertilized ones. A queen only mates during one brief period in her early life, over the course of a small number of mating flights. About 10-20 drones (males) will mate with the queen during her mating flights. 

Pop Sugar 2019 Challenge prompts:

Book that makes you nostalgic 

Book without chapters or unusual chapters (advanced prompt)

What an amazing romp through nostalgia! This book was incredibly well researched and full of details. It mentioned series I didn't even know existed, as well as the huge hits. Full color. Dozens of book covers. Interviews with some of the authors. Even a piece on the person that painted all the Baby-sitters Club covers. If you want to remember your youth, check this out.