Book 6 - Carlo Rovelli "Helgoland"

Carlo Rovelli "Helgoland" (Penguin)



The first two parts of this book provide an account of the origins of quantum theory and canvas a number of interpretations of how best to make sense of the curious world that appears to arise in light of this theory. These are challenging sections to read, even though the real math is shunted off to endnotes. Fortunately Rovelli is never less than exceptionally clear and even though the math is certainly beyond me, the argument was comprehensible and persuasive. Ultimately Rovelli defends a relational account of quantum mechanics that sensibly avoids the kinds of hostages to metaphysical fortune that burden the other major competing accounts.

The third part of the book then moves away from the difficult but well-trodden ground (at least for Rovelli) of quantum theory into areas less certain and less satisfactory. I appreciate that Rovelli is remarkably well-read but I worry that outside the confines of physics he does not bring an equal scrutiny to bear on statements that might superficially appear to lend tangential support to his relational account. That is unfortunate because it suggests that he doesn’t think these disciplines can sustain equal critical weight. Or is he simply having too much fun in these regions outside his safe (but mathematically rigorous) realm? In any case, I fear it leads to a much weaker book than might otherwise have been the case.

Nevertheless, I’m happy to recommend this book on the strength of those first two parts and shall continue to look forward to Rovelli’s further explications of physics.

Book 7 - Angela Y. Davis "Freedom Is A Constant Struggle"

Angela Y. Davis "Freedom Is A Constant Struggle" (Penguin)




Angela Davis is a leading and historical figure in the Civil Rights Movement in the USA, as well as an outspoken Communist and Feminist. She has inspired countless individuals to rise up and take action against injustice and in support of freedom for all. Her book, FREEDOM IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE, is a collection of interviews, conversations, essays, and speeches that tackle the concept of freedom in different ways.

While there are many overlapping themes in these pieces, Davis spends a significant amount of time discussing oppression and its historical roots in colonialism, apartheid, classism, caste systems, and especially during Reconstruction after the American Civil War. She makes a convincing case that nothing, throughout the history of the world, ever happens in a vacuum. What happens "here" is influenced by, and in turn influences, what happens "there". In every case, she makes connections between the treatment of black bodies in the USA with the treatment of "others" elsewhere in the world by the dominant societal and governmental powers. She ultimately believes that, for the rights of marginalized groups to reach true equality with those of the dominant class, we all need to recognize the intersectionality of the issues at stake. Feminism is intrinsically linked with racism, sexism, and classism.

More importantly, the essays in this collection make the case for the connection between so many struggles that may not be immediately obvious to those not well-versed in history. Ms. Davis makes a compelling case for the ways so many of these struggles are connected, and how much we have to learn from each other.