<p>I want to read a lot during this summer but I'd prefer not to read biased,poor quality, incomplete, boring pieces of literature (i know that what everyone has his or her own definition of boring).
If you guys could suggest books that are generally sophisticated yet follow Orwell's rules of simplicity and not so convoluted by "big words" that its hard to follow. Also, good grammar would be great. I would like to get used to well-written English. And hopefully, the books won't be intended for graduate students but geared more towards a general audience with some background.
The topics I want to read about are:
1. Economics
2. Economic Philosophy
3. Philosophy
5. Mathematics
6. Biographies of interesting mathematicians/ scientists
7.. Physics
8. Computer Science
9. Quantum Physics
10. Roman Empire
11. Europe Post 1492
12. Anything Interesting</p>
<p>Also, I already read the summer reading list that was on the crimson.</p>
<p>When you say a book about quantum physics, do you mean Stephen Hawking/Michio Kaku style “conceptual” quantum physics, or actual quantum physics. If you meant the latter, then I’d recommend R. Shankhar’s Principles of Quantum Mechanics. If you meant conceptual physics, then I’d recommend Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time.</p>
<p>Try to find Hernando de Soto’s The Other Path, a study of informal (“black”) markets for goods and services in Peru, whose official system was one of heavy mercantilist regulation. Historically, it’s an important book for getting people in the third world to think about free markets as a reform strategy, and it’s also a really good book.</p>
<p>You might also enjoy the three detective novels written by “Marshall Jevons,” a pseudonym for two economics professors. They are Murder At The Margin, The Fatal Equilibrium, and A Deadly Indifference. The detective-hero is a Harvard micro professor.</p>
<p>Denis Guedj, The Parrot’s Theorem, is an introduction to the history of mathematics plotted into a mystery novel with teenaged detectives. It’s not entirely successful, but it’s pretty fun.</p>
<p>My kid highly recommends Simon Singh’s Fermat’s Enigma and The Code Breakers.</p>
<p>A great (and short!) book I have read recently is Katherine Boo, Behind The Beautiful Forevers, which is about the lives of one small set of Mumbai slum-dwellers.</p>
<p>THE book on Europe post-1492 is Fernand Braudel, The Mediterranean World In The Age Of Philip II. In addition to giving a comprehensive picture of early 16th-Century Europe, it will introduce you to the methods and approach of the so-called Annales school of history, which is very economics-focused, by the way, but is not the sort of thing you encounter in high school. You might also like Simon Schama’s very readable The Embarrassment of Riches, an account of Holland and the Dutch trading empire in the 17th century.</p>
<p>You’ll probably have to learn math through linear algebra and classical mechanics before you learn quantum mechanics from Shankar or Griffiths. Don’t rush it. That’s essentially 2-4 semesters (depending on how fast one learns and assuming that one is dedicating a lot of time and energy to these topics) worth of math and physics!</p>