Some Books

Sat Apr 23 13:33:26 EDT 2022

A Brief History of Equality

It's the shortest of Piketty's books, but doesn't lack in ambition. It's provocative and optimistic but tied to a belief in a pessimistic zero-sum game and radical redistribution.

Nuclear Folly: A History of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Great material from the Russian side.

The Revolt of The Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium

Originally written in 2014 - seems like a lifetime ago. Eh.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel

Entertaining-ish

AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order

Interesting China vs USA comparisons and a real twist at the end about life and adding value to the world.

The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare

It's almost like a business book - can you adapt to change and close the kill chain?

The Man from the Future: The Visionary Life of John von Neumann

I knew a little bit about him but wow, he was truly all over the place and a real treasure.

Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, and History's First Global Manhunt

Pirates!!!!!

The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior: The Intersecting Lives of Da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Borgia and the World They Shaped

3 for the price of one.

The Last Emperor of Mexico: The Dramatic Story of the Habsburg Archduke Who Created a Kingdom in the New World

Uh who knew? Lots to learn and really interesting characters. Nation building sucked even in the 19th century.

The Curse of Cash: How Large-Denomination Bills Aid Crime and Tax Evasion and Constrain Monetary Policy

Problem is well stated, the proposed solutions less convincing.

The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze

Crypto nerd gossip - reading this won't make you smarter but you might be entertained.

Programming Rust: Fast, Safe Systems Development 2nd Edition

This book hits at the right level for me.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz

Novel technique that unveils the day to day of the Blitz... but eh, you know how it ends.

Lost City of the Incas

Written by Hiram Bingham, the "rediscoverer" of Machu Picchu. The foreword is a must read to fully appreciate the context, but it's a great read.

Confronting Leviathan

Covers a wide range of thinkers and their ideas - including some of my favorites, but little new information.

The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively

It's better in concept than in reality.

The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power

Interesting but basic. He might be a more original thinker than the book suggests - otherwise he's just a smart counterpoint to expected norms.

No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War

Hiroo Onoda spent 30 years fighting WWII until 1974 when he did eventually "surrender." Quick, fun, and telling.

The Gospels

4 Gospels translated by Sarah Ruden - brilliant. All the smooth polished bits removed - language is raw and sharp, as is the message.

Mon Apr 19 10:03:08 EDT 2021

Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America's Most Perilous Year

Covers one year - 1862 and how Lincoln navigates and steers the Union. Well done.

Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon

It's readable and quick.

Thu Apr 8 19:00:57 EDT 2021

Island on Fire: The Revolt That Ended Slavery in the British Empire

Well written. Recommend.

Week of Sat Apr 3 15:17:10 EDT 2021

Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power

Interesting, not great. Clearly has a "cultural/political" point of view which I find unconvincing.

Week of Thu Mar 25 11:04:02 EDT 2021

This is How They Tell Me The World Ends

Straightforward read. Highlights nation states as hackers.

Liftoff

Super fun read of SpaceX early years.

Genius Makers

Great read. Historical overview of history that was only a few short years ago.

Programming Pytorch for Deep Learning

Fairly lightweight but good overview.

Machine Learning Design Patterns

Not a front to back read (but that is what I did) and focused on targeted issues. Recommend.