131–140 of 184 posts
Books about Richard Feynman, or essays, etc. by him. "Surely You Must Be Joking, Mr. Feynman!" in particular. I guess, this is unfair, as eventually he did get into software/hardware, but....
Yes, it's a cookbook. Bloody good one, though, and you've gotta eat.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Can someone summarize this book? I've heard about it a bunch of times, but I don't know what it is about.
This book is about reconciling this, and thus reconciling rationality, art, and religion with one another, though the religious part isn't touched on all that much. The author goes on to suggest an idea that "quality" is the fundamental force in the universe. As an example of this idea-application in practice, the author says to open the Tao Te Ching and replace "the way"(etc..) with "quality", and then see how much it makes sense.
While insightful, it really is a bit silly. But don't let that get you down on the book -- the book is well worth your time to read. The material is really very interesting. I am certain you will love it.
david foster wallace: oblivion
If you're willing to put in at least a month of hard labor, DFW's Infinite Jest is worth the read.
"A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again" the title essay of which is now available on the internet and is a terrific introduction to the late great American author (http://www.amazon.com/Supposedly-Fun-Thing-Never-Again/dp/03...)
"Consider the Lobster" (http://www.amazon.com/Consider-Lobster-David-Foster-Wallace/...)
Some of the few pieces of physical literature I actually own and chase back every time I lend them to someone.
Richard Dawkins' "Selfish Gene" and "God Delusion" are excellent reads.
There are a number of problems with the God Delusion. The attitude its abhorrent, some of the arguments are bad, and its too long. Not worth it, IMO. There must be better pro-atheism books out there.
Perhaps the newer
The New Atheism: Taking a Stand for Science and Reason
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can someone summarize this book? I've heard about it a bunch of times, but I don't know what it is about.
Yes. I think I must have heard this recommended over 10 times but I've never made any effort to get a copy because I'm not interested in motorcycle maintenance. Is that a legitimate reason not to read it?
i am also uninterested in motorized transport in general, but have read that book three times and it is the only book i've ever read twice in a row.
Before anything, read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams. Then try the Salmon of Doubt by him. Salmon of Doubt is a must, but it's made more accessible by reading Adams' fictional works first.
If you are reading Hitchhiker's, the "best books" of the "trilogy" are the 1st, 5th, and 4th. The 2nd and 3rd are relatively weak, but the 4th and 5th will make substantially less sense without them. The readers can decide what to do with this knowledge.
If you're talented and get frustrated with stupid people, you have to read "Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa. I mean, you have to. Musashi was one of the greatest (maybe the greatest) swordsman of all time. He invented a Japanese longblade/shortblade mixed style of swordsmanship, at one point fighting himself out of an ambush when he was attacked by over 30 men. He was undefeated in over 60 duels, including defeating argua…
Takezo lay among the corpses. There were thousands of them. "The whole world's gone crazy," he thought dimly. "A man might as well be a dead leaf, floating in the autumn breeze."