Review: "Curiosity: How Science Became Interested in Everything" by Philip Ball

Curiosity: How Science Became Interested in Everything by Philip Ball
University of Chicago Press, Paperback, 9780226211695, 465pp. Publication Date: September 17, 2014

Today, citizens of the industrialized world almost universally consider curiosity to be a praiseworthy trait, and we consider it to be a fundamental attribute of the Scientist, the Jedi of Science, through which our place in the universe can be understood and our welfare enhanced. But humanity did not always consider curiosity to be praiseworthy.

It is certainly not evolutionary advantageous. How many curious hominids had their genetic lines snuffed out by eating unknown plants or entering dark caves or traveling to the next valley?

Review: "This Orient Isle: Elizabethan England and the Islamic World" by Jerry Brotton

This Orient Isle: Elizabethan England and the Islamic World by Jerry Brotton

My review in today's @FT - Elizabethan England and the Islamic World https://t.co/yHO5LKjpQk via

— Joe Moshenska (@JoeMoshenska) March 19, 2016

I have not read the book.

Documentary - Kareem: Minority of One

In November 2015, HBO released a documentary, Kareem: A Minority of One, about the National Basketball Association star Kareem Abdul Jabbar. If you are a sports fan or interested in the biography of a prominent Muslim-American, you really should check this out. It even has footage of Bruce Lee, with whom Kareem had formed a friendship!

Many of Kareem's problems in his personal life, including estrangement from his parents, stemmed from his commitment to following a religious path set out for him by Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, leader of the self-described Hanafi Muslims. Only as he began to make decisions for himself did his spiritual life and relationships become as rich as his professional life.

You can follow Kareem on Twitter. He also has a website.

Dawud Walid's Thoughts on PBS's Documentary on the Black Panthers

My thoughts on #BlackPanthersPBS https://t.co/q0PSHinXd3

— Dawud Walid (@DawudWalid) February 18, 2016

PBS's website for the documentary allows you to watch it for free until March 18, 2016.

Check out my review of Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight Against Medical Discrimination by Alondra Nelson.

SAFFIYYA MOHAMMED: ABC's "Quantico" Suffers from Fake Diversity

When I saw the ‘Quantico’ trailer, I knew I was going to hate-watch the show. https://t.co/MglC3GQPo4 by @SaffiyyaM

— Coming of Faith (@ComingofFaith) February 24, 2016

I have not watched the show.

Favorite Quotes - Sinclair Lewis, "It Can't Happen Here"

Harold Finch from CBS's "Person of Interest"
reading It Can't Happen Here

The first Sinclair Lewis novel I read (heard on CDs, actually) was Dodsworth. Some satirical passages were entertaining, but I never felt like I learned/felt/thought anything profound. Frederic Rich's Christian Nation quoted from Lewis's book It Can't Happen Here, so I decided to read it. Overall, it's a vigorous defense of Liberalism from Fascism and Communism, yet it does allow room for criticism of Liberalism. I'm excerpting some lengthy passages from the book, the text of which is available for free online. I've prefaced each passage with a header. So just like al-Imam al-Bukhari, my thoughts are in the headings and the passages I've chosen to excerpt.

The University of California system produced a reading guide which looks really interesting. Also, Donald Trump's campaign has sparked new interest in the novel.

For more thoughts on fascism, read Umberto Eco's essay on Ur-Fascism. Also, check out my other blog entries tagged fascism.

Rim-Sarah Alouane: Islamophobia in "Babylon," S10E05 of X-Files

My last piece“Muslims Are Out There: I wanted to believe, but after 20 years of being a fan…”https://t.co/wYPIWhxbsu pic.twitter.com/kLNPBiRKgA

— Rim-Sarah Alouane (@RimSarah) February 16, 2016

Messiah to the Ants - Quote from Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms"

I listened to a recording of Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. The narrator was Alexander Adams. This passage is near the end and contains spoilers.

Feminism in Caleb Carr's "The Angel of Darkness"

I read Caleb Carr's The Alienist for a book club, and I'm almost done with its sequel, The Angel of Darkness. It has some great material to help people understand some aspects of feminism. One of the characters, Sara Howard, explains to Stevie, the novel's narrator and a street kid in the care of her colleague, why society's attitude towards women (misogyny) may explain the behavior of the murder suspect, Elspeth Hunter, they are investigating and people's attitudes towards her. The passage begins on page 437 and continues for a few pages.

Dancing is a Sin: Two One-Woman Plays from Egypt - Jan 14, Boston Performance, Streamed Live & Archived

Livestreaming "Dancing is a Sin: Two One-Woman Plays from Egypt” @huntington—Thurs Jan 14—7:30pET/4:30pPT https://t.co/UheuuACsDe #howlround

— HowlRound (@HowlRound) January 11, 2016

@aymanfadel @HowlRoundTV @huntington Yes, the video archive will be embedded in that post —

— HowlRound (@HowlRound) January 13, 2016

h/t M. Lynx Qualey at Arab Lit.

Corey Robin Interview of Moustafa Bayoumi, Author of “This Muslim American Life”

I've reviewed an earlier book by Moustafa Bayoumi, and I've followed Corey Robin's blog for a couple of years now. Also of note is Professor Robin's strong support of Steven Salaita.

Salon.com published Professor Robin's interview of Moustafa Bayoumi on December 27, 2015.

Get the book at an independent bookstore or from a library near you.

Favorite Quote: The Attorney-General in Charles Dickens's "A Tale of Two Cities"

The full text of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities is available online. I listened to an unabridged performance. The book should also be in your local library.

Imagine Sam Waterston of Law & Order, who as Manhattan's District Attorney wanted perps to do hard time for jaywalking, playing the role of Attorney-General prosecuting Charles Darnay for treason against the "serene, illustrious, excellent and so forth, prince, our Lord the King!"

Review: Christian Nation by Frederic C Rich

Frederic C. Rich retired from one of the United States's largest law firms. He also found time to write a speculative fiction (by now, nearly alternative history) novel set in our time about the takeover, via election, of the United States by Christian dominionists and reconstructionists.

The author maintains a website with more information about the book and a list of questions for discussion. You can search for the book at your local independent book store or at a library near you.

To Read - "The Gulf - High Culture/Hard Labor" edited by Andrew Ross

This week: Ibraaz is hosting the London book launch of @GulfLabor1's new book. Details: https://t.co/OlFkjRG34A pic.twitter.com/YfIuQ7f7fg

— Ibraaz (@Ibraaz) November 16, 2015

The Gulf Labor Artists Coalition maintains a website and a Twitter account. Sign a petition to the Guggenheim Foundation.

Andrew Ross, the editor, is a Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University in New York City.

I have not read the book.

"A new chapter in the expedient utilization of culture": Andrew Ross on Saadiyat Island http://t.co/1wBVn15d5F pic.twitter.com/94E0PGc5Fq

— Artforum (@Artforum) October 7, 2015

Ask NBC to Hire Iman Zawahry to Direct an Episode of "Master of None"

Hey guys! My friend Lexi Alexander (first female director of a Marvelfilm) helped start a Twitter campaign to have me...
Posted by Iman Zawahry on Thursday, November 12, 2015

Master of None is a Netflix original series.

Check out my interview with Iman from November 30, 2012.

Support! Training the Next Generation of Anti-Racism Program Facilitators

Takbir! 100 donors! Just 7 days left to donate. Give $5 or more now to the #AMELIntensive at https://t.co/UDJIXjrbYn pic.twitter.com/oy0hQv5oTK

— Muslim Anti-Racism (@MuslimARC) November 1, 2015

Visit the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative website.

Review: From Makka to Las Vegas: Critical Theories in Architecture and Sanctity by Ali Abd al-Ra`uf

Yomna al-Saeed wrote a review in English of an Arabic book. The review was published at onislam.net on September 21, 2015. The book's title is

 من مكة إلى لاس ڤيجاس
أطروحات نقدية في العمارة و القداسة

which I've translated to From Makka to Las Vegas: Critical Theories in Architecture and Sanctity. Its author is علي عبد الرؤوف Ali Abd al-Ra'uf. It was published in 2014.

To Read: "What Is Islam? The Importance of Being Islamic" by Shahab Ahmed

BloombergView.com on September 20, 2015 published an article by Noah Feldman about Shahab Ahmad and his book What is Islam? The Importance of Being Islamic, scheduled for publication in December 2015. Shahab Ahmed died in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States on September 17, 2015.

An Extraordinary Scholar Redefined Islam - Bloomberg View http://t.co/6pT60UdRiG

— Mohammad Fadel (@Shanfaraa) September 20, 2015

Book Review: "The Heroine Next Door" by Zeena Nackerdien

Book Review: ‘The Heroine Next Door’ by Zeena Nackerdien http://t.co/izQS5LeaAA

— Blogcritics Magazine (@Blogcritics) September 8, 2015

Sheri Hoyte reviewed The Heroine Next Door by Zeena Nackerdien for BlogCritics.com on September 8, 2015.

The book has an official website. You can buy the book from the publisher.

In her day job, Zeena Nakerdien is a real-life scientist, and she's got a non-fiction book published on Type II diabetes.

HIV / TB / Diabetes Resource Kit: In our second excerpt from science writer Zeena Nackerdien, we look at an ex... http://t.co/i4dPHhvLiu

— Sweet Life (@sweet_life_mag) August 21, 2015

I have not read the book.

Review: Being German, Becoming Muslim: Race, Religion, and Conversion in the New Europe by Esra Özyürek

Being German, Becoming Muslim: how German Muslims balance their country and their faith http://t.co/iQzX6fl0Eu

— LSE EUROPP blog (@LSEEuroppblog) September 11, 2015

Aysegul Kayaoglu reviewed Being German, Becoming Muslim: Race, Religion, and Conversion in the New Europe by Esra Özyürek. It was published in the London School of Economics Review of Books blog on June 5, 2015.

Panelists, including author Esra Özyürek, discussed the book on January 21, 2015.

Podcast 'Being German, Becoming Muslim:race, religion, & conversion in the New Europe' Esra Ozyurek @LSEEI #LSEOzyur… http://t.co/UChVI4vhTL

— LSE Events (@LSEpublicevents) July 20, 2015

Search for the book in a library near you using Worldcat.org.

I have not read the book.