Lolita

1. La peste (Albert Camus) - entertaining if you're into French existentialism 2. Linked (Barabasi) - insightful and useful to understand that most phenomenon we see in real life follow a power law and what that means 3. Leonardo da Vinci (Walter Isaacson) - surprising how little of da Vinci's real personality is reflected in his modern image 4. Matrix computations – third edition (Gene Golub, Charles van Loan) - good read if you're into linear algebra 5. Giving effective feedback (Harvard business review) - useful for getting an understanding on how to handle human interaction 6. The old man and the sea (Ernest Hemingway) - enjoyed it a lot, a reflection of Hemingway's romantic spirit. Also, a quick read. 7. Screwjack (Hunter S. Thompson) - didn't resonate with me although I am a fan of existentialism 8. Sun and steel (Yukio Mishima) - raw and intimate. before reading this book I'd recommend reading up on Mishima's life 9. Stranger than fiction (Chuck Palahniuck) - somewhat entertaining, more so because it served as a glimpse into Palahniuck's creative process…

Of the twenty-three books I read in 2010, these seven really stand out: - Predictably Irrational. Everyone here knows this book, right? It had been on my reading list for too long, and I'm glad I eventually managed to read it. Much more enjoyable that I expected it to be, even given the fact that much of the material is well-known already. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictably_Irrational - Longitude follows John Harrison's fascinating, painful and lengthy quest to win the Longitude Prize by creating a clock that was accurate enough to determine longitude at sea. Dava Sobel is a great writer and makes this topic totally engaging (aside: Sobel started her writing career as a technical writer at IBM). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longitude_%28book%29 - Bad Science is Ben Goldacre's essential and extensive criticism of the media's health care reportage and of various health-related issues (vaccinations, placebos, etc.). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Science_%28book%29…

Lolita is great. If you like puzzles, you might also consider Pale Fire, which is bizarre, but quite rewarding if you get into it.

Yes. As a reader and speaker of the English language, you are absolutely required to read Lolita as soon as possible. It is one of the best novels ever.

Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky Lolita, Nabokov