melwyk's review
4.0
This book was very satisfying -- literary and poetic in style, it also had a high level of "scienticity", as Major develops her themes in various areas of biology, linguistics, physics and more.
I found this book enjoyable and thoughtful. The references to scientific studies and concepts had me making notes about things to look up and learn more about. The references to creating poetry had me thinking more deeply about the collections of new poetry I've been perusing lately. And the way in which Major concludes that poets and scientists must both develop “the ability to simultaneously maintain conviction and doubt” seemed to me a description of the educated mind in general. She finishes by suggesting that the separation of poetry and science is facile, that rather than being emotion vs. rationality, both areas are full of emotion. It's an element of human life that can't fail to colour everything we do, whether we acknowledge or deny it.
Full review at The Indextrious Reader
I found this book enjoyable and thoughtful. The references to scientific studies and concepts had me making notes about things to look up and learn more about. The references to creating poetry had me thinking more deeply about the collections of new poetry I've been perusing lately. And the way in which Major concludes that poets and scientists must both develop “the ability to simultaneously maintain conviction and doubt” seemed to me a description of the educated mind in general. She finishes by suggesting that the separation of poetry and science is facile, that rather than being emotion vs. rationality, both areas are full of emotion. It's an element of human life that can't fail to colour everything we do, whether we acknowledge or deny it.
Full review at The Indextrious Reader
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