An Introduction to Radio Astronomy by Bernard F. Burke, Francis Graham-Smith.
I find it amazing that it is possible to image the disks of other stars such as Betelgeuse (image here) using synthetic aperture techniques. This book is going to tell me how it all works (albeit in the radio domain, but the theory is the same).
From Jesus to Christianity: How Four Generations of Visionaries & Storytellers Created the New Testament and Christian Faith by L. Michael White.
Having read Dominic Crossan’s books about the historical Jesus (sociological and rooted in the Judaism of the time) I’m interested to see how the flimsy oral legacy became transmuted into a movement with momentum in the face of overpowering Roman repression. The later makeover by Constantine following AD 312 is another story.
The Classical Style: Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart by Charles Rosen. A highly recommended book on the transition from baroque to classical to romantic.
Consilience by E. O. Wilson. After his brilliant ‘On Human Nature’ I couldn’t resist checking out his other major book.
Oh yes, I travel a bit (trains, planes) ...
