91–100 of 149 posts
A humorous observation: Ever look at an HTML page created by Microsoft Word? Quite a bit of code goes into what should have been a simple HTML document. Now try viewing source of Mr. Gates' web page here: 6873 lines, the HTML content starts at 5816 and goes for 9 lines to describe the 4 books plus the bonus, for a whopping total of 9 lines of content, 6864 lines of behavior and presentation... Wow.
"Honorable mention: The Grid, by Gretchen Bakke. This book, about our aging electrical grid, fits in one of my favorite genres: “Books About Mundane Stuff That Are Actually Fascinating.” " The author of this book was on NPR/Fresh Air in August. It was a great listen/read if you are interested in the subject. http://www.npr.org/2016/08/22/490932307/aging-and-unstable-t... I heard it a couple of days after a weather re…
The very next sentence was: > I find this topic fascinating is because my first job, in high school, was writing software for the entity that controls the power grid in the Northwest I wonder if somewhere in bowels of a northwest utility company there is a machine silently chugging away, running code written by a teenage Bill Gates, helping deliver electricity to the masses.
While these all do look like excellent books, none of them really seem to be of particular interest to me. Except maybe "The Grid". Technical infrastructure is always fascinating and awe-inspiring. ...Which brings me to one of the two books that I reccomend on HN every time the subject comes up, because they're just that good. Exploding the Phone , a fascinating dive into the world of phone phreaking that really need…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agreed: nobody is interested in everything. If someone was talking about the 19th century Slovakian art movement, I'd probably zone out. But there are some complex systems that form the basis of civilization that just cannot be simply dismissed as "mundane", at least in my opinion. Systems that, without their presence and correct end-to-end operation, would result in absolute collapse of civilization. Systems that ha…
I am interested in everything - even 19th century Slovakian art movements. I love talking to people who are interested in anything other than themselves - it really doesn't matter what as long as they are interested in something enough to have learnt and thought about the topic in some depth. The real shame is so few people are interested in anything at all.
Obviously, trying promoting such an idea to a culture that worships the selfie is foolish at best.
I really like the way he limits his list to 4 books. Most other thought leaders/influencers/CEOs do lists of 10, 20 "hot topic" books that you know they probably haven't read. I find the volume also diminishes the individual importance of each book on the list. I'll have to pick up String Theory (I love that Bill Gates reads DFW) and The Grid per his recommendations.
> I really like the way he limits his list to 4 books. I've been doing this when friends ask for recommendations to cities. Google and guidebooks are already at their disposal, so a manageable list of 3-5 options with some personal insight is better than a comprehensive, but impersonal list of 20. And if folks haven't read DFW's Roger Federer as Religious Experience in String Theory, you can read it on the Times web…
Here is my list: - Endurance: The story about an expedition to Antartica... gone wrong ( http://amzn.to/2g26L5i ) - Crucial conversations: Learn how to argue with people without starting fights. Allowed me to look at the situation more objectively ( http://amzn.to/2h8w4yN ) - Making of the atomic bomb ( http://amzn.to/2gJF6VU ) - Relentless: the personal coach of Michael Jordan talks about how you can become a cleane…
A humorous observation: Ever look at an HTML page created by Microsoft Word? Quite a bit of code goes into what should have been a simple HTML document. Now try viewing source of Mr. Gates' web page here: 6873 lines, the HTML content starts at 5816 and goes for 9 lines to describe the 4 books plus the bonus, for a whopping total of 9 lines of content, 6864 lines of behavior and presentation... Wow.
https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill-Gates/Summer-Books-201...
https://www.amazon.com/Vital-Question-Evolution-Origins-Comp...
Side topic: Does anyone know any good podcasts that fit his genre of “Podcasts About Mundane Stuff That Are Actually Fascinating"?
Econtalk. Russ Roberts is a fantastic interviewer, with only a few weak performances in his decade of weekly podcasts. He probably skews a bit libertarian for the typical HN'er to agree with, but he gives voice to a lot of points of view, and he brings on good guests. At least half of the podcasts have sufficiently interesting titles that they could be easily voted to HN front page, and the depth of discussion is goo…