A Good Read

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A Good Read: Merlin Sheldrake and Jo Marchant

Merlin Sheldrake and Jo Marchant

BBC Radio 4 - A Good Read, Merlin Sheldrake and Jo Marchant

Two science writers on the books they recommend.

'You Are Not a Gadget' by Jaron Lanier, 'The Age of Wonder' by Richard Holmes and 'The Sword In The Stone' by T. H. White are chosen by Harriett Gilbert and guests this week.

Biologist and author Merlin Sheldrake (of 'Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures') is joined by the science journalist Jo Marchant (of 'Human Cosmos' and 'Cure') and presenter Harriett Gilbert. 

Merlin picks 'The Age of Wonder' by Richard Holmes, a biographical portrait of scientific innovators in the late 18th century. In this historical book. Holmes explores the scientific ferment that swept across Britain, and how it became an age of great discovery.  

Jo's choice, 'You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto', is by computer scientist and virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier. In this prescient book from 2010, Jaron delves into the digital world, examining what went wrong in its development, and how we might fix these problems. 

And Harriett recommends the classic, magical children's novel, 'The Sword In The Stone' by T. H. White, which she argues merits re-reading as an adult.

Produced by Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol.
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