My top 5 reads of 2018
As I’m finishing to read the last of the 52 books I assigned myself this year, I’ve decided to take a step back and review those that have made the biggest impression on me, irrespective of their category or publication date.
5. Birth of a Theorem — Cédric Villani
An inspiring dive into the world of famous French Field medalist and math-evangelizer Cédric Villani, now a member of parliament. He recounts the journey from the moment he picked his subject of study to the day he received his award, the acknowledgement of a lifelong passion for Maths.
Pragmatically penned and easy to read (besides the indecipherable hieroglyphical e-mail exerpts from exchanges with his disciple), Villani takes the reader from one research center to another, filled with the most brilliant yet mysterious brains of our time, guiding one another in their respective endeavors for the holy grail of their profession — one that Villani landed after nearly a decade of labour.
4. Ethics — Baruch Spinoza
Note: Because of how challenging this book is to read, you may opt for vulgarized editions such as Frédéric Lenoir’s “Spinoza’s Miracle” (French, unfortunately untranslated)
Spinoza counts Nietzche, Freud, Einstein, Marx, and most of the 19th and 20th century intellectuals among his adepts — even those who disagreed, such as the church, were forced to acknowledged his brilliant mind. Nietzche said of Spinoza:“What a surprise! I have a predecessor, and not the least!” Einstein claimed he didn’t believe in God, only Spinoza’s vision of it. If that isn’t enough to persuade you to discover his work, it can be pointed out that Spinoza was among the first (in 1660!) to advocate for the separation of church and state along with democracy as we know it (which got him threatened by pretty much every religion). Jump in!
3. Amusing ourselves to death — Neil Postman
In the wake of the two most iconic dystopian fictions of the 20th century, Neil Postman waited until the year 1985 to judge which book ended up being the most prophetic: 1984 by Orwell or Brave New World by Huxley?
Featuring spine-chilling predictions on the early 21st century (such as who will access power at the age of reality-TV), along with an in-depth deciphering of how the shifting ways of communication reshape the messages we convey, “Amusing ourselves to death” is a must read for anyone wondering if any forceful and organized attempt to control the masses is underway — or necessary.
2. IA superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the new world order — Kai-Fu Lee
Will A.I destroy or create jobs ? How much of an impact will it have in our lives within the next 5, 10, 30 years ? Which country will spearhead innovation in this field, bearing which consequences in our everyday lives? In this eye opening essay, Kai Fu Lee answers these questions by bluntly laying down the facts and culture discrepancies between China, Europe and the U.S, extrapolating them into well argumented predictions for the future of our society.
1. Factfulness — Hans Rosling
I read Factfulness in one sitting. Pulling you into the book with a simple questionnaire that you will fail, Rosling embarks you into a journey of truth and hopefulness. Well documented with publicly available data, this slap in the face confronts our preconceived ideas about poverty, the current state of the world, and our complacent vision of the future. This Swedish doctor dedicated the first part of his life caring for people around the globe and the second attempting to demonstrate how simplistic our views sometimes are. It wasn’t in vain.
My full reading list: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/54831571
