In "Non-Fiction/Liberal Arts," I have compiled book reviews on non-fiction and liberal arts topics. These range from works covering incidents and accidents to introducing knowledge about history and philosophy. I am interested in a variety of knowledge, so the themes I cover are diverse. By the way, articles related to science and mathematics are compiled in "Science/Mathematics."
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The Dangers of Believing What We Want Instead of What’s True: “Truth in Our Times” (David E. McCraw) (a true story of the New York Times)
A decade ago, we were supposed to “want the correct information." But somehow, things have changed. People have ended up believing that the “desired information is correct." This shift became even more evident with the rise of former President Trump. From "Truth in Our Times: Inside the Fight for Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts," let's question how we receive information. -
The Shocking Reality of Private Penitentiaries in America: A Review of American Prison (Author Shane Bauer)
In America, there are "private penitentiaries". "American Prison," written by an author who went undercover as a prison guard in one of them for research, is a non-fiction book that is filled with unbelievable descriptions. It depicts the historical background of how the world of madness, where inhumane acts prevail, came into being, as well as "private penitentiaries". -
[Summary] Other Minds: Exploring the Consciousness of Octopuses (Author Peter Godfrey-Smith)
Cephalopoda, such as the octopus, is the only Invertebrata to have evolved a "brain". The author writes that he feels a connection to octopuses despite having followed a completely different path of evolution, and describes them as the living beings that are most similar to extraterrestrial biological entities. In “Other Minds,” we can learn about the evolutionary history of the octopus, which also has a brain in its arm and the nature of consciousness. -
[Summary] The Code Book: Simon Singh’s Guide to the History of Cryptography
"Cryptography" is not just a topic in mystery novels and spy movies, it is a crucial part of our daily lives, especially in internet security. Simon Singh's book, "The Code Book," explores the evolution of cryptography from linguistics to mathematics, and explains how "Public-key cryptography" solved the "key distribution problem." -
Psychology of Failure: Why We Can’t Trust Our Senses and Memory: “The Invisible Gorilla” (Christopher Chabris, Daniel Simons)
We live in society relying on perception and memory, but can we really trust them? From "The Invisible Gorilla" by the authors who devised an experiment that shocked the world of psychology, learn about "inescapable habits of failure". -
How Mr. Tornado Made Flying Safer with Downburst Theory
Just a few decades ago, airplanes were known as "rides of death", but thanks to the genius meteorologist Fujita Tetsuya, the skies around the world have become safer. Nowadays, airplanes are less prone to fatal accidents than cars. Learn about his turbulent research life in " Mr.トルネード 藤田哲也 航空事故を激減させた男(Mr.Tornado Fujita Tetsuya The Man Who Drastically Reduced Aviation Accidents)".
