He's making a huge assumption: that the reader understands that this is an Isaac Asimov-level primer to a science, not a deep, technical textbook.
"John W. Redelfs" wrote: > At 12:40 PM, Saturday, 11/2/02, Marc A. Schindler wrote: > >That would be appropriate for a technical text, but Diamond's book was > >meant as > >an introduction for a lay audience. The scope of what he discusses is too > >broad > >for this kind of approach -- there would simply be too many footnotes. > >That's why > >authors who find themselves in this situation give recommended reading > >lists so > >people can zero in on areas of interest and do further research. Our RS/PH > >manuals use footnotes because they are explicitly teaching from the > >teachings of > >an individual. Diamond isn't doing that -- he's painting with a much broader > >brush. If you are uncomfortable with his conclusions, check out the > >recommended > >reading and do further reading to see if he's talking through his hat or not. > > I am actually enjoying the book quite a lot. Most of it makes assumptions > that I think are false, but for some reason that doesn't really detract > from my enjoyment. I do think that > Diamond is making an awful lot of assumptions, so many that the whole book > seems like one big assumption. At least half the book is stuff that > Diamond couldn't possibly know. Where is the line between fiction and > nonfiction? I think he really comes close to that line. > > John W. Redelfs [EMAIL PROTECTED] > =========================================== > "It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to > laugh at that man." --Jack Handy > =========================================== > All my opinions are tentative pending further data. --JWR > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > -- Marc A. Schindler Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada -- Gateway to the Boreal Parkland “The first duty of a university is to teach wisdom, not a trade; character, not technicalities. We want a lot of engineers in the modern world, but we don’t want a world of engineers.” – Sir Winston Churchill (1950) Note: This communication represents the informal personal views of the author solely; its contents do not necessarily reflect those of the author’s employer, nor those of any organization with which the author may be associated. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ${list_promo}
