The Scroll Keeper

[Book Review] Code Reading : The Open Source Perspective

2010-12-01T11:09:00.000-08:00

Code Reading : The Open Source Perspective:

Source code reading is an activity meant to provide:

Insight into the design of a system
Relevant information for reuse of parts of a system (extension, modification, reuse of a systems aspects)
Debugging info on a system
Re-factoring and maintainance of a system.
Reverse Engineering of a system

The book could be reorganized for accessibility-at-a-glance. Thereby reducing the need to go through it entirely. Focus of the book can be made more action-oriented and rationale oriented.

However there is an Appendix of maxims from the book chapters.I really didn't feel upto reading the book in its entirety.
So I confined myself to the maxims. These are not directly usable off-the-shelf.
They could be made more action oriented without being too generic or too specific.

Some reflection on the maxims alone helped to get insight into the Where, What, How and Why of code reading.

[BookReview] Why Programs Fail by Andreas Zeller

2010-12-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

[BookReview] Hacking Firefox - More than 150 Hacks, Mods and Customizations

2010-10-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Simple easy-to-use how-to full of tips-n-tricks for automating, configuring and customizing firefox to your specific needs.
Table of Contents is good with 2 versions - At-A-Glance and Detailed so you can just scan it for your current needs without having to go through the entire book/index.
Gives enough background info to get you started and understand how firefox works.
This approach helps you tweak it just so.

[Book Review] Apprenticeship Patterns - Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman

2010-10-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

First off - A Huge "Thank-You":
To both of Dave Hoover and Adewale Oshineye, for writing this Jewel-of-a-Book:
"Apprenticeship Patterns - Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman"
I Especially loved the long snaking road set in an emerald green landscape. "A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever"

It was the missing view of the jig-saw puzzle.A birds eye-view of a completed jig-saw puzzle.
The beauty of it - everything fitting in perfectly.

I'd been regularly using some of the patterns for as long as I can remember. Study The Classics and quite a few others. But somewhere there was a gnawing thought - That I was missing something.
It's been a long and wearying quest - "There's gotta be a better way".

Until I found this book:
"Apprenticeship Patterns - Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman"
It was like an Emerald Oasis emerging from the burning sands (almost seemed like a mirage at first)

Looking back now I find that it gave me these things:
1) The missing patterns,
2) The Reason - why I needed the other patterns in the first place,
3) The Re-Assurance - that I was on the right path after all (if only partially) and
4) The Synergy - Patterns working together as a whole

Some things took a while to register though:
1) While reading the book, I noticed something peculiar. Most of my friends also used patterns I did not. But earlier, whenever I tried including their ways I had a problem.
It always felt like trying to using my left hand. (I'm a righty!!) I couldn't see Why or How these patterns could work for me too.

2) It was then that I realized that you need to be comfortable learning and using each pattern on its own. (Empty The Cup). To get used to it and let it grow on you, grow in you. Once its becomes a part of you, you can easily re-combine it with other patterns.

3) I had to actually stop doing everything else as I was fully absorbed in it. Reading, Re-Reading, Reflecting, Digesting and Assimilating its riches.

4) I strongly suspect, this process is going to take quite a few years. To apply it and let it become second-nature. A kind of Organic growth.

Share What You Learn:
1) I've tried to capture the essence of what I saw in the book. I've put it into a blog post called Steps to Technical Mastery. It's meant as a recommendation to fellow Apprentices or Beginners in Software.

2) I've tried to to address the what, how and why of the book, (as per my current level of understanding).

3) It took nearly a month before I got around to writing it all down. Too much to digest I guess. My learning style is to see the whole picture all-at-once in a Top-Down way.

4) Tools used were mostly MindMaps to try and get at the root of the Patterns. Why and How were they so effective?!! Then I just let the writing flow for a few hours.

5) As I was writing curiously I found I was still trying to come to terms with the book. With what it does and how it does it. Basically, it changes the rules of the game and the way it's played. A Pattern Tag Team is the closest thing I can come up with. A crude and effective description but it'll have to do - for now.

And Thanks to ALL the people who contributed their comments and helped put this book together.
God Bless You.
It's late and I've edited this post quite enough for the day. Publish or Perish.

Readers Section:
You can use the buttons below for sharing this post with your friends.
Any comments/suggestions on the blog are most welcome.It's still piping-hot off the oven.
Any thoughts like for instance:

What did you like/dislike about this article?
What were the defining moments of YOUR journey through this book?

[BookReview] Don't Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight (Rujuta Diwekar)

2009-11-26T00:41:00.000-08:00

This book is not about weight loss but health gain - physical And mental.

"No food is bad.... all foods are good for health"
(eaten in moderation and at the right time)

What does time have to do with weight?
Everything.....
'Coz a stitch in time saves nine!!

"Dave: The less I eat, the fatter I get.
Lomper: So stuff yourself (regularly and in small portions) and get thin!"
[Adapted from The Full Monty]

(as explained in the book:"Don't Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight"
- by Rujuta Diwekar)

----------------------------------
[Take-aways from the book]
1) The Body shares our attitude towards Money.
In times of Recession we save more and spend less. In times of plenty it's the reverse.

2) Body is stability based.
Unlike machines which short-circuit beyond some limits, our body adapts to whatever conditions happen in our life.

Sugar levels, rest and activity levels are resources which vary widely during any day.

The body uses fat and muscle as storage areas in response to fluctuations in supply.

If we fluctuate widely from drought to floods - under-eating, missing meals, irregular timings or overeating - the body tries to save up on supplies in the form of fat.

If we take care to stabilize the inputs like food and rest and ensure that the body never runs short of these supplies at any time during the day, it'll become calmer and stop saving up on fat in the body.

---------------

0) Cheap:
The cost of the book is quite low (Rs 156 with discount) and it's worth every paisa twice over.
You can order it online... about 3 days delivery time.

1) Holistic:
Unlike many other popular "diets" this is a holistic approach taking into account many things that happen in our lives and gives insight into how and why these affect our health and weight.
Distinguishes between malnutrition(starvation diets) and optimum nutrition.

a) For example it gives tips to very active sportspersons about when, what and how to eat to ensure accounting for their heavy energy and nutrient needs.

b) Its not just for "fat-people". It's for every human being...
Though all of us eat food we ALL need good nutrition (and rarely get it no matter how simple/rich food you eat) esp. in urban areas.

2) Useable:
It links up a whole encyclopedia of scattered info found in research studies, allopathy, yoga, physiology etc and makes all of those easily usable by common man.

To avoid information overload she gives 4 simple principles which if followed will help you to simply reorganise your diet and daily schedule to within 80% reach of optimum. For more you'd need to customize it with a dietician like Rujuta. This is hardly required for us "non-models".

3) Informative:
After reading the book it started making sense why body fat happens inspite of "not eating too much". Contains loads of useable info on properties of different kinds of foods.

4) Insightful:
It is an excellent book and gives lot of insight into what goes on in our body and mind.
For example Binge eating is a combination of mind and body pangs.

5) Background info:
It talks about how small things in our "modern lifestyle" and way-of-life contribute to health problems. And it means not just fat gain but other things as well...
If you want to understand what "health" is about this seems like a good book written by a dietician, yoga trainer.

6) Myth-busting:
I read this book slowly to "digest" what she's talking about.
I plan to reread this book a few times so that I can absorb the rich but simple information in it.
Many of the myths that I had in my mind about good diet were turned on their heads.

Genome

2007-01-24T03:57:00.000-08:00

Genome is a story of our DNA told in 23 chapters with each chapter starring a chromosome.
Told from the human interest viewpoint it lets you in on secrets that are hidden far deep inside you. The stories told range from curious to horrifying to wonderful. Keep reading.
There's a war going on down there.

Did you know that the Y chromosome(which makes a male a male) tries to hide from its X Chromosome(the female counterpart) and constantly(over hunderds of years) changes form to escape detection!! This is just one of the stories told in this delightful and refreshing book.

Merck Manual

2006-12-13T04:44:00.000-08:00

A definite must have book.
The book doctors refer to.
This handbook is really handy. Find out more about medicines, how they work, side-effects.
Increasingly as medicine is becoming more and more mercinary and the hospitals and diagnostic charges rising steeply, you need to know what's going on. Is that test Really necessary? Is that operation really advisable...

Though no replacement for a doctors experience and training... its better than nothing or wrong information.

[BookReview] How to Solve IT by Computer - Dromey

2006-12-12T22:47:00.001-08:00

An excellent introduction to the Whys of algorithms and data-structures.

Features of the Book :

The Design Factors associated with problems
The Creative Process behind coming up with innovative solutions for Algorithms and Data structures
The Line of Reasoning behind the constraints, factors and the design choices made.

[BookReview] How to Solve IT!! by Gregory Polya

2006-12-12T22:46:00.000-08:00

George Polya's '''How to Solve It''' suggests the following steps when solving a mathematical problem.

First, you have to ''understand the problem''.
After understanding, then ''make a plan''.
''Carry out the plan''.
''Look back'' on your work. How could it be done better?

His book contains a dictionary-style set of strategies, but is not a cook-book.

(stub) The Definitive book of Body Language by Barbara and Allan Pease

2006-12-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

(stub) Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

2006-12-07T04:17:00.001-08:00

(stub) Jose' Silvas Mind Control Method by Jose' Silva

2006-12-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

2006-12-07T04:16:00.001-08:00

Lateral Thinking (Edward De Bono)

2006-12-07T04:16:00.000-08:00

(stub) The Animal Family

2006-10-18T01:32:00.000-07:00

(stub) The Return of the Aryans

2006-07-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

History,
Culture,
Origin,
Evolution,
Expanse of India and Influence,
Fiction,
People behind the Legends and Myths,

(stub) Asimov's New Guide to Science (Science)

2006-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

This book

(stub) The Selfish Gene (Evolutionary Psychology Sociology)

2006-07-28T04:40:00.001-07:00

(stub) The Moral Animal (Evolutionary Psychology Sociology)

2006-07-28T04:40:00.000-07:00

(stub) The Winter of Our Discontent

2006-07-28T04:39:00.002-07:00

(stub) Sense of Values

2006-07-28T04:39:00.001-07:00

(stub) By the River of Babylon

2006-07-28T04:39:00.000-07:00

(stub) Dune Series - Frank Herbert (SciFi)

2006-07-28T04:31:00.000-07:00

(stub) The Foundation Series - Isaac Asimov (SciFi)

2006-07-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

(stub) Men are From Mars Women are From Venus - John Gray (Psychology/Relationships)

2006-07-28T02:06:00.000-07:00

(stub) The Durrells in Corfu (not curfew)

2006-06-06T04:09:00.000-07:00

Gerald Durrell describes his childhood surrounded by the islands of Corfu, Greece. Many humourous tales and characters from his childhood.

[BookReview] How To Build A Better Vocabulary

2006-05-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Words at Play!!

'How to build a better vocabulary' by Morris Rosenblum, Maxwell Nurnberg is a funny, interesting and engrossing book which tells the tale of Origin of Words (Etymology) among other things.

A paperback edition, it is available quite cheaply. Though mostly used by TOEFL students it is very interesting :-) Many words have interesting stories behind them. Like the phrase 'Cutting the Gordian Knot' which is explained in the book. This phrase is attributed to Alexander the Great.
The book starts every chapter with a funny and apt Cartoon. I especially liked the one which goes - "No, No. This is a stalactite and That is a stalagmite'

Happy Reading.

[BookReview] Flight of the Phoenix

2006-04-23T00:36:00.000-07:00

How the minds of men work esp. in bad situations, is the theme of this book. People who look really strong may not be so strong in adverse conditions...
This book reminds of that Hyundai Ad : "Because we dream.... Because we do"

Actually if you think about it the main reason for the emergence of man above the other animals could very well be a message of this story...
How man beat the seemingly unsurmountable odds, given his weaknesses, his lack of strength and powerful enemies...
Then again... Maybe not.

A plane carrying a monkey, a group of oil workers, british soldiers and an inventor crashes in the Sahara!!

How they handle the situation, fight it and nearly lose their lives is what the book is about.

Amazon Link:
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060762225/qid=1148198976/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-4284932-1536067?s=books&v=glance&n=283155"

[BookReview] Jonathan Livingston Seagull

2006-04-23T00:17:00.000-07:00

An amazing book by Richard Bach that talks about potential and the journey of fulfilling it.

A surprisingly thin booklet, it is hardly 30 pages filled with great thoughts on motivation, potential, hunger for going beyond whatever stage you are at and finally sharing.

It talks about a "Perverted" Seagull ie who believes that there's more to life than eating , sleeping and squabbling over scraps. A seagull was given wings not just to fly from point A to B and back but something more. It talks about finding and fighting for purpose in life and integrating the seeking for something more into the way you live and share with people.

See Also:
Jonathan Livingston Seagull on Amazon

[BookReview] The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra

2006-04-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

Where Possibility meets Probability... Eastern Thought meets Western Science
This book is simply Mind-Bogglingly Awesome!!

[BookReview] The Verger by Somerset Maugham

2006-04-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

The Road Not Taken.

Where would you be if you'd not made a decision back in the past :

The Verger written by a W. Somerset
Try it out. It's a short story and Very interesting....

full-text: http://www.geocities.com/athens/olympus/7695/VERGER.HTM

[BookReview] Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimension by Michio Kaku.

2006-04-15T05:09:00.000-07:00

Hyperspace and wormholes:
"Hyperspace : A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimension (Paperback) " by Michio Kaku

[Factoid] The author - today a leading Scientist - made a Cyclotron at home as part of his Award Winning National School Science Project in the USA.
His parents helped him wind miles of copper wire after school to create the Electric Magnets which would accelerate the subatomic particles to near light speeds before 'smashing the atom'.

Did you ever wonder what the Universe is made of? Or what is light made of? Can people travel across galactic distances in a blink of the eye?

Do you get bored with books which try to tell too much detail without giving the essence of the thing? So do I. That's why I liked this book so much...

What I liked about this book is the Analogies which jump out at you and stick in your brain long after the details are blurry.

Excerpts :
What is Hyperspace?
Imagine A 2 dimensional being living on a piece of paper.
He can be jailed by drawing a circle round him.
Enter yourself!! A 3D being with amazing supernatural powers. You go to the paper, peel off the poor sob from inside his jail and repaste him outside... Free at last...

Now just imagine a 5D being doing that in our universe. Would you call such a being GOD!! Maybe.. Depending on whether you're the prisoner or the jailer!!
-----
Five Dimensions.... What use is that if I can't even imagine it?
Unsurmountable Problems at dimension become a piece-of-cake at another dimension....
Imagine a valley green and surrounded by mountains.
A pitched battle is raging here. The clamour, fear is fairly boiling as man fights man fiercly and struggles to remain standing. He's unaware of all but what surrounds him.
Now imagine zooming to the top of a mountain where a General sits atop a tall horse looking at the whole panoramic view of the battle raging below him.
As he calmly surveys the scene, he's able to distinguish patterns below him. He observes places where the battle is going for and against his side. He can easily direct the battle from this eagles-nest. THAT's what is known as perspective... he's just climed the mountain turning a 2D battle into a 3D chess-game.

Amazon Link :
"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385477058/qid=1148198647/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-4284932-1536067?s=books&v=glance&n=283155"

[BookReview] Doctor Who Series

2006-04-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

The BBC website has put up the book form of the famous Sci-Fi Dr.Who series up on its website for free.

The basic storyline is like this :
The Universe has a Planet of TimeLords who monitor Time and try to
preserve a balance between the forces which can destroy it.
They have a time machine called the TARDIS which from outside is the
size of a phone booth but from inside it's so huge you can get lost in
it.
Anyway mostly the TimeLords never like to get their hands dirty too
much, except this rebel who introduces himself only as "The Doctor".
Invariably people ask him "Dr. Who?" which he never answers.....

He mostly comes to Earth but is always jumping around Time and Space
from one planet to another, one time to another. He picks up fellow
travellers on his travels. Some are hitchhikers, some escaping from
some danger, some who are life-time companions for each of the Doctor's
lives. The best books though are the ones with 'The Master' Doctor Who's
arch-enemy.

The Doctor doesn't believe in violence and walks in and out of situations
quite nonchalantly. The best dialogues are where he usually goes into lateral
thinking mode and finds solutions which have been missed by the people around him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/ebooks/index.shtml

I've read many of the books and really love many of them.

[BookReview] Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick

2006-04-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

"See the Universe in a Grain of Sand, the mini-whirl pool of your swirling tea or the arch of a tendril, the milky mountains in the sky..."

Beauty lies all around and so does turmoil and disorder otherwise known as Chaos!!

Chaotic systems like a kettle of water or weather have a surprising 'eye of the storm' kinda quality. Self organizing systems tend to find order in chaos.

For example during a heart attack a persons neurons misfire and make the heart beat erratic. The standard method is to shock the heart back into order. How does adding more chaos into an already chaotic event bring about order??!! That is what is known as a self organizing system.

Did you know that our body itself has such an amazing design that no cell in the body is more than 2-3 cells away from the blood distribution system. No distribution system invented by man is so accessible.

I was so obsessed with what I read in this book that I got a temporary nickname "Captain Chaos!!"

Written by a Journalist - James Gleick - about the abstruse world of Physics and Mathematics, it tells the gripping tale of how Chaos and Order are 2 sides of the same coin.... Since he's a journalist and not a physicist he tends to bring out the essentials without submerging into formulas... Also the human element of the people involved in the evolution of this field of science makes the tale more tangible.

See Also:
Link to Author website on Chaos
Book Link to Amazon

How to choose books!!

2006-04-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

I regularly buy books of all types - Technical (computers), Autobiographies, Fiction, Fantasy, Science. I spend something like up-to 3 hours browsing the book-racks in Shops, Libraries, Peoples collections, Amazon (esp. the book reviews) in order to find refreshing and enlightening books.

Take a chance once in a while.
Make use of amazon.com reading lists by the users.
References to other books from a good book.

General:
---------
Foreword - Intention of the author ie what particular axe he wants to grind.
Author tries to keep the audience with him by summarizing what he just said.
Giving same info in more than one way with examples for different types of people.
Blurb at the back of the book.
Whether the author shows Awareness of opinions/theories not agreeing with what he's saying. Does he attempt to reconcile differences or explain them. At least a footnote.

Technical:
----------
Intended audience.
Giving simple definitions of terminology in every day terms.
Not presumptuously assuming that the reader is following at all times.
Analogies and Graphics are really welcome esp. if it is explaining something.
Defines What the book is about and more important what the book is NOT about.
Tone of the author - friendly, condescending, academic, repetitive.
Sentence construction - compound sentences a para long.
Good Index is essential in Most good books.
Quality of printing ie. cheap paper, binding, readability all have an impact.
I've found reading from some better made books more interesting than the cheaper versions.

Fiction:
---------
Thoughts which expose you to off-the-beaten-track stuff.
Thoughts which give a different angle on everyday things.
Thoughts which don't relate to your hum-drum life (Alice-in-wonderland)

What books can do for you!!

2006-04-14T23:38:00.000-07:00

I've been reading books since a very young age. I always looked at books as a form of entertainment, fantasy and imagination. But one day I read a book called "The Tao of Physics", it changed the way I looked at books. The only thing close to this was going through the National Geographic magazine and (later) the TV channel.

I found out that books connect you to almost any kind of person. Scientist, Writers, Musicians, Doctors all can connect to the reader with their books. This book started the journey of non-fiction for me. I could enjoy the company of people who are at the forefront of any stream of action/thought.

I've read and picked up some valuable thoughts from :
Yoga (Iyengar),
Alternative Medicine (Dr. Dhiren Gala),
Cricket(Dennis Lillee,Frank Tyson),
Guitar(Ralph Denyer),
Acupressure(Park Jae Woo),
Body-Building (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
InterPersonal skills (Dale Carnegie)
Philosophy (Swami Vivekanada)
Psychology (Carl Gustav Jung, Maria Montessori)
Problem Solving (George Polya)