Edward Snowden – Permanent record
Extensive justification of why Snowden exposed the scope of surveillance by the NSA (with too many references to patriotic US heros among Snowden’s ancestors).
Following the rise of Jim Simons’ Renaissance, quants have become a major force in US politics
Gregory Zuckerman – the man who solved the market
The book would have been a better read if it had focused on one of its two narratives: the rise of algorithmic trading and the forays of hedge fund executives into US politics.
Over the past 170 years Japan’s perception of itself has changed radically – multiple times
Christopher Harding – Japan Story
The author provides a richness of perspectives that guide the reader beyond clichés.
“Our program is the ‘story’ and the problem you are trying to solve the ‘idea'”
Charles Severance – Python for everybody
A highly recommended introduction to coding for aspiring data scientists, providing a rare mix of fundamentals and well-chosen practical examples.
One can obtain elegant mathematical insights without becoming overly formalistic
An elegantly narrated exploration of mathematics , heavily lening on our intuition for time and space (thereby defyingL.E.J. Brouwer‘s adaption of Kant).
To unlock creativity, make sure you get the culture right
The best quote is not from the author: “Quality is the best business plan” (John Lasseter, director of Toy Story).
Measurement = data-driven reduction of uncertainty
Douglas Hubbard – How to measure anything
A lot of Fermi-type deconstruction of drivers, Monte Carlo simulations, and value estimates .
The contemporary art market bubble is kept afloat by a handful of mega dealers
The metroric rise of art prices is a fascinating topic, but the author get a bit lost in his effort to ducoment each twist or turn in the lives of the secondary characters in his story.
The human brain spends an incredible amount of energy on social interactions
Line of argument that primary characteristic of humans as a species is their social behavior dovetails nicely with Daniel Dennett’s thinking on evolution of memes.
In Western societies the uneducated are outcasts, which poses systemic threats for democracy
Paul Collier – The future of capitalism
The author’s recommended retun to a local solidarity may address the issue at hand, but will also pose significant threats for ‘diversity and inclusion’.
Thanks to the US phone monopoly, Bell labs could produce breakthrough technologies
Jon Gertner – The idea factory
The fascinating history of Bell labs illustrates how a long-term view is essential for technological progress.
There is magic in the chemistry of every day materials
Mark Miodownik – Stuff Matters
Skillfully composed , mind-blowing narrative at different scales.
Run your IT department like it is a factory
Gene Kim et. al. – The Phoenix project
The well-established template of ‘The Goal‘ applied to IT.
Thanks to technology, it becomes ever easier for fringe movements to topple the establishment
Moises Naim – The end of power
the book, written pre-Trump, pre-Brexit and pre-Cambridge Analytics, underemphasizes the risk of large-scale orchestration of fringe groups to undermine nation states; thereby making the author’s call for stronger institutions feels a bit besides the point.
The MBTI type indicator helps corporates to contain the impact of individuality in the workplace
Merve Emre-The personality brokers
MBTI is more fascinating than expected, from its amateurish origins and its lack of scientific underpinning to its unlikely longevity and commercial success.
Nine out of ten times, what seems to be a human error is actually caused by a faulty design
Don Norman – The design of everyday things
Elegant book full of fascinating examples of design thinking.
It requires concentration to complete complex, intelligent tasks
The need for concentration for though-intensive tasks is not disputed, but somehow the author (a university professor himself) structurally over-values academic work versus non-academic endeavours.
To disprove ‘Intelligent Design’, just note that one can very well exhibit intelligent behavior without actual intelligence
Daniel Dennett – From bacteria to Bach and back
Caleidoscopic overview of Dennett’s ideas, but it would benefit from an more thorough justification of its antropocentric perspective (compare: Frans de Waal).
Recognize Resistance, and fight it like a pro
Steven Pressfield – The war of art
Well written plea for taking ownership – and action.