←back to thread

Making Software

(www.makingsoftware.com)
752 points calme_toi | 10 comments | 14 Apr 25 04:48 UTC | HN request time: 1.193s | source | bottom
1. tenacious_tuna ◴[17 Apr 25 16:15 UTC] No.43718929[source]▶
This reminds me aesthetically of The Way Things Work [1] which was one of my favorite books as a kid. Having a similar wordly reference as an adult has been a goal for a while.

[1] https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-way-things-work-newly-revise...

replies(4): >>43719175 #>>43719207 #>>43719315 #>>43720794 #
2. rkuykendall-com ◴[17 Apr 25 16:34 UTC] No.43719175[source]▶
A cool recent one for large-scale infrastructure is "Engineering in Plain Sight":

https://practical.engineering/book

replies(1): >>43722161 #
3. berelig ◴[17 Apr 25 16:36 UTC] No.43719207[source]▶
I've been looking around for a book like this that has scientific/engineering topics presented in a bite-sized fashion so a teenager (or even adults) can discover which ones pique their interests and are worth a deeper dive.

Would this book work or is it a bit too simple? Does anyone have another book to recommend?

replies(2): >>43719286 #>>43725280 #
4. tenacious_tuna ◴[17 Apr 25 16:42 UTC] No.43719286[source]▶
it's been a couple decades since I've read it, but I'd buy it again as an adult. Like the peer comment says, "Engineering in Plain Sight" purports to be similar and I bought my dad a copy last christmas. Planning to spend some of my professionial development stipend on a copy this year.
replies(1): >>43719679 #
5. Acrobatic_Road ◴[17 Apr 25 16:45 UTC] No.43719315[source]▶
I had the same thought. I don't remember if it was exactly this book, but I remember reading a book that explained all kinds of engineering concepts for my kid brain. And I remember the latter part of the book had some computer science content like how compression works.
replies(1): >>43719327 #
6. vunderba ◴[17 Apr 25 16:46 UTC] No.43719327[source]▶
If it had an abundance of woolly mammoths then it was likely this book. Highly recommended - covers everything from reactors to pin tumbler locks.
7. kridsdale1 ◴[17 Apr 25 17:13 UTC] No.43719679{3}[source]▶
The Way Things Work is up to date. I loved it in the mid 90s and just bought a new copy for my kid this year. It has SSDs, OLEDs, Gravity Wave Detection, etc.
8. MisterTea ◴[17 Apr 25 18:57 UTC] No.43720794[source]▶
Amazing book for sure. David Macaulay has a few other books, four of which were turned into educational animated PBS specials. My mother got us the box set from PBS years ago.
9. progbits ◴[17 Apr 25 21:00 UTC] No.43722161[source]▶
I was disappointed in that one unfortunately.

Too much name dropping of random pieces without offering any insights why they are needed. You learn much more just skimming through a wiki article.

10. kobenni ◴[18 Apr 25 05:27 UTC] No.43725280[source]▶
For mathematics, there are the Princeton Companion to Mathematics and the Princeton Companion to Applied Mathematics.