Suggested and Nonsuggested Reading

Below are two lists of books (mostly recent) offering readable treatments of subjects from a variety of fields (mostly technical). All opinions expressed are, of course, my own.

Suggested Reading

The books in this list are highly recommended.

Chaos and Complexity

Chaos, by James Gleick.
An introduction to chaos theory.
Complexity, by M. Mitchell Waldrop.
An introduction to complex adaptive systems, including the story of the Sante Fe Institute.
The Dreams of Reason, by Heinz R. Pagels.
A survey of both chaos and complexity (in more than one sense) emphasizing the role of the computer, including a discussion of the philosophical implications of the research in these areas.

Game Theory

Prisoner's Dilemma, by William Poundstone.
The history and substance of game theory, including its application to international affairs.

History

The Physicists, by Daniel J. Kevles.
An account of the science and politics of 20th-century physics.
Three Degrees above Zero, by Jeremy Bernstein.
A survey of some of the research projects performed at Bell Laboratories (prior to the divestiture).
Who Got Einstein's Office?, by Ed Regis.
The story of the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study.

Information Processing

Silicon Dreams, by Robert Lucky.
An introduction to present-day techniques for the compression and other processing of text, speech, and video.

Mathematics

Infinity and the Mind, by Rudy Rucker.
A lay explanation of the concept of infinity in mathematics and logic, including a thorough treatment of ordinal numbers (which, to many, lie at the heart of deductive reasoning).
The Mathematical Experience, by Philip J. Davis and Reuben Hersh.
A discussion of what mathematicians do and how they think.
Mathematics, the Loss of Certainty, by Morris Kline.
A historical review, from ancient to modern times, focusing on how mathematicians have recognized and grappled with the distinction between mathematics and truth.

Mathematical and Logical Foundations

Gödel's Proof, by Ernest Nagel and James R. Newman.
An introduction to Gödel's incompleteness theorem (which, to me, is the most profound statement ever proved).
The Philosophy of Mathematics, by Stephan Körner.
An explanation and contrasting of the three classical philosophies of mathematics: logicism, formalism, and intuitionism.

Philosophy

Labyrinths of Reason, by William Poundstone.
A discussion of many paradoxes of reasoning and such.
Language, Truth and Logic, by A. J. Ayer.
To my knowledge, page-for-page the best book on analytic philosophy ever written.
Philosophy in the Twentieth Century, by A. J. Ayer.
A continuation of Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy.
The Problem of Knowledge, by A. J. Ayer.
A worthy sequel to Language, Truth and Logic, though the author backs away (incorrectly, in my view) from some of his more radical positions.
Quiddities, by W. V. Quine.
A "dictionary" covering a variety of terms and topics, many of which are only tangentially related to philosophy.

Physics

The Character of Physical Law, by Richard Feynman.
An explanation, by a Nobel laureate, of what physical laws are and how they come to be.
The Cosmic Code, by Heinz R. Pagels.
A survey of modern physics by a physicist who (correctly, in my view) argues in favor of the "Copenhagen interpretation" of quantum mechanics.
The Dancing Wu Li Masters, by Gary Zukav.
A survey of modern physics with a bit of an Eastern twist.
The Emperor's New Mind, by Roger Penrose.
A truly remarkable book (that resists categorization!), in which a long but interesting journey through physics, mathematics, and artificial intelligence culminates with the author's thesis that the human mind is essentially nonalgorithmic and quantum mechanical.
In Search of Schrödinger's Cat, by John Gribbin.
A discussion of quantum theory by a physicist who supports the "many-worlds interpretation" of quantum mechanics.

Politics and Current Events

Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality?, by Thomas Sowell.
Straight talk on the issues of race and gender, dispelling many myths.
How I Accidentally Joined the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy (and Found Inner Peace), by Harry Stein.
A writer reports on his political evolution resulting from decades of experience and reflection.
Illiberal Education: The Politics of Race and Sex on Campus, by Dinesh D'Souza.
An account of what really takes place on college campuses in the names of "affirmative action" and "multiculturalism".
The Myths that Divide Us, by John Perazzo.
A wealth of well-documented facts regarding the issue of race that are often unreported by mainstream news media, as well as disregarded by many "civil-rights leaders".
Passion for Truth, by Arlen Specter with Charles Robbins.
An insider's view of politics and government, by a straight-talking U.S. senator and former Philadelphia district attorney. Many historically significant events are discussed from a first-hand perspective, including the Warren Commission report on the JFK assassination, the confrontation of Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas, and the Clinton impeachment.
Radical Son, by David Horowitz.
The sensitive and forthright autobiography of a Sixties radical who later came to have second thoughts about his political philosophy. Providing an up-close retrospective on 20th-century history, this work reveals much about what distinguishes the Left from the Right.
The Ten Things You Can't Say in America, by Larry Elder.
Views on a variety of controversial issues, often from a libertarian perspective. For maximum benefit, it must be read with an open mind; for straight talk doesn't get any straighter than this.
Think a Second Time, by Dennis Prager.
Trenchant analyses of many contemporary topics. Even when you don't agree with the author, his arguments will help you better articulate your own positions.
Uncovering Clinton, by Michael Isikoff.
A detailed account of many of the "Clinton scandals" by a reporter who received such insider information as to be in danger of becoming part of the story himself.

Religion

The Age of Reason, by Thomas Paine.
A critical review of the Bible by an American Revolutionary.

Nonsuggested Reading

The books below can be skipped with little loss.
Grammatical Man, by Jeremy Campbell.
A book purporting to be about information theory. It doesn't come close.
Mind Tools, by Rudy Rucker.
A discussion of various topics pertaining to mathematical reasoning. Much better treatments of these topics, however, can be found elsewhere.
The Society of Mind, by Marvin Minsky.
An attempt at explaining the workings of the human mind by a leader in the field of artificial intelligence. The exposition, though, just didn't happen for me.
Last modified: September 13, 2005.
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