Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, & technology book reviews, plus social, political, & economic commentary
Actually, no. This is not a post about that snarky kid named Eddie Haskell on the mid-20th-century TV sitcom “Leave It to Beaver.” (But I did watch “the Beave” and “Eddie” back then on a black-and-white television set with a rabbit-ears antenna.) The topic this time is Haskell, the not-so-popular software development language named for … Continue reading ‘What? Haskell??? Eddie Haskell?’
Make: Paper Inventions Kathy Ceceri Maker Media, Inc. – paperback Don’t just hand this book to your kids, say “Have fun,” and then go off to play with your computer. Get out the glue, scissors and paper and join in. You might enjoy seeing what happens when you (1) cut all the … Continue reading Make: Paper Inventions – A fun how-to book for kids and their adults
I strolled into my favorite Austin Starbucks recently and noticed a startling sight. Every person standing in line or sitting at tables simultaneously had their head down as if in group prayer. All at the same moment were staring at their smartphones. I pulled out my own phone, dramatically flipped it open, held it aloft, … Continue reading Will “Smart” Device Dependence Make You Increasingly Dumb?
Jump Start Node.js Don Nguyen (SitePoint – paperback, Kindle) Don Nguyen’s well-written Node.js book has been in print for a few months and is an excellent text for learning how to put Node.js to work in fast, scalable real-time web applications. You should have some experience with JavaScript before tackling Node.js. But Nguyen says a … Continue reading Jump Start Node.js – A well-written guide for learning Node.js quickly – #programming #bookreview
Introducing Erlang Simon St. Laurent (O’Reilly – paperback, Kindle) Erlang has come a long way since it began its odd life in the 1980s as a programming language for telephone switching systems, specifically Swedish-made, Ericsson telephone switching systems. Today, the language and its Open Telecom Platform libraries are gaining new converts among serious practitioners of … Continue reading Introducing Erlang – A gentle, effective guide to a challenging programming language – #bookreview
Make an Arduino-Controlled Robot Michael Margolis (O’Reilly – paperback, Kindle) Technology now makes it relatively easy to build simple robots that can be controlled remotely or can control themselves autonomously using built-in sensors and software. This engaging how-to guide focuses on how to build and program a small robot that can roam around, sense its … Continue reading Make an Arduino-Controlled Robot – #diy #bookreview
Make: Volume 32 (O’Reilly, paperback) Make: is a science, technology, and do-it-yourself (DIY) projects magazine published quarterly in paperback book format. Volume 32 not only has intriguing articles about private rocketeers, flying motorcycles, and human-size replicas of videogame costumes and weapons. It also has about two dozen “complete plans” for a wide array of useful and … Continue reading Make: Volume 32 – Zany and practical projects and articles for DIY builders – #bookreview
Practical Computer Vision with SimpleCV Kurt Demaagd, Anthony Oliver, Nathan Oostendorp, and Katherine Scott (O’Reilly, paperback – Kindle) SimpleCV, or Simple Computer Vision, is “an easy-to-use Python framework that bundles together open source computer vision libraries and algorithms for solving problems,” according to the authors of this useful and informative how-to book. The subtitle is “Making … Continue reading Practical Computer Vision with SimpleCV – ‘Seeing’ with Python – #programming #bookreview
LED Lighting: A Primer to Lighting the Future Sal Cangeloso (O’Reilly, paperback, Kindle) Sal Cangeloso of Geek.com and ExtremeTech.com wants to warm you up to some really cool lighting: light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. His new book, LED Lighting: A Primer to Lighting the Future, encourages readers to start using more LEDs and let loose of … Continue reading LED Lighting: A Primer to Lighting the Future – #bookreview
The Sony SLT-A77: The Unofficial Quintessential Guide Carol F. Roullard and Brian Matsumoto (Rocky Nook, paperback) The Sony SLT-A77 “single lens translucent” digital camera is a remarkably feature-rich device for shooting still photographs and HD video. Unlike a digital SLR camera, which must move its mirror out of the light path to its sensor, the … Continue reading The Sony SLT-A77: The Unofficial Quintessential Guide – #photography #bookreview
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