Heuristics for choosing/writing good textbooks (see also here):
Has exercises
Exercises are interspersed in the text, not in large chunks (better at the end of sections, not just at the end of chapters)
Solutions are available but difficult to access (in a separate book, or on the web), this reduces the urge to look the solution up if one is stuck
Of varying difficulty (I like the approach Concrete Mathematics takes: everything from trivial applications to research questions)
I like it when difficulty is indicated, but it’s also okay when it’s said clearly in the beginning that very difficult exercises that are not marked are mystery boxes
Takes many angles
Has figures and illustrations. I don’t think I’ve encountered a textbook with too many yet.
Has many examples. I’m not sure yet about the advantage of recurring examples. Same point about amount as with figures.
Includes code, if possible. It’s cool if you tell me the equations for computing the likelihood ratio of a hypothesis & dataset, but it’s even cooler if you give me some sample code that I can use and extend along with it.
Uses typography
You can use boldface and italics and underlining for reading comprehension, example here.
Define terms before they are used. (This is not a joke. Population Genetics uses the term “substitution” on p. 32 without defining it, and exercise 12-1 from Naive Set Theory depends on the axiom of regularity, but the book doesn’t define it.)
If the book has pre-requisites beyond what a high-schooler knows, a good textbook lists those pre-requisites and textbooks that teach them.
Indicators
Multiple editions are an indicator for quality.
Ditto for multiple authors.
A conversational and whimsy style can be nice, but shouldn’t be overdone.
Hot take: I get very little value from proofs in math textbooks, and consider them usually unnecessary (unless they teach a new proof method). I like the Infinite Napkin for its approach.
Wishlist
Flashcard sets that come together with textbooks. Please.
This is a good comment. And compared to other LW posts, it’s extremely good wrt its quality of content relative to its length. Maybe make it a full post? There’s a whole tag for this topic, after all.
Sure, I can do that. (I might’ve fallen prey to the labor-theory of post-value again: this was low-effort for me to write, which doesn’t mean it’s useless).
Well, if you wanted to make it more effortful to write, you could justify every single claim in an essay 10x this length :). I doubt that would make it better, though.
That humorous suggestion aside, you could alternatively turn it into a Question-type post, rather than a normal one. I’m not sure about the relative merits there.
Heuristics for choosing/writing good textbooks (see also here):
Has exercises
Exercises are interspersed in the text, not in large chunks (better at the end of sections, not just at the end of chapters)
Solutions are available but difficult to access (in a separate book, or on the web), this reduces the urge to look the solution up if one is stuck
Of varying difficulty (I like the approach Concrete Mathematics takes: everything from trivial applications to research questions)
I like it when difficulty is indicated, but it’s also okay when it’s said clearly in the beginning that very difficult exercises that are not marked are mystery boxes
Takes many angles
Has figures and illustrations. I don’t think I’ve encountered a textbook with too many yet.
Has many examples. I’m not sure yet about the advantage of recurring examples. Same point about amount as with figures.
Includes code, if possible. It’s cool if you tell me the equations for computing the likelihood ratio of a hypothesis & dataset, but it’s even cooler if you give me some sample code that I can use and extend along with it.
Uses typography
You can use boldface and italics and underlining for reading comprehension, example here.
Use section headings and paragraphs liberally.
Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach has one-three word side-notes describing the content of each paragraph. This is very good.
Distinguish definitions, proofs, examples, case-studies, code, formulas &c.
Dependencies
Define terms before they are used. (This is not a joke. Population Genetics uses the term “substitution” on p. 32 without defining it, and exercise 12-1 from Naive Set Theory depends on the axiom of regularity, but the book doesn’t define it.)
If the book has pre-requisites beyond what a high-schooler knows, a good textbook lists those pre-requisites and textbooks that teach them.
Indicators
Multiple editions are an indicator for quality.
Ditto for multiple authors.
A conversational and whimsy style can be nice, but shouldn’t be overdone.
Hot take: I get very little value from proofs in math textbooks, and consider them usually unnecessary (unless they teach a new proof method). I like the Infinite Napkin for its approach.
Wishlist
Flashcard sets that come together with textbooks. Please.
3blue1brown style videos that accompany the book. From Zero to Geo is a great step in that direction.
This is a good comment. And compared to other LW posts, it’s extremely good wrt its quality of content relative to its length. Maybe make it a full post? There’s a whole tag for this topic, after all.
Sure, I can do that. (I might’ve fallen prey to the labor-theory of post-value again: this was low-effort for me to write, which doesn’t mean it’s useless).
Well, if you wanted to make it more effortful to write, you could justify every single claim in an essay 10x this length :). I doubt that would make it better, though.
That humorous suggestion aside, you could alternatively turn it into a Question-type post, rather than a normal one. I’m not sure about the relative merits there.