In 2013, there were 304,912 traditional print books offered for sale. The numbers aren’t yet in for 2014, but it’s probable that a similar number awaits. Of those ~300,000 new books, I read 22. That’s a solid .00733% of new books I plucked from obscurity (i.e. the best seller lists) and injested into my brain. Of course, not all books are great. Some are terrible and some are meh. But thanks to the beauty of a normal distribution curve, it’s inevitable that some books are spectacular.…

Aside from children’s books like Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, it’s rare for me to read a book quickly. I’m more of an ambler, which did me no good in high-school English. Anything over 50 pages and I’ll get back to you in a week or more. Programmers and non-programmers alike will love this book, written by Robin Sloan, an ex-Silicon Valley geek who took his techie knowledge and wrote Mr.…