Mostly reading science-fiction, with a preference for hard sci-fi. Alastair Reynolds, Vernor Vinge and Peter Hamilton wrote novels and series that I enjoyed very much.
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission--and if he fails, humanity …
A lot of fun and technical imagination
5 stars
If you read 'The Martian', this one follows the same chain of technical puzzles in a survival setting. But both the setting and the science are quite a lot more fictional. I still enjoyed it very much as it also has 'Enemy mine' vibes. Highly entertaining read, if you don't take the science too seriously.
Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission--and if he fails, humanity …
A lot of fun and technical imagination
5 stars
If you read 'The Martian', this one follows the same chain of technical puzzles in a survival setting. But both the setting and the science are quite a lot more fictional. I still enjoyed it very much as it also has 'Enemy mine' vibes. Highly entertaining read, if you don't take the science too seriously.
The book is way too long for what it describes. A lot of unexpected physical violence in a technologically advanced society. I skipped many pages to the end. Could represent a somewhat entertaining light read for those who like, for example, Alistair Reynold's universe.
Hofstadter's long-awaited return to the themes of Gödel, Escher, Bach--an original and controversial view of …
Review of 'I Am a Strange Loop' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
While the book started fine as an autobiography, I think it would have been better to continue in the same vein. Also tried reading the previous and famous "Gödel, Escher, Bach" book from the same author and did not find the value other people seem to find in it.
Similar in spirit with John Steinbeck's 'East of Eden' novel, at least this was the impression the book left on me. Graphic scenes of rape and violence, even if they are very important for the narrative and for the development of partially life-inspired characters. Denouncing racism, religious bigotism and sexism. Excellent book altogether.
Explains how math should be done. With plain English and pictures, he makes complex ideas …
Review of 'Measurement' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I first heard of Paul Lockhart when someone mentioned his "Lament" about mathematics teaching and went on to read the "Measurement". This book extends several of the ideas about teaching and reasoning from the "Lament", and makes one re-think what we took for granted about basic theorems and conjectures, mostly in geometry. Many great small problems to entertain oneself while seeing the maths as the creative endeavour that it is.
As a a side note, the negative review with the highest number of 'likes' is completely and utterly out of touch with what the book is about. I'm impressed, however by the eloquence of the review author, and how he attacks first the person, instead of the book or its message:
"...The color green is a significant measure of not just the bananas but my life, at least what remains of it. I don’t know if anyone else uses this …
I first heard of Paul Lockhart when someone mentioned his "Lament" about mathematics teaching and went on to read the "Measurement". This book extends several of the ideas about teaching and reasoning from the "Lament", and makes one re-think what we took for granted about basic theorems and conjectures, mostly in geometry. Many great small problems to entertain oneself while seeing the maths as the creative endeavour that it is.
As a a side note, the negative review with the highest number of 'likes' is completely and utterly out of touch with what the book is about. I'm impressed, however by the eloquence of the review author, and how he attacks first the person, instead of the book or its message:
"...The color green is a significant measure of not just the bananas but my life, at least what remains of it. I don’t know if anyone else uses this measure; it may have only personal appeal. Certainly Lockhart would reject it; he wouldn’t see the point. The title Lockhart has chosen for his book is somewhat misleading. He has nothing to say about the possible significance of green bananas, nor of many other scales of measurement. This is acutely disappointing. It also reflects a fundamental error in what he thinks constitutes measurement. This is acutely dangerous...."
