Welcome to Ask The Dean's Journal

Summer has finally arrived. Time for barbecues, cycling, tennis, baseball, beach time, bad movies, amusement parks, etc. In essence, a time for slacking off. Whoa… not so fast. The mind is like a muscle, if you stop exercising - it will atrophy. So in between downtime – PICK UP A BOOK! It doesn't have to be a book on differential equations, but it should stretch your mind a bit. Here is my top 5 for the Summer of 2008!

1 - Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson. A wonderful review of his life and thoughts. A complicated man with complicated ideas who simplified our lives.
2 – The Maine Woods by Henry David Thoreau. A mid-19th century romp through the “pre-civilized” woods of Maine. Before there was Rachel Carson, Thoreau was concerned with the effect of logging on nature.
3 - Eleven Blue Men by Roueche. It’s what turned me on to epidemiology. A classic collection of stories recapping strange and mysterious medical conditions. Shoe leather epidemiology at its best!
4 - The Boat That Wouldn't Float by Farley Mowat. I didn't say they all had to be brain teasers! A great book by the greatest Canadian writer of all time. A rip-roaring adventure of a Newfeee boat!
5 - Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. If you have only seen the movie, you've missed out. Pick up the book and read what began it all. Not only a wonderful tale, but it also poses some deep ethical issues concerning cloning. Definitely proves that science is fun.
Enjoy your reading and don't forget your SPF!