The Human Brain

The Human Brain

Friday, May 4, 2007

A Tribute to Kurt Vonnegut


As most of you probably already know, Kurt Vonnegut passed away April 11, 2007. Kurt Vonnegut was one of America's greatest authors. He was probably best known for his satire and black comedy. His many novels include Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions, Player Piano, and The Sirens of Titan.

I just finished reading Player Piano. In it, Vonnegut describes a world in which machines take over everything. Keep in mind that this book was written in the 1950's, well before self-checkouts. Vonnegut's foresight is uncanny.

Currently, I am reading The Sirens of Titan in which Vonnegut portrays the ease in which humans are seduced into believing in religion. This issue is particularly relevant to modern times. Faith and reason are incompatible and unquestioned faith in religion can lead to disastrous consequences.

If you haven't yet read any of Vonnegut's books, do yourself a favor and pick one up.



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