Comment author: HungryHobo 19 March 2015 10:37:34AM 4 points [-]

For an exceedingly well written intro to crypto I'd recommend The Code Book: The Secret History of Codes and Code-breaking by Simon Singh

When I got around to a final year security comp sci module it turned out that most of the information had been covered in The code book.

Comment author: JMiller 19 March 2015 05:14:42PM 0 points [-]

Awesome, I'll be checking this out for sure. I recently began studying computer security; do you have any more recommendations?

Comment author: D_Malik 18 March 2015 11:18:00PM *  7 points [-]
Comment author: JMiller 19 March 2015 05:12:26PM 2 points [-]

I appreciate the initiative to send meta-sources rather than single pieces.

Comment author: shminux 19 March 2015 03:01:02AM 3 points [-]

I always recommend Flatland to anyone interested in visualizing extra dimensions.

Comment author: JMiller 19 March 2015 05:11:52PM 0 points [-]

Added to my reading list, thanks!

Comment author: Gunnar_Zarncke 19 March 2015 06:56:47AM 2 points [-]

And you should also have mentioned Best Textbooks on every Subject.

Comment author: JMiller 19 March 2015 05:11:28PM 2 points [-]

Thanks Gunnar. Luke may not have linked his thread, because I did so in the OP.

Comment author: lukeprog 18 March 2015 11:37:39PM 8 points [-]

I tried this earlier, with Great Explanations.

Comment author: JMiller 19 March 2015 05:10:51PM 0 points [-]

Thanks, Luke. I'll be checking your physics recommendations out soon.

Best Explainers on Different Subjects

16 JMiller 18 March 2015 08:32PM

There are many recommended reading threads on lesswrong. Some examples include: MathTextbooks and Rationality.

I am looking to compile another such thread, this time aimed at "exceptional explainers" and their works. For example, I find Richard Feynman's QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter to be one such book.

Please list out other authors and books which you think are wonderfully written, in such a way that maximizes communication and explanation to laypeople in the given field. For example:

Physics: Richard Feynman - QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter.

Thank you,

Jeremy

 

 

Comment author: JMiller 03 April 2014 04:01:34PM 1 point [-]

If you are often travelling over bridge by car, having a car-knife could be handy in case you go over. The device generally comes equipped with a seat belt cutter, pressurized hammer, and flashlight.

Comment author: JMiller 14 February 2014 12:29:18AM 0 points [-]

Some policy issues affected by media in democratic countries: Daniel Komo argues that people hear about trade policy (I imagine this is extensible to other kinds of policy) largely because oppositions have incentive to attack government trade initiatives. But because propagating information is expensive, often opponents will focus attacks on simpler, easier to explain policy decisions, rather then ones that are more complex, since efficient use of space is cheap. He concludes that democratic political competition may lead to what I might call a kind of "reverse" conjunction fallacy: simpler policy decision tend to get more prime-time, coverage, and critism than more complex decisions.

Comment author: adbge 12 February 2014 09:06:57PM *  3 points [-]
Comment author: JMiller 12 February 2014 09:32:33PM 0 points [-]

Awesome, thanks so much! If you were to recommend one of these resources to begin with, which would it be?

Comment author: Douglas_Knight 12 February 2014 09:08:47PM *  0 points [-]

Why are you committed to that book? SICP is well-tested introductory textbook with extensive exercises . Added: I meant to say that it is functional.

Comment author: JMiller 12 February 2014 09:31:15PM 0 points [-]

I'm not. The reason I picked it up was because it happens to be the book recommended in MIRI's course suggestions, but I am not particularly attached to it. Looking again, it seems they do actually recommend SICP on lesswrong, and Learnyouahaskell on intelligence.org.

Thanks for the suggestion.

View more: Next