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What are you reading?

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131–140 of 222 posts

Re: What are you reading?

#131
post #16

"The Selfish Gene" by Dawkins. This was a result of asking my Twitter friends to decide between this and Art of War for me, and this won overwhelmingly. It's been a great read so far, and I'm really looking forward to learning more about how evolution and computer science can mix.

Dawkins is eminently readable, even in books that you think you know what he's going to say. I also recommend The God Delusion.

The God Delusion was the first Dawkins book I read -- a Christmas gift from my mother. When I told her what it was about, she got made and said "that's not in the spirit of Christmas."

Re: What are you reading?

#132
I'm currently reading Infinite Jest along with the rest of the "Infinite Summer" crowd at http://infinitesummer.org. I love the book so far. Prior to this, I read "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men" and when this summer reading group is over, I want to read Pynchon's newest novel "Inherent Vice" for some lighter fare.

Re: What are you reading?

#135

I got books like sheiks got oil. I'm swimming in them. I try to read a little from at least four books every day. (You'll have to look up these links yourself) ----------------------------------------------------------- On my Kindle: Anna Karenina, Tolstoy; Clean Code, Uncle Bob; Palm WebOS; Antoninus Meditations, Marcus Aurelius, Emperor; Never Eat Alone, and Other Secrets to Success, Ferrazzi ----------------------…

Why do you try to read from four books every day?

Re: What are you reading?

#136

I am reading way too many books at once. Not in danger of finishing them all, but in the last month I have read from: Technical: Armstrong, Programming Erlang Oppenheim et al, Signals and Systems Abelson and Sussman, SICP The Fourier Transform and its Applications Project Management for Construction Nontechnical: Russel, History of Western Philosophy The Autobiography of Malcolm X Schelling, Strategy of Conflict The…

I only read the first chapter of Malcolm X's autobiography before I lost my copy, but boy was it ever worth reading.

I think everyone should take an hour to sit down and read the first chapter, even if they don't like books.

Re: What are you reading?

#137
post #86

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. and The Big Rich: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Texas Oil Fortunes

Interesting and unusual books for a hacker. Can you give us a quick mini-review of what you think so far?

Re: What are you reading?

#140
post #14

Finishing "Atlas Shrugged". While ideas and the spirit of the book have aged only slightly, the way of writing seems way too pretentious for our times. But overall the book is interesting. From historic and ideological point of view.

Ayn Rand was able to name so much of what I've felt growing up. While she may have used the literary technique of exaggeration to heighten the contrast between her philosophical views of moral vs. immoral, I don't think she took it "too far" as others are commenting. I think that's like saying Philip K. Dick took the ideas of technological advances and psychic ability too far in his story, "Minority Report", or like…

I took her meritocratic stance seriously until I heard her defend inherited wealth, which is ridiculously inconsistent.
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