Here's an endorsement of "Saving Gaia" by a pretty renowned atheist writer. It's very flattering because neology (coining words) has been a hobby of mine since college days—futureword, end-meme, others. Dr. Dana says, "Every page drips with such factoid snacks for hungry minds."
"Factoid" is a neologism first used by Norman Mailer in one of his novels in the '50s. It's defined as "insignificant facts" of little practical use. But I'd like to bring out that factoids are the bricks that, piled one atop another, are the foundation of our worldview, our philosophy of life.
EndorsementReading Goscicki makes me wish I had paid more attention in school. His store of esoterica is encyclopedic: William Golding attended a British Chipsian (taken from Good-bye Mr. Chips) boys school; Galileo's daughter was prohibited from visiting him while under house arrest in his villa in 1660; Sonderkommandos were Jewish slaves who emptied Nazi gas chambers of their corpses; Carl Sagan denounced St. Augustine as the man most responsible for bringing on the Dark Ages; Tethys the Sea Goddess is the daughter of Gaia. Who knew? Every page drips with such factoid snacks for hungry minds.
Dan Dana, PhD
Author of The Reason Revolution: Atheism, Secular Humanism, and the Collapse of Religion
www.dandana.us/atheism
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.• It sounds like a read for those wanting to read without benefit, what in Australia would have been called a "Clayton's read - the read you have when not having a read". ... Claytons is a non alcoholic cordial that was promoted as the "drink you have when not having a drink". It has now been bought by Schweppes and removed from sale in supermarkets. Fortunately I was able to acquire a crate full before that occurred.
• it also sounds like a wonderful read for those with ADHD, ADD and Alzheimer's ... hold on isn't that most of today's society that can only be fed its real news in 10 second segments that are only true for 5% of the time when there is an 'r' in the month and a 'u' in the day?
FrayedBear
Level 9
May 6, 2018
0
The book is quite profound. It's about the despoiling of the planet due to defects and imperfections in human nature. We evolved from carnivorous pack hunters and that fact subconsciously determines much of our behavior. Ever notice that almost every sport involves aiming of some sort?
To characterize Saving Gaia as some sort of milquetoast, sterile endeavor is quite off target.