Nonsense (no, really!)

As a father, I live a life of constant uncertainty mixed with devastating responsibility. Jamie Holmes has written a rather intriguing book for people of my sort: Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing. In this book, Holmes reveals the natural reactions our brains have when faced with uncertainty, demonstrates the potential dangers of situations where we don't have all the answers, and explores possible benefits of not knowing.
Holmes has researched this topic thoroughly, but spares us the grind. Instead, he offers up sometimes amusing, sometimes heart-wrenching examples of the key concepts he is trying to get across. An ex-spy turned language instructor, a hostage negotiator, a clothing designer- all figure into the incredible lesson that we live in a world of the unknowable. The very act of trying to find an answer can sometimes be detrimental to us.
This book seemed to be written to me; I have dabbled in Spanish, German, and Chinese and the first story Jamie Holmes uses introduces the idea of how anxiety (which I suffer from!) impacts learning languages. Stylistically, I found this book to be a pleasant read- similar to another of my favorite science writers Sam Kean. If you are like me, and you liked The Disappearing Spoon, you will probably enjoy Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing.
Another, perhaps more uncomfortable way that this book is evidence that Jamie Holmes is either spying on me or is the unwitting pawn of an alien plot- is that he writes about the problem of over-testing in medical diagnosis.
A few years ago I had a lump in my armpit. When my doctor saw it she said we could wait or do some surgical exploration. Surgical exploration won with nothing to show for it besides a new scar. So, she sent me to get an ultra-sound done on it. That test was inconclusive. Before another round of testing could commence, the lump went away. Had I read Nonsense, I may have proceeded differently because of a powerful segment from Chapter Five (which is titled "Overtested USA: When to Resist Momentum") which is as follows:
"No one can blame doctors, scientists, or policymakers for their enthusiasm and excitement over new technological tools. But our new ways of seeing aren't necessarily clearer ways of seeing, and sometimes, the illusion of knowing is more dangerous than not knowing at all." (emphasis and link added by me)
Overall, I find this book to have been both enjoyable and informative. I recommend it for those who have a high need for closure and those who love learning in general. Could probably be used as a primer for a course in this subject. While it's true that:
"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review,"
I also researched what book I wanted to write a review on. Thank you, Blogging for Books!