Favorite books/movies that you think other engineer types would like? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 10:12:57 am
content: Fiction. Non-fiction. What ever.Preferably include a link to the IMDB, or Amazon type page. A movie poster, or book over is a plus. And a sentence why it's great (WITHOUT SPOILERS!)

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 10:34:52 am
content: This little Ap note from Tek.Simple exploration of "Floating Measurements".Complete with "pro's & cons", nice explanation and a good footer on CAT ratings.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 10:38:38 am
content: All of Tim Hunkin's "Secret Life Of" TV series - all on youtubeFilm : "Man on Wire"Book "Longditude" by Dava Sobel

author: IO390
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 11:05:19 am
content: Any Clancy book (preferably the earlier ones which were actually written by him).As for films... The Big Lebowski is good.

author: Fred27
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 11:11:08 am
content: +1 for Tim Hunkin's "Secret life of". I remember that from when I was a kid. Must watch it again - and show my son who's almost 3.

author: Balaur
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 03:03:47 pm
content: They may be a bit hard to digest, but I absolutely love the books about the Culture universe, written by Iain M. Banks. I particularly appreciated "The Player of Games", a rather nice, self standing, linear, book and Excession, which may require some additional readings for a better appreciation.

author: N2IXK
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 04:28:22 pm
content: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_the_Earth_to_the_Moon_%28TV_miniseries%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dish

author: Dave
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 06:10:42 pm
content: Quote from: IO390 on September 07, 2014, 11:05:19 amYeah, well,... that's just like... your opinion, man.That movie would be my all time favorite.I also liked 3 Idiots. Engineers will be able to relate to this movie.As for literature, I enjoy reading Dan Brown's books. However, when you get to know his writing style, you can kind of predict what is going to happen sometimes.

author: owiecc
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 06:16:20 pm
content: Books:Neal Stephenson –CryptonomiconTakes place during WW2 (ciphers) and in the 90's (digital security).Neal Stephenson –The Baroque Cycle18th century Europe, alchemy, Newton, Leibnitz.Philip Ball –Critical Mass: How One Thing Leads to AnotherPatterns in real life.Edward Tufte –The Visual Display of Quantitative InformationHow to effectively visualize data.Movies/series:Wallace an Gromitfew shorts and few movies. Crazy inventor and his smart dog.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 07:31:06 pm
content: Movie:After Hours (Dir: Martin Scorsese 1985)If you haven't seen this one then save it for a quiet late night.It scores 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and is one of the best late night movies I've ever seen. Griffin Dunne is excellent as the nerdy office worker who has a nightmare late night trip to Soho in NYC. I think this surreal movie will appeal to many but you really do have to watch it late at night to get the most from it

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 08:06:01 pm
content: Books:The Lensemen series by EE 'Doc' Smith, he goes into such incredible detail that you can almost believe the technologyThe Soul of A New Machine by Tracey KidderMovies:Manhunter (1986) Think of it as Gil Grissom's first caseApollo 13Contact (1997) Because I really like the twist at the endThe Prestige (2006)TV:CSI Crime Scene Investigation Only the series with William Petersen in the star roleMission Impossible The series that made me become an engineer

author: Yago
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 08:49:45 pm
content: Forgot all about "Secret lives" series, cheers (again!) Mike.Lensmen, remember those too, and Skylark, fastest relay brains in space!Movies, there's all the old scifi classics, Forbidden Planet(Just classic 1950's, Quiffs, real men, women with curves, ray guns, the soundtrack!), Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Quatermass(that gritty Brit impending doom and poor effects), etc.Tend to like darker, off the wall films of modern times, as said Lebowski (all round great and funny film) (or ThunderBolt and Litefoot II), Brazil(T Gillingham's 1984 with star cast hamming it up), The Guard(Oirish black comedy that mocks its' own genre).Speaking of Lebowski, I have liked so many of the Coen bros movies.

author: Rory
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 10:09:51 pm
content: Sci-Fi novels: Leo Frankowski, "The Cross-Time Engineer" and its sequels in the "Conrad Stargard" series, as well as his "Copernick's Rebellion".Non-Fiction Books by Cliff Stoll: "The Cuckoo's Egg", "Silicon Snake Oil - Second thoughts on the information highway", and "High-Tech Heretic: Reflections of a Computer Contrarian". It's fascinating how so smart a guy can be so wrong on so many points and correct on others.

author: miguelvp
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 10:59:47 pm
content: MindWalk, but every person I ask to watch it find it boring and uninteresting.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100151/

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 11:21:24 pm
content: Really? REALLY?!!!Not one mention yet of the "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" yet? Anything from this series is a must read!!!!!!!REALLY?Another:Anything written by Isaac Asimov.

author: dr.diesel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 11:27:15 pm
content: The original H. G. Wells, The Time Machine, one of if not my all time favorite movie.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 11:47:53 pm
content: I have to second The Dish (200):http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0205873/and add Primer (2004):http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1For books I suggest "What Engineers Know and How They Know It: Analytical Studies from Aeronautical History":http://www.amazon.com/What-Engineers-Know-How-They/dp/0801845882

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 07, 2014, 11:53:36 pm
content: "Who Killed the Electric Car?" and "Revenge of the Electric Car" are two of my favorites.

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 12:02:54 am
content: booksRendezvous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarkehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendezvous_with_RamaAtlas Shrugged - Ayn Randhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Shrugged

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 12:12:16 am
content: moviesMoon (2008) -http://www.allmovie.com/movie/moon-v475726Europa Report (2013) -http://www.allmovie.com/movie/europa-report-v578010The Last Days on Mars (2013)http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-last-days-on-mars-v582634The Machine (2013)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2317225/

author: hamster_nz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 12:13:30 am
content: For Films I liked Moon -http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1182345/and Cypher is cutehttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284978/I also liked "Why building fall down" (http://www.amazon.com/Why-Buildings-Fall-Down-Structures/dp/039331152X). Obviously enough it is from the author of "Why buildings stand up" - (http://www.amazon.com/Why-Buildings-Stand-Up-Architecture/dp/0393306763/but I've never read that one.I also liked "Normal Accidents Living with High-Risk Technologies" (http://www.amazon.com/Normal-Accidents-Living-High-Risk-Technologies/dp/0691004129). If you ever wanted to know why Oil Tankers crash into each other or other complex failures this is the book for you. Much better than any Discovery Channel disaster doco.

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 08:47:42 am
content: movieSunshine (2007)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448134/

author: Rerouter
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 10:09:28 am
content: As we have "the machine" listed, i'll throw in a few more integration with technology titles- Ghost in the shell series (There are about 7 movies here)- A.I - Artificial Intelligence (2005)- Her (2013)- Enders Game (2013)Then swinging back a bit as not everyone may have seen them:- The Island (2005)- Bicentennial Man (1999)- 2001 A Space OdesseyAnd Some Wild Cards For Good Measure:- Sound Of My Voice (2012)- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)- eXistenZ (1999)- The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)

author: N2IXK
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 10:43:10 am
content: Quote from: wilfred on September 08, 2014, 09:20:38 am“There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."--John Rogers

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 11:12:16 am
content: Quote from: RobertoLG on September 08, 2014, 12:02:54 am

author: deephaven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 11:52:41 am
content: The Krone Experimenthttp://www.thekroneexperiment.com/I have only watched the original dvd film so far. I think it is amazing how good the production was with a budget of just $5,000.J. Craig Wheeler wrote, produced and acted in the film and is a professor of astrophysics in real life.

author: Alis
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 12:01:36 pm
content: WarGames (1983) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086567/] - Matthew Broderick was the key success for this movie, a really good retro movie for computer geeks. The second part [the dead code] was quite lame, not worth watching if you ask me.The 13th floor (1999) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094591/?ref_=nv_sr_3] - Similar to the matrix, but more interesting, I'd say.Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168122/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1] - The Apple & Microsoft story, way better than "jOBS" as Wozniak says."Hackers" (1995) - [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113243/?ref_=nv_sr_1] - Just like the title says, more fictional than documentary though."Enemy of the state" (1998) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120660/?ref_=ttmd_md_nm] - Will Smith is the essential in this film. A really nice movie for conspiracy theorists."Source code" (2011) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0945513/?ref_=nv_sr_1] - A soldier gets connected to a system, that lets him replay an event, to find a terrorist."Limitless" (2011) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219289/?ref_=tt_rec_tt] - A man finds a drug, that lets him access 100% of his brain power.Also a TV series called "Silicon valley" was released not so long ago, quite entertaining.

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 12:19:06 pm
content: I thoughtSneakerswas great when I was a high school student, but now it is just silly.

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 12:32:32 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on September 08, 2014, 12:25:49 pmIn that episode the guy who gave officer Barbrady the copy of Atlas Shrugged was later arrested for having sex with chickens.

author: VK5RC
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 12:48:05 pm
content: "First Man" by Neil Armstrong , his only autobiography, its the real deal, he was/is a really impressive man, pilot and Engineer.A lot to admire and respect.http://www.space.com/1765-unlocking-enigma-review-man-neil-armstrong-authorized-biography.html

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 12:49:01 pm
content: Wargames :imsai and woprBack to the future trilogy: fluxcaps and jigowattsTron, especially 2: because of the cellar scene it shows various old vax and hp equipmentReal genius: lasers and weirdo's

author: bookaboo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 01:34:38 pm
content: "Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries" by Neil De Grasse TysonOr basically anything he writes or narrates is worth looking at. Similarly I think Richard Dawkins stuff on evolution is fascinating, likewise for his anti-religion books, fill your boots with Christopher Hitchens too if you're into that.I also liked the following on how to understand how we learn :The Talent CodeBounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of PracticeTalent is OverratedOutliers: The Story of Success(note it's a while since I read those, one of them was a bit of a rehash of the others but I can't recall which. Maybe best stick to the bottom two)

author: BillyD
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 02:04:39 pm
content: Strata by Terry Pratchet is a strange but entertaining science fiction read.

author: Yago
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 03:12:31 pm
content: Quote from: Lightages on September 07, 2014, 11:21:24 pmThat remake besmirched the memory of the BBC versions, something akin to what the "Beautiful South" did to Nilsson!Ghost in the Shell was pretty good for those that can get past the Jap thing with female attire(or lack thereof).First Man in the Moon, old Ealing SciFi with Lionel Jeffries! Brilliant!

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 03:35:13 pm
content: "Colossus: The Forbin Project":http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064177Technology turns on us."Futureworld"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074559(They are re-making it. But Yul Brynner as the robot gunslinger is incredible in the original.)"Brainstorm"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085271(Natalie Wood's last film)"Sneakers"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105435Social implications of hacking. Great film IMHO"Silent Running"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067756The robots are not to be missed."EXTANT" the current sci-fi series on US TV has the most advanced and realistic tech props and CGI I have ever seen in an episodic TV showhttp://www.cbs.com/shows/extant/video/

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 03:36:41 pm
content: Ghost in the Shell was rather good to watch, and a really good read.I was always a fan of Martin Scorsese movies / anything with Deniro in it. Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter was his last movie I watched.I have found the latst sci-fi movies set in this time period to have several pieces of T&M gear in them.Ex Planet of the Apes had a Heathkit frequency counter, and a GR either portable bridge/ meggohmeter.

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 07:24:22 pm
content: Quote from: GK on September 08, 2014, 11:12:16 amsouthpark is the crap...but others may like the book hehe

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 07:28:23 pm
content: here short movies, some are very decent stuffhttp://www.freemoviescinema.com/science-fiction

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 07:40:07 pm
content: some animeVoices of a Distant Starhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370754/the place promised in our early dayshttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381348/

author: hamster_nz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 10:11:15 pm
content: Quote from: GK on September 08, 2014, 12:19:06 pmA bit like TRON then, I guess...

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 11:13:49 pm
content: Reading some more books from Jules Verne is still on my list. In the past I also read books from PG Wodehouse, Roald Dahl (his adult books are quite dark & gritty) and another more modern English writer who wrote some hilareous books but I can't recall his name.

author: mtdoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 11:30:13 pm
content: Quote from: N2IXK on September 08, 2014, 10:43:10 am

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 08, 2014, 11:59:02 pm
content: bookDying of the Light - George R.R. Martinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_of_the_Light

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2014, 01:54:06 am
content: Quote from: mikeselectricstuff link=topic=36136.msg508924#msg508924Was also a TV series as well.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 09, 2014, 09:24:28 am
content: The Making of The Atomic Bombhttp://www.amazon.com/Making-Atomic-Bomb-Richard-Rhodes-ebook/dp/B008TRU7SQ/ref=sr_1_1It didn't will pulitzer prize for nothing!

author: hamster_nz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2014, 10:37:16 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on September 09, 2014, 09:24:28 amWell played sir, well played! A very good read - for engineering, espionage, history and political reasons.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2014, 11:32:12 am
content: Movies i really like, (alphabetical order, mixed genre)If you have seen most of these and liked them you should watch the rest.12 monkeys2001 a space odyssey2010 the year we made contact (sequel to above)Angels and DemonsCity of emberContactFlight of the phoenix (both original and remake)Back to the future seriesJurassic park seriesIndiana Jones seriesUnderworld seriesFrequently asked questions about time travel (awesome++)HackersInception (Awesome++)K19 the widdowmakerMoonMy science project (old but good)OblivionOutbreakPrimer (you will need to watch this 3 times to untangle it in your head)Red Planet (some people hated this movie, i loved it)Sherlock holmes movies (2010 etc.)The Andromeda strain (original is better)The A-teamThe princess brideThe worlds fastest IndianThe core (yeah, i know some people didnt like it but i did)The day after tomorrowThe negotiatorThe rockThe shawshank redemptionTwisterU571V for vendetta (awesome++)Van HelsingZombieland (awesome++)

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2014, 11:59:32 am
content: Quote from: hamster_nz on September 08, 2014, 10:11:15 pmI first saw TRON at an earlier age and thought it was complete crap. I had high expectations.

author: N2IXK
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2014, 12:06:28 pm
content: Quote from: hamster_nz on September 09, 2014, 10:37:16 amYes! A great read.If you are interested in the real nitty-gritty engineering of the Manhattan Project, I would HIGHLY recommend getting a copy of "Atom Bombs: The Top Secret Inside Story of Little Boy and Fat Man", by John Coster-Mullen. The author embarked on a years-long quest to reverse-engineer the first 2 bomb designs from publicly available information, and came up with enough details that a determined reader could probably replicate the things in their garage if they had a source of fissionable materials!Includes stuff I never thought would be available, such as schematics of the detonating circuitry of the Trinity and Fat Man implosion bombs (used a 4C35 hydrogen thyratron tube and triggered spark gaps, as the krytron hadn't been invented yet).Self-published by the author, and available from Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Atom-Bombs-Secret-Inside-Little/dp/B0006S2AJ0

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2014, 02:17:30 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on September 08, 2014, 10:47:25 pmThere is more to that story. It where actually the Polish who cracked the initial enigma and devised the ground breaking math & methods which allowed decoding the messages. The people at Bletchley Park perfected & automated the code breaking.http://www.codesandciphers.org.uk/virtualbp/poles/poles.htm

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2014, 04:59:53 pm
content: bookTrojan Horse - J. J. Benítezhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caballo_de_Troya

author: t3chiman
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 09, 2014, 11:29:31 pm
content: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087054/Movie:Typically, the engineer in drama is cast, and played, as a nerd, an introvert, and an abject failure with women. Playing against this stereotype is Keith Carradine, inChoose Me. It's an offbeat film. Carradine is never explicitly tagged as an engineer, nor is the film about engineering (actually it is a clever romantic comedy.). But he has the cocky techno-mannerisms down perfectly ("I flew jets down South."). Plays a mean hand of poker. Good with his fists. Patriotic. And, of course, is irresistible to the ladies (who he treats with dignity and respect). His scenes with Genevieve Bujold (The Crazy One) are not only marvels of acting, they also resonate with any engineer who has ever been attracted by the uninhibited energy of an unstable woman. Spooky.

author: Nomsot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2017, 10:12:47 am
content: I like best TV show review sites.I often watch such websites, I look for interesting information about favourite TV series, new episodes.Here, for example, I watch TV series of"The Daily Show". I visit the website and I check when new series are published.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2017, 11:07:18 am
content: Movies:1. Fail Safe (1964)2. The Dish (2000)3. 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968)4. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)5. Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)Fail Safewins hands down for the best dialogue and screen play ever.

author: MagicSmoker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 13, 2017, 03:24:34 pm
content: It looks like a spammer revived this thread from the dead, but what the hey... Some of the more interesting books I've read in the past few years that will really twist the old noggin (in no particular order):Bad Monkeys - Matt Ruff(this is actually one of my favorite authors and I also highly recommend "Sewer, Gas & Electric - The Public Works Trilogy")The Rook - Daniel O'Malley(loads of fun - the protagonist suffers total amnesia, but had a premonition it would happen)The Southern Reach Trilogy - Jeff VanderMeer(this combines the books Annihilation, Authority and Acceptance)The Golden Age Trilogy, Book 1 - John C. Wright(obviously books 2 & 3)Another - Yukito Ayatsuji(one of the few books to scare me since I quit reading Stephen King in Jr. High)

author: lordvader88
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2017, 06:56:36 am
content: way to many documentaries, talks and lectures, conferences, and classes of all subjects to remember or name, utube is luckily full of them for nowShip salvage videos are really cool, thats all pretty new to me, companies have been recording those for decades which is great, lots of themSVITZER CLASSIClove that 70s music tooAs for movies, anyone mentionDeepwater Horizon (2016)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1860357/