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July 01
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Simmoril
gave  to:
The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives (Hardcover)
by
Leonard Mlodinow
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my rating:
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read in July, 2009
Simmoril said:
"I first came across this book while perusing the math section at my local Border's bookstore. The title interested me because when I was a student in college, the professor who taught my probability class was an expert in the drunkard's walk.
...more
I first came across this book while perusing the math section at my local Border's bookstore. The title interested me because when I was a student in college, the professor who taught my probability class was an expert in the drunkard's walk.
Mlodinow's book is an examination into two fields: one being the history of probability and statistics (and the difference between the two), the other being the flaws in our thinking that can arise from randomness. Mlodinow covers quite a bit of ground in this books, with topics ranging from the Monty Hall Paradox, to the life and history of Blaise Pascal, to normal distribution. The math-averse need no fear, as Mlodinow goes to great pains not to inundate the reader with endless equations and proofs (in fact, I don't think there was a single equation in the whole book!).
I really enjoyed reading The Drunkard's Walk, as I've always been fascinated by the biographies of the great mathematicians and scientists of history. In addition, many of the points that were made in this book echo the points that Malcolm Gladwell made in his book Outliers, which is also another one of my favorites. However, while I do appreciate Mlodinow's attempts to avoid the formal mathematical details, it makes following and understanding some topics difficult (most notably the section on Bayes' Theorem).
If you're already well-versed in probability/statistics, you'll probably find this book lacking in 'meat', but even still, I think just about everyone can get something useful out of reading The Drunkard's Walk.(less)
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June 29
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June 25
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June 18
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Simmoril
gave to:
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court (Hardcover)
by
Jeffrey Toobin
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my rating:
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read in June, 2009
Simmoril said:
"With the recent nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, I figured now was as good a time as any to learn a little more about the Judicial Branch. And, after a quick scan of the jacket to Tobin's book, I decided it would be a good place to start.
To...more
With the recent nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, I figured now was as good a time as any to learn a little more about the Judicial Branch. And, after a quick scan of the jacket to Tobin's book, I decided it would be a good place to start.
Toobin's book isn't a complete and comprehensive history of SCOTUS, but rather an overview of it within the last thirty or so years. Toobin's examination of the court covers each of the justices individually, their beliefs, their politics, and as a group that must pass decision on some of the most hotly-contested topics around.
The Nine really cleared up a lot of confusion I had over events that I was either too young or too uninformed to understand. From Clarence Thomas' expedited nomination and confirmation, to Bush v. Gore to the failed nomination of Harriet Miers, Toobin covers quite a bit of ground, but in a very clear and concise manner. In addition to the commentary on various SCOTUS rulings, the portraits of each of the justices that Toobin painted give the reader deep insight into how and why they made those decisions.
As a fair warning, I should mention the book definitely has a political 'lean' that I myself identify with. But in all honesty, I think it would be a near impossibility to write about this kind of subject matter without any bias whatsoever (and still come out with a readable book). Still, if you can keep an open mind and an even keel, I highly suggest checking this one out, regardless of your political aspirations.(less)
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June 11
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Simmoril
is currently reading:
How Tiger Does It (Hardcover)
by
Brad Kearns
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
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progress:
(page 95 of 208)
— 22 days ago, 09:38PM
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May 29
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Simmoril
gave to:
Outliers (Hardcover)
by
Malcolm Gladwell
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my rating:
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read in May, 2009
Simmoril said:
"I suppose if I had to sum up Outliers in one sentence, it would be "Events do not happen in isolation." In this book, Gladwell tells the stories of a wide range of people, from kid hockey players in Canada, to Jewish lawyers in New York Cit...more
I suppose if I had to sum up Outliers in one sentence, it would be "Events do not happen in isolation." In this book, Gladwell tells the stories of a wide range of people, from kid hockey players in Canada, to Jewish lawyers in New York City, to Korean airline pilots, all to convince the reader that extraordinary events and/or people do not just come out of nowhere or show up by chance. Rather, they are the product of an intricate set of circumstances that provide exactly the right environment needed for success (or failure). Gladwell not only shows how this kind of 'confluence of events' produces similar success stories, but also how, by taking these circumstances into account, it is possible to create your own story of success.
I really loved the hodgepodge of information that Gladwell's stories provide. Often while reading this book I would find myself constantly interrupting my reading to go and do my own reasearch, wondering things like 'Wow, did Oppenheimer really try to kill his advisor?'. Although I was already in agreement with Gladwell's thesis before I started reading the book, I think he does a fine of at least laying out a plausible argument for why success is hardly ever achieved alone. If you're a fan of Gladwell's other works, you won't be disappointed by Outliers.(less)
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May 20
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Simmoril
marked as to-read:
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Paperback)
by
Kai Bird
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
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April 29
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Simmoril
gave  to:
The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master (Paperback)
by
Andrew Hunt
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my rating:
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read in April, 2009
Simmoril said:
"I'm sure that I'm probably one of the last people to make it through this classic, but I can honestly say 'better late than never'.
Pragmatic Programmer really takes a lot of the important, high-level lessons that can only come from years o...more
I'm sure that I'm probably one of the last people to make it through this classic, but I can honestly say 'better late than never'.
Pragmatic Programmer really takes a lot of the important, high-level lessons that can only come from years of experience in the software industry and boils it down to series of stories and advice that can be understood and applied by even the most junior of developers. I really liked the set of 'Tips' that were sprinkled throughout the book, as they served as really nice 'guideposts' to help recall the main points of the book without having to go back and re-read everything.
I know for the highly-skilled pros out there, this book might seem like just a rehash of 'the obvious', but in my experience it isn't obvious for everyone, and having a way to effectively convey this necessary information is a good thing. If you do any sort of coding at all, professionally or otherwise, I highly recommend taking the time to read this book.(less)
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April 21
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Simmoril
gave to:
How Would You Move Mount Fuji? Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle - How the World's Smartest Company Selects the Most Creative Thinkers (Hardcover)
by
William Poundstone
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my rating:
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read in April, 2009
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April 20
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Simmoril
gave to:
Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life (Paperback)
by
Len Fisher
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my rating:
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read in April, 2009
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