Guus Bosman

software executive and technologist


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Here I keep track of some of the books that I've read, often with a short review and some personal thoughts. These are only a selection since I read a lot more books for work.

I like to read book in their original languages where possible: French, German, Dutch, English and I even read three books in Bulgarian. Here is the list of books I'd like to read. See also books about technology or management, and my all-time favorite books.

I'm an engineer, and enjoy science fiction novels. Some of my favorite authors are Vernor Vinge, Terry Pratchett and LE Modesitt Jr. No overview of my reading habits would be complete without mentioning The Economist -- I love that magazine.

Books below are in order of date read; this overview starts in October 2002.


Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation

When Jonathan and Irena visited us in Haarlem, the Netherlands in 2002, Jonathan was reading this book and I thought I wanted to read it once. Years later I bought the book but for some reason I left it unread for a long time. Finally I got to it, and what a great read.

Really enjoyed reading about the complex person Thomas Jefferson was. Over the years I've learned quite a bit about the revolutionary war but the author made a great job displaying the humans behind the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Joseph J. Ellis
978-0375705243
/images/books/foundingbrothers.jpg
English
Topic: 

Rework

A small book with great ideas. It describes an 'agile' approach to business -- how to think small and be effective.

It's an inspirational book, written with a great mindset: keep it simple, release early, be nimble.

Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
9780307463746
/images/books/rework.jpg
English for work
Topic: 

Operating Systems: Design and Implementation

My first introduction to large scale development.

When I was 16 years old I borrowed this book from our neighbor next door. I brought it on vacation in France, and still remember the smell of fresh cut grass when I was reading this book in France, over and over again. The Appendix contained the entire source code of Minix.

Years later when I did my Master's Degree in Amsterdam I followed two courses by the author, Andrew Tanenbaum.

Andrew S. Tanenbaum
/images/books/operatingsystems.jpg
English for work

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid

This book needs no further introduction. I read it when I was 14, 15 and this helped me decide to take on a degree in Computer Science.

Douglas Hofstadter
/images/books/godelescherbach.jpg
English for work
Topic: 

Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software

In my first job at Chess patterns where just coming in fashion in the mid-1990's. Can't say that the GoF is a book that's great to read but it has a wealth of knowledge distilled.

Gang of Four
/images/books/gof.jpg
English for work

The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google

I especially enjoyed the first part; the history of electricity and how technology transformed entire industries. The book makes the case that a similar revolution will take place in computing; where providers of cloud computing facilities will serve a role like electricity producers do today.

Nicholas Carr
/images/books/bigswitch.jpg
English for work

The Catcher in the Rye

Terribly depressing. Nicely done how it transfers you into the depressing life of an adolescent, the author writes well, but depressing nevertheless.

J. D. Salinger
/images/books/catcherrye.jpg
English

To Kill a Mockingbird

Another classic. Very Southern; nice to read a book from a child's perspective of live, with mysterious things being scary etc.

Harper Lee
978-0-446-31078-9
/images/books/mockingbird.jpg
English

Brave New World

A beautiful science fiction book, well written, original and with an interesting angle. Such a relief after reading Slaughterhouse-Five. Enjoyed it.

The copy of the book I read had a quote by the predecessor of our local newspaper, which used to be the Raleigh News & Observer.

Aldous Huxley
/images/books/bravenewworld.jpg
English

Slaughterhouse-Five

I was quite disappointed with this book. It was on my list of 'famous books I never had time for in high school' so I figured it would be interesting, in one way or another, but it really wasn't.

This book must have been become famous for its political impact -- not for its literary impact. It was boring. Luckily it's very small so I finished it in a few hours.

Kurt Vonnegut
0440180295
/images/books/slaughterhousefive.jpg
English

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