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This reminds me of this part from 'The Count of Monte Cristo' when Dantes met abbe Faria for the first time: "I had nearly five thousand volumes in my library

by 9diov 14y ago

This reminds me of this part from 'The Count of Monte Cristo' when Dantes met abbe Faria for the first time: "I had nearly five thousand volumes in my library at Rome; but after reading them over many times, I found out that with one hundred and fifty well-chosen books a man possesses, if not a complete summary of all human knowledge, at least all that a man need really know. I devoted three years of my life to reading and studying these one hundred and fifty volumes, till I knew them nearly by heart; so that since I have been in prison, a very slight effort of memory has enabled me to recall their contents as readily as though the pages were open before me. I could recite you the whole of Thucydides, Xenophon, Plutarch, Titus Livius, Tacitus, Strada, Jornandes, Dante, Montaigne, Shakespeare, Spinoza, Machiavelli, and Bossuet. I name only the most important." -- Abbe Faria, Chapter 16. A Learned Italian.

olalonde 14y ago
Romantic quote, but it comes down to 1 book/week which seems quite unrealistic for 150 modern scientific textbooks. I challenge anyone to go through "Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach" in a week!
- jackfoxy 14y ago
  While that volume belongs on the 150 books for the well-read hacker, I wouldn't put it on the list for the well-read gentleman. We live in such a world of specialization, appreciation of true general education has suffered. In the age of Romance the 150 books would have been largely classical and philosophy. I think you could put together an awe-inspiring list of 150 that everyone with a bachelor's should be familiar with. Then we would actually live in an intellectually inspired society.
  - bhb916 14y ago
    "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert A. Heinlein

by 9diov 14y ago

olalonde 14y ago

Romantic quote, but it comes down to 1 book/week which seems quite unrealistic for 150 modern scientific textbooks. I challenge anyone to go through "Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach" in a week!

jackfoxy 14y ago
While that volume belongs on the 150 books for the well-read hacker, I wouldn't put it on the list for the well-read gentleman. We live in such a world of specialization, appreciation of true general education has suffered. In the age of Romance the 150 books would have been largely classical and philosophy. I think you could put together an awe-inspiring list of 150 that everyone with a bachelor's should be familiar with. Then we would actually live in an intellectually inspired society.
- bhb916 14y ago
  "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert A. Heinlein