The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro. Fascinating book about Robert Moses’ rise to power in New York and how he managed to exert considerable influence over the city and state for decades despite never being elected to office. Caro is an exceptional author who manages to present a huge amount of information without it feeling dry.
Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?
151–156 of 156 posts
Re: Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?
#152My reads this year with my personal ratings: Greg Egan, Diaspora (7/10) Dan Simmons, Hyperion 1-4 (9/10) James S.A. Corey, Leviathan Wakes (6/10) Scott Alexander, Unsong (7/10) Qtmn, Ra (7/10) Qtmn, Fine Structure (6/10) Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary (6/10) Wildbow, Worm (8/10)
The Hyperion series is spectacular and a must-read for any scifi enjoyer.
More a "must try" than a "must read". I enjoy reading SF, and didn't like the Hyperion and Endymion series...
Re: Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?
#153For me it was The Courage to Be Disliked. The style of writing intrigued me a bit, as it's written as a Socratic dialogue. I'm the type of person that worries too much what other people think about me. This book helped with that.
Re: Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?
#154A few of the books that stand out that I've read this year. Troubled - Rob Henderson. About how Henderson was in state care and wound up at prestigious universities and his thoughts on the world. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176444107-troubled Not the End of the World - Hannah Ritchie from 'Our World in Data' about the state of the planet. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/145624737-not-the-end-of... Dictato…
Reading Rob Henderson now and have been following him to a while. It's a great read.
Re: Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?
#155Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
All of the CJ Box series of Joe Pickett books
The Dan Abnett Eisenhorn and Ravenor Warhammer novels
In case you can't tell, I mostly read for entertainment.
Re: Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?
#156Nuclear War: A Scenario, by Annie Jacobsen. It's a short book, with second-by-second description of the unfolding of a research-based hypothetical nuclear war that starts with North Korea launching an ICBM towards the United States. Alarming (as only the facts about the parlous state of detection and defence can alarm) and edifying in one.
Just read this based on your recommendation, really great book. Though annoying that it doesn't go into more detail about what may happen to countries like New Zealand