# Read anything interesting lately?



## Uniballer (Nov 4, 2012)

I recently read Bruce Schneier's latest book , "Liars and Outliers".

This is not a how-to book. It won't make your code more secure. I doubt that it would serve as a manual on human interactions for extraterrestrials. Nor is it likely to improve a bank loan officer's percentage of good loans, or an eBay buyer's choice of sellers, or your ability to detect email phishing or a corporation whose accountants have cooked the books. But it might shape your understanding of all that stuff.

Liars & Outliers is a look at how trust works in society, with passing references to neuroscience, economics and game theory. Along with a description of how the negative feedback of societal pressure is supposed to work is an explanation of why it doesn't work so well on-line and with large corporations.


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## NewGuy (Nov 6, 2012)

Just finished The Mammoth Book Of Comic Fantasy II, which is a collection of funny short stories in the fantasy genre. Really good, light read. There is a wide variety of stories from many authors and I really enjoyed it. Also, The Dispossessed by Ursula K LeGuin, it's probably the best science fiction story I've read. It follows a scientist who moves from his communist/anarchist planet where people are peaceful and practical to a planet of capitalists who live in a rigid legal system. It's amazingly well written and offers some fascinating looks into life on both worlds. I highly recommend it.


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## Deleted member 30996 (Nov 6, 2012)

NewGuy said:
			
		

> Also, The Dispossessed by Ursula K LeGuin, it's probably the best science fiction story I've read. It follows a scientist who moves from his communist/anarchist planet where people are peaceful and practical to a planet of capitalists who live in a rigid legal system. It's amazingly well written and offers some fascinating looks into life on both worlds. I highly recommend it.



Have you ever read her story The Lathe of Heaven, or seen the movie? About a guy who has dreams that alter reality and the psychiatrist who takes advantage of his power?


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## pkubaj (Nov 6, 2012)

Currently reading Millennium by Stieg Larsson. I haven't read a better book for a really long time.
I also read the well known Absolute FreeBSD 2nd edition by Michael Lucas. Haven't yet found a better resource about FreeBSD.


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## roddierod (Nov 6, 2012)

History Begins at Sumer: Thirty-Nine Firsts in Recorded History by Samuel Noah Kramer.

Gives you a entirely new perspective on the phrase "there is nothing new under the sun".


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## Crivens (Nov 6, 2012)

"The daemon haunted world", by Carl Sagan.
Pretty interesting in many regards.

What I also can recommend is "Influence" by Robert B. Cialdini. Ever wanted how it can be that a complete village poisoned itself willingly? Read this.


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## UNIXgod (Nov 6, 2012)

I'm (slowly) reading SICP right now. I really like it. Kinda miss these types of books.

Has anyone read "GÃ¶del, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid"

It's recommended on tech lists. I'm curious if its really a classic or one of those books people recommend but don't really read.

I've heard of "Liars and Outliers". I'll put that on my list of future reads.


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## initpy (Nov 6, 2012)

UNIXgod said:
			
		

> Has anyone read "GÃ¶del, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid"



I did, 14 years ago. And I absolutely loved it! 
If I were to "classify" it, I'd put it in a category 
that won't include anything else. Really.


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## sossego (Nov 6, 2012)

"On War" by Carl Clauswitz.
"Holes" by Louis Sachar.
Sections three and four of "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathon Swift.
And the back of a box of Booberry cereal.


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## NewGuy (Nov 7, 2012)

Trihexagonal said:
			
		

> Have you ever read her story The Lathe of Heaven, or seen the movie? About a guy who has dreams that alter reality and the psychiatrist who takes advantage of his power?



No, I don't think I've read that one. But I'm a huge fan of LeGuin's work so I will definitely try to find a copy. Thank you for the recommendation!


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