849 ratings | 117 reviews | avg rating:4.34

Michael’s Year In Books

Michael’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Michael’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Michael Nielsen’s Followers (1,644)

Michael’s Bookshelves

to-read (1030)
currently-reading (8)
read (841)
favorites (47)
seriously_used (10)
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Michael’s Friends (135)

Cory

1,852 books | 205 friends

Kara Buckley

1,603 books | 235 friends

Lev Reyzin

1,004 books | 57 friends

Rhys Lindmark

3,259 books | 221 friends

John

4,030 books | 332 friends

Angel Ortiz

732 books | 10 friends

Laura Hanu

424 books | 332 friends

Charles

461 books | 56 friends

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Michael Nielsen

Goodreads Author

Born

Australia

Website

http://michaelnotebook.com/

Twitter

michael_nielsen

Genre

Science, Computers & Internet

Member Since

October 2007

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Many of the books below listed as by me are not, in fact, by me. Goodreads makes it timeconsuming and difficult to change this, so I don't bother. It's a real pain though.

On friend requests: I use the "updates" list a lot to find new books. So I will only accept friend requests if either (a) we're actually friends; or (b) your list of updates is mostly books that look really interesting to me, and like the kind of thing I might otherwise not see. It doesn't mean I don't like you if I don't accept the request!

On technical books: I struggle with how to shelve technical books. Serious reading of such a book may take an hour or more per page; I will rarely seriously read the entire book for that reason. On the other hand, I would like to put th ...more

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Michael Nielsen’s books

Average rating: 4.23 · 1,185 ratings · 143 reviews · 12 distinct works • Similar authors

	Reinventing Discovery: The New Era of Networked Science 3.94 avg rating — 641 ratings — published 2011 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Neural Networks and Deep Learning 4.58 avg rating — 457 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Quantum Computing for The Very Curious 4.68 avg rating — 34 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Quantum Country by Andy Matuschak, Michael Nielsen (Goodreads Author) 4.55 avg rating — 20 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 Application Design: Design and extend complete applications using Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 by Mark Brummel, Michael Nielsen (Goodreads Author) (Foreword) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2010 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Kingdom of the Red and White Banner by Michael Nielsen (Goodreads Author), Natasha La (Illustrator) 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	essay on learning and motivation liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Princeton University Press byNielsen 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	An Introduction to Psychology of Religion 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Path to Fulfillment: Embracing Your True Calling 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Michael Nielsen…

Michael is Currently Reading

Michael Nielsen is currently reading

Things in Nature Merely Grow

by Yiyun Li

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Feb 13, 2026 07:15PM

Michael Nielsen is currently reading

Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul

by Stephen Jenkinson

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Feb 10, 2026 11:23PM

Michael Nielsen is currently reading

The Evolution of Moral Progress: A Biocultural Theory

by Allen Buchanan

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Feb 01, 2026 09:18PM

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Michael’s Recent Updates

Michael Nielsen wants to read Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13 hours, 22 min ago · like
Michael Nielsen liked a quote “So it’s true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.” E.A. Bucchianeri
Feb 28, 2026 02:00PM · like · more quotes by E.A. Bucchianeri · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Brushstrokes of a Gadfly by E.A. Bucchianeri. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Brushstrokes of a Gadfly by E.A. Bucchianeri <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Nielsen wants to read The Shaman's Dream Oracle: A 64-Card Deck and Guidebook by Alberto Villoldo (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 20, 2026 05:53PM · 1 like · like
Michael Nielsen liked Mona’s status update Mona Alsubaei wants to read The Shaman's Dream Oracle: A 64-Card Deck and Guidebook
Feb 20, 2026 05:53PM
Michael Nielsen wants to read Did the Greeks Believe in Their Myths? by Paul Veyne	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 19, 2026 10:36PM · 2 likes · like
Michael Nielsen wants to read A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 19, 2026 05:01PM · 4 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Nielsen rated a book really liked it The First Signs: Unlocking the Mysteries of the World's Oldest Symbols by Genevieve von Petzinger	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Very good - a compelling but not overreaching exploration of cave and rock art, and what it might tell us about the origin of the modern mind. I really enjoyed it.
Feb 19, 2026 04:14PM · 4 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The First Signs by Genevieve von Petzinger. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The First Signs by Genevieve von Petzinger <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Nielsen wants to read The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art by James David Lewis-Williams	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 19, 2026 04:12PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Mind in the Cave by James David Lewis-Williams. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Mind in the Cave by James David Lewis-Williams <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Nielsen wants to read Chauvet Cave: The Art of Earliest Times by Jean Clottes	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 19, 2026 04:12PM · like
Michael Nielsen wants to read Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning by Peter Beinart	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 18, 2026 07:22PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza by Peter Beinart. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza by Peter Beinart <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Michael's books…

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
WACKY READING CHA...: I ♥ Audiobooks Challenge	446	187	Mar 31, 2022 08:37AM

Michael’s Quotes

“Science is the only news. When you scan a news portal or magazine, all the human interest stuff is the same old he-said-she-said, the politics and economics the same cyclical dramas, the fashions a pathetic illusion of newness; even the technology is predictable if you know the science behind it. Human nature doesn't change much; science does, and the change accrues, altering the world irreversibly”
― Stewart Brand

55 likes

“A library doesn't need windows. A library is a window.”
― Stewart Brand, How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built

tags: library

53 likes

“If you don't like bacteria, you're on the wrong planet.”
― Stewart Brand

tags: bacteria, life, microbes, science, world

19 likes

“Function reforms form, perpetually.”
― Stewart Brand, How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They're Built

15 likes

Michael’s Year In Books

Michael Nielsen’s Followers (1,644)

Michael’s Bookshelves

Michael’s Friends (135)

Michael Nielsen

Goodreads Author

Combine Editions
Michael Nielsen’s books

Michael is Currently Reading

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Michael’s Recent Updates

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Preview — Brushstrokes of a Gadfly by E.A. Bucchianeri

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Preview — A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck

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Preview — The First Signs by Genevieve von Petzinger

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Preview — Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza by Peter Beinart

Topics Mentioning This Author

Michael’s Quotes

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Michael’s Groups

Michael’s Friend Comments

Michael Nielsen’s Followers (1,644)

Michael Nielsen

Goodreads Author

rssMichael’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Brushstrokes of a Gadfly by E.A. Bucchianeri

See a Problem?

Preview — A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck

See a Problem?

Preview — The First Signs by Genevieve von Petzinger

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Preview — The Mind in the Cave by James David Lewis-Williams

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Preview — Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza by Peter Beinart

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Michael’s Recent Updates