Here is a running list of books I’m reading, didn't finish, or have read, with short notes and links where relevant. Most these books are causual reading non-fiction books on technology, science, history, and such topics.
Status: ⏳ reading · ☑ finished · ⊘ abandoned · ☐ queued
Queue
- ☐ David Epstein, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.
- ☐ Alex Karp, The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West.
- ☐ Judea Pearl, The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect.
2026
- ⏳ Dwarkesh Patel with Gavin Leech, The Scaling Era: An Oral History of AI 2019–2023.
- ☑ Vaclav Smil, Invention and Innovation: A Brief History of Hype and Failure. MIT Press. Comments: Some interesting dicussions on things that changed the world but also failed due to unforseen challenges
2025
- ☑ Richard W. Hamming, The Art of Doing Science and Engineering: Learning to Learn. Stripe Press, 2018. Blog post . Comments:Clear, opinionated guidance on technical taste, problem selection, and intellectual independence.
- ☑ Marc Hijink, FOCUS: The ASML Way , Uitgerverij Balans, 2024. Comments:Insight into ASML as a lithography choke-point and the geopolitics of the semiconductor supply chain.
- ☑ Tae Kim, The NVIDIA Way , Norton Publishing, W. W. Norton & Company, 2024. Comments:Readable company history; familiar Silicon Valley “pressure-culture” narrative.
2024
No non-textbook books read.
2023
-
☑ Brody, Jed.
Quantum Entanglement. United Kingdom, MIT Press, 2020.
Blog post .
Accessible overview with solid intuition but limited technical depth. -
☑ Hiesinger, Peter R.
Self-assembling Brain, Princeton University Press, 2021.
Blog post .
Strong developmental framing of neural structure and emergence. -
☑ Paul R. Rosenbaum,
Causal Inference , MIT Press, 2023.
Technically sound, stylistically dry; not a personal favorite. -
☑ Walter Isaacson,
Elon Musk , Simon & Schuster.
Useful insight into Tesla and SpaceX culture, heavily personality-driven. -
⊘ Chris Ferrie,
Quantum Bullshit , Sourcebooks.
Lost interest before completion; premise stronger than execution.
2020
-
☑ Carroll, Sean.
Something Deeply Hidden, Penguin Publishing, 2019.
Blog post .
Clear many-worlds argumentation; persuasive even where one disagrees.
Reuse and Attribution
