What I’ve Read Recently (June 2020)
Galactic Empire I
Written by Issac Asimov
I just read the first volume of the Galactic Empire, but it had attracted me deeply. Admittedly, the writer’s imagination has the label of the 20th century: nuclear weapons, statistics, and the republic. However, you will be amazed at the courage of different protagonists in the fiction. The political conflicts were depicted vividly as well.
Another feature of this fiction is: it doesn’t have a specific protagonist. You know, the construction of an empire is not the job of an individual. It is a grand plan to deal with the predicted crisis of all human beings, and it needs more than one generation to fight for that. In a word, this fiction will definitely broaden your imagination and provide a new perspective of viewing the process of human history.
Minority Report
Written by Philip K. Dick
I knew Philip because of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which is the prototype if the Blade Runner. His style fascinated me not only because of the limitless imagination, but also the philosophical thoughts hidden in those stories.
The Minority Report is a compile of short novels, and my favorite one is definitely the story, Minority Report. In this story, three sages can predict the future. Scientists used this method to predict crimes in this world and had made a utopian society. However, their predictions conflicted with each other one day, and the protagonist, as well as the founder of this institute, was involved in this accident. The result is: one sage can predict the comparatively short-term future, while our protagonist knew this and tried to change the future. Nonetheless, his activities had distorted the future and resulted in other possibilities. In the end, all three sages were proven “partially correct.”
When reading the stories of Philip, you will be astonished at the number of turning points. Also, you will feel like thinking about some bigger issues. For example, is changing the future possible? Will robots evolve to human beings? This experience is just like the roller coaster, and you cannot resist it.
Learn Java in One Day and Learn it Well: Java for Beginners with Hands-on Project
Written by Jamie Chan
My favorite programming language is still Python, but Java is required by our university. If not, I must choose C++. To be honest, this book is high-quality and will help you to get into programming smoothly. However, if you are already familiar with Java, you don’t need to read it.
Note: It is Kindle-Unlimted!
Swift: Basic Fundamental Guide for Beginners
Written by Martin, MG
Swift is getting popular with the development of Apple. And the WWDC in June had stimulated a lot of programmers to learn Swift. This book is also Kindle-Unlimited, but the images are not so friendly to users on Kindle. In fact, I prefer to read the code, rather than a bunch of screenshots.
Because I’ve learned a little bit about Swift, I don’t think I gained a lot from this book. But this is just my personal view. If you had no previous experience of programming, you could still have a try!
Microeconomics for Dummies
Written by Peter Antonioni
“For Dummies” series is always excellent.
This book would be an excellent reference to microeconomics. But if you are a student who is studying for exams, this may not be the best choice. It introduced customer behavior in the beginning. They entered the budget constraints and marginal utility. Then the concepts of demand and supply were mentioned. Compared with this one, I even prefer an old-school textbook which introduces “scarcity,” “demand and supply” in the beginning, and then talks a little bit more about marginal analysis.
If you are preparing for exams, the textbook written by Anthony Patrick O’Brien, Glenn Hubbard, and Matthew Rafferty would be a great choice. Also, Mankiw’s books are highly recommended. As for Microeconomics for Dummies, it is still helpful to people who are interested in economics and want to start it at ease.
Note:
1. Galactic Empire and Minority Report are Chinese versions. Their names might be different in the USA.
2. The review above is purely my personal opinion. I hope it helps!
