On Goodreads, I reserve a 5star rating for books that change my life or way of thinking, or books that demand that I re-read them before I die. Ratings can and to change from time to time, so if your favorite book isn’t on the list, don’t worry, be happy (and go write your own list).
First, nonfiction.
- The Economics Anti-Textbook: A Critical Thinker’s Guide to Microeconomics (Roderick Hill, Anthony Myatt) The real-world is complex, as is human behavior upon which all of economics rests. This book includes cheeky ‘questions to ask your economics professor’ and is right up my kicking-the-sacred-cow alley.
- Armageddon in Retrospect (Kurt Vonnegut) (Do I need to say more?)
- Python Algorithms: Mastering Basic Algorithms in the Python Language (Magnus Lie Hetland) Meaty, deep coverage of some of the most important algorithms in comp-sci in a language surpassingly expressive for this sort of thing. This one requires multiple readings just to digest everything.
- Succeeding When You’re Supposed to Fail: The 6 Enduring Principles of High Achievement (Rom Brafman) Something deeply inspiring about stories where people triumph against the odds and succeed where they’re supposed to fail. Simply inspirational.
- Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them (Francine Prose) Brimming with examples of masterful writing, largely from genres I don’t often read. I want to re-read this, slowly, soaking it in.