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  • The Importance of Being Interested

  • Adventures in Scientific Curiosity
  • By: Robin Ince
  • Narrated by: Robin Ince
  • Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (257 ratings)
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The Importance of Being Interested

By: Robin Ince
Narrated by: Robin Ince
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Summary

Comedian Robin Ince quickly abandoned science at school, bored by a fog of dull lessons and intimidated by the barrage of equations. But, 20 years later, he fell in love and he now presents one of the world's most popular science podcasts. Every year, he meets hundreds of the world's greatest thinkers.

In this erudite and witty book, Robin reveals why scientific wonder isn't just for the professionals. Filled with interviews featuring astronauts, comedians, teachers, quantum physicists, neuroscientists and more - as well as charting Robin's own journey with science - The Importance of Being Interested explores why many wrongly think of the discipline as distant and difficult. From the glorious appeal of the stars above to why scientific curiosity can encourage much needed intellectual humility, this optimistic and profound book will leave you filled with a thirst for intellectual adventure.

©2021 Robin Ince (P)2021 W. F. Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"A delightful and scintillating hymn to science." (Carlo Rovelli, author of Helgoland)

What listeners say about The Importance of Being Interested

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

please add chapter headings

why can't audible sort this out? simple chapter headings are missing again making this a lucky dip title. no idea what you are going to be listening to in each chapter

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Curiously Inspiring

As an older retired person I have found all of that wonderful time to be curious about everything I thought I didn’t have time for whilst working. I have always enjoyed learning new things related to my work but now I can let my mind fly. Thank you Robin for not only producing a thoroughly enjoyable read but for the encouragement to continue to explore this weird world and it’s inhabitants until I am no longer a part of it all. I will persuade my friends and family to dip their minds into this book.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Another absolute joy from Robin Ince

Robin has done it again, bringing together his insatiable curiosity and thirst for learning and sharing that fascination with others.

With his characteristic warmth, humour and genuine desire to make even the most mind
-bending subjects accessible to all, he brings together threads from so many different sources and weaves them in to a wonderful tapestry of words.

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fabulous

This is the second book I have listened to by Robin Ince and it was, yet again, brilliant. As a writer he has written a fascinating journey into science having had access to some amazing minds and also having a great gift for explanation. As a narrator he comes across as utterly fascinated and enthusiastic about his subject matter. This really is great on all levels.
I love it!

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Addresses big interesting questions

I really enjoyed listening, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting when I purchased it but it proved to be excellent. It addresses “big” issues head on in a accessible way. I can genuinely say it changed how how I think about things.

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2 people found this helpful

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The Doorman

The author has the back door key to the boffins’ (we don’t really) Understand the Universe show. He ushers you in without pretence and makes the potentially complicated concepts, calculations and theories of science accessible, humorous and interesting. It reassured me that it seems that even the greatest brains, are all basically struggling with the same question as the rest of us - what’s it all about? They ponder with mathematical equations, constants and a mug of Boltzmann, I have translators like Mr Ince and a pint of improved understanding. A good listen. But what do I know…

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A wonderful listen for curious minds

A really good performance from Robin. Great stuff from a man who knows how to get a giggle from a simple turn of phrase.

great work in making science accessible and for advocating for the curious mind

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Really enjoyed listening.

Found it supports many of the concepts I believe in. To always be interested is kind of a motto in my life and it helps me through so many difficult problems and find interesting solutions along the way.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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The author is Mr Know-it-all

Rather Interesting content, but the author comes across as too arrogant for my liking. Hence 3 stars.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A must for literally everyone!

Never has a[n] [audio]book resonated with me so strongly and heavily. The only thing school taught me about science was that it wasn’t me for me - I hopeless at it. And so I let myself believe that. I’ve always been fascinated by space and the stars, but filed that fascination away into the “not for me” drawer in the mental filing cabinet.

Then came the lockdown(s) of 2020, and the Crew Dragon launch to the ISS. The fascination was reborn - and hasn’t disappeared. However, there was still that voice in my head telling me it wasn’t for me, and that I should leave it to the smart science people. But I stuck with it anyway, albeit at a slower pace. I’ve learned a lot, but I’m still a long way from having any sort of credibility on the subject.

Two years later, I listen to this book. I actually only stumbled across it when I saw some random twitter account mention it. It has shown me that I don’t have to have any sort of credibility, that I don’t have to be an expert. I don’t have to understand it all. Simply being interested is more than enough. My interest in at all has once again skyrocketed (no pun intended), and for that I am truly grateful. I feel like I can play my own small part in the unimaginably large game that is discovering the universe and our place within it, no matter how insignificant it may be.

I think that this is a book I will revisit time and time again over the years, and I will certainly be picking up the paper copy too. Cannot recommend this enough to literally anyone.

It’s also worth mentioning that Brian Cox once retweeted a picture I took of the northern lights up in Scotland - therefore I pretty much AM an expert anyway.

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