I got a 40% off coupon from Borders so I decided to indulge myself a bit. Unfortunately the coupon could not be used on Borders.com which meant I had only a limited choice that the stores offered. The Redmond store is a little better than other Borders stores I have been to, but still the choice of technical books is still very limited. When I get a 40% off coupon I usually try to get the higher priced books but most of the time they are not available in stores. They usually allow only one coupon per customer but it is not tracked in the system it so you can come back later when another store clerk is at the counter or even the next day (if the coupon is valid for the next day) or you can go to another store and use the same coupon (all customers get the same coupon). I took my wife with me and she has a Borders membership card too so I managed to get two books at 40% off:

The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to Success in Business and Life

and

Metaprogramming Ruby

I have been reading The Art of Strategy from a copy I borrowed from library, but I loved the book so much that I thought I should have a copy of my own (I know, it goes against the philosophy of minimalism that I am trying to practice). I decided to buy the book anyway because it is a book that I will have to read multiple times. I believe it is a book worth buying. It is a book on Game Theory, a branch of applied maths, and is quite an interesting read. I have not completed reading it and when I do, I intend to post a review here. But I recommend you get a copy for yourself and start reading immediately. Borrow a copy from the library if you are not sure whether Game Theory will hold your interest.

I love Ruby. It is the programming language for programmers with aesthetic sense. The name couldn’t be more apt because you can write “beautiful code” in Ruby. But that is not Ruby’s only strength. One of the biggest selling point of Ruby is its Metaprogramming capabilities. I have played a little with Ruby and I have a few Ruby books on my shelf but I haven’t taken the effort to move my Ruby knowledge to the next level. Becoming a master in any programming language involves understanding its underlying philosophy and its strengths. Moreover it should be useful to learn metaprogramming concepts even though I may never get to program extensively in Ruby. The book has good reviews on Amazon and it looked very readable when I flipped through it in the book store. If I don’t find it very useful I can return it within 30 days – one of the best things about America

I have borrowed quite a few books from library recently and I think most of them are very good. More details and reviews of those books in a future post.