Books I Have Read

Here are the books I have read (perused or read partially or completely, etc.) beginning from the age of 23 that are available in English and were not required reading for any class I may have taken. I'm sure I've missed some. My rating system is highly subjective and only describes the degree to which the book impacted me personally by providing me with new information, ideas, and awareness. Regardless of my ratings, most of these books are excellent, and many are considered classics.

My personal rating system:
| = almost no new ideas or new information
|| = a few new ideas of no lasting significance
||| = some new ideas and information to think about for a while
|||| = lots of new ideas, an abundance of new, useful information to think about
||||| = tons of new ideas, providing a lasting new awareness; to be read and reread

Books are arranged in the order that I have read them, with newer books first. This way, when you come back to this page, you can immediately see what I have been reading recently. I have included my comments below each book, and the titles link to more information at Amazon.com. I recommend finding these books at the library or sharing copies among friends to conserve resources, but if you buy them through the Amazon.com links, I receive a small commission.

read	title	author	written	genre	rating
2011	The Young John Muir: An Environmental Biography	Steven J. Holmes	1999	biography	|||
Holmes provides a careful and insightful look into the interpersonal, professional, and geographic circumstances that contributed to John Muir's development as a prominent American environmentalist. I rate this a "|||" because I discovered numerous parallels between my own life and Muir's that have given me some encouragement about my own life. For other readers, the biography will be interesting if they sympathize with Muir and respect his work. It seems very well researched and perhaps more psychologically focused than your average biography.
2011	The Mediterranean Diet	Marissa Clouter and Eve Adamson	2001	nutrition and diet	|||
For my wife this book is probably a "5." We had already been gravitating toward a healthier and healthier diet for some time, but this book was the key to making permanent changes in our diet as opposed to just knowing that certain fats are better for you than others, foods with a high glycemic index are worse for you, etc. The Mediterranean diet seems to have the most scientific support of any diet out there and has actually been practiced for thousands of years among people who have historically enjoyed long lives and low chronic disease. This book talks about the components of the Mediterranean diet and how to make the lifestyle changes necessary to eat in the Mediterranean spirit.
2010	Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community: Eight Essays	Wendell Berry	1994	social criticism	|||
A prophetic social critic, Berry precisely and eloquently outlines the social, economic, and environmental ills of modern industrial society, their causes and solutions. Interestingly (though the author does not mention this), they all ultimately trace back to the availability of cheap fossil fuels, which has allowed for mass production, economic centralization, and globalization. These processes have been good for a small minority of wealthy businessmen and good for technological development, but bad for most individuals, near fatal for rural communities (the only true communities), and disastrous for the environment. And ultimately, as Berry points out, the economy is wholly dependent upon the environment. A very thought-provoking read, the book would have scored even higher had I not been already familiar with most of the ideas.
2010	1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus	Charles Mann	2005	history and geography	||||
Another fantastic book about how people have used the resources of the land they lived on and how they developed complex societies, 1491 contributed vastly to my knowledge of and respect for the pre-Colombian peoples of the New World. In addition to solidifying my interest in indigenous peoples and their lifestyles, technology, and culture, the book gave me a new perspective on human civilization in general and its basic principles of evolution. For instance, human societies expand rapidly to occupy all suitable habitats, and lifestyles are over the long term more influenced by the particular geography of the habitat than by culture. Mann's writing style is superb, and the research he presents fascinating.
2009	Desert Solitaire	Edward Abbey	1968	environmental memoir	||
An enjoyable book by a passionate writer and nature lover with a sharp tongue and an poetic writing style. For me there was little new in Abbey's social criticism, as these are things that I've mulled over and read about extensively.
2009	Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies	Jared Diamond	1997	history and geography	||||
A fantastic book that identifies and illustrates the primary geographic factors leading to "progress" and domination by separate human societies over others. The author successfully moves beyond cultural explanations that provide tentative and interesting, but not ultimate explanations for why the broadest historical processes took place. More than simply illuminating these broad strokes of history, Jared Diamond provides a way of thinking about societal processes that I find simple and potentially very useful. The approach is basically to examine parameters such as ecological capacity and robustness, the presence or absence of geographical barriers, and other important natural features, as well as a society's history of complex institutions, rather than the cultural parameters which -- on the surface -- seem to explain why one society does better than another. I think from now on I will pay more attention to geographical features and their influence upon the societies that must adapt to them. Of course, this approach works best when examining large time scales.
2009	The Case Against the Global Economy: And for a Turn Toward the Local	Jerry Mander (editor)	1997	socioeconomic theory	||||
A fantastic set of essays. Yes, some of them may seem idealistic and naive, and certainly there are significant downsides to settled local communities where everyone knows each other and is interdependent. But on the whole they are right, I think: the type of economy we live with now and that is being propogated around the world works toward the benefit of large transnational corporations while undercutting social bonds that have formed the basis of local communities and local democracy for eons. As a result, we no longer have the type of democracy -- direct local participation -- that was envisioned by Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers, who thought that local democracy was possible only with local economic self-sufficiency. This book was published in 1997, and there are many expressions of hope that new movements were taking place here and there, but in hindsight it seems that these have so far failed to change the direction of economic development in any significant way. More likely than a "cultural revolution," in my opinion, is that change will occur due to external causes beyond our control, namely, resource depletion. Eventually, rising oil costs will make modern agribusiness unprofitable, and agriculture will once more become small-scale and local as it always has been. This will trigger a whole set of de-globalizing trends, unless a new form of super-cheap energy is harnessed within the next decade or two.
2009	Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation	Joseph Campbell	2004	psychology of mythology	|||
The impact of this book was less than that of The Power of Myth for two reasons: I read it second, and it is a collection of Campbell's messages that have been stitched together from different teaching situations and are thus somewhat lacking in continuity. As a result, it is less memorable and powerful. There are some important messages on "following your bliss" and developing your personal myth, but these are scattered throughout The Power of Myth, too. One interesting topic was the psychological difference between western and eastern cultures as reflected in their mythology. I think Campbell described it very well.
2009	Industrial Society and Its Future	Theodore Kaczynski	1995	socioeconomic theory	|||
Not exactly a book, but a treatise the size of a small book, the so-called "Unabomber Manifesto" contains some sharp ideas about the nature of modern industrial society. I was particularly affected by Kaczynski's description of the "power process," or the process by which people gain a sense of personal power, or empowerment, and how modern society disrupts this process by making the vital activities unnecessary, requiring the replacement of truly empowering activities with "surrogates" that one pretends are important. I think Kaczynski is right on here and describes the issue most precisely, but this is obviously something that is more keenly felt by a certain type of people who, like Kaczynski, are less attached to the social world, and more to the natural. Other points made by Kaczynski, such as the nature of "leftism," and the "oversocialism" of leftists, seemed to stem less from clarity of intellect than from paranoia and personal offenses against this category of people. Finally, one point that was ignored by the author is that of Peak Oil and diminishing resources in general, which may well precipitate the demise of industrial civilization as we know it, without the necessity of resorting to revolutionary action.
2009	The Power of Myth	Joseph Campbell	1991	psychology of mythology	||||
This book for me opened a lot of new territory and many new questions that I will have to spend years thinking about. For instance, why are myths inspiring? What is it that inspires me? How is it that stories that are not literally true, but simply allegorical, can resonate deeply with me? There was so much new information that I will have to reread the book carefully and take notes. Furthermore, Campbell gives much profound suggestions about how to live a full and satisfying life. The principle "follow your bliss" is his favorite. The resulting effect of The Power of Myth is even more spiritual than it is intellectual. From now on I will be more attuned to the mythological plane in the world around me, and more observant of the emotional states created by allegories and symbols that resonate with people.
2009	Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed	Jared Diamond	2005	history and ecology	|||||
Jared Diamond examines past and present societies whose poor ecological management has caused them to collapse and draws obvious parallels to modern first-world societies where most of his readers are from. He identifies the factors that contribute to good or bad environmental management choices. While some of the book consists of reasonably supported hypotheses, environmental mismanagement has clearly played a major, if not defining role, in the demise of many a society. Diamond identifies 12 well-researched environmental problems facing modern society that are ticking time bombs with fuses of no more than 50 years away. All must be averted if we are to avoid collapse -- a drastic reduction in quality of life, population, and stability and complexity of society. For me this book explained in satisfying detail the environmental complexities faced by societies, the precise nature of the ecological problems we face, and the types of measures that must be taken if catastrophe is to be averted. Collapse also repositioned my political priorities. As an example, which solution is chosen for healthcare in the United States is ultimately of far less significance than what is done about topsoil loss in the grain belt and other potentially civilization-killing environmental problems of our own making.
2009	The Varieties of Religious Experience	William James	1902	psychology of religion	|||||
A classic of psychological, philosophical and religious studies all at the same time, these combined lectures by William James examine the varies forms that religious experience can take and probe their psychological roots, ramifications, and value to society. This book is an absolute must for those with a deep interest in the subject of religion, who are not too attached to a particular religious ideology. James clearly demonstrates that there are patterns of spiritual experience that transcend all doctrinal boundaries, and that different kinds of people are inclined towards different types of religious life. This book has enriched my understanding of religious phenomena and contributed to my thinking and writings. Some readers might find it long-winded, academic, and/or hard to understand because of the old-fashioned language.
2009	Notes From Underground	Fyodor Dostoyevsky	1864	novel, psychology	|
I found the character of this book humorous -- self-conscious to the extreme, pitiful in his negativity, and heartless and cynical, yet deeply psychologically aware. It's a good introduction to Dostoyevsky and his work and is much shorter than some of his later novels for which he is more famous in the western world.
2009	The Anti-Christ	Friedrich Nietzsche	1888	philosophy, religion	|||
This was my introduction to Neitzsche, a divisive thinker who arouses passionate responses to his work. I feel I was able to understand The Anti-Christ as he intended. First off, one must get used to his writing style and understand that it is his habit to use the sharpest possible expressions to convey his views. His writing works upon the emotions as well as the mind. The very title of this work is scandalous. Nietzsche, as we learn, is actually not at all against Christ per se; his intellectual wrath is directed at the "disciples" of Christ who lacked the strength and depth to follow his path and instead -- perhaps inadvertently -- ended up creating a religion that is nearly the exact opposite of what Christ embodied. Of course, Nietzsche gives a very different -- and highly plausible -- account of Christ's life and the intolerably stuffy ecclesiastical Jewish religion that produced him in the first place. According to Nietzsche, Jesus showed the Jews of the time, through word and deed, that one could find peace and bliss without submitting to any ecclesiastical authority. Essentially, he was a Jewish Buddhist anarchist Ghandi. His teachings and deeds that are aggressive, miraculous, or focus on the hereafter (resurrection, final judgment, etc.) were attributed to him later as the faith spread and there was need to incorporate a wider range of traits to the original Teacher, who was now promoted as God. Nietzsche's understanding of how religious creeds tend to evolve is sophisticated and, as far as I can tell, accurate. Today's Jesus is a far cry from that of just 100 or 200 years ago. Furthermore, Nietzsche implicates Christianity, which roused the poor, uneducated, and disenchanted by teaching them that they were better than the rich, powerful, and knowledgeable and would eventually prevail over them, with the destruction of Greco-Roman civilization and all its cultural and scientific fruits. Christianity continues to work against all that is natural and healthy by calling weakness strength and strength weakness. What theologians denounce is almost automatically true and good. All modern progress has been made only by defying the church. Whether or not you agree with Nietzsche, The Anti-Christ is sure to evoke a strong reaction.
2009	Trespass: Living at the Edge of the Promised Land	Amy Irvine	2009	autobiography	|||
Trespass brings together personal history with reflections on the injustices and closedmindedness of Mormon society, ancient Indian lifestyles, and land management issues in the Southwest. The writing style was a small obstacle to overcome in the beginning, but I soon warmed to Irvine's story and the issues she was addressing. This book sparked a greater interest in paleopsychology -- what it was like to live as a hunter-gatherer -- and in the negative effects of cattle and recreational vehicles on semi-arid and mountain lands.
2009	Men, Women and Relationships: Making Peace with the Opposite Sex	John Gray	2002	psychology, self-help	|||||
I expected the level of this book to be beneath me, and its simple, almost amateurish writing style at first seemed to confirm it. However, not long into the book I was drawn in and began to learn new things about the sexes and their interaction that I had never considered before, despite my years of psychological self-training. In fact, reading this brought about a cathartic recollection of my past relationships where I made numerous errors and false assumptions which were clearly laid bare by the book. The author knows his stuff and makes his points plainly. I recommend Men, Women, and Relationships to everyone; new psychological realizations have the capability to improve life more than other kinds of realizations.
2009	We the Living	Ayn Rand	1936	novel, philosophy	|||
A better read (for me) than Atlas Shrugged -- shorter, more psychologically realistic, and much more historical. This was written before Rand had fully transferred her views to the area of economics, wherein she made some mistakes, in my opinion. Here you will find her basic view of strength and weakness in human nature. It becomes clear from this book that her entire ensuing philosophical system has its roots in her total personal rejection of the Bolshevik Revolution and the ills that it brought to Russian society.
2009	A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail	Bill Bryson	2006	humor, travel	|
Most people seem to find this book hilarious. I was mildly amused. I read it while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and felt it didn't do justice to the thru-hiking life and wildly exaggerated the dangers of being in the wilderness.
2009	The Ice Chronicles: The Quest to Understand Global Climate Change	Paul Mayewski, Frank White	2008	science	||
Until I read this book, I had a foggy idea of where the data behind global climate change comes from. The topic is becoming more and more politicized lately, and numerous amateurs write emphatically on both sides of the global warming debate, which serves to divert the public's attention away from the scientific basis for claims of human-induced climate change. I very much enjoyed hearing a calm, rational voice on the matter from someone who has taken part in the data collection process for many years, and encourage others to read this book in order to gain a scientist's perspective on climate change.
2009	The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Vintage)	Barack Obama	2008	politics and society	|||
An interesting and highly recommended read from an unusually frank and soul-searching politician (well, now President). Apart from some new ideas on policy issues, one comes away with a much better understanding of the author himself - especially his sense of personal mission and the intellectual uncertainty that forms the core of his worldview. This is refreshing to see in a politician and seems more typical of an academic or intellectual. We will see how the author is able to apply his understanding in the world of domestic and foreign politics.
2008	The World Without Us	Alan Weisman	2007	popular science	||||
This book describes humans' effect on the environment that would persist after our sudden disappearance, if such a thing were to happen. Weisman talks about all possible aspects of our environment-changing activities and how the Earth would gradually take over again when we are gone. This book helped me to understand the many ways that we humans affect the environment, the dangers associated with the use of plastics and nuclear energy, and the great issues that will play themselves out within my lifetime. In the end, you may well find yourself considering radical solutions to the problems Weisman talks about.
2008	Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower	Zbigniew Brzezinski	2007	geopolitics	|||
This book, written by one of the greatest foreign affairs experts of our time, will instill readers with a far greater understanding of the real issues driving international relations than they will ever get listening to politicians. It outlines the accomplishments and shortcomings of the last three presidents -- two Bushes and one Clinton -- and describes how the United States' great reserve of international credibility and leadership has been catastrophically squandered since 2000. In Brzezinski's opinion, America has a "second chance" to revive its positive role in international affairs, demonstrating leadership in the things that only it can do, but if the chance is not taken advantage of, there will be no third chance. This book gave me a clear understanding of the historical underpinnings of current international conflicts and a glimpse into the factors that drive decision-making. Brzezinski's book ends on an optimistic note and offers what seems like very clear and practical steps to be taken in America's international relations to restore its role as a credible world leader -- not for the sake of preserving its own dominion, but to actually reduce tension and help solve the major problems facing the world. This book has strongly affected my views on foreign policy.
2008	Einstein: The Life and Times	Ronald W. Clark	1971	biography	||
Everyone should read a few biographies of famous people to better understand what makes (made) them tick. This book gave me a good idea of Einstein's personality, lifestyle, and relationships, and shed much light on the times and places he lived and the development of science during his lifetime.
2008	The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing	Richard Dawkins	2008	science anthology	|||
I should have read this book back in the days I was preoccupied with the philosophy of science, but it hadn't been written yet. This book has many insightful excerpts about scientific topics from works of leading scientists. It will have you thinking about a lot of topics from astronomy to zoology.
2008	The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century	Thomas L. Friedman	2007	global trends	||
A somewhat long-winded introduction to the forces of globalization, Friedman's book is nontheless compelling in its degree of detail. I eventually read only half and skimmed the other half, and I recommend this book to employees of the corporate world who know that globalization could affect their work, but have a hazy idea of how and why that might happen.
2008	The Mustard Seed: Discourses on the Sayings of Jesus Taken from the Gospel According to Thomas	Rajneesh	1975	spirituality	||||
Also known as "Osho," Rajneesh was a highly influential spiritual leader of the 20th century who left a deep mark on the western world as well as his native India. In Eastern Europe Osho is practically a household name, but in the U.S. he is much less widely read. The Mustard Seed -- one of dozens of books with compilations of Rajneesh's lectures -- is among the most readable and comprehensive. It provides an esoteric interpretation of the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the apocryphal Gospel of Thomas. Put mildly, Rajneesh' interpretation differs radically from that of contemporary Christianity, and western readers who are new to eastern spiritual disciplines may well find themselves asking, "so does he or doesn't he believe in God and an afterlife?" and "does he believe Jesus was a divine being or not?" Based on a way of being and a way of seeing things rather than a set of theological dogma to be believed in, Rajneesh's teachings stimulate much contemplation and are to be read and reread.
2008	No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith	Fawn M. Brodie	1944	religious history, biography	||||
A very well researched, unbiased, and excellently written biography of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter-day Saint Movement (i.e. Mormonism), that does its best to explain his psychology, actions, and the events of early Mormonism from a materialistic, rather than religious point of view. The author reveals the variety of forces influencing Smith and early Mormonism, as well as the sources of information he had available when developing Latter-day Saint theology, religious practice, and scripture. An evolution of Smith's ideas and tendencies -- rather than periodic flashes of insight or inspiration -- is proposed to explain the religion Smith produced. I found the hypotheses plausible, the evidence in many cases overwhelming for some things the Mormon church refutes, downplays, or ignores, and was left with many new questions. Many historians consider this to be the best biography of Joseph Smith ever written. After reading it, I recommend looking up Hugh Nibley's apologetic response to it, titled No Ma'am, That's not History, which can be found online and read in under an hour. This juxtaposition of vastly differing views of and approaches to the study of one man's life is thought-provoking.
2008	Steal This Book	Abbie Hoffman	1971	social criticism, lifestyle	||
This book not only gives a glimpse into the counter-culture of the 60s, but provides a lot of very useful information about how to lead a low-cost, nomadic lifestyle in the United States. The style is enjoyable and the recommendations fascinating.
2008	Atlas Shrugged	Ayn Rand	1957	novel, philosophy	||
If I had read this book between 17 and 22 years of age, it might have had a big impact on me. I read it too late; I already had well-developed views of individualism and society, I was already aware of Rand's own biases, and Rand's lack of intuitive understanding of human psychology kept screaming out at me. Nonetheless, the book is compelling and thought-provoking, if unrealistic. I recommend reading it in one's late teens or early twenties.
2008	Brave New World	Aldous Huxley	1931	novel, philosophy	|
An influential book in its day and an example of innovative prose, Brave New World is definitely worth reading. Many people see the world moving in the direction described in the book. Huxley describes a world in which scientific advances have made it possible to avoid suffering and negative emotions, as well as design specific kinds of people for different kinds of work. The result is that everyone lives in a continual mental fog, lacking any profound thoughts or individualistic impulses. The ensuing reality is reminiscent of The Matrix. One of the heroes chooses suffering, Shakespeare, self-reliance, and depth over the sugar-coated society he is offered.
2008	Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking	Ray Jardine	2002	backpacking, lifestyle	|||||
Ray Jardine is the Charles Darwin of the Lightweight Backpacking movement. In this book he describes not only the methods he discovered to lighten his backpack during long-distance treks, but also the whole philosophy of lightweight, self-sufficient travel and the experience of nature. When I was studying ultralight backpacking methods and experimenting with new types of gear and backpacking methods, I read this book three times in order to make sure everything had sunk in. It helped remove some fears and unfounded stereotypes about living in nature that I had never examined deeply. There are now newer books out that talk about even lighter gear and materials than were available just ten years ago when Jardine wrote his first edition, but none of these are as comprehensive in their discussion of wilderness practice as Jardine's. Jardine espouses organic, unprocessed foods and cooking over a fire as opposed to the prepackaged dehydrated meals and gas-powered stoves. He effectively breaks down the allure of much fancy equipment and gives readers the tools to begin making their own outdoor equipment and clothing, providing many of his own designs that were highly innovative in their day and are now taken for granted in the ultralight backpacking industry. Comparatively inexpensive sewing kits can be bought at his website, www.rayjardine.com.
2007	In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching	Pyotr Uspenskyy	1947	spirituality, esoterism	|||||
With a factual storyline and autobiographical elements interspersed with discussion of Gurdjieff's teachings and practices, In Search of the Miraculous is a multi-faceted book and a classic introduction to the world of esoteric spirituality. Many of the ideas and principles taught by Gurdieff are essentially the same as those of other spiritual teachers, while some approaches and teachings are quite unique. Gurdjieff was a dominant Alpha-male personality who brought students (disciples) together to do some pretty tough "Work" and rouse them from their "sleep." Readers are left with an ambiguous feeling about Gurdjieff's cult-like tendencies, but also with many intriguing ideas and fascinating personal experiences as conveyed by Uspenskyy, the clearest expounder of Gurdjieff's work and teachings.
2006	The Perennial Philosophy	Aldous Huxley	1945	philosophy of religion	||
A deep and interesting study of the shared spiritual principles of all the major religious traditions as expounded by their most enlightened teachers. Huxley does not discuss any theological dogmas, but rather religions' views of spiritual development. He effectively shows that enlightened representatives of each religion essentially had the same things in mind. In selecting religions to discuss, Huxley had to make an arguably subjective distinction between religions with a genuine spiritual tradition and those which are merely doctrinal shells. He also dismisses the religiosity of the masses with its rituals and congregational behavior; these religious practices differ wildly from religion to religion and have little to do with spiritual development -- which, in contrast, is viewed in remarkably similar ways by enlightened religious thinkers regardless of their affiliation.
2005	Gods, Graves & Scholars: The Story of Archaeology	C. W. Ceram	1949	history of archeology	||||
This adventure-filled book may well inspire you to begin studying ancient history or make a career change to something more exciting and adventurous. It tells of the great archeological discoveries and breakthroughs in our understanding of ancient civilization, and the people who made them. Highly recommended, especialy for young people with a sense of adventure and an interest in the sciences or academia.
2005	The Richest Man in Babylon	George Samuel Clason	1926	financial self-help	|
An old classic with simplistic lessons about hard work and avoiding debt, this short book will be of most use to those who are just beginning their adult life or those who have had lots of debt in the past and want to get out of the hole.
2005	Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!	Robert Kiyosaki	2000	financial self-help	||||
I read this book at a time when I did not yet have any clear financial strategy. This book impressed upon me the importance of building assets and passive income and avoiding liabilities, and gave me terms in which to think about my financial situation. I found this more useful than a typical book on budgeting and good spending habits. I don't embrace the money and goods-centered lifestyle of the author or the idea that "anyone can do it," but the book really crystallized my intention to focus on developing passive income sources to enhance my personal freedom. Other books in the series, such as The Cashflow Quadrant, are also good and contain further explanations of the same kinds of ideas. Some readers may benefit from playing Kiyosaki's game, Cashflow. I tried it once in a group and found it mildly stimulating.
2004	Investment Biker: Around the World with Jim Rogers	Jim Rogers	1995	global trends	||
A light and fun read about trends taking place in the countries of the world at the time of publishing, as well as their implications for investment. This book is now rather out of date, as many trends have changed, but the reader can still benefit by learning how Rogers -- a former investment associate of George Soros -- thinks about situations, and how he recognizes the signs of investment opportunity. It's especially interesting to see which predictions have been wrong.
2004	Soros on Soros: Staying Ahead of the Curve	George Soros	1995	autobiography, philosophy	|||
Did you know that George Soros not only "broke the Bank of England," but is also a serious philosopher with a well-integrated worldview? In fact, powerful ideas are what form the basis of Soros' being and life work, permeating his behind-the-scenes political projects. His investment activities seem to be more of an appendage or a means to an end than his actual bread-and-butter, which sets Soros apart from money-makers such as Warren Buffett or Bill Gates. I found Soros' ideas on society and the philosophy of knowledge very rewarding and far more sophisticated than the average icon of success' philosophical musings on the nature of life. Of particular interest in Soros' philosophy is the idea that at the heart of every speculative bubble -- and more broadly, at the heart of every social trend -- lies an erroneous notion.
2003	The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference	Malcolm Gladwell	2000	theoretical social science	||
More stimulating to most other readers, The Tipping Point basically told me what I already knew and had thought about, while presenting it as a ground-breaking theory. There are too few significant ideas in the book and too many examples for my taste, but many readers will find it fascinating to realize how key people with very specific personality traits contribute to the success or failure of new fads, ideas, and phenomena. This may prove especially beneficial in marketing products and services, and the author clearly wrote the book with these business applications in mind.
2001	What You Can Change and What You Can't: The Complete Guide to Successful Self-Improvement	Martin Seligman	1995	psychology, self-help	|||
A great read for those who, like me, are interested in personal development. This book dispels the myth of the total malleability of behavior, demonstrating statistically that many of the disorders that plague us may well be here to stay, and that we may be fooling ourselves if we believe we and others can overcome them through sheer will. Not entirely predeterministic in his outlook, Seligman shows the degree to which every imaginable personal problem (from anorexia to obesity, homosexuality to OCD and depression) has been experimentally proven to respond to different forms of therapy. Rather than make problem-afflicted readers even more depressed, Seligman encourages them to focus on treatments that can work and to adjust their attitudes, which are often far more malleable than the problem itself.
2001	Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life	Daniel Dennett	1995	philosophy of science	||||
Potentially a hard read because of the difficult ideas discussed, Dennett's book covers every conceivable facet of evolution theory, providing interesting thought experiments and demonstrations. A read this book slowly over a period of months to allow myself time to digest each bit. Also of some interest is a discussion of the philosophical implications of darwinism and godless algorithmic science for morality and ethics, and the author's conviction that morality can actually benefit by being raised to a higher level.
2001	The Meme Machine	Susan Blackmore	1999	theoretical social science	|||
A good book that takes Richard Dawkin's "meme" metaphor and develops it into an entire theory of the mind and of cultural evolution. I found Blackmore's background quite interesting and even corresponded with her personally to discuss some ideas. She generally derides organized religion and theology while herself incorporating elements of Eastern spiritual practice into her daily life -- specifically, Zen meditation, which she sees as "freeing" one, however briefly, from the overpowering pressure of the memes.
2001	The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene (Popular Science)	Richard Dawkins	1982	science, evolution	||||
More fascinating excursions into the living world in the spirit of The Selfish Gene. In this book, Dawkins shows how the "extended phenotype" of each species -- i.e. the physical manifestations of its activity and habits in the outside world -- can be examined together with the body and mind as being a single whole, the product of the genes' selfish interest. The book provides an appreciation of the complexity of the living world and is sure to fascinate.
2001	The Structure of Scientific Revolutions	Thomas Kuhn	1962	history of science	|||
A classic of the history and philosophy of science, this book for me was an introduction into the world of scientific paradigms. I came to understand how scientific theories develop and improve in spite of scientists' weaknesses and inability to be entirely unbiased and objective about their objects of study.
2001	The Selfish Gene	Richard Dawkins	1976	science, evolution	|||||
In a spirit similar to The Origin of Species, Dawkin's The Selfish Gene lays the groundwork for a gene-centric view of evolution based on mathematics and probability. Full of fascinating examples from the biological world and many thought-provoking ideas, this elegantly written book is an enjoyable and empowering read. It crystallized my thinking on natural selection and evolution. Of particular interest to me was the chapter on cultural evolution based on the concept of self-replicating "memes," or units of cultural or behavioral information. This extension of the concept of a replicator spawned the intriguing field of memetics, with its provocative alternative explanations of cultural phenomena.
2001	On the Origin of Species	Charles Darwin	1859	science, evolution	||||
Darwin was not the first person to envision the algorithmic evolution of life, but he was the first to so meticulously prove its existence and provide a comprehensive elaboration of the theory. Since evolution by natural selection has become the basic groundwork of practically all life sciences, I decided to read this book and find out where it all began. It was a captivating read and provided a greater appreciation of the natural world in addition to a clear understanding of the nature of evolutionary change.
2000	Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience	Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi	1991	psychology	|||
A good book with elements of self-help and self-discovery. The author talks about people who experience profound enjoyment and satisfaction and the underlying nature of the activities that provide this satisfaction. This book will show you how the complexity of the task must match your skill level at any given moment in order for you to enjoy a deeply rewarding "flow" experience, and that the propensity to have these experiences is a prerequisite for self-realization and happiness.