New Books Party: books received this week | @GrrlScientist

This week, three books arrived, all of which explore interesting topics and are likely to trigger a lot of debate and discussion.Below the jump, I mention the books that I received recently in the mail as gifts or as review copies, or that I purchased somewhere. These are the books that I may review in more depth later, either here or in print somewhere in the world. When I get new books, I like to share them with people. Unfortunately, you are all so far away, so I cannot host a book party in my crib where you can look then over, so I'll do the next best thing. I'll host a book party on my blog each Friday of the week when I either purchase books or when they arrive in the mail. In this New Book Party, I will try to be your eyes by presenting my quick "first impression" -- almost as if we are browsing the stacks in a bookstore -- and I'll also provide relevant videos about the book and links so you can get a copy of your own. Books that arrived this week: The Joy of Pain: Schadenfreude and the Dark Side of Human Nature by Richard H. Smith [Oxford University Press, 2013; Amazon UK; Amazon US/kindle US] Publisher's synopsis Few people confess easily to taking pleasure in the misfortunes of others. Maybe this is why there is no word for the feeling in English. And so schadenfreude, that beguiling German word, is borrowed to label the experience. But most of us can secretly think of many times when a misfortune suffered by someone gave us pleasure. What sports fan can suppress ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: theguardian.com Blogposts Books Science Source Type: news