Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

291–300 of 344 posts

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#291

Post by drited »

unmole wrote: post #133

I see loads of great suggestions in this thread, let me just add three of my LEAST favourite nonfiction books: Thinking, Fast and Slow: Really should have been subtitled The Ludic Fallacy Run Amok . Filled with grand generalisations based on dubious conclusions from small under-powered behavioural experiments. Read if you want further evidence that Behavioural Economics , that bastard child of psychology is an edific…

I do recall thinking that Kahneman moved too quickly over his own comment in that book that over 50 percent of studies in psychology had been found to be under powered from a statistical standpoint. He didn't then follow with 'so I made sure that every study mentioned in this book had sufficient power'... Which made me worried about his conclusions. Given your opinion was voiced so strongly, I assume you've looked at this in detail? If so could you please expand on what evidence or research supports your statement?

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#292

Post by dantheman »

randomacct3847 wrote: post #236
zimpenfish wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "No, he isn't an oddball" His (alleged[1]) diet alone would paint him thoroughly as "oddball", surely. [1] I don't for one second believe he eats only beef, salt, and water.

It isn’t that strange. It’s basically keto, which has become almost mainstream. For the record, I’ve tried the “zero carb” diet (basically meat) and it’s not that hard once you treat food as purely as something functional like a vitamin rather than a source of pleasure.

keto is about high fat and entering ketosis; if you eat just meat you'll have enough protien that through gluconeogenesis it will be converted into glucose and it will knock you out of ketosis.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#293

Post by billylindeman »

rkho wrote: post #269

I enjoyed The More of Less by Joshua Becker. This year I finally had the realization that I've been accumulating way too many physical possessions that I didn't really need nor benefit from, and it's been a good introduction to practicing minimalism. The book talks about how minimalism isn't about ridding yourself of everything but your bare necessities, but to discard things that you don't love so that you can bette…

+1 on both these books

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#295

Post by ucacian »

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss

This book could be the most important investment you make. By using the techniques introduced in the book, I was able to raise my contract rate from $35 to $60. It totally changed my life.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#296

Post by 1337biz »

esolyt wrote: post #288
1337biz wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never understood why it is so hard for some people so to seperate political opinion from other fields of the personality.

It's not just his politics. He has become a delusional an egotistical person. He kept talking about how Twitter shadowbanned him for months. When he was on Joe Rogan's podcast, Joe Rogan suggested ways to test if this is true. He got upset and tried to change the subject. When pressed by Rogan, he finally said: "I don't really want to find out. I just like the idea that I am important to be shadowbanned."

Maybe a personal choice how much eccentric behavior one is willing to put up with.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#297

Post by pvarangot »

dvirsky wrote: post #175

A Philosophy Of Software Design by John Ousterhout. Pretty short, but interesting and does a nice job at dissecting the mistakes we make that lead to software complexity. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39996759-a-philosophy-of...

I read it and made my own notes and charts and it's a solid and fun software engineering book. I hadn't enjoyed a "soft skills" book so much since Coders at Work.

It's a little bit too technical for the non fiction category though and reads a little too much like course notes (which it somehow is).

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#298

Post by mindcrime »

leg100 wrote: post #205
abecedarius wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I presume this was heavily downvoted because of the Rand. While I'm not a fan of her either, that's unfair: 1. Dreaming in Code and The Book of Why are excellent (I haven't read the other two), and 2. Rand makes some points that some people need to learn, even if I don't buy her whole worldview.

My money is on the patronising defensive presentation of the book: > Do you think you hate Capitalism? Do you not understand why so many people love Capitalism? Have you based your opinion of Ayn Rand on second-hand commentary instead of actually reading her works? Then read this book. All of this could easily be reversed to mandate reading all three volumes of Marx's Das Capital.

All of this could easily be reversed to mandate reading all three volumes of Marx's Das Capital.

Absolutely. And, in fact, I would absolutely advocate reading Das Kapital. I actually have all three volumes on my shelf waiting to be read. But it's easier for me to submit a personal recommendation for Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal given that I've actually read it.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#300

Post by techsin101 »

bretthowell wrote: post #169

Dr Panetta, Williams: Count Girls In [1] The field guide for anyone who refuses to accept girls and women are less likely to succeed as engineers, scientists, or in any technology profession. This accessible yet science-grounded book was effortless to read and is packed with chapter after chapter of practical age specific advice. I’m a father of two young girls (and a boy) and I will no doubt keep it at my side for m…

Not too long ago I was student, doing CS. In my programming classes senior year there would be literally 1 girl. The harder the class the less girls there were. When I wasnt sure about which major to do I tried psychology, 80% were girls. First I was excited but very soon I felt like an outsider.. eventually I was looking forward to finish the class and never come to this major again.
Post reply on HN