Books

		The Well at the World's End (volume 1 and volume 2), by William Morris, Borgo Press, 2000. [Originally published 1896!] This is considered the first fantasy novel set in its own world. William Morris was an artisan (leader of the Arts and Crafts movement), decorator, poet, producer of the first recliner chair, and all-around multi-talented guy. The story is of the heroic quest for the Well that gives long life. With its knights, archaic language, and reliance on a little more luck than seems common, you can see its influence on C. S. Lewis, Tolkien, and the rest of the fantasy genre. (Reviewed Oct., '09) [The version I had was in one volume; I think these two are the equivalent together.] Related books in Interesting.
		Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip-Hop, by Adam Bradley.Basic Books, 2009. Rap is like Ireland to me - there's an overlap in language and culture, I can sense that there are important differences I'm not tuned to, and I haven't properly been there. Bradley looks at rap as poetry. Part 1 looks at rhythm, rhyme, and wordplay; Part 2, style, storytelling, and signifying. He makes his case that there is a lot going on poetically in the best rap, even if it doesn't have the range that the best poetry aspires to. (Reviewed Oct., '09) Related books in Interesting.
		Anathem, by Neal Stephenson, Harper, 2009. Thinkers are cloistered in a kind of monastery; something changes; consequences ensue. It's hard to say much more without leaking key plot twists. It's a solid story, with some geeky side trails. Long and good. (Reviewed Sept., '09) Related books in Interesting.
		The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger, Mariner Books, 2004 This is the story of an involuntary time traveler who often ends up at the same place at a different age. It explores love and fear against that background. A very enjoyable read. (Reviewed Sept., '09) Related books in Interesting.
		Spade and Archer: The Prequel to Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, by Joe Gores. Knopf, 2009. This prequel attempts to revive the classic Sam Spade and other characters. It's a decent read. The characters generally echo of Hammett's voice although once in a while the "puppetry" leaks through. The plot benefits from a few too many coincidences. The pages keep turning, and it was enjoyable enough, but I'd re-read the original before coming back to this. (Reviewed Aug., '09) Related books in Interesting.
		Exploring Requirements: Quality Before Design, Donald C. Gause and Gerald M. Weinberg. 1989, Dorset House. This book is an exploration not just of gathering requirements, including the challenges of ambiguity. The authors describe how to clarify expectations by using functions, attributes, constraints, and preferences. They treat exploration of requirements as a human process, including discussion of how to facilitate different types of effective meetings. My favorite part is the set of context-free questions that apply to many situations. (Reviewed Aug., '09) Related items in Software.
		How to Systematize the Day's Work - The System Company, 1911. (Seems to be equivalent to How to Double the Day's Work (or this version) P. W. Lennen) I've been studying personal productivity books, and this is the oldest one I own. (You can still find used copies.) It talks about how to set up a desk, how to set up files, how to use a tickler, how to create form letters. It tells how to use the handy "new" technology of the three-ring binder. It doesn't quite add up to a unified system in the modern sense, but you can see echoes of this book in texts 100 years newer. (Reviewed July, '09) Related items in Personal Productivity.
		Stacking the Deck. Bryan Berg with Thomas O'Donnell. Fireside, 2003. If you'd like to see some amazing card-stacking by a world-class expert, this is the book for you. It's got lots of great pictures of some amazing structures, and instructions to build many of them. I didn't tackle any of the hard ones, just played a little with some of the small stacks in the first chapter or two. (Reviewed July '09) Related items in Interesting.
		Micro-ISV: From Vision to Reality, Bob Walsh. Apress, 2008. Walsh defines a Micro-ISV as a small, self-funded internet business. This book touches on a number of topics, including programming, choosing a domain name, company formation, and marketing. There are interviews sprinkled throughout. I particularly appreciated all the useful links. (Reviewed June, '09) Related items in Business.
		The Sciences of the Artificial (3/e), Herbert A. Simon, MIT, 1996. The Tree of Knowledge, Humberto R. Maturana & Francisco J. Varela, Shambhala, 1992. These books represent two very different approaches to understanding the nature of intelligence. Simon comes from (or perhaps better to say "defined" or "helped create") the "AI as logic" school. His book brings in a wide range of areas to help elucidate thinking: simulations, economic systems, and systems thinking. Maturana and Varela come from the "AI as biology" school. They use biological models to explore behavior, cognition, and culture. They explore how non-representational models can generate behavior. Both books are deep, sometimes deeper than I could properly follow. I was left with the sense that Maturana and Varela are closer to answers but the answers they have will be more complex and less satisfying. (Reviewed Apr., '09) Related books in Interesting.
		Voice Lessons to Go: Volume 1 - Vocalize and Breathe Voice Lessons to Go: Volume 2 - Do Re Mi Ear and Pitch Training By Ariella Vaccarino. These CDs are designed to help improve your singing voice. For me, an untrained singer, they are just right. Each track is a minute or two of practice on things like scales, breathing, identifying higher or lower, and so on. Some of the tracks are challenging enough that I laughed aloud when I first heard them, and I still struggle on them after several times, but I'm getting there. Very enjoyable, and I'll pick up the other volumes after I've developed on these. (Reviewed April, '09) Related items in Interesting.
		Hot, Flat, and Crowded, Thomas Friedman. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008. The author of The World is Flat looks at the implications of globalization, the impact that a global middle class will have on energy in the future. Rather than just rant about environmental issues, he also presents this as a huge opportunity for a new round of innovation and entrepreneurship. (Reviewed April, '09) Related books in Interesting.

I link to Amazon.com as part of their associate program, but don't forget to check half.com and others, especially if you don't mind a used book.

I'm a reviewer for Addison-Wesley, O'Reilly, and occasional others. I also know many of the authors whose books I mention. I try not to let this bias me.

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