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Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

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Foundations of Computer Vision (Adaptive Computation and Machine Learning series)

Machine learning has revolutionized computer vision, but the methods of today have deep roots in the history of the field. Providing a much-needed modern treatment, this accessible and up-to-date textbook comprehensively introduces the foundations of computer vision while incorporating the lat...
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Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy Player's Tome

Complete Advanced Fantasy Player's Guide An advanced game with a rich selection of character options and magic. The Advanced Fantasy Player’s Tome is a complete player’s guide in a deluxe hardcover book: Characters: 22 classic character classes (acrobat, assassin, barbarian, bard, cleric, drow...
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Cognitive Electronic Warfare

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Part way through Arthur Conan Doyle's 'A Study in Scarlet' at the moment. I've read them all before but recently bought myself this set so going to be working my way through them again. 🙂👍


sherlock-holmes-set-alma-books.jpg
 
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Interesting to say the least.

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The Fourth Mind

The Fourth Mind is the first book ever to explore the anatomy, brains, genetics, beliefs and capabilities of the unknown entities the author refers to as "the visitors." He maintains that they have a set of abilities he describes as a "fourth mind" that include such powers as telepathy, levitatio...
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Robopocalypse, I saw J J Abram’s has been singed on to direct the film so thought I’d read the book before seeing his interpretation blowing everything up 😂🤣 it’s good so far. I may read the sequel too after.
 
"The Wager" by David Grann. A true story of the Wager, a ship in the British Fleet on a journey around Cape Horn in the 1740's to plunder the Spanish Galleons. The ship sinks with some survivors eventually returning to England only to claim that the captain had died. 6 months later the captain turns up in Chille and then returns to England. Then, there are accusations of murder, treachery and treason. So, who is telling the truth? And what will the British Admiralty do?
 
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Scepticalscribe said:
"What's Cooking In The Kremlin" by Witold Szabłowski.
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Reading Witold Szabłowski's excellent book (I cannot put it down), I am very struck by the extraordinarily engaging, deceptively understated, yet utterly gripping, - an almost poetic - style of writing; for, this is a style of writing that a number of superb Polish writers - not just Witold Szabłowski, but, also, the equally compelling Teresa Toranska and Ryszard Kapuscinski both of whom have written some superb works - seem to have mastered completely.
 
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About a year ago I recommended that people read Heinlein's Revolt in 2100.
It is about the US becoming a theocracy. At the end is a postscript* about what is needed to get there.
I can only reiterate my recommendation, in the strongest way.


* which is usually where one puts a postscript...
 
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DaveFromCampbelltown said:
Same story, different characters.
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I admit my post may come off as glib but I deliberately named LOTF. Why? Here's my take on some of the other possibilities:

Brave New World: intelligence is the basis for societal standing.
Animal Farm: a warning about socialism and communism, not fascism.
Nineteen Eighty-Four: elites manipulate and repress the rest of society in pursuit of power and only power, not personal monetary gain.

I don't read much science fiction but now it looks like I should have a look at the Heinlein collection.
:)
 
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KaliYoni said:
I admit my post may come off as glib but I deliberately named LOTF. Why? Here's my take on some of the other possibilities:

Brave New World: intelligence is the basis for societal standing.
Animal Farm: a warning about socialism and communism, not fascism.
Nineteen Eighty-Four: elites manipulate and repress the rest of society in pursuit of power and only power, not personal monetary gain.

I don't read much science fiction but now it looks like I should have a look at the Heinlein collection.
:)
Click to expand...

I didn't take it as glib, but I thought I would just post a few other novels that are basically about a small group taking power.

Heinlein is an interesting author. His books are an easy read, and it is easy to slip past some of the assumptions that he is making. He is an unreconstructed male chauvinist. He is polite about it, but still a chauvinist. In later life I think he either realised it, or it was brought to his attention, so he wrote a novel from a female protagonist's point of view. One of his few novels that are forgettable, so I can't remember which one it was. He is also very much into hierarchical military authority. There should be one person in charge who is responsible for all decisions, in a benevolent way.

He also liked cats, so he can't be all bad. He created two of the most memorable cat people -- Pixel and Petey.
Pixel never knew she couldn't walk through walls, so she did (and time as well, but if you can walk through a wall, time is easy). The cat who walked through walls
Petey lived in a house with 11 doors, and during winter insisted his carer check all 11 doors with him, just to make sure that summer wasn't outside one of them. The door into summer

The third most memorable cat person is C'mell, from Alpha Ralpha Boulevard, by Cordwainer Smith.

And while you are looking at Heinlein, look at Cordwainer Smith. His books have a lyrical, magical feel about them.
 
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DaveFromCampbelltown said:
I didn't take it as glib, but I thought I would just post a few other novels that are basically about a small group taking power.

Heinlein is an interesting author. His books are an easy read, and it is easy to slip past some of the assumptions that he is making. He is an unreconstructed male chauvinist. He is polite about it, but still a chauvinist. In later life I think he either realised it, or it was brought to his attention, so he wrote a novel from a female protagonist's point of view. One of his few novels that are forgettable, so I can't remember which one it was. He is also very much into hierarchical military authority. There should be one person in charge who is responsible for all decisions, in a benevolent way.

He also liked cats, so he can't be all bad. He created two of the most memorable cat people -- Pixel and Petey.
Pixel never knew she couldn't walk through walls, so she did (and time as well, but if you can walk through a wall, time is easy). The cat who walked through walls
Petey lived in a house with 11 doors, and during winter insisted his carer check all 11 doors with him, just to make sure that summer wasn't outside one of them. The door into summer

The third most memorable cat person is C'mell, from Alpha Ralpha Boulevard, by Cordwainer Smith.

And while you are looking at Heinlein, look at Cordwainer Smith. His books have a lyrical, magical feel about them.
Click to expand...
Nice shout out!

I've ordered both of the Heinlein books.

I'd toss in Clifford D. Simak as well... not so much as politically relevant right now but a fun Sci Fi read.
The Way station and The Werewolf Principal were both pretty good raeds. :)
 
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