The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific Curiosity

Reading this insightful and entertaining book is like taking a road trip to visit the local and the farther-flung attractions of evolved critical thinking, guided by an adventurous spirit of inquiry and discovery. Mr Ince, who reports of having had his youthful curiosity crushed by academia, here dives into the scientific realm with a joie de vivre that proves infectious, as he solicits the expertise of a wide circle of friends working in various branches of the arts and sciences. The book is a celebration of incremental learning, and, as promised, I found myself considering the complexities of quantum theory without the usual depressing feeling of defeat, instead allowing myself to inch along the road to understanding with a more open attitude. Ince has a mind spilling over with intellectual curiosity, and he also has the wit to make the acquisition of knowledge feel like a good time (fans of Clive James will recognize the flavour.) Ince’s enthusiasm for knowledge is irresistible, and despite his obvious book-smarts he engages his subjects with warmth, humility, and more than a tinge of absurdist humor.In twelve chapters, the book touches upon concepts ranging from biophilia to black holes, from the origins (and the inevitable fate) of the universe to human mortality, and there is much here to spur further reading and investigation (my favourite chapter, on Time, not only re-ignited my interest in the physical and perceptive elasticity of time but also gave me my next novel to read—Alan Moore’s epic Jerusalem.) In the first chapter of The Importance, on Scepticism, Ince ponders society’s appetite for disinformation and false conspiracy theory (and this, I think, accounts for the hostility expressed in a couple of the reviews here) which, disseminated by the toxic, manipulative elements of social media, leads to the clouding of minds and the destruction of important social and familial relationships. Far from polemical, though, Ince navigates the waters reflectively, looking for a channel to better understanding. The same goes for the well-named chapter “Is God on Holiday?,” in which Ince is generous in his acceptance of the faithful and those who would reconcile faith with the analytical mind.The Importance of Being Interested would make a great gift for a young person, offering the kind of bite-size nourishment that makes you hungry for the learning that is awaiting you. There’s nothing like comedy to fire-up the parts of the brain that make it interesting to be alive, and it’s available to all of us. Even if the entropic heat-death of the universe was never a concern for you, the least you could take away is a funny anecdote or a cutting line of argument for the family dinner table. In short, I recommend that this book be used by humans as a serotonin uptick thingy.

Robin Ince doing what he does so brilliantly and making us as interested as he is in the world around us.His writing is engaging and unforced and I found myself wishing the book was longer.If you enjoyed his previous book " I'm A Joke And So Are You" then you will enjoy this. If you haven't read that - why not?

Listening to Robin talking about his book over some noodles at the B-Bar I resolved to buy it off him more as a thank you for his entertainment than to read it. My plan was to gift it at ChristmasUnfortunately I started reading before I wrapped it and ended up having to buy it again on Kindle.Maybe I can't explain the universe and still romantically cling to Newtonian physics, but I did enjoy this book and like a child eating hidden veg in the Bolognese I think he may have sneaked a little extra understanding in without me realising

Not only highly entertaining but also eduational.....

...This book is a fabulous love letter to science, fascination and human endeavour.Robin Ince manages to take us on a journey which, at the outset, feels like it will be a whistle-stop tour of science's grandest principles and marvels (and to a great extent, it is), but really this book is about us; where we fit into the universe, how to come to terms with how small we often feel in the grand scheme of things, and the joy we can find in the sheer mind-boggling complexity of our spectacular universe, whether we understand it or not.I actually bought this book twice, firstly for myself, and then as a gift. It is certainly something you will want to share.

Okay, I am a Robin Ince fan. I love his wit and humour, especially on the radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage. This book is peppered with inspired wit and his take on science, aliens, and the death of the universe. I highly recommend starting with this tome if you haven't read anything by Robin.

An engaging and funny, erudite and accessible look at so many topics from solar systems to snails. Will make you want to read more science.

A well written book has made me curious to read more around science.

The book is quite interesting to read. I bought this book as "uses - very good" so I was expecting some imperfections which it has but I wasn't expecting it to be so dirty/sticky (cover and back) . Note to seller: would have been nice to clean it. The pages are in good condition.

I find it rather scientific and not an easy read, although it has a few funny paragraphs, sentences. It requires thinking, it is not a nail biting page turner.I'm determined to finish the book in hope to gain a little more knowledge and understanding about the world, about space, about our place in the universe.It is important to be interested after all.👍

Saying this is a book about science undersells it. It has always been obvious from the Infinite Monkey Cage that Robin Ince is a clever comedian. This book showcases his deep understanding of many of today's most challenging topics. The bonus in this book is that Ince also takes the time to explore some of the deep philosophical questions science raises and shares his deep intellectual insights and thoughts.A book on science for the non-scientist and on philosophy for non-philosophers.

The book has scattered thoughts on everything, with poor storytelling, which makes it little engaging. I would not recommend this book