The Ignorant Man's Book Collection
07 Jan 2019The Ignorant Man’s Book Collection is a general reading list of reliable entry-level reference texts for a relatively wide range of topics, hopefully with enough reading material to stay ignorant for a lifetime. This list originally started as a Wikipedia essay. This is a very rough work-in-progress.
Essential texts are listed in bold. Within the same subjects, texts are roughly ordered by increasing depth, with introductory texts at the top. Complementary texts and related resources are listed in the nested bullet points.
Mathematics
- Introduction to Probability by Dimitri P. Bertsekas and John N. Tsitsiklis
- Linear Algebra Done Right by Sheldon Axler
- Linear Algebra by Stephen H. Friedberg, Arnold J. Insel, and Lawrence E. Spence [exercises]
- Linear Algebra by Georgi E. Shilov [complementary]
- Gilbert Strang’s 18.06 [lecture]
- Calculus, Volume 1: One-Variable Calculus, with An Introduction to Linear Algebra by Tom M. Apostol
- Christine Breiner’s 18.014 Calculus with Theory
- Ravi Vakil’s 18.014 Calculus with Theory
- Calculus With Analytic Geometry by George Simmons
- Calculus, Volume 2: Multi-Variable Calculus and Linear Algebra with Applications to Differential Equations and Probability by Tom M Apostol
- Hamid Hezari’s 18.024 Multivariable Calculus with Theory
- Div, Grad, Curl, & All That: An Informal Text on Vector Calculus by Harry M. Schey
- Ordinary Differential Equations by Morris Tenenbaum and Harry Pollard [Dover]
- Differential Equations, Dynamical Systems, and an Introduction to Chaos by Morris W. Hirsch, Stephen Smale, and Robert L. Devaney [depth]
- Ordinary Differential Equations by Vladimir I. Arnold and Richard A. Silverman
- Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications To Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering by Steven H. Strogatz
- Partial Differential Equations for Scientists and Engineers by Stanley J. Farlow
- Partial Differential Equations by Lawrence C. Evans
- Fourier Analysis 18.103, 118, Signals & Systems 6.003
Mathematical Analysis
- Principles of Mathematical Analysis by Walter Rudin
- Real and Complex Analysis by Walter Rudin [depth]
- Elementary Analysis: The Theory of Calculus by Kenneth A. Ross
- Calculus by Michael Spivak
- Chris H. Rycroft’s Math 104 Introduction to Analysis
- Benjamin Stamm’s Math 104 Introduction to Analysis
- Visual Complex Analysis by Tristan Needham
Abstract Algebra
- Algebra 18.701, 18.702
- Lie Groups 18.755
- Topology 18.901
- opology by J. Munkries
Geometry
- Algebraic Geometry 18.725
- Differential Geometry 18.950
- Riemannian Geometry
Physics
- Basic Physics 8.01, 8.02, 8.03
- Thermodynamics 5.60
- Landau and Lifshitz’s Course of Theoretical Physics
- https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2016/8/13/so-you-want-to-learn-physics
Mechanics
- An Introduction to Mechanics by Daniel Kleppner and Robert Kolenkow
- Classical Mechanics by John R. Taylor
- Statistical Mechanics by Kerson Huang
Electrodynamics
- Electricity and Magnetism by Edward M. Purcell
- Introduction to Electrodynamics by David J. Griffiths
-
Electromagnetic Fields 6.013, Electrodynamics 6.014
- Statistical Mechanics
- Tensor Analysis
Astrophysics & Cosmology
- An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics by Bradley Carroll and Dale Ostlie
- The Physical Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy by Frank Shu [supplement]
- Introduction to Cosmology by Barbara Ryden
Chemistry
- Chemical Principles: The Quest for Insight by Peter Atkins and Loretta Jones
- Christopher Cummins and Sylvia Ceyer’s 5.112 Principles of Chemical Science
- Principles of Modern Chemistry by David W. Oxtoby, H. Pat Gillis, and Alan Campion
- General Chemistry by Linus Pauling
- Molecular Driving Forces: Statistical Thermodynamics in Chemistry & Biology by Ken A. Dill and Sarina Bromberg
Organic Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry by Leroy G. Wade
Physical Chemistry
- Physical Chemistry by Robert J. Silbey, Robert A. Alberty, and Moungi G. Bawendi
- Quantum Chemistry by Donald A. McQuarrie
Biology
- MIT Biology
- MIT Computer Science and Molecular Biology
- Harvard Molecular and Cell Biology
- Campbell Biology by Jane B. Reece, Lisa A. Urry, Michael L. Cain, Steven A. Wasserman, Peter V. Minorsky, and Robert B. Jackson
- Biological Science by Scott Freeman
- 7.012, 7.013, 7.014
Molecular Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology of the Cell by Bruce Alberts
- Molecular Cell Biology by Harvey Lodish, Arnold Berk, Chris A. Kaiser, Monty Kreiger, Matthew P. Scott, Anthony Bretscher, Hidde Ploegh, and Paul Matsudaira
Neuroscience
- http://mcb.berkeley.edu/undergrad/major/major-requirements/neuro/
-
harvard, ucla, columbia undergrad curricula
- Principles of Neural Science by Eric Kandel, James Schwartz, and Thomas Jessell
Engineering
- The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman
Computer Science
- Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Harold Abelson and Gerald Jay Sussman with Julie Sussman
Algorithms and data structures
- Introduction to Algorithms by Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, and Clifford Stein
- Algorithms by Sanjoy Dasgupta, Christos Papadimitriou, and Umesh Vazirani [exercises]
- Charles Leiserson’s 6.046J Introduction to Algorithms
- David Karger’s 6.854 Advanced Algorithms
- Erik Demaine’s 6.851 Advanced Data Structures
- The Art of Computer Programming by Donald E. Knuth [depth]
Computation
- Introduction to the Theory of Computation by Michael Sipser
- The New Turing Omnibus: 66 Excursions in Computer Science by A. K. Dewdney [supplement]
- Computational Complexity by Christos H. Papadimitriou
Artificial intelligence
- Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach by Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig
Computer architecture
- Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface by David A. Patterson and John L. Hennessy
- The Elements of Computing Systems (From NAND to Tetris) by Noam Nisan and Shimon Schocken
-
Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach by John L. Hennessy and David A. Patterson
- Modern Operating Systems by Andrew S. Tanenbaum
- Operating System Concepts by Avi Silberschatz, Peter Baer Galvin, and Greg Gagne [alternative]
- The Design and Implementation of the FreeBSD Operating System by Marshall Kirk McKusick and George V. Neville-Neil [depth]
- The Design of the UNIX Operating System by Maurice J. Bach [depth]
- Anthony D. Joseph and Ion Stoica’s CS 162 Operating Systems and Systems Programming with lectures
- Ulrich Drepper’s “What Every Programmer Should Know About Memory”
Linux
- Understanding the Linux Kernel by Daniel P. Bovet and Marco Cesati
- Linux Kernel Development by Robert Love
- Linux Device Drivers by Jonathan Corbet, Alessandro Rubini, and Greg Kroah-Hartman
Communications
- Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach by Jim Kurose and Keith Ross
Computer security
Databases
- Database Management Systems by Raghu Ramakrishnan and Johannes Gehrke
Distributed systems
Software engineering
-
The Architecture of Open Source Applications by Amy Brown and Greg Wilson
- The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering by Frederick P. Brooks Jr.
- Programming Pearls by Jon Bentley
- Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction by Steve McConnell
- The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas
- Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, and John Vlissides
Electrical Engineering
Electrodynamics
Electronics
- The Art of Electronics by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill
- Foundations of Analog and Digital Electronic Circuits by Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey Lang
- Design with Operational Amplifiers and Analog Integrated Circuits by Sergio Franco
- Pulse, Digital & Switching Waveforms by Jacob Millman, Herbert Taub, and Mothiki S. Prakash Rao [supplement]
Microelectronics
- Fundamentals of Microelectronics by Behzad Razavi
- Semiconductor Device Fundamentals by Robert F. Pierret
Integrated circuits
- Design of Analog CMOS Integrated Circuits by Behzad Razavi
- Designing Analog Chips by Hanz Camenzind
- Digital Integrated Circuits by Jan M. Rabaey, Anantha Chandrakasan, and Borivoje Nikolic
- CMOS Circuit Design by R. Jacob Baker, Harry W. Li, and David E. Boyce
- RF Microelectronics by Behzad Razavi
Signals and Systems
- A First Course in Wavelets with Fourier Analysis by Albert Boggess and Francis J. Narcowich
- Signals and Systems by Alan V. Oppenheim and Alan S. Willsky with S. Hamid Nawab
- Discrete-Time Signal Processing by Alan V. Oppenheim and Ronald W. Schafer with John R. Buck
- Understanding Digital Signal Processing by Richard G. Lyons
Image Processing
- Digital Image Processing by Rafael C. Gonzalez and Richard E. Woods
Controls Engineering
- Control Systems Engineering by Norman S. Nise
- Stephen Boyd’s EE 363 Linear Dynamical Systems
- L. El Ghaoui’s EE 127 Optimization Models and Applications
Mechanical Engineering
Aerospace
- Introduction to Flight by John D. Anderson Jr.
- Fundamentals of Aerodynamics by John D. Anderson Jr.
- Fundamentals of Astrodynamics by Roger R. Bate, Donald D. Mueller, and Jerry E. White
- Space Mission Analysis and Design by Wiley J. Larson and James R. Wertz
Robotics
- Probabilistic Robots by Sebastian Thrun, Wolfram Burgard, and Dieter Fox
Industrial Engineering
- Stanford Management Science & Engineering
- MIT Operations Research Center
- UC Berkeley Industrial Engineering & Operations Research
-
https://engineering.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/files/docs/ieor-worksheet-2019.pdf
- Linear and Nonlinear Programming by David G. Luenberger and Yinyu Ye
- MS&E 211X Introduction to Optimization
- Introduction to Mathematical Programming: Operations Research, Vol. 1 by Wayne L. Winston and Munirpallam Venkataramanan
- Introduction to Nonlinear Optimization: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications with MATLAB by Amir Beck
- Designing & Managing the Supply Chain : Concepts, Strategies, and Case Studies by David Simchi-Levi, Philip Kaminsky, and Edith Simchi-Levi
Social sciences
- [[Social science#Branches of social science]]
Economics
- MIT Economics undergraduate
- https://haas.berkeley.edu/undergrad/academics/courses/
- http://guide.berkeley.edu/courses/ugba/
- https://mitsloan.mit.edu/undergrad#career-exploration
- https://sloanbid.mit.edu/resources/15%201%20Single%20Major.pdf
- https://sloanbid.mit.edu/resources/15%202%20single%20major.pdf
- https://sloanbid.mit.edu/resources/15%203%20single%20major.pdf
- https://undergrad.wharton.upenn.edu/flexible-curriculum/
-
https://undergrad-inside.wharton.upenn.edu/requirements-2017/business-fundamentals/
- Economics by Paul Krugman and Robin Wells
- Principles of Economics by N. Gregory Mankiw
- Principles of Economics by Robert H. Frank and Ben S. Bernanke
- The Classical Economists Revisited by D. P. O’Brien
- The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money by John Maynard Keynes
- On Economics: Selected Papers by Milton Friedman and Gary S. Becker
- Understanding Capital: Marx’s Economic Theory by Duncan K. Foley
- Doing Economics: A Guide to Understanding and Carrying Out Economic Research by Steven A. Greenlaw
- Real Estate Finance & Investments by William B. Brueggeman and Jeffrey D. Fisher
Microeconomics
- Microeconomics by Jeffrey M. Perloff
- Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach by Hal R. Varian
- Networks: An Introduction by Mark E.J. Newman
- Personnel Economics by Edward P. Lazear
- Topics in Microeconomics: Industrial Organization, Auctions, and Incentives by Elmar Wolfstetter
- Advanced Microeconomic Theory by Geoffrey A. Jehle and Philip J. Reny
- Game Theory for Applied Economists by Robert Gibbons
- An Introduction to Game Theory by Martin J. Osborne <!– market design
- Putting Auction Theory to Work by Paul Milgrom
- Two-Sided Matching: A Study in Game-Theoretic Modeling and Analysis by Alvin E. Roth and Marilda A. Oliveira Sotomayor–>
Macroeconomics
- Macroeconomics by Olivier Jean Blanchard and David R. Johnson
- Intermediate Macroeconomics by Robert J. Barro, Angus C. Chu, and Guido Cozzi
- Advanced Macroeconomics by David Romer
- Lectures on Macroeconomics by Olivier Jean Blanchard and Stanley Fischer
- Recursive Macroeconomic Theory by Lars Ljungqvist and Thomas J. Sargent
- MIT 14.19 Market Design
Econometrics
- Mastering ‘Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect by Joshua D. Angrist and Jörn-Steffen Pischke
- Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach by Jeffrey M. Wooldridge
- Introduction to Econometrics by James H. Stock and Mark W. Watson
- A Course in Econometrics by Arthur S. Goldberger
- The Practice of Econometrics by Ernst R. Berndt
History
- A People’s History of the United States: 1492 to Present by Howard Zinn
- A People’s History of the World: From the Stone Age to the New Millennium by Chris Harman
Politics
- Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky
- Understanding Power: The Indispensible Chomsky by Noam Chomsky, John Schoeffel, and R. Mitchell
Survival
Notes
- The Enlightened Man’s Book Collection, a torrent containing PDFs of a mixed bag of interesting and tedious books that was my inspiration for compiling a more meaningful list of readings
- Susan Fowler’s So You Want To Learn Physics…
- https://abstrusegoose.com/272