READING LIST
I am a great fan of books. I am fascinated by the different styles of writing, the beauty of a world that does not exist, and the knowledge that is passed on. But above all, I love it when ideas make me open my mind: that expansion of consciousness that ties my neurons in knots and generates an orgasm in my mind, all at the same time.
I am one of those people who started reading a lot of books as a child. My parents didn't know what gamification was, but they gave me fictitious points for each new book I read. At the end of a period of time, I could exchange those points for a gift or a toy. In addition, two of my grandparents are writers, so there was never a shortage of books and influences.
I think Magic, Sociology, Science Fiction, and Personal Improvement were the four great moments of intensity – when I was 12, 19, 22, and 27 years old, respectively. As time passed, I ended up switching from paper to audio for most of my book consumption. Today, I practically only listen to books. I listen to them while commuting, running, doing dishes, at the gym, while waiting for something, and so on.
I'm still on the personal improvement wave, with increasing intensity, so I decided to share my perceptions of my readings with you. On this page, I will always update which book I am reading, along with a list of my latest literary experiences. The page is divided by topics, but the initial reading will always come first. If you liked any of the books, consider buying them through the links I provide, because that way you help Iglu stay strong!
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FEATURED SUMMARIES
From time to time, a reading expands our awareness so much that it changes the way we deal with our day-to-day lives. This book provides such impactful evidence in favor of its breathing method that it was impossible not to apply it to my own life.
The idea here is that many of us do not breathe properly and that we should have a little more carbon dioxide in our blood than we usually do. Because we breathe too much through our mouths and not always through our nose, we inhale a lot of air, which causes our system to get used to a level of oxygenation much higher than it should. In a way, it becomes too relaxed, and as a result, we easily become short of breath.
In the book, the author presents very easy techniques to apply during the day to re-educate our body to a lower level of oxygenation, thus positively impacting various areas of health and sports performance.
The book “Our Final Invention” unfortunately has not yet been translated into Portuguese. However, if you speak English and are interested in the field of Artificial Intelligence, you will love it. James Barrat talks about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence and how it could lead to the end of the human era.
Although it may seem a bit exaggerated, he explains in great detail all aspects of what makes an AI truly intelligent and how it could surpass our cognitive ability in a very short time after it's created. One concept that I found particularly interesting, given my work as a programmer, is that of complex systems theory and how they fail.
There comes a point in any complex system where it's no longer possible to determine exactly what might cause a particular problem. The number of variables at play is so great that there are no longer any ways to organize solutions for these highly interconnected environments.
Intelligent systems are not only ultra-complex, but they are also systems that self-modify. So the result of a comma accidentally typed in could lead to hundreds of other much larger problems, including in the perception of this intelligence of us humans.
I think it is a fantastic read for those interested in this topic or looking to work in the programming and systems areas.
I came across this book as a great recommendation from entrepreneurs and influencers on Scribd's lists. Although I have studied the subject extensively with Fareed Zakaria's book, “The Post-American World,” I found the topic very interesting. The main idea of the author, Matt Ridley, is to explain through some socio-economic analysis that the world is getting better and better for us humans. People's average income is increasing, the availability of food is expanding, and we are finding cures and solutions for much of the diseases and problems. Based on this perception, we should be optimistic about our progress, and much of what we see today in the media is a malicious and focused exploration of the real situation in the world. I can relate this idea a bit with one of the premises of Mark Manson's book, “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.” The three books mentioned here point to the mainstream media and social media as part of the problems. I suggest reading it to everyone who wants a slightly different view of what is passed on to us by the media.
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