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chillycraps' Reviews |
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4.0 stars
Home design is one of my favourite casual reading genres. I flipped through this book and saw that the author has made home design "systematic". Or some sort of "formularised". Unlike interior design magazines that show you photographs after photographs of examples, this book shows you diagrams that suggest things like how big a flat screen TV should match what distance from the couch, certain kitchen layout should have certain positionings and orientations, etc. I really like the section when it talks about the pros and cons of various sofa arrangement, such as which will facilitate casual conversation, and so on. They also show classic furniture designs throughout the years, so you don't have to worry if the book will go outdated. (read less)
Home design is one of my favourite casual reading genres. I flipped through this book and saw that the author has made home design "systematic". Or some sort of "formularised". Unlike interior design magazines that show you photographs after photographs of examples, this book shows you diagrams that suggest things like how big a flat screen TV should match what distance from the couch, certain kitchen layout should have certain positionings and orientations, etc. I really like the section when it talks about the pros and cons of various sofa arrangement, such as which will facilitate casual conversation, and so on. They also show classic furniture designs throughout the years,... (read more)
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4.0 stars
It's an interesting book that talks about design in everyday life's objects. Things like how paper bag evolved into plastic bag, how the paper cup was made, how WD-40 got its name, why our doorknobs are at this height, why stairs are in odd number, why our handphone's keypad is in such a way... It's a story of how designers build things within constraints. You don't design a toothbrush so sophisticated yet it can't fit into our mouth.
There's this meaningful quote in the last chapter: "Engineers use science to solve their problems if the science is available. But available or not, the problem must be solved, and whatever form the solution takes under those conditions is called engineering."
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4.0 stars
Was reading Euclid's Window by Leonard Mlodinow. It's a very interesting maths book talking about the evolution of geometry "from parallel lines to hyperspace".
Do you know that the x-y coordinate system that we so take for granted, actually came from some hard work? And in those days, clever people usually get killed by a mob cos they are too clever. Aha, luckily I'm stupid.
The book mentioned a lot of science heroes along the time line, ranging from Pythagoras to Einstein, but the moment he started talking about Einstein I couldn't catch no ball anymore. Relativity is relatively difficult.
The one thing I find most interesting is this: given 2 locations in the northern hemisphere lying on the same latitude (ie the same east-west line), the shortest way to travel between them is not along east-west, but rather go north a bit, then go south a bit, a curve line along the "great circle" whose centre coincides with the centre of the Earth. (read less)
Was reading Euclid's Window by Leonard Mlodinow. It's a very interesting maths book talking about the evolution of geometry "from parallel lines to hyperspace".
Do you know that the x-y coordinate system that we so take for granted, actually came from some hard work? And in those days, clever people usually get killed by a mob cos they are too clever. Aha, luckily I'm stupid.
The book mentioned a lot of science heroes along the time line, ranging from Pythagoras to Einstein, but the moment he started talking about Einstein I couldn't catch no ball anymore. Relativity is relatively difficult.
The one thing I find most interesting is this: given 2 locations in the northern he... (read more)
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0 star
The author was an ace tank commander of the German army during World War II, having destroyed more than 150 enemy tanks and was the youngest soldier to be awarded the "Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves" (a very prestigious award in the German military)
In the book Carius talks about his time with the 502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion, operating the famous Tiger tanks against the Russians in the Eastern front and later the Americans in the West. Although some parts may get a bit technical, but it's interesting to see how a commander juggled between superiors above and subordinates below. And the author feels that the German soldiers have been unjustly judged even by the German people after the war.
Famous Japanese artist Miyazaki has a manga of the same story "泥まみれの虎". Quite cute drawings. (read less)
The author was an ace tank commander of the German army during World War II, having destroyed more than 150 enemy tanks and was the youngest soldier to be awarded the "Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves" (a very prestigious award in the German military)
In the book Carius talks about his time with the 502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion, operating the famous Tiger tanks against the Russians in the Eastern front and later the Americans in the West. Although some parts may get a bit technical, but it's interesting to see how a commander juggled between superiors above and subordinates below. And the author feels that the German soldiers have been unjustly judged even by the German people ... (read more)
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5.0 stars
It's the author's personal account of his master's degree course in mechanical engineering at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) written in a diary form. Talking about the world's top technological university.
It's really nice reading this book cos there's a lot of common frequency. Our old friends Newton, Carnot, Bernoulli, Lagrange, Boole (remember Boolean algebra?), Diesel, all came out. Is entropy your friend too? Over there the author had to find his own sponsors, signing up as tutor to get free dormitory, fighting against time for projects, trying to smoke the professor (out of point. but I do that too) etc etc. And getting a C in the result slip was like the end of everything (for the sucidal few). Real elitist.
There are a lot of funny and meaningful lines in the book. Really a nice read especially if you are studying mechanical engineering. Suddenly I feel motivated. (read less)
It's the author's personal account of his master's degree course in mechanical engineering at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) written in a diary form. Talking about the world's top technological university.
It's really nice reading this book cos there's a lot of common frequency. Our old friends Newton, Carnot, Bernoulli, Lagrange, Boole (remember Boolean algebra?), Diesel, all came out. Is entropy your friend too? Over there the author had to find his own sponsors, signing up as tutor to get free dormitory, fighting against time for projects, trying to smoke the professor (out of point. but I do that too) etc etc. And getting a C in the result slip was like the e... (read more)
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4.0 stars
This book is about a guy Eddie, who was the maintenance man at an amusement park. One day he was trying to save a little girl from a falling cart, and he got himself killed, then he went to heaven... There he met 5 people, the blue man whom he indirectly killed, captain who died for him, the lady whose husband built the amusement park for her, his wife who got sick after trying to look for him, and the girl whom he killed during the war. So actually everyone Eddie met was connected to him in one way or another, and each meeting sort of brought out the truth to him.
I dunno how heaven's like, dunno whether it works that way, but the one described my Mitch Albom isn't that bad afterall. One story, when looked from different angle, can mean different things, and every story is connected to one another. Reminds me of Chaos Theory. Oh well, can people really accept truth in the face? (read less)
This book is about a guy Eddie, who was the maintenance man at an amusement park. One day he was trying to save a little girl from a falling cart, and he got himself killed, then he went to heaven... There he met 5 people, the blue man whom he indirectly killed, captain who died for him, the lady whose husband built the amusement park for her, his wife who got sick after trying to look for him, and the girl whom he killed during the war. So actually everyone Eddie met was connected to him in one way or another, and each meeting sort of brought out the truth to him.
I dunno how heaven's like, dunno whether it works that way, but the one described my Mitch Albom isn't that bad ... (read more)
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4.0 stars
It is a true story about the author's last lesson with his dying professor Morrie Schwartz, 16 years after they last saw each other at Mitch's college graduation.
This final class is on meaning of life, topics include the world, feeling sorry for yourself, regrets, death, family, emotions, aging, money, love, marriage, culture, forgiveness, and saying goodbye.
One paragraph I find quite meaningful (actually the whole book is meaningful):
If you don't respect the other person, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don't know how to compromise, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can't talk openly about what goes on between you, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don't have a common set of values in life, you're gonna have a lot of trouble.
Life is so troublesome. (read less)
It is a true story about the author's last lesson with his dying professor Morrie Schwartz, 16 years after they last saw each other at Mitch's college graduation.
This final class is on meaning of life, topics include the world, feeling sorry for yourself, regrets, death, family, emotions, aging, money, love, marriage, culture, forgiveness, and saying goodbye.
One paragraph I find quite meaningful (actually the whole book is meaningful):
If you don't respect the other person, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don't know how to compromise, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can't talk openly about what goes on between you, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. ... (read more)
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1.0 star
Ok this isn't really a book, but I saw it at the local bookstore on the Science section shelf. It is more like one piece of paper folded into a brochure, with contents similar to what you can find on the back of your Physics textbook. If you are lazy to prepare your own reference card, maybe this is suitable for you.
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5.0 stars
A very useful survival guide that is being regarded as "bible" by many outdoor enthusiasts. It not only covers outdoor survival skills but also urban aspect such as self defence and how to react when there's an attack.
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5.0 stars
I am currently using this book for a project, and if you like to revisit good old times, you will definitely like this book.
This book shows old aerial photos of Singapore in the 1950s, and you can see how much the nation state has evolved over the years. As North as the causeway and South as Sentosa, you can compare and contrast the now, and the then. You will be surprised to find out how much of Singapore still remains today.
A must read, in my opinion.
