One of the best things to come out of blogging is the blog book club. (See, for example, the book club at Talking Points Memo.) In the bad old days, the only way writers could respond to books was with a one-shot book review. A blog book club, on the other hand, allows writers to have public conversations about books and the issues they raise. It also makes room for readers to get into the discussion as well.
Unfortunately, until now blog book clubs have mostly been dedicated to politics. Scienceblogs is now rectifying this imbalance with the launch of the Scienceblogs Book Club. And, oh frabjous day, the first title they’ve chosen to discuss is my new book, Microcosm.
A wonderful troika of writers have joined the club. P.Z. Myers, who blogs at Pharyngula, is on board, despite the fact that I am not writing about cephalopods at this moment. So is John Dennehy, a microbiologist at CUNY (a k a The Evilutionary Biologist). And rounding out the club is journalist Jessica Snyder Sachs, author most recently of the excellent Good Germs, Bad Germs, in which she tours the mysterious world of microbes in which we are immersed.
I’ve kicked things off with an introductory post. I hope you find the conversation that unfolds to be provocative (and perhaps intriguing enough to pick up a copy of the book).
Originally published June 1, 2008. Copyright 2008 Carl Zimmer.