Plato at the Googleplex
Acclaimed philosopher and novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein provides a dazzlingly original plunge into the drama of philosophy, revealing its hidden role in today's debates on religion, morality, politics, and science. "From the acclaimed writer and thinker--whose award-winning books include both fiction and non-fiction--a dazzlingly original plunge into the drama of philosophy, revealing its hidden but essential role in today's debates on love, religion, politics, and science. Imagine that Plato came to life in the 21st century and set out on a multi-city speaking tour: How would he handle a host on Fox News who challenges him on religion and morality? How would he mediate a debate on the best way to raise a child between a Freudian psychoanalyst and a Tiger Mom? How would he answer a neuroscientist who, about to scan Plato's brain, argues that all his philosophical problems can be solved by our new technologies? What would he make of Google, and the idea that knowledge can be crowdsourced rather than reasoned out by experts? With a philosopher's depth and a novelist's imagination, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein probes the deepest issues confronting us--from sexuality and child-rearing to morality and the meaning of life--by allowing us to eavesdrop on Plato as he encounters the modern world. By reviving the Platonic art of the dialogue for the 21st century, she demonstrates that the questions he first posed continue to confound and enlarge us"
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What Hacker News says
- Plato at the Googleplex might be of interest to you - it's got its rough points but it brings a lot of his philosophy forward to be more relatable.
- Recommendation for Plato at the Googleplex by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein. A very fun set of thought-experiment/narrative dialogues exploring why philosophy (still) matters.
- I've just updated my list of books I read this year. Scores are out of 5. If there is a + it means I found it to be extra special for some reason or other.
= Jan =
Smarter Than You Think - Clive Thompson 3
The positives of tech and the internet.
= Feb =
Super Sad True Love Story - Gary Shteyngart 4
Science fiction set in the not too distant future. Main themes include life extension and surveillance.
= Mar =
The HitchHiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 4
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams 3
Had never read this series, thought it might be about time.
= Apr =
What does it all Mean? - Thomas Nagel 2 (though it is kind of meant for people who have never done any Philosophy, ever, so would recommend to someone like that. Will pass it on to someone taking an interest in the subject)
An introduction to Philosophy.
Earth - David Brin 5+
Science fiction set in the not too distant future, written in the 90s. Really interesting themes / vision of post climate change world.
SlaughterHouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut 5
Semi autobiographical account of the bombing of Dresden in WW2. Really funny and clever ideas. Very good.
= May =
Nick Cohen - What’s Left? 4
Account of how the left has degenerated since the collapse of the hard left and the winning of liberal battles e.g. LGBT rights. Basic premise is that those on the left hate the West and the status quo so much they stoop to allying themselves with anyone who also opposes the status quo.
= June =
Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy won’t go away - Rebecca Newberger Goldstein 5+
Plato has somehow appeared in the 21st century and is doing a talk at Google! A really enjoyable account of how Plato’s philosophy could be applied to modern issues. Really good. I want to go to Athens.
= July =
The Mind Body Problem - Rebecca Newberger Goldstein 4
Novel about a female philosophy student shagging around and philosophising about it.
Believing Bullshit - Stephen Law 4
Book detailing the various tricks / schemes played by charlatans and how to avoid being taken in by them.
= August =
36 Arguments for the Existence of God: a work of fiction - Rebecca Newberger Goldstein 3
Novel about an academic and his mentor. It was ok.
= September =
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams 3
Think I’m done reading these for now, don’t feel the urge to finish the set.
Kafka - The Trial 5
Really good. Love the surrealism - the nightmarish / dreamish-ness of it. Saw it in the Theatre as well after reading it, thought that was great too.
= October =
= November =
Existence - David Brin 3
Not as good as Earth. Glad I read that first. Interesting imagining of what form contact from alien life could take though. Also interesting look at existential risks. The main part I didn’t like was how it skipped forward in time 3 decades about 3/4s of the way through, I had thought the characters were a little weak in general up until then anyway, and then they were pretty much gone entirely at that point.
= December =
Alone Together - Sherry Turtle 4
The negatives of tech, robotics and the internet. Interesting and important read.
Imperium - Robert Harris 5
First in the semi-fictional trilogy accounting the fall of the Roman Republic, told through the eyes of Cicero’s secretary, Tiro. Really good. The politics, the corruption, the ancient city really brought to life. Enhanced by having visited Rome in the Summer.
Also currently reading ‘Reclaiming Conversation’ by Sherry Turkle, an account of the negative affect being permanently tethered to the internet has on our conversations, our capacity for empathy and our relationships, and Nietzsche’s 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra'.
- Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls - David Sedaris, My Life as a Quant - Emmanuel Derman, Plato at the Googleplex - Rebecca Goldstein, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami
