3 ms·

I've heard good things about "Methods of Rationality". Worth reading?

• ComodoHacker 6y ago
  Definitely, even without the original.
• webmaven 6y ago
  I think so, particularly if you've read Rowling's books and were annoyed by many of the protagonists and supporting characters for a variety of reasons. If nothing else, "Methods" succeeds in giving agency to more characters, including the villains (not necessarily to their, or Harry's, benefit), and explores/tests the "system" of magic in more depth.
  • inetsee 6y ago
    >> and explores/tests the "system" of magic in more depth. I particularly liked the section where Harry is trying to find out how magic "works". He starts with the gross physicalities: the materials the wands are made of, the sounds of the recited spells. He ends up with the mathematics underlying physics, learning how to create new spells. He uses his new found knowledge to create a very powerful weapon spell he uses to kill a mountain troll. If you want to know how the spell works, you'll have to read the book. I highly recommend it. (I've read it more than once.)
    • webmaven 6y ago
      I liked the exposure of the DWIMian (rather than strictly Newtonian) physics of flying broomsticks, although it should be noted that the DWIMian behavior is based on the physics of low-speed high-friction ground transportation rather than a sourceless 'intuition' the author blames.