I’ve been too busy to write on the blog of late. With launches of the new blogvani and codebix.com and work to do on astrobix.com I couldn’t get any time for the blog.
All I’ve been writing of late are book reviews anyhow. So just to keep the record straight and lest you think I haven’t been reading any book, here’s a list of book’s I’ve read while I was away minding my own business the last month.
1. On Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins – Awesome book if you are interested in learning how the brain works on a scientific level. I am enthused by Jeff’s drive to develop true AI. The book also gave me really beautiful insight into what intelligence really is and how the classic Turing’s test is so unequipped to define machine intelligence.
This is definitely a recommended book for you if you have a natural, in-born interest for all things science.
2. Microtrends by Mark Penn – Well, this book was overhyped. I’ve read better books on the topic. Maybe if I hadn’t read them earlier I’d be impressed. I found it very similar to books like Freakonomics, Tipping Point, et al.
3. Superfreakonomics – You’d think that an awesome book like Freakonomics would spawn an acceptable sequel, but nah. Superfreakonomics begins with that classic American insult they have created for the rest of the world. First it was the Japanese, then Chinese and now it’s the Indians who have small penises. Yeah, that’s the result of all that awesome ‘economics’ research done by the guys who wrote Superfreakonomics. I’ve quickly forgotten the authors’ name, but I imagine they would be a bunch of ol’ American Yanks who think Texas is the dominant country on the planet. Yah!
4. Revolt in 2010 & Methuselah’s Children – That’s one book not two. But actually they are two novellas bunched together. The stories are quite different even though the events are connected. I guess this is the beginning of R A Heinlein’s Future History series which is so loved. It’s good.
5. Time Enough for Love – Again by R A Heinlein. I am still reading it.
Hmm… Are they all? Well, these are all the new books I’ve read. I re-read some of the old ones while I was waiting for the new books to be delivered.
The next book I have waiting in line is Revolutionary Wealth by Alvin Toeffler. I read Future Shock and The Third Wave from him earlier and was much impressed. This ought to be good. And yeah, coming in some days is The Door Into The Summer by R A Heinlein.
Wow. Good reading.
What would you do if you won a spacesuit in a contest? Wear it in your backyard of course, and then be kidnapped by an alien spacecraft and visit the Moon, Pluto another star and then another galaxy. Sounds like some adventure eh? And what if you could come back from all that in a few weeks time. That’s what Russ does in Heinlein’s epic tale that spans distances that the human mind will break down before imagining.
Reading Heinlein’s astounding science fiction I never thought about how long ago it really was when he wrote them. Reading this book reminded me.
Smartphones are the big boom in the US and the next big boom in India. With the arrival of 3G there will be compelling reason for mobile users to upgrade to a smartphone. There is a good scope for small players to make little fortunes developing and selling smart phone applications. That’s why I have been giving them a serious look starting this year.
