Want to know what books Eric Weinstein recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Eric Weinstein's favorite book recommendations of all time.
1
If you want to build a better future, you must believe in secrets.
The great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. In Zero to One, legendary entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel shows how we can find singular ways to create those new things.
Thiel begins with the contrarian premise that we live in an age of technological stagnation, even if we’re too distracted by shiny mobile devices to notice. Information technology has improved rapidly, but there is no reason why progress should be limited to... more If you want to build a better future, you must believe in secrets.
The great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. In Zero to One, legendary entrepreneur and investor Peter Thiel shows how we can find singular ways to create those new things.
Thiel begins with the contrarian premise that we live in an age of technological stagnation, even if we’re too distracted by shiny mobile devices to notice. Information technology has improved rapidly, but there is no reason why progress should be limited to computers or Silicon Valley. Progress can be achieved in any industry or area of business. It comes from the most important skill that every leader must master: learning to think for yourself.
Doing what someone else already knows how to do takes the world from 1 to n, adding more of something familiar. But when you do something new, you go from 0 to 1. The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin won’t make a search engine. Tomorrow’s champions will not win by competing ruthlessly in today’s marketplace. They will escape competition altogether, because their businesses will be unique.
Zero to One presents at once an optimistic view of the future of progress in America and a new way of thinking about innovation: it starts by learning to ask the questions that lead you to find value in unexpected places. less 
Elon MuskPeter Thiel has built multiple breakthrough companies, and Zero to One shows how.” - Elon Mus (Source)
Mark ZuckerbergThis book delivers completely new and refreshing ideas on how to create value in the world. (Source)
Eric WeinsteinIf you really understand something that the rest of the world is confused about, and it’s an important truth, [this book] says here are all the ways you might want to make that work. (Source)
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2
More than 100 pages of new, cutting-edge content.
Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint.
This step-by-step guide to luxury lifestyle design teaches:
How Tim went from $40,000 per year and 80 hours per week to $40,000 per month... more More than 100 pages of new, cutting-edge content.
Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint.
This step-by-step guide to luxury lifestyle design teaches:
How Tim went from $40,000 per year and 80 hours per week to $40,000 per month and 4 hours per week.
How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want
How blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs
How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist
How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent mini-retirements
The new expanded edition of Tim Ferriss The 4-Hour Workweek includes:
More than 50 practical tips and case studies from readers (including families) who have doubled income, overcome common sticking points, and reinvented themselves using the original book as a starting point
Real-world templates you can copy for eliminating e-mail, negotiating with bosses and clients, or getting a private chef for less than $8 a meal
How Lifestyle Design principles can be suited to unpredictable economic times
The latest tools and tricks, as well as high-tech shortcuts, for living like a diplomat or millionaire without being either" less 
Tim DraperWith this kind of time management and focus on the important things in life, people should be able to get 15 times as much done in a normal work week. (Source)
Marvin LiaoSUCH a hard question to answer because there are so MANY favorite books of mine. For Business, i'd say either 80/20 Principle (Koch) or 4 Hour Work Week (Ferriss) for the principles it teaches on how to optimize work & life. (Source)
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3
A high-tech thriller for the wireless age that explores the unthinkable consequences of a computer program running without human control—a daemon—designed to dismantle society and bring about a new world order
Technology controls almost everything in our modern-day world, from remote entry on our cars to access to our homes, from the flight controls of our airplanes to the movements of the entire world economy. Thousands of autonomous computer programs, or daemons, make our networked world possible, running constantly in the background of our lives, trafficking e-mail,... more A high-tech thriller for the wireless age that explores the unthinkable consequences of a computer program running without human control—a daemon—designed to dismantle society and bring about a new world order
Technology controls almost everything in our modern-day world, from remote entry on our cars to access to our homes, from the flight controls of our airplanes to the movements of the entire world economy. Thousands of autonomous computer programs, or daemons, make our networked world possible, running constantly in the background of our lives, trafficking e-mail, transferring money, and monitoring power grids. For the most part, daemons are benign, but the same can't always be said for the people who design them.
Matthew Sobol was a legendary computer game designer—the architect behind half-a-dozen popular online games. His premature death depressed both gamers and his company's stock price. But Sobol's fans aren't the only ones to note his passing. When his obituary is posted online, a previously dormant daemon activates, initiating a chain of events intended to unravel the fabric of our hyper-efficient, interconnected world. With Sobol's secrets buried along with him, and as new layers of his daemon are unleashed at every turn, it's up to an unlikely alliance to decipher his intricate plans and wrest the world from the grasp of a nameless, faceless enemy—or learn to live in a society in which we are no longer in control. . . .
Computer technology expert Daniel Suarez blends haunting high-tech realism with gripping suspense in an authentic, complex thriller in the tradition of Michael Crichton, Neal Stephenson, and William Gibson. less See more recommendations for this book...
4
A writer for Rolling Stone and the #1 bestselling author of Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance, O'Rourke gives us his hilarious take on the problems of the world. From overpopulation, famine, and plagues to ecological disasters, ethnic hatred and poverty, political correctness will never be the same. more A writer for Rolling Stone and the #1 bestselling author of Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance, O'Rourke gives us his hilarious take on the problems of the world. From overpopulation, famine, and plagues to ecological disasters, ethnic hatred and poverty, political correctness will never be the same. less Eric WeinsteinI’m always asked for book recommendations but am reluctant to give them.
“All the Trouble in the World” was an amazing book by @PJORourke.
He‘s also a master stylist of distinctly American English. Politics aside, I envy more of his sentences than of anyone else writing today. (Source)
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Charles W. Misner, Kip S. Thorne, John Archibald Wheeler, David I. Kaiser | 4.47
First published in 1973, Gravitation is a landmark graduate-level textbook that presents Einstein's general theory of relativity and offers a rigorous, full-year course on the physics of gravitation. Upon publication, Science called it "a pedagogic masterpiece," and it has since become a classic, considered essential reading for every serious student and researcher in the field of relativity. This authoritative text has shaped the research of generations of physicists and astronomers, and the book continues to influence the way experts think about the subject.
With an... more First published in 1973, Gravitation is a landmark graduate-level textbook that presents Einstein's general theory of relativity and offers a rigorous, full-year course on the physics of gravitation. Upon publication, Science called it "a pedagogic masterpiece," and it has since become a classic, considered essential reading for every serious student and researcher in the field of relativity. This authoritative text has shaped the research of generations of physicists and astronomers, and the book continues to influence the way experts think about the subject.
With an emphasis on geometric interpretation, this masterful and comprehensive book introduces the theory of relativity; describes physical applications, from stars to black holes and gravitational waves; and portrays the field's frontiers. The book also offers a unique, alternating, two-track pathway through the subject. Material focusing on basic physical ideas is designated as Track 1 and formulates an appropriate one-semester graduate-level course. The remaining Track 2 material provides a wealth of advanced topics instructors can draw on for a two-semester course, with Track 1 sections serving as prerequisites.
This must-have reference for students and scholars of relativity includes a new preface by David Kaiser, reflecting on the history of the book's publication and reception, and a new introduction by Charles Misner and Kip Thorne, discussing exciting developments in the field since the book's original publication.
The book teaches students to:
Grasp the laws of physics in flat and curved spacetime
Predict orders of magnitude
Calculate using the principal tools of modern geometry
Understand Einstein's geometric framework for physics
Explore applications, including neutron stars, Schwarzschild and Kerr black holes, gravitational collapse, gravitational waves, cosmology, and so much more less 
Kirk Borne#Gravity is the only one of the four fundamental forces of #Physics that doesn’t (yet) have a quantum explanation — learn how our understanding of Gravity has evolved, from Newton’s great insight to Einstein’s: https://t.co/DZJz9OJ9Lv
👇See this gravitationally heavy 3-kg book👇 https://t.co/9whUOUJqxi (Source)
Seamus BlackleyA couple things saved me. One of them I found the other day, slipped into my all time favorite physics book. It was a simple note from my dad, still in it’s envelope. It said that he believed in me, and that things would work out. https://t.co/z48r12w6m6 (Source)
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7
This is a history of how physics has drawn some inspiration from economics and how economics has sought to emulate physics, especially with regard to the theory of value. The author traces the development of the energy concept in Western physics and its subsequent effect on the invention and promulgation of neoclassical economics, the modern orthodox theory. more This is a history of how physics has drawn some inspiration from economics and how economics has sought to emulate physics, especially with regard to the theory of value. The author traces the development of the energy concept in Western physics and its subsequent effect on the invention and promulgation of neoclassical economics, the modern orthodox theory. less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
Michael Mauboussin2/Phil Mirowski's book, More Heat than Light, is 30 years old but still fascinating. A complementary read to @ole_b_peters work on https://t.co/J0R37kUY1F. "the progenitors of neoclassical economic theory boldly copied the reigning physical theories in the 1870s." (Source)
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8
Thomas M. Cover and Joy A. Thomas | 4.14
The latest edition of this classic is updated with new problem sets and material
The Second Edition of this fundamental textbook maintains the book's tradition of clear, thought-provoking instruction. Readers are provided once again with an instructive mix of mathematics, physics, statistics, and information theory.
All the essential topics in information theory are covered in detail, including entropy, data compression, channel capacity, rate distortion, network information theory, and hypothesis testing. The authors provide readers with a solid understanding of... more The latest edition of this classic is updated with new problem sets and material
The Second Edition of this fundamental textbook maintains the book's tradition of clear, thought-provoking instruction. Readers are provided once again with an instructive mix of mathematics, physics, statistics, and information theory.
All the essential topics in information theory are covered in detail, including entropy, data compression, channel capacity, rate distortion, network information theory, and hypothesis testing. The authors provide readers with a solid understanding of the underlying theory and applications. Problem sets and a telegraphic summary at the end of each chapter further assist readers. The historical notes that follow each chapter recap the main points.
The Second Edition features:
* Chapters reorganized to improve teaching
* 200 new problems
* New material on source coding, portfolio theory, and feedback capacity
* Updated references
Now current and enhanced, the Second Edition of Elements of Information Theory remains the ideal textbook for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in electrical engineering, statistics, and telecommunications. less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
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9
An astonishing work of cultural criticism, this book is widely recognized as a brilliant and devastating challenge to conventional views of literature, anthropology, religion, and psychoanalysis. In its scope and itnerest it can be compared with Freud's Totem and Taboo, the subtext Girard refutes with polemic daring, vast erudition, and a persuasiveness that leaves the reader compelled to respond, one way or another.
This is the single fullest summation of Girard's ideas to date, the book by which they will stand or fall. In a dialogue with two psychiatrists (Jean-Michel... more An astonishing work of cultural criticism, this book is widely recognized as a brilliant and devastating challenge to conventional views of literature, anthropology, religion, and psychoanalysis. In its scope and itnerest it can be compared with Freud's Totem and Taboo, the subtext Girard refutes with polemic daring, vast erudition, and a persuasiveness that leaves the reader compelled to respond, one way or another.
This is the single fullest summation of Girard's ideas to date, the book by which they will stand or fall. In a dialogue with two psychiatrists (Jean-Michel Oughourlian and Guy Lefort), Girard probes an encyclopedic array of topics, ranging across the entire spectrum of anthropology, psychoanalysis, and cultural production.
Girard's point o departure is what he calles 'mimesis,' the conflict that arises when human rivals compete to differentiate themselves from each other, yet succeed only in becoming more and more alike. At certain points in the life of a society, according to Girard, this mimetic conflict erupts into a crisis in which all difference dissolves in indiscriminate violence. In primitive societies, such crises were resolved by the 'scapegoating mechanism,' in which the community, en masse, turned on an unpremeditated victim. The repression of this collective murder and its repetition in ritual sacrifice then formed the foundations of both religion and the restored social order.
How does Christianity, at once the most 'sacrificial' of religions and a faith with a non-violent ideology, fit into this scheme? Girard grants Freud's point, in Totem and Taboo, that Christianity is similar to primitive religion, but only to refute Freud—if Christ is sacrificed, Girard argues, it is not because God willed it, but because human beings wanted it.
The book is not merely, or perhaps not mainly, biblical exegesis, for within its scope fall some of the most vexing problems of social history—the paradox that violance has social efficacy, the function of the scapegoat, the mechanism of anti-semitism. less 
Peter ThielHe’s the one writer who has influenced me the most [...]. Girard gives a sweeping view of the whole human experience on this planet — something captured in the title of his masterwork, Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World — but it’s not just an academic philosophy. Once you learn about it, his view of imitation as the root of behavior is something you will see every day, not just in... (Source)
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10
A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, Eric Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. The True Believer -- the first and most famous of his books -- was made into a bestseller when President Eisenhower cited it during one of the earliest television press conferences.Completely relevant and essential for understanding the world today, The True Believer is a visionary, highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic and a penetrating study of how an individual becomes one. more A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, Eric Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. The True Believer -- the first and most famous of his books -- was made into a bestseller when President Eisenhower cited it during one of the earliest television press conferences.Completely relevant and essential for understanding the world today, The True Believer is a visionary, highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic and a penetrating study of how an individual becomes one. less 
Jessica SternThis is a brilliant book. Hoffer points out that zealots can be attracted to zealotry itself. Leaders of revolutionary movements go after people who are so dissatisfied with the status quo, and with themselves, that they are willing to put everything at risk, to create a new, better, purer world. The trick is to provide them with an identity as part of something bigger than themselves. One of the... (Source)
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11
An invaluable guide for both casual opera fans and aficionados, this volume contains act-by-act descriptions of operatic works ranging from the early seventeenth century masterworks of Monteverdi and Purcell to the modern classics of Menotti and Britten. Written in a lively anecdotal style, entries include character descriptions, historical background, and much more. more An invaluable guide for both casual opera fans and aficionados, this volume contains act-by-act descriptions of operatic works ranging from the early seventeenth century masterworks of Monteverdi and Purcell to the modern classics of Menotti and Britten. Written in a lively anecdotal style, entries include character descriptions, historical background, and much more. less See more recommendations for this book...
17
Fully revised to cover the most up-to-date versions of LATEX, this accessible and practical tutorial contains all of the information you will need to get up and running with LATEX, and is an essential reference tool to users at all levels. With this book you will: master the basics of LATEX and explore more advanced topics, including user-defined extensions; get up to speed with the latest LATEX extensions for adaptations to other languages; and benefit from detailed appendices, including the Command Summary and Summary tables. more Fully revised to cover the most up-to-date versions of LATEX, this accessible and practical tutorial contains all of the information you will need to get up and running with LATEX, and is an essential reference tool to users at all levels. With this book you will: master the basics of LATEX and explore more advanced topics, including user-defined extensions; get up to speed with the latest LATEX extensions for adaptations to other languages; and benefit from detailed appendices, including the Command Summary and Summary tables. less See more recommendations for this book...
18
This collection consists of over 200 extracts linked together by Gratzer's lively and informative commentary. Grouped under six headings, they introduce the giants of science, explore science's impact on the world, share the thrill of discovery, and capture the ambiguity of science. more This collection consists of over 200 extracts linked together by Gratzer's lively and informative commentary. Grouped under six headings, they introduce the giants of science, explore science's impact on the world, share the thrill of discovery, and capture the ambiguity of science. less See more recommendations for this book...
19
America's most provocative (and conservative) satirist was at one time a raving pinko, with the scab on his bleeding heart to prove it. Through 25 years of his writing, this collection traces O'Rourke's development, from a self-described nightmare of the bourgeoisie to the staunch conservative who threatens to aim his shotgun at any revival of the '60s. more America's most provocative (and conservative) satirist was at one time a raving pinko, with the scab on his bleeding heart to prove it. Through 25 years of his writing, this collection traces O'Rourke's development, from a self-described nightmare of the bourgeoisie to the staunch conservative who threatens to aim his shotgun at any revival of the '60s. less See more recommendations for this book...
20
Gauge theory is now recognized as one of the most revolutionary discoveries in physics since the development of quantum mechanics. This primer explains how and why gauge theory has dramatically changed our view of the fundamental forces of nature. The text is designed for the non-specialist. A new, intuitive approach is used to make the ideas of gauge theory accessible to both scientists and students with only a background in quantum mechanics. Emphasis is placed on the physics rather than the formalism. more Gauge theory is now recognized as one of the most revolutionary discoveries in physics since the development of quantum mechanics. This primer explains how and why gauge theory has dramatically changed our view of the fundamental forces of nature. The text is designed for the non-specialist. A new, intuitive approach is used to make the ideas of gauge theory accessible to both scientists and students with only a background in quantum mechanics. Emphasis is placed on the physics rather than the formalism. less See more recommendations for this book...
Don't have time to read Eric Weinstein's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
21
Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat, Cecile DeWitt-Morette | 4.29
This reference book, which has found wide use as a text, provides an answer to the needs of graduate physical mathematics students and their teachers. The present edition is a thorough revision of the first, including a new chapter entitled ``Connections on Principle Fibre Bundles'' which includes sections on holonomy, characteristic classes, invariant curvature integrals and problems on the geometry of gauge fields, monopoles, instantons, spin structure and spin connections. Many paragraphs have been rewritten, and examples and exercises added to ease the study of several chapters. The index... more This reference book, which has found wide use as a text, provides an answer to the needs of graduate physical mathematics students and their teachers. The present edition is a thorough revision of the first, including a new chapter entitled ``Connections on Principle Fibre Bundles'' which includes sections on holonomy, characteristic classes, invariant curvature integrals and problems on the geometry of gauge fields, monopoles, instantons, spin structure and spin connections. Many paragraphs have been rewritten, and examples and exercises added to ease the study of several chapters. The index includes over 130 entries.
less See more recommendations for this book...
23
This little book is especially concerned with those portions of ”advanced calculus” in which the subtlety of the concepts and methods makes rigor difficult to attain at an elementary level. The approach taken here uses elementary versions of modern methods found in sophisticated mathematics. The formal prerequisites include only a term of linear algebra, a nodding acquaintance with the notation of set theory, and a respectable first-year calculus course (one which at least mentions the least upper bound (sup) and greatest lower bound (inf) of a set of real numbers). Beyond this a certain... more This little book is especially concerned with those portions of ”advanced calculus” in which the subtlety of the concepts and methods makes rigor difficult to attain at an elementary level. The approach taken here uses elementary versions of modern methods found in sophisticated mathematics. The formal prerequisites include only a term of linear algebra, a nodding acquaintance with the notation of set theory, and a respectable first-year calculus course (one which at least mentions the least upper bound (sup) and greatest lower bound (inf) of a set of real numbers). Beyond this a certain (perhaps latent) rapport with abstract mathematics will be found almost essential. less See more recommendations for this book...
24
Colloquial Turkish provides a step-by-step course in Turkish as it is written and spoken today. Combining a user-friendly approach with a thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Turkish in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required.
Key features include:
- progressive coverage of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills
- structured, jargon-free explanations of grammar
- an extensive... more Colloquial Turkish provides a step-by-step course in Turkish as it is written and spoken today. Combining a user-friendly approach with a thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Turkish in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required.
Key features include:
- progressive coverage of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills
- structured, jargon-free explanations of grammar
- an extensive range of focused and stimulating exercises
- realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of scenarios
- useful vocabulary lists throughout the text
- additional resources available at the back of the book, including a full answer key, a grammar summary and bilingual glossaries
Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Turkish will be an indispensable resource both for independent learners and students taking courses in Turkish.
Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills. less See more recommendations for this book...
25
Volume I
Kurt Gottfried, Victor F. Weisskopf | 5.00
A splendid review of subnuclear phenomena ... Physicists of all stripes have reason to look forward to Volume II with considerable enthusiasm.'___ Physics Today . more A splendid review of subnuclear phenomena ... Physicists of all stripes have reason to look forward to Volume II with considerable enthusiasm.'___ Physics Today . less See more recommendations for this book...
26
Raoul Bott, Loring W. Tu | 4.85
Developed from a first-year graduate course in algebraic topology, this text is an informal introduction to some of the main ideas of contemporary homotopy and cohomology theory. The materials are structured around four core areas: de Rham theory, the Cech-de Rham complex, spectral sequences, and characteristic classes. By using the de Rham theory of differential forms as a prototype of cohomology, the machineries of algebraic topology are made easier to assimilate. With its stress on concreteness, motivation, and readability, this book is equally suitable for self-study and as a one-semester... more Developed from a first-year graduate course in algebraic topology, this text is an informal introduction to some of the main ideas of contemporary homotopy and cohomology theory. The materials are structured around four core areas: de Rham theory, the Cech-de Rham complex, spectral sequences, and characteristic classes. By using the de Rham theory of differential forms as a prototype of cohomology, the machineries of algebraic topology are made easier to assimilate. With its stress on concreteness, motivation, and readability, this book is equally suitable for self-study and as a one-semester course in topology. less See more recommendations for this book...
27
This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat! more This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat! less 
Neville MedhoraIt takes you through 11 different 'archetypes' of screenplays you can write, and the exact elements each needs to be a great story. (Source)
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28
America's most famous satirist is back with his latest New York Times best-seller and 1998 Notable Book of the Year, Eat the Rich is a hilarious and provocative look at economics. more America's most famous satirist is back with his latest New York Times best-seller and 1998 Notable Book of the Year, Eat the Rich is a hilarious and provocative look at economics. less See more recommendations for this book...
29
Harry Lewis, Christos H. Papadimitriou | 3.81
Lewis and Papadimitriou present this long awaited Second Edition of their best-selling theory of computation. The authors are well-known for their clear presentation that makes the material accessible to a a broad audience and requires no special previous mathematical experience. In this new edition, the authors incorporate a somewhat more informal, friendly writing style to present both classical and contemporary theories of computation. Algorithms, complexity analysis, and algorithmic ideas are introduced informally in Chapter 1, and are pursued throughout the book. Each... more Lewis and Papadimitriou present this long awaited Second Edition of their best-selling theory of computation. The authors are well-known for their clear presentation that makes the material accessible to a a broad audience and requires no special previous mathematical experience. In this new edition, the authors incorporate a somewhat more informal, friendly writing style to present both classical and contemporary theories of computation. Algorithms, complexity analysis, and algorithmic ideas are introduced informally in Chapter 1, and are pursued throughout the book. Each section is followed by problems. less See more recommendations for this book...
30
The Encyclopedia of Cosmology, first published in 1993, recounts the history, philosophical assumptions, methodological ambiguities, and human struggles that have influenced the various responses to the basic questions of cosmology through the ages, as well as referencing important scientific theories.
Just as the recognition of social conventions in other cultures can lead to a more productive perspective on our own behaviour, so too a study of the cosmologies of other times and places can enable us recognise elements of our own cosmology that might otherwise pass as... more The Encyclopedia of Cosmology, first published in 1993, recounts the history, philosophical assumptions, methodological ambiguities, and human struggles that have influenced the various responses to the basic questions of cosmology through the ages, as well as referencing important scientific theories.
Just as the recognition of social conventions in other cultures can lead to a more productive perspective on our own behaviour, so too a study of the cosmologies of other times and places can enable us recognise elements of our own cosmology that might otherwise pass as inevitable developments.
Apart from modern natural science, therefore, this volume incorporates brief treatments of Native American, Cave-Dweller, Chinese, Egyptian, Islamic, Megalithic, Mesopotamian, Greek, Medieval and Copernican cosmology, leading to an appreciation of cosmology as an intellectual creation, not merely a collection of facts. It is a valuable reference tool for any student or academic with an interest in the history of science and cosmology specifically. less See more recommendations for this book...
Don't have time to read Eric Weinstein's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
32
In retrospect, the first edition of this book now seems like a mere sketch for a book. The present version is, if not the final product, at least a closer approximation to it. The table of contents may show little change. But that is simply because the original organization of the material has been found satisfactory. Also the basic purpose of the book remains the same, and that is to make relativity come alive conceptually. I have always felt much sym pathy with Richard Courant's maxim (as reported and exemplified by Pascual Jordan) that, ideally, proofs should be reached by comprehension... more In retrospect, the first edition of this book now seems like a mere sketch for a book. The present version is, if not the final product, at least a closer approximation to it. The table of contents may show little change. But that is simply because the original organization of the material has been found satisfactory. Also the basic purpose of the book remains the same, and that is to make relativity come alive conceptually. I have always felt much sym pathy with Richard Courant's maxim (as reported and exemplified by Pascual Jordan) that, ideally, proofs should be reached by comprehension rather than computation. Where computations are necessary, I have tried to make them as transparent as possible, so as not to hinder the progress of comprehension. Among the more obvious changes, this edition contains a new section on Kruskal space, another on the plane gravitational wave, and a third on linearized general relativity; it also contains many new exercises, and two appendices: one listing the curvature components for the diagonal metric (in a little more generality than the old" Dingle formulas "), and one syn thesizing Maxwell's theory in tensor form. But the most significant changes and additions have occurred throughout the text. Many sections have been completely rewritten, many arguments tightened, many "asides" added, and, of course, recent developments taken into account." less See more recommendations for this book...
33
More than just a phrase book, more than just a travel guide, "Everyday Indonesian" is a completely illustrated introduction to the language and culture of Indonesia. Whether you're planning a vacation or a business trip to Indonesia or studying its language and culture, you won't want to be without this compact and useful book! more More than just a phrase book, more than just a travel guide, "Everyday Indonesian" is a completely illustrated introduction to the language and culture of Indonesia. Whether you're planning a vacation or a business trip to Indonesia or studying its language and culture, you won't want to be without this compact and useful book! less See more recommendations for this book...
34
Warm and fuzzy, anchored in values, and filled with simple words of wisdom, this beloved, bestselling book for parents speaks to the important business of raising sons, and distills their timeless lessons into one nugget of wisdom per page some lighthearted, some serious, some practical, and some intangible, and all supported by a strong moral backbone.
Freshly updated, the book begins with the Five Keys of Parenting, a guide to navigating the extraordinary, even if sometimes exasperating, journey of parenthood. It s filled with the importance of nurturing responsibility: Teach him... more Warm and fuzzy, anchored in values, and filled with simple words of wisdom, this beloved, bestselling book for parents speaks to the important business of raising sons, and distills their timeless lessons into one nugget of wisdom per page some lighthearted, some serious, some practical, and some intangible, and all supported by a strong moral backbone.
Freshly updated, the book begins with the Five Keys of Parenting, a guide to navigating the extraordinary, even if sometimes exasperating, journey of parenthood. It s filled with the importance of nurturing responsibility: Teach him that the world will judge him by his actions, not his intentions. Fun stuff: Have tea with him in the afternoons. Serve cookies. And when he s ready to go: Hug him fiercely. less See more recommendations for this book...
35
This is a book about physics, written for mathematicians. The readers we have in mind can be roughly described as those who: I. are mathematics graduate students with some knowledge of global differential geometry 2. have had the equivalent of freshman physics, and find popular accounts of astrophysics and cosmology interesting 3. appreciate mathematical elarity, but are willing to accept physical motiva- tions for the mathematics in place of mathematical ones 4. are willing to spend time and effort mastering certain technical details, such as those in Section 1. 1. Each book disappoints so... more This is a book about physics, written for mathematicians. The readers we have in mind can be roughly described as those who: I. are mathematics graduate students with some knowledge of global differential geometry 2. have had the equivalent of freshman physics, and find popular accounts of astrophysics and cosmology interesting 3. appreciate mathematical elarity, but are willing to accept physical motiva- tions for the mathematics in place of mathematical ones 4. are willing to spend time and effort mastering certain technical details, such as those in Section 1. 1. Each book disappoints so me readers. This one will disappoint: 1. physicists who want to use this book as a first course on differential geometry 2. mathematicians who think Lorentzian manifolds are wholly similar to Riemannian ones, or that, given a sufficiently good mathematical back- ground, the essentials of a subject !ike cosmology can be learned without so me hard work on boring detaiis 3. those who believe vague philosophical arguments have more than historical and heuristic significance, that general relativity should somehow be "proved," or that axiomatization of this subject is useful 4. those who want an encyclopedic treatment (the books by Hawking-Ellis [1], Penrose [1], Weinberg [1], and Misner-Thorne-Wheeler [I] go further into the subject than we do; see also the survey article, Sachs-Wu [1]). 5. mathematicians who want to learn quantum physics or unified fieId theory (unfortunateIy, quantum physics texts all seem either to be for physicists, or merely concerned with formaI mathematics). less See more recommendations for this book...
36
O'Rourke's Parliament of Whores received rave reviews, was the #1 national bestseller on both the New York Times and Publishers Weekly lists, and firmly established him as a pre-eminent political humorist. Now he does for the rest of the world--and a few select Americans--what he did for the U.S. government in Parliament of Whores. more O'Rourke's Parliament of Whores received rave reviews, was the #1 national bestseller on both the New York Times and Publishers Weekly lists, and firmly established him as a pre-eminent political humorist. Now he does for the rest of the world--and a few select Americans--what he did for the U.S. government in Parliament of Whores. less See more recommendations for this book...
38
Armed with a red pencil, scissors, tape, and index cards, author Maxwell Nurnberg spent years scouring The New York Times, the The New Yorker, and the New York Review of Books, with the aim of creating a new kind of vocabulary book. The result is a veritable panoply of words -- drawn from the real-life context of written and spoken language. more Armed with a red pencil, scissors, tape, and index cards, author Maxwell Nurnberg spent years scouring The New York Times, the The New Yorker, and the New York Review of Books, with the aim of creating a new kind of vocabulary book. The result is a veritable panoply of words -- drawn from the real-life context of written and spoken language. less See more recommendations for this book...
39
H STOCK JAMES & W. WATSON MARK | 3.69
In this new textbook by distinguished econometricians James H. Stock and Mark W. Watson, real-world questions and data from actual empirical studies open a window through which the vitality and relevance of econometrics come into clear focus. The breadth of topics - including an introduction to program evaluation, panel data methods, instrumental variables regression, and regression with time series data - reflects the best of contemporary applied econometrics. more In this new textbook by distinguished econometricians James H. Stock and Mark W. Watson, real-world questions and data from actual empirical studies open a window through which the vitality and relevance of econometrics come into clear focus. The breadth of topics - including an introduction to program evaluation, panel data methods, instrumental variables regression, and regression with time series data - reflects the best of contemporary applied econometrics. less See more recommendations for this book...
40
John Maynard Keynes | 3.87
Distinguished British economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) set off a series of movements that drastically altered the ways in which economists view the world. In his most important work, The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (1936), Keynes critiqued the laissez-faire policies of his day, particularly the proposition that a normally functioning market economy would bring full employment. Keynes's forward-looking work transformed economics from merely a descriptive and analytic discipline into one that is policy oriented. For Keynes, enlightened government intervention in a... more Distinguished British economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) set off a series of movements that drastically altered the ways in which economists view the world. In his most important work, The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (1936), Keynes critiqued the laissez-faire policies of his day, particularly the proposition that a normally functioning market economy would bring full employment. Keynes's forward-looking work transformed economics from merely a descriptive and analytic discipline into one that is policy oriented. For Keynes, enlightened government intervention in a nation's economic life was essential to curbing what he saw as the inherent inequalities and instabilities of unregulated capitalism. less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
Paul KrugmanIt is a difficult book, because it’s the first book that tries to figure this stuff out. You don’t teach Keynesian economics from Keynes anymore. Keynes was actually working on The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money before the Great Depression, but, obviously, the Great Depression gave it urgency. It’s a first stab – it’s one hell of a first stab – but because it is a first stab,... (Source)
Mark BlythThis is an incredibly important book because it shows us that Adam Smith was only right in a special case. (Source)
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41
Economists generally accept as a given the old adage that there's no accounting for tastes. Nobel Laureate Gary Becker disagrees, and in this lively new collection he confronts the problem of preferences and values: how they are formed and how they affect our behavior. He argues that past experiences and social influences form two basic capital stocks: personal and social. He then applies these concepts to assessing the effects of advertising, the power of peer pressure, the nature of addiction, and the function of habits. This framework promises to illuminate many other realms of social life... more Economists generally accept as a given the old adage that there's no accounting for tastes. Nobel Laureate Gary Becker disagrees, and in this lively new collection he confronts the problem of preferences and values: how they are formed and how they affect our behavior. He argues that past experiences and social influences form two basic capital stocks: personal and social. He then applies these concepts to assessing the effects of advertising, the power of peer pressure, the nature of addiction, and the function of habits. This framework promises to illuminate many other realms of social life previously considered off-limits by economists. less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
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42
In this witty and modest intellectual autobiography, George J. Stigler gives us a fascinating glimpse into the little-known world of economics and the people who study it. One of the most distinguished economists of the twentieth century, Stigler was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1982 for his work on public regulation. He also helped found the Chicago School of economics, and many of his fellow Chicago luminaries appear in these pages, including Fredrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, Ronald Coase, and Gary Becker. Stigler's appreciation for such colleagues and his sense of excitement about economic... more In this witty and modest intellectual autobiography, George J. Stigler gives us a fascinating glimpse into the little-known world of economics and the people who study it. One of the most distinguished economists of the twentieth century, Stigler was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1982 for his work on public regulation. He also helped found the Chicago School of economics, and many of his fellow Chicago luminaries appear in these pages, including Fredrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, Ronald Coase, and Gary Becker. Stigler's appreciation for such colleagues and his sense of excitement about economic ideas past and present make his Memoirs both highly entertaining and highly educational.
less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
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43
The past twenty years have been an era of economic disappointment in the United States. They have also been a time of intense economic debate, as rival ideologies contend for policy influence. Above all, they have been the age of the policy entrepreneur - the economic snake-oil salesman, right or left, who offers easy answers to hard problems. It started with the conservative economists - Milton Friedman at their head - who made powerful arguments against activist government that had liberals on the defensive for many years. Yet when Ronald Reagan brought conservatism to power, it was in the... more The past twenty years have been an era of economic disappointment in the United States. They have also been a time of intense economic debate, as rival ideologies contend for policy influence. Above all, they have been the age of the policy entrepreneur - the economic snake-oil salesman, right or left, who offers easy answers to hard problems. It started with the conservative economists - Milton Friedman at their head - who made powerful arguments against activist government that had liberals on the defensive for many years. Yet when Ronald Reagan brought conservatism to power, it was in the name not of serious thinkers but of the supply-siders, whose ideas were cartoon-like in their simplicity. And when the dust settled, it was clear that the supply-side treatment not only had cured nothing, but had left behind a $3 trillion bill. Meanwhile, the intellectual pendulum had swung. In the 1980s, even while conservatives ruled in Washington, economic ideas that justified government activism were experiencing a strong revival. But the liberals, it turns out, have their own supply-siders: the strategic traders, whose simplistic vision of a U.S. economy locked in win-lose competition with other countries proved far more appealing to politicians than less-dramatic truth. And it seems all too likely that the new patent medicine will do as much harm as the previous one. In this provocative book, Paul Krugman traces the swing of the ideological pendulum, from left to right and back again, and the strange things that happen to economic ideas on their way to power. less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
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44
Discover how empirical researchers today actually consider and apply econometric methods with the practical approach in Wooldridge's INTRODUCTORY ECONOMETRICS: A MODERN APPROACH, 6E. Unlike traditional texts, this book uniquely demonstrates how econometrics has moved beyond a set of abstract tools to become genuinely useful for answering questions in business, policy evaluation, and forecasting. INTRODUCTORY ECONOMETRICS is organized around the type of data being analyzed with a systematic approach that only introduces assumptions as they are needed. This makes the material easier to... more Discover how empirical researchers today actually consider and apply econometric methods with the practical approach in Wooldridge's INTRODUCTORY ECONOMETRICS: A MODERN APPROACH, 6E. Unlike traditional texts, this book uniquely demonstrates how econometrics has moved beyond a set of abstract tools to become genuinely useful for answering questions in business, policy evaluation, and forecasting. INTRODUCTORY ECONOMETRICS is organized around the type of data being analyzed with a systematic approach that only introduces assumptions as they are needed. This makes the material easier to understand and, ultimately, leads to better econometric practices. Packed with relevant applications, the text incorporates more than 100 intriguing data sets, available in six formats. Updates introduce the latest emerging developments in the field. Gain a full understanding of the impact of econometrics in practice today with the insights and applications found only in INTRODUCTORY ECONOMETRICS: A MODERN APPROACH, 6E. less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
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45
A History of Economic Theory offers a comprehensive account of the builders and building blocks of modern mainstream economics. Jurg Niehans shows how the analytical tools used by economists have evolved from the eighteenth century to the present. Niehans first surveys the development of classical economics from the scholastic and mercantilist traditions to Marx. He then follows the progress of marginalist economics from Thunen to Fischer. In the book's final section, he describes economic theory in the model-building era from Pigou and Keynes to Rational Expectations.Building his story... more A History of Economic Theory offers a comprehensive account of the builders and building blocks of modern mainstream economics. Jurg Niehans shows how the analytical tools used by economists have evolved from the eighteenth century to the present. Niehans first surveys the development of classical economics from the scholastic and mercantilist traditions to Marx. He then follows the progress of marginalist economics from Thunen to Fischer. In the book's final section, he describes economic theory in the model-building era from Pigou and Keynes to Rational Expectations.Building his story around the economists themselves, Niehans presents a pantheon of economic theory. It includes the famous from Smith and Riccardo to Samuelson and Friedman, as well as detailed discussions of lesser-known figures who have nevertheless made classic contributions. For each theorist Niehans offers a biographical sketch followed by a description, interpretation, and critical assessment of his work. With the current revival of interest in the history of economics, economists will find A History of Economic Theory not only a rich source of information but also a challenging analysis of the dynamics of scientific progress. less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
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46
Victor Guillemin, Alan Pollack | 4.03
Originally published: Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1974. more Originally published: Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1974. less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
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47
This book provides a completely revised and expanded version of the previous classic edition General Relativity and Relativistic Astrophysics . In Part I the foundations of general relativity are thoroughly developed, while Part II is devoted to tests of general relativity and many of its applications. Binary pulsars our best laboratories for general relativity are studied in considerable detail. An introduction to gravitational lensing theory is included as well, so as to make the current literature on the subject accessible to readers. Considerable attention is devoted to the study of... more This book provides a completely revised and expanded version of the previous classic edition General Relativity and Relativistic Astrophysics . In Part I the foundations of general relativity are thoroughly developed, while Part II is devoted to tests of general relativity and many of its applications. Binary pulsars our best laboratories for general relativity are studied in considerable detail. An introduction to gravitational lensing theory is included as well, so as to make the current literature on the subject accessible to readers. Considerable attention is devoted to the study of compact objects, especially to black holes. This includes a detailed derivation of the Kerr solution, Israel s proof of his uniqueness theorem, and a derivation of the basic laws of black hole physics. Part II ends with Witten s proof of the positive energy theorem, which is presented in detail, together with the required tools on spin structures and spinor analysis. In Part III, all of the differential geometric tools required are developed in detail. A great deal of effort went into refining and improving the text for the new edition. New material has been added, including a chapter on cosmology. The book addresses undergraduate and graduate students in physics, astrophysics and mathematics. It utilizes a very well structured approach, which should help it continue to be a standard work for a modern treatment of gravitational physics. The clear presentation of differential geometry also makes it useful for work on string theory and other fields of physics, classical as well as quantum." less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
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48
This is an updated and expanded second edition of a successful and well-reviewed text presenting a detailed exposition of the modern theory of supermanifolds, including a rigorous account of the super-analogs of all the basic structures of ordinary manifold theory. The exposition opens with the theory of analysis over supernumbers (Grassman variables), Berezin integration, supervector spaces and the superdeterminant. This basic material is then applied to the theory of supermanifolds, with an account of super-analogs of Lie derivatives, connections, metric, curvature, geodesics, Killing... more This is an updated and expanded second edition of a successful and well-reviewed text presenting a detailed exposition of the modern theory of supermanifolds, including a rigorous account of the super-analogs of all the basic structures of ordinary manifold theory. The exposition opens with the theory of analysis over supernumbers (Grassman variables), Berezin integration, supervector spaces and the superdeterminant. This basic material is then applied to the theory of supermanifolds, with an account of super-analogs of Lie derivatives, connections, metric, curvature, geodesics, Killing flows, conformal groups, etc. The book goes on to discuss the theory of super Lie groups, super Lie algebras, and invariant geometrical structures on coset spaces. Complete descriptions are given of all the simple super Lie groups. The book then turns to applications. Chapter 5 contains an account of the Peierls bracket for superclassical dynamical systems, super Hilbert spaces, path integration for fermionic quantum systems, and simple models of Bose-Fermi supersymmetry. The sixth and final chapter, which is new in this revised edition, examines dynamical systems for which the topology of the configuration supermanifold is important. A concise but complete account is given of the path-integral derivation of the Chern-Gauss-Bonnet formula for the Euler-Poincare characteristic of an ordinary manifold, which is based on a simple extension of a point particle moving freely in this manifold to a supersymmetric dynamical system moving in an associated supermanifold. Many exercises are included to complement the text. less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
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49
This is the second edition of a book that has already been well received as a clear and readable introduction to particle physics. It bridges the gap between traditional textbooks on the subject and the popular accounts which assume little or no background in the physical sciences on the part of the reader. The first edition has been carefully revised throughout to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of this fascinating subject. There are also four completely new chapters covering quantum gravity, super-unification, the relationship between particle physics and cosmology, and... more This is the second edition of a book that has already been well received as a clear and readable introduction to particle physics. It bridges the gap between traditional textbooks on the subject and the popular accounts which assume little or no background in the physical sciences on the part of the reader. The first edition has been carefully revised throughout to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of this fascinating subject. There are also four completely new chapters covering quantum gravity, super-unification, the relationship between particle physics and cosmology, and superstrings. Historical developments are discussed, together with the most important recent experiments, and the theoretical development of the subject is traced from its foundations in relativity and quantum mechanics through to the very latest theories. The book is intended for anyone with a background in the physical sciences who wishes to learn about particle physics. It will also be of value to students of physics wishing to gain an introductory overview of the subject before getting down to the details of the formalism. less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
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50
Masud Chaichian and Nikolai F. Nelipa | 4.50
In recent years, gauge fields have attracted much attention in elementary par ticle physics. The reason is that great progress has been achieved in solving a number of important problems of field theory and elementary particle physics by means of the quantum theory of gauge fields. This refers, in particular, to constructing unified gauge models and theory of strong interactions between the elementary particles. This book expounds the fundamentals of the quantum theory of gauge fields and its application for constructing unified gauge models and the theory of strong interactions. In writing... more In recent years, gauge fields have attracted much attention in elementary par ticle physics. The reason is that great progress has been achieved in solving a number of important problems of field theory and elementary particle physics by means of the quantum theory of gauge fields. This refers, in particular, to constructing unified gauge models and theory of strong interactions between the elementary particles. This book expounds the fundamentals of the quantum theory of gauge fields and its application for constructing unified gauge models and the theory of strong interactions. In writing the book, the authors' aim was three-fold: firstly, to outline the basic ideas underlying the unified gauge models and the theory of strong inter actions; secondly, to discuss the major unified gauge models, the theory of strong interactions and their experimental implications; and, thirdly, to acquaint the reader with a rather special mathematical approach (path-in tegral method) which has proved to be well suited for constructing the quantum theory of gauge fields. Gauge fields are a vigorously developing area. In this book, we have select ed for presentation the more or less traditional and commonly accepted mate rial. There also exist a number of different approaches which are presently being developed. The most important of them are touched upon in the Conclusion." less Eric WeinsteinFolks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are 4 shelves of spines of books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. (Source)
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Don't have time to read Eric Weinstein's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
51
Linear algebra is something all mathematics undergraduates and many other students, in subjects ranging from engineering to economics, have to learn. The fifth edition of this hugely successful textbook retains all the qualities of earlier editions while at the same time seeing numerous minor improvements and major additions. The latter include: - A new chapter on singular values and singular vectors, including ways to analyze a matrix of data - A revised chapter on computing in linear algebra, with professional-level algorithms and code that can be downloaded for a variety of languages - A... more Linear algebra is something all mathematics undergraduates and many other students, in subjects ranging from engineering to economics, have to learn. The fifth edition of this hugely successful textbook retains all the qualities of earlier editions while at the same time seeing numerous minor improvements and major additions. The latter include: - A new chapter on singular values and singular vectors, including ways to analyze a matrix of data - A revised chapter on computing in linear algebra, with professional-level algorithms and code that can be downloaded for a variety of languages - A new section on linear algebra and cryptography - A new chapter on linear algebra in probability and statistics. A dedicated and active website also offers solutions to exercises as well as new exercises from many different sources (e.g. practice problems, exams, development of textbook examples), plus codes in MATLAB, Julia, and Python. less See more recommendations for this book...
52
This comprehensive tutorial introduces the development of, and current trends in, superstring theory, a significant and still controversial attempt to unify general relativity and quantum field theory. Intended for graduate students with a year of quantum mechanics and familiarity with relativistic methods, the book makes these exciting developments available to physicists, mathematicians, and others for the first time in one volume. Stressing current areas of research activity, Introduction to Superstrings addresses all relevant topics including string field theory, multi-loops and... more This comprehensive tutorial introduces the development of, and current trends in, superstring theory, a significant and still controversial attempt to unify general relativity and quantum field theory. Intended for graduate students with a year of quantum mechanics and familiarity with relativistic methods, the book makes these exciting developments available to physicists, mathematicians, and others for the first time in one volume. Stressing current areas of research activity, Introduction to Superstrings addresses all relevant topics including string field theory, multi-loops and TeichmA1/4ller spaces, conformal field theory, and four-dimensional superstrings. Professor Kaku is currently leading seminars in superstring theory at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. less See more recommendations for this book...
53
Howard Georgi is the co-inventor (with Sheldon Glashow) of the SU(5) theory. This extensively revised and updated edition of his classic text makes the theory of Lie groups accessible to graduate students, while offering a perspective on the way in which knowledge of such groups can provide an insight into the development of unified theories of strong, weak, and electromagnetic interactions. more Howard Georgi is the co-inventor (with Sheldon Glashow) of the SU(5) theory. This extensively revised and updated edition of his classic text makes the theory of Lie groups accessible to graduate students, while offering a perspective on the way in which knowledge of such groups can provide an insight into the development of unified theories of strong, weak, and electromagnetic interactions. less See more recommendations for this book...
54
A full length treatment of the modal system used in Turkish art music including the music of the Whirling Dervishes. An invaluable aid to students of Turkish music and ethnomusicologists more A full length treatment of the modal system used in Turkish art music including the music of the Whirling Dervishes. An invaluable aid to students of Turkish music and ethnomusicologists less See more recommendations for this book...
55
This book is written for students and scientists wanting to learn about the Standard Model of particle physics. Only an introductory course knowledge about quantum theory is needed. The text provides a pedagogical description of the theory, and incorporates the recent Higgs boson and top quark discoveries. With its clear and engaging style, this new edition retains its essential simplicity. Long and detailed calculations are replaced by simple approximate ones. It includes introductions to accelerators, colliders, and detectors, and several main experimental tests of the Standard Model are... more This book is written for students and scientists wanting to learn about the Standard Model of particle physics. Only an introductory course knowledge about quantum theory is needed. The text provides a pedagogical description of the theory, and incorporates the recent Higgs boson and top quark discoveries. With its clear and engaging style, this new edition retains its essential simplicity. Long and detailed calculations are replaced by simple approximate ones. It includes introductions to accelerators, colliders, and detectors, and several main experimental tests of the Standard Model are explained. Descriptions of some well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model prepare the reader for new developments. It emphasizes the concepts of gauge theories and Higgs physics, electroweak unification and symmetry breaking, and how force strengths vary with energy, providing a solid foundation for those working in the field, and for those who simply want to learn about the Standard Model. less See more recommendations for this book...
56
This is the first volume of a three-volume introduction to modern geometry which emphasizes applications to other areas of mathematics and theoretical physics. Topics covered include tensors and their differential calculus, the calculus of variations in one and several dimensions, and geometric field theory. This new edition offers substantial revisions, and the material is written in concrete language with terminology acceptable to physicists. more This is the first volume of a three-volume introduction to modern geometry which emphasizes applications to other areas of mathematics and theoretical physics. Topics covered include tensors and their differential calculus, the calculus of variations in one and several dimensions, and geometric field theory. This new edition offers substantial revisions, and the material is written in concrete language with terminology acceptable to physicists. less See more recommendations for this book...
57
Στο συναρπαστικό αυτό βιβλίο, ο Νόαμ Τσόμσκι, μέσω μιας πληθώρας ντοκουμέντων, καταρρίπτει τον μύθο των ανεξάρτητων ΜΜΕ, τα οποία η προπαγάνδα θέλει θεματοφύλακες της ελευθερίας του λόγου και της δημοκρατίας, ενώ δεν είναι παρά ένας μηχανισμός ελέγχου της σκέψεως, στην υπηρεσία των συμφερόντων του κράτους και των μεγάλων εταιρειών. Πίσω από το θέαμα του ανεξάρτητου δημοσιογράφου, η εταιρειακή ελίτ είναι εκείνη η οποία αποφασίζει, τελικά, τι θα δούμε, θα ακούσουμε ή θα διαβάσουμε. Έτσι, ο ιμπεριαλισμός των ΗΠΑ μπορεί να συνεχίζει ακάθεκτος το «θεάρεστο» έργο του, οικοδομώντας ένα, πρωτοφανές... more Στο συναρπαστικό αυτό βιβλίο, ο Νόαμ Τσόμσκι, μέσω μιας πληθώρας ντοκουμέντων, καταρρίπτει τον μύθο των ανεξάρτητων ΜΜΕ, τα οποία η προπαγάνδα θέλει θεματοφύλακες της ελευθερίας του λόγου και της δημοκρατίας, ενώ δεν είναι παρά ένας μηχανισμός ελέγχου της σκέψεως, στην υπηρεσία των συμφερόντων του κράτους και των μεγάλων εταιρειών. Πίσω από το θέαμα του ανεξάρτητου δημοσιογράφου, η εταιρειακή ελίτ είναι εκείνη η οποία αποφασίζει, τελικά, τι θα δούμε, θα ακούσουμε ή θα διαβάσουμε. Έτσι, ο ιμπεριαλισμός των ΗΠΑ μπορεί να συνεχίζει ακάθεκτος το «θεάρεστο» έργο του, οικοδομώντας ένα, πρωτοφανές στην Ιστορία, σύστημα παγκοσμίου ελέγχου το οποίο κατ’ ευφημισμόν ονομάζεται «Νέα Παγκόσμια Τάξη». less See more recommendations for this book...
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At what point does theory depart the realm of testable hypothesis and come to resemble something like aesthetic speculation, or even theology? The legendary physicist Wolfgang Pauli had a phrase for such ideas: He would describe them as "not even wrong," meaning that they were so incomplete that they could not even be used to make predictions to compare with observations to see whether they were wrong or not. In Peter Woit's view, superstring theory is just such an idea. In Not Even Wrong , he shows that what many physicists call superstring "theory" is not a theory at all. It makes no... more At what point does theory depart the realm of testable hypothesis and come to resemble something like aesthetic speculation, or even theology? The legendary physicist Wolfgang Pauli had a phrase for such ideas: He would describe them as "not even wrong," meaning that they were so incomplete that they could not even be used to make predictions to compare with observations to see whether they were wrong or not. In Peter Woit's view, superstring theory is just such an idea. In Not Even Wrong , he shows that what many physicists call superstring "theory" is not a theory at all. It makes no predictions, even wrong ones, and this very lack of falsifiability is what has allowed the subject to survive and flourish. Not Even Wrong explains why the mathematical conditions for progress in physics are entirely absent from superstring theory today and shows that judgments about scientific statements, which should be based on the logical consistency of argument and experimental evidence, are instead based on the eminence of those claiming to know the truth. In the face of many books from enthusiasts for string theory, this book presents the other side of the story. less See more recommendations for this book...
59
Albert Einstein, among the greatest scientists of all time, was also a man of profound thought and deeply humane feelings. His collected essays offer a fascinating and moving look at one of the twentieth century's leading minds.
Covering a fifteen year period from 1934 to 1950, the contents of this book have been drawn from Einstein's articles, addresses, letters and assorted papers. Through his words, you can understand the man and gain his insight on social, religious, and educational issues. more Albert Einstein, among the greatest scientists of all time, was also a man of profound thought and deeply humane feelings. His collected essays offer a fascinating and moving look at one of the twentieth century's leading minds.
Covering a fifteen year period from 1934 to 1950, the contents of this book have been drawn from Einstein's articles, addresses, letters and assorted papers. Through his words, you can understand the man and gain his insight on social, religious, and educational issues. less See more recommendations for this book...
60
Richard O. Duda, Peter E. Hart, David G. Stork | 4.01
The first edition, published in 1973, has become a classic reference in the field. Now with the second edition, readers will find information on key new topics such as neural networks and statistical pattern recognition, the theory of machine learning, and the theory of invariances. Also included are worked examples, comparisons between different methods, extensive graphics, expanded exercises and computer project topics.An Instructor's Manual presenting detailed solutions to all the problems in the book is available from the Wiley editorial department.
more The first edition, published in 1973, has become a classic reference in the field. Now with the second edition, readers will find information on key new topics such as neural networks and statistical pattern recognition, the theory of machine learning, and the theory of invariances. Also included are worked examples, comparisons between different methods, extensive graphics, expanded exercises and computer project topics.An Instructor's Manual presenting detailed solutions to all the problems in the book is available from the Wiley editorial department.
less See more recommendations for this book...
Don't have time to read Eric Weinstein's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.
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62
Reviews from the First Edition:
"An excellent text ... The postulates of quantum mechanics and the mathematical underpinnings are discussed in a clear, succinct manner." (American Scientist)
"No matter how gently one introduces students to the concept of Dirac's bras and kets, many are turned off. Shankar attacks the problem head-on in the first chapter, and in a very informal style suggests that there is nothing to be frightened of." (Physics Bulletin)
Reviews of the Second Edition:
"This massive text of 700 and odd pages has indeed an excellent... more Reviews from the First Edition:
"An excellent text ... The postulates of quantum mechanics and the mathematical underpinnings are discussed in a clear, succinct manner." (American Scientist)
"No matter how gently one introduces students to the concept of Dirac's bras and kets, many are turned off. Shankar attacks the problem head-on in the first chapter, and in a very informal style suggests that there is nothing to be frightened of." (Physics Bulletin)
Reviews of the Second Edition:
"This massive text of 700 and odd pages has indeed an excellent get-up, is very verbal and expressive, and has extensively worked out calculational details---all just right for a first course. The style is conversational, more like a corridor talk or lecture notes, though arranged as a text. ... It would be particularly useful to beginning students and those in allied areas like quantum chemistry." (Mathematical Reviews)
R. Shankar has introduced major additions and updated key presentations in this second edition of Principles of Quantum Mechanics. New features of this innovative text include an entirely rewritten mathematical introduction, a discussion of Time-reversal invariance, and extensive coverage of a variety of path integrals and their applications. Additional highlights include:
- Clear, accessible treatment of underlying mathematics
- A review of Newtonian, Lagrangian, and Hamiltonian mechanics
- Student understanding of quantum theory is enhanced by separate treatment of mathematical theorems and physical postulates
- Unsurpassed coverage of path integrals and their relevance in contemporary physics
The requisite text for advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level students, Principles of Quantum Mechanics, Second Edition is fully referenced and is supported by many exercises and solutions. The book's self-contained chapters also make it suitable for independent study as well as for courses in applied disciplines. less See more recommendations for this book...
63
In the 1930s, physics was in a crisis. There appeared to be no way to reconcile the new theory of quantum mechanics with Einstein's theory of relativity. Several approaches had been tried and had failed. In the post-World War II period, four eminent physicists rose to the challenge and developed a calculable version of quantum electrodynamics (QED), probably the most successful theory in physics. This formulation of QED was pioneered by Freeman Dyson, Richard Feynman, Julian Schwinger, and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, three of whom won the Nobel Prize for their work. In this book, physicist and... more In the 1930s, physics was in a crisis. There appeared to be no way to reconcile the new theory of quantum mechanics with Einstein's theory of relativity. Several approaches had been tried and had failed. In the post-World War II period, four eminent physicists rose to the challenge and developed a calculable version of quantum electrodynamics (QED), probably the most successful theory in physics. This formulation of QED was pioneered by Freeman Dyson, Richard Feynman, Julian Schwinger, and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, three of whom won the Nobel Prize for their work. In this book, physicist and historian Silvan Schweber tells the story of these four physicists, blending discussions of their scientific work with fascinating biographical sketches.
Setting the achievements of these four men in context, Schweber begins with an account of the early work done by physicists such as Dirac and Jordan, and describes the gathering of eminent theorists at Shelter Island in 1947, the meeting that heralded the new era of QED. The rest of his narrative comprises individual biographies of the four physicists, discussions of their major contributions, and the story of the scientific community in which they worked. Throughout, Schweber draws on his technical expertise to offer a lively and lucid explanation of how this theory was finally established as the appropriate way to describe the atomic and subatomic realms. less See more recommendations for this book...
64
Albert S. Schwarz, E. Yankowsky, et al. | 4.50
In recent years topology has firmly established itself as an important part of the physicist's mathematical arsenal. It has many applications, first of all in quantum field theory, but increasingly also in other areas of physics. The main focus of this book is on the results of quantum field theory that are obtained by topological methods. Some aspects of the theory of condensed matter are also discussed. Part I is an introduction to quantum field theory: it discusses the basic Lagrangians used in the theory of elementary particles. Part II is devoted to the applications of topology to... more In recent years topology has firmly established itself as an important part of the physicist's mathematical arsenal. It has many applications, first of all in quantum field theory, but increasingly also in other areas of physics. The main focus of this book is on the results of quantum field theory that are obtained by topological methods. Some aspects of the theory of condensed matter are also discussed. Part I is an introduction to quantum field theory: it discusses the basic Lagrangians used in the theory of elementary particles. Part II is devoted to the applications of topology to quantum field theory. Part III covers the necessary mathematical background in summary form. The book is aimed at physicists interested in applications of topology to physics and at mathematicians wishing to familiarize themselves with quantum field theory and the mathematical methods used in this field. It is accessible to graduate students in physics and mathematics. less See more recommendations for this book...
65
From the bestselling author of The Theoretical Minimum, a DIY introduction to the math and science of quantum mechanics.
First he taught you classical mechanics. Now, physicist Leonard Susskind has teamed up with data engineer Art Friedman to present the theory and associated mathematics of the strange world of quantum mechanics.
In this follow-up to the New York Times best-selling The Theoretical Minimum, Susskind and Friedman provide a lively introduction to this famously difficult field, which attempts to understand the behavior of sub-atomic... more From the bestselling author of The Theoretical Minimum, a DIY introduction to the math and science of quantum mechanics.
First he taught you classical mechanics. Now, physicist Leonard Susskind has teamed up with data engineer Art Friedman to present the theory and associated mathematics of the strange world of quantum mechanics.
In this follow-up to the New York Times best-selling The Theoretical Minimum, Susskind and Friedman provide a lively introduction to this famously difficult field, which attempts to understand the behavior of sub-atomic objects through mathematical abstractions. Unlike other popularizations that shy away from quantum mechanics' weirdness, Quantum Mechanics embraces the utter strangeness of quantum logic. The authors offer crystal-clear explanations of the principles of quantum states, uncertainty and time dependence, entanglement, and particle and wave states, among other topics, and each chapter includes exercises to ensure mastery of each area. Like The Theoretical Minimum, this volume runs parallel to Susskind's eponymous Stanford University-hosted continuing education course.
An approachable yet rigorous introduction to a famously difficult topic, Quantum Mechanics provides a tool kit for amateur scientists to learn physics at their own pace.
less See more recommendations for this book...
66
Despite its status as one of the oldest and most enduringly popular sports in history, wrestling has been pushed to the background of the current American sports scene. Most people today would have a hard time even considering wrestling (with some of its modern theatrics) in the same terms as track and field or boxing. But until the 1920s, wrestling stood as a legitimate professional sport in this country, and a widely practiced amateur one as well. Its past respectability may not have endured, but the advent of cable television in the 1980s offered the sport a renewed opportunity to play a... more Despite its status as one of the oldest and most enduringly popular sports in history, wrestling has been pushed to the background of the current American sports scene. Most people today would have a hard time even considering wrestling (with some of its modern theatrics) in the same terms as track and field or boxing. But until the 1920s, wrestling stood as a legitimate professional sport in this country, and a widely practiced amateur one as well. Its past respectability may not have endured, but the advent of cable television in the 1980s offered the sport a renewed opportunity to play a determining role in American popular culture. This opportunity was not wasted, and wrestlers now assume places in politics and film at the highest levels. Ringside, the first work to fully examine the history of professional wrestling in this country, provides an illuminating and colorful account of all of the various athletes, entertainers, businessmen, and national outlooks that have determined wrestling's erratic route through American history.
This chronological work begins with a brief account of wrestling's global history, and then proceeds to investigate the sport's growth as a specifically American institution. Wrestling has continued to survive in the face of technological developments, scandals, public ridicule, and a lack of centralized control, and today this supremely adaptable entertainment form represents, in sum, an international industry capable of attracting enormous television and pay-per-view audiences, along with massive amounts of advertising and merchandizing revenue. Ringside focuses on the business of wrestling as well as on the performers and their in-ring antics, and offers readers a fully nuanced examination of the development of professional wrestling in America. less See more recommendations for this book...
67
Since Robert Oppenheimer called the first Shelter island conference in 1947 to consolidate the advances in theoretical physics made during the war and to chart a course for the development of a "pure" physics far removed from defense applications, physics appears once again to have reached a critical juncture. "Shelter Island II" held at that same remote inn off the Eastern tip of Long Island documents the proceedings of the 1983 Shelter Island Conference on Quantum Field Theory and the Fundamental Problems of Physics, calling for a new consolidation and consensus on the directions of future... more Since Robert Oppenheimer called the first Shelter island conference in 1947 to consolidate the advances in theoretical physics made during the war and to chart a course for the development of a "pure" physics far removed from defense applications, physics appears once again to have reached a critical juncture. "Shelter Island II" held at that same remote inn off the Eastern tip of Long Island documents the proceedings of the 1983 Shelter Island Conference on Quantum Field Theory and the Fundamental Problems of Physics, calling for a new consolidation and consensus on the directions of future research."Shelter Island II" brings together an international constellation of leading theoreticians, including some of the most intellectually vigorous of the younger physicists and almost all of the living participants in the first conference, a number of them now Nobel laureates. It provides a historical overview and recollections of the first conference, whose proceedings were never published, reviews the major developments in quantum field theory and cosmology over the subsequent 36 years, and identifies the most promising paths for future exploration. A number of the contributions present significant new results. Among the topics discussed are the new inflationary universe scenario, supersymmetry, "The Cosmological Constant Is Probably Zero" (Stephen Hawking), superunification and the seven-sphere, time as a dynamical variable, induced gravity, and an extensive and previously unpublished paper by Edward Witten on KaluzaKlein theories.The contributors are Stephen L. Adler, Hans Bethe, M. J. Duff, Murray Gell-Mann, Alan. Guth, Stephen W. Hawking, R. Jackiw, Toichiro Kinoshita, W E. Lamb, Jr., T D. Lee, A. D. Linde, R. E. Marshak, Y Nambu, K. Nishijima, John H. Schwarz, Silvan S. Schweber, I. M. Singer, Steven Weinberg, Victor Weisskopf, P. C. West, Edward Witten, and Bruno Zumino.Editors Jackiw, Khuri, Weinberg, and Witten are respectively affiliated with MIT, Rockefeller University, the University of Texas, and Princeton. less See more recommendations for this book...
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Bal Govind Misra, G.H. Fairbanks | 4.50
69
Symmetry is a classic study of symmetry in mathematics, the sciences, nature, and art from one of the twentieth century's greatest mathematicians. Hermann Weyl explores the concept of symmetry beginning with the idea that it represents a harmony of proportions, and gradually departs to examine its more abstract varieties and manifestations--as bilateral, translatory, rotational, ornamental, and crystallographic. Weyl investigates the general abstract mathematical idea underlying all these special forms, using a wealth of illustrations as support. Symmetry is a work of seminal... more Symmetry is a classic study of symmetry in mathematics, the sciences, nature, and art from one of the twentieth century's greatest mathematicians. Hermann Weyl explores the concept of symmetry beginning with the idea that it represents a harmony of proportions, and gradually departs to examine its more abstract varieties and manifestations--as bilateral, translatory, rotational, ornamental, and crystallographic. Weyl investigates the general abstract mathematical idea underlying all these special forms, using a wealth of illustrations as support. Symmetry is a work of seminal relevance that explores the great variety of applications and importance of symmetry.
-- "Scientific American" less See more recommendations for this book...
70
Rupert Snell, Simon Weightman | 3.56
Don't have time to read Eric Weinstein's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
71
This definitive book deals with the life & scientific work of arguably the greatest American-born theoretical physicist of the 20th century. He was a great teacher, a born showman, bongo drummer, buffoon & iconoclast; a scientific magician capable of transcendental leaps of the imagination. During his career he was drawn into research on the atomic bomb before working out his path-integral formulation of quantum mechanics & quantum electro-dynamics. Subsequently he developed the diagrammatic technique, as a result of which Feynman diagrams became ubiquitous in quantum field... more This definitive book deals with the life & scientific work of arguably the greatest American-born theoretical physicist of the 20th century. He was a great teacher, a born showman, bongo drummer, buffoon & iconoclast; a scientific magician capable of transcendental leaps of the imagination. During his career he was drawn into research on the atomic bomb before working out his path-integral formulation of quantum mechanics & quantum electro-dynamics. Subsequently he developed the diagrammatic technique, as a result of which Feynman diagrams became ubiquitous in quantum field theory, elementary particle physics & statistical mechanics. From 1950 he was based at the California Institute of Technology, where he worked on the superfluidity of liquid helium, the theory of polarons, the theory of weak interactions, the quantum theory of gravitation, partons, quark jets & the limits of computation. He'd a unified view of physics & nature. He took the whole of nature as the arena of his science & imagination. Jagdish Mehra personally knew Feynman for 30 years. In 1980 Feynman suggested he might do what he had already done for Heisenberg, Pauli & Dirac, that is write a definitive account of his life, science & personality. Mehra instantly agreed & subsequently spent several weeks talking to him. After Feynman's death Mehra interviewed almost 80 people who'd known him & aspects of his work. This book draws on this unique material & on Feynman's remarkable writings. It covers his childhood, his three marriages, his extraordinary range of interests. But most important, it deals with his scientific work in far greater detail than in any other biographical work. What has emerged is an authoritative account of Feynman's life & achievements. less See more recommendations for this book...
72
Anais Nin, Gunther Stuhlmann | 4.12
73
This collection has been inspired by the work of Roger Penrose. It gives an overview of current work on the interaction between geometry and physics, from which many important developments in research have emerged. This volume collects together the contributions of many important researchers, including Sir Roger himself, and gives an overview of the many applications of geometrical ideas and techniques across mathematics and the physical sciences. From the area of pure mathematics papers are included on the topics of classical differential geometry and non-commutative geometry, knot... more This collection has been inspired by the work of Roger Penrose. It gives an overview of current work on the interaction between geometry and physics, from which many important developments in research have emerged. This volume collects together the contributions of many important researchers, including Sir Roger himself, and gives an overview of the many applications of geometrical ideas and techniques across mathematics and the physical sciences. From the area of pure mathematics papers are included on the topics of classical differential geometry and non-commutative geometry, knot invariants, and the applications of gauge theory. Contributions from applied mathematics cover the topics of integrable systems and general relativity. Current research in experimental and theoretical physics inspired chapters on string theory, quantum gravity, the foundations of quantum mechanics, quasi-crystals and astrophysics. The collection also includes articles on quantum computation, quantum cryptography and the possible role of micro-tubules in a theory of consciousness.
less See more recommendations for this book...
74
A spectacular musical and scientific journey from the Bronx to the cosmic horizon that reveals the astonishing links between jazz, science, Einstein, and Coltrane
More than fifty years ago, John Coltrane drew the twelve musical notes in a circle and connected them by straight lines, forming a five-pointed star. Inspired by Einstein, Coltrane put physics and geometry at the core of his music.
Physicist and jazz musician Stephon Alexander follows suit, using jazz to answer physics' most vexing questions about the past and future of the universe. Following the great... more A spectacular musical and scientific journey from the Bronx to the cosmic horizon that reveals the astonishing links between jazz, science, Einstein, and Coltrane
More than fifty years ago, John Coltrane drew the twelve musical notes in a circle and connected them by straight lines, forming a five-pointed star. Inspired by Einstein, Coltrane put physics and geometry at the core of his music.
Physicist and jazz musician Stephon Alexander follows suit, using jazz to answer physics' most vexing questions about the past and future of the universe. Following the great minds that first drew the links between music and physics-a list including Pythagoras, Kepler, Newton, Einstein, and Rakim-The Jazz of Physics reveals that the ancient poetic idea of the Music of the Spheres," taken seriously, clarifies confounding issues in physics.
The Jazz of Physics will fascinate and inspire anyone interested in the mysteries of our universe, music, and life itself. less See more recommendations for this book...
75
Stephen W. Hawking, G. F. R. Ellis, P. V. Landshoff, D. R. Nelson, D. W. Sciama, S. Weinberg | 4.65
Einstein's General Theory of Relativity leads to two remarkable predictions: first, that the ultimate destiny of many massive stars is to undergo gravitational collapse and to disappear from view, leaving behind a 'black hole' in space; and secondly, that there will exist singularities in space-time itself. These singularities are places where space-time begins or ends, and the presently known laws of physics break down. They will occur inside black holes, and in the past are what might be construed as the beginning of the universe. To show how these predictions arise, the authors discuss the... more Einstein's General Theory of Relativity leads to two remarkable predictions: first, that the ultimate destiny of many massive stars is to undergo gravitational collapse and to disappear from view, leaving behind a 'black hole' in space; and secondly, that there will exist singularities in space-time itself. These singularities are places where space-time begins or ends, and the presently known laws of physics break down. They will occur inside black holes, and in the past are what might be construed as the beginning of the universe. To show how these predictions arise, the authors discuss the General Theory of Relativity in the large. Starting with a precise formulation of the theory and an account of the necessary background of differential geometry, the significance of space-time curvature is discussed and the global properties of a number of exact solutions of Einstein's field equations are examined. The theory of the causal structure of a general space-time is developed, and is used to study black holes and to prove a number of theorems establishing the inevitability of singualarities under certain conditions. A discussion of the Cauchy problem for General Relativity is also included in this 1973 book. less See more recommendations for this book...
76
It is at the same time a history of language, a guide to foreign tongues, and a method for learning them. It shows, through basic vocabularies, family resemblances of languages—Teutonic, Romance, Greek—helpful tricks of translation, key combinations of roots and phonetic patterns. It presents by common-sense methods the most helpful approach to the mastery of many languages; it condenses vocabulary to a minimum of essential words; it simplifies grammar in an entirely new way; and it teaches a languages as it is actually used in everyday life.
But this book is more than a... more It is at the same time a history of language, a guide to foreign tongues, and a method for learning them. It shows, through basic vocabularies, family resemblances of languages—Teutonic, Romance, Greek—helpful tricks of translation, key combinations of roots and phonetic patterns. It presents by common-sense methods the most helpful approach to the mastery of many languages; it condenses vocabulary to a minimum of essential words; it simplifies grammar in an entirely new way; and it teaches a languages as it is actually used in everyday life.
But this book is more than a guide to foreign languages; it goes deep into the roots of all knowledge as it explores the history of speech. It lights up the dim pathways of prehistory and unfolds the story of the slow growth of human expression from the most primitive signs and sounds to the elaborate variations of the highest cultures. Without language no knowledge would be possible; here we see how language is at once the source and the reservoir of all we know. less See more recommendations for this book...
78
A master teacher presents the ultimate introduction to classical mechanics for people who are serious about learning physics
"Beautifully clear explanations of famously 'difficult' things," --Wall Street Journal
A Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2013
If you ever regretted not taking physics in college--or simply want to know how to think like a physicist--this is the book for you. In this bestselling introduction, physicist Leonard Susskind and hacker-scientist George Hrabovsky offer a first course in physics and... more A master teacher presents the ultimate introduction to classical mechanics for people who are serious about learning physics
"Beautifully clear explanations of famously 'difficult' things," --Wall Street Journal
A Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2013
If you ever regretted not taking physics in college--or simply want to know how to think like a physicist--this is the book for you. In this bestselling introduction, physicist Leonard Susskind and hacker-scientist George Hrabovsky offer a first course in physics and associated math for the ardent amateur. Challenging, lucid, and concise, The Theoretical Minimum provides a tool kit for amateur scientists to learn physics at their own pace.
less See more recommendations for this book...
79
From the prizewinning author who has been called "the greatest science writer in the world" comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.
Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is "expanding," or that space is "curved"? --... more From the prizewinning author who has been called "the greatest science writer in the world" comes this delightfully comprehensive and comprehensible report on how science today envisions the universe as a whole.
Timothy Ferris provides a clear, elegantly written overview of current research and a forecast of where cosmological theory is likely to go in the twenty-first century. He explores the questions that have occurred to even casual readers -- who are curious about nature on the largest scales: What does it mean to say that the universe is "expanding," or that space is "curved"? -- and sheds light on the possibility that our universe is only one among many universes, each with its own physical laws and prospects for the emergence of life. less See more recommendations for this book...
80
Richard E. Crandall | 3.75
The major differences between this book and richard's previous title published with TELOS in Jan. '94, are that a) in "Projects" theory was stated, then projects listed as exercises. In "Topics" there will be a set of problems. while the author will refer to some of the more useful algotithms in the "Prjects" text, most algorithms in the "Topics" vilume will be distincly new. Also, b) while "Prjects" in a course book (in context and design) with assigned Problems, "Topics" is inteded as a research reference with stated solutions. The author feels this is an extention of "Projects." "Topics"... more The major differences between this book and richard's previous title published with TELOS in Jan. '94, are that a) in "Projects" theory was stated, then projects listed as exercises. In "Topics" there will be a set of problems. while the author will refer to some of the more useful algotithms in the "Prjects" text, most algorithms in the "Topics" vilume will be distincly new. Also, b) while "Prjects" in a course book (in context and design) with assigned Problems, "Topics" is inteded as a research reference with stated solutions. The author feels this is an extention of "Projects." "Topics" has a 40-page appendix and no diskette. Finally, the overall style and level of presentation are directed towars the research professional in "Topics," rather than a textbook approach. less See more recommendations for this book...
Don't have time to read Eric Weinstein's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
81
The Motivation. With intensified use of mathematical ideas, the methods and techniques of the various sciences and those for the solution of practical problems demand of the mathematician not only greater readi- ness for extra-mathematical applications but also more comprehensive orientations within mathematics. In applications, it is frequently less important to draw the most far-reaching conclusions from a single mathe- matical idea than to cover a subject or problem area tentatively by a proper "variety" of mathematical theories. To do this the mathematician must be familiar with the... more The Motivation. With intensified use of mathematical ideas, the methods and techniques of the various sciences and those for the solution of practical problems demand of the mathematician not only greater readi- ness for extra-mathematical applications but also more comprehensive orientations within mathematics. In applications, it is frequently less important to draw the most far-reaching conclusions from a single mathe- matical idea than to cover a subject or problem area tentatively by a proper "variety" of mathematical theories. To do this the mathematician must be familiar with the shared as weIl as specific features of differ- ent mathematical approaches, and must have experience with their inter- connections. The Atiyah-Singer Index Formula, "one of the deepest and hardest results in mathematics", "probably has wider ramifications in topology and analysis than any other single result" (F. Hirzebruch) and offers perhaps a particularly fitting example for such an introduction to "Mathematics" In spi te of i ts difficulty and immensely rich interrela- tions, the realm of the Index Formula can be delimited, and thus its ideas and methods can be made accessible to students in their middle * semesters. In fact, the Atiyah-Singer Index Formula has become progressively "easier" and "more transparent" over the years. The discovery of deeper and more comprehensive applications (see Chapter 111. 4) brought with it, not only a vigorous exploration of its methods particularly in the many- facetted and always new presentations of the material by M. F. less See more recommendations for this book...
82
Stephen A. Fulling | 4.85
This introduction to the theory of quantum fields in curved spacetime, intended for mathematicians, arose from a course taught to graduate students and is designed for self-study or advanced courses in relativity and quantum field theory. The style is informal and some knowledge of general relativity and differential geometry is assumed, yet the author does supply background material on function analysis and quantum field theory as required. Physicists should also gain a sound grasp of various aspects of the theory, some of which have not been particularly emphasized in the existing review... more This introduction to the theory of quantum fields in curved spacetime, intended for mathematicians, arose from a course taught to graduate students and is designed for self-study or advanced courses in relativity and quantum field theory. The style is informal and some knowledge of general relativity and differential geometry is assumed, yet the author does supply background material on function analysis and quantum field theory as required. Physicists should also gain a sound grasp of various aspects of the theory, some of which have not been particularly emphasized in the existing review literature. less See more recommendations for this book...
83
This monograph presents a coherent and elementary introduction to Gauge theories of the fundamental interactions and their applications to high-energy physics. It deals with the logic and structure of local Gauge symmetries and Gauge theories, from quantum electrodynamics through unified theories of the interactions among leptons and quarks. Many explicit calculations provide the reader with practice in computing the consequences of these theories and offer a perspective on key experimental investigations. First published in 1983, this text is ideal for a one-semester course on Gauge theories... more This monograph presents a coherent and elementary introduction to Gauge theories of the fundamental interactions and their applications to high-energy physics. It deals with the logic and structure of local Gauge symmetries and Gauge theories, from quantum electrodynamics through unified theories of the interactions among leptons and quarks. Many explicit calculations provide the reader with practice in computing the consequences of these theories and offer a perspective on key experimental investigations. First published in 1983, this text is ideal for a one-semester course on Gauge theories and particle physics. Specialists in particle physics and others who wish to understand the basic ideas of Gauge theories will find it useful as a reference and for self-study. less See more recommendations for this book...
84
Professor Price has enlarged his widely known and influential study of science and the humanities to include much new material, extraordinarily broad in its range: from ancient automata, talismans and symbols, to the differences of modern science and technology. Science since Babylon is now more fascinating and useful than ever to anyone concerned with the humanistic understanding of science.
Originating in a series of five public lectures delivered under the auspices of the history department at Yale University in 1959, this book is an investigation of the... more Professor Price has enlarged his widely known and influential study of science and the humanities to include much new material, extraordinarily broad in its range: from ancient automata, talismans and symbols, to the differences of modern science and technology. Science since Babylon is now more fascinating and useful than ever to anyone concerned with the humanistic understanding of science.
Originating in a series of five public lectures delivered under the auspices of the history department at Yale University in 1959, this book is an investigation of the circumstances and consequences of certain vital decisions relating to scientific crises which have the world to its present state of scientific and technological development. Not just another book on “History of Science,” it is a plea, an exemplification for a whole new range of studies to take its place in the territory between the humanities and the sciences. The chapter on “Diseases of Science” has received much public attention as an analysis of the present structure and probable future of the organization of science. The author documents his study with accounts of his own researches in his specific fields of interest, relating them to the “crises” which he believes to be of paramount importance. less See more recommendations for this book...
85
Winner of the Pulitzer prize in 1974 and the culmination of a life's work, The Denial of Death is Ernest Becker's brilliant and impassioned answer to the "why" of human existence. In bold contrast to the predominant Freudian school of thought, Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie -- man's refusal to acknowledge his own mortality. In doing so, he sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates more than twenty years after its writing. more Winner of the Pulitzer prize in 1974 and the culmination of a life's work, The Denial of Death is Ernest Becker's brilliant and impassioned answer to the "why" of human existence. In bold contrast to the predominant Freudian school of thought, Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie -- man's refusal to acknowledge his own mortality. In doing so, he sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates more than twenty years after its writing. less Antonio EramThis book was recommended by Antonio when asked for titles he would recommend to young people interested in his career path. (Source)
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86
The eminent biochemist reflects on his life and work in Vienna and in America, shedding light on his DNA research and the work and opinions that led to his reputation as a maverick. more The eminent biochemist reflects on his life and work in Vienna and in America, shedding light on his DNA research and the work and opinions that led to his reputation as a maverick. less Eric WeinsteinI have another weird recommendation, which is the book Heraclitean Fire by Erwin Chargaff, who effectively shorted Watson and Crick. He told Watson and Crick that he didn't think that they were very good or very smart, and that they didn't know their chemistry. They weren't qualified to work on DNA, etc. It turned out that they got it right, and he got it wrong. When I heard that there was... (Source)
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87
The Emperor of Scent tells of the scientific maverick Luca Turin, a connoisseur and something of an aesthete who wrote a bestselling perfume guide and bandied about an outrageous new theory on the human sense of smell. Drawing on cutting-edge work in biology, chemistry, and physics, Turin used his obsession with perfume and his eerie gift for smell to turn the cloistered worlds of the smell business and science upside down, leading to a solution to the last great mystery of the senses: how the nose works. more The Emperor of Scent tells of the scientific maverick Luca Turin, a connoisseur and something of an aesthete who wrote a bestselling perfume guide and bandied about an outrageous new theory on the human sense of smell. Drawing on cutting-edge work in biology, chemistry, and physics, Turin used his obsession with perfume and his eerie gift for smell to turn the cloistered worlds of the smell business and science upside down, leading to a solution to the last great mystery of the senses: how the nose works. less Eric WeinsteinFor my science friends, I ask them to read The Emperor of Scent, by Chandler Burr, about my friend Luca Turin. It talks about a renegade scientist being stymied by the journal Nature, by various conferences, by the established research centers, and it's just a wonderful introduction to how the dissident voice is marginalized. Because Luca is such a genius of olfcation and chemistry, he's able to... (Source)
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88
'A monumental achievement - one of the great scientific biographies.' Michael Frayn
The Strangest Man is the Costa Biography Award-winning account of Paul Dirac, the famous physicist sometimes called the British Einstein. He was one of the leading pioneers of the greatest revolution in twentieth-century science: quantum mechanics. The youngest theoretician ever to win the Nobel Prize for Physics, he was also pathologically reticent, strangely literal-minded and legendarily unable to communicate or empathize. Through his greatest period of productivity, his postcards home... more 'A monumental achievement - one of the great scientific biographies.' Michael Frayn
The Strangest Man is the Costa Biography Award-winning account of Paul Dirac, the famous physicist sometimes called the British Einstein. He was one of the leading pioneers of the greatest revolution in twentieth-century science: quantum mechanics. The youngest theoretician ever to win the Nobel Prize for Physics, he was also pathologically reticent, strangely literal-minded and legendarily unable to communicate or empathize. Through his greatest period of productivity, his postcards home contained only remarks about the weather.
Based on a previously undiscovered archive of family papers, Graham Farmelo celebrates Dirac's massive scientific achievement while drawing a compassionate portrait of his life and work. Farmelo shows a man who, while hopelessly socially inept, could manage to love and sustain close friendship.
The Strangest Man is an extraordinary and moving human story, as well as a study of one of the most exciting times in scientific history.
'A wonderful book . . . Moving, sometimes comic, sometimes infinitely sad, and goes to the roots of what we mean by truth in science.' Lord Waldegrave, Daily Telegraph less 
Marcus ChownGraham Farmelo said that he’d never met anyone – even in Bristol where Paul Dirac grew up and lived – who’d ever heard of him: the greatest English physicist since Newton! (Source)
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89
In 1862 Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a shy Oxford mathematician with a stammer, created a story about a little girl tumbling down a rabbit hole. Thus began the immortal adventures of Alice, perhaps the most popular heroine in English literature.
Countless scholars have tried to define the charm of the Alice books--with those wonderfully eccentric characters the Queen of Hearts, Tweedledum, and Tweedledee, the Cheshire Cat, Mock Turtle, the Mad Hatter et al.--by proclaiming that they really comprise a satire on language, a political allegory, a parody of Victorian... more In 1862 Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a shy Oxford mathematician with a stammer, created a story about a little girl tumbling down a rabbit hole. Thus began the immortal adventures of Alice, perhaps the most popular heroine in English literature.
Countless scholars have tried to define the charm of the Alice books--with those wonderfully eccentric characters the Queen of Hearts, Tweedledum, and Tweedledee, the Cheshire Cat, Mock Turtle, the Mad Hatter et al.--by proclaiming that they really comprise a satire on language, a political allegory, a parody of Victorian children's literature, even a reflection of contemporary ecclesiastical history.
Perhaps, as Dodgson might have said, Alice is no more than a dream, a fairy tale about the trials and tribulations of growing up--or down, or all turned round--as seen through the expert eyes of a child. less 
Larry DoyleYou’d have to be a zombie to miss the humour in it – it’s hilarious. Although the book is ancient, the humour feels modern (Source)
Jean WebbAn imaginative, clever and fun fantasy story that satirises nineteenth century England at the same time as celebrating academic thinking. (Source)
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90
A modern classic, Einstein’s Dreams is a fictional collage of stories dreamed by Albert Einstein in 1905, when he worked in a patent office in Switzerland. As the defiant but sensitive young genius is creating his theory of relativity, a new conception of time, he imagines many possible worlds. In one, time is circular, so that people are fated to repeat triumphs and failures over and over. In another, there is a place where time stands still, visited by lovers and parents clinging to their children. In another, time is a nightingale, sometimes trapped by a bell jar.
Now... more A modern classic, Einstein’s Dreams is a fictional collage of stories dreamed by Albert Einstein in 1905, when he worked in a patent office in Switzerland. As the defiant but sensitive young genius is creating his theory of relativity, a new conception of time, he imagines many possible worlds. In one, time is circular, so that people are fated to repeat triumphs and failures over and over. In another, there is a place where time stands still, visited by lovers and parents clinging to their children. In another, time is a nightingale, sometimes trapped by a bell jar.
Now translated into thirty languages, Einstein’s Dreams has inspired playwrights, dancers, musicians, and painters all over the world. In poetic vignettes, it explores the connections between science and art, the process of creativity, and ultimately the fragility of human existence. less 
Walter IsaacsonThis is a work of fiction that weaves in the whimsy of Einstein’s days as a patent clerk in Switzerland and the types of dreams he may have had. They are little fables that come from his dreams. (Source)
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91
Americans call the Second World War “The Good War.” But before it even began, America’s wartime ally Josef Stalin had killed millions of his own citizens—and kept killing them during and after the war. Before Hitler was finally defeated, he had murdered six million Jews and nearly as many other Europeans. At war’s end, both the German and the Soviet killing sites fell behind the iron curtain, leaving the history of mass killing in darkness.
Bloodlands is a new kind of European history, presenting the mass murders committed by the Nazi and Stalinist regimes as two aspects of a single... more Americans call the Second World War “The Good War.” But before it even began, America’s wartime ally Josef Stalin had killed millions of his own citizens—and kept killing them during and after the war. Before Hitler was finally defeated, he had murdered six million Jews and nearly as many other Europeans. At war’s end, both the German and the Soviet killing sites fell behind the iron curtain, leaving the history of mass killing in darkness.
Bloodlands is a new kind of European history, presenting the mass murders committed by the Nazi and Stalinist regimes as two aspects of a single history, in the time and place where they occurred: between Germany and Russia, when Hitler and Stalin both held power. Assiduously researched, deeply humane, and utterly definitive, Bloodlands will be required reading for anyone seeking to understand the central tragedy of modern history.
From Booklist
If there is an explanation for the political killing perpetrated in eastern Europe in the 1930s and 1940s, historian Snyder roots it in agriculture. Stalin wanted to collectivize farmers; Hitler wanted to eliminate them so Germans could colonize the land. The dictators wielded frightening power to advance such fantasies toward reality, and the despots toted up about 14 million corpses between them, so stupefying a figure that Snyder sets himself three goals here: to break down the number into the various actions of murder that comprise it, from liquidation of the kulaks to the final solution; to restore humanity to the victims via surviving testimony to their fates; and to deny Hitler and Stalin any historical justification for their policies, which at the time had legions of supporters and have some even today. Such scope may render Snyder’s project too imposing to casual readers, but it would engage those exposed to the period’s chronology and major interpretive issues, such as the extent to which the Nazi and Soviet systems may be compared. Solid and judicious scholarship for large WWII collections. less 
Antony BeevorThis book is about…the Stalinist repression of the areas known as the borderlands, which Snyder has termed the bloodlands. Snyder is looking at the deliberate mass murder of civilians in a particular zone of Europe between about 1930, at the start of the second Ukraine famine, and 1945. (Source)
Edward LucasBloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin offers the best account of the most important and terrible years of the last century, when Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler jointly consigned the territories and people between their two empires to the meat-grinder. (Source)
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Don't have time to read Eric Weinstein's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
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