Virtual bookshelf

This page is a list of books that I have read and thought that were interesting.
If you get them by using the links on this page, I’ll also get some referral benefits.

Introduction to Algorithms, Third Edition
I have often referred to this book as probably the single book on algorithms you will ever need. It has very nice and detailed explanations, great examples and it’s very extensive. Good for reading through it and learning stuff, but also very good for reference.

C Programming Language (2nd Edition)
If you work in C, you should have this book. If you don’t, then you need to learn C… and get this book.

Still reading: The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering, Anniversary Edition (2nd Edition)

Rumor has it, this is “the” book on software project management and it sure looks like it so far, but I don’t want to jump to any conclusions until I’m done reading it.

His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass)
This is probably my favorite book right now (or rather books, since there are three volumes). It is a magical blend of fantasy and philosophy like I haven’t yet found in any other book, except maybe Dune. The story is fascinating and breath-taking and the philosophical skeleton it builds on is though-provoking and makes you question things starting with the “form” one’s soul could take to the word of the Bible and to parallel universes.

Wheel of Time
As far as fantasy series go, this is the best I have ever read. It completely captured my attention for 18 months straight (yes, that’s one year and a half of reading this every night). There are 13 books currently out with one more soon to come (the last three books in the series are collaborations with Brandon Sanderson, because Robert Jordan died in 2007). Robert Jordan builds an incredible fantasy universe with numerous complex characters. Of course, given the size of this story, it is sometimes slow and there is some repetition and it does indeed feel somewhat stretched sometimes (towards the latter volumes). Nonetheless, I believe that by the time you will get to notice these issues, you will be already so far into the story that you will be hopelessly addicted.

Dune
The original Dune series (and by that I mean the first six books by Frank Herbert) is Science Fiction at its best. So much was said about this that I am not sure I can find too much to add. It is an incredible series.

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

This book will forever change the way you think of negotiations, from the smallest ones to the most important. I really find the title misleading, because the book doesn’t try to teach you how to force your way through a negotiation. Rather, it teaches you how to approach negotiations in the best way possible. As they put it themselves, the best case scenario is if both you and the person you are negotiating with had read this book.

Nobody Left to Hate
Fantastic book about the social psychology in schools and the problems around that.

One up on Wall Street: How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market
If this book doesn’t convince you to start investing, nothing will.