Books on mckoss.com | Mike Koss

The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants

Thu, 20 Jan 2005 00:00:00 +0000

When I was exploring how to create a computer generated leaf, I ran into this very lovely book. It describes many plant structures and how they can be generated mathematically and simulated on a computer. Lots of pictures - lots of equations.

Plan of Attack

Mon, 31 May 2004 00:00:00 +0000

Bob Woodward, famed reporter from the Washington Post, has done an amazing job with this book. The degree of access and breadth of sources is amazing; starting with President Bush, and reaching across his entire cabinet, to key players in the State Department, and the Pentagon.

A Course in Combinatorics

Sat, 14 Jun 2003 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve just started reading this textbook (June ‘03). I’ve been prompted back into mathematics thinking about some combinatorial problems, mostly relating to games (like the card game Set). The text is dense, so Darrell Plank and I have decided to study sections of the book together.

Seizing the Enigma

Sat, 21 Dec 2002 00:00:00 +0000

This books covers the role of the Enigma machine and the code breakers of Bletchley Park in the Battle of the Atlantic. We learn that not all the breakthroughs were due to the cryptanalysts. The British at times relied on spies, trickery, and the capture of submarines and other vessels. We also learn of Ian Fleming’s (yes, the writer of the James Bond novels) daring plan to capture critical German cipher documents.

Galileo's Daughter

Wed, 26 Jun 2002 00:00:00 +0000

124 letters from Suor Maria Celeste Galilei (a nun of the order of Poor Clare) written to her father, Galileo form the spine of this unbelievably well written biography. The text of whole letters along with commentary and narrative by the author make for one of the best biographies I’ve ever read.

Project Orion: The True Story of the Atomic Spaceship

Mon, 29 Apr 2002 00:00:00 +0000

Can you make a rocket ship by blowing up nuclear bombs behind it to push it along? Apparently, you can! And the enigineering was done in the late 50’s. George Dyson interviewed many of the principals (including his father, Freeman Dyson, who worked on the project when George was only 5 years old) and examined thousands of pages of newly declassified documents to pull together the fascinating story of this bold engineering project.

e: The Story of a Number

Mon, 10 Dec 2001 00:00:00 +0000

This book is so good I have to admit I’m not done with it and I need to share how good it is. Maor goes through the history of things that lead up to the nubmer e. All the while explaining not only the math that was being used at the time, but Why. That’s a very important point as he does a great job setting the context for each discovery.

Black Hawk Down

Mon, 29 Oct 2001 00:00:00 +0000

The amazing story of the 1993 battle in Mogadishu, Somalia in which 18 US soldiers were killed, along with many 100’s of Somali’s presumed dead. This story is very relevant to the current situation (in October 2001) where we are trying to use traditional military action to capture a single person. In 1993, we were trying to apprehend “warlord” Mohamed Farrah Aidid - and today we are going after Osama bin Laden.

When I'm Dead All This Will Be Yours: Joe Teller

Thu, 12 Apr 2001 00:00:00 +0000

This is a book by Teller of “Penn and Teller”. It is a portait of his father mostly, but a lot of information about both of his parents come through. I reallyed enjoyed this book. It was an interesting look deep into someone’s family.

Turtles, Termites and Traffic Jams

Sat, 31 Mar 2001 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re familiar with the Logo programming language, how would you like to graduate to using thousands of turtles all at once. This book describes the StarLogo system that allows you to write programs where many different agents act together in concert. There are some great examples of how seemingly complex “social” behaviors can spring from a large number of agents using very simple rules. My favorite chapters describe “Artifical Ants” and “Traffic Jams”.

World War 3.0: Microsoft and Its Enemies

Mon, 26 Feb 2001 00:00:00 +0000

I just finished this book in February of 2001. I find this book to be among the more balanced depictions of the Microsoft trial that I’ve read; and I feel that the author has a good general understanding of the issues (though he is still a bit confused on some technical issues).

Robotic Explorations

Mon, 12 Feb 2001 00:00:00 +0000

I ordered this book before entering the January 2000 6.270 competition at MIT … but it arrived after I returned from the trip. This excellent book is by the creator the the Handyboard - the embedded computer that is used in the MIT course.

Remaking the World: Adventures in Engineering

Sun, 31 Dec 2000 00:00:00 +0000

This book is a collection of essays that first appeared in American Scientist. I found them to be a wonderful collection on the history of engineering discipline. Henry Petroski shares my fascination with the large seemingly impossible engineering projects from history. He provides not only fascinating technical information, but also a perspective into the lives and thinking of the men and women who were behind these great feats.

The Astonishing Hypothesis

Tue, 08 Aug 2000 00:00:00 +0000

The book’s title is somewhat of a misnomer. At first I thought this book was about the issue of vitalism (or anti-vitalism); it would make the case for the mind being a manifestation of straightforward physical processes in the brain. I expected this book to be an argument against those such as Roger Penrose who argue that the functioning of the mind and human intelligence, require something more than an understanding of the chemical and biological processes of neurons.

The Annotated C++ Reference Manual

Thu, 10 Feb 2000 00:00:00 +0000

This book is the bible for C++ syntax. Generally referred to as The ARM, this book is the authoritative source for meaning of all C++ constructs. Complex topics covered include Derived Classes, constructors and destructors, operator overloading, templates, exception handling and the preprocessor. Stroustrup also discusses his reasons for designing the language as he did.

The Code Book

Wed, 19 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000

This book offers an excellent historical and technical introduction to code and cipher systems. Though not as historically thorough as David Kahn’s The Code-Breakers the book is more approachable (less wordy), and has excellent diagrams and illustrations to help explain the various systems (and in fact is a better introduction to help understand the workings of the codes and not just their role in historical events).

Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing

Wed, 10 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Philip and I must have been classmates together at MIT, since we were in the same class (class of ‘82). Unfortunately, I don’t remember him. The difference between Philip and I: he’s stayed at MIT (and has had the same email address for two decades) and hates Microsoft, whereas I left MIT to come to Microsoft (in 1983).

Weaving the Web

Fri, 22 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Tim Berners-Lee invented the Web browser and its underlying protocols we use today. I found this book is really exciting because you can hear in his own words how he was trying to create a system that let people build information systems that could truly be open and promote very flexible linking between them. His genius is in building a very simple system without all the complexities of earlier attempts (Ted Nelson’s Xanadu, for example).

The Matrix

Sun, 26 Sep 1999 00:00:00 +0000

The theme of the movie picks up where Descartes left off. “I think, therefore I am,” becomes “I think, therefore my mind is connected to a 10-Billion-Mind network running a simulation of the late 20th century.”

The Kid Stays in the Picture

Sun, 12 Sep 1999 00:00:00 +0000

So I’m browsing Amazon.com and I see they have a new feature - Purchase Circles. Since they know the zip code and email address for all of their customers, they’ve done a clever thing. They’ve assembled their customers into various communities - by city, by school, or by business - and they let you see what that group is buying.

Every Man a Tiger

Tue, 24 Aug 1999 00:00:00 +0000

The book is part biography of Gen. Horner and part history of the Gulf war. The book fills in enough details so you understand who Gen. Horner is, how he was trained, his experiences as a fighter pilot in Vietnam and how that affected the way he commanded the air campaign in the Gulf.

Wind, Sand and Stars

Mon, 02 Aug 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Antoine De Saint-Exupery, an early mail pilot (or as I commonly slip, “email pilot”…people did, after all, have to receive their email somehow before the Internet), writes about his experiences flying the mails from France to Africa. His subject is more about the condition of the human spirit than it is about any particulars about flying and aviation. But for him, the airplane is a vehicle that brings him closer to the world and to other men.

Boggs

Thu, 17 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000

An excellently written account of the obsessions and trials of J.S.G. Boggs. You may have heard of him. He’s the artist that has been able to “pay” for goods by trading his drawings of money at face value. He apparently drew his first $1 by absent mindedly doodling on a napkin - only to have the waitress offer to take it in lieu of money - and she even brought him the change.

Lindbergh

Thu, 17 Jun 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I’m reading this as a Book on Tape now, and thoroughly enjoying it. Not only are the details of his solo trans-Atlantic flight fascinating, but the degree and speed with which he was thrust into the popular consciousness demonstrate how the 20th century media was even in the 20’s able to turn an ordinary man into a world-wide hero.

Business @ the Speed of Thought

Fri, 28 May 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Though not a highly technical book, I found Bill’s book on doing business in the Internet age a great source of real-world examples. Bill has an amazing depth of experience in talking to customers all over the world and understanding their technical and infrastructure problems. This book is chock full of case studies that show how people are using the Internet and Internet-technologies to solve their business problems.

Marine Sniper

Thu, 20 May 1999 00:00:00 +0000

As I write this, war is heating up in the Balkans and it looks like once again the U.S. could be sending troops into battle. This book is the story of marksman Carlos Hathcock who’s exploits as a sniper in Vietnam have become legendary. With a white feather in his hat, he ventured out into the jungle alone to wreak havoc on the enemy. The level of discipline and personal commitment to do this job was, for me, the fascinating part of this story.

The Sun, the Genome, and the Internet

Mon, 26 Apr 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Freeman Dyson is very cool. I first saw him on a video interview that profiled many prominent scientists. Of all those interviewed, I found Freeman to be the most unpretentious and open.

Why Not Me?: The Inside Story of the Making and Unmaking of the Franken Presidency

Fri, 23 Apr 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Another hilarious book by Al Franken. I listened to the audio tape version (read by Al Franken) that J.R. lent me. We hear the story of the “Franken” campaign and his 144 days in office. The campaign section of the book is the best part. The book is all the more funny because many of his outrageous activities during the campaign are nearly mirrored in the behavior of our real-life politicians.

Everest

Wed, 07 Apr 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I saw this film at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. It’s an awesome film. It’s amazing to actually see the parts of the Everest ascent that are so vividly described in Into Thin Air. This climb is definitely beyond my aspirations; but I can watch the video while munching popcorn!

Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot: And Other Observations

Tue, 23 Mar 1999 00:00:00 +0000

A round serving of political satire. Rush Limbaugh and other conservatives are skewered by Al Franken in this hilarious book. This book was written before the Lewinski scandal was made public. But it is prescient in pointing out what a sad group the 1996 conservative leadership was. I particularly love the skewering Gingrich gets for his hypocrisy in preaching family values when he had divorced his wife (who was dying of cancer) and then refused to pay alimony.

Skunk Works

Sat, 06 Feb 1999 00:00:00 +0000

New technology and impossible schedules are tackled by a group of roll-up-your-sleeves engineers at Lockheed’s Skunk Works. Protected from upper-management meddling, this group was able to do the impossible on a shoestring budget. It’s the dream job for any engineer - get the managers and bureaucrats out of the way and let us get to work…

Mornings on Horseback

Wed, 13 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I’m reading this book for the second time. This biography of Teddy Roosevelt is more than the story of a single man’s life. Much of the book revolves around his family. What was it like to grow up in a quite wealthy New York family before the turn of the century? The family certainly had its share of problems

The Making of the Atomic Bomb

Thu, 07 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0000

The amazing story of the atomic bomb project. I love the way the book begins - tracing Leo Szilard strolling through the streets of London, and suddenly realizing that a nuclear chain reaction could be possible:

Genius

Mon, 04 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0000

A fair look at Feynman’s life. Debunking some of his stories a little, and at the same time delving deeper into his life than his own collections of stories did. It goes over some of the more painful moments and hits some of the more unseemly moments. Overall it does show Feynman to be a very interesting and likeable character. I really enjoyed every minute I spent reading this book.

How to Play Popular Piano in 10 Easy Lessons

Mon, 04 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0000

This book is a no-nonsense approach to not only playing popular music, but also to understanding it. While it’s billed as “10 easy lessons” - your ability to achieve profficiency will be limited by the amount of time you can devote to study and practice. It’s one thing to understand, and yet another to have these playing techniques available to you instinctively.

Jazz Improvisation

Mon, 04 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0000

This is an excellent book; I particularly love the notation Mehegan teaches for writing and playing jazz chords. But the book is quite challenging; many of the excercises require that you not only know many of the jazz standards, but can play them by ear - and in many keys! Getting through this book is a skill I aspire to rather than one I have attained. This book is the first in a four volume set.

Live MCMVC

Mon, 04 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I love this disk. On a trip to San Francisco in 1997, I took my sister, Catheryn, to Bimbos; an historic jazz club. We had no idea who was playing, but the Hot Club of San Francisco treated us to a wonderful performance. The group plays in the style of Django Reinhardt - a 20’s jazz musician from Paris (Hot Club of France). This quintet of string players creates a lively mixture of jazz and classical sounding instruments. If you like classical guitar and fast-paced jazz, you’ll love this CD.

Piano Lessons

Mon, 04 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Host of NPR, Noah Adams talks about his adult experience of taking piano lessons. It’s reassuring to hear of his mixture of fear and sometimes frustration in trying to learn to play music on an adult’s schedule.

Eyewitness Travel Guides-Florence & Tuscany

Sun, 03 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0000

As with DK books in general, the photos are great. Colored indexes on the edges of pages made it simple to find regions and subjects. The quick language translator in the back was lacking. I had to refer to other books to find food items. Hand drawn maps of cities and neighborhoods were great for actually walking around.

Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy

Sun, 03 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Another book on my “wish to read” list.

At the End of the Century