List of Books that I am Reading or have Read

The following are books that I have read, or am reading, or have abandoned. I’ll provide a “tweet” level summary as well in many cases. Bold titles indicate books that are particularly impactful.

2025

• Infinite Powers - Steven Strogatz: This is a fantastic introduction to Calculus (or the application of the infinite) for the lay reader. I wish I would have read this book when I was learning Calculus to get a landscape before going in depth.
• Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky: (Reading - so far impressed by the imaginitive world)
• Yellowface - RF Kuang: This was an entertaining novel that is appropriate (no pun intended) of our time exploring who gets to tell whose story. It also touches upon the joys of writing when it one returns to an intrinsic motivation vs an extrinsic one. The plot takes discrete jumps that don’t always seem merited, but we must do what we must to move the story along to its conclusion.
• The Eighth Day of Creation - Horace Freeland Judson (re-reading): This book is a must read for anyone pursuing the sciences, not just the biological ones. It focuses on the process of discovery not just the results. The scientific endeavor is one of perseverance not just brilliance.
• The Mathematics of Life and Death - by Kit Yates: This is a nice sampling of how understanding mathematic concepts is impactful in every day life. Not every chapter is strong, but enough of a motivator to appreciate why understanding math is important. If new to this area, I would recommend the classic Innnumeracy by John Allen Paulos instead.
• Lincoln at Gettysburg by Garry Wills: This is a very timely book even though it was written twenty years ago. Understanding the influences on Lincoln’s worldview and how it succinctly and powerfully manifested in the Gettysburg address. The notion of creating a country where all men (people) are created equal is more apt now than ever.
• The Ancient Eight by John Feinstein: A breezy read that highlighted the quirky nature of Ivy League football. It is a unique beast in this age of collegiate sports. Left with a greater appreciation that I did not have when I was would occasionally watch a game. But it did make me remember the time we stormed the field when the Big Red took the Ivy League Championship last in 1991. Has it been that long?
• Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter: An exploration of life under plague. Semi autobiographical novel of life during the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, that gives a glimpse of life during that time and the group think of the war was no different then as it is now.
• Raymond Carver - an Oral Biography - Sam Halpern: A fascinating collection of interviews from people who were in the legendary short story writer and poet’s sphere. A big challenge in our forever world is how do we wrestle with when great things are done by people who aren’t saints. Carver’s transgressions were more in the realm of the personal than the criminal, but can one revere the author and his works and revere the man behind the work at the same time? More disturbing, do great works have a direct lineage from misactions. Life really is navigating between Crimes and Misdemeanors and the ability to tell the difference.

2024

• High Output Management - Andrew Grove: An insightful read about how to manage teams and operations. May not be applicable under the current culture but still a point of view that is useful to have in your toolbox.

Undated Books

• The Plague - Albert Camus (!) - Simply one of the most powerful books I have ever read. Communicating what it means to be a human and to connect. Life is not about being a saint, but about understanding the condition we all share.