Apr 3, 2022

Fudge Sunday - Summertime Pastness

Enjoy a short summer reading list from 1978-2020 to consider our future.

Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness (2012)

Note: We’re taking Spring Break this month at Sunday Fudge. Expect a shorter format and we’ll be back to the longer format in May.

Getting Informed

My career has been nomadic and travel intensive since the late 1990s. As such, relocations have meant my collection of stuff has downsized considerably over the years.

Books take up space, so the majority of my reading material has been web content and countless PDFs. Also, one way I’ve kept the bulk from books to a minimum is by only borrowing or buying in a ring buffer style while donating after reading to keep shelf size constant.

Telephone wires above are sizzlin' like a snare🎶

Reflecting back on the past 26 months, if there is a silver lining to the pandemic cloud, it has been my renewed appreciation of actual books. Indeed, a good page turner has proven more valuable now that reading a PDF or website from a chair in the sky is less common for me.

Recent titles that caught my eye come from the “Deep Web” and my newsletter reading. Armed with these new (to me) titles, I began buying gently used copies via ThirftBooks (referral link) and now I’m sharing my recent ring buffer bookshelf additions for the Summer.

1978: Structures by Gordon

Structures: Or Why Things Don’t Fall

This book is old enough to have to scroll down on a web form to select the right age bracket.

Even though I went to college for engineering in the 1990s, I never read this book. So, I consider this to be overdue foundational reading.

Source:

www.thriftbooks.com

1999: Code by Petzold

Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software

I don’t drink anymore but this book is old enough to buy itself a Zima.

During the height of the .com days, I had a copy of this but either lost it in a move or left it behind at the event where it was gifted. It’s time to revisit and digest it now.

Source:

www.thriftbooks.com

2004: On Intelligence by Hawkins & Blakeslee

On Intelligence: How a New Understanding of the Brain Will Lead to the Creation of Truly Intelligent Machines

This book is old enough to vote now yet it is still a teenager.

Again, this is the story of “I had a copy but..” from my post .com days. I remember that I got through a few chapters then moved again. It’s time to reflect on what I’ve been reading that is modern by understanding the influence of this book.

Source:

www.thriftbooks.com

2020: Empowered by Cagan & Jones

Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products

This book is very recent and modern and it will be read last.

Based on the Silicon Valley Product Group references and reviews I found, I was on the fence about other SVPG titles and opted for this one first. I might end up reading the series out of sequence for INSPIRED and LOVED.

Source:

www.thriftbooks.com

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