IT Career Advice >> Browse Articles >> A Guide to InsideTech
50 Books Every Geek Should Read
Eric Dahl / InsideTech
“In the Beginning was the Command Line,” Neal Stephenson
Stephenson brings his unique style to the evolution of operating systems and interfaces, looking at everything from why Windows is so popular to why some of us still prefer to work from the command line.
“Code: Version 2.0,” Lawrence Lessig
Who controls what in cyberspace? And more to the point, who should control what? Lessig tackled this topic in 1999 with “Code” and later updated it to the wiki-edited, Creative-Commons-licensed, “Code: Version 2.0.”
“The Wisdom of Crowds,” James Surowiecki
Surowiecki argues that large populations often make better decisions and predictions than experts, a seductive idea in an increasingly networked world. That alone wouldn’t be news, but in Wisdom of Crowds, Surowiecki explores which types of decisions crowds are good at making, and what elements you need to create a wise crowd.
“The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology,” Ray Kurzweil
In Kurzweil’s vision of post-humanity genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics combine to help humans create super-intelligent and durable versions of ourselves. From anyone else, this would belong in the sci-fi section, but Kurzweil makes a compeling case that we’re headed toward a point (the singularity) where the future of humanity becomes unrecognizable.


yoddel
3 days ago
232 comments
best infomation
ugg boots on sale
black friday ipod touch
maidioljoin
11 days ago
56 comments
sorry to disturb u. just take u a little time.
If you are in need,
please come to : http://www.maidi2008.net
50%off ca,ed hardy t-shirt$15 jeans,coach handbag$33,air max90,dunk,polo t-
shirt$13,,lacoste t-shirt $13 air jordan for sale,$35,nfl nba jersy for sale
puma gucci$35,nike jordans six ring,yeezy$%5!!
new era caps$13 gucci handbags jeans,t-shirts sunglass,caps
true religion jeans$35,ca,ed hardy jeans$35
LV,CHANAL,HANDBAGS$35
NIKE SHOX+AIR MAX+TL3+OZ+NZ ONLY $35
UGG TIMBLAND+LACOSTE SHOES+ED HARDY SHOES$35
DIESEL T-SHIRT,GSTAR T-SHIRT,CA T-SHIRT,50% OFF FOR SALE $15
DIOR SUNGLASS,DG SUNGLASS$15
Ladies and Gentlemen,please beleive in us.Quality is our Dignity; Service is our
Lift.
our website: http://www.maidi2008.net
sbxt185
about 1 month ago
6 comments
Nice List, I need to read up.
mitchster
about 1 month ago
6 comments
What an excellent list. Thank you. I scored pretty good too. Hmmm.
Many of these classics can be had for free on the internet.
Shameless plug coming up...
Enjoy them in style ... try out...
www.retroreader.net
Before Dec. 10th use the coupon code ...
insidetech
and it's free.
usshelena
2 months ago
2 comments
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is a must. Not a lot of useful, current techn advice but fun as hell!
TheDragonDo2009
2 months ago
10 comments
Anyone tried ExamForce.com owned by Adaptive Learning calims to be owner of the Exam Cram books. Well I bought into their three of their lifetime package which has no money back gaurantee. I have not used any of it so far but they claim that their education program is the best way to get certified in anything that is out there from CCNA, MCSE, Comptia A+, etc. It cost me a lot of dough. i don't what possessed me to go with the marketers pitch. Maybe I didn't care if my credit goes rock bottom at the time and I am sitll unemployed and semi-self-employed or at least lightly working on it.
tbbrick
2 months ago
2 comments
Remove Hitchhikers Guide, what a long, slow, miserable slog that was. Replace with Dune or 2001: A Space Odyssey.
PureEvil
5 months ago
196 comments
its not a book, but its awhole lot of comic books, but read transformers.
dodland
7 months ago
18 comments
Neuromancer was really cool, and weird as hell. Loved it!
Jmachado
7 months ago
10 comments
i study java as well.. in our class we are using a book called starting out with java and its written by dan gaddis. the book is explains things well but it keeps changing its programming style and it throws me off big time. im so confused..
danman1453
7 months ago
26 comments
i would like to suggest the book: "Physics of the Impossible", by Michio Kaku. Published by DoubleDay.
dandoocha
8 months ago
6 comments
Hi,
im new to java programming!
this is the 3rd semester (starts tomorrow!!)
and last semester i took data structures and algorithms and this semester
i have to write a game and im not good in java programming but i really llike it!! i know its a bit weird but what books could really help me get into it ( the programming i wanna program as if im writing my name) ????
what really works with me is practice soo????????
thanks for the great article!!!
Mentatstrategy
11 months ago
2 comments
I would like to add DUNE the the must reads
larry_blac
11 months ago
4 comments
peteyv, there are many excellent tutorial books for C++ available, and as it is not used en masse for development, many of them are availailable at super super discounted prices. You can get something like "master C++ in 21 days' (ha ha ha ha ha...let me know how that works for you, should you try it), but there are legit programming references such as the C++ Developers Bible, which are excellent syntatical and vocabulary references; however, if you are a true novice programmer, it would be wise to first 'get your head' around the concepts of OOA&P as the language and syntax will avail you nothing if you do not understand the fundamental concepts of OOP....you will be able to write code, but should anyone ever have to come behind you to perform modifications or updates to your code, they will likely seek you out and shoot your porch light out each year for the remainder of your life!!!! A word to the wise from an old SE...take it for what it is worth.
peteyv
12 months ago
2 comments
Hi. I'm a novice at programming. Can any of you suggest a book that will help me to get my head around the thinking process/logic that is necessary to really know what I'm doing? I feel like much of what I do is guess work or trial and error. My current challenge is C++. Thanks for any suggestions.