The Idea Factory: Learning to Think at MIT Book

I liked this book. The narrating voice was approachable and interesting, even when explaining or ranting about an advanced mechanical engineering problem I had no background on. The pacing of Pepper's grad school experience was well thought out and allowed me to immerse myself in the story. He explains that a lot of the characters are composites; even so, they feel three-dimensional and emotional(i just really enjoyed that we get a play-by-play of what in this nonfiction has been fabricated). It was kind of disappointing though, when I found out at the end that one of my favorite characters was a composite.
So many flaws and humiliating anecdotes are included about the author that you just have to feel for this guy. He's not afraid to reveal himself as an asshole, and this increased his likability for me.

The appendices were as interesting as the book--the notes included extended details about characters/university history, show equations, and just generally provide interesting anecdotes and facts that don't fit anywhere in the narrative.