Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller

Another gem from Keller. It is about idolatry as a unifying principle of our sin nature. His arguments are clear but it is his biblical examples that really shine. As we read the book to each other, the one who got to read those parts felt lucky. His discussion of Leah was new to us and amazing.

This would be a great book for a small group discussion.

Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Taleb

This book promises but doesn't deliver. It almost explains why the brain misunderstands probability. Almost explains Popper, Hume, option trading, stoicism, epicureanism. Almost explains Soros, Monte Carlo engines, chaos theory, black swans. Almost explains because answers are plagued by randomness, emotion and irrationality, and opinions change. Perhaps he is thoroughly post-modern. For similar style with much more substance, stick with Berlinski.