Most academics have a collection of favorite articles and books on their websites. Here are mine. I don't agree with all the opinions that these pieces express, but the ideas are worth grappling with.

Math + CompSci Essays

Item
Paul Lockhart's Lament
Rich Sutton's Bitter Lesson
Sarah Hooker's Hardware Lottery
James Somers ponders ChatGPT
Akshay Venkatesh considers the AI Mathematician
Underwood Dudley on Mathematical Cranks

 

Technical Books

Book Author
Introduction to the Theory of Computation Michael Sipser
ENIAC in Action: Making and Remaking the Modern Computer Crispin Rope, Mark Priestley, and Thomas Haigh

 

Articles, nonfiction

Item Sad, Thoughtful, Funny?
The Aquarium 😢
Who is the Bad Art Friend? 🤔
Inside the Meltdown at CNN 🤣
Living with a Visionary 😢
J-School Confidential 🤔

 

Short fiction

Item Sad, Thoughtful, Funny?
Omakase 🤔
Cat Person 😢
The Pool 🤔
Children's Holiday Letters to Satan 🤣
Escape from Spiderhead 🤔

 

Books, fiction

Item Sad, Thoughtful, Funny?
Dear Committee Members 🤣
The Uncollected Stories of Allan Garganus 🤔

 

Books, nonfiction

Item Sad, Thoughtful, Funny?
Abundance 🤔
Paying for the Party 🤔
The University: An Owner's Manual 🤔
And Still We Rise: The Trials and Triumphs of Twelve Gifted Inner-City Students 🤔