What If? by Randall Munroe
This book is by the author of the excellent XKCD web-comic strip, and he is also a physicist. Basically the book is a bunch of answers to somewhat crazy questions that readers have asked Mr. Munroe. For example, how many laser pointers would you have to shine at the moon to make it brighter? How high of an altitude would you need to drop a steak to have it cooked when it hits the ground. What would happen if all lightening bolts that hit the earth at a given moment in time were combined into one? What if a baseball pitcher threw a ball near the speed of light. Could you fly a plane on another planet? Very interesting and very funny. Grade: A-
The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku
A very interesting book about what is known about the brain, current research, and potential technologies. Most of the book was very interesting. It got a little slow and dry near the end, but, overall, it is worth reading. Grade: B
What We Talk About When We Talk About God by Rob Bell
A book about what Rob Bell learned after a crisis of faith. Grade: B+
