35 Books recommended by Sam Altman
Samuel H. Altman is an American entrepreneur, investor, programmer, and blogger.
Sam Altman
Book Recommendations
Brave New World
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
FictionBrave new world is a dystopian novel by english author aldous huxley, written in 1931 and published in 1932. largely set in a futuristic world state, inhabited by genetically modified citizens and an intelligence-based social hierarchy, the novel anticipates huge scientific advancements in reproductive technology, sleep-learning, psychological manipulation and classical conditioning that are combined to make a dystopian society which is challenged by only a single individual: the story's protagonist.
“Here, in one of the most important and fascinating books of his career, Aldous Huxley uses his tremendous knowledge of human relations to compare the modern-day world with his prophetic fantasy.”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Dave Eggers
Brothers'when you read his extraordinary memoir you don't laugh, then cry, then laugh again; you somehow experience these emotions all at once.'"well, this was when bill was sighing a lot. he had decided that after our parents died he just didn't want any more fighting between what was left of us. he was twenty-four, beth was twenty-three, i was twenty-one, toph was eight, and all of us were so tried already, from that winter. so when something would come up, any little thing, some bill to pay or decision to
“The literary sensation of the year, a book that redefines both family and narrative for the twenty-first century. ”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
Meditations
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius
Written in greek by the only roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the meditations of marcus aurelius offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the emperor struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. while the meditations were composed to provide personal consolation and encouragement, marcus aurelius also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy: a timeless collection that has been consulted and admired by statesmen, thinkers and readers throughout the centuries.
“great read”
— Source
The Transit of Venus
The Transit of Venus
Shirley Hazzard
FictionCaro, gallant and adventurous, is one of two australian sisters who have come to post-war england to seek their fortunes. courted long and hopelessly by young scientist, ted tice, she is to find that love brings passion, sorrow, betrayal and finally hope. the milder grace seeks fulfilment in an apparently happy marriage. but as the decades pass and the characters weave in and out of each other's lives, love, death and two slow-burning secrets wait in ambush for them.
“Re-reading this book tonight. It's incredible.”
Feb 1, 2017 — Source
The Supermen
The Supermen
Charles J. Murray
ComputersThe supermen offers the first up-close-and-personal profile of seymour cray, the brilliant and reputedly eccentric designer of the world's fastest computers. this is the story of a technical genius who, against all odds, created a series of machines that revolutionized the computing industry. chronicling each major breakthrough, murray takes us behind the scenes to witness late-night brainstorming sessions, miraculous eleventh-hour fixes, and flashes of insight when bold new ideas were cooked up. drawing from rare in-depth interviews with seymour cray, murray gives us an unparalleled portrait of the man and
“[It's] particularly good”
— Source
“By the author of the acclaimed bestsellers Benjamin Franklin and Steve Jobs, this is the definitive biography of Albert Einstein.”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Alice Munro
In the her tenth collection (the title story of which is the basis for the new film hateship loveship), alice munro achieves new heights, creating narratives that loop and swerve like memory, and conjuring up characters as thorny and contradictory as people we know ourselves.a tough-minded housekeeper jettisons the habits of a lifetime because of a teenager’s practical joke. a college student visiting her brassy, unconventional aunt stumbles on an astonishing secret and its meaning in her own life. an incorrigible philanderer responds with unexpected grace to his wife’s nursing-home
“weekend book recommendation: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro. stayed up last night finishing; really good”
— Source
Superintelligence
Superintelligence
Nick Bostrom
ComputersSuperintelligence asks the questions: what happens when machines surpass humans in general intelligence? will artificial agents save or destroy us? nick bostrom lays the foundation for understanding the future of humanity and intelligent life. the human brain has some capabilities that the brains of other animals lack. it is to these distinctive capabilities that our species owes its dominant position. if machine brains surpassed human brains in general intelligence, then this new superintelligence could become extremely powerful--possibly beyond our control. as the fate of the gorillas now depends more on
“Incidentally, Nick Bostroms excellent book Superintelligence is the best thing I've seen on this topic. It is well worth a read.”
— Source
Dealers of Lightning
Dealers of Lightning
Michael A. Hiltzik
Business & EconomicsMarch 1999 while gates, jobs, and the other big boys of silicon valley are basking in the glory of the information age, renowned los angeles times reporter michael hiltzik reveals how, back in the early '70s, a group of inventors at xerox's palo alto research center (parc) blazed the trail for all of today's indispensable technology from the pc to email to atms to meteorologists' weather maps. and they did it without fanfare or recognition from their employer. hiltzik's dealers of lightning provides a fascinating look at technohistory that
“Recommended in Sam Altman's twitter account”
— Source
Blitzscaling
Blitzscaling
Chris Yeh,Reid Hoffman
Business & EconomicsLinkedin cofounder, legendary investor, and host of the award-winning masters of scale podcast reveals the secret to starting and scaling massively valuable companies.what entrepreneur or founder doesn't aspire to build the next amazon, facebook, or airbnb? yet those who actually manage to do so are exceedingly rare. so what separates the startups that get disrupted and disappear from the ones who grow to become global giants?the secret is blitzscaling: a set of techniques for scaling up at a dizzying pace that blows competitors out of the water. the objective of
“I got to read an early copy of this, and have been waiting for it to come out so that I can recommend it to everyone.”
Oct 10, 2018 — Source
The Beak of the Finch
The Beak of the Finch
Jonathan Weiner
ScienceOn a desert island in the heart of the galapagos archipelago, where darwin received his first inklings of the theory of evolution, two scientists, peter and rosemary grant, have spent twenty years proving that darwin did not know the strength of his own theory. for among the finches of daphne major, natural selection is neither rare nor slow: it is taking place by the hour, and we can watch.in this dramatic story of groundbreaking scientific research, jonathan weiner follows these scientists as they watch darwin's finches and come up with
“Recommended on News YCombinator site”
— Source
Call Me By Your Name
Call Me By Your Name
André Aciman
FictionCall me by your name is the story of a sudden and powerful romance that blossoms between an adolescent boy and a summer guest at his parents' cliff-side mansion on the italian riviera. unprepared for the consequences of their attraction, at first each feigns indifference. but during the restless summer weeks that follow, unrelenting buried currents of obsession and fear, fascination and desire, intensify their passion as they test the charged ground between them. what grows from the depths of their spirits is a romance of scarcely six weeks' duration
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
Julian Jaynes
PsychologyAt the heart of this classic, seminal book is julian jaynes's still-controversial thesis that human consciousness did not begin far back in animal evolution but instead is a learned process that came about only three thousand years ago and is still developing. the implications of this revolutionary scientific paradigm extend into virtually every aspect of our psychology, our history and culture, our religion -- and indeed our future.
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
Hold 'Em Poker
Hold 'Em Poker
David Sklansky
This text is must reading for anyone planning to play hold�em. it was the first definitive work on hold�em poker and was originally published in 1976. yet, it is still one of the most important and best selling poker books available.the text is designed for someone relatively new to the game, but it also contains much sophisticated material which all players should find beneficial. it is probably best known for the sklansky hand rankings, which made the game much simpler to quantify and understand. some of the topics include how
“Recommended on News YCombinator site”
— Source
Powering the Future
Powering the Future
Robert B. Laughlin
ScienceIn powering the future, nobel laureate robert b. laughlin transports us two centuries into the future, when we've ceased to use carbon from the ground--either because humans have banned carbon burning or because fuel has simply run out. boldly, laughlin predicts no earth-shattering transformations will have taken place. six generations from now, there will still be soccer moms, shopping malls, and business trips. firesides will still be snug and warm.how will we do it? not by discovering a magic bullet to slay our energy problems, but through a slew of
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
Foundation
Foundation
Isaac Asimov
FictionSoon to be an apple tv+ series, coming 9/24/21 - nominated as one of america's best-loved novels by pbs's the great american readfor twelve thousand years the galactic empire has ruled supreme. now it is dying. but only hari seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future--to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. to preserve knowledge and save humankind, seldon gathers the best minds in the empire--both scientists and scholars--and brings them to a bleak planet at
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
Winning
Winning
Jack Welch,Suzy Welch
Business & EconomicsA champion manager of people, jack welch shares the hard-earned wisdom of a storied career in what will become the ultimate business biblewith winning, jack welch delivers a wide-ranging, in-depth, no-holds-barred management guidebook about the tough strategic, organizational, and personal challenges that face people at every stage of their careers. loaded with candid personal anecdotes, hard-hitting advice, and invaluable dos and don’ts, jack explains his theory of business, by laying out the four most important principles that form the foundation of his success.chapters include: how to get promoted, how to
“Recommended on News YCombinator site”
— Source
Molecular Biology of the Cell
Molecular Biology of the Cell
Alexander Johnson,Bruce Alberts,Julian Lewis,Keith Roberts,Martin Raff,Peter Walter
ScienceMolecular biology of the cell is the classic in-dept text reference in cell biology. by extracting the fundamental concepts from this enormous and ever-growing field, the authors tell the story of cell biology, and create a coherent framework through which non-expert readers may approach the subject. written in clear and concise language, and beautifully illustrated, the book is enjoyable to read, and it provides a clear sense of the excitement of modern biology. molecular biology of the cell sets forth the current understanding of cell biology (completely updated as of
“Recommended on News YCombinator site”
— Source
Man's Search for Meaning
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor E. Frankl
Existential psychotherapyPsychiatrist viktor frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. at the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. man's
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
The Old Way
The Old Way
Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
Social ScienceOne of our most influential anthropologists reevaluates her long and illustrious career by returning to her roots--and the roots of life as we know it.when elizabeth marshall thomas first arrived in africa to live among the kalahari san, or bushmen, it was 1950, she was nineteen years old, and these last surviving hunter-gatherers were living as humans had lived for 15,000 centuries. thomas wound up writing about their world in a seminal work, the harmless people (1959). it has never gone out of print.back then, this was uncharted territory and
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
A Life Decoded
A Life Decoded
J. Craig Venter
Biography & AutobiographyGrowing up in california, craig venter didn’t appear to have much of a future. an unremarkable student, he nearly flunked out of high school. after being drafted into the army, he enlisted in the navy and went to vietnam, where the life and death struggles he encountered as a medic piqued his interest in science and medicine. after pursuing his advanced degrees, venter quickly established himself as a brilliant and outspoken scientist. in 1984 he joined the national institutes of health, where he introduced novel techniques for rapid gene discovery,
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Edward J. Larson,James Madison,Michael P. Winship
In 1787, the american union was in disarray. the incompatible demands of the separate states threatened its existence; some states were even in danger of turning into the kind of tyranny they had so recently deposed. a truly national government was needed, one that could raise money, regulate commerce, and defend the states against foreign threats–without becoming as overbearing as england. so thirty-six-year-old james madison believed. that summer, the virginian was instrumental in organizing the constitutional convention, in which one of the world’s greatest documents would be debated, created, and
“Recommended on News YCombinator site”
— Source
Zero to One
Zero to One
Blake Masters,Peter Thiel
If you want to build a better future, you must believe in secrets.the great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. in zero to one, legendary entrepreneur and investor peter thiel shows how we can find singular ways to create those new things. thiel begins with the contrarian premise that we live in an age of technological stagnation, even if we’re too distracted by shiny mobile devices to notice. information technology has improved rapidly, but there is no reason
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
The Score Takes Care of Itself
The Score Takes Care of Itself
Bill Walsh,Craig Walsh,Steve Jamison
Business & EconomicsBill walsh is a towering figure in the history of the nfl. his advanced leadership transformed the san francisco 49ers from the worst franchise in sports to a legendary dynasty that won three super bowls. in the process, he changed the way football is played-pushing it into the twenty-first century. walsh is famous for his strategic brilliance and innovations, such as the west coast offense, but his enlightened philosophy of leadership was just as crucial, if not more so, to the unprecedented success of his teams. and that philosophy of
“Recommended on News YCombinator site”
Oct 21, 2015 — Source
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Jane Jacobs
Social ScienceA direct and fundamentally optimistic indictment of the short-sightedness and intellectual arrogance that has characterized much of urban planning in this century, the death and life of great american cities has, since its first publication in 1961, become the standard against which all endeavors in that field are measured. in prose of outstanding immediacy, jane jacobs writes about what makes streets safe or unsafe; about what constitutes a neighborhood, and what function it serves within the larger organism of the city; about why some neighborhoods remain impoverished while others regenerate
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
— Source
The Trial of Socrates
The Trial of Socrates
I. F. Stone
PhilosophersIn unraveling the long-hidden issues of the most famous free speech case of all time, noted author i.f. stone ranges far and wide over roman as well as greek history to present an engaging and rewarding introduction to classical antiquity and its relevance to society today. the new york times called this national best-seller an "intellectual thriller."
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
Plentiful Energy
Plentiful Energy
Charles E. Till,Yoon Il Chang
The integral fast reactor (ifr) is a fast reactor system developed at argonne national laboratory in the decade 1984 to 1994. the ifr project developed the technology for a complete system; the reactor, the entire fuel cycle and the waste management technologies were all included in the development program. the reactor concept had important features and characteristics that were completely new and fuel cycle and waste management technologies that were entirely new developments. the reactor is a "fast" reactor - that is, the chain reaction is maintained by "fast" neutrons
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
Hunger of Memory
Hunger of Memory
Richard Rodriguez
Biography & AutobiographyHunger of memory is the story of mexican-american richard rodriguez, who begins his schooling in sacramento, california, knowing just 50 words of english, and concludes his university studies in the stately quiet of the reading room of the british museum. here is the poignant journey of a minority student who pays the cost of his social assimilation and academic success with a painful alienation--from his past, his parents, his culture--and so describes the high price of making it in middle-class america. provocative in its positions on affirmative action and bilingual
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
— Source
Solution Selling
Solution Selling
Michael Bosworth
``solution selling is the most comprehensive sales and sales management process available today. mike bosworth has the best understanding of sales process in corporate america.''jeffrey m. fisher, vice president, symix computer systems.
“Recommended on News YCombinator site”
— Source
Fundamentals of Plasma Physics
Fundamentals of Plasma Physics
Paul M. Bellan
ScienceThis rigorous explanation of plasmas is relevant to diverse plasma applications such as controlled fusion, astrophysical plasmas, solar physics, magnetospheric plasmas, and plasma thrusters. more thorough than previous texts, it exploits new powerful mathematical techniques to develop deeper insights into plasma behavior. after developing the basic plasma equations from first principles, the book explores single particle motion with particular attention to adiabatic invariance. the author then examines types of plasma waves and the issue of landau damping. magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and stability are tackled with emphasis on the topological concepts of
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
PsychologyIn the highly anticipated thinking, fast and slow, kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. system 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; system 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities—and also the faults and biases—of fast thinking, and reveals the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and behavior. the impact of loss aversion and overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in
“Recommended on News YCombinator site”
— Source
A Pattern Language
A Pattern Language
Christopher Alexander,Ingrid Fiksdahl-King,Max Jacobson,Murray Silverstein,Sara Ishikawa,Shlomo Angel
ArchitectureAt the core of a pattern language is the philosophy that in designing their environments people always rely on certain ‘languages,’ which, like the languages we speak, allow them to articulate and communicate an infinite variety of designs within a formal system which gives them coherence.this book provides a language of this kind. it will enable making a design for almost any kind of building, or any part of the built environment. ‘patterns,’ the units of this language, are answers to design problems: how high should a window sill be?;
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
— Source
Plan B 3.0
Plan B 3.0
Lester R. Brown
In this updated edition of the landmark plan b, lester brown outlines a survival strategy for our early twenty-first-century civilization. the world faces many environmental trends of disruption and decline, including rising temperatures and spreading water shortage. in addition to these looming threats, we face the peaking of oil, annual population growth of 70 million, a widening global economic divide, and a growing list of failing states. the scale and complexity of issues facing our fast-forward world have no precedentwith plan a, business as usual, we have neglected these issues
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
“Recommended as Sam Altman's Good Read in Shelfie”
Oct 20, 2015 — Source
