[swordfishtrombones]

There was a similar question on Ask Metafilter once, it has a lot of good recommendations.

For general, classical physics: seconding Feynman;
Fluid Dynamics: G.K. Batchelor's "An Introduction to Fluid Mechanics";
Turbulence: J.O. Hinze's "Turbulence", Tennekes & Lumley "A first course in Turbulence"
Microfluidics: Bruus "Theoretical Microfluidics"

[beelzebozo]

for SOCIOLOGY, i have to recommend NO CONTEST by alfie kohn.

Social change that will benefit all workers take place only if collective action supercedes the quest for individual rewards. 'The achievement of short-run material satisfaction often makes it irrational from an individual perspective to engage in more radical struggle, since that struggle is by definition against those institutions which provide one's current gain.' This is precisely why 'divide & conquer,' along with the practice of co-opting activitists, is such an effective strategy for maintaining the status quo--and why the individualist worldview is a profoundly conservative doctrine: it inherently stifles change.

Scarcity is spurious. It now exists only for the purpose of maintaining the system that depends upon it, and its artificiality becomes more palpable each day. Inequality, originally a consequence of scarcity, is now a means of creating artificial scarcities. For in the old culture, the dominant disposition of American life, as we have seen, the manufacture of scarcity is the principal activity. Hostile comments of old-culture adherents toward new-culture forms ('people won't want to work if they get things for nothing,' 'people won't want to get married if they can get it free') often reveal this preoccupation. Scarcity, the presumably undesired but unavoidable foundation for the whole old-culture edifice, has now become its most treasured and sacred value, and to maintain this value in the midst of plenty it has been necessary to establish invidiousness as the foremost criterion of worth. Old-culture Americans find it difficult to enjoy anything they themselves have unless they can be sure that there are people to whom this pleasure is denied."

[NZer]

Awesome idea, I also hope it takes off.

One question though: are we recommending definitive texts in a field, or the book you would recommend to a layperson interested in the field?

Because the two aren't the same, and the usefulness of the thread would depend on whether its the former or the latter.

[DirtRiver]

Economics - Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt
Physics - The Feynman Lectures on Physics by Richard Feynman

[Necron]

Chemistry:
Physical Chemistry - Peter Atkins and Julio de Paula
Organic Chemistry - Jonathan Clayden, Nick Greeves, Stuart Warren and Peter Wothers
Inorganic Chemistry - Catherine Housecroft, Alan G. Sharpe

Biology:
Campbell Biology (International Edition) - Jane B. Reece, Lisa A. Urry et. al.
Fundamentals of Forensic DNA Typing - John M. Butler
Introduction to Biotechnology - William J. Thieman, Michael A. Palladino

Most of my book recommendations would be in German but I posted the original English versions instead. Especially Physical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry were used a lot during my studies. Fantastic books on the subject. I would recommend 'Fundamentals of Forensic DNA Typing' to anyone that are interested on how crimes are solved. It's easy to read and it has some interesting examples.

[Maklershed]

I love this thread. Subscribed and will be linked in the OPs of the monthly "What are you reading?" threads. Thanks zmoney.

[Crunched]

I have a list of books prepped for when I have kids. I might read to them as bedside stories. I'd like them to know about the books as soon as they're able to.

The list so far:
Aristotle's Ethics - philosophy? Sociology?
Aristotle's Politics - politics
(I've seen elements of both above applied to art)
The Book of Disquiet - philosophy? It is hard to place this one, which reads like a haunting memoir of a fictional everyman. It is literature, but not really focused on being literature. No one seems to have heard of it, which is incredibly disheartening. I would say it is one of the best books of the past 100 years. Right at the top of the list.
One, Two, Three, Infinity - math
I am a little ways into GEB: An Eternal Golden Braid, and I think it will soon be added to the list. It goes into quite a few places: art, history, philosophy, and so on, but mostly it seems a book about math and logic.

[Pollux]

Awesome idea, I also hope it takes off. One question though: are we recommending definitive texts in a field, or the book you would recommend to a layperson interested in the field? Because the two aren't the same, and the usefulness of the thread would depend on whether its the former or the latter.

Both. If its something that you couldn't understand without reading other books first then label it as advanced.

That way even people who have a firm foundation in a field of study can still find the thread useful.

Will update list again this afternoon.

[vcassano1]

Adam Smith's - An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

and the counterpart - The Theory of Moral Sentiments.

Seem like obvious candidates. Not sure whether I'd count them as modern history, philosophy or economics, though.

[BorkBork]

Environment: Thinking in Systems: A Primer

Good introduction to an interdisciplinary approach of thinking about environmental issues.

[Sayah]

International Relations (theory): Samuel P. Huntington: The Clash of Civilizations Francis Fukuyama: The End of History and the Last Man Both books present quite different and conflicting theories regarding the future of international relations, and are probably the most modern manifestations of the 'idealist vs realist' debate in the study.

Also, add under IR:
Orientalism by Edward Said
War Talk by Arundhati Roy

[Patrick Bateman]

That's a really nice thread. I hope it works out.

[CarbonatedFalcon]

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn. Highly recommended for all fields of scientific study, as well as philosophy.

The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell Required reading for understanding literature and any narrative related media (film, TV, games).

[Crunched]

I am looking through old textbooks from school, but I've only found one that's noteworthy:

David A Cook's A History of Narrative Cinema. Covers a lot, but unfortunately (maybe unavoidably) doesn't go into much specific detail. Still, it's a huge book as is. Topic would be art or art history.

I would also add Aristotle's Poetics.

There are a few books I'd like to add for literature. There are obvious ones like Moby Dick and War and Peace, but I find myself kind of indifferent about those. Should they be read? Yes, by anyone interested in literature. They are important books. But I find myself attracted more toward writers like Fernando Pessoa and Georges Perec -- probably my two favorites.

I've already recommended The Book of Disquiet, but let me add A Void and Life: A User's Manual, both by Perec. Such excellent, exciting books. Both fall under literature.

[Spiffy_1st]

Now this is a thread worth subscribing to.

[Jason Raize '75 - '04]

Great thread idea. Subscribed

[The Technomancer]

Computer Science


Yes its a textbook. But its one of the best ones I've ever read. I didn't even read it for a class, I read it in my free time, and I found it fantastic. Anyone with a high-school education should be able to read it and start to understand exactly how computers function at the levels of assembly code and even physical transistor circuits.

Design

A fascinating discussion of how our like or dislike for something aesthetically can determine how we feel about the object as a whole and even directly influence how effective we are at using it.

[SquiddyCracker]

Just posting some of the stuff I pretty much had to read:

Psychology
Barkow, J., Cosmides, L. & Tooby, J., (eds) (1992) The Adapted Mind: Evolutionary psychology and the generation of culture (New York: Oxford University Press).

Sociology
Hutchby, I. and Wooffitt, R. (2008) Conversation Analysis: Principles, Practices and Applications. Second edition Oxford: Polity Press, pp.260. ISBN: Hb: 978-0-7456-3865-2

Will update when I'm home later.

[Sloane]

I'd say Guns, Germs and Steel is pretty much required reading for history, even if I don't fully agree with its explanations all the time. Very interesting book.

That the book in which the author repeats every other page that race had no Influence on each continent's history or something like that? Tried to read it because I was interested in the topic but it felt like he really had to prove something. Not saying that he's wrong, of course, but it felt a bit forced.

[Galvanise_]

If you are interested in studying the History of Mathematics, I recommend "A History of Mathematics" by Carl B. Boyer and Uta C. Merzbach. Covers everything nicely and guides you through some of the less familiar concepts.

[kylej]

Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince for Political Science/people interested in politics. I've read Hobbes, Rousseau, Plato, all the big boys, and all their major works can blow your mind. None are as biting, relevant, genius, and beautifully succinct as The Prince.

[loosus]

For basic computer science, I always thought this book was pretty decent: Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software

[Sanky Panky]

Finance/Economics:

The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham. THE book for valuing investments.

[Edmond Dantès]

History - Crusades.

[Goya]

Economics

If you're looking for pop economics, just read The Economist. If you want to learn economics, not just feel more confident arguing superficially about economic policy on the internet, read these textbooks first. Understanding the foundations of the field will permit you to branch out and learn more about your specific interests (macro, public, international, development, market design, etc.). Try looking for them in your library or buying them used because they are very expensive (there are even cheaper means to acquire them, but it is forbidden to divulge these secrets here, lol). None of these are required reading, as there are many textbooks out there that teach almost the same stuff, but I recommend them.

* = Introductory
** = Intermediate
*** = Graduate

Game Theory

*/** An Introduction to Game Theory by Martin Osborne
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-G...5018088&sr=1-1

Microeconomics:

*/** Introduction to Economic Analysis by R. Preston McAfee (Yahoo! Research, previously at Caltech)
http://www.introecon.com/ (FREE!)

** Microeconomic Theory: Basic Principles and Extensions by Nicholson and Snyder
http://www.amazon.com/Microeconomic-...dp_ob_title_bk

*** Microeconomic Theory by Mas-Colell, Whinston, and Green
http://www.amazon.com/Microeconomic-.../dp/0195073401

Econometrics:

*/** Introduction to Econometrics by Stock and Watson
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-E...ref=pd_sim_b_1

Mathematical Prerequisites:
Graduate level textbooks require some familiarity with proofs and mathematical analysis. Intermediate level textbooks require some (possibly multivariable) calculus and maybe some linear algebra. Introductory level just requires algebra and how to read graphs.

I'll add more later once (if!) I finish my problem sets.

[Guzim]

Any History major should read Candide by Voltaire and Common Sense by Thomas Paine. While these aren't necessarily historical, they both offer insight on the times.

[demon]

Goya: any non-college-textbook-priced alternatives to those books?

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

That the book in which the author repeats every other page that race had no Influence on each continent's history or something like that? Tried to read it because I was interested in the topic but it felt like he really had to prove something. Not saying that he's wrong, of course, but it felt a bit forced.

That's... not really what happens in the book, but yeah, it's the one that you're thinking it is. He IS trying to prove something, but to try to explain thousands of years of human history via geography (basically) is a ballsy posit that requires copious amounts of proof.

[Goya]

Goya: any non-college-textbook-priced alternatives to those books?

Here's a free book on microeconomics at the intermediate level (i.e., uses calculus) that has been recommended before by others:

** Introduction to Economic Analysis by R. Preston McAfee (Yahoo! Research, previously at Caltech)
http://www.introecon.com/

A more complete list of free and online books on economics is located here:
http://wikieducator.org/Economics_Te...ree_and_Online

Also, http://www.coursera.org has a couple of free economics classes (video lectures, lecture notes, etc.), like this game theory course being taught by Stanford professors: https://class.coursera.org/gametheory/auth/welcome.

[Sloane]

That's... not really what happens in the book, but yeah, it's the one that you're thinking it is. He IS trying to prove something, but to try to explain thousands of years of human history via geography (basically) is a ballsy posit that requires copious amounts of proof.

Hmm, yeah, maybe I should continue reading it, I stopped after the first 100 pages or so because his writing style somehow annoyed me and it felt a bit forced. But I guess I'll give it another try.

[echoshifting]

I don't have anything to add yet...just wanted to say this is one of the best ideas for a thread I have seen on neogaf in seven years. F'in subbed.

Hmm, yeah, maybe I should continue reading it, I stopped after the first 100 pages or so because his writing style somehow annoyed me and it felt a bit forced. But I guess I'll give it another try.

Honestly, I'm not sure you'd like it much more beyond those first 100 pages. It's not like there is a dramatic change in style or content.

[Pollux]

Still on the first page as far as updating the OP...sorry its taking so long. Have work to do with finals coming up, but every one of your recommendations will be in the list ASAP.

New Overall Categories include:
Linguistics, Cultural Studies, and Communications.

[echoshifting]

Will you consider adding a Writing category?

Possible subcategories: technical, fiction, nonfiction, journalism, publication

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Subscribed, could you add a section for systems engineering & human centered design?

[The Technomancer]

Subscribed, could you add a section for systems engineering & human centered design?

Yeah, I recommended a book for the Design category that really falls under this label.

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Ive taken a human centered design class and it really changed my outlook on how I view the development of systems.

[The Technomancer]

Ive taken a human centered design class and it really changed my outlook on how I view the development of systems.

Its the area that I eventually want to go into. I'm getting my BA in Mechanical Engineering because I'm interested in working in that area in the physical space.

[Goya]

Probability, Stochastic Processes, and Stochastic Calculus (again these are my picks, there are many alternatives)

A First Course in Probability - Sheldon Ross
http://www.amazon.com/First-Course-P.../dp/013603313X

Introduction to Probability Models - Sheldon Ross
http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-P...5022850&sr=1-1

Probability and Stochastics - Erhan Cinlar
http://www.amazon.com/Probability-St...5022863&sr=1-1

Stochastic Calculus, Filtering, and Stochastic Control - Ramon van Handel
http://www.princeton.edu/~rvan/acm217/ACM217.pdf (these are lecture notes, with annotated references at the end of each chapter if you're looking for more traditional books).

[ssolitare]

What about Marketing?

[survivor]

Computer Science

What do you guys think about Introduction to Algorithms book? From what I gathered online, it was the go to book for algorithms.

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Two suggestions.

1) could you add who recommended the book and
2) modify the sections so the show up in alphabetical order.

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Its the area that I eventually want to go into. I'm getting my BA in Mechanical Engineering because I'm interested in working in that area in the physical space.

I'm a few steps away from starting my masters in HCD. Kent State has a nice program.

[Attackthebase]

I came in here about to state the Lucifer Effect by Zimbardo, but I've been beaten to the punch. I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread. I want to expand my knowledge on psychology.


Zmoney, add Criminology to the OP.

[Antiwhippy]

Its the area that I eventually want to go into. I'm getting my BA in Mechanical Engineering because I'm interested in working in that area in the physical space.

Is Human centered design a specific separate course?

I view general design really as pretty centered around usability for the user.

[Attackthebase]

Not sure if this will truly fit, but I deem it necessary reading for religious study: god is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens. A persuasive book arguing against religions and really focuses in on Christianity.

[Hoo-doo]

It needs a Medicine category.

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Is Human centered design a specific separate course? I view general design really as pretty centered around usability for the user.

Actually it is information architecture and knowledge management. HCD I feel is one implementation of those principles.

One of the questions that I always ask is who is the "user", what motivates the "user". I think it is important to know.

[Pollux]

Two suggestions. 1) could you add who recommended the book and 2) modify the sections so the show up in alphabetical order.

Yes and yes. Will be able to do more tonight though.

I came in here about to state the Lucifer Effect by Zimbardo, but I've been beaten to the punch. I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread. I want to expand my knowledge on psychology. Zmoney, add Criminology to the OP.

I'll put it as a subsection of psychology.

[Cyan]

Awesome idea, I also hope it takes off. One question though: are we recommending definitive texts in a field, or the book you would recommend to a layperson interested in the field? Because the two aren't the same, and the usefulness of the thread would depend on whether its the former or the latter.

It appears to be a combination, but leaning towards the former. And yes, I agree; I was hoping for more utility out of this thread. :/

[Stumpokapow]

What level are we talking about here? High schooler? Informed lay-person? Expert? Are we talking about autodidacts or people who have access to schooling? There are sections like philosophy and political science and sociology... and, well, frankly most of them, where I wouldn't recommend most of the primary "seminal texts" for someone who is self-starting. Instead, I'd recommend secondary texts that help contextualize the primary texts. On the other hand, if we're talking at a graduate level, readers would probably want to read the primary texts at that point.

Especially philosophy and political science. Anyone reading Marx, Durkheim, Weber, or even Locke, Burke, Bentham, Hayek, etc out of context, just by picking up their primary texts, is going to do themselves a huge disservice.

I'd also argue that in most of the fields, the seminal works aren't trade paperbacks, they're either textbooks or journal articles. You wouldn't be studying foreign policy from a book, you'd be studying it from the X Memo and the Journal of Democracy and countless other sources.

Regardless of how it turns out, you probably ought to include "Godel, Escher, Bach"--Crunched mentions it above--under Linguistics, Computer Science, and Philosophy. You probably ought to include "Flatland" under mathematics. Elliott Layton's "Hunting Humans" under Criminology or Sociology. All of these are approachable enough that I'd recommend them for self-starters. For Mathematics you could probable add the Stewart calculus text, since it's used by probably the better part of the English speaking world.

International Relations (theory): Samuel P. Huntington: The Clash of Civilizations Francis Fukuyama: The End of History and the Last Man

While I'd recommend both books for exactly the reason you mention, I'd also not recommend them to anyone who just wandered in to the subject. Typically when these works are taught, they're taught in a course that's already went through IR in the cold war (bipolar, containment, etc), and then they contextualize the collapse of the soviet union and the emerging world order of the 90s. So I think it does someone a disservice to just pick these up, read them, and internalize them.

I mean this is a fundamental problem here--you have people in this thread who are largely not autodidacts, who were largely taught by professors who gave everything a good context and within programs that ensured a good progression of knowledge... and yet the works are being recommended to people who may or may not be in the same situation.