Books, papers, and essays that shaped how I think about materials, engineering, and the practice of research. Each entry includes a short note on what stood out. Topics are grouped by subject; open any section to browse.

Science and Engineering

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Books

  • Pieces of the Action cover
    Pieces of the Action Vannevar Bush 2022

    An account of how American science was organized during World War II. Bush ran the Office of Scientific Research and Development and writes about what coordinating scientists, military, and politicians under pressure looked like.

    Related essay

Research and Writing

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Books

  • Clear and simple as the truth cover
    Clear and simple as the truth Francis-Noël Thomas and Mark Turner 1994

    Prose style treated as an intellectual stance. In classic style, writing is like conversation where the writer has seen something and is pointing it out to the reader.

  • The craft of research cover
    The craft of research Wayne C. Booth et al. 2024

    A practical guide to research, from forming a question worth asking to building an argument that holds up.