My name is John Bayldon, and I have lived in Evanston for 10 years. I am part of a start-up company developing a 3D printer for carbon fiber reinforced materials. I sail and hang out with my kids (at the library….. not the sailing bit….)
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1) Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (2013)
I always love Kate Atkinson’s clean style, and the intuiting things she does with her books. This one was fascinating from the very start; I just wanted to know what she changed in each life to move the story forward.
2) How Music Works by David Byrne (2012)
Some great ideas about how music evolves to fit the way it is performed/heard plus some biographical stuff about his career. It made me look for some music of his I hadn’t heard and dig out my CD of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.
3) Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (1997)
This is a book I keep coming back to. I love the premise of alternate worlds which intersect (loosely) with the real world, and this is just one of the best examples. It’s also a reminder of the weird place that the real London is.
4) The Dawn of Innovation by Charles R. Morris (2012)
I’m learning American history one book at a time. This book fills in some gaps in the history of industry/commerce and how it has shaped the US.
5) Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks (2010)
I like my sci-fi with a good dose of humor and social commentary. This one includes an unprincipled capitalist, psychopathic artificial intelligences, and a grand sweep idea.
