My shelves! I strongly prefer ebooks for my reading, so the books that I own are almost all either a) nice to look at on shelves or b) comics/graphic novels, which are much easier to get in...
I strongly prefer ebooks for my reading, so the books that I own are almost all either a) nice to look at on shelves or b) comics/graphic novels, which are much easier to get in physical format. I'm also a bit of a bargain hunter, so I got almost all of these on steep discount, most from secondhand sources or used book stores.
The top rows in the first image are all from Barnes & Noble. They printed a whole line of hardcover "classics" that were genuinely divisive among book fans. Some people think they look kitschy and...
The top rows in the first image are all from Barnes & Noble. They printed a whole line of hardcover "classics" that were genuinely divisive among book fans. Some people think they look kitschy and cheap. I, meanwhile, love the designs and how they look together.
It's been a while since I bought one, but each one retailed for a whopping $20/$25. I think they massively undersold, however, as my local Barnes & Noble would always have huge stacks of them and would seem to rotate through which ones were discounted to $10. I'd wait for one I wanted to go cheap, then buy it with a coupon to get it for around $8.00. I also found a few of them floating on used book sites for a couple of bucks.
Also, I have yet to actually read Everything Is Flammable, so maybe I'll make that one of the first things I tackle for my backlog project.
I've usually found those editions to feel really cheap, but seeing them all lined up like that I start to get the charm. I can imagine walking up to those as a little kid and having my imagination...
I've usually found those editions to feel really cheap, but seeing them all lined up like that I start to get the charm. I can imagine walking up to those as a little kid and having my imagination go wild :)
I spent a good amount of time getting the shelves nice and neat! What you're not seeing is my hidden clutter! Keep in mind that these are far from representative of my actual reading habits. My...
I spent a good amount of time getting the shelves nice and neat! What you're not seeing is my hidden clutter!
Keep in mind that these are far from representative of my actual reading habits. My philosophy for owning a physical copy of a book is that there needs to be a reason I would have it over a digital copy, as I genuinely prefer ebooks. As such, most of these I have because a lot of comics and graphic novels are better on paper (or just plain unavailable digitally), or I liked the aesthetic design of the particular book itself.
You went to an effort for these photos? I just got candid shots. I didn't even think of tidying up my shelves! When I first got my e-reader, I was going to do what you do: move everything to...
You went to an effort for these photos? I just got candid shots. I didn't even think of tidying up my shelves!
When I first got my e-reader, I was going to do what you do: move everything to digital except the special books. However, it turns out I prefer paper books, for a number of reasons. So I mostly buy e-books for books I don't care about (I always keep in mind that the seller can erase any e-book at any time, like the Ministry of Truth erasing the past in '1984').
Shouldn't that be "bookshelves"? :P Algernon's library I've read all these books at some point in my life. I might not remember everything that's in all of them, but I have read them. And, in many...
I've read all these books at some point in my life. I might not remember everything that's in all of them, but I have read them. And, in many cases, I've re-read or even re-re-read them.
P.S. I also have some ebooks in my kobo. There's only about 50 books there, about 10 of which are duplicates of books on my shelves.
It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that you have an entire shelf for Asimov. :D Of his books, what do you consider his "must reads", and what do you consider his "hidden gems"?
It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that you have an entire shelf for Asimov. :D
Of his books, what do you consider his "must reads", and what do you consider his "hidden gems"?
60-ish books by him, about him, or somehow connected to him. :) I, Robot, of course. No reading of Asimov is complete without this book. It's pure Asimov. The End of Eternity is one of the best...
It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that you have an entire shelf for Asimov. :D
60-ish books by him, about him, or somehow connected to him. :)
Of his books, what do you consider his "must reads"
I, Robot, of course. No reading of Asimov is complete without this book. It's pure Asimov.
The End of Eternity is one of the best time-travel books I've ever read. Asimov said he tried to include every time-travel paradox he could think of! It's also a very interesting story, with a strong message.
Forward the Foundation is some of Asimov's best work. Unfortunately, given that it's the last Foundation/Robots story that he wrote, full appreciation of this book requires reading all the other Foundation and Robots stories - which might be overkill. The book can still be appreciated on its own, but it has more depth and resonance if you've got the whole backstory.
and what do you consider his "hidden gems"?
The Ugly Little Boy is one of the best stories Asimov ever wrote (even he said he was writing above himself when he wrote this). It's a heart-breaking story about a little boy who becomes the subject of scientific experiment involving time-travel. The "ugliness" refers to the fact that he's actually a Neanderthal.
Profession is a short story about the standardisation of education - and what happens to the misfits.
The Dead Past is a short story about the unexpected implications of being able to view the past.
Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain is Asimov's version of the 1966 movie 'Fantastic Voyage'. He was asked to write the novelisation of the movie, but he worked so fast that his book came out before the movie! However, he thought the science in the movie was flawed, along with the politics. 20 years later, he revisited the premise and wrote his own version of the story, done the way he thought it should be done - scientifically and politically.
Isaac Asimov's Guide to the Bible is essential reading for anyone - religious or otherwise - who has any interest in the background of the Bible. Asimov provides historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts for many significant sections of the text.
Read 'em and weep: Main shelf Spillover box Nightstand 1 Nightstand 2 Nightstand 3 I've read about ~85% of the books I own. I intend to read the rest before I start buying more, but y'know, "best...
We've got a lot of overlap in taste it seems! There's a lot here that I haven't heard of too, which is good news for me. I'm also lol'ing at "The Time of Quarantine" in your overflow box, way to...
We've got a lot of overlap in taste it seems! There's a lot here that I haven't heard of too, which is good news for me. I'm also lol'ing at "The Time of Quarantine" in your overflow box, way to apt. I should dig some of my overflow out and post it too but its such a pain. Love your collection.
:D . That book was honestly pretty hard to follow. Too surreal and impressionistic, for me. I mean, I like that stuff, sometimes...but I feel it didn't work in that book. Yea, the box that I...
I'm also lol'ing at "The Time of Quarantine"
:D . That book was honestly pretty hard to follow. Too surreal and impressionistic, for me. I mean, I like that stuff, sometimes...but I feel it didn't work in that book.
I should dig some of my overflow out and post it too but its such a pain.
Yea, the box that I posted had mostly become a receptacle for hats and miscellany, so I had to clear that out before I got to the books .
Anyhow, if you have any questions with regards to particular items on my shelf, feel free to ask! I really ought to get back into my hardcore reading mode...
Hey, thanks for appreciating! I'd like to think I do a pretty good job of pre-selecting books that'll be good, and so far I have! A couple of stinkers that I took a chance on... For all there is...
Hey, thanks for appreciating!
I'd like to think I do a pretty good job of pre-selecting books that'll be good, and so far I have! A couple of stinkers that I took a chance on... For all there is to be said about The Canon®, I find that following it's lineage has proven to be fruitful.
A fellow quantum field theory aficionado! :-) Here a snap of my bookshelf: https://postimg.cc/yDC7NPw5 Unfortunately the resolution on most mobile cameras is barely acceptable for reading book...
A fellow quantum field theory aficionado! :-)
Here a snap of my bookshelf: https://postimg.cc/yDC7NPw5
Unfortunately the resolution on most mobile cameras is barely acceptable for reading book titles.
I’ve read only a small fraction of these books :smh:
But most of the books I’ve read aren’t on that shelf. I had to give away a significant chunk of a former collection when I moved after grad school, and only recently started splurging on (used) books that fill up the shelf, with the notion that even if I end up reading a fraction, that comes out to a win!
Peskin & Schroeder ftw. I see some quantum computing and information theory books up there too. Are you in that field? Got any recommendations for a good book on information theory?
Peskin & Schroeder ftw. I see some quantum computing and information theory books up there too. Are you in that field? Got any recommendations for a good book on information theory?
I actually just finished that one, hence my interest in digging deeper with a textbook of some sort :). I am vaguely familiar with concepts from quantum information theory because I work in...
I actually just finished that one, hence my interest in digging deeper with a textbook of some sort :). I am vaguely familiar with concepts from quantum information theory because I work in physics, but I never felt I had a good foundation anyway and it seems super important.
I did a course based on Nielsen & Chuang many years ago. It’s more in the spirit of a reference book (up-to-date collection in its day), and wouldn’t recommend it to read. For QI, I liked Vlatko...
I did a course based on Nielsen & Chuang many years ago. It’s more in the spirit of a reference book (up-to-date collection in its day), and wouldn’t recommend it to read.
For QC, I’ve been meaning to check out Kitaev’s textbook... “someday“.
——
BTW, Peskin & Schroeder is useful, but the QFT book I liked the most is Anthony Zee’s. I also like some of the more cond. mat. / stat. phys. perspectives, and enjoyed the variety of themes/problems in Mehran Kardar’s textbook.
Broke Pirates represent! Unfortunately that means our actual shelf is kind of empty, mostly relegated to books i was gifted or books i couldn't find epubs/mobi off back when Kindles couldnt handle...
Unfortunately that means our actual shelf is kind of empty, mostly relegated to books i was gifted or books i couldn't find epubs/mobi off back when Kindles couldnt handle pdfs, thankfully for us poor folks it can do these days (mostly).
Yeah, 1.5 TB on the NAS and cloud, but couldn't get rid of the last 4 bookshelves. 🙃 The remaining physical volumes are mostly vintage SF editions and graphic novels, cookbooks, art folios,...
Yeah, 1.5 TB on the NAS and cloud, but couldn't get rid of the last 4 bookshelves. 🙃
The remaining physical volumes are mostly vintage SF editions and graphic novels, cookbooks, art folios, technical manuals, and a few sentimental items.
Between the spouse and I, our Kindle list is getting to be appalling as well.
In the course of the last three moves, we probably shed close to 2,000 volumes.
Imagine only having one bookcase! ;) I have the same box-set of Lord of the Rings, plus a couple editions of The Hobbit with some quite nice illustrations. No Beren and Luthien, though; is that...
Imagine only having one bookcase! ;)
I have the same box-set of Lord of the Rings, plus a couple editions of The Hobbit with some quite nice illustrations. No Beren and Luthien, though; is that just the poem, or is there more to it?
How is The Age of Surveillance Capitalism? I've been meaning to take a look at it.
Beren and Luthien is similar to Children of Hurin in that its an expansion of the story in the Silmarillion compiled by Christopher Tolkien. So it's a bit more. As for The Age of Surveillance...
Beren and Luthien is similar to Children of Hurin in that its an expansion of the story in the Silmarillion compiled by Christopher Tolkien. So it's a bit more. As for The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, it's next on my list to read! Right now I'm reading The Fifth Season and Who Owns the Future?
Not the OP, but I read The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. It's good, but it's a LOT. Very long and dense. I found myself wanting a pared down version that was more digestible, as I feel that the...
Not the OP, but I read The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. It's good, but it's a LOT. Very long and dense. I found myself wanting a pared down version that was more digestible, as I feel that the main messages of the book are very important for people to get, but the only people who would sit through a book of that length to hear them are people who are already aware of the issues it presents.
Main stuff I care about now. Stuff from when I was younger that I still like showing off. Haven't opened this in years but I'm glad I have it, even if it's mostly old EU stuff. (I'm surprised no...
I present my Swedish bookcase. I'll have to confess that I'm not much of a book reader these days, so the vast bulk of the books on these shelves are my partners.
My shelves!
I strongly prefer ebooks for my reading, so the books that I own are almost all either a) nice to look at on shelves or b) comics/graphic novels, which are much easier to get in physical format. I'm also a bit of a bargain hunter, so I got almost all of these on steep discount, most from secondhand sources or used book stores.
There's a ton in here that I haven't read, which I'm hoping to take care of this month.
The top rows in the first image are all from Barnes & Noble. They printed a whole line of hardcover "classics" that were genuinely divisive among book fans. Some people think they look kitschy and cheap. I, meanwhile, love the designs and how they look together.
It's been a while since I bought one, but each one retailed for a whopping $20/$25. I think they massively undersold, however, as my local Barnes & Noble would always have huge stacks of them and would seem to rotate through which ones were discounted to $10. I'd wait for one I wanted to go cheap, then buy it with a coupon to get it for around $8.00. I also found a few of them floating on used book sites for a couple of bucks.
Also, I have yet to actually read Everything Is Flammable, so maybe I'll make that one of the first things I tackle for my backlog project.
I've usually found those editions to feel really cheap, but seeing them all lined up like that I start to get the charm. I can imagine walking up to those as a little kid and having my imagination go wild :)
I've seen them in a bookstore here in Australia, too.
Your shelves are so tidy!
I like the special retro-ish editions of the classics.
Other than that, I don't recognise most of your reading choices.
I spent a good amount of time getting the shelves nice and neat! What you're not seeing is my hidden clutter!
Keep in mind that these are far from representative of my actual reading habits. My philosophy for owning a physical copy of a book is that there needs to be a reason I would have it over a digital copy, as I genuinely prefer ebooks. As such, most of these I have because a lot of comics and graphic novels are better on paper (or just plain unavailable digitally), or I liked the aesthetic design of the particular book itself.
You went to an effort for these photos? I just got candid shots. I didn't even think of tidying up my shelves!
When I first got my e-reader, I was going to do what you do: move everything to digital except the special books. However, it turns out I prefer paper books, for a number of reasons. So I mostly buy e-books for books I don't care about (I always keep in mind that the seller can erase any e-book at any time, like the Ministry of Truth erasing the past in '1984').
Glad to see Opus on here! Feel like that doesn't get enough love even from hardcore manga nerds.
Shouldn't that be "bookshelves"? :P
Algernon's library
I've read all these books at some point in my life. I might not remember everything that's in all of them, but I have read them. And, in many cases, I've re-read or even re-re-read them.
P.S. I also have some ebooks in my kobo. There's only about 50 books there, about 10 of which are duplicates of books on my shelves.
It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that you have an entire shelf for Asimov. :D
Of his books, what do you consider his "must reads", and what do you consider his "hidden gems"?
60-ish books by him, about him, or somehow connected to him. :)
I, Robot, of course. No reading of Asimov is complete without this book. It's pure Asimov.
The End of Eternity is one of the best time-travel books I've ever read. Asimov said he tried to include every time-travel paradox he could think of! It's also a very interesting story, with a strong message.
Forward the Foundation is some of Asimov's best work. Unfortunately, given that it's the last Foundation/Robots story that he wrote, full appreciation of this book requires reading all the other Foundation and Robots stories - which might be overkill. The book can still be appreciated on its own, but it has more depth and resonance if you've got the whole backstory.
The Ugly Little Boy is one of the best stories Asimov ever wrote (even he said he was writing above himself when he wrote this). It's a heart-breaking story about a little boy who becomes the subject of scientific experiment involving time-travel. The "ugliness" refers to the fact that he's actually a Neanderthal.
Profession is a short story about the standardisation of education - and what happens to the misfits.
The Dead Past is a short story about the unexpected implications of being able to view the past.
Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain is Asimov's version of the 1966 movie 'Fantastic Voyage'. He was asked to write the novelisation of the movie, but he worked so fast that his book came out before the movie! However, he thought the science in the movie was flawed, along with the politics. 20 years later, he revisited the premise and wrote his own version of the story, done the way he thought it should be done - scientifically and politically.
Isaac Asimov's Guide to the Bible is essential reading for anyone - religious or otherwise - who has any interest in the background of the Bible. Asimov provides historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts for many significant sections of the text.
Read 'em and weep:
I've read about ~85% of the books I own. I intend to read the rest before I start buying more, but y'know, "best laid plans" and all that.
Game: spot the currently all-too relevant title.
We've got a lot of overlap in taste it seems! There's a lot here that I haven't heard of too, which is good news for me. I'm also lol'ing at "The Time of Quarantine" in your overflow box, way to apt. I should dig some of my overflow out and post it too but its such a pain. Love your collection.
:D . That book was honestly pretty hard to follow. Too surreal and impressionistic, for me. I mean, I like that stuff, sometimes...but I feel it didn't work in that book.
Yea, the box that I posted had mostly become a receptacle for hats and miscellany, so I had to clear that out before I got to the books .
Anyhow, if you have any questions with regards to particular items on my shelf, feel free to ask! I really ought to get back into my hardcore reading mode...
If your shelves were a bookstore, I'd be leaving with a full bag! Lots of interesting choices. Thanks for sharing.
Hey, thanks for appreciating!
I'd like to think I do a pretty good job of pre-selecting books that'll be good, and so far I have! A couple of stinkers that I took a chance on... For all there is to be said about The Canon®, I find that following it's lineage has proven to be fruitful.
amazing collection you got! they'd look better on some dang actual bookshelves!
but where's your bookshelf, homie
ADDENDUM:
A fellow quantum field theory aficionado! :-)
Here a snap of my bookshelf: https://postimg.cc/yDC7NPw5
Unfortunately the resolution on most mobile cameras is barely acceptable for reading book titles.
I’ve read only a small fraction of these books :smh:
But most of the books I’ve read aren’t on that shelf. I had to give away a significant chunk of a former collection when I moved after grad school, and only recently started splurging on (used) books that fill up the shelf, with the notion that even if I end up reading a fraction, that comes out to a win!
Peskin & Schroeder ftw. I see some quantum computing and information theory books up there too. Are you in that field? Got any recommendations for a good book on information theory?
Not sure how deep you want to go, but Gleick's The Information offers a pretty solid layman's overview.
I actually just finished that one, hence my interest in digging deeper with a textbook of some sort :). I am vaguely familiar with concepts from quantum information theory because I work in physics, but I never felt I had a good foundation anyway and it seems super important.
I did a course based on Nielsen & Chuang many years ago. It’s more in the spirit of a reference book (up-to-date collection in its day), and wouldn’t recommend it to read.
For QI, I liked Vlatko Vedral’s textbook: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/374285.Introduction_to_Quantum_Information_Science
For QC, I’ve been meaning to check out Kitaev’s textbook... “someday“.
——
BTW, Peskin & Schroeder is useful, but the QFT book I liked the most is Anthony Zee’s. I also like some of the more cond. mat. / stat. phys. perspectives, and enjoyed the variety of themes/problems in Mehran Kardar’s textbook.
Have you read Positioning? It's another classic, similar to Crossing the Chasm.
Broke Pirates represent!
Unfortunately that means our actual shelf is kind of empty, mostly relegated to books i was gifted or books i couldn't find epubs/mobi off back when Kindles couldnt handle pdfs, thankfully for us poor folks it can do these days (mostly).
Yeah, 1.5 TB on the NAS and cloud, but couldn't get rid of the last 4 bookshelves. 🙃
The remaining physical volumes are mostly vintage SF editions and graphic novels, cookbooks, art folios, technical manuals, and a few sentimental items.
Between the spouse and I, our Kindle list is getting to be appalling as well.
In the course of the last three moves, we probably shed close to 2,000 volumes.
Imagine only having one bookcase! ;)
I have the same box-set of Lord of the Rings, plus a couple editions of The Hobbit with some quite nice illustrations. No Beren and Luthien, though; is that just the poem, or is there more to it?
How is The Age of Surveillance Capitalism? I've been meaning to take a look at it.
Beren and Luthien is similar to Children of Hurin in that its an expansion of the story in the Silmarillion compiled by Christopher Tolkien. So it's a bit more. As for The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, it's next on my list to read! Right now I'm reading The Fifth Season and Who Owns the Future?
Not the OP, but I read The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. It's good, but it's a LOT. Very long and dense. I found myself wanting a pared down version that was more digestible, as I feel that the main messages of the book are very important for people to get, but the only people who would sit through a book of that length to hear them are people who are already aware of the issues it presents.
Main stuff I care about now.
Stuff from when I was younger that I still like showing off.
Haven't opened this in years but I'm glad I have it, even if it's mostly old EU stuff.
(I'm surprised no one has given me shit for books facing different directions yet!)
here's a couple:
I present my Swedish bookcase.
I'll have to confess that I'm not much of a book reader these days, so the vast bulk of the books on these shelves are my partners.