Ask HN: What book are you reading right now?
Looking for something new to read, curious to hear what others are reading
...this one has been a good read so far, but it is quite mind bending, I only read like a half chapter at a time slowly, and then I have to spend some time contemplating.
Cupid's Poisoned Arrow: From Habit to Harmony in Sexual Relationships by Marnia Robinson
...I just finished this one, and it has quite the interesting premise, and 300+ footnotes and references to scientific research, but I don't quite know if I'll be trying it out. The testimonials don't comport with my experiences, but they are somehow compelling. It is worth a read if you are looking for something different, and it definitely has some challenging thoughts to ponder. The main theory is that there is mammalian programming in your brain that releases oxytocin to make you feel good when you touch someone or engage in other bonding behavior. And there is a contrary effect that after orgasm your dopamine levels drop which causes people to get bored with their current partner and seek novel partners (to spread their gene further). The recommendation is to engage in intercourse, but avoid orgasm. And that it takes 2-3 weeks of avoiding orgasm to reset the neurochemistry in your brain, so that you get the blissful effects of oxytocin, without the dopamine depletion of orgasm.
It's about High Frequency Trading (algorithmic trading) and how the market reacted; and what a few individuals did to solve the problem. It's a seriously addicting book.
Which is not to say there's nothing that could be done to improve our financial infrastructure, or no problems relating to anything deserving the HFT label - there's plenty of both.
I only made my way through Swann's Way (the first of seven books in the series), but I'm so glad I did. I think it was probably the toughest piece of literature I'd ever read, but one of the most rewarding by far.
What do you mean by horrifying?
"Brain Rules" by John Medina [http://amzn.to/UCgCPG] John, a molecular biologist, looks at things such as health and cognitive development and performance of kids and adults from an evolutionary perspective. He highlights problems with our approaches to work and study, how these are at odds with the way our brains evolved to work and what we can do about it. Great collection of actionable advice backed up by current research. See more at http://brainrules.net/
"The world until yesterday" by Jared Diamond http://amzn.to/1AAJjNL Great book on how "traditional" societies handle trade, war and interpersonal conflicts. Lots of thing to consider taking on board in "modern" societies - such as restorative justice.
"The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking" by Oliver Burkeman http://amzn.to/1rITiKX Great overview of pitfalls that "positive thinking" approach brings and how one can start employing alternative ways of attaining happiness.
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Edward FitzGerald's translation) After much study and reading multiple translations of this book, I'm currently reading one quatrain each day and committing it to memory. I so far cannot help but think about each throughout the day, often reciting the day's rhyme in an applicable situation (that no doubt will arise) much to the delight and enlightenment of others.
A great book that explains how computers actually work through number systems and the logic that acts on those systems. You start with the theory behind binary numbers and work your way through electrical circuits, logic gates, RAM, transistors, and the operating system as you build your fundamental knowledge of the inner workings of computers. It's pretty cool.
Quantum Computing and Quantum Information by Michael Nielsen and Isaac Chuang. (Beastly book. I actually find it to be a pretty well-written introduction so far, but I just barely have the background to plod through it.)
Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut. (S.O. loves Vonnegut, so I'm working my way through his collection. Great so far, though I don't always have the patience for goofy midwestern people humor, despite being a midwesterner myself.)
Alif the Unseen by G Willow Wilson. (Only a few pages in, but I have a weakness for fantasy-in-modern-day-setting novels and it came on a recommendation from a friend outside of the genre. On a similar note, I strongly recommend both of Nick Harkaway's novels, Angelmaker and Gone-Away World, which I recently reread.)
"Seven Databases in Seven Weeks: A Guide to Modern Databases and the NoSQL Movement" by Eric Redmond and Jim R. Wilson
"The Joy of Clojure, Second Edition" by Michael Fogus and Chris Houser
It's pretty good, though I personally find his view of business management to be dated and out of touch like his view of title inflation vs Facebook's title normalization. Still a good and insightful read.
Just started Old Mans War last night, haven't gotten far enough into it to form an opinion.
It turns out Bucky was a lot more than the man who invented Bucky Balls, this book was written in 1971 and is still incredibly accurate.
As an aside, I have been logging the books I read over the past two years here: http://crismannoble.github.io/tabula/
http://www.amazon.com/Gweilo-Memories-Hong-Kong-Childhood/dp...
It's the most thought provoking book I've ever read on entrepreneurship and some of Peter Theil's stories are jaw-dropping. It's the first book that has had me thinking I'm actually a pretty conventional thinker and not nearly ambitious enough.
I saw a pre-release copy on sale on abebooks but wanted to wait for the reviews.
If I can scrounge up the time, I'll write a review soon.
I also just finished Creativity Inc., Ed Catmull's book about Pixar. Extremely valuable insights about running a creative organization.
It's been pretty good so far.
Except you consider them to be tech read to be leisure. ;)
I have tried to finish this book three times, but I have had to start at the beginning each time. The plot is dense and I can't jump back in after ~150 pages and a month of not reading it.
Evening train ride: Problem Solving with Algorithms and Data Structures using Python.
Best read in a while: The Obstacle is the Way. Great intro to Stoicism, and only $4.00 on the kindle.
I'm mainly just reading for pleasure right now. But reading these 2 volumes makes me want more hardback comic books.
For the uninitiated he is the coauthor of 2005 edition of A Briefer History of Time. As the title says this is about "how randomness rules our lives".
A historical autobiography of Mr. Allen (cofounder of Microsoft). The first half about Traf-O-Data, Basic and founding Microsoft is especially interesting.
In terms of leisure, I'm starting on A Mote In God's Eye (Niven/Pournelle).
An easy introductory survey of the different types of life there are and may be.
I read it in college, and now that I'm reading it again with a full time job, it's amazing how much better it reads.
A must if you are thinking of taking the plunge from development to doing an MBA
Just finished Neuromancer (for the first time! Bad geek! No cookie!), and plan to read Mona Lisa Overdrive next.
awesome read.
Very interesting, especially with current development in Ukraine.
A Gamut of Games - Sid Sackson
Good Math - Mark Chu-Carroll