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Summer Reading List

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Re: Summer Reading List

#91

Post by wuch »

b_emery wrote: post #24

I haven't read Behave by Robert Sapolsky, but I did read 'A Primate's Memoir' a while back and it was fantastic. A memoir of his time in Africa studying baboons, well written and entertaining. One of those books that I was sad to finish. You can learn a lot about human behavior and society by studying baboons. Two books I've read this summer that would fit on this list are This will make you smarter from edge.org, an…

I do recommend Behave. Robert Sapolsky is terrific writer. Though, I found it quite funny how in each chapter Sapolsky starts by describing usually story, criticising how it is wrong and too simplistic, elaborating on complexities involved, but at the end of chapter can't resist giving one sentence blurb summary himself - which is of course almost equally simplistic.

Re: Summer Reading List

#92

Post by DanielleMolloy »

I'd like to recommend these lists of short reviews of books neuroscientist Christof Koch has (recently) read: http://www.klab.caltech.edu/koch/books-i-read.html https://alleninstitute.org/what-we-do/brain-science/about/te...

They are a captivating mixture of science, scientific theory, cognitive science, AI, science fiction and the like and quite an interesting inspiration for future books to read.

Re: Summer Reading List

#93

Post by saimiam »

anotherbrownguy wrote: post #87
dvcc wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious, how much do you actually get out of each book? Even at my pace of 1-2 a month I'm barely able to retain anything. I can't imagine reading ~8 a month and being able to remember what the book was actually about.

I started doing it in 2016, so while I seem to come up with various facts that I read from the books in conversations when something related to what I have read comes up, I don't know how much of each book I actually remember. To test this, I am planning to re-read some of the books from 2016 when I am done with my 2017 list.

> re-read

Love this idea! I'm going to try that too. Very soon, I'll be quitting my day job and should have a bunch free time which is currently taken up with busywork. Time to re-read and get more out of my books.

Re: Summer Reading List

#94

Post by pchristensen »

baldfat wrote: post #30

So I really like the description of "The Righteous Mind" WHY is it $2.50 more to get the Kindle version then to have a paperback book shipped to my home! Kindle Version - $11.99 Paperback (Prime) - $9.32 https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-Relig...

Aside from the publisher's reasons for setting those prices, some people value an ebook above a physical book, myself included. Regardless of the ebook price, there are few physical books I'd want to own at any price.

Re: Summer Reading List

#95

Post by dcole2929 »

kilroy123 wrote: post #6

Slightly off topic, but how many books do you all read a month? I have a hard time getting past 1 a month.

I read primarily fiction but a bad year for me is around a 100. So 8 or 9 per month. More realistically I tend to binge so the number is never consistent. I might do 15-20 in a couple of weeks and then not read again for a month.

Re: Summer Reading List

#96

Post by jacobolus »

jackschultz wrote: post #81

I know this is a technical site, but for all of these I always get a little sad with how few fictional books are listed on these types of posts. Going over it, seems like there's just one, "The Nix" (may be more where I just missed them). I like seeing fictional books since I can relate to the people writing them. If I enjoyed some of the fictional books that people talk about, then I'll go along with their non-ficti…

There are 3 novels on the list out of 18 books and one blog.

Re: Summer Reading List

#97

Post by kentt »

I'd consider Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection to be fiction as well. Too long, shouldn't read: if you believe, your back pain will go away. I'm surprised to see the anti-scientific pseudoscience promoted.

Re: Summer Reading List

#99

Post by chadgeidel »

eliben wrote: post #9
kilroy123 wrote: post #6

Slightly off topic, but how many books do you all read a month? I have a hard time getting past 1 a month.

Audiobooks are a great way to increase your book intake considerably. "Reading" while washing dishes, other house chores and commuting can easily get you through 2-3 extra books a month (depending on the length of the commute :)

I've listened to 2 or 3 Audiobooks and nearly every one of them (short of Wheaton reading his own "Just A Geek") was unbearable to listen to. I don't know what the percentage of readers interject their own "emphasis" outside of just reading the words, but it's too many for my tastes.

I don't want a robot to read the book, but I also don't want the reader adding "color" by reading some characters with different voices (or - as i've heard in some cases - multiple readers each "in character").

Is this common?

Re: Summer Reading List

#100

Post by pklausler »

jackschultz wrote: post #81

I know this is a technical site, but for all of these I always get a little sad with how few fictional books are listed on these types of posts. Going over it, seems like there's just one, "The Nix" (may be more where I just missed them). I like seeing fictional books since I can relate to the people writing them. If I enjoyed some of the fictional books that people talk about, then I'll go along with their non-ficti…

I returned "The Nix" to Powell's ca. pg. 200 or so when I realized that I really hated it, and I can slog through just about anything.
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