I like the Dawkins quote. It really gets at issues about religious belief, (un)intelligent design, fate, etc. As one who never really had a hard time accepting that some things just "are," I've always found it interesting to see how different other people's views are.
True. There is not nearly enough delicious pudding in my life, and I must remedy this as soon as possible, with zabaglione and negron chemise.
As for the quote, I do like it but in general I find Dawkins arrogant, preachy and very hard to read / watch etc. He's by no means the evolutionists' best advocate.
True. Actually you know what? I think I was reading "Dawkins" as "Feynman" for some bizarre reason.
I don't know that I've ever actually read Dawkins. In general, I find it difficult to read "big thinkers." I'm glad they're there, and that someone is busy thinking of the world in grand terms, but I'm much more of a pragmatist: I want to know what I can do right now to improve myself, my family, my organization, my community, etc. Mind you, I don't mean that as a short-term/long-term distinction. I don't mean "tell me how I can be happy today without thinking about the future." I just mean I'm more into the applied than the theoretical.
In other words, Max, you're all about the pudding.
Umberto Eco - "Name of the Rose", a decent read, especially if you've seen the movie so can enjoy the sometimes excessive descriptions rather than rushing ahead with the mystery. However, "Foucault's Pendulum" was painful to read through and rather pointless in the end.