I love reading, though I haven't read as many books as I'd like. I enjoy exploring different types of sources—books, articles, Facebook posts, audiobooks, and even YouTube videos that present book-like content.
My reading preferences focus on books that teach me something new. Here are the main areas I enjoy:
- Math: Beyond the technical books useful for my work, I love math books that apply math to real life. These are written for everyone, not just mathematicians, so you don’t need a math background to enjoy them.
- Science: Similar to math, I appreciate science books that are accessible to all. A great example is “A Brief History of Time” by Stephen Hawking. He avoided formulas (except the essential ) to make the content approachable.
- Psychology: I’m fascinated by how people think and why they act in certain ways. I especially want to understand myself better to manage my emotions and achieve success.
- Fiction: I particularly enjoy detective stories, especially those with scientific elements.
- Other Genres: I also read books on economics, history, and philosophy, as long as they contain key elements from my main interests.
I admire authors who can present a big picture clearly, writing in a way that even a 5-year-old can understand. They don’t expect their audience to have prior knowledge, and the more logical their writing, the more I enjoy it.
I rate books based on various factors: when and where I read them, their content, writing style, and translation quality (since I mostly read in Vietnamese). My ratings can change over time. For instance, I initially gave “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg five stars, even though I’m not a big fan of self-help books. If I read it again, I might rate it three stars. That five-star rating reflected my feelings at that moment.
You might notice that I often read three books simultaneously. This is normal for me. I’m always learning about AI/Data, Web Development/Computer Science, so I usually have two technical books going at once. However, I don’t consider reading technical books as real reading, which is why I always include a non-technical book in the mix. So, in total, I’m usually reading three books at a time.
Lastly, I’m not great at writing detailed reviews for the books I’ve read. Sometimes, I jot down my feelings after finishing a book, which isn’t quite a review. However, you might find my “reviews” helpful for getting motivated to read those books.
I’m always open to adding new books to my wishlist. If you share my tastes, please suggest some five-star books. Thanks!