The aim of the book club is to analyze and discuss scientific ideas as they are presented in popular literature. Book selections are made by members of Science Says and meetings are open to the public. Suggestions for books are always welcome. If you have a book you'd like to discuss, or if you would like to lead a book club, let us know! Links to blog posts and pertinent articles are listed below (organized by book and timeframe).
Upcoming Book Club
Winter & Spring 2022 - Remote
This winter and spring, we'll be reading How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan. Please join us in remote discussions this season on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00 pm. All are welcome!
To receive updates and information for our remote group, please fill out this form with your email address. We promise not to share it or use it for any other purpose. Sign Up
Wednesday, January 19: 6:00pm (see email for link). Prologue + Chapter 1 (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, February 9: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapter 2 (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, March 2: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapters 3
Wednesday, April 6: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapter 4 (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, April 27: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapter 5
Wednesday, May 18: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapter 6 + Epilogue
Past book clubs
Fall 2021 - Remote
We read Why We Sleepby Matthew Walker on Mondays from 6:00-7:00pm.
Monday, October 18: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapters 1-4 (Reader Summary)
Monday, November 1: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapters 5-8 (Reader Summary)
Monday, November 15: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapters 9-12 (Reader Summary)
Monday, December 1: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapters 13-Conclusion (Reader Summary)
Summer 2021 - Remote
We read In Search of Schrödinger's Cat by John Gribbin. Please join us in remote discussions this summer on Tuesdays from 6:00-7:00 pm. All are welcome!
Tuesday, July 6: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapters 1 & 2
Tuesday, July 20: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapters 3 & 4
Tuesday, August 3: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapters 5 & 6
Tuesday, August 17: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapter 7
Tuesday, August 31: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapters 8 & 9
Tuesday, September 14: 6:00pm (see email for link). Chapters 10, 11 & Epilogue
Winter/Spring 2021 - Remote
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Please join us in remote discussions this winter/spring on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00 pm. All are welcome!
Wednesday, February 3: 6:00pm (see email for link). Part One (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, February 24: 6:00pm (see email for link). Part Two (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, March 17: 6:00pm (see email for link). Part Three (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, April 7: 6:00pm (see email for link). Part Four
Wednesday, April 28: 6:00pm (see email for link). Part Five (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, May 19: 6:00pm (see email for link). Part Six & Atossa's
Fall 2020 - Remote
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery. Please join us in remote discussions this summer on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. All are welcome!
Wednesday, October 21: 6:30 pm (see email for link). Chapters 1 & 2 (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, November 4: 6:30 pm (see email for link). Chapters 3 & 4 (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, November 18: 6:30 pm (see email for link). Chapters 5 & 6 (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, December 2: 6:30pm (see email for link). Chapters 7 & 8 (Reader Summary)
Summer 2020 - Remote
The War On Science by Shawn Otto. Please join us in remote discussions this summer on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. All are welcome!
Wednesday, June 17th: 6:30 pm (see email for link). Part I - Chapters 1 & 2. (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, July 8th: 6:30 pm (see email for link). Part II - Chapters 3, 4, & 5. (Reader Summary)
Wednesday July 29th: 6:30 pm (see email for link). Part II - Chapters 6 & 7. (Reader Summary)
Wednesday, August 19th: 6:30pm (see email for link). Part III - Chapters 8 & 9. (Reader Summary)
Wednesday September 9th: 6:30 pm (see email for link). Part III - Chapter 10. (Reader Summary)
Wednesday September 30th: 6:30 pm (see email for link). Part IV - Chapters 11, 12, & 13. (Reader Summary)
Spring 2020
The War on Science by Shawn Otto. Cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Fall 2019
She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity by Carl Zimmer. Please join us in discussions this quarter on select days at the Mary L. Stephens-Davis Branch Library (map) at 7:00 pm in the small meeting room. All are welcome!
We will be discussing one section at each meeting, so please try to read beforehand.
October 2: Part I: A Stroke on the Cheek (Pages 11-134) Reader's Summary (Savidge)
October 16: Part II: Wayward DNA Reader's Summary (DeRogatis)
October 30: Part III: The Pedigree Within Reader's Summary (Mooney)
November 13: Part IV: Other Channels Reader's Summary (DeRogatis & Savidge)
December 4: Part V: The Sun Chariot Reader's Summary (Savidge)
Spring 2018
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan This quarter's book club is led by Sam Tucci (sttucci@ucdavis.edu) and Destiny Davis (desdavis@ucdavis.edu). Email to get on the contact list. Get ready to read a timely call to science by one of science's greatest treasures, Carl Sagan. Originally published in 1995, understanding Sagan's vision in The Demon-Haunted World is still immensely important today.
April 12: Preface through Chapter 5: Spoofing and secrecy
May 9: Chapter 6: Hallucinations through Chapter 10: The Dragon in my Garage
May 23: Chapter 11: The City of Grief through Chapter 18: The Wind Makes Dust
June 6: Chapter 19: No Such Thing as a Dumb Question to the end
Winter 2018
This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress by John Brockman
(led by Sam Tucci (sttucci@ucdavis.edu) and Destiny Davis (desdavis@ucdavis.edu). Email to get on the contact list)
This Winter, we are talking about big ideas and progress by reading This Idea Must Die: Scientific Theories That Are Blocking Progress edited by John Brockman. Brockman has gathered essays from some of the world's greatest thinkers that reflect on ideas that are stagnating humanity. All are welcome to join our reading and discussion taking place at the Stephens-Davis Branch Library on select Wednesdays at 6:30.
January 10: Preface to Roger Highfield's Evolution is "True" This Idea Must Die: Intriguing concept, lackluster execution (Tucci)
January 24: Anton Zeilinger's There Is No Reality in the Quantum World to Simon Baron-Cohen's Radial Behaviorism
February 7: Daniel L Everett's "Instinct" and "Innate" to Andy Clark's The Input-Output Model of Perception and Action Please, don't kill this idea (Tucci)
February 28: Laurie R. Santos & Tamar Gendler's Knowing Is Half the Battle to David M. Buss' Beauty Is in the Eyes of the Beholder
March 7: Helen Fisher's Romantic Love and Addiction to the end *Book club is CANCELLED for this date so book-clubbers can attend the Food Evolution Screening at 4pm in the UC Davis SEC Multipurpose Room! But watch for a blog about the reading!
Fall 2017
The War on Science: Who's Waging It, Why It Matters, What We Can Do About It by Shawn Otto
(led by Sam Tucci (sttucci@ucdavis.edu) and Destiny Davis (desdavis@ucdavis.edu). Email to get on the contact list)
This Fall we are excited to discuss The War on Science: Who's Waging It, Why It Matters, What We Can Do About It by Shawn Otto. The War on Science will tackle anti-science and how it is effecting politics, progress, and our world. This timely book is sure to incite lively (and friendly) discussion and debate about how science and politics fit-- or should fit-- together. Please join us this Fall in reading. Stop by the Stephens-Davis Branch Library on select Wednesdays at 6:30 this quarter to express your thoughts and opinions and listen to other Davis community members!
October 11: Chapters 1-2 Is Knowledge still power? (Tucci)
October 25: Chapters 3-4 Science and democracy (Davis)
November 9: Chapters 5-6 Anti-vaxxers and the Sagan effect: A grim read for science communication hopefuls (Tucci)
November 29: Chapters 7-8 December 6: Chapters 9-10 Attacks on science come from multiple angles (Tucci)
December 13: Chapters 11-13
Spring 2017
The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee
(led by Sam Tucci, sttucci@ucdavis.edu. Email to get on the contact list)
This Spring we're reading The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee. The Gene explains the science, the complicated social history, and Mukherjee's personal experience with genetics. Our understanding of genetics has enabled major advances in medicine and agriculture. We are excited to read and discuss Mukherjee's perspective on genetics and how it relates to current events. We are meeting every week (Monday) on the Davis campus in Wickson 3053 from 5:00pm-6:00pm to discuss a part of the book:
May 1: Prologue: Families and Part One: The Missing Science of Heredity
May 9: Part Two: In the Sum of the Parts, There Are Only the Parts
May 15: Part Three: The Dreams of Geneticists
May 22: Part Four: The Proper Study of Mankind is Man
May 29: Part Five: Through the Looking Glass
June 5: Part Six: Post-Genome and Epilogue: Bheda, Abheda If you would like to join the discussion email Sam Tucci at sttucci@ucdavis.edu to get on the mailing list.
Winter 2017
Stuffed and Starved: The Battle for the World Food System by Raj Patel
(led by Destiny Davis, desdavis@ucdavis.edu)
We are starting off our book club by reading the UC Davis Campus book project 2016-2017 pick: Stuffed and Starved. Our meetings will culminate in a public lecture and panel discussion by Raj Patel at the Mondavi center at UC Davis. Our meetings are held in the small conference room at the Yolo County Library (Mary Stephen's branch). Below are links to blog posts and useful articles.
Final Summary: Battle Cry, Not a Playbook Fact checking
Chapter 6: Comments by UC Davis biotechnology experts
Davis Enterprise article by Sam Tucci (UC Davis grad student and member of the book club)
