Seriously, ultimate dev'r?
Actually, yes.
This is a book I recently bought but have not read yet, however it looks very, very promising:
Title: The Geek Atlas
Subtitle: 128 Places Where Science & Technology Come Alive
Author: John Graham-Cumming
Let's revive this topic, eh?
Title: Accelerando
Author: Charles Stross
Genre: Cyberpunk/Science Fiction
The book is a collection of nine short stories telling the tale of three generations of a highly dysfunctional family before, during, and after a technological singularity.
Highly recommended- both entertaining and though-provoking. As a bonus, it's
provided under a Creative Commons license. Go read it. Now.
Yes, Lets.
Title: Little Brother
Author: Cory Doctorow
Download Link (legally): Download From the Authors Website for Free
Quote:
What's Little Brother about?
Marcus, a.k.a “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.
But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days.
When the DHS finally releases them, Marcus discovers that his city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: to take down the DHS himself.
I would recommend it and like Accelerando it's available for free download under a CC Licence. That means you have no excuse not to read it, especially because the main character is in many ways similar to most of us.
Glenn wrote:
Title: Little Brother
Author: Cory Doctorow
I am too lazy to actually make my own post so instead I quote people and then don't say anything new. I have a hard copy of it. Amazing.
Title: Misspent Youth
Author: Peter F. Hamilton
Genre: SciFi
An interesting, somewhat-lightweight read about a near future in which medical science has discovered the secret to renewing the telomeres in cells that dictate cell death and aging. In other words, they have conquered the aging process, but the first application of the process necessarily costs staggering amounts of money, so a man worthy of the honor and expense is chosen. Jeff Baker invented the "memory crystal," a storage medium of fantastic density, speed, and fidelity that, coupled with several simultaneous technological advancements, enables the explosion of an internet-superceding "datasphere". The datasphere allows high-bandwidth always-on internet access to individuals, and the memory crystal offers essentially unlimited cheap storage; together these two facets combine to destroy the film, book, and music industries completely and give rise to a new (or old) service-based economy where nontangible goods are no longer created by professionals. Actors, musicians, writers, and paid programmers are all out of jobs, with open-source communities taking their place. But I digress. Jeff Baker was chosen for the honor of rejuvenation because instead of holding the rights to his invention, which would have netted him obscene amounts of money, he chooses to release the patent into the public domain. The rejuvenation soon proves problematic, and his newfound youth brings him at once closer to and infinitely further from his teenage son, Tim Baker, who is caught up in typical teenage dramas of socializing and romance. The plot tends disturbingly often towards interpersonal dynamics, some quite gratuitous and unnecessary, and largely ignores all the possibilities of exploration into the scifi world of constant seamless connectivity. I found it to be a quick read, somewhat unsatisfying, and certainly inferior to some of Hamilton's other works. If you're a big Peter Hamilton fan, give it a try; if not, you're better off exploring some of his other works.
I just realized what book I should put on my calculator with that e-reader thing (Little Brother comes in text format ^.^). Little Brother really is a great book.
Title: The Light Fantastic
Author: Terry Pratchett
Genre: Fantasy/Satire
Yes, I am a Discworld junkie. Terry Pratchett is my favorite author.
Favorite series of all time:
Genre: Political Thriller
Author: Joel C. Rosenberg
Series Name: Last Jihad Series
Books in the series: The Last Jihad, The Last Days, The Ezekiel Option, The Copper Scroll, and Dead Heat.
A totally awesome series about the 'end times'. It features intense, nonstop, realistic action in every volume. Each one is a page turner that you just won't want to put down. I highly recommend these novels to anyone over 13 or so years old.
So it has been two years since the last post, and once again I'm looking for more books to read. I just finished the sword of truth and loved it. Has anyone else finished any good books that they can add to this list?
Title: Baa Baa Blacksheep
Author: Gregory Boyington
Genre: Memoir, Autobiography
Pretty much an essential read for anyone interested in the Pacific war between the United States and Japan during World War II. Follows the life of an iconic Marine flying ace fighting in China before WWII and "In The Slot" during WWII. The writing style won't win it any literary medals, but the content makes it worthy of some historic ones. Pappy's quite the character, too, so it's a fun read.
Title: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Author: Susanna Clarke
Genre: High Fiction/Fantasy
i'd argue that this novel is the foremost piece of fantasy writing since Lord of the Rings. written in the style of classic victorian novels (Bleak House, the Moonstone, etc), but depicting an alternative version of england where Science! has been superseded by olde magics, this massive tome is best enjoyed a bit at a time over the course of a year or two, allowing the many people and places to become faint glimmers of memories the reader must struggle to recall, furthering the illusion of immersion. if you're a fan of books like this, be sure to check out Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast novels as well (some people argue that he, rather than Tolkien, deserves the "father of modern fantasy" title).
Title: The Street of Crocodiles
Author: Bruno Schulz
Genre: Fantastical Autobiography
if the last book is too large, then try this shorter piece instead. Schulz was unfortunately caught up and killed in the genocides of WWII before he had a chance to publish much work, but the little we do have is definitely worth reading. this book is a collection of (either exaggerated or completely fabricated) stories of his childhood life, told in beautiful prose.
Title:
The Blind Watchmaker
Author:
Richard Dawkins
Genre:
Non-Fiction
This interesting read provides an insight into the theory of evolution by means of natural selection. I can say that after reading this book, I know that prior to reading it I had a much shallower understanding of Darwin's work, even if I don't wholly agree with the author about everything he said. I found it very helpful that the author used replicable computer programs to make his points, because it allowed me to understand what was said better after I had replicated portions of them on my own computer. The book is well written, and fairly easy to read. Also, throughout the book, the author never loses sight of the topic at hand and always brings the most recent point being made back to the same ideas and principles that the book is founded on. I deem it highly recommended.
~Doctor Bacon
Oh gosh I have read tons of books.
Maximum Ride
TimeRiders
39 Clues
Witch & Wizard
Percy Jackson / Heroes of Olympus
Wow, 2013? BUMP!!!
One series I've been reading is the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King, which essentially boils down to a Sherlock Holmes fanfic from a feminist's point of view. Seeing Sherlock Holmes in a different perspective is certainly quite interesting.
On other series I enjoyed recently is the Mortality Doctrine series by James Dashner. This one is about a virtual reality that gets mixed up with 'real' reality.
I really don't think I'm doing these series justice, but hey, they're good books.
Title: Otherland Series
Author: Tad Williams
Genre: Sci-Fi
This book, though amazingly written, is for the serious reader. Although there are four books in the series, its really just four different chapters of one very, very long novel. In the first book, many seemingly unconnected storylines are introduced, though they come together throughout the books. Here's a brief summary:
Surrounded by secrecy, it is home to the wildest dreams and darkest nighmares. Incredible amounts of money have been lavished on it. The best minds of two generations have labored to build it. And somehow, bit by bit, it is claiming the Earth's most valuable resource--its children.
My favorite authors are brandon mull, rick riordan, and james dashner. i have read all their books and love them.
Title: The Children of Hurin
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Genre: Tragedy/Fantasy
(I don't have time to add a synopsis but I will later if I remember)
Title: Programming the TI-83 Plus/TI-84 Plus
Author: Dr. Christopher Mitchell, PhD
Genre: Textbook/instructional reference
Synopsis: Dr. Mitchell's book is a paragon of excellence in the world of programming manuals and instructional references. His elaborate but user-friendly explanations and perfect book flow are complimented heavily by the frequent and well commented code snippets, screenshots, diagrams, and other tools. Programming the TI-83 Plus/TI-84 Plus is a must have for any avid calculator developer, veteran or newbie. Its perfect teaching style is second only to the legendary ANSI C manual by Kernighan and Ritchie.
CalcMeister wrote:
Title: Programming the TI-83 Plus/TI-84 Plus
Author: Dr. Christopher Mitchell, PhD
Genre: Textbook/instructional reference
Synopsis: Dr. Mitchell's book is a paragon of excellence in the world of programming manuals and instructional references. His elaborate but user-friendly explanations and perfect book flow are complimented heavily by the frequent and well commented code snippets, screenshots, diagrams, and other tools. Programming the TI-83 Plus/TI-84 Plus is a must have for any avid calculator developer, veteran or newbie. Its perfect teaching style is second only to the legendary ANSI C manual by Kernighan and Ritchie.
(I formatted your post correctly <3)
Title: Programming the TI-83 Plus/TI-84 Plus
Author: Dr. Christopher Mitchell, PhD
Genre: Textbook/instructional reference
Synopsis: This book is amazing. Dr. Mitchell shows an amazing command of the language, and is an excellent instructor, who is inspiring and knowledgeable. The well-written and informative text is nicely complemented by charts, diagrams, references, code snippets, pictures, and more. This book is a very powerful touchstone into the world of programming, quite possibly the only book on TI-Basic you will ever need.
Title: Scale: The Universal Laws of Growth, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Pace of Life in Organisms, Cities, Economies, and Companies
Author: Geoffrey West
Genre: Science/Nonfiction
Synopsis: Scale is simply an excellent book. It puts, in easy, understandable terms, eye-opening ideas that show correlation between many complicated fields of science and math. It shows simple, fundamental relationships different parts of plants and animals, as well as showing parallels between animals in cities. Scale is well-written, inspiring thought, giving relevant, well-researched historical examples, and providing easy-to-understand graphs, charts, diagrams, and pictures.
This is a book I haven't finished but I thought it would be ok to post because it is a book I am writing myself (with friends) - Joey Riot Story Book
http://riot-wreck.com
There are 3-4 preview chapters on the site