Book Recommendations

It might be interesting to keep an ongoing topic on good books people have read recently. Could be about any subject, if you have read something you thought was insightful, post it here.

Currently I’m reading Where good ideas come from, which has some good insights on what it takes to cultivate good ideas, disproving the typical conception of there being a single eureka moment

http://www.amazon.com/Where-Good-Ideas-Come-From/dp/B0045BXDAO

Some other good books:
http://www.amazon.com/Zero-One-Notes-Startups-Future/dp/0804139296
http://www.amazon.com/The-Signal-Noise-Many-Predictions/dp/159420411X

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Currently reading:
http://www.amazon.com/Hackers-Heroes-Computer-Revolution-Anniversary/dp/1449388396

Amazing to realize how big a leap the personal computer revolution was, today it’s hard to imagine the mindset where computers are only mainframes and normal people would never have a use for them.

I highly recommend Zero to One.

Here’s a talk that Peter Thiel gave that somewhat overlaps with the book, although it takes on more of a philosophical bent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZM_JmZdqCw

I had no idea Lockheed built a mach 3 surveillance drone that was launched off the back of an SR-71, took pictures of Chinese nuclear test sites, then flew back and ejected it’s film by parachute to be picked up by the navy, all with 60’s tech! It was never completely successful and cancelled to use satellites instead, but makes me wonder what our current top secret projects might be.

http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/dp/0316743003

I recently read Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez, it’s a great techno-thriller. Suarez also wrote Daemon and Freedom™, another awesome set of books.

http://amzn.com/B0073XV2W2

Lots of interesting examples of where common sense will often lead you astray

http://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Be-Wrong-Mathematical/dp/0143127535