Some good books I read recently.
The information by James Gleick - The book accessibly traces the history of the technology and the concept of Information, and how it came to dominate our present times. You will see the rise of writing (Plato was no fan to it), the first dictionaries and encyclopedias, telegraphs and African talking drums. And you will meet the work of Shannon and Chaitin and Kolmogorov. Quite fascinating.
In praise of Idleness by Bertrand Russell - It's a collection of essays on various socio-political topics. For example in the title essay he discusses the benifits that might accrue if work hours were to be reduced, giving people more leisure. He presents the case for Socialism, and philosophical history of fascism. And he talks about the delights of 'useless' knowledge, which enriches our experience of the world, despite having no practical application. In some cases you might find yourself disagreeing with Russell, but the concern, clear thinking and quality that are present will surely impress you.
The man who loved only numbers by Paul Hoffman - A biographical sketch of eminent number theorist Paul Erdős. One of the most prolific mathematicians ever, he published 1475 papers in his lifetime, with 485 collaborators. He organized his life to maximize his time for mathematics, which meant no wife or children or family, no home, no permanent job either. He lived his life out of a suitace, always moving and finding new collaborators. What little money he earned almost entirely went to needy students, relatives or charities. A warm, delightful book about an extraordinary life.
The information by James Gleick - The book accessibly traces the history of the technology and the concept of Information, and how it came to dominate our present times. You will see the rise of writing (Plato was no fan to it), the first dictionaries and encyclopedias, telegraphs and African talking drums. And you will meet the work of Shannon and Chaitin and Kolmogorov. Quite fascinating.
In praise of Idleness by Bertrand Russell - It's a collection of essays on various socio-political topics. For example in the title essay he discusses the benifits that might accrue if work hours were to be reduced, giving people more leisure. He presents the case for Socialism, and philosophical history of fascism. And he talks about the delights of 'useless' knowledge, which enriches our experience of the world, despite having no practical application. In some cases you might find yourself disagreeing with Russell, but the concern, clear thinking and quality that are present will surely impress you.
The man who loved only numbers by Paul Hoffman - A biographical sketch of eminent number theorist Paul Erdős. One of the most prolific mathematicians ever, he published 1475 papers in his lifetime, with 485 collaborators. He organized his life to maximize his time for mathematics, which meant no wife or children or family, no home, no permanent job either. He lived his life out of a suitace, always moving and finding new collaborators. What little money he earned almost entirely went to needy students, relatives or charities. A warm, delightful book about an extraordinary life.
