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Books I Recommend

blog.jessfraz.com

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81–90 of 157 posts

Re: Books I Recommend

#81

Post by jeff76 »

crispyambulance wrote: post #74
jeff76 wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point isn’t we need to do formal verification to test correctness. It’s that you probably wouldn’t write a program first pass and assume it is but free. So, why would you assume beginners that don’t know how to write proofs would write correct proofs without feedback to check?

Absolute beginners may not able to write an actual proof that their answer is correct, but at least they can verify that it satisfies the problem (depending on the actual problem). In any case, since the study of mathematics is cumulative. Even if the student can't prove or verify that their answer to a specific problem is correct they will eventually reach a point, often within the same problem-set, where inability…

The issue isn’t just that the person can’t write a valid proof, but that the person thinks they have a valid proof, but it is actually invalid and they don’t have feedback to know it.

Re: Books I Recommend

#83

Post by samebreath »

sevensor wrote: post #69

Maybe I know too many physics grad students who self-consciously model themselves on him, but wouldn't recommend the Feynmann books to young people. It's too easy to end up as a pile of somebody else's quirks without his unique brilliance and humanity. Wait to read Feynmann until you have a fully formed ego.

I see your point on holding some space for self-exploration before we cargo cult other's beliefs as our own. A couple counter-thoughts: (1) There is no forming of ego without external influence. I'd much prefer a younger person be influenced by the enthusiasm for life of Feynmann when compared to the thousands of other options. I imagine influence to be a zero-sum game. Better to have it add up to enthusiasm. (2) We see different aspects of a book at different points in our lives. We hear only the questions to which we are capable of finding an answer (partial quote of FN). Rereading books that influence our younger years is a form of self-discovery.

Re: Books I Recommend

#85

Post by sevensor »

minkzilla wrote: post #71
sevensor wrote: post #69

Maybe I know too many physics grad students who self-consciously model themselves on him, but wouldn't recommend the Feynmann books to young people. It's too easy to end up as a pile of somebody else's quirks without his unique brilliance and humanity. Wait to read Feynmann until you have a fully formed ego.

Could you elaborate on how people model themselves on him ? I have never read Feynmann. I am in university right now and was going to pick up one of his books soon.

He was anti-authoritarian to the core, a prankster, and undeniably brilliant. But copying the first two doesn't make you the third. Picking locks and doing physics problems at the strip club won't help you become the next Feynmann. He could get away with that stuff because he was uniquely brilliant. Also, being obviously-smarter-than-you is tiresome, even in people who can legitimately cop that attitude. Feynmann himself got on people's nerves sometimes, but we should also remember that his cheeky anecdotes aren't all there was to the man, and he had a lot of good working relationships.

Re: Books I Recommend

#86

Post by mindcrime »

svat wrote: post #43
jeff76 wrote: post #6

I don’t understand why people recommend books like “a programmers introduction to mathematics”. They’re advertised as books for “programmers” or people that know little math, yet they hide solutions from the reader. The reader that doesn’t know proper proofs or deep mathematics likely isn’t the same ones that know if their solutions are correct. Programmers like to write code with test cases. We don’t like to write c…

Every time there is a post here about a mathematics book, or even only only tangentially connected (as here), someone complains about the lack of solutions to exercises. I definitely sympathize with your position. But I think a few things are worth pointing out. Firstly, it's useful to remember that the purpose of a mathematics book is to teach mathematics, and conversely the purpose of studying one is to learn mathe…

Every time there is a post here about a mathematics book, or even only only tangentially connected (as here), someone complains about the lack of solutions to exercises.

There's probably a reason for that. It might be good if people made a sincere effort to actually understand that reason, instead of just dismissing it and trying to explain it away.

Programmers have another advantage over other mathematics students: you can test your understanding of the mathematics by writing actual programs. For example, if you're reading an elementary number theory book and learn about the Chinese Remainder Theorem, you can write an actual program/function for finding solutions to a system of modular congruences.

Agreed. But I personally don't find that to be sufficient justification for not including solutions to exercises. But at least those of us who are programmers do have this option to help supplement our understanding.

All that said, it's definitely comforting to have solutions to exercises: there's a boost in motivation from being told that your answer is correct and you can progress to the next section

I guess everybody approaches this different, but for me, it's not a question of comfort or motivation... I'm literally blocked from proceeding to the next section until I know I understand the current section. I mean, yeah, it's a self-imposed limitation, but it's no less real as a result.

Of course, at the end of the day, it's always possible to make progress, because you can check your answer other ways (using math.se, /r/cheatatmathhomework, the physicsforums.com boards, etc.) but for my money, a good textbook is one which provides solutions, or for which a solutions manual is available (to students, not just to teachers).

Re: Books I Recommend

#87

Post by ChristianGeek »

jogundas wrote: post #36

Is there a way to know if "Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception" is based on solid scientific evidence?

In short, no. It is based on the experience of 3 former CIA officers and theories and methodology one of them has developed as a result.

Re: Books I Recommend

#88

Post by fefehern »

peruvian wrote: post #59
jihadjihad wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It can be, depending on the particular thread. I'll speak for myself, but I find it incredibly difficult to read technical/business/pop-nonfic/etc. books in my free time. After a long day programming the last thing I want to do is read the literary equivalent of a TED talk. My bookshelf is a place where the "red dragon" Compilers book can peacefully coexist with Cannery Row--it's just that, more often that not, I rea…

I used to be vehemtly against self help/business books but the podcast Bookworms helped me find some valuable ones. The hosts go through a book and summarize or talk about it. But in general I agree - I don’t want to read about I can be more “efficient” at work during my leisure time. I’d rather read a novel or history book.

Do you have the website? Get different results searching for Bookworms podcasts

Re: Books I Recommend

#90

Post by peruvian »

fefehern wrote: post #88
peruvian wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to be vehemtly against self help/business books but the podcast Bookworms helped me find some valuable ones. The hosts go through a book and summarize or talk about it. But in general I agree - I don’t want to read about I can be more “efficient” at work during my leisure time. I’d rather read a novel or history book.

Do you have the website? Get different results searching for Bookworms podcasts

Bookworm.fm - was singular rather than plural. Disclaimer is that both authors are self employed-ish and busier than most regular office workers are.
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