Recommended Reading

Here are some of my all-time favorite books, arranged by categories. As you can probably tell, my taste for reading materials is extremely nerdy and science-oriented.

Evolutionary Biology

• The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design by Richard Dawkins - During Summer 2006, in my temporary burst of copious free time after graduating from MIT, I became highly interested in the topic of evolution and Darwinian natural selection. I came to the realization that, like most educated, science-minded people, I actually knew very little about Darwin's theory of evolution and took much of it 'on faith' much like how others take divine creationism 'on faith' (and I was not able to competently rebut many creationist arguments against evolution). I really wanted to learn more about evolution, and I was so fortunate to stumble upon this book. Professor Dawkins backs up the scientific integrity of Darwinian evolution with so much vigor, passion, sound logic, and evidence that reading it was, well, like a spiritual experience. Everyone who wants to claim that they really understand evolution should read this book.

• Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life by Daniel Dennett - After reading The Blind Watchmaker, if you're still interested in learning more about evolution, read this Pulitzer Prize-nominated book by acclaimed philosopher Daniel Dennett. It provides some interesting thought experiments about evolution, but goes beyond The Blind Watchmaker by drawing deeper philosophical conclusions from Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection (his 'dangerous' idea). This book might be a bit too dry and philosophical if your only goal is to learn about Darwinian evolution (The Blind Watchmaker is far better for that purpose). The first and last sections are really good, but the middle section gets really dry and boring if you're not into bickering over philosophical details.

Evolutionary Psychology and Cognitive Science

• How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker - This book describes the human mind as a product of evolution (just like how our bodies are products of evolution; our minds are no different) that has acquired adaptations necessary for the survival and flourishing of our species over the past few million years. It presents lots of convincing experimental evidence and analyses to relate modern-day phenomena regarding human psychology to their probably causes. This book demystifies the human mind and tries to 'reverse engineer' parts of it to explain its features in terms of evolutionary adaptations, but at the same time, celebrates the wonder of our existence in a purely scientific world-view, without having to resort to spiritual, non-scientific explanations. It is a wonderful joy to read, and I would recommend reading this book immediately after reading The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins (that book explains the evolution of the body, while this one explains the evolution of the mind - they complement each other superbly). Both books enthusiastically demonstrate that scientific understanding enhances rather than diminishes one's perception of the beauty and wonder of the world we live in and provides hope that our future will be one of reason rather than of superstition.

• The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature by Steven Pinker - I would highly recommend reading this book after reading How the Mind Works. It is a full-on scientific attack of modern 'politically correct' fallacies about human nature, most notably three properties --- that the human mind is a blank slate that is infinitely malleable by parents, peers, and society at-large, that ancient and 'native' peoples were noble savages who were pristine and uncorrupted and that modern society is the root of corruption and evils, and that there is an immaterial soul that is a ghost in the machine which controls our minds and bodies. In response, the author presents a rational, materialistic scientific view of human nature grounded in evolutionary biology and psychology, with the central thesis being that human beings are animals, so human brains have evolved to adapt to their surroundings just like how human bodies have adapted. Even if you don't agree with all of his views, this is a worthwhile book to read because he always backs up his points by citing and summarizing respected scientific studies (with a voluminous bibliography) which give credence to his claims; it is an example of bringing the scientific method and good science to a popular audience.

• The Society of Mind by Marvin Minsky - Professor Minsky of MIT is one of the fathers of the field of Artificial Intelligence, and his lifelong research goal is to discover how the human mind works. In this fun and engaging book, he lays out one theory of how the mind could possibly work. He makes lots of bold claims and assertions without providing experimental data to back them up (at the time of writing, the forefront of cognitive science research was still far away from being able to provide concrete evidence for his claims), so this is best read as a thought-provoking 'ahhh cool!' piece to incite discussions rather than as an end-all-be-all of how the mind works.

Mathematics

• Algebra the Easy Way by Douglas Downing - This is the book that my father used to teach me algebra when I was in elementary school. (Actually, it's an older version from the early 1990's which is probably out-of-print. I don't know what has changed in the new revisions.) It's really cool because it teaches algebra concepts using a fictional adventure/fantasy story, illustrated with cute cartoon drawings. I remember returning to this book several times throughout my childhood, each time understanding more and more of the content. As cheesy as this may sound, I was really captivated by the storyline. The same characters appear in similar stories in this author's other books that I also own: Trigonometry the Easy Way and Calculus the Easy Way.

• Number: The Language of Science by Tobias Dantzig - I have absolutely no clue on how this book ended up on my bookshelf - I think we bought it at a garage sale years ago - but I am so glad that it did. It chronicles the development of mathematics from ancient times to the 20th century. It actually makes math dramatic and exciting! I am no math expert by any measure, but I really found this book approachable and educational.

• Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick - This is a classic among popular science books. I first read this sometime during middle school, and I could not understand most of it. When I read it again years later after having taken some college-level math and science courses, I could definitely understand much more about the topic. I enjoyed reading this book because it was not as hokey and hand-wavy as some other popular science books I had liked as a teenager. Gleick treats his audience, no matter if they are laymen or physics Ph.D.s, with the utmost of respect and presents the information like an experienced science writer.

Statistics and Data Visualization

• The Cartoon Guide to Statistics by Larry Gonick and Woollcott Smith - A really good introduction to statistics, as taught by humorous and wacky cartoons. The concept of cartoons teaching math and science seems cheesy at first glance, but the Cartoon Guide series of books executes this goal superbly. I would recommend this book as the first primer on statistics before moving onto more traditional (i.e., boring) textbooks.

• Envisioning Information and The Visual Display of Quantitative Information by Edward Tufte - If you've ever been curious about how to present complex (e.g., statistical) data visually in a convincing and aesthetically beautiful manner, these two books are great introductory guides. They contain hundreds of beautiful, high-resolution images, accompanied by concise snippets of practical advice for how to maximize the potential of using graphics to make quantitative arguments.

Physics

• Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimension by Michio Kaku - This was the first popular theoretical physics book that I read. I remember that I read this book over and over again in 9th and 10th grades, and it never got dull. I loved the vivid analogies and real-world examples in this book. Popular science books such as this one are great for getting kids interested in science since it explains the exciting aspects of a theory, in this case hyperspace theory, without providing abstruse mathematical and experimental details. I believe that science-minded people are more likely to have started out by reading these popular science books than by studying dusty graduate-level textbooks.

• The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick and Art Huffman - The "Cartoon Guide" series of books presents topics through two hundred or so pages of hand-sketched cartoons. When I first read this book in high school, I learned a bit about physics but glossed over much of the details. After I had taken a few physics classes at MIT, I read it again, this time able to understand all of the information in the book. I really liked how it presented the information in such a concise and humorous way. I would highly recommend this as a way of teaching children about introductory physics.

• Six Not-So Easy Pieces: Einstein's Relativity, Symmetry, and Space-Time by Richard Feynman - Not only was Professor Feynman one of the most prominent physicists of the 20th century, he was also one of its greatest and most beloved teachers. In this book, he explains six important topics in modern physics using his remarkable style and only referencing algebra, geometry, and simple differential calculus. It is amazing that he can explain Einstein's theory of relativity (both special and general) in such a small amount of space.

Software Development and Computer Science

• Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Harold Abelson and Gerald Jay Sussman - A classic work that belongs on any Computer Scientist's bookshelf, this is one of the most inspirational and beautiful books on computer programming ever written. Parts of it read like poetry. I'm not joking. Even if you are never going to program in the Scheme language, you will still learn a lot from this book. This is the basis for the famous (and infamous) 6.001 introductory Computer Science course at MIT (and many spin-off courses at other universities). Best of all, it's available for FREE online!

• Go To: The Story of the Math Majors, Bridge Players, Engineers, Chess Wizards, Maverick Scientists and Iconoclasts--The Programmers Who Created the Software Revolution by Steve Lohr - This book presents a fascinating story about the brilliant men and women who launched the computer software revolution, starting with FORTRAN in the 1950's and concluding with the modern free software/open source movement. The author's lack of familiarity with technical terms and writing style bugged me sometimes, but the wonderful organization and presentation of the content more than made up for it. This is definitely recommended reading for anybody who is interested in the culture behind computer science.

• Hackers and Painters: Big Ideas from the Computer Age by Paul Graham - This is an awesome book which is a must-read for anybody who wants to learn more about the culture of the nerds who love to program computers for fun. It is a collection of essays which can be found on Paul Graham's website. It is written with great clarity, insight, and wit. It will also make you fall in love with the LISP programming language, even if you have no idea how to use it.

• Flesh and Machines: How Robots Will Change Us by Rodney Brooks - Professor Brooks of MIT is one of the world's foremost authorities on robotics. In this book, he gives an overview of the history of robotics research and a glimpse into what lies ahead in the near and distant future, with an emphasis on how robots will change our daily lives and even our own bodies.

• Dreaming in Code by Scott Rosenberg - This is a pretty good book about the difficulties of the software development process and what makes it more challenging than other more well-understood forms of engineering. Some of the detailed anecdotes about the troubles that befall the development team that the author studies are kinda boring, but overall, though, this book is a great springboard for learning more about the history of software development and its key philosophies, paradigms, technologies, and notable people.

Biographies of Scientists

• 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' (Adventures of a Curious Character) by Richard Feynman - Nobel prize winner Richard Feynman, an MIT graduate, was one of the most prominent physicists of the 20th century, and also one amazing storyteller. This autobiographical book tells of his many exploits and provides non-stop laughs for any nerd. He exudes such passion for discovery and a fierce but fun-loving intellectual independence that many people admire but can't even dream of replicating. This is one of my all-time favorite books, and I think this sentiment is shared by many nerds and wannabe-nerds.

• 'What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard Feynman - The follow-up book to 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' This book is a bit more dry and has less pizazz but is still a must-read for true Feynman fans.

• Isaac Newton by James Gleick - An amazing biography of one of the most influential scientists of all-time written by one of the best popular science writers of the modern day. If you think that science is boring or that scientists are boring or that biographies about scientists are boring, then you should check out this book; hopefully it will change your mind.

Engineering

• The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman - A really easy-going, enjoyable book about what constitutes 'good design' and 'bad design' for products that we use in our everyday lives. What makes certain items easy and enjoyable to use? Why are some items so complicated and seemingly designed by morons? Can they be simplified without giving up desired functionality? Written with candor and humor and filled with relevant examples of both great and horrendous product designs, this book is a must-read for anybody interested in becoming an engineer or product designer.

History

• Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond - This Pulitzer Prize-winning book recounts the rise, fall, and clash of civilizations throughout human history, starting with our primitive biological and ecological origins. The author, who is very knowledgeable both about evolutionary biology and about world history, combines his interdisciplinary expertise to deliver a remarkable history book for a science-minded audience.

• The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II by Iris Chang - A heartbreaking and highly gruesome book detailing the slaughter of Chinese civilians by Japanese soldiers during World War II, an atrocity overshadowed by the Holocaust in Europe. A must-read for Asian-American youth to learn about 20th century Asian history, and highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn more about the atrocities of war.

Human Beliefs

• Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme by Richard Brodie - I read this book sometime in either 11th or 12th grade, and I let my friends borrow it as well. We had some fun discussions about "memes" and how is has penetrated our popular culture. It is ironic that this book warns people to resist "memes," which are self-replicating packets of information aimed at coercing people to do specific things, yet this book itself employs many "memes" in order to get people like me to buy it, read it, and pass it to friends. Clever, clever marketing and packaging!

• Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time by Michael Shermer - A master skeptic dissects a large variety of weird unscientific beliefs that pervade the modern world and tries to explain, well, why people believe weird things. This book is great for learning about what the study of science truly is, what its powers and limitations are, and why superstitions continue to pervade our modern world despite such great advances in science.

• The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins - An immensely important book for EVERYONE to read, regardless of whether you are religious or not. Religion plays a huge role in modern-day society (and has played even larger roles in historical societies), and the vast majority of the world's population is religious, so it is absolutely vital to understand religion from BOTH sides: theist and atheist. If you are religious, you have undoubtedly learned about religion from a theist point-of-view; I think it's important to learn about it from an atheist point-of-view as well, and this book provides that much-needed atheist point-of-view. If you are an atheist, I recommend for you to read some books in favor of religion as well as books like this one that go against religion so that you can see both sides of the issue.

Fiction

• Sphere by Michael Crichton - I remember that this was my favorite novel as a teenager. Like the braces-wearing 8th grader dorks that we were, my friends and I would have intense discussions on the deep philosophical issues within the book. I have since grown out of pondering over hokey pseudo-science, but I had to start somewhere.

• Robot Dreams by Isaac Asimov - A collection of some of Asimov's best short stories, including my favorite, "The Ugly Little Boy". Prior to picking up this book, I had never read any Asimov stories, and I wasn't too big of a science fiction fan, but I decided to give it a shot by buying this book. I figured, if I want to sample something, I might as well sample the best, and I've heard that Asimov is one of the all-time greats in sci-fi writing. I was EXTREMELY impressed with the variety, content, and messages in these short stories. Most of the stories are easy-reads that should take no longer than half an hour to finish; this is a great book to have at your bedside.

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