Our Curiosity and Spirituality Discussion

We had a good discussion on June 15. Most everyone felt that curiosity is part of their spiritual seeking, providing energy and direction. Books mentioned in the discussion included:

• Joseph Banks: A Life, by Patrick O'Brian (the same author who wrote Master and Commander and other books in that series about life in the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars). Banks was a naturalist who served on Capt. Cook's voyages of exploration.
• Shift: The Beginning of War, The Ending of War, by Judith Hand. A book about scientific research on how humanity can end the practice of war.
• Curious Naturalists, by Niko Tinbergen. As a young graduate student, Tinbergen began studying the behavior of "bee-killer" wasps in the sand dunes of Holland. His account of the work is one of the classics of the process of scientific inquiry.
• Male Brain and Female Brain, by Louann Brizendine. These two books describe new understandings of how the human brain works in men and women.
• Origins of the Human Mind, by Stephen Hinshaw. This is a fascinating audio book about how the human mind works. It is available from The Great Courses at http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=1663. Its regular price is quite high but it goes on sale now and then. 
• Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, by Daniel Amen