I got to read a lot of great books this year.
Here’s five that I recommend.
Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir.
Great science fiction book.
Very up to date.
A scientist, very knowledgeable but a lot of self-doubt.
It’s very clever.
The truly implausible steps...
an alien race showing up,
these mind-blowingly energetic fuel particles.
It requires a leap of faith, but it’s got a lot of science in it.
Fun for anybody who likes science fiction.
Hamnet, by Maggie O’Farrell
is about Shakespeare’s family.
Good evening, Bill!
It’s kind of history, a little bit.
What was it like living in this village,
the different professions,
and it’s kind of fiction.
The characters are vivid and interesting.
A real insight into that period
and what an unusual person Shakespeare was.
I recommend it. It’s a good story.
It’s very touching.
The Code Breaker, by Walter Isaacson.
Every Isaacson book is good.
The Code Breaker, is about how Jennifer Doudna
and other scientists discovered
a new way to edit DNA, called CRISPR.
Walter Isaacson, as usual,
does a very thorough job
of the complex history and,
discussion of how will it get used?
Will it just be used to cure diseases
or make kids smarter or better looking?
What are we going to do with this amazing tool?
A Thousand Brains, by Jeff Hawkins.
Jeff Hawkins is lucky,
he gets to think about the brain.
How does the brain work?
He talks about columnar reference frames
and how he thinks that’s one of the keys
to understanding the brain.
How the different pieces are organized
and coordinate together.
I’d call it modest progress in
suggesting the structure of the brain.
Anybody who’s interested in the brain
this is a state-of-the-art book.
Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro.
It’s told from the point of view of the robot.
Very clever. It will make you think.
It’s probably healthier talking to a robot,
than just watching TV.
I always felt that way about interactive
activities versus passive viewing anyway.
We’re going to have a lot of robots in our lives.
Whether you’re looking for a good book to read,
or a gift idea for someone else,
I hope you find these recommendations helpful.
I hope you like them.