Despite not professionally using my degree at all, I’m consistently happy for having studied Computer Science. The field is so rich in mathematical structures that underlay so many things in the world. It’s made me a better thinker in all respects. In this book, Brian Christian does a masterful job at sharing all the basicsContinue reading “Algorithms to Live By”
Author Archives: Jasper
How to Have Impossible Conversations
I’ve had the pleasure of having many contentious conversations over the past couple of years. This book dissects many of the problems and cognitive distortions present in these types of arguments and poses solutions to all of them. All of the best techniques I’ve accidentally stumbled upon over the years (Rappaport’s Rules, understanding falsifiability, etc)Continue reading “How to Have Impossible Conversations”
The Undoing Project
The Kahneman and Tsversky collaboration produced some of the most interesting and consequential work in the social sciences of the past century. Michael Lewis is an excellent author, and told their story with enjoyable and exhaustive narrative. The reader gets to learn not just about what their psychological discoveries were, but how and why theyContinue reading “The Undoing Project”
The Great Mental Models, Vol. 1
Shane Parrish’s website Farnam Street is one of my favorite on the internet. His collection of mental models is large, clear, and concise. It is the inspiration for me to have begun collecting mental models. When I found out he was writing a book—or, more precisely, a series of books—I was ecstatic, and preordered thisContinue reading “The Great Mental Models, Vol. 1”
Call Sign Chaos
While it is billed as a leadership book, Call Sign Chaos reads more like a narrative or memoir (from which one can glean many useful leadership lessons). I found Secretary Mattis’s exposé on the wars of the past four decades to be fascinating. You follow his rise from the lowest ranks in the Marine CorpsContinue reading “Call Sign Chaos”