The Player of Games, by Iain M. Banks - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Player_of_Games
Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?
311–320 of 529 posts
Re: Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?
#312I've given out several copies of "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson and "Stories of Your Life and Others" by Ted Chiang.
Ted Chiang's short story collection is the most concentrated dose of fantastic sci-fi/fantasy I've read. Each story is brief, memorable, and plays with at least one neat "what if?"
I've also given out a couple of copies because it's a great way to demonstrate SF&F genre awesomeness to the sceptical in just a few pages.
Re: Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?
#313The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim.
A novel that tells how to manage IT department in a very enchanted manner. The situation entailed in the story is too real. I had some many "I have come across this shit before, wish I handled it better" encounters that I couldn't put the book down until finished.
Re: Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?
#314I give One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, in movie form, to departing coworkers.
Re: Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?
#315Turtle Island, by Gary Snyder.
or more recently,
Tamalpais Walking: Poetry, History, and Prints, By Gary Snyder and Tom Killion
and
Quiet Light, by John Sexton
or
Places of Power: The Aesthetics of Technology by John Sexton
Re: Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?
#316Masters of Doom, by David Kushner.
Re: Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?
#31710% Happier by Dan Harris (audio book, narrated by the author)
A light hearted account of a news anchor's introduction to meditation
Re: Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?
#318"Ecotopia" by: Earnest Callenbach
"Self Reliance" by: Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The Iron Heel" by: Jack (fuckin) London!
Re: Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?
#319Anything You Want by Derek Sivers.
It's still my favorite book on business, a short easy read filled with anecdotes from his time running CD Baby. The situations are ones I keep encountering myself running a small business, and the way the stories are written makes them highly memorable & applicable. If I can't decide between opportunities, I remember "Hell Yeah! or No." If I'm working on fraud screening, I remember "Don't Punish Everyone For One Person's Mistake". When working on an MVP and feel it isn't big enough, I'm reminded of "Start Now. No Funding Needed." And it has my favorite twist ending in business.
It's the first book I've specifically bought multiple copies of to give away, including to clients.
Re: Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?
#320Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is there a more correct book that is similarly concise and similarly well-written? I would love to read it, if so. Edit: I found this blog post that lists some alternatives http://thewritingresource.net/2011/09/22/forget-everything-s... About half of the titles are punny or plays on words, which I'm somewhat suspicious of (even though I like puns). And, all are at least twice the size of Strunk and White. I understan…
On Writing Well by William Zinsser was a great book on writing. Though it's a bit more conceptual than Strunk and White.
I was looking to see if someone had suggested On Writing Well! I agree that it is an excellent resource, especially for those who are already familiar with basic grammar rules and are interested in improving their style.