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When I see this kind of lists I always think of getting some of these books and reading them. However, I feel like reading books that have no relationship with my job (software engineer) is a waste. Do any feel the same? Is this a harmful mindset and should stop worrying about "wasting" my free time?
You are a human being first and a [profession] second.
When I see this kind of lists I always think of getting some of these books and reading them. However, I feel like reading books that have no relationship with my job (software engineer) is a waste. Do any feel the same? Is this a harmful mindset and should stop worrying about "wasting" my free time?
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I certainly hope you consider yourself something more than a software engineer. As a human, living with other people in a society, reading other books will not only help you and make your life richer, but also enhance the lives of the people around you.
Good question, but being a software engineer is a big part of my life. Maybe a too big part.
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There's an (apparently untranslatable) word in German for people who are only interested in amassing knowledge in their own domain and totally ignorant of anything else: "Fachidiot" (see also https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/327748/is-there-... ) - it's not really a flattering term. So, in my book, expanding your horizons is a good thing. Of course, Sherlock Holmes would disapprove ( https://news.ycombinat…
Sorry could not resist: Kraftidioten https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2675914/
I've read The Spy and the Traitor, and it was quite good. I had just come off a binge of spy novels written by John LeCarre and it was amazing to read the same exact sort of craziness, but in a real life situation. I would actually recommend doing something similar, as the fiction definitely help set the mental stage for the history. That said, Roger Federer is a generalist?!? Why, because he has trouble beating Rafa…
I don't know why people bother to take umbrage at things without even trying to learn the context. What you are assuming the author claims doesn't exist anywhere in the book.
He never says the Federer is a generalist. The only mention of Federer in the book is to contrast his childhood with Tiger Wood's childhood.
"By the time [Federer] finally gave up other sports—soccer, most notably—to focus on tennis, other kids had long since been working with strength coaches, sports psychologists, and nutritionists. But it didn’t seem to hamper his development in the long run."
In contrast, Tiger Woods famously focused on golf exclusively at an early age.
Woods specialised in golf from a young age. Federer didn't specialise in a single sport from a young age.
Federer is never mentioned again after the 4th page of the book.
I've read The Spy and the Traitor, and it was quite good. I had just come off a binge of spy novels written by John LeCarre and it was amazing to read the same exact sort of craziness, but in a real life situation. I would actually recommend doing something similar, as the fiction definitely help set the mental stage for the history. That said, Roger Federer is a generalist?!? Why, because he has trouble beating Rafa…
> That said, Roger Federer is a generalist?!? Why, because he has trouble beating Rafa on clay?? I don't know why people bother to take umbrage at things without even trying to learn the context. What you are assuming the author claims doesn't exist anywhere in the book. He never says the Federer is a generalist. The only mention of Federer in the book is to contrast his childhood with Tiger Wood's childhood. "By the…
But if you follow Gates link, he writes a whole blog post titled "We need more Rogers: David Epstein’s Range explains the greatness of Roger Federer and other generalists," so I assumed he was featured a bit more prominently.
Did you follow that link and read Gates post before moaning about my comment? Probably not.
When I see this kind of lists I always think of getting some of these books and reading them. However, I feel like reading books that have no relationship with my job (software engineer) is a waste. Do any feel the same? Is this a harmful mindset and should stop worrying about "wasting" my free time?
Reading more about areas outside of your own domain of expertise can only be a good thing as it introduces you to thoughts and concepts you otherwise wouldn't know about.
Frankly, more people in your field should read more broadly, particularly in the humanities.
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Reading immersive fiction makes me significantly more productive. I believe there are two main benefits: 1) It hones my ability to stay focused, and 2) It exercises the world-simulation part of my brain, which I use heavily for understanding problems and visualizing solutions. Whenever I go more than a few weeks or so without reading fiction, I tend to notice a drop in my productivity and problem-solving ability. Bin…
Could you recommend any fiction books?
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Could you recommend any fiction books?
If you want a breadth of grounded fantasy (IE takes place in our world but contains elements that don't really exist in our world) then I would recommend picking through Stephen King. If you want to completely escape our world then I recommend the old Conan books or the modern Brandon Sanderson starting with Stormlight Archive. You have received plenty of Sci Fi recommendations but I will add my own personal favorite…
Have you read Robert Jordan's 'Conan' books? I just reread them (after finally getting around to reading Sanderson's final two books of Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' series) and they're more fun than I'd remembered!
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I don't have strict rules, methods, or patterns. However, I follow common themes such as skimming (or speed-reading) boring/mundane sections, change books and come back later, read multiple books at a time. Personally, I feel something missing if I totally skip something, so I tend to or try to finish what I read. I was known to be that kid who read Newspapers top to bottom of all pages, so that is that. My tricks; -…
> Personally, I feel something missing if I totally skip something, so I tend to or try to finish what I read. I was known to be that kid who read Newspapers top to bottom of all pages, so that is that. I am the same way. This makes it very hard for me to skim books or even sections of books because it feels like I’m “cheating” and not really finishing the book properly. This also makes it hard for me to quit books h…