The 2012 Book Club selection for PAM is “Seeing Further: The Story of Science, Discovery, and the Genius of the Royal Society”, edited by Bill Bryson.

From the publisher’s website:

“Edited and introduced by Bill Bryson, with original contributions from ‘a glittering array of scientific writing talent’ (Sunday Observer) including Richard Dawkins, Margaret Atwood, Richard Holmes, Martin Rees, Richard Fortey, Steve Jones, James Gleick, and Neal Stephenson, among others, this incomparable book tells the spectacular story of science and the international Royal Society, from 1660 to the present. Seeing Further is also gorgeously illustrated with photographs, documents, and treasures from the Society’s exclusive archives.”

Join us Monday, June 13 in the late afternoon to discuss our Book Group selection for this year, “Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void” by Mary Roach.  If you’d like to join in the Book Group discussion, let Julie Arendt know; the details of where and when we’re meeting are forthcoming!

Thanks to all 22 members who participated in this year’s Book Group discussion! The book chosen this year, “The Bookman’s Wake” by John Dunning, veered off into the world of fiction, and was enjoyed by everyone. Dinner at Von’s Grand City Cafe was also darned tasty!

I hope to see even more of you join me next year in Washington DC. The book has already been chosen… but you’ll have to wait until next spring to find out what it is!

This year we’re taking a step away from scientific non-fiction and are reading “The Bookman’s Wake“, by John Dunning. We’ll be getting together Monday night, the 16th, from 6-7:30pm to discuss over dinner (location still TBD but it’ll be near the conference center, so we can all get back for the Open House!). I hope you can join us!

Edited April 22: We’ll be meeting at Von’s Grand City Café, in the Roosevelt Hotel. Please contact Ruth for a copy of the prix fixé menu to make your dinner choice!

We had a lively discussion about the book, “Einstein’s Enigma, or, Black Holes in my Bubble Bath“, Tuesday night at the Colorado History Museum. While only three participants actually finished the book, their discussions and insights have prompted at least this reader to plan on finishing the book!