Looking for alteration suggestions for the official Sequences ebook

alexvermeer

As you may have heard, the Singularity Institute is in the process of creating an official ebook version of The Sequences (specifically, Eliezer's Major Sequences written between 2006 and 2009).

Now is an opportune time to make any alterations to the contents of the Sequences. We're looking for suggestions about:

Posts to add to the Sequences. E.g., "scope insensitivity" is not currently a part of any sequence, perhaps it should be? Preferably suggest a specific location, or at least a specific sequence where you think the addition would logically go.
Posts to remove from the Sequences. Are there redundant or unnecessary posts? To call the Sequences long is a bit of an understatement.
Alternatives to "The Sequences" as a title, such as "How to be Less Wrong: The Sequences, 2006--2009."

Put separate suggestions in separate comments so that specific changes can be discussed. All suggestions will be reviewed, with final changes made by Eliezer. Next thing you know, you'll be sipping a hot mocha in your favorite chair while reading about Death Spirals on your handy e-reader.

The Sequences that will be present in the ebook:

Map and Territory
Mysterious Answers to Mysterious Questions
A Human's Guide to Words
How to Actually Change Your Mind (includes all posts from all its subsequences)
Reductionism (includes all posts from Joy in the Merely Real and Zombies)
Quantum Physics
Metaethics
Fun Theory
The Craft and the Community

As you may have heard, the Singularity Institute is in the process of creating an official ebook version of The Sequences (specifically, Eliezer's Major Sequences written between 2006 and 2009).

Now is an opportune time to make any alterations to the contents of the Sequences. We're looking for suggestions about:

Posts to add to the Sequences. E.g., "scope insensitivity" is not currently a part of any sequence, perhaps it should be? Preferably suggest a specific location, or at least a specific sequence where you think the addition would logically go.
Posts to remove from the Sequences. Are there redundant or unnecessary posts? To call the Sequences long is a bit of an understatement.
Alternatives to "The Sequences" as a title, such as "How to be Less Wrong: The Sequences, 2006--2009."

The Sequences that will be present in the ebook:

Map and Territory
Mysterious Answers to Mysterious Questions
A Human's Guide to Words
How to Actually Change Your Mind (includes all posts from all its subsequences)
Reductionism (includes all posts from Joy in the Merely Real and Zombies)
Quantum Physics
Metaethics
Fun Theory
The Craft and the Community

If it were me, I'd split your list after reductionism into a separate ebook. Everything that's controversial or hackles-raising is in the later sequences. A (shorter) book consisting solely of the sequences on cognitive biases, rationalism, and reductionism could be much more a piece of content somebody without previous rationalist intentions can pick up and take something valuable away from. The later sequences have their merits, but they are absolutely counterproductive to raising the sanity waterline in this case. They'll label your book as kooky and weird, and they don't, in themselves, improve their readers enough to justify the expense. People interested in the other stuff can get the companion volume.

You could label the pared down volume something self helpey like 'Thinking Better: The Righter, Smarter You." For goodness sake, don't have the word 'sequences' in the title. That doesn't mean anything to anyone not already from LW, and it won't help people figure out what it's about.

EDIT: Other title suggestions - really just throwing stuff at the wall here

Rationality: Art and Practice
The Rational You
The Art of Human Rationality
Black Belt Bayesian: Building a Better Brain
The Science of Winning: Human Rationality and You
Science of Winning: The Art and Practice of Human Rationality (I quite like this one)

Black Belt Bayesian: Building a Better Brain

That one is taken.

1amcknight14y

Quantum mechanics and Metaethics are what initially drew me to LessWrong. Without them, the Sequences aren't as amazingly impressive, interesting, and downright bold. As solid as the other content is, I don't think the Sequences would be as good without these somewhat more speculative parts. This content might even be what really gets people talking about the book.

5cata14y

I agree completely with this comment (assuming that the ebook is aimed at people who aren't already familiar with LW.) Regarding the title, you should aim for describing what the writing is about, not where the writing came from. Unfortunately I can personally only generate boring titles like "Essays On Thinking Straight".