Which came first - globe or dysk? (The Science of Discword II: The Globe - Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen)

Member Name: Graham1963

Product:	The Science of Discword II: The Globe - Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen
Date:	23/06/09 (11 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting scientific theories with enjoyable Discworld novelette

Disadvantages: Short Discworld story, occasionally heavy going science parts.

This is the second of (to 2009) three offerings where Terry Pratchett combines his storytelling might with two 'regular' scientists - Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart.

The format follows the first (and precedes the third) by alternating a chapter about Discworld (which as any fool knows is flat, and sits on the back of four elephants, which in their turn, sit on the back of Great A'Tuin the star turtle), with a chapter about genuine science, in the real world (which isn't flat, and has little, if anything, to do with elephants who have to cock their legs to allow the sun to orbit correctly).

The Discworld story (written, of course, by Terry himself) is based around Roundworld (more or less accidentally created by the wizards of Unseen University in the first Science of Discworld novel), which has managed to get itself infiltrated by Elves.

Roundworld is a Discworld analogy of the Earth (well, the whole of our universe really, because magic does not exist there, and science reigns supreme), which the authors used in the first book to illustrate the theories being postulated about evolution. In this book, it is being used to illustrate the effect that Mind (with a capital M) has had on human development over the centuries.

Elves are nasty creatures, and when they introduce themselves into Roundworld immediately go about destroying the conditions which created intelligence in humans. The wizards, accidentally trapped within Roundworld themselves, have to attempt to stop them (and in some cases, have to stop themselves from stopping them - it's complicated - you probably need to read the book), and the story eventually boils down to making sure that (the Discworld equivalent of) William Shakespeare's life unfolds in Roundworld the way it actually unfolded back here in the real (?) world.

At the same time, the elements of the plot of the Discworld chapters are being analysed and commented upon by the scientists, in the alternate chapters, to explain what could have caused the unfolding events in Roundworld, using genuine current (even cutting-edge) scientific theories.

The science chapters revolve around their theory that we evolved into what we are today because of our talent for storytelling, that our "extelligence" - to use a phrase which Messrs Cohen and Stewart coined in another of their books (Figments of Reality) - was the driving force which turned us from ape-like creatures roaming the savannah in ancient Africa, into the humans which could bring forth an intelligence like Shakespeare, or Milton, or Da Vinci, or any of our playwrights, or sculptors, or artists, etc.

The Discworld story, although obviously plotted to match the science chapters, is good (although not brilliant), and the science theories propounded are not too challenging, although some younger readers may have trouble with some of the concepts put forth within its pages.

All in all, if you like the Discworld stories, you'll probably like the odd chapters; if you like new theories about evolution of the mind and intelligence, you'll probably like the even chapters; and if you like both, you're in for a treat.

Summary: A combination of a fun Discworld Story with added scientific commentary