What single book is the best introduction to your field (or specialization within your field) for laypeople?

limon — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 00:40:03 GMT

What single book is the best introduction to your field (or specialization within your field) for laypeople?

I'm particularly interested in introductions for non-experts to subjects like biology, physics and astronomy, but I thought that opening up the question as broadly as possible would make it most interesting to me and other readers, especially as a future reference-point. I am thinking of books like "Mathematics for the Million", which made math accessible to a great deal of people.

You were doing it wrong

colinmarshall — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:58:37 GMT

What in life did it take you a surprisingly long time to realize you've been doing wrong all along?

"Crap, I've been doing it wrong." We've all had those sudden epiphanies where we realize we've been doing something incorrectly, ineffectively or just suboptimally our whole lives, in domains from handicraft to human relations to technical stuff to personal grooming. What have you spent large portions of your life doing wrong?

What clever relationship "hacks" have you come up with?

wyzewoman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:48:38 GMT

What clever relationship "hacks" have you come up with? I'm looking to build up my mental catalogue of examples of non-obvious solutions to relationship difficulties. Help me think out of the box better in the future!

A few times over the years, I've solved a relationship problem in a way that I was really proud of, because the solution met everybody's needs when it looked like such a solution didn't exist. I still turn back to these examples when I'm faced with a new difficulty, because I may be able to model a new solution out of the old ones.

An example of what I'm talking about: a roommate declared one day that he was no longer willing to share dishes with me: I didn't wash them well enough for his liking, even after repeated reminders. Well, that sucked -- it would be extra time, expense, and bother. But, we were able to talk about it calmly, and we worked out that really it was only the glasses that I drank milk out of which weren't getting cleaned well. So I suggested that I get a set of milk-drinking-glasses, just for me, and that we continue to share the rest of the dishes. And it worked! We never fought about dishes again. The lesson I learned from that: try to whittle a problem down to its smallest core, and solve that.

It's just a silly example -- drinking glasses! -- but I've remembered this incident for years, and modified the solution in various other issues of household maintenance. I'd love to have other examples to draw upon going forward. So, MeFites, when did you come up with a relationship solution that you were particularly proud of, and what lessons did you draw from it?

What experience most shaped who you are?

jeremias — Wed, 02 Feb 2005 12:41:03 GMT

Life-altering experiences. Can you point to a single experience in your life, as a child, which you can define as having contributed to the person you are today? (+)

I guess I'm looking for an experience which you can look back on and say " That shaped my personality as an adult." An example might be: I went to a slaughterhouse and decided to become a vegetarian.

I love you, fresh egg

chalbe — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:34:01 GMT

What cooking secrets take your food to the almost-pro level?

I love food; making it, reading about it, eating it. I already do a few basics, like shopping the NYC Union Square farmers' market, using fresh leafy herbs and garlic, squeezing lemon juice, cooking meat the right temperature, adding enough salt + pepper, grating Parmigiano-Reggiano, etc. Even so, my cooking still tastes a little flat and two-dimensional.

What practices or ingredients do you use to elevate your cooking? Spice mixes? Marinades? I prefer answers that skew towards the complex-but-tasty and avoid processed goods. Bonus points if you are a professional cook or culinary school student.

To get us started, here are some ideas I've been wanting to try:
- Making brown veal stock and remoullage, for braising and sauces
- Making yogurt from scratch milk + starter
- Making herbed butter and herb-infused oils

Upgrade Me!

Balonious Assault — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:03:22 GMT

Can you suggest some replacements for standard, everyday household items that are far superior in terms of usefulness, luxuriousness and quality?

A while back I got some Egyptian cotton bed linens with a ridiculously high thread count, and now I sleep like a baby and wonder how I ever got a full night's sleep on anything else. Another time I bought an expensive water-resistant fabric liner for my shower curtain, because I needed a liner and it was the only thing they had at the store. Now I'll never go back to the yucky vinyl liners. A few months ago my shower head broke, and I replaced it with a removable hand-held massaging shower wand, which has drastically improved the quality of my shower time.

What other upgrades should I consider? There are some excellent ideas in these threads but money isn't necessarily an object, nor am I really looking for new items to add to my collection of stuff. Just top quality upgrades for ordinary household items. The more specific, the better. Thanks!

Help me help my friend in DC.

fake — Wed, 19 May 2010 22:09:24 GMT

A Russian friend of mine may be in a dangerous situation in Washington, DC.

My friend and former student K arrived in DC yesterday, along with a friend. She came over on some kind of travel exchange program put together by a Russian travel agency called 'XXXXX'. They paid about 3K for this program.

The program promised a job offer in advance, but didn't deliver. They said they would send one via email, but failed there, too.

Her contact in the USA barely speaks English, doesn't answer her calls but does answer mine. He has asked her and her friend to meet in NYC tonight around midnight, with promises of hostess work in a lounge. Yes, I know how horrific that sounds- that's why I am working all possible angles here.

She is not going to NYC but I need some help handling and understanding how to handle this- I have a friend helping them with a cheap hotel for the night, but that's all at the moment. I am presently driving to LA and could fly her and her friend to meet me there on Saturday, but couldn't house them indefinitely. I will be monitoring this thread over the next hour.

What one book could give me a new, useful superpower?

surenoproblem — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:54:01 GMT

What one book could pretty much give me a new, useful superpower if I follow it and put the methods inside into practice? In my life, I've come across a small handful of books that have really allowed me to learn to do some things that were previously unthinkable to me, and which I'm able to use all the time in my life. I'm most interested in a book that has actually worked to change your life, rather than one that seems like it would be good if you one day got around to following it. Thanks.

The Old Man and the C Drive

theodolite — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:12:17 GMT

What are some comprehensive one-topic websites maintained by cranky old guys (or gals)?

There's a certain kind of website that I love - it's the gigantic, weirdly organized, and completely comprehensive one-topic website, generally run entirely by an elderly expert. Some examples:

- Frets.com, all about fretted string instruments, with tons of well-illustrated step-by-step guides and about four billion photos.

- Sheldon Brown (RIP), home of the Bike Glossary and tons of useful articles.

- (arguably) Carfree.com, part of which is dedicated to outlining a somewhat loony town planning paradigm, but which I love for the hundreds of design commentaries based on pre-automobile postcards.

They're often (but not necessarily) hobby or craft sites. They represent, for me, the best of a certain era of the internet, when nobody had heard of "crowdsourcing" or "content farmers," design amateurism was the norm (see Prof. Dr. Style), and the web was essentially the domain of obsessives with a lot of time and knowledge and the generosity to share it with anyone who wanted. They're also a lot of fun to browse.

They don't necessarily have to be run by old folks or look like someone never got past the "tables and frames" chapter of Web Design For Dummies, but I'm looking for any kind of one-topic website with an excessive amount of content written by a single person with a distinct voice.

checklist for life practicalities?

phoenixy — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 16:46:15 GMT

What do I need to do in daily life that I don't realize I need to be doing?

I'm a recent college grad still getting used to this "real life" thing, living in an apartment for the first time.

What do I need to be careful about not forgetting? I'm looking for general life things that a person can forget to do or not know they're supposed to be doing--like changing the oil in the car, or filing taxes, or contributing to an IRA, or registering to vote, or checking abandoned property records, or doing breast self-exams, or getting a dentist appointment or booster shots for the cat...generally, things you don't realize you were supposed to have done until it's a considerable time later and you think, "shit, why didn't I do that?"

Book or (better yet) website recommendations would be ideal here. I hope this isn't too open-ended of a question.

FWIW, I don't actually have a car. I do have a cat, though, and a roommate.

What's the Best Thing You've Ever Seen Here?

katyjack — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:21:19 GMT

My son is graduating from high school in a week. I want to make him a Best of Ask Metafilter book with all the best advice from the hive mind.

So I want to send my son out into the world with the best possible advice he can start up with, meaning I want to send him out with all the best advice I've found over on my years here. I've saved a ton of things, but I'm old so I'd love to hear from people who are in college or just out or people in their 30s - so basically everyone, including people my age and older - can you give me the link to the best advice you've ever read here, something that actually changed your view of the world or made you a better person?

Cheap but bombproof

oalocke — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 17:27:31 GMT

I'm looking for examples of insanely overbuilt, reasonably-priced consumer goods: "Cheap, bombproof...XXXXX"

I was talking with a friend the other day and we got on the subject cheap, readily available goods that aren't simply reliable but stand up to abuse beyond reasonable expectations. He used the phrase "like an AK47."

I had an '86 Toyota pickup, purchased used for $2500, that was thrown into reverse at 70mph with no damage (long story) and I drove it for another 125,000 miles.

Other examples we came up with- Nokia 61xx, 90s era cellphones that seemed to function no matter how many times they were dropped or spilled on. He and I both still see them in use around the world. Casio G-Shock watches, cheap and available at any Wal-mart, are issued to the Navy SEALS. I've had one for 15 years that I cannot kill, and is still running on the original battery.

What else can you add to the list?

A book everyone should read?

pasici — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 04:48:08 GMT

Please tell me a book you think everyone should read and why.

Fiction or nonfiction, doesn't matter. I'm not so interested in hearing about your favorite book or your desert island book, but a book you think everyone would benefit from reading.

Help us make a master list of weeknight recipes!

Mrs. Pterodactyl — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 15:27:35 GMT

What are your recipes for weeknight meals? What do you have for dinner that you make yourself in a relatively short amount of time and/or with relatively little effort? Help us figure out a variety of dinners to put on a meal-planning list!

My husband and I have a list of dinner options so that when we do our weekly meal planning we've got all of our go-to dishes and recipes right in front of us. We'd really like to add to this list! We are looking for meals that can be made quickly on a weeknight OR prepped ahead of time without a ton of hassle. Right now we've got things like spaghetti and meatballs, roasted chicken, some lentil dishes, and empanadas (filling and dough prepped Sunday, assembled and baked Monday). We'd like a time frame of no more than an hour and a half from getting home to eating dinner.

We are NOT looking for general ideas like "roast a chicken and use the meat all week", we are looking for specific recipes.

If it's relevant, Mr. Pterodactyl is a good cook and I am a tolerable cook and good baker. In terms of recipes to which we have access, we've got a subscription to Cook's Illustrated and he has a bunch of cookbooks including several by Mark Bittman and the Food Lab book. We're okay with meals that result in leftovers or meals that don't. Only dietary restriction is nothing from the sea, including fish. We'd like actual recipes, please! Just saying, e.g., "spaghetti and meatballs" still leaves us with a lot of research to do (also we like the Serious Eats Friday meatball recipe, halved, so we're good on that one).

Recipes out of books we already have, links to recipes on websites, or typed-out recipes are most appreciated!

Thank you for your suggestions!

Tiny luxuries

theodolite — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:48:19 GMT

What are some cheap (less than $10) but satisfying luxuries?

I like nice stuff as much as the next guy, but I am not a wealthy man, so I rarely get the opportunity to buy a steak dinner or nice shoes or a fancy car or Mediterranean cruise tickets. I do, however, like the experience of luxurious things, especially when they're so far within my budget that they don't even make a blip. I've been making a mental list of things that are less than $10 but make me feel like royalty, and I'd like to add to it.

Some examples:

- There's a coffeeshop in Chicago called Julius Meinl where for less than three dollars you get a cup of delicious coffee, cream and sugar, a little glass of water, and a ginger flavored biscuit, all on a snazzy silver tray brought to you by a remarkably attractive man or woman. This may not be much of a revelation to some of you, but I had spent my entire life thinking coffee was something that came in paper cups, or at best, in speckled concave diner mugs, before I found out how classy it could be.

- Nat Sherman cigarettes.* I'm not much of a smoker, so it takes me a few months to get through a pack of these, but these are delicious and come in a little hinged box that feels more like a cigarette case than a regular pack. I don't even really like regular cigarettes. They're a little over the $10 limit, but only in Cook County.

- The lobbies of luxury hotels are generally open to the public, and nobody will hassle you if you look like you know where you're going. Many of the older ones are absolutely incredible. This one is free!

- I got a pencil sharpener from an art supply store for around $3-4 (that is, preposterously expensive for a pencil sharpener, but not a big deal in the scheme of things). It's just a little brass cylinder, but it glides around the pencil like butter and the shavings drop away with nary a shake or flick. It's got a nice heft and coolness and overall just looks and acts like a piece of quality equipment. Using it is a simple joy.

What are some other things like this? Bonus points for non-consumables like the pencil sharpener.

* Note: if you don't smoke, please don't start just because you read this.

Help me find the kind of recipe that sticks in your memory for decades.

Vrai — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 12:12:11 GMT

What are your favourite simple recipes that make "guests plead for the secret"?

I was recently inspired to go on a cooking kick after reading about Marcella Hazan and discovering her amazing tomato sauce and bolognese sauce recipes. After I tried them both and subsequently recovered from the shock of eating the most delicious dishes ever, I realised I needed more recipes of this type in my arsenal.

What I'm looking for are your simple, ultra pleasing recipes. The kind that you remember eating for years and years after.
(Bonus points if they're the heirloom, passed down through generations type.)

Basically I'd like the type of recipe that could make a beau propose after one taste.

Emotional Labor Checklist/Self-Assessment

Maecenas — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 18:57:41 GMT

In light of the thread on the blue about unpaid emotional labor, I'd like to construct a self-assessment checklist so that I can actively work on being better at emotional labor. I've got 20 or so line items already written down (posted below the fold), which I've amassed from trying to distill the thread. What additional items should I add or change to more fully flesh out this list?

I do realize that this is, itself, emotional labor, and I thank all contributors in advance. I hope that the existing list indicates a good-faith effort on my part to think about these issues.

You may notice that I have left off childcare; I do not have children and do not plan to for a long time, but it would be neat if this could be a general-purpose tool, so childcare-related items are welcome, too!

# Partnered Life

* Am I checking in with my partner to see if they had a rough day?
* If so, am I stepping up to make their life easier in other ways (cooking, cleaning, etc.)?
* Am I open and clear about my wants, and not forcing my partner to guess/drag it out of me?
* Am I contributing constructively to planning of meals, events, trips, etc?
* Am I actively trying to make my presence feel safe for my partner?
* Do I try to do nice things for my partner without being asked (flowers, treats, etc.)?
* Do I take care of my own administrative life (paperwork, bills) without needing to be repeatedly reminded?
* Am I supportive of my partner's decisions, big and small?
* Am I respectful and validating of my partner's emotions?
* Am I vocally grateful when my partner goes out of their way to do something nice for me?
* Am I nice to my partner's family [if that's a thing they want]?

# Friend Groups

* Do I work to coordinate peoples' schedules so that we can have a nice picnic/party/board game night/etc.?
* When planning an event, am I conscious of possible interpersonal conflicts?
* When planning an event, do I take into account different peoples' preferences for food, beverages, music, etc., so that no one feels excluded?
* Do I actually have everything prepared in advance for an event I'm hosting, or at least clearly and fairly delegated?
* If there is an imbalance of emotional or physical labor occurring, am I willing to risk social awkwardness to improve the lot of those negatively affected?

# Third Party Relationships (Familial & Otherwise)

* Do I remember to make phone calls and visits to people I care about and want to have relationships with?
* Do I remember to send cards to people I care about?
* Do I send thank you notes to people to acknowledge their emotional labor for me?
* Am I actively sensitive to and supportive of people who are experiencing a difficult time (death of spouse/child/pet, etc.)?

I Like To Read Things

turgid dahlia — Thu, 01 May 2008 23:21:50 GMT

What are some of your absolute favourite online essays, articles and other pieces of non-fiction writing?

Pursuant to this post and the excellent linked essay, I have found my appetite whetted for some more fine pieces of journalism, reportage, history, criticism, review, everything and anything. I have trawled the online archives of The Atlantic and The New Yorker because I love to have something fresh and interesting to print out and read on my lunch break.

Basically I'm after singular examples of quality online writing (no fiction, thanks, I have more than enough of that), not necessarily for the beauty of the prose or even for the content of the story - I just want one of those (preferably big) articles you can't stop reading, and at the end you want to show it to everybody you know because it's just so amazing, and you wish you had read it sooner.

For reference, one of my favourites is the wonderful B.R. Myer's piece A Reader's Manifesto, from The Atlantic Monthly.

First AskMe, please be gentle.

Last time, you didn't have holes in your feet!

dmd — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 23:49:56 GMT

My father passed away this morning. I'm going through his file, and I came across JOKES.TXT ... which contains only the punchlines. Can the Mind please tell me the jokes?

Smart Pills > Rabbit Pellets
Face like Sr. Wences' fist
Ghost/Goat
Wife, brother, monkey, crash, Monkey Driving
Jesus/Pinocchio
Wendy/Welcome to Jamaica
Sheep/I wish it was dark
That Sheep Lies!
Death or Bungee
I was talking to the duck!
More fun than watching a monkey try to fuck a coconut
More ducks on that side
It's your wife's handwriting
10-inch dick & hangs up
Bear: You don't come here just to hunt, do you
George Bush/Snapping Turtle
Talking golf ball more amusing
Genie, 3 wishes, visit to vet
Read my lips: bring a posse!
Priest, Minister, Rabbi; last wish, fork, Fuck your boat!
Last time you didn't have holes in your feet.
I'm going to have to numm those
Duck hunter license for each state - cop's fingers up duck's ass
Indian names, tepee, soaring eagle, running deer, 2 dogs fucking
polish joke, bar, tell it six times
nice tits, where do you want these blinds
a round of drinks, no thanks, blew chunks
lorena bobbitt dead in crash, some dick cut her off
goddam fish, love this fucking place
Brick the camel
Designated decoy

Christmas gifts for under $20 dollah

HeyAllie — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:12:54 GMT

What $10-$20 item improved your lifestyle?

Due to the financial situations of some of my family members, we are limiting Christmas gifts to no more than $10-$20 US per person.

No more useless ties for dad, candles for mom, picture frames for the sister. We really want to think about gifts that would help a person live better, do something faster, make life simpler. Please suggest an item you have that has become indispensible at home, in the kitchen, for your pet, at the office, etc.

Thanks!

Popular Posts at Ask MetaFilter