Books you're reading (20 Viewers)
- Thread starter mikhail
- Start date
Hey pecker, have you ever read any of Anne McCaffrey's Pern books? Not the same style of writing, but considered some of the better modern fantasy. Or Raymond E. Feist, for a slightly mroe traditional kind of plot?
I'm reading "The Complete Turing" right now. The guy was amazing. Alan Turing, for those of you who don't know him, is the guy who broke the German Naval Enigma - their message encryption machine. He also wrote the theory which founded modern computing, and founded the field of AI. Not bad for just one guy, who died young.
I'm reading "The Complete Turing" right now. The guy was amazing. Alan Turing, for those of you who don't know him, is the guy who broke the German Naval Enigma - their message encryption machine. He also wrote the theory which founded modern computing, and founded the field of AI. Not bad for just one guy, who died young.
I'm reading The Society of Mind by Minsky at the moment, as well as The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan. Both interesting.
The former is a discussion of the author's opinion of how the mind works. He believes in complexity growing from smaller building blocks. I was given it by one of his former students after expressing interest in AI.
The latter is about how superstition and irrationality still pervade public thinking. Pseudoscience, such as all the BS about Atlantis, for which there is no evidence, is far more popular that real science. It's a plea for rational thought. A number of chapters explore the probably causes for the alien abduction stories that are so common in America (and elsewhere). I was surprised to learn that the guys who started all the crop circle nonsence actually came forward a number of years ago. The most popular mass media would rather tell us about Jordan's breasts than that crop circles have been debunked! Admission of hoaxes doesn't sell papers.
The former is a discussion of the author's opinion of how the mind works. He believes in complexity growing from smaller building blocks. I was given it by one of his former students after expressing interest in AI.
The latter is about how superstition and irrationality still pervade public thinking. Pseudoscience, such as all the BS about Atlantis, for which there is no evidence, is far more popular that real science. It's a plea for rational thought. A number of chapters explore the probably causes for the alien abduction stories that are so common in America (and elsewhere). I was surprised to learn that the guys who started all the crop circle nonsence actually came forward a number of years ago. The most popular mass media would rather tell us about Jordan's breasts than that crop circles have been debunked! Admission of hoaxes doesn't sell papers.
I'm dealing with a book by Günter Ogger (a German writer). It's called "Buying an Imperator - The history of the Fuggers".
The Fuggers was an old German long-distance trade family. They ascended in the late 15th century. Originally their ancestors were poor workmen and farmers. But in the course of the rising mining industry they became the most powerful traders on earth. The interest was introduced by them and other big dynasty like Welser (also Germany) or Medici (Italy).
Here some facts from the book covers:
"The history of the Fugger - a historic white-collar crime.
They were richer and more mightful than the 100 biggest companies of the present.
They bribed - long before Lockheed - kings, imperators and even popes.
They bankrolled the war against the Protestants and the conquest of South America.
They rescued Europe from the Turks and the Habsburgs form their downfall.
They let kill revolted farmers and organized the selling of indulgences.
They collected the most precious assets and founded the first social fonds.
They set up the equation: history of the world = power of money"
Very, very interesting. This glance into historic events gives an impression how things work nowadays on these big stages called: economy, politics and religion.
The Fuggers was an old German long-distance trade family. They ascended in the late 15th century. Originally their ancestors were poor workmen and farmers. But in the course of the rising mining industry they became the most powerful traders on earth. The interest was introduced by them and other big dynasty like Welser (also Germany) or Medici (Italy).
Here some facts from the book covers:
"The history of the Fugger - a historic white-collar crime.
They were richer and more mightful than the 100 biggest companies of the present.
They bribed - long before Lockheed - kings, imperators and even popes.
They bankrolled the war against the Protestants and the conquest of South America.
They rescued Europe from the Turks and the Habsburgs form their downfall.
They let kill revolted farmers and organized the selling of indulgences.
They collected the most precious assets and founded the first social fonds.
They set up the equation: history of the world = power of money"
Very, very interesting. This glance into historic events gives an impression how things work nowadays on these big stages called: economy, politics and religion.
