I devoured Hamilton Helmer's 7 Powers this year. I rarely read a book in a single sitting.
Ask HN: Best books read in 2022?
161–170 of 256 posts
Re: Ask HN: Best books read in 2022?
#162The two best books I read this year, and have been recommending widely are: "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity" by Graeber and Wengrow since it really shows how narrow our political imagination has been for the last 250 years, and makes me excited by people looking for new ways to organize. "The Ministry for the Future" by KSR, which has further radicalized me and challenged me to spend more of my tim…
Fighting climate change… what do you have in mind… what can folks in (soft) tech do? I’m equally interested but lacking in imagination currently how software can have a bigger impact. All the big impactful things are in hard tech, ie changing industrial processes, new / improved material design, renewable energy production, reducing energy waste or waste in general etc and planting tons and tons of trees at scale - b…
Two communities I have joined to help me learn not only what is being worked on, but also where I might be able to put my skills, are below:
Re: Ask HN: Best books read in 2022?
#163My favorites I read this year in order: - Prayer of Owen Meany, it’s the basis of the movie Simon Birch if you have seen that. The book has so much more going on though - My Antonia, wonderful characters - Jude the Obscure, the cover tells you the ending is shocking, and the cover is right! - How the Irish Saved Civilization, really fun and interesting
I read Jude the Obscure recently after seeing it on the bookshelf of a character in the HBO show Westworld. It was a very controversial book in its day because of its portrayal of marriage. I found it pretty bleak and yes shocking. It made me want to do a deep dive into Hardy’s other works though.
My brother did an M.A. in English and told me the story of a graduate who wrote an essay on Jude for an exam question worded like the following:
"Select a female character in Hardy and discuss the development of character in the relevant novel".
Re: Ask HN: Best books read in 2022?
#164An excellent gauge for how good a book is can be found in how many times you catch yourself thinking back on it even after some time has passed. Through this, my favorite this entire year is The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank's diary). Without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read, just through how supremely human it is.
Other books are:
-The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson
-Sapiens by Yuval Yuval Noah Harari
-21 Lessons for the 21st Century
-Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feyn man!: Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard Feynman
-Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
-Permanent Record by Edward Snowden
Re: Ask HN: Best books read in 2022?
#165Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thank you for sharing your recommendation, but I'm afraid that this book contains misinformation and promotes conspiracy theories that are not supported by evidence. I would kindly ask that you refrain from posting recommendations for this book in the future, as it is not in line with the standards and guidelines of HN.
Is guzik a moderator like dang?
No, it's just a random commentor trying to police the community. A sort of cosplay dang without the charm or authority.
Re: Ask HN: Best books read in 2022?
#166Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, David Simon I usually don't read anything true crime like, but this book struck me as an almost endless maelstrom of night feverish violence. This and 'The corner' are the books that 'The wire' is based on.
This book spawned its own show too I believe, called Homicide: Life on the Streets, predating The Wire. I have had it downloaded for a while but not watched it yet.
Re: Ask HN: Best books read in 2022?
#167I recently read The Rational Optimist, and it provided a refreshing perspective in a time where global events can often leave one feeling disheartened. Despite the challenges of climate change, political strife, wars in Europe, an energy crisis leading to financial instability, the book offered a much-needed reset for my mind.
Humanity has made incredible progress over the last centuries and decades, and it's important to maintain a sense of optimism.
Re: Ask HN: Best books read in 2022?
#168The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity
by David Graeber, David Wengrow
The Dawn of Everything fundamentally transforms our understanding of the human past and offers a path toward imagining new forms of freedom, new ways of organizing society. This is a monumental book of formidable intellectual range, animated by curiosity, moral vision, and a faith in the power of direct action.
Re: Ask HN: Best books read in 2022?
#169Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (top recommendation of the year) Sanderson's Skyward Flight series (a few things came out this year, it's young-adult but thoughtfully enjoyable and easy to consume). I read a few Asimov's this year I hadn't gotten around to, but the two that really stood out were 'The Gods Themselve's and 'The End of Eternity'. (I primarily read to sci-fi/fantasy)
Project Hail Mary is such an awesome book. Great buildup, an intriguing plot slowly unfolding with an inquisitive problem solver caught in the middle. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
Currently in the midst of this audio book… very fun and entertaining. You know it is great when you look for reasons to get in the car or do the dishes/ laundry just so you can continue listening.
Re: Ask HN: Best books read in 2022?
#170Earlier quoted context omitted.
How do you fight a totalitarian from the inside, eg China, Russia, Iran, where surveillance is high and any opposition will be ‘disappeared’. Does this book go into detail how the Dutch resistance did it?
How do you fight a totalitarian from the inside, eg USA, EU, where surveillance is high and any opposition will be ‘disappeared’?
In the West we still have democracy - yes might be on its last few legs, but it's not too late, as the 2020 election showed - we the people just need to come together and be more organized and strategic and remove the corruption.
In the US or EU no political opposition was 'suicided' or disappeared in a Gulag like it happened in Russia multiple times.
In Russia or China you will be arrested for holding up a white piece of paper.
If you're trying to say current day Russia is the same as current day US or EU then you're way off line.