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Vincent Ramdhanie
Software Developer

My 2023 reading list

These are the books that I read in 2023. It is only a partial list since I started tracking my reading only part way through the year.

These are the books that I read in 2023. It is only a partial list since I started tracking my reading only part way through the year.
2023Reading List
  • 100%
    The Three-Body Problem
    Cixin Liu
    2008

    Profound is an understatment. This well told story introduced many unique concepts. Intelligent use of scientific knowledge.

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  • 100%
    The Dark Forest
    Cixin Liu
    2008

    A bit dark. Proposes a bleak outlook on the relationship between civilizations in the universe. Incredibly well written.

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  • 100%
    Death's End
    Cixin Liu
    2010

    A satisfying end to the saga. Wraps up the story well and introduces some hope which was a relief after the dark outlook of the previous book. Surprisingly, was able to continue introducing new concepts and exploring intriguing ideas up to the end.

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  • 100%
    The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence
    Carl Sagan
    1977

    Traces the development of the brain through all of history and shows how evolution built new functionality into the brain on top of more primitive versions of the brain.

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  • 100%
    The Far Side Gallery
    Gary Larson
    1982

    I deliberately paced myself with this one. I limited myself to 2 pages per night.

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  • 100%
    Creation: Life and How to Make It
    Steve Grand
    2000

    The presentation is excellent. Builds up the universe from the most fundamental particle up to life and intelligence. Reframes our understanding of the physical universe as well as what it means to be intelligent. I wish there was more technical discussion on the implementation of the brain. However, the high level ideas are quite useful and goes a long way towards helping you understand the requirements for building truly intelligent life.

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  • 100%
    At the Edge of Time: Exploring the Mysteries of Our Universe’s First Seconds
    Dan Hooper
    2019

    The first few trillionths of a second after the big bang was an incredibly active and mysterious time in our universe. Dan Hooper explores these few moments and explain how our universe may have come to be. He takes us to the edge of our current understanding and surveys the various unanswered questions that scientists are struggling with today.

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  • 60%
    The Quest for Eden
    Elena Maria Marsella
    1966

    An interesting exploration of the stories that we tell through the eyes of an Anthropologist. Re-interprets the myths of the past with new light.

    I’m probably not going to complete this book. It is brilliantly written and quite compelling but the last few chapters feel like a chore.

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  • 1%
    The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World
    David Deutsch
    2011

    This is proving harder to read than I expected. I’m going to put it aside for now.

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  • The Age of Em: Work, Love and Life When Robots Rule the Earth
    Robin Hanson
    2016

    This is proving harder to read than I expected. I’m going to put it aside for now.

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  • 100%
    Sleeping Beauties
    Stephen King, Owen King
    2017

    Easy flowing story telling. A gret premise and well executed.

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