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A non-standard book list for software developers

mihaiolteanu.me

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Re: A non-standard book list for software developers

#71

Post by [deleted] »

readme wrote: post #43
irutirw222 wrote: post #17

I can't comment on the compsci books (they do seem interesting), but I can comment on the mathematical ones where I have expertise: - Using Euclid is manifestly a really bad idea, since his way of formalizing geometry is not the sharpest. Mathematical logic has developed since Euclid published his book thousands of years ago and Euclidean geometry has been re-formalized a number of times to really flesh out the theor…

>Studying calculus in particular makes little sens for compsci. yeah it makes little sense if you don't want to be able to write programs that solve the world's major problems so if you are content with writing cat picture apps, skip calculus

[deleted]

Re: A non-standard book list for software developers

#72

Post by twic »

exdsq wrote: post #28

On the note of Euclid's Elements, I took a short course on Plato's "Theory of Forms" when I was just learning to really code and it's what helped OOP click in my head. It's fun when totally random subjects help you get an insight into one another. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_forms

I learned to program, and only later read a book on metaphysics, and was rather surprised to find that the book was entirely about software design, although the authors did not seem to be aware of this.

Re: A non-standard book list for software developers

#73

Post by faizshah »

faizshah wrote: post #33

Anyone got a non-standard Distributed Systems book pick? Also a non-standard Concurrency book pick?

Gonna throw in one of my own picks for Concurrency, I landed on this book a few months ago called “The Little Book of Semaphores” on synchronization with examples in python: https://greenteapress.com/wp/semaphores/

Re: A non-standard book list for software developers

#74

Post by mhh__ »

readme wrote: post #43
irutirw222 wrote: post #17

I can't comment on the compsci books (they do seem interesting), but I can comment on the mathematical ones where I have expertise: - Using Euclid is manifestly a really bad idea, since his way of formalizing geometry is not the sharpest. Mathematical logic has developed since Euclid published his book thousands of years ago and Euclidean geometry has been re-formalized a number of times to really flesh out the theor…

>Studying calculus in particular makes little sens for compsci. yeah it makes little sense if you don't want to be able to write programs that solve the world's major problems so if you are content with writing cat picture apps, skip calculus

You need a lot more than calculus to actually be useful at doing that though, unless you mean just throwing AI at the problem.

If you want to write a CFD solver then you need a lot more than just blindly learnt calculus. If you want to blow up the world using fuzzily applied financial models then you might not.... (you do actually)

Re: A non-standard book list for software developers

#75

Post by mhh__ »

readme wrote: post #43
irutirw222 wrote: post #17

I can't comment on the compsci books (they do seem interesting), but I can comment on the mathematical ones where I have expertise: - Using Euclid is manifestly a really bad idea, since his way of formalizing geometry is not the sharpest. Mathematical logic has developed since Euclid published his book thousands of years ago and Euclidean geometry has been re-formalized a number of times to really flesh out the theor…

>Studying calculus in particular makes little sens for compsci. yeah it makes little sense if you don't want to be able to write programs that solve the world's major problems so if you are content with writing cat picture apps, skip calculus

Also I'm not so bearish on letting people choose not to be smarter.

I think society is better off giving people the best means to achieve the intellectual goal they want, rather than forcing a greater number to learn beyond what they are compelled to. The kind of people I enjoy talking to are all the kind of people who would learn this stuff anyway as a matter of habit. My bookshelf is not full because of a state mandate.

Re: A non-standard book list for software developers

#76

Post by zamalek »

civilized wrote: post #4
WinterMount223 wrote: post #2

Good books but still quite standard. Spivak’s is standard on initial calculus courses at universities. If you really wanted non-standard but relevant authors I would add Feyerabend, Kuhn, Kahneman, Dostoyevsky, Borges, Taleb, Montaigne, Popper, Hofstadter, Don Norman, Alexandrescu. Add something about systems of representation by Kierkegaard or Nietzche or some interpretations by later authors.

The Calculus pick is completely fungible. There are at least two other popular Calc books that different people would say the exact same things about. Euclid as the ideal place to learn logic seems debatable, although I can't think of a better resource off the top of my head. The Xinu OS and LISP recommendations I've never seen before, so those were potentially valuable for me at least.

What book would you recommend for learning practical calculus from? I haven't touched the subject since high school.

Re: A non-standard book list for software developers

#78

Post by mhh__ »

zamalek wrote: post #76
civilized wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Calculus pick is completely fungible. There are at least two other popular Calc books that different people would say the exact same things about. Euclid as the ideal place to learn logic seems debatable, although I can't think of a better resource off the top of my head. The Xinu OS and LISP recommendations I've never seen before, so those were potentially valuable for me at least.

What book would you recommend for learning practical calculus from? I haven't touched the subject since high school.

https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/ is a good place to find answers to things.

I learnt calculus from a copy of a book called "Calculus, A complete course" which I quite liked but have literally never seen anywhere else. The fact I got the book was basically by accident, completely changed my future.

Re: A non-standard book list for software developers

#79

Post by mbrodersen »

nomilk wrote: post #59

Has anyone here read LISP in small pieces ? I've never used LISP but would still like to read it. Would you recommend it? (it's not cheap, otherwise I'd just buy it without the due diligence)

I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are already an expert in Lisp.

Re: A non-standard book list for software developers

#80

Post by zamalek »

mhh__ wrote: post #78
zamalek wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What book would you recommend for learning practical calculus from? I haven't touched the subject since high school.

https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/ is a good place to find answers to things. I learnt calculus from a copy of a book called "Calculus, A complete course" which I quite liked but have literally never seen anywhere else. The fact I got the book was basically by accident, completely changed my future.

Thank you!
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