Reading...

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon (4/4/2006)

Reading books heavily influenced by the NYC environment is just more fun when you're living in New York.

Generation Debt and Strapped (3/2006)

They're almost the same book. Both talk about kids these days -- how we're (collective we) getting out of school with tons of debt and having to deal with a weaker job market for young people, insane housing prices, and often times non-existant health care. And I'm not sure why I'm so in to this that I'd read about it twice. As far as solutions offered, I liked Generation Debt more.

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem (1/7/2006)

The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem (12/25/2005)

Liked it a lot.

The Geography of Nowhere by James Howard Kunstler (12/15/2005)

Better than The Long Emergency.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (12/5/2005)

Have you guys heard of this "Harry Potter?"

The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (11/30/2005)

Fun ultra-fantastical book. I can't even begin to disect it.

The Long Emergency by James Howard Kunstler (11/15/2005)

End of the age of oil and all that stuff. Good points in parts, alarmist bordering on delusion in plenty of others.

Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut (10/30/2005)

Nexus: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Theory of Networks by Mark Buchanan (10/26/2005)

Good intro/overview of network theory (in a mathematical, social sense). The book really communicates the newness and the potential of the science(s) in the links between people or the links between things (like the Internet).

Girlfriend in a Coma by Douglas Coupland (9/12/2005)

How Buildings Learn by Stewart Brand (9/27/2005)

This is the best non-fiction book I've read in a long long time. The title doesn't begin to illustrate the breadth of topics the book covers -- I don't even know where to begin. The underlying theme is how buildings become either loved or reviled, how they "learn" and whether they do it well or not one could say. Craftsmanship, durability, the sharing of ideas amongst architects, functional conformity vs. artistic uniqueness, financing, economic climate ... there a lot that goes into it. But it's all so intuitive, and it applies to so many fields where craft and functionality meet. People that think a lot of modern buildings (not all) are just missing something should read it. People who wonder what the Real Estate bubble does to buildings and cities (nothing good) should read it. Jane Jacobs fans definitely should read this book as she is referenced a bunch.

Hot Water Music by Charles Bukowski (9/25/2005)

In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore (9/10/2005)

I liked it, but it didn't have many new points or perspectives for me. The general idea is that slowness leads to focus and quality in most everything that we do.

Growing A Business by Paul Hawken (6/14/2005)

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (5/31/2005)

Just finished this really enjoyable and moving read. It reminds me a bit of Microserfs in its focus on humanity & family themes, but as a tale of alcohol and drug addiction as well, it comes from a much darker and more life threatening place.

American Mania: When More Is Not Enough by Peter C. Whybrow (5/28/2005)

Do Americans exhibit a kind of mania in the way we go about life and work. What is the evidence to support this along with the benefits and drawbacks of a manic way of life. To what extent does our economic and social system contribute to this mania? Interestingly, the book points out that the way we engage in capitalism today largely omits the societal feedback that Adam Smith (Wealth of Nations & "Invisible Hand" guy) took for granted would always be a moderating force to keep "unbridled self-interest" in check. It's important to note that this isn't an Anti-American book. It offers some criticism and suggestions, but unfortunately in the current political/cultural environment that's enough reason for many people to dismiss it without serious consideration of its message.

A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink (5/7/2005)

Nice read that addresses the changing career issues/potential suddenly facing so many "knowledge workers" (outsourcing, etc). His solution, in short, is for the analytically minded workers in the United States today to employ more "right directed" (as in right brain) creative thinking in their work. I read the book because I already feel that this is what people in technical fields need to focus on to remain relavent (and interested), so it's hard to know if he argues the point well or if I'm just hearing what I want to hear.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (3/12/2005)

Neat idea -- maybe doesn't traslate into a whole book though.

My Life as a Quant by Emanuel Derman (3/8/2005)

Surprisingly good book -- great book actually. More about a guy looking for interesting problems than about finance & the stock market.

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (3/5/2005)

Mostly gross.

The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki (1/21/2005)

I really thought I'd dislike this book, thus it took me many months to actually get to it. If it hadn't been at the library, I would have never read it. Thankfully, I picked it up and it's a great read. It's not that individuals (or small groups) are dumb, it's that they can often be biased. However, in a larger more diverse groups this bias can be averaged out if everyone's input is relatively independent (in a statistical sense). A lot of the analysis in the book is based on this principle and the benefit it provides. Plenty of insights into the way markets, governments, and businesses work. Highly recommended.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (1/6/2005)

I thought this book would communicate some liberating or exciting view of the world, but instead, it left me frightened and sad...what a raw deal. Still very good.

Hackers & Painters by Paul Graham (1/4/2005)

I talk about this book a bit here

Microserfs by Douglas Coupland (12/28/2004)

Wonderful book about being a computer nerd and getting a life. Amazing how much it gets the whole 90s mania and post mania lessons before the events really even unfold (the book was written in 1993). This is my second reading of the book, but I think I enjoyed it more this time than the first.

Post Office by Charles Bukowski (12/20/2004)

What's the deal with peoples infatuation with Bukowski (myself included)? I enjoyed the book, but it's basically about a man without a place or purpose - but that's his plan. I read somewhere that Bukowski tends to appeal to a certain male part of the population that enjoys (vicariously) the idea of letting things go to shit - seeing what happens when you drop your responsibilities and maybe even give up self-interest.

Not Just a Living by Mark Henricks (12/18/2004)

Nice book-as-a-pep-talk about creating a business that suits your lifestyle and interests. "Lifestyle Entrepreneurs" are looking to create work that gives them both income and independence while sometimes sacrificing the level of income for quality of life issues.