Category: books (Page 3 of 4)

The weirdness of ebooks

2012-03-08 / Luis

A couple of weeks ago I got a Sony Reader PRS-T1 through the use of Flybuys (a loyalty card scheme available in New Zealand). I had been thinking about buying an Amazon Kindle but then we got the Flybuys catalogue and I could not see the point of shelling out cash for something that I could get much more cheaply.

The device is quite nice and my only hardware quibble is the front frame of the screen, which is too reflective. In contrast, the Sony software to synchronize ebook reader and computer (a mac in my case) is a piece of junk. Therefore, the first thing I did was to install Calibre, which is not pretty but quite effective as a book manager.

Scaffolding in Christchurch's Art Centre (Photo: Luis, click to enlarge).

The world owes you nothing

2012-01-10 / Luis

Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.
Mark Twain

Newton the dog and Luis with our new copy of Doing Bayesian Data Analyses — Newton and Luis with our new copy of Doing Bayesian Data Analyses

Doing Bayesian Data Analysis now in JAGS

2012-01-04 / Luis

Around Christmas time I presented my first impressions of Kruschke’s Doing Bayesian Data Analysis. This is a very nice book but one of its drawbacks was that part of the code used BUGS, which left mac users like me stuck.

Kruschke has now made JAGS code available so I am happy clappy and looking forward to test this New Year present. In addition, there are other updates available for the programs included in the book.

The introduction of a new system

2011-12-22 / Luis

It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage, than the creation of a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new ones.
Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 6.

E debbasi considerare, come non è cosa più difficile a trattare, né più dubia a riuscire, né più pericolosa a maneggiare, che farsi capo ad introdurre nuovi ordini; perché lo introduttore ha per nimici tutti quelli che degli ordini vecchi fanno bene, e ha tepidi defensori tutti quelli che delli ordini nuovi farebbono bene.
Niccolò Machiavelli, Il Principe, Capitolo VI.

I’m a big fan of this quote, because it applies to so many new endeavors including the introduction of new topics in a university curriculum.

Steak at Quantum Forest's HQ — Meaty like a ribeye steak slowly cooked at Quantum Forest's HQ in Christchurch

First impressions of Doing Bayesian Data Analysis

2011-12-22 / Luis

About a month ago I was discussing the approach that I would like to see in introductory Bayesian statistics books. In that post I mentioned a PDF copy of Doing Bayesian Data Analysis by John K. Kruschke and that I have ordered the book. Well, recently a parcel was waiting in my office with a spanking new, real paper copy of the book. A few days are not enough to provide a ‘proper’ review of the book but I would like to discuss my first impressions about the book, as they could be helpful for someone out there.