Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed

Love, War, and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed by Eric H. Cline

I've enjoyed other books by the author, but this one did not pique my interest. The Amarna letters were tablets that had fairly extensive historical records of an ancient civilization. They were discovered a century ago. Alas, many were destroyed as the treasure collectors tried to maximize value. The book covers the work of the people that found and translated the tablets even more than the contents. It is an interesting story of "how archeology works", but it would be much more appreciated by a niche audience.

After 1177 B.C.: The Survival of Civilizations

After 1177 B.C.: The Survival of Civilizations by Eric H. Cline

Many great civilizations seemed to fall away a few millennia ago. We see gaps where writing disappeared and provided little historical record. There have been some postulates for how and why the failed. It may not have been obvious to the people living at the time. There may have been some changes resulting in certain things no longer needing to be recorded. There may have been different rulers. People may have depended too much on climatic conditions and struggled when they changed. Some of the changes may just be fictions caused by our lack of understanding. The book explores civilizations and their resilience through difficult times. This can be an example for us as we struggle with things such as pandemics and climate change.  

Why Trust Science?

 Why Trust Science? by Naomi Oreskes

Why do we trust science today? What makes science of today different from folklores of the past or religion? The author presents some points, and then responds to critical objections. After completing the book, I was left with more concerns than answered questions. In the end, despite all the rationality and process involved, you must have faith in science to be able to trust it. The author contends that science tends to correct errors through peer review and the scientific method. However, this process can be slow. Some of the "corrections" may be errors in themselves. The person proposing a theory can have significant influence on the acceptance of the theory. There is a tendency to focus on the new, leaving few scientific resources to validation of previous research. Science can even be seen as a modern religion. One must have faith in the method and core postulates. The scientists are the "priests" that dispense knowledge of how the world functions to the general public. Much of today's science will be considered wrong in the future. Is it worth trusting?