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* Operators And Things – a fascinating account of a woman's journey through (and out of) schizophrenia. Also, some very interesting insight into toxic office politics.

* Philosophical Investigations – I've wanted to read and understand Wittgenstein's PI for a while now. This year I've made a serious effort and it has been very worthwhile. Best read with a companion text (I used Routledge Guidebook to Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations).

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PI is so good even if you don’t “understand” it all. In it he pretty much demolishes any notion that language is composed of words that refer to objects. This idea was as old as Plato and an often un-explored assumption of almost every philosopher henceforth.

Plato might ponder the nature of “love”. Wittgenstein asks, “what is love in this particular context?” Loving chocolate, loving your partner? Love between fictional characters? Was the speaker being sarcastic? Could a person born without language “love” without the framework of words and mutual understandings we get through culture, or would it be something different?

Surprisingly relevant to programming.

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