Picks of the month - September 2016

Posted by Gjermund Bjaanes on September 30, 2016

Welcome to Picks of the month, where I share a few things I have found useful the last month.

It can be anything from blog posts and software tools to books and techniques.

I am still reading a lot, so this month is also all about books. I’m a really book focused period right now, and I enjoy it immensely. I learn a lot, and it’s very relaxing.

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I read a lot of fiction, non-fiction (science stuff mostly), self-help/productivity, religion and of course technical books.

All links to Amazon and such are not something I make money from. They are just a helpful link.

 

#1 The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution

The Innovators Cover

The innovators is history and biography mixed together. It goes through the history of computers, all the way from Ada Lovelace to Apple and Google.

The book outlines the great innovators that helped bring forth the digital revolution. It also tells the story of how teams can do a lot more than great minds on their own.

The book got me thinking about how innovation comes not only from great minds, but from collaboration. It’s a compelling case for working on your team skills!

If you are at all interested in the men and women behind the digital revolution, and how they made it all happen, this is a book for you!

Innovators on Amazon.com

 

#2 Flowers for Algernon

Flowers for Algernon Cover

This is an old classic, first published in 1959. It’s one of the better books I’ve read recently.

The story is a fantastic mix between an interesting and thought provoking plot, great development of characters and good writing style. It’s also rather short and can easily be read without the biggest time commitment.

The book tells the story of Charlie Gordon, a man with an IQ of 68. He gets the opportunity to undergo a surgery that can make him more intelligent. His journey from mentally challenged to something quite else is worth the read.

I don’t want to spoil the book too much, but I urge you to read it.

Flowers for Algernon on Amazon.com

 

#3 The Fold

The Fold Cover

A science fiction book about a group of scientist that have created a teleporter device. The teleporter works too! It works every single time, yet something seems very wrong.

Enters Mike Erikson, a brilliant high school teacher with an eidetic memory. He gets dragged in to take a look at this thing, and ends up discovering a lot more than he thought he would.

The plot of this story is full of twists and turns that make for a great read. Very entertaining book. Cool science fiction is always fun!

The Fold on Amazon.com


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