Monthly Book Bites: Feb 2023

Maria Curie.

Author: Ewa Curie
My rating: 8/10

If I were conducting a book of the month poll, this book would surely receive recognition and nominations for the book of the year award. The book naturally gains several points for telling the story of an incredible woman. I also give extra points for the style, as although the memories were collected by her daughter, there is no sense of subjective distortion of reality and, in fact, there are moments of great dissatisfaction with the evaluation of what she achieved, in accordance with MC’s mental will.

And she achieved incredible things, which is why I will dedicate a separate article to her, because to be honest, I am personally ashamed that it was only at the age of 33 that I learned her story more deeply.

Lastly, I award style points for the language – our beautiful native Polish language, which was preserved because MC devoted so much energy to teaching her daughters (one of whom, Elżbieta, also received a Nobel Prize) our language, despite living abroad. How much poorer her story would have been if it did not include original letters and sayings written in a language as beautiful as it is moving.

Chiny 5.0. How digital dictatorship is created

Autor: Strttmatter Kai
My rating: 7.5/10

Did you know that in the Chinese version of Wikipedia, the year 1989 does not exist? Twelve months have been completely erased from the history and memory of the Chinese.

You probably didn’t know either that if you were in China, your digital profile along with photos from cameras is likely already in their database. Similarly, 1.5 billion other faces are in their database, which means that the government is tracking not only all of its citizens but also tourists who cross the border.

A few years ago, techno-optimists would certainly have stated that in the age of technology, the Communist Party of China would lose to the internet. The CPC has proved that not only will it not lose to technology, but it will use it for its own purposes and subjugate the billion-strong nation.

The best comment is that in 2024, China will surpass the USSR in terms of the longest ruling communist party.

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Autor: Stone Brad
My rating: 7.5/10

Several books have been written about Amazon, so if you haven’t read any, it’s worth reading at least one. You’ll learn about Bezos’ obsession with customers, which has made Amazon a disturbing monopoly in the world of e-commerce today.

You’ll learn about his “two-pizza teams” and “four-page memos,” which have become standard for the company. There’s also an interesting thread about the Polish startup Ivona, which was bought by Amazon in 2013.

But it’s not just a story of success and genius. The book also tells of staff strikes and the CEO’s other mania – fundamental opposition to forming unions. It tells of a bloody fight and the exploitation of his position, as well as the personal transformation of a hardworking, modest 30-year-old into the richest man on earth.

My Inventions

Autor: Nikola Tesla
Moja ocena: 7.5/10

Somewhat chaotic, interspersed with technical terms, but still an interesting autobiography of one of the most talented Serbs who lived at the same time as the aforementioned Marie Curie Skłodowska.

A man who “predicted” AI and was obsessed with electric motors. It’s interesting to think about what he would say if he saw that over 100 years after his death, the world still relies on fossil fuels….

The Great Gatsby

Autor: Francis Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: 7/10

Wydaje mi się, że z klasykami jest tak, że nie ma sensu ich oceniać, bo klasyki jak Wielki Gatsby należy po prostu znać. Dlatego, choć mógłbym rozwodzić się nad ciekawą narracją i subtelnymi niuansami, które nie do końca mi się podobały, to uważam, że każdy powinien książkę przeczytać i wyrobić sobie o niej własne zdanie.

The Cold Start Problem

Autor: Andrew Chen
My rating: 7/10

Świetna książka obrazująca typowy problem przy tworzeniu nowych produktów. Po polsku nazywawny czasem problemem jajka i kury, czyli problem gdy do poprawnego działania biznesu potrzeba dwóch aktorów – kierowców i pasażerów (Uber), sprzedających i kupujących (Allegro) czy twórców treści i konsumentów (YouTube).

Jestem w 40% książki, więc pewnie zaktualizuję ocenę później. Póki co jest to z pewnością ciekawa lektura popularnonaukowa pokazująca jak firmy takie jak Uber czy Instagram radziły sobie z tym problemem.

Still reading

Software Engineering at Google: Lessons Learned from Programming Over Time

Autor: Titus Winters, Tom Manshreck, Hyrum Wright
My rating: ?

I’ve only read 10%, but the book touches on a very interesting topic for me, namely the difference between a programmer and a software engineer.

Once, when people thought of programmers, they imagined extraordinarily intelligent scientists who programmed spaceships that were flying to conquer space. Those days are long gone, and today, when companies employ (and recently lay off) thousands of programmers, and technology has entered our washing machines and refrigerators, new categories of programmers have emerged.

So we have support programmers who solve customer problems, coders who translate requirements from analysts from English into a programming language, and we also have software engineers who, in addition to programming knowledge, must also have broad knowledge of life cycles, policies, good design patterns, and many other aspects that determine the success or failure of IT projects.

Fixing the Future

Autor: Marcin Napiórkowski
Fixing the Future: 8.2/10

I haven’t finished the book yet, but I already know that the rating will be high. The book is just the way I like it – unconventional, thought-provoking, but above all, based on facts. However, as the author shows, data alone is not everything. Data requires being put into a story, and that’s exactly what Marcin does in his book, telling us about two groups – techno-optimists and techno-skeptics.

The Catcher in the Rye

Autor: J.D. Salinger
Moja ocena: 7

Another book from the 100 books to read before you die series.

A cult novel that fascinates successive generations of young readers. A symbol of youthful rebellion against the adult world.

Sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield, who cannot reconcile himself with the surrounding stupidity, malice, and above all, falsehood, runs away from college and “wanders” around New York for a few days before finally returning home.

I thought I would finish it in February, but I still have 50 pages left, so it will have to wait until March.