2015 Summer Reading List

As I was preparing my stack of books for this summer, I realized that I never published my summer 2015 books read. It wasn’t a great summer of reading, but there are a several good books that I want to share.

**[what if? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21413662-what-if) by Randall Munroe**

This should be required reading for science teachers. It is an inspiring example of how to present science in incredibly engaging, although absurd, contexts. I love [xkcd](http://xkcd.com/) and had the pleasure of hearing Munroe talk on his book tour for [Thing Explainer](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25329850-thing-explainer) which I hope to finish this summer. I include xkcd comics in my slide notes and link to the [what if? blog](https://what-if.xkcd.com) as extension readings in each unit. Sometimes when an AP Physics 2 student is stuck thinking about capstone ideas, I encourage them to create their own “what if?” capstone.

**[9 Algorithms that Changed the Future](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12413727-nine-algorithms-that-changed-the-future) by John McCormick**

This was a very accessible book. It would be a good summer read for incoming AP Computer Science students. If I ever have to assign summer work, I would consider assigning this book. I may draw from it for the new Software Engineering course that I’m designing this summer.

**[The Code Book – The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptogrpahy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17994.The_Code_Book) by Simon Singh**

This book was fantastic – computer science, history of science, spy craft. I’ve gifted this book at least three times in the past year to family and students, and I’ve recommended it to several others. Singh includes enough mathematics to make it interesting but complete understanding is not required to appreciate the book.

**[The Housekeeper and the Professor](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3181564-the-housekeeper-and-the-professor) by Yōko Ogawa**

A beautiful book. While there is some math, it should be read for the incredible relationship between the professor and his housekeeper. I recommended this book be added to my school’s library.

**[All the Light We Cannot See](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18143977-all-the-light-we-cannot-see) by Anthony Doerr**

My mom gave me this book and encouraged me to enjoy reading something not related to teaching, physics, or computer science. I’m glad I did. You all are probably familiar with this book; it did win the Pulitzer Prize after all.

**[Anathem](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2845024-anathem) by Neal Stephenson**

I am a huge fan of Stephenson. While [Snow Crash](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/830.Snow_Crash) and [The Diamond Age](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/827.The_Diamond_Age) are monumental works because they defined the cyberpunk genre, and the [Baroque Cycle](https://www.goodreads.com/series/49317-the-baroque-cycle) is my favorite collection of historical fiction, Anathem is Stephenson’s greatest work. I actually listened to this entire book on CDs (28 of them while driving all over!). Afterward, I bought the book to share with my son and re-read various sections.

*[Update 29/6/2016, 11:50 AM] I forgot a book!*

**[A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17978134-a-more-beautiful-question) by Warren Berger.**

I agree with the premise behind this book: questioning is powerful. For me, many of the examples cited were familiar, and, therefore, I found the book not as groundbreaking as I had hoped. However, I know of others who read it and found it quite insightful. If you are a parent, teacher, or business person, I would recommend checking it out from your local library.

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