I haven't read it, but interesting that "Fates and Furies: A Novel" a 3.5 star novel on Amazon makes the top 20 list. Is this purely a function of sales, not ratings?
Nothing wrong with affiliate links if you're a regular user of this site: we're capitalists here. I make sure to include them if I link to a book, because I could use the money more than Jeff Bezos. Of course, I don't link to stuff just for the sake of linking to it, but only do so if I would have anyway. I think it's pretty clear whether someone is a spammer or not.
https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=hullo seems to be the person who included some links. They have clearly been here a while, participates constructively, and doesn't seem to spew out a lot of affiliate links (any, actually, that I can see).
Just to mention - you can read 'Sustainable Materials with Both Eyes Open' on the authors' website (although I'm sure they wouldn't mind people buying it on Amazon as well). http://www.withbotheyesopen.com/read.php
I'm curious, why is it that people dislike affiliate-backed links if the link is relevant, useful, interesting and of equal quality to the normal link? Seems irrational.
Anyone who refers to David Brooks as "the insightful New York Times columnist" has lost me as a reader. I can't remember the last time he had an original, or even accurate, thought.
* The Korean War: A History - Little known fact: The US took the wrong side in the Korean War by putting the former officers of the Japanese imperial army in power in Seoul. It committed countless atrocities to achieve its stalemate, including fire-bombing half the country (Germany redux) and using napalm on whole villages, a foreshadowing of Vietnam.
* Old School - A novel by Tobias Wolff. If you're tired of tired prose, try Wolff. He cares about sentences.
I skimmed your article and I'm now convinced that Albert Burneko is a mean person. That was about 3479 words of ad hominem. I have to respect such persistence.
Indeed. Here's a Radio Yerevan take on Brooks' writings, from Language Log:
> Question to Language Log: Is it correct that if you show an American an image of a fish tank, the American will usually describe the biggest fish in the tank and what it is doing, while if you ask a Chinese person to describe a fish tank, the Chinese will usually describe the context in which the fish swim?
> Answer: In principle, yes. But first of all, it wasn't a representative sample of Americans, it was undergraduates in a psychology course at the University of Michigan; and second, it wasn't Chinese, it was undergraduates in a psychology course at Kyoto University in Japan; and third, it wasn't a fish tank, it was 10 20-second animated vignettes of underwater scenes; and fourth, the Americans didn't mention the "focal fish" more often than the Japanese, they mentioned them less often.
Amen on David Brooks -- I feel like I am losing my mind when he pops up with his morality expertise in the media. I regularly re-read this 2004 line-by-line analysis of his 2000 book Bobos in Paradise[0]; his writing is littered with incorrect generalizations that makes me question everything he has to say on principle.
His strength is in political philosophy/history. There was a point when he strayed into pop-science-type inquiries about human behavior, that relied a lot on generous leaps of logic. I think that was where he got the most of his bad reputation.
But, his writings on conservative political philosophy is insightful, if not original (not something I care about personally). His old-school Burkean conservatism gives him an internally consistent, rational framework from which to critique or support the current GOP, from the center-right. It doesn't always work, but worth the read nonetheless, imo.
And, like Gates, I like his extension of that political framework as a critique of our current ideals and values.
The following are three of his less partisan articles and their top-voted comment, plucked from Brooks' most recent articles [1]
Communities of Character
"Pop sociologist Professor Brooks is at it again...."
Tales of the Super Survivors
"It certainly does, Lord Brooks..."
The Evolution of Simplicity
"If only excessive materialism and manifold opportunities were the problem in this country. I think Mr. Brooks tends to project his own affluent angst on society at large..."
This is the force, imposed by readers, to homogenize ideologically. The deluge of criticism is to be expected when a high delta exists between a columnist's ideology and their platform's. In an ideological battleground, where vilification trumps truth, I think the burden of assessing quality lies on the reader.
I ran the hub for a BBS network. We had the best offline mail readers back then. The best feature being "twit filters". God I miss twit filters.
If I ever figure out a way to add a twit filter feature to my web consumption, David Brooks will be the very first pundit added to the list.
Eli Pariser alerted us to the dangers of The Filter Bubble. I wish we lived in a world without trolls and useful idiots. Until then, I agreed with Clay Shirky: we need better filters.
Ah yes, David Brooks, who once complained about an extravagant around-the-world trip because he couldn't stop to stare at a painting for four hours like another famous person once did. He's the worst kind of middlebrow writer.
David Brooks is the 'intellectual' for conservative rich white new yorkers who want to feel cultured and insightful but lack any self-critical impulse. The New York Times version of "kids today..."
I think part of it too is feeling qualified to (publicly & prominently) judge fiction, which doesn't come as naturally to as many folks as judging "ideas" on a nonfiction list like this may – & particularly with the extended write-ups Gates is doing.
Gates has also reviewed all of these books in more detail on gatesnotes.com. Here's the link to the Thing Explainer review (which I ordered today) - http://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Thing-Explainer
"Waking up: A guide to spirituality without religion" by neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris. Don't be so quick to dismiss it please, give it a try. It's not mysticism.
Thing Explainer is fantastic. Some of the best presentations of complicated ideas I've ever seen. It's a spinoff from this classic: https://xkcd.com/1133/
I wonder how much that video must have cost him! It's such a great production. I really like the way the table and the props match the theme of the relevant book. I'm guessing $10K for the one minute video?
I second the review of Mindset by Carol Dweck. This book is a result of her work studying these issues as a psychologist. Re-posting my summary:
Two mindsets:
Fixed mindset - talents, abilities and intelligence are fixed, endowed
Growth mindset - talents, abilities and intelligence are learned and can be developed
These mindsets are learned, and have fundamentally different reactions to challenges.
The two-mindsets model is a simplification for the purposes of explanation.
Failure
The growth mindset embraces failure as a necessary part of learning. In fact failure is a indicator of an area for potential growth, if the opportunity is taken to overcome that failure. The fixed mindset avoids and fears failure; it is taken as evidence of a hard limit of your endowed talent.
Motivation
The growth mindset sees effort as necessary to mastery. Almost any level of mastery may be attainable with the right regimen of practice. Obstacles are a normal part of mastery and must be overcome as a matter of course in order to grow. Criticism is not taken personally, but used to indicate areas for improvement and growth.
The fixed mindset sees effort as producing only small effects compared to their fixed ability. May be more prone to give up in the face of obstacles since it is thought that there is no new mastery to be gained. Criticism is more likely to be taken personally, as the individual identifies with the perceived limits of their ability and thinks that improvement is impossible beyond a certain point.
Perceiving others
The growth mindset is not threatened by others’ abilities. Others’ examples may serve to inspire. The fixed mindset is more likely to be jealous of others’ abilities since they are perceived to be highly desirable gifts and the result of luck and circumstance.
Teaching Children
Praise children by emphasizing their work and persistence. Do not use labels like “smart” or “gifted” that would reinforce a mindset of fixed abilities.
Relationships
Growth oriented mindset is more likely to be understanding and ready to learn from experience. Fixed mindset sees problems as a result of unchangeable personal attributes and are pessimistic about change. More likely to have unrealistic expectations, like not having to work at a relationship that is “meant to be”.
Examples
Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth and Wilma Rudolph are given as examples of overcoming early setbacks with a growth mindset.
Last chapter is a “workshop” of situations and questions to help you develop a growth mindset.
[+] [-] e15ctr0n|10 years ago|reply
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2015
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=13108091011
The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/entertainment/best-b...
The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/books/review/100-notable-b...
The Economist http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21679439-best-b...
[+] [-] Steko|10 years ago|reply
http://kottke.org/15/11/best-fiction-of-2015
Among those not already linked upthread or sibling:
Tyler Cowen, fiction and non-fiction:
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2015/11/bes...
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2015/11/bes...
Buzzfeed Fiction:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/isaacfitzgerald/books-we-loved-in-20...
[+] [-] jbuss|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] lmm|10 years ago|reply
A whole bunch of subcategories from the Guardian/Observer: http://www.theguardian.com/books#books-of-the-year
[+] [-] strick|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gammarator|10 years ago|reply
Here's the 2015 version: http://bellm.org/blog/2015/11/27/the-best-books-i-read-in-20...
[+] [-] bewe42|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] avar|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tlrobinson|10 years ago|reply
The Road to Character, David Brooks - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081299325X
Thing Explainer, Randall Munroe - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544668251
Being Nixon: A Man Divided, Evan Thomas - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812995368
Sustainable Materials With Both Eyes Open, Julian Allwood - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/190686005X
Eradication: Ridding the World of Diseases Forever?, Nancy Leys Stepan - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0801450586
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345472322
Honorable Mention:
The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life, Nick Lane - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393088812
[+] [-] davidw|10 years ago|reply
https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=hullo seems to be the person who included some links. They have clearly been here a while, participates constructively, and doesn't seem to spew out a lot of affiliate links (any, actually, that I can see).
[+] [-] aerovistae|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jmknoll|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rodly|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|10 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] vonnik|10 years ago|reply
http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/i-dont-think-david-brooks-i...
Here are two good books:
* The Korean War: A History - Little known fact: The US took the wrong side in the Korean War by putting the former officers of the Japanese imperial army in power in Seoul. It committed countless atrocities to achieve its stalemate, including fire-bombing half the country (Germany redux) and using napalm on whole villages, a foreshadowing of Vietnam.
* Old School - A novel by Tobias Wolff. If you're tired of tired prose, try Wolff. He cares about sentences.
[+] [-] vlehto|10 years ago|reply
But I have no opinion on David Brooks.
[+] [-] ar-jan|10 years ago|reply
> Question to Language Log: Is it correct that if you show an American an image of a fish tank, the American will usually describe the biggest fish in the tank and what it is doing, while if you ask a Chinese person to describe a fish tank, the Chinese will usually describe the context in which the fish swim?
> Answer: In principle, yes. But first of all, it wasn't a representative sample of Americans, it was undergraduates in a psychology course at the University of Michigan; and second, it wasn't Chinese, it was undergraduates in a psychology course at Kyoto University in Japan; and third, it wasn't a fish tank, it was 10 20-second animated vignettes of underwater scenes; and fourth, the Americans didn't mention the "focal fish" more often than the Japanese, they mentioned them less often.
From: Reality v. Brooks - http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=19531
[+] [-] DaveWalk|10 years ago|reply
[0] http://www.phillymag.com/articles/david-brooks-booboos-in-pa...
[+] [-] saeranv|10 years ago|reply
But, his writings on conservative political philosophy is insightful, if not original (not something I care about personally). His old-school Burkean conservatism gives him an internally consistent, rational framework from which to critique or support the current GOP, from the center-right. It doesn't always work, but worth the read nonetheless, imo.
And, like Gates, I like his extension of that political framework as a critique of our current ideals and values.
[+] [-] amsilprotag|10 years ago|reply
Communities of Character
"Pop sociologist Professor Brooks is at it again...."
Tales of the Super Survivors
"It certainly does, Lord Brooks..."
The Evolution of Simplicity
"If only excessive materialism and manifold opportunities were the problem in this country. I think Mr. Brooks tends to project his own affluent angst on society at large..."
This is the force, imposed by readers, to homogenize ideologically. The deluge of criticism is to be expected when a high delta exists between a columnist's ideology and their platform's. In an ideological battleground, where vilification trumps truth, I think the burden of assessing quality lies on the reader.
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/column/david-brooks
[+] [-] prolepunk|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] specialist|10 years ago|reply
I ran the hub for a BBS network. We had the best offline mail readers back then. The best feature being "twit filters". God I miss twit filters.
If I ever figure out a way to add a twit filter feature to my web consumption, David Brooks will be the very first pundit added to the list.
Eli Pariser alerted us to the dangers of The Filter Bubble. I wish we lived in a world without trolls and useful idiots. Until then, I agreed with Clay Shirky: we need better filters.
[+] [-] unknown|10 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] zecho|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|10 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] james-bronze|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] muddi900|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] beerbajay|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Negitivefrags|10 years ago|reply
I have often seen the sentiment that everything you read should have some kind of educational value or it's just a waste of time.
Does Bill Gates not read fiction? Perhaps he understands that he would be looked down on if he were to include some in his list.
[+] [-] davepeck|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hullo|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] krupan|10 years ago|reply
-from a fellow fiction lover
[+] [-] kasperset|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] whatever_dude|10 years ago|reply
[0] https://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack
[1] https://twitter.com/elonmusk
[+] [-] rcavezza|10 years ago|reply
Others Below:
Eradiation: http://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Eradication
Mindset: http://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Mindset-The-New-Psychology-o...
The Road To Character: http://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/The-Road-to-Character
Being Nixon: http://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Being-Nixon
Sustainable Materials: http://www.gatesnotes.com/Books/Sustainable-Materials-With-B...
[+] [-] DenisM|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] farresito|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Artoemius|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] oafitupa|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] legohead|10 years ago|reply
The Blade Itself (3 books)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (waiting on third and final book)
The Stormlight Archive (waiting on third and final book)
[+] [-] mathgenius|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|10 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] guscost|10 years ago|reply
Also check out a similar piece on general relativity: http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-space-doctors-big...
[+] [-] programminggeek|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|10 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] carlosgg|10 years ago|reply
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/04/20/moral-guidance-david-broo...
[+] [-] mrharrison|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] graffitici|10 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Isamu|10 years ago|reply
Two mindsets:
Fixed mindset - talents, abilities and intelligence are fixed, endowed
Growth mindset - talents, abilities and intelligence are learned and can be developed
These mindsets are learned, and have fundamentally different reactions to challenges. The two-mindsets model is a simplification for the purposes of explanation.
Failure
The growth mindset embraces failure as a necessary part of learning. In fact failure is a indicator of an area for potential growth, if the opportunity is taken to overcome that failure. The fixed mindset avoids and fears failure; it is taken as evidence of a hard limit of your endowed talent.
Motivation
The growth mindset sees effort as necessary to mastery. Almost any level of mastery may be attainable with the right regimen of practice. Obstacles are a normal part of mastery and must be overcome as a matter of course in order to grow. Criticism is not taken personally, but used to indicate areas for improvement and growth.
The fixed mindset sees effort as producing only small effects compared to their fixed ability. May be more prone to give up in the face of obstacles since it is thought that there is no new mastery to be gained. Criticism is more likely to be taken personally, as the individual identifies with the perceived limits of their ability and thinks that improvement is impossible beyond a certain point.
Perceiving others
The growth mindset is not threatened by others’ abilities. Others’ examples may serve to inspire. The fixed mindset is more likely to be jealous of others’ abilities since they are perceived to be highly desirable gifts and the result of luck and circumstance.
Teaching Children
Praise children by emphasizing their work and persistence. Do not use labels like “smart” or “gifted” that would reinforce a mindset of fixed abilities.
Relationships
Growth oriented mindset is more likely to be understanding and ready to learn from experience. Fixed mindset sees problems as a result of unchangeable personal attributes and are pessimistic about change. More likely to have unrealistic expectations, like not having to work at a relationship that is “meant to be”.
Examples
Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth and Wilma Rudolph are given as examples of overcoming early setbacks with a growth mindset.
Last chapter is a “workshop” of situations and questions to help you develop a growth mindset.
[+] [-] dorfsmay|10 years ago|reply
For people who haven't read it BTW, I highly recommend it, especially if you are a parent.