When comparing How to Read a Book vs Rationality: From AI to Zombies, the Slant community recommends How to Read a Book for most people. In the question“What are the best non-programming books programmers should read?” How to Read a Book is ranked 3rd while Rationality: From AI to Zombies is ranked 5th. The most important reason people chose How to Read a Book is:
Quote from the book: "Reading, like unaided discovery, is learning from an absent teacher. We can only do that successfully if we know how." - chapter 2 The Levels of Reading.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Allows for understanding of comprehension in order read and retain any other books
Quote from the book: "Reading, like unaided discovery, is learning from an absent teacher. We can only do that successfully if we know how." - chapter 2 The Levels of Reading.
Pro Will make you smarter
Your intelligence is being used to defeat itself. Learn how to stop that.
Pro Mindblowing ideas
From (friendly) AI to (philosophical) zombies. Also Pebblesorters. And why humans are insane.
Pro Fictional interludes
These are quality science fiction short stories in their own right.
Pro Funny
Pro Engaging
Cons
Con Not enough citations
Just Google it.
Con Has some highly technical references in places
Things like physics (relativity, quantum mechanics), mathematics and computer programming. Scared? Didn't think so.
Con Long
The chapters are relatively short and digestible essays and short stories. The problem: there are 333 of them. On paper, this would take volumes, but this is an ebook. You'll get a lot out of it long before you finish though.