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Other => Off-topic => Topic started by: optimator on March 30, 2013, 01:04:49 PM



Title: Good Books
Post by: optimator on March 30, 2013, 01:04:49 PM
I'm not sure if we have a reading list thread (I looked but couldn't find one) so I thought I'd start. Here are some books I've enjoyed.

  • Accelerando by Charles Stross - Free online (http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/fiction/accelerando/accelerando-intro.html). The race towards the singularity becomes real in this wonderfully novel.
  • Little Brother by Cory Doctorow Free online (http://craphound.com/littlebrother/download/). Think of an Orwellian world... Say the US a decade after the terrorist attacks. Think San Francisco. Imagine what happens if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time....
  • The Coming Insurrection - Free online (http://tarnac9.wordpress.com/texts/the-coming-insurrection/). From Wikipedia - "The Coming Insurrection is a French political tract that hypothesizes the "imminent collapse of capitalist culture". It was written by The Invisible Committee, an anonymous group of contributors whom French police identify with the Tarnac Nine, and first published in 2007 by French company La Fabrique."
  • Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global Crisis by James Rickards. This one is not free but it's a good read about the current war that is raging.

I hope you enjoy. Feel free to share books you've enjoyed as well.

I'll try and edit this list with recommendations from others who have posted in this thread. I'll get to everyone... it just make take some time...

From FirstAscent
  • The Demon Princes, Vol. 1: The Star King * The Killing Machine * The Palace of Love by Jack Vance Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/The-Demon-Princes-Vol-Killing/dp/0312853025/).
  • The Demon Princes, Vol. 2: The Face * The Book of Dreams by Jack Vance Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/The-Demon-Princes-Vol-Dreams/dp/0312853165/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y).

From inge
  • The Black Swan by Nicholas Taleb. About the impact of the highly improbable - This is next on my list - optimator
  • The Earth Is Full by Paul Gilding
  • Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
  • Marooned in Realtime by Vernor Vinge

From Wekkel
  • Paper Money Collapse by Detlev Schlichter
  • Debt - The first 5,000 years by David Graeber
  • A short history of nearly everything by Bill Bryson


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: FirstAscent on March 30, 2013, 08:10:46 PM
Please add these to your list. Pretty much required reading for any sci fi fan.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Demon-Princes-Vol-Killing/dp/0312853025/

http://www.amazon.com/The-Demon-Princes-Vol-Dreams/dp/0312853165/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: Wekkel on March 30, 2013, 09:00:37 PM
Paper Money Collapse - Detlev Schlichter

Debt - The first 5,000 years - David Graeber

A short history of nearly everything - Bill Bryson


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: inge on March 30, 2013, 09:44:38 PM
Nicholas Taleb - The black swan - About the impact of the highly improbable
Paul Gilding - The earth is full
Orson Scott Card - Ender's game
Vernor Vinge - Marooned in realtime

Inge


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: tysat on March 30, 2013, 10:09:40 PM
  • Accelerando by Charles Stross - Free online (http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/fiction/accelerando/accelerando-intro.html). The race towards the singularity becomes real in this wonderfully novel.

^^ THIS! ^^

All of The Culture series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_series)


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: BTC Books on March 31, 2013, 05:15:31 AM
Please add these to your list. Pretty much required reading for any sci fi fan.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Demon-Princes-Vol-Killing/dp/0312853025/

http://www.amazon.com/The-Demon-Princes-Vol-Dreams/dp/0312853165/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

Mmmm.  Jack Vance.

And any of his Cugel the Clever stuff.


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: Severian on March 31, 2013, 05:31:21 AM
Please add these to your list. Pretty much required reading for any sci fi fan.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Demon-Princes-Vol-Killing/dp/0312853025/

http://www.amazon.com/The-Demon-Princes-Vol-Dreams/dp/0312853165/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

Mmmm.  Jack Vance.
[/quote]

Make that three votes for Jack.

My current read isn't SF but history/economics. It's a forgotten treasure:

A history of the precious metals, from the earliest times to the present (1902) (http://archive.org/details/historyofpreciou00delmrich)


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: optimator on March 31, 2013, 02:16:32 PM
Nicholas Taleb - The black swan - About the impact of the highly improbable
Paul Gilding - The earth is full
Orson Scott Card - Ender's game
Vernor Vinge - Marooned in realtime

Inge

Ender's Game - How could I forget. A wonderful tale of what we take for reality.


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: jwzguy on March 31, 2013, 02:41:27 PM
The Creature from Jekyll Island (http://www.amazon.com/The-Creature-Jekyll-Island-Federal/dp/0912986212)
Unintended Consequences (http://www.amazon.com/Unintended-Consequences-John-Ross/dp/1888118059/)


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: lukestokes on March 31, 2013, 02:54:20 PM
I just finished reading the Return to the Great Depression by Vox Day.

Also, if you like some good cyber punk fiction, check out The Daemon and Freedom (tm) by Daniel Suarez. Not really Bitcoin related, but a really fun read with dark net credits that act somewhat like Bitcoin.


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: FirstAscent on March 31, 2013, 09:16:46 PM
Make that three votes for Jack.

Three for Jack Vance. That's pretty cool. I'd also have to recommend Planet of Adventure: http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Adventure-Jack-Vance/dp/0312854889/

Funny thing is, most who have not read him might not get him upon the first reading. They have certain preconceived notions of what they might be getting into, totally missing the real pleasures to be derived from reading his works.


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: Severian on April 01, 2013, 12:15:43 AM
I'd also have to recommend Planet of Adventure: http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Adventure-Jack-Vance/dp/0312854889/

Funny thing is, most who have not read him might not get him upon the first reading. They have certain preconceived notions of what they might be getting into, totally missing the real pleasures to be derived from reading his works.

I love the PoA series. In 100 years, people will still be reading Vance just for his mastery of language alone. The man will be 97 years old in August and hardly anyone in America is aware of one their best living writers.


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: FirstAscent on April 01, 2013, 12:24:31 AM
I'd also have to recommend Planet of Adventure: http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Adventure-Jack-Vance/dp/0312854889/

Funny thing is, most who have not read him might not get him upon the first reading. They have certain preconceived notions of what they might be getting into, totally missing the real pleasures to be derived from reading his works.

I love the PoA series. In 100 years, people will still be reading Vance just for his mastery of language alone. The man will be 97 years old in August and hardly anyone in America is aware of one their best living writers.

It might be time for me to give PoA another read. About every three years or so, I reread it. I've been doing that for probably 15 years, at least.


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: Severian on April 01, 2013, 12:39:10 AM

It might be time for me to give PoA another read. About every three years or so, I reread it. I've been doing that for probably 15 years, at least.

My brother stole...I mean, borrowed, my set a long time ago. You've reminded me to get another one. :)


Title: Re: Good Books
Post by: FirstAscent on April 01, 2013, 02:13:57 AM

It might be time for me to give PoA another read. About every three years or so, I reread it. I've been doing that for probably 15 years, at least.

My brother stole...I mean, borrowed, my set a long time ago. You've reminded me to get another one. :)

I have a box full of about 70 Jack Vance books. I have about 50 unique titles, and I guess the other 20 or so are duplicates or an alternative publishing of the same title. I haven't read them all, but it's nice to know I have them. I wish I had the VIE (Vance Integral Edition). Oh well.