Books for Secondary School Students in Hong Kong

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around recommendations for books suitable for secondary school students in Hong Kong, focusing on various scientific fields such as Earth sciences, oceanography, and potentially others. Participants share personal experiences and suggest titles that may aid in learning and critical thinking.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests "Gaia" by James Lovelock as a starting point for understanding controversial theories in Earth sciences, despite expressing some skepticism about its presentation.
  • Another participant critiques "Gaia," stating it may obstruct discussions on global warming and contains non-scientific reasoning.
  • A question is raised regarding the specific area of interest for book recommendations, listing fields such as environment, evolution, archaeology, geology, oceanography, geophysics, and climatology.
  • A suggestion is made for "Invitation to Oceanography" by Paul R. Pinet, noted for its accessibility and usefulness in understanding basic oceanography concepts.
  • One participant expresses that the suggested book is suitable for any area of interest.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the value and content of specific books, particularly "Gaia," indicating a lack of consensus on its merits. The discussion remains open with multiple competing views on suitable reading materials.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the appropriateness of certain books for different scientific fields are not fully explored, and there is a lack of clarity on the specific interests of the original poster.

Who May Find This Useful

Secondary school students in Hong Kong seeking book recommendations in scientific fields, educators looking for accessible resources, and individuals interested in critical thinking in science.

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hi everyone ~ Does anyone recommend some good books for me?i am studying at secondary school, which is in hong kong.
 
Earth sciences news on Phys.org
I can't recommend any textbooks as most of the stuff I get is off the net, or second hand books.

In the realm of Earth sciences, James Lovelock wrote a book called Gaia. It's written at a fairly accessible level, and whilst I'm not fully convinced he presents his theory well. As a controversial theory it's an interesting place to start experiencing viewing arguments critically, an essential skill in science.
 
I think that Gaia has been burned because it obstructs global warming. Apart from that, there is some non-scientific reasoning in it.

So what is the area of interest? Environment? Evolution? Archeology? Geology, Oceanography? Geophysics? Climatology?
 
On the area of oceanograpy i´d suggest: "Invitation to Oceanography" by Paul R. Pinet. It covers the basics of oceanography and it proved quite usefull to me during the first and second year for me.
I´m more into the management side of it all but it´s a fine place to start and easy accesible.

this is the website that is used for background info in the book: http://www.jbpub.com/oceanlink2e/

The site also has an glossary cover in all the basic terms in oceanography.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
i think it's ok for any area .
 

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