Joe's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 19 Apr 2025 11:56:34 -0700 60 Joe's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Python for Finance: Mastering Data-Driven Finance]]> 38824349 711 Yves Hilpisch 1492024333 Joe 3 coding
I did knock a star away for some of the python choices. I suppose I understand that using Python for data science leaves a bit of room to be unpythonic that wouldn't be present in standard development, but some choices were particularly suspect, especially having the "market_environment" attributes be a dictionary instead of a proper attribute of the class. Could have been accomplished without any loss of generality and with the gain of better data checking at implementation, so it's a bit puzzling why it wasn't.

Overall, still a pretty good read. But note that as of 2024, the fxcmpy package was no longer on PyPI.]]> 3.43 2012 Python for Finance: Mastering Data-Driven Finance
author: Yves Hilpisch
name: Joe
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/07
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: coding
review:
The book excels at conceptually translating theoretical finance calculations (specifically in the subdomain of trading) and applying them to Python. The author correctly makes the claim that the book will not teach you finance (but the material is nothing more difficult than a MBA-level investments class - or a particularly quantitative upperclassman undergrad class).

I did knock a star away for some of the python choices. I suppose I understand that using Python for data science leaves a bit of room to be unpythonic that wouldn't be present in standard development, but some choices were particularly suspect, especially having the "market_environment" attributes be a dictionary instead of a proper attribute of the class. Could have been accomplished without any loss of generality and with the gain of better data checking at implementation, so it's a bit puzzling why it wasn't.

Overall, still a pretty good read. But note that as of 2024, the fxcmpy package was no longer on PyPI.
]]> API Design Patterns 51192053 480 J.J. Geewax 161729585X Joe 4 coding 3.83 API Design Patterns
author: J.J. Geewax
name: Joe
average rating: 3.83
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: coding
review:
A particularly thorough discussion of best practices for API design. The book focuses specifically on the interface, diving into implementation details only when absolutely necessary. However, that said, the book does cover many behaviors that are relevant to both interface and implementation. A good book to read after becoming familiar with an API as a user or after following a couple of API tutorials.
]]> <![CDATA[Labyrinths of Iron: A History of the World's Subways]]> 1067210 352 Benson Bobrick 0882252992 Joe 0 currently-reading 4.00 1981 Labyrinths of Iron: A History of the World's Subways
author: Benson Bobrick
name: Joe
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1981
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York]]> 882203
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.]]> 256 Jacob A. Riis 0140436790 Joe 4 non-fiction 3.69 1890 How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York
author: Jacob A. Riis
name: Joe
average rating: 3.69
book published: 1890
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: non-fiction
review:
It goes without saying that this book is a seminal work related to a wide intersection of urban studies topics. Admittedly, the stereotypes and tropes (from the 1890s) do not age well. However, even without excusing those, the book shares a primary source about attitudes towards the poor of a variety of immigrants in NYC at the time in the midst of the melting pot experiment.
]]> <![CDATA[Credit Risk: Pricing, Measurement, and Management (Princeton Series in Finance)]]> 404065

Duffie and Singleton offer critical assessments of alternative approaches to credit-risk modeling, while highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of current practice. Their approach blends in-depth discussions of the conceptual foundations of modeling with extensive analyses of the empirical properties of such credit-related time series as default probabilities, recoveries, ratings transitions, and yield spreads. Both the "structura" and "reduced-form" approaches to pricing defaultable securities are presented, and their comparative fits to historical data are assessed. The authors also provide a comprehensive treatment of the pricing of credit derivatives, including credit swaps, collateralized debt obligations, credit guarantees, lines of credit, and spread options. Not least, they describe certain enhancements to current pricing and management practices that, they argue, will better position financial institutions for future changes in the financial markets.



Credit Risk is an indispensable resource for risk managers, traders or regulators dealing with financial products with a significant credit risk component, as well as for academic researchers and students.]]> 416 Darrell Duffie 0691090467 Joe 0 currently-reading 2.60 2003 Credit Risk: Pricing, Measurement, and Management (Princeton Series in Finance)
author: Darrell Duffie
name: Joe
average rating: 2.60
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Design for Developers 61294682 Solve common application design and usability issues with flair! These essential design and UX techniques will help you create good user experiences, iterate smoothly on frontend features, and collaborate effectively with designer colleagues.

In Design for Developers you will learn how

Use color, typography, and layout to create hierarchy on a web page Apply color palettes consistently in a user interface Choose the correct typefaces and fonts Conduct user research to validate design decisions Quickly plan a website’s layout and structure
In Design for Developers, author Stephanie Stimac shares the unique insights she’s learned as a designer on the Microsoft Developer Experiences team. This one-of-a-kind book provides a developer-centric approach to the essential design fundamentals of modern web applications. You’ll learn how to craft a polished visual design with just color, space, and typeface, and put all your new skills into practice to design a website from scratch.

Foreword by Aaron Gustafson.

About the technology

Developer-made design decisions can have a real impact on a site’s user experience. Learn to speak design’s language, and you’ll be able to confidently contribute to a design process, collaborate with designer colleagues, and make more informed decisions about how you build your apps.

About the book

Design for Developers reveals essential design and UX principles every web developer needs to know. You’ll love the book’s developer-centric approach, which demonstrates new ideas with examples from popular sites and user interfaces. Discover insightful techniques for user research, and learn to use color, typography, and layout to create communicative web visuals. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know it’s having good design sense will make you a better web developer!

What's inside

Conduct user research to validate design decisions Quickly plan a website’s layout and structure Iterate smoothly on frontend features Use color, typography, and layout to create hierarchy on a web page
About the reader

For web developers familiar with HTML, CSS, and the JavaScript basics.

About the author

Stephanie Stimac is a design technologist and senior product manager who focuses on building and improving developer experiences. She has previously worked on the Microsoft Edge browser.

Table of Contents

PART 1 DESIGN BASICS
1 Bridging the gap between design and development
2 Design fundamentals
PART 2 USER EXPERIENCE
3 User experience basics
4 User research
5 User experience design
PART 3 VISUAL DESIGN ELEMENTS
6 Web layout and composition
7 Enhancing web layout with animation
8 Choosing and working with typography on the web
9 Color theory
10 Building a website
PART 4 AFTER VISUAL DESIGN
11 Test, validate, iterate
12 Developer choices and user experience]]> 480 Stephanie Stimac 1617299472 Joe 0 currently-reading, coding 4.37 Design for Developers
author: Stephanie Stimac
name: Joe
average rating: 4.37
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: currently-reading, coding
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Release It!: Design and Deploy Production-Ready Software]]> 34695798
If you're a software developer, and you don't want to get alerts every night for the rest of your life, help is here. With a combination of case studies about huge losses - lost revenue, lost reputation, lost time, lost opportunity - and practical, down-to-earth advice that was all gained through painful experience, this book helps you avoid the pitfalls that cost companies millions of dollars in downtime and reputation. Eighty percent of project life-cycle cost is in production, yet few books address this topic.

This updated edition deals with the production of today's systems - larger, more complex, and heavily virtualized - and is the first book to cover chaos engineering, the discipline of applying randomness and deliberate stress to reveal systematic problems. Build systems that survive the real world, avoid downtime, implement zero-downtime upgrades and continuous delivery, and make cloud-native applications resilient. Examine ways to architect, design, and build software - particularly distributed systems - that stands up to the typhoon winds of a flash mob, a Slashdotting, or a link on Reddit. Take a hard look at software that failed the test and find ways to make sure your software survives.

To skip the pain and get the experience...get this book.]]> 356 Michael T. Nygard 1680502395 Joe 4 coding 4.36 2007 Release It!: Design and Deploy Production-Ready Software
author: Michael T. Nygard
name: Joe
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: coding
review:
A great read providing thought exercises and practical tips about designing and operating a distributed system in production. Discusses key technical concepts related to resiliency, but also frames them in a way that would facilitate conversation with a non-technical or semi-technical business partner.
]]> <![CDATA[Egyptian Art (Phaidon Art and Ideas)]]> 793154 448 Reinhold Heller 0714836273 Joe 0 currently-reading 4.12 1999 Egyptian Art (Phaidon Art and Ideas)
author: Reinhold Heller
name: Joe
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Software Architecture: The Hard Parts: Modern Trade-Off Analyses for Distributed Architectures]]> 58153482 459 Neal Ford 1492086894 Joe 0 to-read 4.25 2021 Software Architecture: The Hard Parts: Modern Trade-Off Analyses for Distributed Architectures
author: Neal Ford
name: Joe
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Database Internals: A deep-dive into how distributed data systems work]]> 44647144
Throughout the book, you’ll explore relevant material gleaned from numerous books, papers, blog posts, and the source code of several open source databases. These resources are listed at the end of parts one and two. You’ll discover that the most significant distinctions among many modern databases reside in subsystems that determine how storage is organized and how data is distributed.

This book examines:

Storage engines: Explore storage classification and taxonomy, and dive into B-Tree-based and immutable log structured storage engines, with differences and use-cases for each
Distributed systems: Learn step-by-step how nodes and processes connect and build complex communication patterns, from UDP to reliable consensus protocols
Database clusters: Discover how to achieve consistent models for replicated data]]> 376 Alex Petrov 1492040347 Joe 5 coding
A truly excellent book that is truly a wealth of knowledge. ]]> 4.26 Database Internals: A deep-dive into how distributed data systems work
author: Alex Petrov
name: Joe
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2024/12/26
shelves: coding
review:
This book is an excellent treatment of how database system internals work. The first section of the book covers practical items like file systems and other local-related challenges - there is a wealth of information to dive into here, and I already have a large collection of books to dig into just from the references here. Then, in the second half, you dive into concurrency and distributed systems. While I've absorbed the info like a sponge, I am already looking forward to coming back to this after spending some additional time with some other distributed systems readings.

A truly excellent book that is truly a wealth of knowledge.
]]> Tiny CSS Projects 61397625
In Tiny CSS Projects you’ll build twelve exciting and useful web projects


The projects may be tiny, but the CSS skills you’ll learn are huge! Tiny CSS Projects teaches you how to make beautiful websites and applications by guiding you through a dozen fun coding challenges. You’ll learn important skills through hands-on practice as you tinker with your own code and make real creative decisions about the projects you’re building. You’ll rapidly master the basics and then press on into CSS’s exciting layout features including grid and flexbox, animations, transitions, and media queries.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

About the Technology

Don’t settle for boring web pages! With Cascading Style Sheets you can control color, layout, and typography to make your sites both functional and beautiful. CSS is an essential skill for web developers and designers. This book will help you get started the right way.

About the Book

Tiny CSS Projects builds your CSS skills by guiding you through 12 creative mini-projects. Each interesting challenge starts with a downloadable HTML skeleton. As you flesh it out with your own design ideas, you’ll master CSS concepts like transitions, layout, and styling forms, and explore powerful features including Flexbox and Grid. All the skills you’ll learn are easy to transfer to full-size applications. When you finish, you’ll have an exciting portfolio of designs ready to go for your next project.

What's Inside


About the reader

For readers who know the basics of HTML and frontend development. No previous experience with CSS is required.

About the author

Martine Dowden is an author, speaker, and award-winning CTO. Michael Gearon is a user experience designer and frontend developer who has worked with many well-known brands.

Table of Contents

1 CSS introduction
2 Designing a layout using CSS Grid
3 Creating a responsive animated loading screen
4 Creating a responsive web newspaper layout
5 Summary cards with hover interactions
6 Creating a profile card
7 Harnessing the full power of float
8 Designing a checkout cart
9 Creating a virtual credit card
10 Styling forms
11 Animated social media share links
12 Using preprocessors]]> 392 Martine Dowden 1633439836 Joe 4 coding x because y - the discussion is more of the lines of: "We must consider y - x is a possible solution, but still consider a, b, and c." - It is very helpful when covering some of the more abstract topics. ]]> 4.50 Tiny CSS Projects
author: Martine Dowden
name: Joe
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2024/12/26
shelves: coding
review:
The author chooses a great sampling of cases that demonstrate many of the core features of CSS, and demonstrate methods which one would use to build and design actual website building blocks. However, what I found especially useful was the discussion about the design decisions that went into the code. Not even simply "We're doing x because y - the discussion is more of the lines of: "We must consider y - x is a possible solution, but still consider a, b, and c." - It is very helpful when covering some of the more abstract topics.
]]> We 76171 The exhilarating dystopian novel that inspired George Orwell's 1984 and foreshadowed the worst excesses of Soviet Russia

Yevgeny Zamyatin's We is a powerfully inventive vision that has influenced writers from George Orwell to Ayn Rand. In a glass-enclosed city of absolute straight lines, ruled over by the all-powerful 'Benefactor', the citizens of the totalitarian society of OneState live out lives devoid of passion and creativity - until D-503, a mathematician who dreams in numbers, makes a discovery: he has an individual soul. Set in the twenty-sixth century AD, We is the classic dystopian novel and was the forerunner of works such as George Orwell's 1984 and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. It was suppressed for many years in Russia and remains a resounding cry for individual freedom, yet is also a powerful, exciting and vivid work of science fiction. Clarence Brown's brilliant translation is based on the corrected text of the novel, first published in Russia in 1988 after more than sixty years' suppression.]]> 256 Yevgeny Zamyatin 0140185852 Joe 5 classic-novels Brave New World, 1984, We The Living, The Giver, etc.) The additional layers of experienced Tsarist Russia, Bolshevik Revolution, and Soviet Russia add further nuance to this book. Zamayatin is even able to drive the reader to question what was truly experienced by D-530 and what was merely imagined. The ending is also quite poignant. I was literally sucked in and couldn't put it down until I finished.

The Penguin Classics edition includes a very insightful forward and contextual essay by the translator.]]> 3.91 1924 We
author: Yevgeny Zamyatin
name: Joe
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1924
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/25
date added: 2024/12/25
shelves: classic-novels
review:
A fine, compelling bit of dystopian fiction that likely inspired your favorite (Brave New World, 1984, We The Living, The Giver, etc.) The additional layers of experienced Tsarist Russia, Bolshevik Revolution, and Soviet Russia add further nuance to this book. Zamayatin is even able to drive the reader to question what was truly experienced by D-530 and what was merely imagined. The ending is also quite poignant. I was literally sucked in and couldn't put it down until I finished.

The Penguin Classics edition includes a very insightful forward and contextual essay by the translator.
]]> <![CDATA[Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World]]> 128747007
Emperor of Rome is not your usual chronological account of Roman rulers, such as the mad Caligula, the monster Nero, the philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Beard asks bigger questions: What power did emperors actually have? Was the Roman palace really so bloodstained? She tracks down the emperor at home, at the races, on his travels, even on his way to heaven. She introduces his wives and lovers, rivals and slaves, court jesters and soldiers―and the ordinary people who pressed begging letters into his hands.

Emperor of Rome goes directly to the heart of Roman (and our own) fantasies about what it was to be Roman, offering an account of Roman history as it has never been presented before. 160 images; 16-page color insert]]> 493 Mary Beard 0871404222 Joe 4 non-fiction 4.07 2023 Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World
author: Mary Beard
name: Joe
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves: non-fiction
review:

]]> The Godfather 58666654
Mario Puzo’s classic saga of an American crime family that became a global phenomenon—nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

With its brilliant and brutal portrayal of the Corleone family, The Godfather burned its way into our national consciousness. This unforgettable saga of crime and corruption, passion and loyalty continues to stand the test of time, as the definitive novel of the Mafia underworld.

A #1 New York Times bestseller in 1969, Mario Puzo’s epic was turned into the incomparable film of the same name, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It is the original classic that has been often imitated, but never matched. A tale of family and society, law and order, obedience and rebellion, it reveals the dark passions of human nature played out against a backdrop of the American dream.

With a Note from Anthony Puzo and an Afterword by Robert J. Thompson]]> 448 Mario Puzo 0451205766 Joe 4 classic-novels 4.35 1969 The Godfather
author: Mario Puzo
name: Joe
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1969
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: classic-novels
review:
Truly a classic. One thing that really stands out is how as the author introduces characters (or perhaps when they become key to advancing the plot) the author steps aside to provide the relevant background on the character; this is especially good when [spoilers removed].
]]> <![CDATA[Naming Things: The Hardest Problem in Software Engineering]]> 123009242
These skills can be used throughout your career, and they’re useful for every programming language, technical domain, and experience level. The book incorporates real-world examples to illustrate how to choose good names and avoid bad names.

This book includes:
- Rules for how to choose good names and avoid bad names
- Principles to help you remember the general qualities of good names
- Real-world examples
- Guidelines on the application of these rules and principles, including balancing tradeoffs, renaming best practices, and choosing domain-specific names
- Tips on how to develop your naming skills throughout your career]]> 114 Tom Benner Joe 4 coding, non-fiction 3.96 Naming Things: The Hardest Problem in Software Engineering
author: Tom Benner
name: Joe
average rating: 3.96
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: coding, non-fiction
review:
A rather straightforward, if not too thorough, review of best practices for naming things while coding. Great on general philosophy, but short on practical steps as the rules of the language and codebase will ultimately provide some influence.
]]> The Secret History 1133999 The Secret History portrays the 'great lawgiver' Justinian as a rampant king of corruption and tyranny, the Empress Theodora as a sorceress and whore, and the brilliant general Belisarius as the pliable dupe of his scheming wife Antonina. Magnificently hyperbolic and highly opinionated, The Secret History is a work of explosive energy, depicting holy Byzantium as a hell of murder and misrule.]]> 140 Procopius 0140455280 Joe 4 non-fiction 3.70 550 The Secret History
author: Procopius
name: Joe
average rating: 3.70
book published: 550
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/22
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves: non-fiction
review:
A fun, alternative historical insight from the Byzantine Empire.
]]> The Dharma Bums 43912052 On the Road put the Beat Generation on the map, The Dharma Bums is sparked by Kerouac's expansiveness, humor, and a contagious zest for life.]]> 244 Jack Kerouac 0140042520 Joe 4 3.98 1958 The Dharma Bums
author: Jack Kerouac
name: Joe
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1958
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/11/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fundamentals of Software Architecture: An Engineering Approach]]> 44144493
Authors Neal Ford and Mark Richards help you learn through examples in a variety of popular programming languages, such as Java, C#, JavaScript, and others. You'll focus on architecture principles with examples that apply across all technology stacks.]]> 422 Mark Richards 1492043451 Joe 0 to-read 4.25 2020 Fundamentals of Software Architecture: An Engineering Approach
author: Mark Richards
name: Joe
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The History of Rome, Books 31-45: Rome and the Mediterranean]]> 167922 699 Livy 0140443185 Joe 5 4.17 -30 The History of Rome, Books 31-45: Rome and the Mediterranean
author: Livy
name: Joe
average rating: 4.17
book published: -30
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/26
date added: 2024/10/26
shelves:
review:
I have read all 4 of the Penguin Editions in the series - they've all been wonderfully translated and published. As it relates to the historical subject matter, Livy can't be beat!
]]> <![CDATA[Relational Database Design and Implementation: Clearly Explained]]> 28407228 712 Jan L. Harrington 0128043997 Joe 4 coding 3.86 1998 Relational Database Design and Implementation: Clearly Explained
author: Jan L. Harrington
name: Joe
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves: coding
review:
Where this book really separates itself from the plethora of books available about SQL and Databases is that the book maintains a keen focus on the design decisions that go into creating a database, instead of simply finding a trivial example that demonstrates the syntax. Overall, I found the book to be very approachable, while at the same time not shying away from intermediate level topics.
]]> The Psychology of Money 41881472 242 Morgan Housel 0857197681 Joe 4 non-fiction
I would mostly describe this book as an updated followup to A Millionaire Next Door (which I have also read/reviewed). The concepts are fairly similar. The most memorable quote being that the optimal savings rate is the "gap between your ego and your income." Spending less than you earn, saving for savings sake, and avoiding lifestyle creep - three of the same thing, are one of the main themes of the book.

The other theme is really more investing oriented: Time in the market is the key to building wealth (and it's derivatives - you can't reliably beat the market) - this is so ingrained in me that I found these chapters a bit more boring. But the vignettes of each chapter are a great way to challenge your thinking if you don't necessarily subscribe to this.

I think this is a great read for anybody who is setting money/wealth goals, or anybody who is revisiting them.

Merged review:

This book was suggested to me by a coworker (a private banker, nonetheless)

I would mostly describe this book as an updated followup to A Millionaire Next Door (which I have also read/reviewed). The concepts are fairly similar. The most memorable quote being that the optimal savings rate is the "gap between your ego and your income." Spending less than you earn, saving for savings sake, and avoiding lifestyle creep - three of the same thing, are one of the main themes of the book.

The other theme is really more investing oriented: Time in the market is the key to building wealth (and it's derivatives - you can't reliably beat the market) - this is so ingrained in me that I found these chapters a bit more boring. But the vignettes of each chapter are a great way to challenge your thinking if you don't necessarily subscribe to this.

I think this is a great read for anybody who is setting money/wealth goals, or anybody who is revisiting them.

Merged review:

This book was suggested to me by a coworker (a private banker, nonetheless)

I would mostly describe this book as an updated followup to A Millionaire Next Door (which I have also read/reviewed). The concepts are fairly similar. The most memorable quote being that the optimal savings rate is the "gap between your ego and your income." Spending less than you earn, saving for savings sake, and avoiding lifestyle creep - three of the same thing, are one of the main themes of the book.

The other theme is really more investing oriented: Time in the market is the key to building wealth (and it's derivatives - you can't reliably beat the market) - this is so ingrained in me that I found these chapters a bit more boring. But the vignettes of each chapter are a great way to challenge your thinking if you don't necessarily subscribe to this.

I think this is a great read for anybody who is setting money/wealth goals, or anybody who is revisiting them.]]> 4.27 2020 The Psychology of Money
author: Morgan Housel
name: Joe
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2020/10/07
date added: 2024/10/17
shelves: non-fiction
review:
This book was suggested to me by a coworker (a private banker, nonetheless)

I would mostly describe this book as an updated followup to A Millionaire Next Door (which I have also read/reviewed). The concepts are fairly similar. The most memorable quote being that the optimal savings rate is the "gap between your ego and your income." Spending less than you earn, saving for savings sake, and avoiding lifestyle creep - three of the same thing, are one of the main themes of the book.

The other theme is really more investing oriented: Time in the market is the key to building wealth (and it's derivatives - you can't reliably beat the market) - this is so ingrained in me that I found these chapters a bit more boring. But the vignettes of each chapter are a great way to challenge your thinking if you don't necessarily subscribe to this.

I think this is a great read for anybody who is setting money/wealth goals, or anybody who is revisiting them.

Merged review:

This book was suggested to me by a coworker (a private banker, nonetheless)

I would mostly describe this book as an updated followup to A Millionaire Next Door (which I have also read/reviewed). The concepts are fairly similar. The most memorable quote being that the optimal savings rate is the "gap between your ego and your income." Spending less than you earn, saving for savings sake, and avoiding lifestyle creep - three of the same thing, are one of the main themes of the book.

The other theme is really more investing oriented: Time in the market is the key to building wealth (and it's derivatives - you can't reliably beat the market) - this is so ingrained in me that I found these chapters a bit more boring. But the vignettes of each chapter are a great way to challenge your thinking if you don't necessarily subscribe to this.

I think this is a great read for anybody who is setting money/wealth goals, or anybody who is revisiting them.

Merged review:

This book was suggested to me by a coworker (a private banker, nonetheless)

I would mostly describe this book as an updated followup to A Millionaire Next Door (which I have also read/reviewed). The concepts are fairly similar. The most memorable quote being that the optimal savings rate is the "gap between your ego and your income." Spending less than you earn, saving for savings sake, and avoiding lifestyle creep - three of the same thing, are one of the main themes of the book.

The other theme is really more investing oriented: Time in the market is the key to building wealth (and it's derivatives - you can't reliably beat the market) - this is so ingrained in me that I found these chapters a bit more boring. But the vignettes of each chapter are a great way to challenge your thinking if you don't necessarily subscribe to this.

I think this is a great read for anybody who is setting money/wealth goals, or anybody who is revisiting them.
]]> <![CDATA[Flask Framework Cookbook: Enhance your Flask skills with advanced techniques and build dynamic, responsive web applications]]> 129022556 318 Shalabh Aggarwal 1804611107 Joe 4 coding 4.00 Flask Framework Cookbook: Enhance your Flask skills with advanced techniques and build dynamic, responsive web applications
author: Shalabh Aggarwal
name: Joe
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/14
date added: 2024/10/14
shelves: coding
review:
The nice thing about this book (as a cookbook-style book often tends to do) is that many of the examples and even chapter topics as a whole branch into the intermediate level. It doesn't take long when working from a more tutorial-oriented book to quickly bump up against the limits of the teaching; this book is able to address, in high quality, those topics in particular.
]]> <![CDATA[Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less]]> 57548757 Blending behavioral science and design, Leidy Klotz's The Untapped Science of Less offers a scientific appreciation of why we underuse subtraction—and how to access its untapped potential.

When humans solve problems, we overlook an incredibly powerful We don’t subtract. We pile on “to-dos� but don’t consider “stop-doings.� We create incentives for high performance, but don’t get rid of obstacles to our goals.

Whether considering a stack of Legos, preparing a grilled cheese sandwich, or writing an essay, Leidy Klotz shows that we consistently overlook the principle of subtraction as a way to improve. Our mental preference for addition—for adding to what’s already there rather than thinking of taking away—is so wide-spread and strong that we would prefer to accommodate wrong ideas than simply remove them.

Drawing from his own pioneering research and scientific research throughout history, Klotz examines cultural, political, and economic trends underlying our neglect of subtraction, asserting that we have billions of years of evidence showing that lifeforms are perfectly capable of subtracting to improve.

Proposing a new way to frame our behaviors, Klotz shares thought-provoking examples and anecdotes to supplement his proven techniques on implementing a new perspective and understanding of subtraction. By learning to use the counterintuitive approach of subtracting, we can revolutionize not just our day-to-day lives, but our work across every field and industry. Subtract shows how this innovative approach to life is the key to unlocking our greatest potential.]]> 293 Leidy Klotz 1250249937 Joe 4 business, non-fiction
I particularly enjoyed the parts covering the research as to why we are not hardwired to subtract. However, on the other hand, I think the application section of the idea could have been much better. The author focuses their way into subtracting to a solution for climate change, but doesn't really cover smaller, more practical topics in detail. Here, it may have been nice to add a case study or something. I will note, however, that there are several high-level examples.

In any case, certainly worth a read.]]> 3.50 Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less
author: Leidy Klotz
name: Joe
average rating: 3.50
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/12
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: business, non-fiction
review:
Overall, this was a fairly good book - with the main idea being that we need to think about subtraction as a way to solve problems instead of simply adding. (For example, when the Embarcadero Freeway was damaged in an earthquake, a solution was to demolish the freeway instead of rebuilding it more resiliently.) Further topics covered include thinking about adding and subtracting together (i.e. subtract, then add).

I particularly enjoyed the parts covering the research as to why we are not hardwired to subtract. However, on the other hand, I think the application section of the idea could have been much better. The author focuses their way into subtracting to a solution for climate change, but doesn't really cover smaller, more practical topics in detail. Here, it may have been nice to add a case study or something. I will note, however, that there are several high-level examples.

In any case, certainly worth a read.
]]> <![CDATA[LaTeX Graphics with TikZ: A practitioner's guide to drawing 2D and 3D images, diagrams, charts, and plots]]> 151565743 304 Stefan Kottwitz 1804618233 Joe 4 coding 4.40 LaTeX Graphics with TikZ: A practitioner's guide to drawing 2D and 3D images, diagrams, charts, and plots
author: Stefan Kottwitz
name: Joe
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/03
date added: 2024/09/04
shelves: coding
review:
A great overview of TikZ and the various LaTeX drawing packages based on it.
]]> <![CDATA[Financial Shenanigans: How to Detect Accounting Gimmicks & Fraud in Financial Reports]]> 36624848 The bestselling classic from the “Sherlock Holmes of Accounting”—updated to reflect key case studies from the past quarter century and the dishonest tactics used to mislead investors.This fourth edition of the bestselling guide shines a light on the most shocking frauds and financial reporting offenders, and gives investors the tools they need to spot deceptive financial reporting in the global markets. This unparalleled guide provides the investigative tools you need to Corporate cultures that incentivize dishonest practices* The latest tricks companies use to exaggerate revenue and earnings* Techniques devised by management to manipulate cash flow as easily as earnings* Companies that use misleading metrics to fool investors about their financial performance* How companies use acquisitions to hide deterioration in their underlying businessYou’ll learn everything you need to know to unearth deceptive reporting and avoid costly mistakes. This new edition focuses on the key case studies from the past quarter century and brings you up to date on accounting chicanery in the global markets. Howard Schilit and his team of renowned forensic accounting experts reveal the most shocking frauds, expose financial reporting miscreants, and unveil the latest methods companies use to mislead investors.]]> 336 Howard Schilit 1260117278 Joe 4 business 4.56 1993 Financial Shenanigans: How to Detect Accounting Gimmicks & Fraud in Financial Reports
author: Howard Schilit
name: Joe
average rating: 4.56
book published: 1993
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/12
date added: 2024/08/12
shelves: business
review:
A great book which doesn't only provide a wealth of examples, it also encourages broad thinking, focusing on what are the right questions to ask, etc. A must read for the new investor (and a fine reminder for a finance MBA as well!)
]]> The New One Minute Manager 22103881 The One Minute Manager® has helped millions achieve more successful professional and personal lives. While the principles it lays out are timeless, our world has changed drastically since the book’s publication. The exponential rise of technology, global flattening of markets, instant communication, and pressures on corporate workforces to do more with less—including resources, funding, and staff—have all revolutionized the world in which we live and work.

Now, Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson have written The New One Minute Manager to introduce the book’s powerful, important lessons to a new generation. In their concise, easy-to-read story, they teach readers three very practical secrets about leading others—and explain why these techniques continue to work so well.

As compelling today as the original was thirty years ago, this classic parable of a young man looking for an effective manager is more relevant and useful than ever.]]> 112 Kenneth H. Blanchard 0062367544 Joe 4 business
As I often mention, books about business rarely contain groundbreaking information. The three secrets of the New One Minute Manager are no exception to the rule. However, the book, in a short and somewhat whimsical way does cause you to stop and think about how you manage, and how you're being managed. Does your manager help you to set concise goals? Does your manager praise your good actions and provide reassurance after mistakes? Do you do this for your employees?

The author proposes that by using these secrets, the manager creates a team of self sufficient employees that he can direct in lieu of micromanaging. This saves time for the manager, and allows employees to have the psychological sentiment at work that allows them to perform their best.

The book is a quick, but thought provoking read, and I would reccomend it!]]> 3.76 1981 The New One Minute Manager
author: Kenneth H. Blanchard
name: Joe
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1981
rating: 4
read at: 2019/04/27
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: business
review:
It's finally time for me to finish my professor's Corporate Governance reading list - of course this book has nothing to do with governance, per se.

As I often mention, books about business rarely contain groundbreaking information. The three secrets of the New One Minute Manager are no exception to the rule. However, the book, in a short and somewhat whimsical way does cause you to stop and think about how you manage, and how you're being managed. Does your manager help you to set concise goals? Does your manager praise your good actions and provide reassurance after mistakes? Do you do this for your employees?

The author proposes that by using these secrets, the manager creates a team of self sufficient employees that he can direct in lieu of micromanaging. This saves time for the manager, and allows employees to have the psychological sentiment at work that allows them to perform their best.

The book is a quick, but thought provoking read, and I would reccomend it!
]]> <![CDATA[The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin]]> 1903711 320 Gordon S. Wood 159420019X Joe 4 biography 3.92 2004 The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin
author: Gordon S. Wood
name: Joe
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/05
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves: biography
review:
This book is a fairly traditional approach to a Benjamin Franklin biography in that it truly focuses on the statecraft aspects of his life as opposed to his scientific endeavors. The underlying thesis throughout takes you on an appropriately chronological path throughout Franklin's life, demonstrating his rise to fame, support of the empire, then support of American Independence, given how Franklin reacts to and takes part in the key events of his day.
]]> <![CDATA[Books Do Furnish a Room (A Dance to the Music of Time, #10)]]> 42646495 A Dance to the Music of Time � his brilliant 12-novel sequence, which chronicles the lives of over three hundred characters, is a unique evocation of life in twentieth-century England.

The novels follow Nicholas Jenkins, Kenneth Widmerpool and others, as they negotiate the intellectual, cultural and social hurdles that stand between them and the “Acceptance World.�

]]> 241 Anthony Powell Joe 4 4.50 1971 Books Do Furnish a Room (A Dance to the Music of Time, #10)
author: Anthony Powell
name: Joe
average rating: 4.50
book published: 1971
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/26
date added: 2024/07/29
shelves:
review:
Was recommended this book without the context that it is number 10 in a series of 12. It's still a pretty good story without the context, but I'll definitely want go back and read the whole series.
]]> <![CDATA[The First Scientific American: Benjamin Franklin and the Pursuit of Genius]]> 887357 432 Joyce E. Chaplin 0465009557 Joe 4 biography, non-fiction
An interesting read to round out the view of a historic American nevertheless.
]]> 4.00 1905 The First Scientific American: Benjamin Franklin and the Pursuit of Genius
author: Joyce E. Chaplin
name: Joe
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1905
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/23
date added: 2024/07/23
shelves: biography, non-fiction
review:
A very interesting read that (unsurprisingly) focuses on Benjamin Franklin the tinkerer/experimenter. The particularly interesting angle of this book is that Franklin's statecraft is presented as a barrier to his philosophizing, instead of the main point as most histories are presented. The book does a fair job, but admittedly could d0 better, talking about how the philosopher aspect informed his statecraft. On the other hand, that's not exactly the aim of the book.

An interesting read to round out the view of a historic American nevertheless.

]]> <![CDATA[SQL Antipatterns, Volume 1: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Database Programming]]> 63095451 380 Bill Karwin 1680508989 Joe 4 coding
However, even solving some of the simpler of the Antipatterns, I have found several ideas to try out on a project on which I'm currently working.]]> 4.29 2010 SQL Antipatterns, Volume 1: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Database Programming
author: Bill Karwin
name: Joe
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/17
date added: 2024/07/17
shelves: coding
review:
The author provides clear, concise rationale about why each of the antipatterns are categorized as such. Having read a lot of Celko I was generally unsurprised about the antipatterns, in all of their creativity, and the tradeoffs with using each. Generally speaking, the overall gist of the solution is to use SQL as it was designed. However, as compared to Celko, the author really emphasizes thinking about the fact that SQL is run from within another application and can take advantage of that fact.

However, even solving some of the simpler of the Antipatterns, I have found several ideas to try out on a project on which I'm currently working.
]]> <![CDATA[CPython Internals: Your Guide to the Python 3 Interpreter]]> 53412684 Get your guided tour through the Python 3.9 Unlock the inner workings of the Python language, compile the Python interpreter from source code, and participate in the development of CPython.

Are there certain parts of Python that just seem like magic?

This book explains the concepts, ideas, and technicalities of the Python interpreter in an approachable and hands-on fashion.

Once you see how Python works at the interpreter level, you can optimize your applications and fully leverage the power of Python.

By the End of the Book You’ll Be Able

Read and navigate the CPython 3.9 interpreter source code. You’ll deeply comprehend and appreciate the inner workings of concepts like lists, dictionaries, and generators.Make changes to the Python syntax and compile your own version of CPython, from scratch. You’ll customize the Python core data types with new functionality and run CPython’s automated test suite.Master Python’s memory management capabilities and scale your Python code with parallelism and concurrency.Debug C and Python code like a true professional. Profile and benchmark the performance of your Python code and the runtime.Participate in the development of CPython and know how to contribute to future versions of the Python interpreter and standard library. How great would it feel to give back to the community as a “Python Core Developer?”With this book you’ll cover the critical concepts behind the internals of CPython and how they work with visual explanations as you go along.

Each page in the book has been carefully laid out with beautiful typography, syntax highlighting for code examples.

About the

Anthony Shaw is a CPython contributor and a PyCon speaker. He has a B.Sc. in Computer Science and over 8 years of experience working with Python. Anthony is also a Fellow of the Python Software Foundation and member of the Open-Source Apache Foundation.

What Python Developers Say About The

“It’s the book that I wish existed years ago when I started my Python journey. [...] After reading this book your skills will grow and you will be able solve even more complex problems that can improve our world.�

� Carol Willing, CPython Core Developer & Member of the CPython Steering Council

“CPython Internals is a great (and unique) resource for anybody looking to take their knowledge of Python to a deeper level.�

� Dan Bader, Author of Python Tricks

“There are a ton of books on Python which teach the language, but I haven’t really come across anything that would go about explaining the internals to those curious minded.�

� Milan Patel, Vice President at (a major investment bank)

“I can recommend CPython Internals to anyone who wants to get going with hacking on CPython.�

� Guido van Rossum, Creator of Python]]> 389 Anthony Shaw 1775093352 Joe 4 coding 3.66 CPython Internals: Your Guide to the Python 3 Interpreter
author: Anthony Shaw
name: Joe
average rating: 3.66
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/14
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves: coding
review:
This is an excellent book that covers the inner workings of the most common implementation of Python, CPython. It is definitely helpful to have an understanding of C (and especially the compiler/compiling process). This book would be a great reference for learning how to write a new programming language in C; it is also naturally helpful for people who are interested in extending or improving a Python implementation. At a minimum, understanding the internals will help you be more thoughtful about writing performant Python code.
]]> <![CDATA[Proofs: A Long-Form Mathematics Textbook (The Long-Form Math Textbook Series)]]> 56895723 511 Jay Cummings Joe 0 currently-reading 4.49 Proofs: A Long-Form Mathematics Textbook (The Long-Form Math Textbook Series)
author: Jay Cummings
name: Joe
average rating: 4.49
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/04
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The History of Rome, Books 21-30: The War with Hannibal]]> 40003 But, above all, it is the clash of personalities that fascinate him: the great debates in the Senate, the series of Roman generals who prove no match for Hannibal, the historic meeting between Scipio and Hannibal before the decisive battle.
Livy never hesitated to introduce drama and moral lessons into his History of Rome; in the ten books dealing with the war with Hannibal, he had an immense theme worthy of his immense talents.]]> 711 Livy 014044145X Joe 5 4.15 -27 The History of Rome, Books 21-30: The War with Hannibal
author: Livy
name: Joe
average rating: 4.15
book published: -27
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/23
date added: 2024/06/28
shelves:
review:
A wonderful installment covering the Second Punic War.
]]> <![CDATA[How Your House Works: A Visual Guide to Understanding and Maintaining Your Home (RSMeans)]]> 39392900 240 Charlie Wing 1119467616 Joe 4 non-fiction 4.25 2007 How Your House Works: A Visual Guide to Understanding and Maintaining Your Home (RSMeans)
author: Charlie Wing
name: Joe
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/17
date added: 2024/06/17
shelves: non-fiction
review:
A particularly useful reference to understand, at a basic level, the systems that make up the house. A great initial reference before researching any sort of DIY projects, etc., or simply useful to make watching This Old House that much more enjoyable.
]]> <![CDATA[Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout]]> 197773418 Do fewer things. Work at a natural pace. Obsess over quality.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, a groundbreaking philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overload.

Our current definition of “productivity� is broken. It pushes us to treat busyness as a proxy for useful effort, leading to impossibly lengthy task lists and ceaseless meetings. We’re overwhelmed by all we have to do and on the edge of burnout, left to decide between giving into soul-sapping hustle culture or rejecting ambition altogether. But are these really our only choices?

Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers—from Galileo and Isaac Newton, to Jane Austen and Georgia O’Keefe—Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,� a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity, and then provides step-by-step advice for workers to replace them with a slower, more humane alternative.

From the aggressive rethinking of workload management, to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.]]> 244 Cal Newport 0593544854 Joe 3 non-fiction, business
The author provides that these methodologies are best for professors, writers, and "solopreneurs," and I certainly don't fall into that group. I was curious, however, to see if there were themes/topics that I could adopt into my way of working.

Overall, I would say that as a corporate worker looking to advance, a lot of this advice is counterproductive. You can focus on having a better work life balance, and the tips will be helpful. But, advancement-wise, I do believe that you need to demonstrate your capacity to do more. Then again, realistically, you'll need to be able to make a case for why you should move things off of your plate to take on more advanced things.

The other place I found a lot of value was in the discussion of the techniques to enable yourself to work on projects that require a bit of pure "thinking" before visual progress can be made. It's important to leave yourself time for this so you're not rushing or worried that you could be doing other things. In this case, the book does really make sense. You will have to get comfortable with making that tradeoff sometimes. The book provides several ways, in my interpretation, that you can do this and keep your head above water.

So, all things considered, I enjoyed the read, but I am not sure that I'll be back to read additional books - then again, we'll see!]]> 3.65 2024 Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout
author: Cal Newport
name: Joe
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/10
date added: 2024/06/10
shelves: non-fiction, business
review:
I was very interested to read this book and interact with the ideas that it presents. I'll admit that I went into it being a bit skeptical. Admittedly, I didn't hate the book or even the ideas.

The author provides that these methodologies are best for professors, writers, and "solopreneurs," and I certainly don't fall into that group. I was curious, however, to see if there were themes/topics that I could adopt into my way of working.

Overall, I would say that as a corporate worker looking to advance, a lot of this advice is counterproductive. You can focus on having a better work life balance, and the tips will be helpful. But, advancement-wise, I do believe that you need to demonstrate your capacity to do more. Then again, realistically, you'll need to be able to make a case for why you should move things off of your plate to take on more advanced things.

The other place I found a lot of value was in the discussion of the techniques to enable yourself to work on projects that require a bit of pure "thinking" before visual progress can be made. It's important to leave yourself time for this so you're not rushing or worried that you could be doing other things. In this case, the book does really make sense. You will have to get comfortable with making that tradeoff sometimes. The book provides several ways, in my interpretation, that you can do this and keep your head above water.

So, all things considered, I enjoyed the read, but I am not sure that I'll be back to read additional books - then again, we'll see!
]]> <![CDATA[Growing Orchids for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Beautiful Orchids at Home (Indoor Plants for Beginners)]]> 123415196 78 Kathy Campbell Joe 4 4.00 Growing Orchids for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Beautiful Orchids at Home (Indoor Plants for Beginners)
author: Kathy Campbell
name: Joe
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/29
date added: 2024/05/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today]]> 62874012
We've all had the desire to travel through time and see what our lives will be like later in life. But while we want the best possible future for ourselves, we often fail to make decisions that would truly make that version of the future a Ěý Based on over a decade of groundbreaking research, Your Future Self is the “entertaining and powerful bookâ€� (Carol Dweck, author of Mindset ) that explains that in our minds, our future selves often look like strangers. Many of us view the future as incredibly distant, making us more likely to opt for immediate gratification that disregards our health and well-being in the years to come. People who are able to connect with their future selves, however, are better able to balance living for today and planning for tomorrow. “Mind-boggling and soul-stirringâ€� (Daniel H. Pink, author of The Power of Regret ), Your Future SelfĚý describes the mental mistakes we make in thinking about the future and gives us practical advice for imagining our best future so we can make that vision a reality.]]> 304 Hal Hershfield 0316421251 Joe 3 non-fiction
Despite being a bit belaboring on the examples, it's actually a fairly quick read, and I'd ultimately recommend reading it. ]]> 3.62 Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today
author: Hal Hershfield
name: Joe
average rating: 3.62
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/24
date added: 2024/05/27
shelves: non-fiction
review:
All in all, interesting enough. The book drags on a bit, perhaps over-providing examples and studies. Definintely pop psychology. One area in which the book did not do as well as peers in its genre is turn the study overview into actionable items. It even avoided what would be two very easy topics in personal finance/saving, and climate change.

Despite being a bit belaboring on the examples, it's actually a fairly quick read, and I'd ultimately recommend reading it.
]]> <![CDATA[Simple Tailoring & Alterations: Hems - Waistbands - Seams - Sleeves - Pockets - Cuffs - Darts - Tucks - Fastenings - Necklines - Linings]]> 22277632 176 J. Francois-Campbell 1861089597 Joe 4 sewing, non-fiction 4.02 2015 Simple Tailoring & Alterations: Hems - Waistbands - Seams - Sleeves - Pockets - Cuffs - Darts - Tucks - Fastenings - Necklines - Linings
author: J. Francois-Campbell
name: Joe
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/16
date added: 2024/05/17
shelves: sewing, non-fiction
review:
A high-quality, thorough guide to a wide variety of alterations - even some which you'd have otherwise not attempted on your own!
]]> Thinking In Systems: A Primer 3828902 Thinking in Systems, is a concise and crucial book offering insight for problem solving on scales ranging from the personal to the global. Edited by the Sustainability Institute’s Diana Wright, this essential primer brings systems thinking out of the realm of computers and equations and into the tangible world, showing readers how to develop the systems-thinking skills that thought leaders across the globe consider critical for 21st-century life.

Some of the biggest problems facing the world—war, hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation—are essentially system failures. They cannot be solved by fixing one piece in isolation from the others, because even seemingly minor details have enormous power to undermine the best efforts of too-narrow thinking.

While readers will learn the conceptual tools and methods of systems thinking, the heart of the book is grander than methodology. Donella Meadows was known as much for nurturing positive outcomes as she was for delving into the science behind global dilemmas. She reminds readers to pay attention to what is important, not just what is quantifiable, to stay humble, and to stay a learner.

In a world growing ever more complicated, crowded, and interdependent, Thinking in Systems helps readers avoid confusion and helplessness, the first step toward finding proactive and effective solutions.]]> 218 Donella H. Meadows 1603580557 Joe 3 non-fiction
Ultimately, I think the book is a good read if you are able to critically think about what parts are truly tools and analysis, and which parts are opinion-based. ]]> 4.17 2008 Thinking In Systems: A Primer
author: Donella H. Meadows
name: Joe
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/14
date added: 2024/03/17
shelves: non-fiction
review:
This review is a tale of two books. When the book is describing what systems thinking is, and approaches to using it, the book does a very good job. However, the book presents systems thinking as the only solution to many issues, actively claiming that fields such as math and econometrics are ill-equipped to provide answers to dynamic systems and equations. This is distinctly not the case. Furthermore, the ultimate conclusion of the book is that "solving" for systems never works, so you just have to trust a systems thinker to offer policy solutions. Again, I find this rather short sighted, as other fields of study also provide ample methodologies to value and decide on trade-offs even with imperfect information.

Ultimately, I think the book is a good read if you are able to critically think about what parts are truly tools and analysis, and which parts are opinion-based.
]]> <![CDATA[Python Testing with Pytest: Simple, Rapid, Effective, and Scalable]]> 60528437
pytest is undeniably the best choice for testing Python projects. It’s a full-featured, flexible, and extensible testing framework. pytest’s fixture model allows you to share test data and setup procedures across multiple layers of tests. The pytest framework gives you powerful features such as assert rewriting, parametrization, markers, plugins, parallel test execution, and clear test failure reporting—with no boilerplate code.

With simple step-by-step instructions and sample code, this book gets you up to speed quickly on this easy-to-learn yet powerful tool. Write short, maintainable tests that elegantly express what you’re testing. Speed up test times by distributing tests across multiple processors and running tests in parallel. Use Python’s built-in assert statements instead of awkward assert helper functions to make your tests more readable. Move setup code out of tests and into fixtures to separate setup failures from test failures. Test error conditions and corner cases with expected exception testing, and use one test to run many test cases with parameterized testing. Extend pytest with plugins, connect it to continuous integration systems, and use it in tandem with tox, mock, coverage, and even existing unittest tests.

Write simple, maintainable tests quickly with pytest.

What You Need

The examples in this book were written using Python 3.10 and pytest 7. pytest 7 supports Python 3.5 and above.]]> 272 Brian Okken 1680508601 Joe 4 coding 4.32 Python Testing with Pytest: Simple, Rapid, Effective, and Scalable
author: Brian Okken
name: Joe
average rating: 4.32
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/20
date added: 2024/02/20
shelves: coding
review:
I've been looking for what turned out to be this book for a long time. Of course pytest is the standard testing tool for Python, but it is also full of powerful features, fixtures, etc. that can really help you hone in on testing. The book also does a very good job of covering the "theoretical" aspects of testing, best practices, etc. At the end of the day, not only am I more comfortable with the aspects that the book covered, but I feel more comfortable exploring the world of third party extensions.
]]> <![CDATA[SQL Query Design Patterns and Best Practices: A practical guide to writing readable and maintainable SQL queries using its design patterns]]> 123407473 270 Steve Hughes 1837633282 Joe 3 coding, non-fiction
The initial few chapters cover useful (and perhaps the most important part) about limiting the rows in the query. But after that, imporant topics like query plans, etc., are provided only precursory glances. This book is a beginner book pretending to be a bit more than that. Or it may be useful if you're moving from another system to SQL Server. ]]> 4.00 SQL Query Design Patterns and Best Practices: A practical guide to writing readable and maintainable SQL queries using its design patterns
author: Steve Hughes
name: Joe
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/02/15
date added: 2024/02/15
shelves: coding, non-fiction
review:
First thing first, because it's not obvious - this is specific to SQL Server. I might not have chosen this book had I known that, but I decided to read it anyhow to see if the book would translate to general concepts. To an extent, they do.

The initial few chapters cover useful (and perhaps the most important part) about limiting the rows in the query. But after that, imporant topics like query plans, etc., are provided only precursory glances. This book is a beginner book pretending to be a bit more than that. Or it may be useful if you're moving from another system to SQL Server.
]]> The Complete Serger Handbook 825194
An expert teacher explains the serger, from start to finish! This comprehensive guide is for everyone, from the novice taking the machine out of the box to the experienced user looking for a refresher. It’s a reference, an instructional guide, and even an inspiration. With humor and years of experience, author Chris James answers questions on threads and threading, which stitch is which, setting the tension, mastering the controls, learning the techniques, working with knits, rolling hems, flatlocking, troubleshooting, and so much more.]]> 160 Chris James 0806998075 Joe 4 non-fiction, sewing
I found the chapters on threading, adjusting, and maintaining the machine even more helpful than the ones about the actual serging technique, but again, both are great!]]> 4.17 1997 The Complete Serger Handbook
author: Chris James
name: Joe
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/09
date added: 2024/02/09
shelves: non-fiction, sewing
review:
Quality book for learning the specifics of using a serger. Definitely written for somebody that has some experience on a sewing machine, but there is useful information to gain even if you're starting with the serger instead of the sewing machine.

I found the chapters on threading, adjusting, and maintaining the machine even more helpful than the ones about the actual serging technique, but again, both are great!
]]> <![CDATA[What's Your Story?: Using Stories to Ignite Performance and Be More Successful]]> 741160 240 Craig Wortmann 1419535560 Joe 4 non-fiction, business
While most business books share rather simple, intuitive advice (albeit in new contexts), this book goes a bit deeper. As data becomes more and more prevalent, it is all too easy to get lost in the "bits and bullets." That said, as I've progressed through my career, it's become fairly apparent that Storytelling is an extremely important and useful tool, both to persuade and communicate information. The primary focus of this book is selling, and client service. That said, though, there are also examples of "cross-functional" collaboration, and various other non-sales situations.

I am a financial analyst, so I don't do any pure selling. However, for me, storytelling is definitely a part of persuasion and making reccomendations, and also provides useful context even when reporting results. (For instance, Wortmann mentions that financial information can be shown using bits and bullets, which is only partially true. I can provide an operating profit number, say $X MM , but in order to turn that data point into a useful piece of information, I would need to use storytelling to provide important context to that.)

Ultimately, I would reccomend this book to all businesspeople, regardless of function, looking to improve their communication skills - there is a lot of valuable insight in here, as well as useful tools to put the insights into action. ]]> 3.84 2006 What's Your Story?: Using Stories to Ignite Performance and Be More Successful
author: Craig Wortmann
name: Joe
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2020/09/17
date added: 2024/01/31
shelves: non-fiction, business
review:
As a disclaimer, I recieved this book as part of a program during my MBA, which included a presentation by the author, who was/is an adjunct professor at the university. Also as a disclaimer, that was in 2014.

While most business books share rather simple, intuitive advice (albeit in new contexts), this book goes a bit deeper. As data becomes more and more prevalent, it is all too easy to get lost in the "bits and bullets." That said, as I've progressed through my career, it's become fairly apparent that Storytelling is an extremely important and useful tool, both to persuade and communicate information. The primary focus of this book is selling, and client service. That said, though, there are also examples of "cross-functional" collaboration, and various other non-sales situations.

I am a financial analyst, so I don't do any pure selling. However, for me, storytelling is definitely a part of persuasion and making reccomendations, and also provides useful context even when reporting results. (For instance, Wortmann mentions that financial information can be shown using bits and bullets, which is only partially true. I can provide an operating profit number, say $X MM , but in order to turn that data point into a useful piece of information, I would need to use storytelling to provide important context to that.)

Ultimately, I would reccomend this book to all businesspeople, regardless of function, looking to improve their communication skills - there is a lot of valuable insight in here, as well as useful tools to put the insights into action.
]]> <![CDATA[Mastering Python Regular Expressions]]> 20920718 Regular expressions are used by many text editors, utilities, and programming languages to search and manipulate text based on patterns. They are considered the Swiss army knife of text processing. Powerful search, replacement, extraction and validation of strings, repetitive and complex tasks are reduced to a simple pattern using regular expressions.

Mastering Python Regular Expressions will teach you about Regular Expressions, starting from the basics, irrespective of the language being used, and then it will show you how to use them in Python. You will learn the finer details of what Python supports and how to do it, and the differences between Python 2.x and Python 3.x.

The book starts with a general review of the theory behind the regular expressions to follow with an overview of the Python regex module implementation, and then moves on to advanced topics like grouping, looking around, and performance.

You will explore how to leverage Regular Expressions in Python, some advanced aspects of Regular Expressions and also how to measure and improve their performance. You will get a better understanding of the working of alternators and quantifiers. Also, you will comprehend the importance of grouping before finally moving on to performance optimization techniques like the RegexBuddy Tool and Backtracking.

Mastering Python Regular Expressions provides all the information essential for a better understanding of Regular Expressions in Python.

Approach

A short and straight to the point guide that explains the implementation of Regular Expressions in Python.

Who this book is for

This book is aimed at Python developers who want to learn how to leverage Regular Expressions in Python. Basic knowledge of Python is required for a better understanding.

]]> 110 FĂ©lix LĂłpez 1783283157 Joe 4 coding, non-fiction
Despite being from 2014, the only really dated portion of the book is the Python 2.x references. The book covers Python 3 well, and the Python 3 aspects haven't changed much since then. ]]> 3.71 2014 Mastering Python Regular Expressions
author: FĂ©lix LĂłpez
name: Joe
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/19
date added: 2024/01/19
shelves: coding, non-fiction
review:
A succinct, but useful reference to using regular expressions in Python. It makes a good second book on the topic of regular expressions, or a good first book if you generally are familiar but need to learn the python dialect.

Despite being from 2014, the only really dated portion of the book is the Python 2.x references. The book covers Python 3 well, and the Python 3 aspects haven't changed much since then.
]]> <![CDATA[Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs]]> 43713 657 Harold Abelson 0262510871 Joe 0 currently-reading 4.47 1984 Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
author: Harold Abelson
name: Joe
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1984
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/13
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Learning the bash Shell 299534
You'll find this guide valuable whether you're interested in bash as a user interface or for its powerful programming capabilities. This book will teach you how to use bash's advanced command-line features, such as command history, command-line editing, and command completion.

This book also introduces shell programming,a skill no UNIX or Linus user should be without. The book demonstrates what you can do with bash's programming features. You'll learn about flow control, signal handling, and command-line processing and I/O. There is also a chapter on debugging your bash programs.

Finally, Learning the bash Shell, Third Edition, shows you how to acquire, install, configure, and customize bash, and gives advice to system administrators managing bash for their user communities.

This Third Edition covers all of the features of bash Version 3.0, while still applying to Versions 1.x and 2.x. It includes a debugger for the bash shell, both as an extended example and as a useful piece of working code. Since shell scripts are a significant part of many software projects, the book also discusses how to write maintainable shell scripts. And, of course, it discusses the many features that have been introduced to bash over the years: one-dimensional arrays, parameter expansion, pattern-matching operations, new commands, and security improvements.

Unfailingly practical and packed with examples and questions for future study, Learning the bash Shell Third Edition is a valuable asset for Linux and other UNIX users.
--back cover]]> 333 Cameron Newham 0596009658 Joe 4 coding, non-fiction 3.89 1995 Learning the bash Shell
author: Cameron Newham
name: Joe
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/07
date added: 2024/01/08
shelves: coding, non-fiction
review:
A great overview of the bash Shell and language. While, of course, several OS/UNIX related items are outdated, the bash language items are still relevant, as well as much of the "How the shell works" items, especially on the conceptual side.
]]> OLAP Solutions 2E w/WS 1889840 688 Erik Thomsen 0471400300 Joe 3
The first 11 chapters, which are primarily theoretical, are still as relevant and useful today as the were when written, although some decision logic has likely changed where memory is discussed. In fact, I was really looking for a book that would help me build and design my own system (as a way to replace the no-longer-supported Python package cubes) and even though this book is pointed towards users of professional systems (Essbase/TM1/SQL Server Analytical Services), the book actually covers several topics in a way that allowed me to make meaningful progress on my program.

Chapters 12-18, which are the case study, are just poorly written. The author regularly tries to include flaws in logic by exploring them across several pages just to ultimately say they're wrong. That probably is a good format for a live class but is just miserable in a book. I guess if you have nothing better to learn from, they'd be OK. If you simply think of the context of your data (as described by dimensions) you will gain 80% of what is discussed in this part.

OLAP is still a relevant topic (Essbase is the #1 Financial Planning and Analysis tool; new players like Vena are trying to improve upon it), but it is worth noting the author now heads an AIML company - if you need to learn OLAP software, you'll probably have to get training from whatever vendor your firm uses. ]]> 3.88 2002 OLAP Solutions 2E w/WS
author: Erik Thomsen
name: Joe
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/26
date added: 2023/12/27
shelves:
review:
My review of this book is the story of 3 books really. As a reminder, this book is several years old at this point, and where relevant, I will mention that in this review.

The first 11 chapters, which are primarily theoretical, are still as relevant and useful today as the were when written, although some decision logic has likely changed where memory is discussed. In fact, I was really looking for a book that would help me build and design my own system (as a way to replace the no-longer-supported Python package cubes) and even though this book is pointed towards users of professional systems (Essbase/TM1/SQL Server Analytical Services), the book actually covers several topics in a way that allowed me to make meaningful progress on my program.

Chapters 12-18, which are the case study, are just poorly written. The author regularly tries to include flaws in logic by exploring them across several pages just to ultimately say they're wrong. That probably is a good format for a live class but is just miserable in a book. I guess if you have nothing better to learn from, they'd be OK. If you simply think of the context of your data (as described by dimensions) you will gain 80% of what is discussed in this part.

OLAP is still a relevant topic (Essbase is the #1 Financial Planning and Analysis tool; new players like Vena are trying to improve upon it), but it is worth noting the author now heads an AIML company - if you need to learn OLAP software, you'll probably have to get training from whatever vendor your firm uses.
]]> Color Theory For Dummies 72298755 288 Eric Hibit 1119892279 Joe 4 non-fiction 3.67 Color Theory For Dummies
author: Eric Hibit
name: Joe
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/21
date added: 2023/11/21
shelves: non-fiction
review:
The author does a great job presenting the key concepts at a very appropriate level for a very introductory book, and also manages to do a great job reminding the reader that there is also subjectivity involved in the analysis. This is followed with a very high level introduction to all sorts of applications and uses of the material. While the survey of the uses of color is high level, it is thorough enough to point you in the right direction of any topic you'd want to explore in further detail.
]]> <![CDATA[How to Invest: Masters on the Craft]]> 60209479
A master class on investing featuring conversations with the biggest names in finance, from the legendary cofounder of The Carlyle Group, David M. Rubenstein.

What do the most successful investors have in common? David M. Rubenstein, cofounder of one of the world’s largest investment firms, has spent years interviewing the greatest investors in the world to discover the time-tested principles, hard-earned wisdom, and indispensable tools that guide their practice.�

Rubenstein, who has spent more than three decades in the hypercompetitive world of private equity, now distills everything he’s learned about the art and craft of investing, from venture capital, real estate, private equity, hedge funds, to crypto, endowments, SPACs, ESG, and more.

-How did Stan Druckenmiller short the British pound in one trade for a profit of $1 billion dollars?
-What made Sam Zell the smartest, toughest investor the world of real estate has ever seen?
-How did Mike Novogratz make $250 million off crypto in one year?
-How did Larry Fink build BlackRock from scratch into a firm that manages more than $10 trillion?
-How did Mary Callahan Erdoes rise to the top of J.P. Morgan’s wealth management division to manage more than $4 trillion for individuals and families all over the world?
-How did Seth Klarman perfect value investing to consistently deliver net returns of nearly 20 percent?

With unprecedented access to global leaders in finance, Rubenstein has assembled the most authoritative book of its kind. How to Invest reveals the thinking of the most successful investors in the world, many of whom rarely speak publicly. Whether you’re brand-new to investing or a seasoned professional, this book will transform the way you approach investing forever.]]> 416 David M. Rubenstein 1982190302 Joe 5 business, biography 3.90 2022 How to Invest: Masters on the Craft
author: David M. Rubenstein
name: Joe
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/06
date added: 2023/11/06
shelves: business, biography
review:
This is an excellent read. Rubenstein clearly has a knack for interviewing his peers. Furthermore, everytime I picked up the book I felt pushed and inspired to do better in my own role.
]]> <![CDATA[American Project: The Rise and Fall of a Modern Ghetto]]> 87091 American Project is the first comprehensive story of daily life in an American public housing complex.

Venkatesh draws on his relationships with tenants, gang members, police officers, and local organizations to offer an intimate portrait of an inner-city community that journalists and the public have only viewed from a distance. Challenging the conventional notion of public housing as a failure, this startling book re-creates tenants' thirty-year effort to build a safe and secure neighborhood: their political battles for services from an indifferent city bureaucracy, their daily confrontation with entrenched poverty, their painful decisions about whether to work with or against the street gangs whose drug dealing both sustained and imperiled their lives.

American Project explores the fundamental question of what makes a community viable. In his chronicle of tenants' political and personal struggles to create a decent place to live, Venkatesh brings us to the heart of the matter.]]> 360 Sudhir Venkatesh 0674008308 Joe 0 to-read 3.79 2000 American Project: The Rise and Fall of a Modern Ghetto
author: Sudhir Venkatesh
name: Joe
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Off the Books: The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor]]> 87090
What emerges are the innumerable ways that these men and women, immersed in their shadowy economic pursuits, are connected to and reliant upon one another. The underground economy, as Venkatesh’s subtle storytelling reveals, functions as an intricate web, and in the strength of its strands lie the fates of many Maquis Park residents. The result is a dramatic narrative of individuals at work, and a rich portrait of a community. But while excavating the efforts of men and women to generate a basic livelihood for themselves and their families, Off the Books offers a devastating critique of the entrenched poverty that we so often ignore in America, and reveals how the underground economy is an inevitable response to the ghetto’s appalling isolation from the rest of the country.]]> 426 Sudhir Venkatesh 0674023552 Joe 0 to-read 3.71 2006 Off the Books: The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor
author: Sudhir Venkatesh
name: Joe
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets]]> 1491906 Freakonomics. Gang Leader for a Day is the fascinating full story of how Sudhir Venkatesh managed to gain entrée into the gang, what he learned, and how his method revolutionized the academic establishment.

When Venkatesh walked into an abandoned building in one of Chicago's most notorious housing projects, he was looking for people to take a multiple-choice survey on urban poverty. A first-year grad student, he would befriend a gang leader named JT and spend the better part of the next decade inside the projects under JT's protection, documenting what he saw there.

Over the next seven years, Venkatesh observed JT and the rest of the gang as they operated their crack selling business, conducted PR within their community, and rose up or fell within the ranks of the gang's complex organizational structure.

Gang Leader for a Day is an inside view into the morally ambiguous, highly intricate, often corrupt struggle to survive in an urban war zone. It is also the story of a complicated friendship between two young and ambitious men, a universe apart.]]> 302 Sudhir Venkatesh 1594201501 Joe 0 to-read 4.05 2008 Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets
author: Sudhir Venkatesh
name: Joe
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Computers & Typesetting, Volume A: The TeXBook]]> 1190262
Novice and expert users alike will gain from The TeXbook the level of information they seek. Knuth warns newcomers away from the more difficult areas, while he entices experienced users with new challenges. The novice need not learn much about TeX to prepare a simple manuscript with it. But for the preparation of more complex documents, The TeXbook contains all the detail required.

Knuth’s familiar wit, and illustrations specially drawn by Duane Bibby, add a light touch to an unusually readable software manual.
The TeXbook is the first in a five-volume series on Computers and Typesetting, all authored by Knuth.]]> 483 Donald Ervin Knuth 0201134470 Joe 5 coding
However, this book also helped to make so many other concepts click for me. It provides a really tactile description of parsing/lexing/etc. But then also it provides great detail and description of typesetting with glyphs, glue, kerns etc. I might even consider re-approaching the Design Patterns book now that it makes more sense. ]]> 4.37 1984 Computers & Typesetting, Volume A: The TeXBook
author: Donald Ervin Knuth
name: Joe
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1984
rating: 5
read at: 2023/10/25
date added: 2023/10/25
shelves: coding
review:
This book provides a great bit of detail about plain TeX. That alone probably makes it worth the read, even if LaTeX and other derivatives are the flavor of the day. Unsurprisingly, this book provides a lot of useful info about how any -TeX is working in the background.

However, this book also helped to make so many other concepts click for me. It provides a really tactile description of parsing/lexing/etc. But then also it provides great detail and description of typesetting with glyphs, glue, kerns etc. I might even consider re-approaching the Design Patterns book now that it makes more sense.
]]> <![CDATA["You Are Not Expected to Understand This": How 26 Lines of Code Changed the World]]> 60254955
Few of us give much thought to computer code or how it comes to be. The very word “code� makes it sound immutable or even inevitable. “You Are Not Expected to Understand This� demonstrates that, far from being preordained, computer code is the result of very human decisions, ones we all live with when we use social media, take photos, drive our cars, and engage in a host of other activities.

Everything from law enforcement to space exploration relies on code written by people who, at the time, made choices and assumptions that would have long-lasting, profound implications for society. Torie Bosch brings together many of today’s leading technology experts to provide new perspectives on the code that shapes our lives. Contributors discuss a host of topics, such as how university databases were programmed long ago to accept only two genders, what the person who programmed the very first pop-up ad was thinking at the time, the first computer worm, the Bitcoin white paper, and perhaps the most famous seven words in Unix “You are not expected to understand this.�

This compelling book tells the human stories behind programming, enabling those of us who don’t think much about code to recognize its importance, and those who work with it every day to better understand the long-term effects of the decisions they make.

With an introduction by Ellen Ullman and contributions by Mahsa Alimardani, Elena Botella, Meredith Broussard, David Cassel, Arthur Daemmrich, Charles Duan, Quinn DuPont, Claire L. Evans, Hany Farid, James Grimmelmann, Katie Hafner, Susan C. Herring, Syeda Gulshan Ferdous Jana, Lowen Liu, John MacCormick, Brian McCullough, Charlton McIlwain, Lily Hay Newman, Margaret O’Mara, Will Oremus, Nick Partridge, Benjamin Pope, Joy Lisi Rankin, Afsaneh Rigot, Ellen R. Stofan, Lee Vinsel, Josephine Wolff, and Ethan Zuckerman.]]> 216 Torie Bosch 0691208484 Joe 3
It's a quick read, so worth reading once (and the essays all have citations which you can use for further research on topics of interest). ]]> 3.53 "You Are Not Expected to Understand This": How 26 Lines of Code Changed the World
author: Torie Bosch
name: Joe
average rating: 3.53
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2023/10/21
date added: 2023/10/21
shelves:
review:
The book was certainly interesting to hear about some of the impact of historical code/decsions, but it is important to remember that each of these essays are 3-5 pages long and many fail to go into sufficient discussion to truly understand their significance.

It's a quick read, so worth reading once (and the essays all have citations which you can use for further research on topics of interest).
]]> <![CDATA[C++20 for Programmers: An Objects-Natural Approach (Deitel Developer Series)]]> 53272805 -- Dr. Daisy Hollman, ISO C++ Standards Committee Member "This is a fine book that covers a surprising amount of the very large language that is C++20. An in-depth treatment of C++ for a reader familiar with how things work in other programming languages."
-- Arthur O'Dwyer, C++ trainer, Chair of CppCon's Back to Basics track, author of several accepted C++17/20/23 proposals and the book Mastering the C++17 STL "Forget about callback functions, bare pointers and proprietary multithreading libraries--C++20 is about standard concurrency features, generic lambda expressions, metaprogramming, tighter type-safety and the long-awaited concepts, which are all demonstrated in this book. Functional programming is explained clearly with plenty of illustrative code listings. The excellent chapter, 'Parallel Algorithms and A High-Level View,' is a highlight of this book."
-- Danny Kalev, Ph.D. and Certified System Analyst and Software Engineer, Former ISO C++ Standards Committee Member Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details. eBooks are 4-color and print books are black and white.]]> 960 Paul Deitel 0136905692 Joe 3 coding
Instead of the 4 stars that I would normally be inclined to give this book I went with 3, primarily because the authors went very deep on some subjects that didn't quite seem to warrant it, and stayed very high level at times where the topics could have been explored further. Sometimes this was because I already had a base knowledge and wanted more details, but often it was when I didn't have enough knowledge yet, and still felt as such after the topic was introduced. There is also a plethora of awkward grammar which, while not making the book unreadable, is noticeable. ]]> 4.17 C++20 for Programmers: An Objects-Natural Approach (Deitel Developer Series)
author: Paul Deitel
name: Joe
average rating: 4.17
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/21
date added: 2023/09/22
shelves: coding
review:
Overall, this is a pretty great introduction to C++. It can certainly be said that the book is quite thorough, and ultimately, I think it is a great resource for learning C++. It may even be a great resource to learn how to program more generally.

Instead of the 4 stars that I would normally be inclined to give this book I went with 3, primarily because the authors went very deep on some subjects that didn't quite seem to warrant it, and stayed very high level at times where the topics could have been explored further. Sometimes this was because I already had a base knowledge and wanted more details, but often it was when I didn't have enough knowledge yet, and still felt as such after the topic was introduced. There is also a plethora of awkward grammar which, while not making the book unreadable, is noticeable.
]]> <![CDATA[The History of Rome, Books 6-10: Rome and Italy]]> 167923
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700Ěýtitles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust theĚýseries to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-dateĚýtranslations by award-winning translators.]]> 377 Livy 0140443886 Joe 5 4.16 -20 The History of Rome, Books 6-10: Rome and Italy
author: Livy
name: Joe
average rating: 4.16
book published: -20
rating: 5
read at: 2023/09/10
date added: 2023/09/11
shelves:
review:
As great as the previous installment
]]> Kitchen Confidential 40748732 A new, deluxe edition of Kitchen Confidential to celebrate the life of Anthony Bourdain. The book will feature a brand new introduction, a Q&A with Ecco publisher and Bourdain’s long-time editor Daniel Halpern. Interior pages are hand-annotated by Anthony Bourdain himself. The interior will also feature a brand new drawing by Ralph Steadman.

Almost twoĚýdecades ago, the New Yorker published a now infamous article, “Don’t Eat before You Read This,â€� by then little-known chef Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain spared no one’s appetite as he revealed what happens behind the kitchen door. The article was a sensation, and the book it spawned, the now classic Kitchen Confidential, became an even bigger sensation, a megabestseller with over one million copies in print. Frankly confessional, addictively acerbic, and utterly unsparing, Bourdain pulls no punches in this memoir of his years in the restaurant business—this time with never-before-published material.]]> 416 Anthony Bourdain 0062899546 Joe 4 biography, non-fiction
The best thing about this particular edition is that it contains an afterword showing how things had changed since the first writing of the book, but then the handwritten notes, which even came after that, showing even more change. It is interesting to note the changes in the industry along the 3 editions, especially working in an industry that is also known for negative tropes.

All in all, definitely worth the read!]]> 4.39 2000 Kitchen Confidential
author: Anthony Bourdain
name: Joe
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/03
date added: 2023/09/05
shelves: biography, non-fiction
review:
This book is a classic, and for good reason. It is super interesting to read Anthony Bourdain's perspectives from before he was really famous. I especially appreciated the chapter about Scott Bryan's kitchen, and to experience what is essentially a revelation for Bourdain as he experiences a kitchen that is completely different than his.

The best thing about this particular edition is that it contains an afterword showing how things had changed since the first writing of the book, but then the handwritten notes, which even came after that, showing even more change. It is interesting to note the changes in the industry along the 3 editions, especially working in an industry that is also known for negative tropes.

All in all, definitely worth the read!
]]> <![CDATA[The Algorithm Design Manual (Texts in Computer Science)]]> 55357750 793 Steven S. Skiena 3030542556 Joe 4 coding 4.38 1997 The Algorithm Design Manual (Texts in Computer Science)
author: Steven S. Skiena
name: Joe
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/04
date added: 2023/08/04
shelves: coding
review:
This book is the standard for a reason - the author also provides his lectures on YouTube, which is usually quite helpful.
]]> <![CDATA[Mastering PostgreSQL 13: Build, Administer, and Maintain Database Applications Efficiently with PostgreSQL 13]]> 57887489 476 Hans-Jürgen Schönig 1800567499 Joe 4 coding 4.67 Mastering PostgreSQL 13: Build, Administer, and Maintain Database Applications Efficiently with PostgreSQL 13
author: Hans-Jürgen Schönig
name: Joe
average rating: 4.67
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/18
date added: 2023/07/19
shelves: coding
review:
The book offers a great overview of many of the advanced features of PostgreSQL. Even though I am using version 15, almost all of the info is still relevant.
]]> <![CDATA[Building PowerPoint Templates v2]]> 60091946 330 Echo Swinford Joe 4 business
I cannot even begin to count the creative ways people try (horribly) to recreate the brand-approved template (when they could literally just use the file provided by the brand team).

As a point of clarity, though - one thing this book is not is a guide to graphic design. The authors do provide a lot of great tips about designing clean slides, but it won't help you much if you're looking for a guide on the artistic side of building a theme/template. This book does cover just about everything else though.]]> 4.00 Building PowerPoint Templates v2
author: Echo Swinford
name: Joe
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/09
date added: 2023/07/09
shelves: business
review:
This is truly a great book - there really isn't anything quite like it on the marketplace. It is a useful skill to be able to design PowerPoint themes. Even if you'll never design one yourself, thinking about the items discussed in this book will ensure that you are doing the appropriate things to provide a consistent, on-brand presentation every time.

I cannot even begin to count the creative ways people try (horribly) to recreate the brand-approved template (when they could literally just use the file provided by the brand team).

As a point of clarity, though - one thing this book is not is a guide to graphic design. The authors do provide a lot of great tips about designing clean slides, but it won't help you much if you're looking for a guide on the artistic side of building a theme/template. This book does cover just about everything else though.
]]> <![CDATA[Detroit's Mount Olivet Cemetery (Images of America: Michigan)]]> 1847922 128 Cecile Wendt Jensen 0738540927 Joe 5 3.43 2006 Detroit's Mount Olivet Cemetery (Images of America: Michigan)
author: Cecile Wendt Jensen
name: Joe
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2023/07/03
date added: 2023/07/03
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed reading this book, which is really a story about Catholic Immigrants to Detroit. I also enjoyed reading about my Great- and Great-Great-Grandparents, who opened the first Polish funeral home in Detroit. Sadly, the funeral home, which was on St. Aubin, is no longer open, but I do still have some cousins in the business!
]]> <![CDATA[The History of Rome, Books 1-5: The Early History of Rome]]> 68542 488 Livy 0140448098 Joe 4 3.97 -29 The History of Rome, Books 1-5: The Early History of Rome
author: Livy
name: Joe
average rating: 3.97
book published: -29
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/05
date added: 2023/06/05
shelves:
review:
It's a classic - not much more to say about this one. A must read if you're into anthropology or the history of Rome or cities.
]]> Slaughterhouse-Five 168646 Ěý
Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time
Ěý
Slaughterhouse-Five , an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous World War II firebombing of Dresden, the novel is the result of what Kurt Vonnegut described as a twenty-three-year struggle to write a book about what he had witnessed as an American prisoner of war. It combines historical fiction, science fiction, autobiography, and satire in an account of the life of Billy Pilgrim, a barber’s son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee. As Vonnegut had, Billy experiences the destruction of Dresden as a POW. Unlike Vonnegut, he experiences time travel, or coming “unstuck in time.�

An instant bestseller, Slaughterhouse-Five made Kurt Vonnegut a cult hero in American literature, a reputation that only strengthened over time, despite his being banned and censored by some libraries and schools for content and language. But it was precisely those elements of Vonnegut’s writing—the political edginess, the genre-bending inventiveness, the frank violence, the transgressive wit—that have inspired generations of readers not just to look differently at the world around them but to find the confidence to say something about it. Authors as wide-ranging as Norman Mailer, John Irving, Michael Crichton, Tim O’Brien, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Strout, David Sedaris, Jennifer Egan, and J. K. Rowling have all found inspiration in Vonnegut’s words. Jonathan Safran Foer has described Vonnegut as “the kind of writer who made people—young people especially—want to write.� George Saunders has declared Vonnegut to be “the great, urgent, passionate American writer of our century, who offers us . . . a model of the kind of compassionate thinking that might yet save us from ourselves.�

More than fifty years after its initial publication at the height of the Vietnam War, Vonnegut’s portrayal of political disillusionment, PTSD, and postwar anxiety feels as relevant, darkly humorous, and profoundly affecting as ever, an enduring beacon through our own era’s uncertainties.]]> 215 Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 0440180295 Joe 3 classic-novels 4.08 1969 Slaughterhouse-Five
author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
name: Joe
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1969
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/06/04
shelves: classic-novels
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Visual Basic 2019 Handbook: A Concise Guide to VB2019 Programming]]> 56986881 332 Dr.Liew Voon Kiong Joe 3 coding
The book isn't terrible, especially since I don't have too much experience with the Visual Studio/GUI/Form aspect of VB; I do, however, have a fair bit of VBA experience (and Forms in the Excel/VBA environment) which I hoped to leverage. Ultimately, the book is good for beginner-to-intermediate use of the Forms and Controls, and a high-level overview of the syntax. If you have experience in other languages, you'll find the coverage of the code/syntax to be underwhelming, and not moving past the basics.

Where I was especially disappointed, though, is that there are a lot of strange rules and properties about the actual UI design of the form (for instance if you have a 500px window, pixel 250 is not in the middle. By experience, if you want the 500px width window, make it about 15px wider.) This is more of a flaw in the language than in the book (and why there isn't an easy "center this button" feature). But given that the author has a fair bit of experience in the language, it seems like something they should've covered.
]]> 3.00 Visual Basic 2019 Handbook: A Concise Guide to VB2019 Programming
author: Dr.Liew Voon Kiong
name: Joe
average rating: 3.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2023/06/02
date added: 2023/06/02
shelves: coding
review:
Visual Basic is a language that is losing it's popularity. I actually am planning on spending more time on Visual C#/Visual C++ for Windows Forms type apps going forward. But, the lack of books about Visual Basic at all, and especially other than the $200+ textbook level, so I was happy to see this one.

The book isn't terrible, especially since I don't have too much experience with the Visual Studio/GUI/Form aspect of VB; I do, however, have a fair bit of VBA experience (and Forms in the Excel/VBA environment) which I hoped to leverage. Ultimately, the book is good for beginner-to-intermediate use of the Forms and Controls, and a high-level overview of the syntax. If you have experience in other languages, you'll find the coverage of the code/syntax to be underwhelming, and not moving past the basics.

Where I was especially disappointed, though, is that there are a lot of strange rules and properties about the actual UI design of the form (for instance if you have a 500px window, pixel 250 is not in the middle. By experience, if you want the 500px width window, make it about 15px wider.) This is more of a flaw in the language than in the book (and why there isn't an easy "center this button" feature). But given that the author has a fair bit of experience in the language, it seems like something they should've covered.

]]> <![CDATA[Learning UML 2.0: A Pragmatic Introduction to UML]]> 233162 --Richard Mark Soley, Chairman and CEO, OMG

If you're like most software developers, you're building systems that are increasingly complex. Whether you're creating a desktop application or an enterprise system, complexity is the big hairy monster you must manage.

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) helps you manage this complexity. Whether you're looking to use UML as a blueprint language, a sketch tool, or as a programming language, this book will give you the need-to-know information on how to apply UML to your project. While there are plenty of books available that describe UML, Learning UML 2.0 will show you how to use it. Topics covered









Engaging and accessible, this book shows you how to use UML to craft and communicate your project's design. Russ Miles and Kim Hamilton have written a pragmatic introduction to UML based on hard-earned practice, not theory. Regardless of the software process or methodology you use, this book is the one source you need to get up and running with UML 2.0. Additional information including exercises can be found at .

Russ Miles is a software engineer for General Dynamics UK, where he works with Java and Distributed Systems, although his passion at the moment is Aspect Orientation and, in particular, AspectJ. Kim Hamilton is a senior software engineer at Northrop Grumman, where she's designed and implemented a variety of systems including web applications and distributed systems, with frequent detours into algorithms development.]]> 283 Russ Miles 0596009828 Joe 4 coding 3.45 2006 Learning UML 2.0: A Pragmatic Introduction to UML
author: Russ Miles
name: Joe
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/11
date added: 2023/05/12
shelves: coding
review:
A no-nonsense guide to learning UML at the appropriate level for a programmer who has at least some concept of object-oriented program (although UML topics don't only related to classes and their interactions). The book uses Java in its code examples, which wasn't too much of a roadblock for me with no Java experience; but this does cause the book to show its age a bit.
]]> <![CDATA[Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software]]> 85009
The authors begin by describing what patterns are and how they can help you design object-oriented software. They then go on to systematically name, explain, evaluate, and catalog recurring designs in object-oriented systems. With Design Patterns as your guide, you will learn how these important patterns fit into the software development process, and how you can leverage them to solve your own design problems most efficiently.

Each pattern describes the circumstances in which it is applicable, when it can be applied in view of other design constraints, and the consequences and trade-offs of using the pattern within a larger design. All patterns are compiled from real systems and are based on real-world examples. Each pattern also includes code that demonstrates how it may be implemented in object-oriented programming languages like C++ or Smalltalk.

]]> 416 Erich Gamma 0201633612 Joe 3 coding
Secondly, this book is abstract for the point of being abstract. This is understandable given that abstraction and encapsulation are the two main benefits of using the design patterns, but additional, more concrete examples are a great bridge into making the concepts stick.

This book is the standard for these design patterns. As such, I still recommend reading it and working through it. But, it was very helpful for me to have a more intermediate level book to help translated in the meantime. ]]> 4.19 1994 Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
author: Erich Gamma
name: Joe
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/26
date added: 2023/05/01
shelves: coding
review:
I will provide the context that I am an amateur coder at best; and although I generally do quite well with academic topics, this book was a challenge for me. First of all, it is dated. The general ideas of the design patterns have not changed much. However, the emphasis on windows and glyphs in the examples is a bit uncommon, at least in my experience. Also, the code snippets are provided in a very old dialect of C++, or otherwise in a language called Smalltalk, which I had never heard of.

Secondly, this book is abstract for the point of being abstract. This is understandable given that abstraction and encapsulation are the two main benefits of using the design patterns, but additional, more concrete examples are a great bridge into making the concepts stick.

This book is the standard for these design patterns. As such, I still recommend reading it and working through it. But, it was very helpful for me to have a more intermediate level book to help translated in the meantime.
]]> <![CDATA[Design Patterns in Python: Common GOF (Gang of Four) Design Patterns implemented in Python (Software Engineering)]]> 57242148
* Book also provides you FREE Access to Online Instructional Videos. See video codes in the book

This book is about the 23 common GOF (Gang of Four) Design Patterns implemented and in Python. A Design Pattern is a description or template that can be repeatedly applied to a commonly recurring problem in software design. You will find a familiarity with Design Patterns very useful when planning, discussing, developing, managing and documenting your applications from now on and into the future. You will learn these Design Patterns. If you want a break from your computer and read from a book for a while, then this book is for you. Thanks,
Sean Bradley]]> 238 Mr Sean Bradley Joe 4 coding 4.22 Design Patterns in Python: Common GOF (Gang of Four) Design Patterns implemented in Python (Software Engineering)
author: Mr Sean Bradley
name: Joe
average rating: 4.22
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/01
date added: 2023/05/01
shelves: coding
review:
I discovered this book due to the SkillShare course by the author. It was extremely helpful in breaking down the Gang of Four Design Patterns into a much more modern and much less abstract approach. It is helpful that the book uses Python, removing some of the language barrier that exists in the GoF book, using C++ from 1994. But what is more helpful is that the author is able to approach the design patterns, which are ultimately about abstraction, in a way that is not too abstract. At a minimum, this book serves as a great intro into reading the GoF book. Strongly recommend.
]]> Learn Vimscript the Hard Way 17227647
It is not a guide to using Vim. Before reading this book you should be comfortable editing text in Vim and know what terms like "buffer", "window" and "insert mode" mean.]]> 209 Steve Losh Joe 4 coding
It would be helpful to have a basic understanding of Vim before delving into the book, and at least one programming language (preferably a scripting language like Bash or Python). But, with those criteria filled, every Vim user should read at least the first two-thirds of this book.]]> 4.26 Learn Vimscript the Hard Way
author: Steve Losh
name: Joe
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/13
date added: 2023/04/14
shelves: coding
review:
All around, this is a quality book that does a great job of covering Vimscript. Even if you're not planning to write a plugin of your own (the last 3rd of the book), many of the topics covered are extremely practical for the standard Vim user. Furthermore, the author offers the book for free online. I ultimately bought a copy of the eBook for $8 - the least I could do for how helpful the book is.

It would be helpful to have a basic understanding of Vim before delving into the book, and at least one programming language (preferably a scripting language like Bash or Python). But, with those criteria filled, every Vim user should read at least the first two-thirds of this book.
]]> <![CDATA[Nonprofit Bookkeeping & Accounting FD]]> 6990407 360 Sharon Farris 0470432365 Joe 3 business
I have two areas in which I think the book could be improved. First, and the biggest, is that users of this book are likely involved in small nonprofits. While the author does a great job of stating where things are important even for the smallest nonprofits, I think much more color could be given on deciding what are some of the correct policies and controls for smaller nonprofits where the tradeoff between doing something in the textbook manner and paying for the staff/external bookkeeper is an important tradeoff. There is almost no guidance about this, except on forming an audit committee in chapter 20.

Secondly, there is a lot of emphasis on Federal Grants, along with their special accounting and auditing rules. The inclusion is good, because the requirements are relatively strict. However, thinking again about smaller nonprofits, they're much less likely to obtain these grants. Aside from the onerous accounting and reporting rules, which can be a material burden for small and even medium nonprofits, many of the criteria for grant selection naturally exclude smaller nonprofits. The chapters about Federal Grants are helpful and should stay as they are, but in some of the other chapters it is almost suggested that they're your only funding source, and the author could have spent more time on other types of revenue.

As a bottom line, if you're completely new to the business/nonprofit world, this is a good start. But, unless you're a board member of a nonprofit with a well established accouting practice and strong skills in staff and other board members, it would be beneficial to spend time with a more advanced resource as well. ]]> 3.62 2009 Nonprofit Bookkeeping & Accounting FD
author: Sharon Farris
name: Joe
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/13
date added: 2023/04/14
shelves: business
review:
Overall, this book provides a fairly thorough overview of Bookkeeping and Accounting for Nonprofits. If you're starting from scratch, or want a high level overview, this is a great place to start. The first obligatory caveat is that the book is over 10 years old and laws, rules, and GAAP all change over time - that doesn't really have much of an impact here, and the author is usually good to point out when this is especially important. It is most apparent talking about manual bookkeeping vs. using software. QuickBooks, and free alternatives are much more prevalent. Also, efiling is much easier, and much more often required now.

I have two areas in which I think the book could be improved. First, and the biggest, is that users of this book are likely involved in small nonprofits. While the author does a great job of stating where things are important even for the smallest nonprofits, I think much more color could be given on deciding what are some of the correct policies and controls for smaller nonprofits where the tradeoff between doing something in the textbook manner and paying for the staff/external bookkeeper is an important tradeoff. There is almost no guidance about this, except on forming an audit committee in chapter 20.

Secondly, there is a lot of emphasis on Federal Grants, along with their special accounting and auditing rules. The inclusion is good, because the requirements are relatively strict. However, thinking again about smaller nonprofits, they're much less likely to obtain these grants. Aside from the onerous accounting and reporting rules, which can be a material burden for small and even medium nonprofits, many of the criteria for grant selection naturally exclude smaller nonprofits. The chapters about Federal Grants are helpful and should stay as they are, but in some of the other chapters it is almost suggested that they're your only funding source, and the author could have spent more time on other types of revenue.

As a bottom line, if you're completely new to the business/nonprofit world, this is a good start. But, unless you're a board member of a nonprofit with a well established accouting practice and strong skills in staff and other board members, it would be beneficial to spend time with a more advanced resource as well.
]]> <![CDATA[Nonprofit Law and Governance For Dummies]]> 831813 368 Jill Gilbert Welytok 0470087897 Joe 4
One thing I wish the book covered more of is what is an appropriate level of governance for smaller nonprofits. Most of the users of the book are probably starting a nonprofit or joining their first board, and while implementing everything in the book in full is the ideal, realistically, most small nonprofits will have neither the staff nor the complexity to warrant such an endeavor. Nevertheless, this is a great starting point, which could be followed up with additional reading.]]> 3.93 2007 Nonprofit Law and Governance For Dummies
author: Jill Gilbert Welytok
name: Joe
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/19
date added: 2023/03/19
shelves:
review:
This is a great overview of Law and Governance related to Nonprofits. Note that this book was written in 2006, and therefore is heavily influenced by the then-recent passage of Sarbanes-Oxley. This law is not applicable to nonprofits, but it does provide a roadmap towards good governance practices. The content is pretty much an even split of Laws related to founding the nonprofit, getting and maintaining tax-exempt status, and audit/financial reporting.

One thing I wish the book covered more of is what is an appropriate level of governance for smaller nonprofits. Most of the users of the book are probably starting a nonprofit or joining their first board, and while implementing everything in the book in full is the ideal, realistically, most small nonprofits will have neither the staff nor the complexity to warrant such an endeavor. Nevertheless, this is a great starting point, which could be followed up with additional reading.
]]> <![CDATA[Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City]]> 6214108
In 1927, Henry Ford, the richest man in the world, bought a tract of land twice the size of the U.S. state of Delaware in the Brazilian Amazon. His intention was to grow rubber, but the project rapidly evolved into a more ambitious bid to export America itself, along with its golf courses, ice-cream shops, bandstands, indoor plumbing, and Model Ts rolling down broad streets.

Fordlandia, as the settlement was called, quickly became the site of an epic clash. On one side was the car magnate, lean, austere, the man who reduced industrial production to its simplest motions; on the other, the Amazon, lush, extravagant, the most complex ecological system on the planet. Ford's early success in imposing time clocks and square dances on the jungle soon collapsed, as indigenous workers, rejecting his midwestern Puritanism, turned the place into a ribald tropical boomtown. Fordlandia's eventual demise as a rubber plantation foreshadowed the practices that today are laying waste to the rain forest.

More than a parable of one man's arrogant attempt to force his will on the natural world, Fordlandia depicts a desperate quest to salvage the bygone America that the Ford factory system did much to dispatch. As Greg Grandin shows in this gripping and mordantly observed history, Ford's great delusion was not that the Amazon could be tamed but that the forces of capitalism, once released, might yet be contained.]]> 416 Greg Grandin 0805082360 Joe 0 to-read 3.62 2009 Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City
author: Greg Grandin
name: Joe
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life]]> 28952752 Designing Your Life, Silicon Valley design innovators Bill Burnett and Dave Evans use their expertise to help you work out what you want � and how to get it.

Their phenomenally successful Life Design course has been tried and tested by thousands of people, from students to mid-career professionals to retirees contemplating a whole new future. Now in book form for the first time, their simple method will teach you how to use basic design tools to create a life that will work for you.

Using real-life stories and proven techniques like reframing, prototyping and mind-mapping, you will learn how to build your way forwards, step-by-positive-step, to a life that’s better by a design of your own making.

Because a well-designed life means a life well-lived.]]> 304 Bill Burnett 110187533X Joe 2 non-fiction, business
Personally, I would prefer to spend a bit more time developing my life view. After the first 5 chapters or so, the book actually becomes slightly more disappointing; pretty much advising that to get your "dream job", you need to network and not apply blindly. Chapter 10 and 11 do, however, present some good tools to reframe how you think about failure.

If you are looking for some concrete frameworks to think about what you want to do as your job, and maybe how it fits in with your life as a whole, pick up the book. Otherwise, you can probably skip it. ]]> 3.66 2016 Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life
author: Bill Burnett
name: Joe
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2023/03/12
date added: 2023/03/12
shelves: non-fiction, business
review:
Overall, this is an ok book. It is especially helpful if you need some tools and techniques for broadening your horizons about what you can as a job. However, my biggest disappointment is that this book overly focuses on the Work aspect of life. At the beginning of the book, you design a work view and a life view, but then it's pretty much only about does your work fit into your life view.

Personally, I would prefer to spend a bit more time developing my life view. After the first 5 chapters or so, the book actually becomes slightly more disappointing; pretty much advising that to get your "dream job", you need to network and not apply blindly. Chapter 10 and 11 do, however, present some good tools to reframe how you think about failure.

If you are looking for some concrete frameworks to think about what you want to do as your job, and maybe how it fits in with your life as a whole, pick up the book. Otherwise, you can probably skip it.
]]> <![CDATA[Mastering Vim: Build a software development environment with Vim and Neovim]]> 43981174 330 Ruslan Osipov 1789341094 Joe 4 coding 4.00 Mastering Vim: Build a software development environment with Vim and Neovim
author: Ruslan Osipov
name: Joe
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/09
date added: 2023/03/09
shelves: coding
review:
Overall, a great overview for using Vim. I would start by using simple tutorials (like Vim Tutorial), and then read this book to gain the next level of understanding and functionality. It's especially nice that the book covers gVim as well.
]]> <![CDATA[Flask Web Development: Developing Web Applications with Python]]> 18774655
Rather than impose development guidelines as other frameworks do, Flask leaves the business of extensions up to you. If you have Python experience, this book shows you how to take advantage of that creative freedom.

- Learn Flask’s basic application structure and write an example app
- Work with must-have components—templates, databases, web forms, and email support
- Use packages and modules to structure a large application that scales
- Implement user authentication, roles, and profiles
- Build a blogging feature by reusing templates, paginating item lists, and working with rich text
- Use a Flask-based RESTful API to expose app functionality to smartphones, tablets, and other third-party clients
- Learn how to run unit tests and enhance application performance
- Explore options for deploying your web app to a production server]]> 256 Miguel Grinberg 1449372627 Joe 4 coding 4.22 2014 Flask Web Development: Developing Web Applications with Python
author: Miguel Grinberg
name: Joe
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/03
date added: 2023/03/06
shelves: coding
review:
This book will teach you how to build a fully functioning Flask Web Application. It does a really good job at that. But, I think the most valuable part of this book is that it is one of a very few books I've encountered so far that does a good job covering how to build a larger app. Flask apps do tend to have a more rigid file structure, but the coverage is sufficient that you can apply some of the thinking to structuring a larger CLI app as well.
]]> <![CDATA[Joe Celko's SQL for Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)]]> 23315989 852 Joe Celko 0128007613 Joe 3 coding the book on SQL Programming - and rightfully so. Obviously the author is extremely knowledgable on the subject, and his time on the SQL Standards committee is obviously well reflected in this book. I have also read a few of his other books, notably Joe Celko's Trees and Hierarchies in SQL for Smarties, and I particularly like the balance of formal teaching, practical tips, and several examples.

However, that said, I had to take away a star in my review. When a topic that is covered in another book is reprinted in this one, it makes sense, and hopefully encourages readers to explore some of the other books in greater detail. But, especially towards the back quarter of the book, there were several sections reprinted in verbatim (the first example that comes to mind is the DATE TIME section (~ ch9) in the Temporal Queries section (Ch 35). I get that perhaps some people would view this book as a "cookbook" style text - but it would be much better if the author would have just pointed the reader to the prior section. Also, while I did not reduce my rating, towards the end of the book the editing seems to get a bit lax.

Stylistic complaints aside, this book is a gold mine of information, and I strongly recommend people who are interested in developing some SQL skills to check it out. ]]> 4.42 1995 Joe Celko's SQL for Smarties: Advanced SQL Programming (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)
author: Joe Celko
name: Joe
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1995
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/14
date added: 2023/02/14
shelves: coding
review:
This book is rightfully known as the book on SQL Programming - and rightfully so. Obviously the author is extremely knowledgable on the subject, and his time on the SQL Standards committee is obviously well reflected in this book. I have also read a few of his other books, notably Joe Celko's Trees and Hierarchies in SQL for Smarties, and I particularly like the balance of formal teaching, practical tips, and several examples.

However, that said, I had to take away a star in my review. When a topic that is covered in another book is reprinted in this one, it makes sense, and hopefully encourages readers to explore some of the other books in greater detail. But, especially towards the back quarter of the book, there were several sections reprinted in verbatim (the first example that comes to mind is the DATE TIME section (~ ch9) in the Temporal Queries section (Ch 35). I get that perhaps some people would view this book as a "cookbook" style text - but it would be much better if the author would have just pointed the reader to the prior section. Also, while I did not reduce my rating, towards the end of the book the editing seems to get a bit lax.

Stylistic complaints aside, this book is a gold mine of information, and I strongly recommend people who are interested in developing some SQL skills to check it out.
]]> <![CDATA[Python for Data Analysis: Data Wrangling with pandas, NumPy, and Jupyter]]> 62227274
Filled with practical case studies, Python for Data Analysis demonstrates the nuts and bolts of manipulating, processing, cleaning, and crunching data with Python. It also serves as a modern introduction to scientific computing in Python for data-intensive applications. Learn about the growing field of data analysis from an expert in the community.

Learn everything you need to start doing real data analysis work with Python

Get the most complete instruction on the basics of the “modern scientific Python platform�

Learn from an insider who builds tools for the scientific stack

Get an excellent introduction for novices and a wealth of advanced methods for experienced analysts]]> 579 Wes McKinney 109810403X Joe 3 coding
While the title is perhaps a bit misleading, as there is not a lot of actual analysis performed, the book provides fairly detailed coverage of using pandas for data cleanup and prep. The author (accurately, I may add) states that a majority of your time as a data analyst is spent cleaning and preparing data - which makes me even happier that I have a team to do that for me! But I have already been able to use many of the topics to do quick data exploration and model prototyping in the real world.

Also, I strongly recommend reading the apendices! If you have a background in C, the numpy appendix is particularly enlightening; and as somebody who prefers command line python to interactive python, I learned many useful things about IPython as well. ]]> 4.09 2011 Python for Data Analysis: Data Wrangling with pandas, NumPy, and Jupyter
author: Wes McKinney
name: Joe
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/29
date added: 2023/02/07
shelves: coding
review:
Of all of the Pandas/Data Analysis with Python books that I have read over the last year or so, this one has been my favorite, hands down. The author does a great job of keeping the examples and content at the appropriate level of details. Which, in this case, was providing sufficient detail.

While the title is perhaps a bit misleading, as there is not a lot of actual analysis performed, the book provides fairly detailed coverage of using pandas for data cleanup and prep. The author (accurately, I may add) states that a majority of your time as a data analyst is spent cleaning and preparing data - which makes me even happier that I have a team to do that for me! But I have already been able to use many of the topics to do quick data exploration and model prototyping in the real world.

Also, I strongly recommend reading the apendices! If you have a background in C, the numpy appendix is particularly enlightening; and as somebody who prefers command line python to interactive python, I learned many useful things about IPython as well.
]]> <![CDATA[Essential SQLAlchemy: Mapping Python to Databases]]> 27560172 208 Jason Myers 149191646X Joe 3 coding
Overall, the book is fairly high-level, which is ok, as most SQL Operations should probably be done via SQL anyhow. This makes the chapters on reflection quite useful. My main/only complaint is that the chapters between ORM and Core are almost identical, but the author doesn't really mention this. I understand why, as it is nice to see the comparision between the two methods, but if this is the approach the author was planning to take, I wish they would have been more explicit in calling out the differences and similarities. It doesn't take away from the usefulness as a learning tool; it's mostly an annoyance while reading. ]]> 3.69 Essential SQLAlchemy: Mapping Python to Databases
author: Jason Myers
name: Joe
average rating: 3.69
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/24
date added: 2023/01/24
shelves: coding
review:
The book does a fairly great job of outlining the basic use of SQLAlchemy, both the Core and ORM versions, along with Alembic, an additional tool for schema changes and database migration. Note that this book was written for SQLAlchemy v1.0, and the current version is 2.0.

Overall, the book is fairly high-level, which is ok, as most SQL Operations should probably be done via SQL anyhow. This makes the chapters on reflection quite useful. My main/only complaint is that the chapters between ORM and Core are almost identical, but the author doesn't really mention this. I understand why, as it is nice to see the comparision between the two methods, but if this is the approach the author was planning to take, I wish they would have been more explicit in calling out the differences and similarities. It doesn't take away from the usefulness as a learning tool; it's mostly an annoyance while reading.
]]> <![CDATA[Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks (Greenwood Press "Daily Life Through History")]]> 21449223 368 Robert Garland 1624661297 Joe 4 non-fiction 4.17 1998 Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks (Greenwood Press "Daily Life Through History")
author: Robert Garland
name: Joe
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/20
date added: 2023/01/20
shelves: non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Daily Life of the Ancient Romans]]> 10261629 224 David Matz 0872209571 Joe 4 non-fiction 3.57 2001 Daily Life of the Ancient Romans
author: David Matz
name: Joe
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/14
date added: 2023/01/14
shelves: non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Expert C Programming: Deep C Secrets]]> 198207 353 Peter van der Linden 0131774298 Joe 4 coding, non-fiction
If you'd like to learn more about declarations, arrays, and pointers this resource is quite good. Other chapters such as the memory management chapter do show signs of age, but still work as a good theoretical concept, and there were almost no times where I skipped entire sections because they were no longer relevant. ]]> 4.31 1994 Expert C Programming: Deep C Secrets
author: Peter van der Linden
name: Joe
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1994
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/28
date added: 2022/12/28
shelves: coding, non-fiction
review:
It is worth starting this review off by saying that this book was written in 1994. C99 is the new (current) standard, and this book was written for ANSI C. That being said, most of the topics are still quite relevant today, and provide a deep dive, or more thorough understanding to some of the less intuitive aspects of C programming.

If you'd like to learn more about declarations, arrays, and pointers this resource is quite good. Other chapters such as the memory management chapter do show signs of age, but still work as a good theoretical concept, and there were almost no times where I skipped entire sections because they were no longer relevant.
]]> Life in Roman London 13229812 160 Simon Webb 0752465368 Joe 4 non-fiction
Most noteworthy were the chapters covering Londinium at its peak, as well as the downfall and abandonment, and eventual conversion to London much later.

The (unfortunate) tradeoff in the broad coverage of the book is that many topics could have stood to have more detail. Some of this is likely due to the available research, which is lesser than that of say, Rome itself. But, some of that is just due to the format of the book, which is easily remedied with the bibliography at the back. ]]> 4.15 2012 Life in Roman London
author: Simon Webb
name: Joe
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/28
date added: 2022/12/28
shelves: non-fiction
review:
This book was a lovely overview of, as the title suggests, Life in Roman London. As with many anthropological survey type books, the author has to cover a long period, in this case 450 years; but as with many books, the author does a great job speaking to each of the periods.

Most noteworthy were the chapters covering Londinium at its peak, as well as the downfall and abandonment, and eventual conversion to London much later.

The (unfortunate) tradeoff in the broad coverage of the book is that many topics could have stood to have more detail. Some of this is likely due to the available research, which is lesser than that of say, Rome itself. But, some of that is just due to the format of the book, which is easily remedied with the bibliography at the back.
]]> <![CDATA[Learn More Python 3 the Hard Way: The Next Step for New Python Programmers (Zed Shaw's Hard Way Series)]]> 30200931 Transform Your Ideas into High-Quality Python Code! Zed Shaw has perfected the world's best system for becoming a truly effective Python 3.x developer. Follow it and you will succeed--just like the tens of millions of programmers he's already taught. You bring the discipline, commitment, and persistence; the author supplies everything else. In Learn Python 3 the Hard Way, Zed Shaw taught you the basics of Programming with Python 3. Now, in Learn More Python 3 the Hard Way, you'll go far beyond the basics by working through 52 brilliantly crafted projects. Each one helps you build a key practical skill, combining demos to get you started and challenges to deepen your understanding. Zed then teaches you even more in 12 hours of online videos, where he shows you how to break, fix, and debug your code. First, you'll discover how to analyze a concept, idea, or problem to implement in software. Then, step by step, you'll learn to design solutions based on your analyses and implement them as simply and elegantly as possible. Throughout, Shaw stresses process so you can get started and build momentum, creativity to solve new problems, and quality so you'll build code people can rely on.
Manage complex projects with a programmer's text editor Leverage the immense power of data structures Apply algorithms to process your data structures Master indispensable text parsing and processing techniques Use SQL to efficiently and logically model stored data Learn powerful command-line tools and skills Combine multiple practices in complete projects
It'll be hard at first. But soon, you'll just get it--and that will feel great! This course will reward you for every minute you put into it. Soon, you'll go beyond merely writing code that runs: you'll craft high-quality Python code that solves real problems. You'll be a serious Python programmer. Perfect for Everyone Who's Already Started Working with Python, including Junior Developers and Seasoned Python Programmers Upgrading to Python 3.6+ Register your product at for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE]]> 240 Zed A. Shaw 0134123484 Joe 4
This book in particular is great because it goes on to address, at the same time, advanced concepts in Python, as well as advanced concepts in programming in general. As I said in my review of Learn C The Hard Way, working through this book will make you a better programmer. In fact, this book explicitly focuses on process as a common theme throughout the activities, which provides a great framework to think about project methodologies - I don't only use this method for coding; there are several aspects which are applicable to my day-to-day job as well. ]]> 3.80 2016 Learn More Python 3 the Hard Way: The Next Step for New Python Programmers (Zed Shaw's Hard Way Series)
author: Zed A. Shaw
name: Joe
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/22
date added: 2022/12/22
shelves: activity-books, non-fiction, coding
review:
As you can likely tell, I have worked through many of the books in this series: SQL, C, and the introductory Python. I keep coming back because the books are a really great way to learn.

This book in particular is great because it goes on to address, at the same time, advanced concepts in Python, as well as advanced concepts in programming in general. As I said in my review of Learn C The Hard Way, working through this book will make you a better programmer. In fact, this book explicitly focuses on process as a common theme throughout the activities, which provides a great framework to think about project methodologies - I don't only use this method for coding; there are several aspects which are applicable to my day-to-day job as well.
]]> Learn C The Hard Way 13136685 380 Zed A. Shaw Joe 4 coding Learn More Python 3 the Hard Way: The Next Step for New Python Programmers, which was extremely helpful for the Data Structures and Algorithms section of the book.

I will say that there is a lot of independent research/self-study in this book. If you rush through and don't do the extra credit exercises, you're doing yourself a disservice. Also, there were several times where the self study didn't quite get me all of the way, so I also have read The C Programming Language (K&R C) while completing the book, as well as starting on Expert C Programming: Deep C Secrets.

I can say with certainty, especially if you have less background with C, working through this book will make you a better programmer all around. ]]> 3.97 2015 Learn C The Hard Way
author: Zed A. Shaw
name: Joe
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/22
date added: 2022/12/22
shelves: coding
review:
As with most of the books in the Learn The Hard Way series, Zed does a great job with this one. It is reccomended that Learning C using this book is not your first programming language, and I strongly agree. In fact, I worked through this at the same time as Learn More Python 3 the Hard Way: The Next Step for New Python Programmers, which was extremely helpful for the Data Structures and Algorithms section of the book.

I will say that there is a lot of independent research/self-study in this book. If you rush through and don't do the extra credit exercises, you're doing yourself a disservice. Also, there were several times where the self study didn't quite get me all of the way, so I also have read The C Programming Language (K&R C) while completing the book, as well as starting on Expert C Programming: Deep C Secrets.

I can say with certainty, especially if you have less background with C, working through this book will make you a better programmer all around.
]]> <![CDATA[The De-Textbook: The Stuff You Didn't Know About the Stuff You Thought You Knew]]> 17707547
Don't get defensive! It's not your fault. For decades your teachers, authority figures and textbooks have been lying to you. You do not have five senses. Your tongue doesn't have neatly segregated taste-bud zones. You don't know what the pyramids really looked like. You're even pooping wrong - Jesus, you're a wreck!

But it's going to be okay. Because we're here to help. Packed with more sexy facts than the Encyclopedia Pornographica, the Cracked De-Textbook will teach you about the true stars of history, why you picture everything from Velociraptors to Ancient Rome incorrectly, and finally, at long last - how to pop a proper squat. This book was built from the ground up to systematically seek out, dismantle and destroy the many untruths that years of misguided education have left festering inside of you, and leave you a smarter person...whether you like it or not. The De-Textbook is a merciless, brutal learning machine. It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are informed.]]> 224 Cracked.com 0452298202 Joe 4 non-fiction 4.04 2013 The De-Textbook: The Stuff You Didn't Know About the Stuff You Thought You Knew
author: Cracked.com
name: Joe
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/21
date added: 2022/12/22
shelves: non-fiction
review:
This is a fun survey of common "knowledge" topics, which we have likely learned wrong. The book is presented with a perfect balance of thorough research and cerebral humor.
]]> <![CDATA[The Material World of Ancient Egypt]]> 17471319 224 William H. Peck 052171379X Joe 4 non-fiction
The author includes many of his own photos in the book, which is a nice touch - his passion about the subject is apparent in his writing.

Lastly, the bibliography is a treasure trove of opportunity to dive into specific topics in great detail!]]> 4.67 2013 The Material World of Ancient Egypt
author: William H. Peck
name: Joe
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/20
date added: 2022/12/22
shelves: non-fiction
review:
This book is a thorough, and well researched overview of evidence of some of the more quotidien aspects of life in Dynastic Egypt. The author does a very good job of reminding the reader that the period was over 2500 years long, and takes great care to explain, when relevant, the differences included within that time period.

The author includes many of his own photos in the book, which is a nice touch - his passion about the subject is apparent in his writing.

Lastly, the bibliography is a treasure trove of opportunity to dive into specific topics in great detail!
]]> The C Programming Language 515601
From the Preface:
We have tried to retain the brevity of the first edition. C is not a big language, and it is not well served by a big book. We have improved the exposition of critical features, such as pointers, that are central to C programming. We have refined the original examples, and have added new examples in several chapters. For instance, the treatment of complicated declarations is augmented by programs that convert declarations into words and vice versa. As before, all examples have been tested directly from the text, which is in machine-readable form.

As we said in the first preface to the first edition, C "wears well as one's experience with it grows." With a decade more experience, we still feel that way. We hope that this book will help you to learn C and use it well.

]]> 272 Brian W. Kernighan 0131103628 Joe 4 coding
At a minimum, I would reccomend having a strong background in programming concepts from another language, and a resource for a more modern/current C standard. ]]> 4.44 1978 The C Programming Language
author: Brian W. Kernighan
name: Joe
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1978
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/02
date added: 2022/12/02
shelves: coding
review:
Despite its age, the classic K&R C is still a great reference and learning tool. Often reccomended as a great second book about C, I mostly tend to agree with that. However, as I got later into my first book on C, I found this a great tool to provide additional detail or additional perspective on some of the core concepts.

At a minimum, I would reccomend having a strong background in programming concepts from another language, and a resource for a more modern/current C standard.
]]> <![CDATA[Using SQLite: Small. Fast. Reliable. Choose Any Three.]]> 9040450 526 Jay A. Kreibich 0596521189 Joe 3 coding
The book is split - about half is just reference for SQLite's SQL, and the C API. Of the other half, about half of that is building and installing SQLite, and the C API - The examples of which are helpful, but I would say understanding C is a huge prereq, especially structs and pointers. The last quarter of the book, then, covers the standard "SQL usage".

Ultimately, if you are looking for a reference to start using SQL or SQLite, I would start elsewhere. If you want to learn how you use custom fuctions, modules, and the C API, this book is especially helpful for that. But, for what it's worth, I'd rather just use Python for everything except virtual tables, and will be slowing moving most of my projects to postgreSQL. Not really an option if you want to build a mobile app or something like that.

The last caveat is that this book was written in 2010, so SQLite has added some functionality since then - so you'll at least need to supplement with the latest docs. ]]> 3.80 2010 Using SQLite: Small. Fast. Reliable. Choose Any Three.
author: Jay A. Kreibich
name: Joe
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2022/11/15
date added: 2022/11/17
shelves: coding
review:
Overall, this is a good reference for SQLite, given that SQLite has plenty of quirks. The book is moreso based on the SQLite implementation of SQL - building and installing, its implementation of data types, etc. In my opinion, you'd be better served to learn SQL another way first. For being a standard language, SQL has many vendor-specific implementations.

The book is split - about half is just reference for SQLite's SQL, and the C API. Of the other half, about half of that is building and installing SQLite, and the C API - The examples of which are helpful, but I would say understanding C is a huge prereq, especially structs and pointers. The last quarter of the book, then, covers the standard "SQL usage".

Ultimately, if you are looking for a reference to start using SQL or SQLite, I would start elsewhere. If you want to learn how you use custom fuctions, modules, and the C API, this book is especially helpful for that. But, for what it's worth, I'd rather just use Python for everything except virtual tables, and will be slowing moving most of my projects to postgreSQL. Not really an option if you want to build a mobile app or something like that.

The last caveat is that this book was written in 2010, so SQLite has added some functionality since then - so you'll at least need to supplement with the latest docs.
]]> <![CDATA[The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Complete Guide to Dimensional Modeling]]> 748203
The authors begin with fundamental design recommendations and gradually progress step-by-step through increasingly complex scenarios. Clear-cut guidelines for designing dimensional models are illustrated using real-world data warehouse case studies drawn from a variety of business application areas and industries, including:

* Retail sales and e-commerce

* Inventory management

* Procurement

* Order management

* Customer relationship management (CRM)

* Human resources management

* Accounting

* Financial services

* Telecommunications and utilities

* Education

* Transportation

* Health care and insurance

By the end of the book, you will have mastered the full range of powerful techniques for designing dimensional databases that are easy to understand and provide fast query response. You will also learn how to create an architected framework that integrates the distributed data warehouse using standardized dimensions and facts.

This book is also available as part of the Kimball's Data Warehouse Toolkit Classics Box Set (ISBN: 9780470479575) with the following 3 books:

The Data Warehouse Toolkit, 2nd Edition (9780471200246)

The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit, 2nd Edition (9780470149775)

The Data Warehouse ETL Toolkit (9780764567575)]]> 436 Ralph Kimball 0471200247 Joe 3 coding
I did take away a star from the book for two reasons. First, the book is painfully repetitive. I fully understand and support the idea of tying concepts back together. However, especially in the case studies chapters, the authors don't necessarily need to cover all of the topics from the previous chapters in the same level of detail as the previous chapter.

Secondly, the conceptual topics are covered in great detail, but when it comes to practical SQL, more code examples would be helpful. One of the main topics where this poked its head for me is the Bridge Table concept. In this case, there is an example provided in the additional material, but the example actually only produces an adjacency list table, which is only halfway to the problem that you're looking to solve. (n.b.: If you find yourself in the same situation, look up John Simon's solution - he writes in T-SQL, but I was able to replicate with SQLite using a Python cursor, and then also in PL/pgSQL for a true SQL/PL solution). ]]> 4.14 1996 The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Complete Guide to Dimensional Modeling
author: Ralph Kimball
name: Joe
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1996
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/09
date added: 2022/10/12
shelves: coding
review:
I will start off by saying the ideas presented in the book are excellent, and I am looking forward to using them in a project that I am currently working on. Further, the book has increased my understanding of the data environment in my current role, allowing me to increase my utilization of SQL for data analysis instead of dumping a bunch of raw data into an Excel sheet and trudging through the slow process of grouping/filtering in Excel. (And oftentimes, it is faster than parsing through the data with Python, even).

I did take away a star from the book for two reasons. First, the book is painfully repetitive. I fully understand and support the idea of tying concepts back together. However, especially in the case studies chapters, the authors don't necessarily need to cover all of the topics from the previous chapters in the same level of detail as the previous chapter.

Secondly, the conceptual topics are covered in great detail, but when it comes to practical SQL, more code examples would be helpful. One of the main topics where this poked its head for me is the Bridge Table concept. In this case, there is an example provided in the additional material, but the example actually only produces an adjacency list table, which is only halfway to the problem that you're looking to solve. (n.b.: If you find yourself in the same situation, look up John Simon's solution - he writes in T-SQL, but I was able to replicate with SQLite using a Python cursor, and then also in PL/pgSQL for a true SQL/PL solution).
]]> <![CDATA[Joe Celko's Trees and Hierarchies in SQL for Smarties (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)]]> 12514551 *Expert advice from a noted SQL authority and award-winning columnist who has given 10 years of service to the ANSI SQL standards committee

*Teaches scores of advanced techniques that can be used with any product, in any SQL environment

*Offers graph theory and programming techniques for working around deficiencies and gives insight into real-world challenges]]> 296 Joe Celko 0123877334 Joe 5 coding
I am looking forward to using many of the methods in ongoing projects; as well as looking forward to researching some of the other topics (petri nets, state transition graphs) further. ]]> 4.06 2004 Joe Celko's Trees and Hierarchies in SQL for Smarties (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)
author: Joe Celko
name: Joe
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/08
date added: 2022/10/09
shelves: coding
review:
This book provides a great overview on graphs, trees, and hierarchies, and then several great examples of how to work with them in a Relational Database enviroment. A particular strength of the book is that it balances being a "Cookbook", providing useful code snippets to work with the structures, but also explaining the how and why of each of the snippets.

I am looking forward to using many of the methods in ongoing projects; as well as looking forward to researching some of the other topics (petri nets, state transition graphs) further.
]]> C Programming for Dummies 55702443 Get an A grade in C

As with any major language, mastery of C can take you to some very interesting new places. Almost 50 years after it first appeared, it's still the world's most popular programming language and is used as the basis of global industry's core systems, including operating systems, high-performance graphics applications, and microcontrollers. This means that fluent C users are in big demand at the sharp end in cutting-edge industries—such as gaming, app development, telecommunications, engineering, and even animation—to translate innovative ideas into a smoothly functioning reality.

To help you get to where you want to go with C, this 2nd edition of C Programming For Dummies covers everything you need to begin writing programs, guiding you logically through the development from initial design and testing to deployment and live iteration. By the end you'll be au fait with the do's and don'ts of good clean writing and easily able to produce the basic—and not-so-basic—building blocks of an elegant and efficient source code.

Write and compile source code Link code to create the executable program Debug and optimize your code Avoid common mistakes Whatever your tech industry, start-up, or just developing for pleasure at home, this easy-to-follow, informative, and entertaining guide to the C programming language is the fastest and friendliest way to get there!]]> 439 Dan Gookin 1119740266 Joe 4 coding Learn C The Hard WayLearn C The Hard Way, and found that I needed some supplemental understanding as I was also working through some other coding exercises. At this point in time I would consider myself an advanced Python user, an intermediate SQL and VBA user, and a beginner C user.

For the most part, the author does a great job at making topics accessible, but not overly simple in the book. The few occasions that I felt that it was too simple is probably a reflection of me rather than the author writing an introductory book. The examples are also great because they allow you to modify some given code to gain a better understanding of how the code works.

I was able to work through the book fairly quickly as well, and am now back full steam ahead in LCTHW, and I can already tell the difference. I would definitely reccomend this book as a companion into your first self-taught foray into C. ]]> 3.88 C Programming for Dummies
author: Dan Gookin
name: Joe
average rating: 3.88
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/29
date added: 2022/10/03
shelves: coding
review:
I had been working through Learn C The Hard WayLearn C The Hard Way, and found that I needed some supplemental understanding as I was also working through some other coding exercises. At this point in time I would consider myself an advanced Python user, an intermediate SQL and VBA user, and a beginner C user.

For the most part, the author does a great job at making topics accessible, but not overly simple in the book. The few occasions that I felt that it was too simple is probably a reflection of me rather than the author writing an introductory book. The examples are also great because they allow you to modify some given code to gain a better understanding of how the code works.

I was able to work through the book fairly quickly as well, and am now back full steam ahead in LCTHW, and I can already tell the difference. I would definitely reccomend this book as a companion into your first self-taught foray into C.
]]> Sewing For Dummies 624730 Sewing For Dummies is a book for both absolute beginners and experienced sewers. If you're a stone-cold beginner, you'll find everything you need to know to sew beginning-level projects--and the book doesn't assume that you've ever even picked up a needle and thread before. If you've had some experience with sewing, you'll find tips and tricks that it took author Janice Saunders Maresh, a nationally known sewing and serging instructor, years to pick up! You'll discover how to:


Master hand and machine stitches Read a sewing pattern Hem a variety of fabrics Negotiate sleeves and pockets Install zippers, buttons, and other fasteners Shape garments with tucks and pleats Adjust projects for better fit and function This updated edition features a fresh 8-page color insert of all the new home decorating projects, including new patterns and instructions for a traditional living room with slipcovered couches and throws; a French country dining room with drapes and slipcovered chairs; and a bedroom with shams, duvets, dustruffles, and window treatments, as well as:


a bathroom with a shower curtain and towels hip and funky tote bags the perfect little black dress Complete with lists of quick fix-it tools, sewing fundamentals, and sewing resources, Sewing For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is the fun and easy way(R) to get the basics and stitch up a storm in no time!]]> 388 Jan Saunders Maresh 0764568477 Joe 4 sewing
The book provides several useful hints for making some of the "fine motor skills" portions of sewing much easier. This isn't a knock against the book, but do plan to suppliment the book with lots of practice and youtube videos - or if your fine motor skills are similar to mine, classes.

That said, it is a great introduction to sewing, and provides great direction to get you up and running with ideas for practice and projects. ]]> 3.65 1999 Sewing For Dummies
author: Jan Saunders Maresh
name: Joe
average rating: 3.65
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/21
date added: 2022/09/21
shelves: sewing
review:
Unsurprisingly, given the series that this book comes from, this book provides a great overview of sewing techniques from having no skills to some fairly tactical aspects of garment making. (The book also has a whole section on sewing for home decor purposes, but admittedly I am much less interested in that part). A particularly helpful addition to each chapter is the inclusion of several basic projects to work on the skills and techniques covered in that particular chapter.

The book provides several useful hints for making some of the "fine motor skills" portions of sewing much easier. This isn't a knock against the book, but do plan to suppliment the book with lots of practice and youtube videos - or if your fine motor skills are similar to mine, classes.

That said, it is a great introduction to sewing, and provides great direction to get you up and running with ideas for practice and projects.
]]> <![CDATA[Pandas for Everyone: Python Data Analysis (Addison-Wesley Data & Analytics Series)]]> 28602727 416 Daniel Y. Chen 0134546938 Joe 2 coding
Frankly, the reader would benefit more from seeing pandas used in the context they want to use it. For instance, you can look up the youtube series about using SQL with Python from Bryan Cafferky, or try Python for Data Analysis, or even Python for Excel.

As an aside, I was also quite perplexed by how the author chose to describe the statistical methods. For somebody who knows statistics, the descriptions are too trivial to add much value in the book. For somebody who doesn't know stats well/the aspiring data analyst, please take a stats course designed for stats majors or math majors - you will be so much better off than trying to learn boot camp statistics to be a data analyst. ]]> 3.81 Pandas for Everyone: Python Data Analysis (Addison-Wesley Data & Analytics Series)
author: Daniel Y. Chen
name: Joe
average rating: 3.81
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2022/09/14
date added: 2022/09/16
shelves: coding
review:
When the author says this book is for everyone, he really means it. If you have basic experience with Python, perhaps there is a better book out there for you. In most chapters, the author details key methods as it relates to dataframes, etc. But, instead of showing the options in a methodical way, the author picks one or two that you may happen upon and uses them.

Frankly, the reader would benefit more from seeing pandas used in the context they want to use it. For instance, you can look up the youtube series about using SQL with Python from Bryan Cafferky, or try Python for Data Analysis, or even Python for Excel.

As an aside, I was also quite perplexed by how the author chose to describe the statistical methods. For somebody who knows statistics, the descriptions are too trivial to add much value in the book. For somebody who doesn't know stats well/the aspiring data analyst, please take a stats course designed for stats majors or math majors - you will be so much better off than trying to learn boot camp statistics to be a data analyst.
]]> <![CDATA[How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be]]> 55655032 Wall Street Journal bestseller

"A welcome revelation." --The Financial Times

Award-winning Wharton Professor and Choiceology podcast host Katy Milkman has devoted her career to the study of behavior change. In this ground-breaking book, Milkman reveals a proven path that can take you from where you are to where you want to be, with a foreword from psychologist Angela Duckworth, the best-selling author of Grit.

Change comes most readily when you understand what's standing between you and success and tailor your solution to that roadblock. If you want to work out more but find exercise difficult and boring, downloading a goal-setting app probably won't help. But what if, instead, you transformed your workouts so they became a source of pleasure instead of a chore? Turning an uphill battle into a downhill one is the key to success.

Drawing on Milkman's original research and the work of her world-renowned scientific collaborators, How to Change shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness. Through case studies and engaging stories, you'll learn:

- Why timing can be everything when it comes to making a change
- How to turn temptation and inertia into assets
- That giving advice, even if it's about something you're struggling with, can help you achieve more

Whether you're a manager, coach, or teacher aiming to help others change for the better or are struggling to kick-start change yourself, How to Change offers an invaluable, science-based blueprint for achieving your goals, once and for all.]]> 272 Katy Milkman 059308375X Joe 4 non-fiction 3.82 2021 How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
author: Katy Milkman
name: Joe
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/01
date added: 2022/09/03
shelves: non-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale]]> 57926125 A leading economist answers one of today’s trickiest questions: Why do some great ideas make it big while others fail to take off?

“Brilliant, practical, and grounded in the very latest research, this is by far the best book I’ve ever read on the how and why of scaling.”—Angela Duckworth, CEO of Character Lab and New York Times bestselling author of Grit

“Scale� has become a favored buzzword in the startup world. But scale isn't just about accumulating more users or capturing more market share. It's about whether an idea that takes hold in a small group can do the same in a much larger one—whether you’re growing a small business, rolling out a diversity and inclusion program, or delivering billions of doses of a vaccine.

Translating an idea into widespread impact, says University of Chicago economist John A. List, depends on one thing only: whether it can achieve “high voltage”—the ability to be replicated at scale.

In The Voltage Effect, List explains that scalable ideas share a common set of attributes, while any number of attributes can doom an unscalable idea. Drawing on his original research, as well as fascinating examples from the realms of business, policymaking, education, and public health, he identifies five measurable vital signs that a scalable idea must possess, and offers proven strategies for avoiding voltage drops and engineering voltage gains. You’ll learn:

� How celebrity chef Jamie Oliver expanded his restaurant empire by focusing on scalable “ingredients� (until it collapsed because talent doesn’t scale)
� Why the failure to detect false positives early on caused the Reagan-era drug-prevention program to backfire at scale
� How governments could deliver more services to more citizens if they focused on the last dollar spent
� How one education center leveraged positive spillovers to narrow the achievement gap across the entire community
� Why the right set of incentives, applied at scale, can boost voter turnout, increase clean energy use, encourage patients to consistently take their prescribed medication, and more.

By understanding the science of scaling, we can drive change in our schools, workplaces, communities, and society at large. Because a better world can only be built at scale.]]> 288 John A. List 0593239482 Joe 2 business
As we get to the portion of the book about scalable ideas, things get a bit less focused. In a way, the book is quite like the Divine Comedy, in that part one is significantly better than parts two and three for the same reason. The latter part of this book is a weird mixture of saying that embracing teamwork is the key to scaling business, and then apologizing/bragging for working with President Bush and Travis Kalanick.

In summary, almost, but not quite.]]> 3.90 2022 The Voltage Effect: How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale
author: John A. List
name: Joe
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2022/08/11
date added: 2022/08/15
shelves: business
review:
I was initially excited to read this book after seeing an interview with the author in the U of C alumni magazine. Indeed, the first third to half of the book was actually quite good, covering examples of when an idea is "low-voltage," or not quite scalable. The chapter about quitting/sunk cost, which was profiled in said argument, was not too bad, but also represented a turning point in the book.

As we get to the portion of the book about scalable ideas, things get a bit less focused. In a way, the book is quite like the Divine Comedy, in that part one is significantly better than parts two and three for the same reason. The latter part of this book is a weird mixture of saying that embracing teamwork is the key to scaling business, and then apologizing/bragging for working with President Bush and Travis Kalanick.

In summary, almost, but not quite.
]]> <![CDATA[Writing Excel Macros with VBA: Learning to Program the Excel Object Model Using VBA]]> 600179 570 Steven Roman 0596003595 Joe 4
It should be noted that this book came out in 2002, and many of the topics/chapters are outdated. For instance, the ribbon wasn't even a thing when this book came out. (Think Excel XP).

That said, most of the code is still in use and relevant (at least within the context of VBA). ]]> 3.70 1999 Writing Excel Macros with VBA: Learning to Program the Excel Object Model Using VBA
author: Steven Roman
name: Joe
average rating: 3.70
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at: 2022/08/05
date added: 2022/08/05
shelves: activity-books, coding, non-fiction
review:
This book is great in providing a thorough overview of the MS Excel VBA coding module. It tends to lean towards being more of a reference tome than a true learning book, but the embedded examples help.

It should be noted that this book came out in 2002, and many of the topics/chapters are outdated. For instance, the ribbon wasn't even a thing when this book came out. (Think Excel XP).

That said, most of the code is still in use and relevant (at least within the context of VBA).
]]> <![CDATA[Python for Excel: A Modern Environment for Automation and Data Analysis]]> 55841850 335 Felix Zumstein 1492081000 Joe 4
The thing which I commend most about the book is that the author finds a good balance between providing a thorough overview of various methods of using Python and Excel together, while being able to highlight the solution that he created in a "non-salesy" method (Unlike the new software that I use at work which requires you to take a training class on how to convince your colleagues of the benefits of using it...)]]> 3.94 Python for Excel: A Modern Environment for Automation and Data Analysis
author: Felix Zumstein
name: Joe
average rating: 3.94
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2022/08/05
date added: 2022/08/05
shelves: coding, activity-books, non-fiction
review:
First of all, I am extremely excited to implement many of the things that I learned in this book in my personal coding projects and in my work projects. The author clearly comes from a realistic view of the business world, which is that it runs on excel.

The thing which I commend most about the book is that the author finds a good balance between providing a thorough overview of various methods of using Python and Excel together, while being able to highlight the solution that he created in a "non-salesy" method (Unlike the new software that I use at work which requires you to take a training class on how to convince your colleagues of the benefits of using it...)
]]> <![CDATA[Joe Celko's SQL Programming Style (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)]]> 1596173 Joe Celko 0120887975 Joe 4 activity-books 3.81 2005 Joe Celko's SQL Programming Style (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems)
author: Joe Celko
name: Joe
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2022/04/17
date added: 2022/07/17
shelves: activity-books
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Little Book of Boards: A Board Member's Handbook for Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits]]> 24785006
So many board members—especially of small nonprofits—want to support a nonprofit and readily accept the invitation to join the board. It’s only then that they discover they are in over their heads, with no idea of their expectations and responsibilities. The Little Book of Boards is here to throw that drowning board member a rope.

Told with a conversational style, this book will lead you through the basics of being on a board, how meetings work, and what’s expected between meetings. In addition, at the back of the book are several in-depth resources for understanding Roberts Rules of Order, bylaws, committee structures, board leadership, and much more. Perfect for any new board member—or for an entire board that is feeling lost—this book and its common sense approach will serve you every year you are on the board.]]> 170 Erik Hanberg 1507668813 Joe 5 non-fiction
Better yet would be to consult this book at the formation of your NFP to ensure that you set things up with the appropriate governance mindset from the get go.

It should be noted that even somebody new to a large not-for-profit would also benefit enormously from reading this book. ]]> 4.21 2014 The Little Book of Boards: A Board Member's Handbook for Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits
author: Erik Hanberg
name: Joe
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2022/04/14
date added: 2022/07/16
shelves: non-fiction
review:
This book should be a must-read for anybody who is joining a governing board of a not-for-profit. Especially if that NFP is a small NFP. This has a great set of resources and examples for moving past the "scrappy-startup", and "we're too small to have to deal with this" attitiude into a well-governed not-for-profit of any size.

Better yet would be to consult this book at the formation of your NFP to ensure that you set things up with the appropriate governance mindset from the get go.

It should be noted that even somebody new to a large not-for-profit would also benefit enormously from reading this book.
]]> <![CDATA[Learn Python 3 the Hard Way: A Very Simple Introduction to the Terrifyingly Beautiful World of Computers and Code (Zed Shaw's Hard Way Series)]]> 35561829 You Will Learn Python 3!

Ěý

Zed Shaw has perfected the world’s best system for learning Python 3. Follow it and you will succeed—just like the millions of beginners Zed has taught to date! You bring the discipline, commitment, and persistence; the author supplies everything else.

Ěý

In Learn Python 3 the Hard Way, you’ll learn Python by working through 52 brilliantly crafted exercises. Read them. Type their code precisely. (No copying and pasting!) Fix your mistakes. Watch the programs run. As you do, you’ll learn how a computer works; what good programs look like; and how to read, write, and think about code. Zed then teaches you even more in 5+ hours of video where he shows you how to break, fix, and debug your code—live, as he’s doing the exercises.

Install a complete Python environment Organize and write code Fix and break code Basic mathematics Variables Strings and text Interact with users Work with files Looping and logic Data structures using lists and dictionaries Program design Object-oriented programming Inheritance and composition Modules, classes, and objects Python packaging Automated testing Basic game development Basic web development It’ll be hard at first. But soon, you’ll just get it—and that will feel great! This course will reward you for every minute you put into it. Soon, you’ll know one of the world’s most powerful, popular programming languages. You’ll be a Python programmer.

Ěý

This Book Is Perfect For

Total beginners with zero programming experience Junior developers who know one or two languages Returning professionals who haven’t written code in years Seasoned professionals looking for a fast, simple, crash course in Python 3]]> 319 Shaw Zed A. 0134693906 Joe 4 activity-books 3.94 Learn Python 3 the Hard Way: A Very Simple Introduction to the Terrifyingly Beautiful World of Computers and Code (Zed Shaw's Hard Way Series)
author: Shaw Zed A.
name: Joe
average rating: 3.94
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2022/06/08
date added: 2022/07/16
shelves: activity-books
review:
With the caveat that I have a bit of coding background, taking a class on Python 2.7 in undergrad, I find this book to be a particularly great into to Python 3, or object-oriented programming in general. The exercises are well designed to encourage you to think about what the code means and how it could be applied outside of a specific exercise.
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