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What Would You Recommend to a Bright 14 Year Old?

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Re: What Would You Recommend to a Bright 14 Year Old?

#24

Post by jeffreyrogers »

I'm glad to see Cryptonomicon on the list. Looking back, that book has probably had the single greatest influence on my life so far. I've always liked computers, but don't think I'd be nearly involved with them as I am now had I not read it.

I've also heard great things about Measurement but haven't read it myself. Another great math book that I have read is Vector Calculus, Linear Algebra, and Differential Forms, though trying to get through that at 14 would probably be a bit disheartening.

Edited to add: Also, looking back I remember how stressed I was as a teenager because it seemed like there was so much to learn and I had on idea where to begin. I wish someone had told me it was okay to not know certain things. As I've gotten older I've become much more comfortable with learning things as I need them rather than assuming I need to learn everything ahead of time. This has made my life much less stressful and much more enjoyable.

Re: What Would You Recommend to a Bright 14 Year Old?

#25

Post by jarin »

[deleted] wrote: post #19
jarin wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reading the synopsis on Wikipedia reminded me a lot thematically of Anathem, by Neal Stephenson. Also a great book, but I think it requires a broader knowledge of history, philosophy, math, etc. than a 14 year old might have had the opportunity to encounter. Then again, there's a glossary in the back that maps in-universe concepts to real-world concepts, so the novel might be a good springboard into exploring those t…

[deleted]

Anathem.

Re: What Would You Recommend to a Bright 14 Year Old?

#27

Post by jeffreyrogers »

brador wrote: post #23

Maths maths maths. Come on, it's a nice skill but not very practical by itself. How about an intro to IOS/android programming?

I agree, the more math I learn the less useful I think it is for most people, but if you enjoy it it can be rewarding to study on its own.

I think some more practical stuff would be great, unfortunately I can't remember ever coming across a good introduction to programming. The way I learned was just by finding example programs and then modifying them to do something different. That's a hard skill to teach though.

Re: What Would You Recommend to a Bright 14 Year Old?

#28

Post by cgh »

rndn wrote: post #13

"Gödel, Escher, Bach", "QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter", "The Adapted Mind"

I've never read "The Adapted Mind" but the first two are exactly my recommendations. GEB in particular was life-altering for me. I read it twice in high school and several times since. Growing up in a small town, it really opened my eyes to a larger world somehow and initiated a real craving for knowledge. Oddly enough, learning 6502 assembly had the same effect at the same age.

Re: What Would You Recommend to a Bright 14 Year Old?

#29

Post by zafka »

Some fun books I remember were "A wrinkle in Time" and "stranger from the Depths" both aimed at teens but quite good. Around 16 "zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance" Dorris Lessing wrote some great books- I would start with:

"Mara and Dann An Adventure "

Re: What Would You Recommend to a Bright 14 Year Old?

#30

Post by zafka »

zafka wrote: post #29

Some fun books I remember were "A wrinkle in Time" and "stranger from the Depths" both aimed at teens but quite good. Around 16 "zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance" Dorris Lessing wrote some great books- I would start with: "Mara and Dann An Adventure "

Everything by Asimov and Heinlein and the Dune series by Herbert. Also "Watership Down"
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