All Consuming : James Webster

Consumed "The Road (Movie Tie-in Edition))"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:55:50 GMT

The Road (Movie Tie-in Edition))

by Cormac Mccarthy

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Halting State"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:58:42 GMT

Halting State

by Charles Stross

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Shadows of the Workhouse"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:18:03 GMT

Shadows of the Workhouse

by Jennifer Worth

WORTH IT!

1984 for the Web 2.0/climate change era (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:16:47 GMT

Blind Faith - Ben Elton

Its pulp fiction of course and doesn’t approach the quality of prose in Orwell’s 1984, but somehow the world Elton paints with his use of modern vernacular, imagery and concepts appears scarily possible.

Consumed "Blind Faith - Ben Elton"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:16:47 GMT

Blind Faith - Ben Elton

WORTH IT!

Consuming "Commodity Derivatives: Markets and Applications (The Wiley Finance Series)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:21:55 GMT

Commodity Derivatives: Markets and Applications (The Wiley Finance Series)

by Neil C. Schofield

Consumed "The Black Swan"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 08:01:21 GMT

The Black Swan

by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:00:27 GMT

Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 1)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 07:23:08 GMT

Quicksilver (The Baroque Cycle, Vol. 1)

by Neal Stephenson

WORTH IT!

Why I recommend "Animal Farm"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:20:42 GMT

Animal Farm

by George Orwell

This book fits my definition of a ‘classic’ worth reading; short, to the point, relevant, and with a dark sense of irony.

A story about "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 22:27:03 GMT

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

by Malcolm Gladwell

I actually listened to the audiobook version of this, purchased from Audible, and it is read by Malcolm Gladwell himself. It was the first audiobook that I have listened too.

A few points…

Gladwell is a great reader to listen to, he adds the right amount of enthusiasm to his speech without being over the top. I couldn’t always clearly discern when he was reading the dialogue of people speaking in his text.
Listening to an audiobook requires alot more engagement than I had expected. I listened to it whilst walking or on the bus, but am not sure I would have got as much out of it as if I had just been sitting in a chair with my eyes closed (but then I may have fallen asleep if too relaxed!)
I had hoped that the iPod/Audible integration would result in better navigation of audiobooks, perhaps by providing a table of contents and navigation in this fashion.

A review of "Trading and Exchanges: Market Microstructure for Practitioners"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 10:10:18 GMT

Trading and Exchanges: Market Microstructure for Practitioners

by Larry Harris

Whoa. It took a long time to finish and I now need to go back through the end-of-chapter summaries to review the key concepts. It has shone a bright light onto the many aspects of capital markets and the behaviour (frequently irrational) of many of its participants. As an introductory text for understanding capital markets I recommend Valdez’s Introduction to Global Financial Markets first, if that whet’s your appetite then Trading and Exchanges is next.

Why I recommend "Confessions of an Economic Hitman (Unabridged)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:31:05 GMT

Confessions of an Economic Hitman (Unabridged)

by John Perkins

I think this is a book that definitely needs to be more widely read. It has encouraged me to do what I can to remove the inequities between the developed and developing world.

Why I recommend "Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 23:24:46 GMT

Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software

by Eric Evans

This is a good book, although long. In between the somewhat verbose prose there are many invaluable insights. Eric Evan’s has also defined language and patterns for a domain of software development that sorely needs one. If it was half as long it would be brilliant.

A story about "A Short History of Nearly Everything"

nobody@allconsuming.net (James Webster) — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 03:14:36 GMT

A Short History of Nearly Everything

by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson is one of the best writers I have ever read. His dry wit has an ability to make me laugh that is equalled only by the late, great Douglas Adams.