Maths: Probability Theory, The Logic of Science by E.T. Jaynes

Literature: The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

“Small Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered is a collection of essays by British economist E. F. Schumacher. ”

~Matt

Geometry and the Imagination by Hilbert and Cohn-Vossen
Visual Complex Analysis by Tristan Needham

I agree about poetry in some cases — when it hits you it is like a sledgehammer. I don’t make a habit of reading it, but it crops up here and there. I’d include song lyrics in this group in a very few cases.

Literature-wise, Gravity’s Rainbow jumps out. Pynchon’s other stuff is wonderful, particularly Vineland, but only Gravity’s Rainbow had that effect on me.

I agree with gappy that it makes a big difference when you read them, especially as concerns poetry and literature generally.

When I read some philosophy I sometimes have a hard time because I am so compelled to argue and discuss it with the author, who is typically difficult to contact.

I think I’ve heard of the shock doctrine, but I don’t recall in what context or anything about it. It sounds interesting though.

Whenever I read ten pages, I have put to put it down. Too much anger. While there are certainly parts that are so-so quality-wise, the book puts together all these pieces and connects dots in a way I never did. I wonder if the anger comes from me saying “duh” or from retrospectively judging myself for having been too naive all these years.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone mention this before, and it is so true for me. I’m not sure which books fit in this category, but probably all the great math exposition books I’ve been reading lately – Euclid in the Rainforest, by Mazur, The Man Who Knew Infinity, about Ramanujan, Schoenfeld, Boaler, …