"What the Doormouse Said"
Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?
131–140 of 400 posts
Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?
#132Notes from a big country, Bill Bryson, is an controversial view on the USA from an Englisch man who moved to Amerika.
Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?
#133Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're not missing anything. There's a reason John Rogers wrote “There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs."
Can anyone explain to me why so many intelligent people love hating on this book? Do you disagree with her philosophy? If so - can you tell me about which things exactly made you dislike it and why? Everyone repeats this quote, and everyone generally says bad things about this book, but never anything concrete, never a clear reason what exactly is so bad about it.
Yes, I disagree with her philosophy. Rand believed that a person had no further moral duty than to pursue their own happiness, and that you are solely responsible for your success or failure. If you succeed, you should be applauded and be given the deference to do what you want. Those who point out that the government, by and for the people, provides for the schools that educate the workers, the roads that are use to deliver products, the police who keep the country safe, etc., are parasites and moochers for wanting the wealthy to acknowledge this and contribute to paying for the services the government provides. The same goes for unions who want recognition and fair wages for the workers.
If you reject her philosophy, it's very hard to identify with the characters she positions as the good guys. And why else do you read fiction if not so that you can root for the good guys?
Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?
#134The Power of Habits
Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?
#135"Metallurgy of Steel for Bladesmiths & Others
who Heat Treat and Forge Steel" by John Verhoeven
http://www.feine-klingen.de/PDFs/verhoeven.pdf
An interesting technical introduction to metallurgy, without being overly tedious. Congratulations to the author, for what sounds like it could be a dry subject. I am pleasantly surprised by how ignorant I was about such a common everyday material, and about the fascinating changes that take place in the crystal structure of steel with mere temperature changes. I've got no plans to forge steel, or make blades, but found this book very good so far (although I have been interested in metalworking in general lately).
"Basic Lathework" by Stan Bray. This is the best of the beginning lathe books that I've been reading recently, covering the parts of the machine and accessories, techniques, and cutting tools. Very minimal pre-requisites.
"Metals in the Service of Man" by Arthur Street and William Alexander. A very light read about industrially useful metals, a little history about them, and their uses.
"Measurement" by Paul Lockhart. I finally got this book after reading his "A Mathematicians Lament" from a while back. https://www.maa.org/external_archive/devlin/LockhartsLament....
"How Round is Your Circle" by John Bryant and Chris Sangwin. Just started this, but it sounds interesting, the pictures are intriguing, and it pushes a lot of my "interesting" buttons.
Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?
#136the power of habits
Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?
#137the power of habits
Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?
#138Philip K Dick - VALIS, Divine Invasion and (next) Transmigration of Timothy Archer.
Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?
#139I just finished the Manifold series by Stephen Baxter. The series is a look at the (solution to, reason for, questions surrounding the) Fermi Paradox through three potential lenses. Best and most raw sci-fi I've ever read. The books left me hopeful, suspended, disgusted and in awe of the depth of this man's observation of humanity.
If you're looking for something lighter, perhaps check out Time Ships by the same author. This was the only authorized sequel to the legendary classic The Time Machine by H.G. Wells.
Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?
#140Linear and Geometric Algebra by Alan Macdonald. It's a nice book but a bit slow for my taste. I wonder if anyone has a recommendation for a fast paced route to geometric algebra for somebody who is already familiar with conventional math?