This is one of the best books on the virtues of free markets I’ve ever read. Accessible and poignant.

My least favorite Stephenson. Still worth reading though…

A great collection presenting Dennett’s overall ideas. Especially valuable to any one interested in AI.

Amusing, but nothing geat.

An excellent overview of evolution and just what it means to science. Evolution, as Dennett puts it is “Darwin’s Dangerous Ideas”. The authors show how and why it’s dangerous: it has the potential to change phase space of possible solutions; changing the rules of the game, so to speak.

The overall theme of the book is to show how systems evolve while focusing on how context is crucial to understanding such systems. Along the way, it shows us just how crucial reductionist thinking is, while stressing that it can be woefully inadequate.

The climactic chapter, on free will, echoes much of Dennett’s book on the topic, Freedom Evolves. (Note that this book preceded Dennett’s. I just happened to read Dennett’s first.) As such, Freedom Evolves strikes me as an excellent follow up to this one.

Yet another great book from Jack Cohen and Ian Stewart.

Wonderful, entertaining.

It was well worth reading. Shows that there is no objectivity in much of the mainstream media or much skepticism for that matter. When exposing corporations he was branded a hero and won dozens of awards. When he exposed governement programs or fights for capitalism, he is labelled a “fake”. Regardless of what political opinion you hold, if you watch TV or read a paper or think government is the answer – or not – you should read this book.

Pratchett at his usual, wonderfully engaging storytelling.

Some of the articles are boring, e.g. the ones the Rubik Cube and LISP. I don’t necessarily buy Hofstadter’s arguments against sexism in language as he portrays it, but it is thought provoking.

Another geat Dennett work. A great place to see where his work started and useful in understanding his Intentional Stance.