A discussion about the format for this reading

[Saffron]

Robert Tulip:

I find slightly troubling when I see the herd mentality of homo piscis(my bold)

I love it!

[Chris OConnor]

Ok, I'll add that book to this forum. But give me a day or two to do it properly. I'm going out for a few hours and won't be able to edit things till tomorrow or Sunday. But get a copy of Our Inner Ape right away!

[Biomachine]

I could understand if you feel overwhelmed with all of this, so I have a simple suggestion on how to organize everything, if you don't mind.

You could make a thread in this forum notifying the members that there are a few people who feel reading Our Inner Ape would be a great addition to Your Inner Fish, and that it's recommended but completely optional. People could then talk about Frans De Waal's book in that thread in general if they like, and discuss any parts that are relevant (if there are any) to Your Inner Fish in the Chapter threads. Maybe my suggestion sounds more complicated than what you have planned. If that's the case, please disregard this post.

This is going to sound stupid but... I'm curious as to why Saffron and other members feel this book would enhance the discussion on Neil Shubin's book. Is it relevant at all to what Neil Shubin discusses in his book? I guess I'll find out when I check Amazon.

Anyway, I'm going to put Our Inner Ape on hold at the library along with another book I plan on reading. I'm not sure either will be available soon, so I might have to stick to just reading Your Inner Fish on its own.

[Robert Tulip]

Robert Tulip:

I find slightly troubling when I see the herd mentality of homo piscis(my bold)

I love it!

Do you love the herd mentality or the neologism?

[Saffron]

neologism

[DWill]

I find Chris's reasons from the broader perspective to be valid, so I change my mind and say stick with Fish as the centerpiece. I note there is a lot of other material to look at listed in Neil Shubin's notes. Most of this is very technical (Shubin has done us the favor of simplifying some of it), but there is some that isn't. All our discussions have a way of getting interestingly off-track, anyway, so we'll probably find we have plenty to talk about!
DWill

[Saffron]

DWill:

All our discussions have a way of getting interestingly off-track, anyway, so we'll probably find we have plenty to talk about!

I sure hope so! I just volunteered to lead the discussion.

[Biomachine]

I note there is a lot of other material to look at listed in Neil Shubin's notes.

This is a very good point.

All our discussions have a way of getting interestingly off-track, anyway, so we'll probably find we have plenty to talk about!

This is good to know. In my case, if I rarely contribute, it's not because the book doesn't have enough to talk about. It's nervousness that's the issue for me. This is my first time here and I've never done anything like this before. I only hope I don't look like an idiot when/if I do get involved in the discussion.

[Ophelia]

This is good to know. In my case, if I rarely contribute, it's not because the book doesn't have enough to talk about. It's nervousness that's the issue for me. This is my first time here and I've never done anything like this before. I only hope I don't look like an idiot when/if I do get involved in the discussion

Hello Biomachine,

Chris tells us that quite a few people write to him to share similar feelings, so you're not alone. You've made the first step by writing those first posts.
When it comes to the actual discussion, you'll see that other people will be helpful. If you've read some of our previous discussions, you know that there won't be any put-downs.
People will appreciate your interest in the book and the topic, and things will be easier with each posting you write.

In the mean time, you might consider contributing to
topics other than book discussions: you'll get to know people and there are relaxed, easy activities you can share with us.
But as it is you've already contributed and shown interest in the non-fiction
forum: you'll be just fine.

[Lawrence]

Have you all read Notes, References, and Further Reading beginning on page 203? I think we do a disservice to Dr. Shubin if we don't try harder to realize the mass amount of information he distilled and presented so effectively. It appears to me BT members acknowledge being naive in their understanding of Dr. Shubin's area of expertise. Since Chris is giving us the option not to discuss both books simultaneously I'm going to just stick with this one and dig a little deeper into the subject matter presented by this book.