Library Composition
The Maniac
"Artistic exploration of John von Neumann's life, emphasizing his work in the Manhattan Project and foundations in AI. Leaves you thinking about AI surpassing humans, slowly then all at once."
Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam
"Heavy yet unlike anything else. Turse is a true journalist and academic, clearly connecting policy as a causal agent of widespread war crimes during the Vietnam War."
Notes from Underground
Liberalism and Its Discontents
The Shortest History of the Soviet Union
The Old Man and the Sea
"Absolutely beautiful. This Hemingway classic is short and sweet. Santiago fights with everything he has and it's still not enough, revealing big questions about one's purpose through life's struggle."
The Sirens of Titan
Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders
"The epitome of reading for morbid curiosity. I'm not usually a true crime guy, but the Manson murders, as understood through the eyes of the prosecutor, are a fascinating tale with decades of repercussions. Long, but worth it."
The Death of Ivan Ilych
"Tolstoy is timeless! A sincere volume that makes one reflect on the elements of a life well-lived. Ilych's story is a harsh reminder of the inevitable fate and regret of empty career man."
Crime and Punishment
Synesthesia
"Nice introduction to coupled senses. Short, to the point, and lots of examples from research"
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
"One of my favorite reads of all time. A true classic -- I recall my father reading it and would not be surprised if my grandfather did as well. These explorers of old were tough. The courage and leadership required to survive and escape disaster in the Antarctic ocean, with no means to communicate, is almost impossible to fathom."
The Myth of Sisyphus
Know My Name
"This one left a lasting impact. Chanel's heavy recollection of the Brock Turner trial gives a raw look at trauma, injustice, and the healing process. I found myself visiting her peace garden on the Stanford campus and reflecting on the failures of our justice system, where predators get a slap on the wrist."
The Metamorphosis
Ultrasound
Ephemera
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
"Thought-provoking! This world is hostile to artificial life. It reminds me of an anecdote about building bear-proof trash cans in national parks: the overlap between the most capable bears and the least capable humans is so high that such a design is difficult. Similarly, when the robots are often more human and empathetic than the "real" people, and many humans behave like robots, how does one justify the cruelty to artificial life? Very fun read. "
The Hobbit
The Stranger
Moby Dick or, The Whale
The Communist Manifesto
"While the revolutionary 'call to action' feels dated and unpersuasive in a modern context, the book’s structural critique of how capital concentrates power remains a striking precursor to modern debates about wealth inequality."
Slaughterhouse-Five
"I enjoyed it so much that I read nearly the entire body of Vonnegut's work afterward. Stirs many thoughts around trauma and the coldness of the universe, though it is not cynical. I actually found it very lighthearted for such heavy content. Love it."
Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Picture of Dorian Gray
"A few beautiful parts in a quite boring aristocratic social sphere. I did not care much for it, though the ending was nice. It was nice to stumble upon the famous lines, “He lives the poetry that he cannot write. The others write the poetry that they dare not realize”."
Watchmen
Small Things Like These
Dream Story
"I read this because I really like Eyes Wide Shut. As the source text, I thought I may find a deeper understanding of the movie (The Shining is famously explained better in the book). I found that the movie is basically a carbon-copy of the book, just in a different setting. I enjoyed it but didn't gain a deeper understanding."
Der Krieg
"This is a different type of book. It is a collection of honest yet horrific etchings from the trenches of World War I. The art is raw and nightmarish, PTSD in tangible form. There is no glory here."
Heart of Darkness
Cat's Cradle
Are Prisons Obsolete?
"An okay read on the modern carceral state of the US. I don't think it does a good job supporting its core thesis but the historical elements and discussion of reform were decent."
Prison Industrial Complex For Beginners
"US prisons have deep corporate roots, from private prison contracts to the labor of imprisoned people itself. The overview of incentizes and monetary flow was the best part, definitely making me second-guess my assumptions about the structure of our justice system."
This Atom Bomb in Me
"A nice collection of poetry with themes rooted in the author's childhood in Oak Ridge. The town is famously the site of a national lab which was heavy involved in the Manhattan Project. As a physicist with interests in history and sociology, it's interesting to see the intersection of science and the regular lives of people on its fringes."
Power to the People: The World of the Black Panthers
All Quiet on the Western Front
"It earns its influence. The raw absurdity is enough to make even the most dogmatic war-hounds question the claims of glory through war. Why should life ever be so cheap?"
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language
"A decent survey of language shifts in the age of the internet. I like the reminder that language is fluid. As someone who spends a lot of time on the internet, it's interesting to see some of the culture in a more academic light."
Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail
The Call of Cthulhu
"Masterful. Lovecraft creates a feeling of dread, like staring into the abyss. There's a reason it's so influential."
There Is No Antimemetics Division
Cosmos
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Venus in Furs
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Particle at the End of the Universe: How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of a New World
Games People Play
Jung: A Very Short Introduction
The Left Behind: Decline and Rage in Rural America
Class: A Guide Through the American Status System
Speaking American: How Y'all, Youse, and You Guys Talk: A Visual Guide
The Atlas of California: Mapping the Challenge of a New Era
Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
"A primer on algorithmic bias in the real world and the serious implications to individuals on the receiving end. Must read for any in technology, but especially those who work on ML/AI, actuarial systems, data science, etc."
Six Not So Easy Pieces: Einstein's Relativity, Symmetry, and Space-Time
Silicon City: San Francisco in the Long Shadow of the Valley
The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches From the Border
Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany
"A casual history, mostly looking at Pervitin (pharmaceutical-grade, legal meth) as a performance enhancing drug on the battlefield. Very unique perspective -- super approachable as a "pop-history" book."
Poverty, by America
A Man Without a Country
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark
