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A List of Books
Along with some comments and
opinions
Books that I have read - Introduction
Today is the 5th of April, 2009, Sunday. Excluding today, I
have precisely 309 more days left before I complete my NS term. For those
non-Singaporeans reading this: All Singaporean males have to serve 22 months of
military service (about 669 days). Unfortunately, life for the past year has
frankly been rather unproductive and unconstructive, in my opinion. In an
attempt to be at least somewhat objectively constructive, I've started reading
books. Mostly non-fiction, but also interspaced with a couple of good stories to
add some fresh air into an otherwise disillusioned existence. This page
chronicles my little adventure (from the beginning of my enlistment on 11th
April 2008), and also (I hope) to serve as an inspiration for people to read
more. Because I've found many a gem inside these books. I've added two books I
read at the beginning of 2008 also.
In order to categorize the books, I have coloured the titles
of fiction books in Blue, Non Fiction in
Red, and others in
Black. Presented in Chronological Order. I have also included a rating system,
5*s being extremely highly recommended, 4*s meaning I enjoyed it thoroughly, 3*s
being recommended :), 2*s being ok and 1* being 'Read the other books'. But it's
just my opinion!
A Little List of Books since Jan 2008.
-
Bridge to
Terabithia by Katherine Paterson by Katherine Paterson, on 23 Jan
2008 *****
I think it's destined to become a classic. Would
probably make you cry also. Read it!
-
Haunting of
Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding, on 30 Jan 2008
****
Masterful thriller with detailed and intoxicating
atmospheres! Not to be missed!
-
Einstein
by Jeremy Bernstein, on 1st Dec 2008 ***
Like the title suggestions, the book is about Albert
Einstein. While I read it expecting to learn more about this theories, this book
actually concentrates more on Einstein as a person, his thoughts and his life.
What was most intriguing was that I realised that I share many of the same
thoughts of Einstein, especially about his views on War, and also parts of life.
-
The Magical Worlds of The
Lord of the Rings by David Colbert, on 15 Jan 2009
***
Fascinating, especially for the LotR fans, and also for
people who just like things related to fairy-tales, myths, and legends. About
the ideas, stories and legends behind the LotR.
-
The Last
Lecture by Randy Pausch, on 20 Jan 2009
****
A book about living, from a professor diagnosed with
terminal cancer. I thought it was a great book, with many great stories. But it
could have been so much better. You'll get the most out of it not by just
reading it, but also spending time to understand truly, what he says. Now did
that make sense?
-
Bringing
Down the House by Ben Mezrich, on 23 Jan 2009
***
Exciting novel based on a true story of the MIT
blackjack card counters.
-
How to Lie
With Statistics by Darrel Huff & Irving Geis, on 21 Feb 2009
***
An excellent text that informs the reader on how to
interpret the validity of purported statistical data. Unfortunately, it's a
little dated, but the cautions are still timeless. Actually I'd have given it 2
stars, because it wasn't that interesting to me. Nonetheless, still a good
little guide!
-
How to Cut a
Cake: And Other Mathematical Conundrums by Ian Stewart, on 22 Feb
2009 ***
Almost a dozen of curious little mathematical puzzles,
from empires on the moon, flashing fireflies in sync, and of course, the famous
cake-cutting problem. There are many other books like this out there, though,
and I didn't find anything particularly outstanding in this particular one.
-
The Book
Thief by Marcus Zusak, on 24 Feb 2009
*****
This book is Awesome! Fatabulously and mesmerizing
written, and from a very curious point of view also. I'm not going to say what
happens, but if you only read one fiction book this year, read this one.
-
What Are The
Odds?: Chance In Everyday Life by Mike Orkin, on 28 Feb 2009
**
A good introduction for anyone who wants to understand the
difference between luck and reality. But there are a huge number of probability
books out there, and I didn't find anything special about this one.
-
The Joy of
Pi by David Blatner, on 03 Mar 2009
****
It's not the most definitive book on Pi at all. But it's a
little tiny book filled with fascinating nuggets of information about Pi! If
you're really into Pi, I'd suggest another book, but this one's great for anyone
interested in Math. Like the book title says, it's about a Joy of Pi. :)
-
The
Telescope by Geoff Anderson, on 06 Mar 2009
****
I borrowed this book because it had a nice metallic cover!
I think it should be considered a must-read for all astro enthusiasts. Wonderful
summary of the telescopes throughout the ages. Also explains the concepts of
diffraction, adaptive optics and other more complicated stuff in a very
understandable way. Plus it has a nice cover!
-
Fermat's
Last Theorem / Fermat's Enigma by Simon Singh, on 10 Mar 2009
*****
Amazon.com says "When Andrew Wiles of Princeton University
announced a solution of Fermat's last theorem in 1993, it electrified the world
of mathematics. After a flaw was discovered in the proof, Wiles had to work for
another year--he had already labored in solitude for seven years--to establish
that he had solved the 350-year-old problem. Simon Singh's book is a lively,
comprehensible explanation of Wiles's work and of the star-, trauma-, and
wacko-studded history of Fermat's last theorem. Fermat's Enigma contains some
problems that offer a taste of the math, but it also includes limericks to give
a feeling for the goofy side of mathematicians. " Fantastic stuff, what more can
I say? :)
-
The Science
of Secrecy by Simon Singh, on 17 Mar 2009
*****
An excellent introduction to cryptography and the science
behind the techniques. If you enjoyed Fermat's Last Theorem, you would enjoy
this also. Combines the history with the mathematics in an exciting and very
readable text. Yay for pop-science books!
-
Absolute
Zero and the Conquest of Cold by Tom Shachtman, on 26 Mar 2009
***
I had a much deeper appreciation for refrigerators, air
conditioners and even the ice-cubes in my cold drink after reading this book.
While it tells the story of the quest for cold well, it does have a few
technical errors here and there. Better as a history book than as a science
book. Characters also pop in and out of the story with considerable frequency.
Was a good read, nonetheless.
-
In COde: A
Mathematical Journey by Sarah Flannery, on 30 Mar 2009
*****
I found this great review online and I thought it said
what I wanted to say a lot better than I could have!:
Sarah Flannery is a most remarkable young woman. The story of how she approached
her mathematics project and how she was able to discover the Cayley-Purser
algorithm is fascinating. She wrote the book in the same manner in which she
approached her work, with a lot of vim and vigor. One can not but get excited
with her as she felt her way through the mathematics and learn as she did, step
by step the methods of cryptography. Not being one who is familiar with
cryptography per se but an amateurish aficionado of Number Theory, I found her
explanations of the pertinent mathematics charming, refreshing and stimulating.
Her intermittent puzzles were fun and illustrative. I recommend this for anyone
wishing to inspire curious youngsters with mathematics.
The only quibble anyone could have with this book is the honesty and naiveté
exhibited by young Sarah, but then again, that is what is so attractive about
this gem of a book that stands out amongst the jaded sea of mathematics book
being cranked out by authors too cynical to be excited by the mathematical ideas
they are writing about. Be forewarned however, you must be at least a bit amused
by mathematics or you won't get the maximum pleasure out of this book.
-
How to Build
a Time Machine by Paul Davies, on 31 Mar 2009
***
This book is non-mathematical and you probably won't learn
anything much at all if you've read any other book on blackholes/wormholes. It's
short and concise, but you'll probably get more interested and spend a lot more
time reading other books the similar subjects.
-
The Book of
Dead Days by
Marcus Sedgwick, on 02 Apr 2009 ***
Refreshing read from all my non-fiction books (above!) and
was pleasantly gripping. Just that I didn't like the ending too much, and it
seems sort of.. incomplete. Hm..
05th Apr 2009
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(c) Gao Guangyan
2009 Projects
Contact: loneoceans [at] gmail [dot] com
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