Vote for Upcoming Books - May 2021
Introduction
This time we will try to vote for our upcoming fictions and non-fictions candidates, and then read those which earn more than half of total votes.
Where to vote
Not decided yet, most likely we use WeChat Mini-app for voting.
Will notify the WeChat Group as soon as the decision is made.
Some criteria
- It should be published within the last 60 years: English changes quickly, so reading Shakespeare or classics, while good, may not be the best way to improve your English.
- It should be fairly easy (and fun) to read: Improving your English doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact, if you choose something you’d like to read, you’re more like to stick to it.
- It should be easily obtainable: Dalian, unlike Beijing or Shanghai, does not have a bookstore where you can easily find a large selection of English books.
Tips
- You can visit the Amazon page to get an FREE preview of the book!
Candidates
[Non-Fiction 1, 273 pages] You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It’s Making the World a Weirder Place, by Janelle Shane
You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It’s Making the World a Weirder Place is a 2019 nonfiction book by optics research scientist Janelle Shane. The book documents experiences the author and others have had with machine learning programs, and discusses what “intelligence” means in the context of “artificial intelligence” (AI).[1]
A reviewer in the Christian Science Monitor found the book “eye-opening” and “fun”, stating “I found this book comforting: Shane makes a convincing case that AI isn’t going to be stealing jobs in the near future."[1] A review in ZDNet called the book “approachable” and “insightful”.[3] A capsule review in the Philadelphia Inquirer called Shane a “great guide”,[4] and a capsule review in Publishers Weekly called the book an “accessible primer” with “charming” and “often-hilarious” content.[5] A reviewer in E&T judged the book “stands out for Shane’s madcap sense of humour and affection for the subject”.[6] In The Verge, a December 2019 list of “the 11 best new sci-fi books” included Shane’s book, stating “Science fact, rather than science fiction, (the book is) incredibly informative”.[7] A similar list in Ars Technica praised that “anybody, not just the engineer-minded or the tech-savvy, can understand the often abstract concepts she details."[8] The book also made Scientific American’s list of “Recommended Books” for November 2019.[9]
Source: Wikipedia
In this smart, often hilarious introduction to the most interesting science of our time, Shane shows how these programs learn, fail, and adapt—and how they reflect the best and worst of humanity.
You Look Like a Thing and I Love You is the perfect book for anyone curious about what the robots in our lives are thinking.
Source: Amazon
[Non-fiction 2, 230 pages] You Are What You Read: A Practical Guide to Reading Well, by Robert DiYanni
We are what we read, according to Robert DiYanni. Reading may delight us or move us; we may read for instruction or inspiration. But more than this, in reading we discover ourselves. We gain access to the lives of others, explore the limitless possibilities of human existence, develop our understanding of the world around us, and find respite from the hectic demands of everyday life. In You Are What You Read, DiYanni provides a practical guide that shows how we can increase the benefits and pleasures of reading literature by becoming more skillful and engaged readers.
DiYanni suggests that we attend first to what authors say and the way in which they say it, rather than rushing to decide what they mean. He considers the various forms of literature, from the essay to the novel, the short story to the poem, demonstrating rewarding approaches to each in sample readings of classic works. Through a series of illuminating oppositions, he explores the paradoxical pleasures of reading: solitary versus social reading, submitting to or resisting the author, reading inwardly or outwardly, and more. DiYanni closes with nine recommended reading practices, thoughts on the different experiences of print and digital reading, and advice on what to read and why.
Source: Amazon
“Robert DiYanni’s You Are What You Read is an ardent, well-conceived guide to how readers can improve their experience of a diverse range of literary texts. At a time when skepticism about the humanities abounds, DiYanni offers a valuable window into the ways our inner lives flourish and expand under the influence of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction prose.”—David Haven Blake, author of Walt Whitman and the Culture of American Celebrity
Source: Princeton Press
[Non-fiction 3, 370 pages] How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
“This parenting book actually made me a better parent.”—Lydia Kiesling, The New York Times
From #1 New York Times bestselling authors, the ultimate “parenting bible” (The Boston Globe)—a timeless, beloved book on how to effectively communicate with your child.
This bestselling classic by internationally acclaimed experts on communication between parents and children includes fresh insights and suggestions, as well as the author’s time-tested methods to solve common problems and build foundations for lasting relationships, including innovative ways to:
Source: Amazon
[Non-fiction 4, 273 pages] Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, by Kerry Patterson, Al Switzler, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan
The New York Times and Washington Post bestseller that changed the way millions communicate
“[Crucial Conversations] draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world. . . . This book deserves to take its place as one of the key thought leadership contributions of our time.”
—from the Foreword by Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Source: Google Book
[Fiction 1, 249 pages] Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A GOOD MORNING AMERICA Book Club Pick!
A magnificent new novel from the Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro （石黑一雄）—author of Never Let Me Go and the Booker Prize-winning The Remains of the Day.
“One of the most affecting and profound novels Ishiguro has written….I’ll go for broke and call Klara and the Sun a masterpiece that will make you think about life, mortality, the saving grace of love: in short, the all of it.” —Maureen Corrigan, NPR
Source: Amazon
The novel is set in a dystopian （反乌托邦） future in which some children are genetically-engineered (“lifted”) for enhanced academic ability. As schooling is provided entirely at home by on-screen tutors, opportunities for socialization are limited and parents who can afford it often buy their children androids as companions. The book is narrated by one such Artificial Friend (AF) called Klara. Although exceptionally intelligent and observant, Klara’s knowledge of the world is limited.
Source: Wikipedia
[Fiction 2, 257 pages] Mr Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is a 2012 novel by American writer Robin Sloan. It was chosen as one of the best 100 books of 2012 by the San Francisco Chronicle,[1] was a New York Times Editor’s Choice,[2] and was on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Best Seller list[3] as well as the NPR Hardcover Fiction Bestseller List.[4] The US book cover, which glows in the dark, was done by Rodrigo Corral and chosen as one of the 25 best book covers for 2012 by BookPage.[5][6][7]
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore combines elements of fantasy, mystery, friendship and adventure as a way of looking at the modern conflict and transition between new technology (electronic) and old (print books). The protagonist (主角) is a laid-off Silicon Valley tech worker who begins working at a dusty bookstore with very few customers, only to start discovering one secret after another. The mysterious old books, along with the store’s owner, lead to a 500-year-old secret society.[8]
Source: Wikipedia
The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco Web-design drone—and serendipity(机缘巧合), sheer curiosity, and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey has landed him a new gig（工作） working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead “checking out” impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with the gnomic（深奥的） Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he’s embarked on a complex analysis of the customers' behavior and roped his friends into helping to figure out just what’s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, it turns out the secrets extend far outside the walls of the bookstore.
Source: Amazon
[Fiction 3, 112 pages] A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, by Tanika Gupta
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian is a humorous novel by Marina Lewycka, first published in 2005 by Viking (Penguin Books).[1]
The novel describes the reactions of two daughters when their widowed, 84-year-old father Nikolai marries a highly sexual and much younger Ukrainian immigrant, Valentina. Concerned about Valentina’s motives, Nadezhda and Vera are drawn back into contact with each other after a long period of estrangement (疏远). They find themselves united against a common enemy in Valentina, whose grasping, manipulative behavior escalates until the daughters finally succeed in obtaining a divorce for their father.
The Polish translator and travel writer Magda Healey, reviewing the book for Bookbag, thought it “eminently(非常) readable, well flowing and colourful”, though it showed a common fault of autobiographical debut novels, with too much content crammed in, the stories often not thoroughly explored. All the same, it had moving moments, some poetically beautiful passages, and “wonderfully absurd” scenes of farce. She found the sections of the engineer Nikolai’s monumental history of tractors “a nice device”. It was undemanding “but not totally shallow”.[4]
Source: Wikipedia
Award-winning writer Tanika Gupta has created a wonderful re-telling of this dark family comedy, adapted from the bestselling novel by Marina Lewycka for the stage. It explores the hopes and hardships of immigrants, and how past experiences can shape families and relationships.
Source: Amazon
References
SharePoint
- SAP SharePoint (book preview)
- 持续更新的下一本书意向清单，欢迎随时添加: SAP Excel Online
MS Forms
This is because they were part of either Pioneer or Insider ring. Here the licenses were removed on April 29, 2021 as the test phase ended. They can use Forms in productive now but to make sure they understand the terms and conditions, everyone has to register for the license again. Please attach the KB article from IT Support platform Microsoft Forms - enable and get started by searching for Forms. This explains the register process. MS Form License Request Form
Updated: 24 November, 2021
Created: 4 May, 2021