From: seiler@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov (Ed Seiler)
Subject: Re: Asimov's nonfiction
Organization: Hughes/STX
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 20:41:56 GMT

In article <122183@lll-winken.LLNL.GOV>, ed@wente.llnl.gov (Ed Suranyi) writes:
> 
> Since Isaac Asimov died a few days ago, I thought I'd see if anyone
> wants to get into a discussion about his nonfiction.  His fiction has
> been discussed quite a bit on, e.g., the sf groups.
> 
> I'll just start by listing some of my favorites, with a few comments when
> I feel they're appropriate.
> 
> Science:
> 
> All of his collections of essays from _Fantasy and Science Fiction_,
>      especially "The Planet That Wasn't", "From Earth to Heaven", and
>      "Of Time and Space and Other Things"

Those essays are my favorites, too. I would certainly recommend them,
especially to anyone who has read little or none of Asimov's nonfiction.
The essays cover the realm of science, are fun to read, and informative.
They provide a good example of both Asimov's style and the kind of writing
he came to enjoy most.

> "The New Intelligent Man's Guide to Science" -- I must have read Vol. 1,
>      "The Physical Sciences" about ten times in the last years of
>      elementary school.

First published as "The Intelligent Man's Guide to Science", and since revised
as "Asimov's Guide To Science", and then again as "Asimov's New Guide to
Science". An encyclopedic overview of science presented simply and concisely.

> "Inside the Atom" -- I presented a book report on this to my fourth grade
>      class.  My teacher had to stop me before the end because I was going
>      over the heads of the other pupils.  I couldn't understand why I
>      couldn't explain to the class what had been so easy for Asimov to
>      explain to me!

This book is interesting in that it was republished several times in revised
editions, as science learned more about the workings of the atom. When later
books of Asimov's became outdated, he would usually write a completely new
book that incorporated the new information.

Asimov wrote books for people of all ages; this was one aimed at "older
children". I would not recommend them to adults, but they are fine for
getting youngsters to develop an interest in science.

> "The Human Body" -- I notice that a revised paperback version of this has
>      just come out.
> "The Human Brain"
> "The Universe -- From Flat Earth to Quasar"
> "Building Blocks of the Universe"
> "The Ends of the Earth -- The Polar Regions"
> "The Wellsprings of Life"
> "The Genetic Code"
> "The World of Carbon" and "The World of Nitrogen" -- What a terrific
>      introduction to organic chemistry this pair makes!
> "A Choice of Catastrophes"
> "Understanding Physics", recently reissued in a revised edition as "The
>      History of Physics".
> 

I've noticed that most of these are still in print and often available at
chain bookstores. Good books with lots of basic facts.

> Other:
> 
> "Words on the Map" -- I'm a geography book, and this is probably my
>      favorite book on the subject.

Sorry to hear that. Boy, Project Gutenberg must be making some terrific
advances lately! ;-) I think all of the "words" books are lots of fun:
"Words In Genesis", "Words From the Exodus", "Words From the Myths",
"Words Of Science", "More Words Of Science", and "Words From History".
Each one devotes a page to the story behind each word.

> "Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare"

Together with "Asimov's Guide To The Bible", a fascinating pair of books
that, instead of analyzing or interpreting these works of literature, the
way 99% of the books on these subjects seem to do, instead give the background,
historical or otherwise, so that they may be better understood and perhaps
appreciated.

> "In Joy Still Felt", the first volume of his autobiography.
Actually, the second volume, the first being "In Memory Yet Green." Asimov
promised the the third volume would be published posthumously.

To your list I would also add the series of history books Asimov wrote for
young adults, e.g. "The Roman Empire", "The Near East", and "The Egyptians."
Though written for a young audience, they are not oversimplified, so I think
many adults would enjoy them as well.

Finally, let's not forget his humor books. Several limerick books, plus "The
Sensuous Dirty Old Man", "Isaac Asimov's Treasury of Humor", and the just
published "Asimov Laughs Again", a follow-up to Treasury of Humor.

If you haven't guessed by now, I was a big fan of his.

Ed Seiler
seiler@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: rec.arts.books