From Powells.com
Hot new releases and under-the-radar gems for adults and kids.
Staff Pick
What makes us curious? In his new book, astrophysicist Mario Livio deftly explores our deeply-ingrained impulse to question. Packed with interviews, stories, science, and explorations into the minds of such thinkers as Leonardo da Vinci and Richard Feynman, Why? is highly recommended for anyone curious about being curious. Recommended By Gigi L., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Astrophysicist and author Mario Livio investigates perhaps the most human of all our characteristics — curiosity — as he explores our innate desire to know why.
Experiments demonstrate that people are more distracted when they overhear a phone conversation — where they can know only one side of the dialogue — than when they overhear two people talking and know both sides. Why does half a conversation make us more curious than a whole conversation?
In the ever-fascinating Why? Mario Livio interviewed scientists in several fields to explore the nature of curiosity. He examined the lives of two of history’s most curious geniuses, Leonardo da Vinci and Richard Feynman. He also talked to people with boundless curiosity: a superstar rock guitarist who is also an astrophysicist; an astronaut with degrees in computer science, biology, literature, and medicine. What drives these people to be curious about so many subjects?
Curiosity is at the heart of mystery and suspense novels. It is essential to other forms of art, from painting to sculpture to music. It is the principal driver of basic scientific research. Even so, there is still no definitive scientific consensus about why we humans are so curious, or about the mechanisms in our brain that are responsible for curiosity.
Mario Livio — an astrophysicist who has written about mathematics, biology, and now psychology and neuroscience — explores this irresistible subject in a lucid, entertaining way that will captivate anyone who is curious about curiosity.
Review
"Whether in science or art, curiosity is essential to progress — but what is it, exactly? Mixing historical narratives with interviews, and throwing in a dash of neuroscience, Mario Livio explores whether we are inquisitive because curiosity feels good in itself or because finding out something new removes an irritation. It can be both, he concludes, and different types of curiosity serve different purposes. Livio's book doesn't pretend to have all the answers, but it might well spur your own curiosity." David Lindley, author of Uncertainty: Einstein, Heisenberg, Bohr, and the Struggle for the Soul of Science, and Where Does the Weirdness Go: Why Quantum is Strange but Not as Strange as you Think
Review
"Filled with fascinating stories, tidbits, and psychological insights, Why? is a delightful romp through every aspect of human curiosity. It will surprise you, make you smarter, and put a spring in your step." Steven Strogatz, Schurman Professor of Applied Mathematics, Cornell University, and author of The Joy of X
Review
"It’s impossible to imagine creativity or invention without curiosity, and one could hardly ask for a richer or more engaging exploration of human curiosity than the one provided by Mario Livio in Why?. This book is an intellectual feast for any curious person." Jeffrey M. Schwartz MD, Research Psychiatrist UCLA, author of (with Sharon Begley) The Mind and the Brain and (with Rebecca Gladding) You are Not Your Brain
Review
"Have you ever wondered why we wonder why? Mario Livio has, and he takes you on a fascinating quest to understand the origin and mechanisms of our curiosity. I thoroughly recommend it." Adam Riess, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics, 2011
Synopsis
Astrophysicist and author Mario Livio investigates perhaps the most human of all our characteristics curiosity as he explores our innate desire to know why.
Experiments demonstrate that people are more distracted when they overhear a phone conversation where they can know only one side of the dialogue than when they overhear two people talking and know both sides. Why does half a conversation make us more curious than a whole conversation?
In the ever-fascinating Why? Mario Livio interviewed scientists in several fields to explore the nature of curiosity. He examined the lives of two of history s most curious geniuses, Leonardo da Vinci and Richard Feynman. He also talked to people with boundless curiosity: a superstar rock guitarist who is also an astrophysicist; an astronaut with degrees in computer science, biology, literature, and medicine. What drives these people to be curious about so many subjects?
Curiosity is at the heart of mystery and suspense novels. It is essential to other forms of art, from painting to sculpture to music. It is the principal driver of basic scientific research. Even so, there is still no definitive scientific consensus about why we humans are so curious, or about the mechanisms in our brain that are responsible for curiosity.
Mario Livio an astrophysicist who has written about mathematics, biology, and now psychology and neuroscience explores this irresistible subject in a lucid, entertaining way that will captivate anyone who is curious about curiosity."
About the Author
Mario Livio is an internationally known astrophysicist, a bestselling author, and a popular speaker who has appeared on The Daily Show, 60 Minutes, and NOVA. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Besides Why? What Makes Us Curious, he is the author of The Golden Ratio, a highly acclaimed book for which he received the International Pythagoras Prize and the Peano Prize; The Equation That Couldn’t Be Solved; Is God a Mathematician? (which was the basis for the 2016 Emmy-nominated NOVA program "The Great Math Mystery"); the national bestseller Brilliant Blunders; and The Accelerating Universe. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.