ScarTechThe musings of a confessed code junkie.

Reading List

I thought I would offer my reading list with a bit of little twist. Everyone has in-depth reviews. I’m going to do something different. I’ll offer up reviews limited to just a few words. As the saying goes: brevity is the soul of wit.

Like most people, I don’t read tech books cover to cover. I like to skim through the book, and I’ll read topics that interest me. Non-tech books are different. I’ll read them cover to cover, and I try to keep them decidedly non-techie to maintain some kind of balance. I’ll start with books I’ve read this year, and add to the lists as time goes on.

Tech

• Code Complete - Steve McConnell - Classic, should be on every developer’s bookshelf.

Non-Tech

• Timeline - Michael Crichton - Not too bad. Can’t wait to see the movie.
• Dune - Frank Herbert - Classic sci-fi. Great beginning and ending. A little long in the middle.
• State of Fear - Michael Crichton - Very good! Makes you realize the importance of unbiased scientific research.
• I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - This is a great story. Sounds like the movie strayed too far from the original source though.
• Rescuing Sprite - Mark Levin - A great read for animal lovers.
• Brainiac - Ken Jennings - Two good stories in one: a history of trivia and the journey of Jeopardy’s biggest winner.
• Making Money - Terry Prachett - First the post office, now the mint. Moist von Lipwig is up to old tricks. Another great Discworld book.
• The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials Book 1 - Philip Pullman - Looking forward to the movie. Not as good as the Narnia series.
• My Grandfather’s Son - Clarence Thomas - Inspiring, eye opening.
• Going Postal - Terry Prachett - Hilarious! Reminded me of a smarter version of the old Myth books I used to read.
• Quiet Strength - Tony Dungee - Behind the scenes look at coaching. Importance of faith.
• The Road - Cormac McCarthy - A page turner. Disturbing at times. Moving at times.
• Polar Shift - Clive Cussler - Swashbuckling.
• Dark Wind - Clive Cussler - Not as good as his others, but worth a read nonetheless.
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling - A worthy conclusion to the series.
• Man Hunt: The 12 Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer - James Swanson - Great history lesson.
• The Hound of the Baskervilles, A Study in Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle - Both are very entertaining and fast reads.
• The Last Templar - Raymond Khoury - OK, but not exactly The Da Vinci Code.
• Next - Michael Crichton - Interesting topic, but not his best work.
• Emperor - Stephen Baxter - Entertaining at times.