My Current Reading Pile

I have started a lot of books, but hopefully these are the ones that I finish soon (and by soon I mean "this year").

Code (Charles Petzold) - This is a marvelous book, and the reason it's taking me so long to finish it is because I don't want it to end! It's a book about "how computers work", but his approach to answering that question is to take us all the way back to how we represent data first in code, then in bits and bytes, and ultimately in software. It's a fascinating journey, and I'll have more to say on my technical blog when I finish

Cryptonomicon (Neal Stephenson) - Neal Stephenson's lengthy epic cuts between three main characters, code breaking, World War II, and the "present" world of the high-tech start-up industry. This book is full of great scenes, including "Captain Crunch" and "Van Eck phreaking". The characters are richly rendered. And as a bonus for geeks like me, there are small programs and mathematical equations throughout.

Winesburg, Ohio (Sherwood Anderson) - This intricate collection of stories set in the town of Winesburg, Ohio, has always fascinated me from when I first heard of it. When I picked it up finally, I was surprised by how short it was, but each story in this book packs an intense amount of imagery and emotion. Like "Code", I'm drawing this book out, hoping to make its imagery stay with me.

Inferno (Dan Brown) - My mother-in-law bought two copies, and I made the pleasant mistake of checking out the first chapter. For those who've read Brown's "DaVinci Code", you'll know that to read the first chapter is to commit to reading the entire work. Inferno has a similar great opening, and I know that means I'm in for a great ride.