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Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?

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Re: Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?

#21

Post by mongol »

gnat wrote: post #16

Nuclear 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.

Read that one too. Chilling.

Re: Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?

#24

Post by la_bruin »

grujicd wrote: post #10
everyone wrote: post #5

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor Very entertaining sci-fi. I tore through it a a couple of days.

It's just a first one, there are more books in Bobiverse series.

There are 5 Bobiverse books, all of which are marvelously read by Ray Porter on audiobook if you listen in the car on long, long drives like I do.

The 5th book is an "audiobook only" release until January 2025 (I think) called, "NOT TILL WE ARE LOST".

And the Bobiverse series has recently been optioned to Universal!

http://dennisetaylor.org/status-of-things/

Re: Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?

#29

Post by christudor »

gnat wrote: post #16

Nuclear 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.

Read this earlier this year -– enjoyable!

Re: Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year?

#30

Post by sien »

A 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...

Dictatorland - Paul Kenyon - About the dictators who have impoverished Africa.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36260719-dictatorland

Magic Pill - Johann Hari - About Semaglutide and how people got fat.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201319612-magic-pill

On the Edge - Nate Silver - About how seeing the world in terms of risk and expected value can work.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204236707-on-the-edge

Orbital - Samantha Harvey - Booker Prize winner about people on the ISS and the world.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123136728-orbital

Build, Baby, Build - Bryan Caplan on why YIMBYism is a good idea. This is a graphic novel. It's really fun.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181564537-build-baby-bui...

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