John Stachurski

A brief self-introduction: I like mathematics and programming, which is good because they occupy most of my waking hours, along with some of my dreams.

Currently I am a professor at Australian National University, working on optimization and equilibrium problems in economics and finance. I’m also a co-founded of QuantEcon, a US-based nonprofit organization that supports open source software for computational modeling in economics and related fields.

I have a book buying habit, especially when it comes to maths books.

In my spare time I enjoy table tennis, fishing, camping, cooking, riding around on my F800R, listening to music, hanging out with my family and drinking beer with my buddies. Like my Dad, I am interested in world history and anything to do with the ocean. Like my Mum, I love hiking and mountains.

Favorite maths books

More favorite books

  • My war gone by, I miss it so; Anthony Loyd

  • The village; Bing West

  • Dr. Zhivago; Boris Pasternak

  • Hard-boiled wonderland and the end of the world; Haruki Murakami

  • The red badge of courage; Stephen Crane

  • Goodbye to all that; Robert Graves

  • Street without joy; Bernard Fall

  • A rumor of war; Philip Caputo

  • Fear and loathing in Las Vegas; Hunter S. Thompson

  • Critical care; Richard Dooling

  • White man’s grave; Richard Dooling

  • A bright and shining lie; Neil Sheehan

  • Shah of Shahs; Ryszard Kapuscinski

  • City of Thieves; David Bienoff

  • We were soldiers once, and young; Hal Moore and James Galloway

Favorite drinks

  • Beer, rum and shiso-flavored shochu (tantakatan)

Favorite films

  • Apocalypse Now

  • Pulp Fiction

  • Aliens

Best TV shows

  • The Wire. Next question.

Greatest songs of all time

  • “The Regulator” by Clutch

  • “Gullah” by Clutch

  • “Call me star” by All Them Witches

  • “Hard time killing floor blues” by Skip James

  • “Modern times” by The Black Keys

  • “Bright lights” by Gary Clark Jr.

  • “Wish you were here” by Pink Floyd

  • “Jail break” by AC-DC

  • “Fire coming out of the monkey’s head” by Gorillaz

  • “Bus stop boxer” by Eels

  • “Black heart” by Calexico

  • “Woman driving, man sleeping” by Eels

  • “Something to Say” by the Mud Suns

  • “Love Spreads” by the Stone Roses

  • “One bourbon, one scotch and One beer” by George Thorogood / John Lee Hooker

Greatest albums of all time

  • “Robot Hive / Exodus” by Clutch

  • “Blast Tyrant” by Clutch

  • “Strange Cousins from the West” by Clutch

  • “Welcome to Sky Valley” by Kyuss

  • “Chulahoma” by the Black Keys

  • “A Bothered Mind” by R L Burnside

Greatest band in the world

Clutch. Honorable mentions to Kyuss, AC-DC, Junior Kimbrough, R. L. Burnside, Green Day, Led Zepplin, Eels, Stevie Ray Vaughan, All Them Witches