The Selfish Gene.
It made me want to become a biologist, and a computer programmer, and it confirmed childhood suspicions about religious belief.
Ask HN: What book changed your life?
321–330 of 539 posts
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#322Earlier quoted context omitted.
Be aware that the NWT is a translation produced by a single church, a single sect of Christianity. Those wanting to study the Bible as a literary exercise should consider a translation accepted by more than only one sect of Christianity. Another comment here suggests an interesting translation: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30735352
It's important to compare translations and understand why they exist and where they differ. Books like "New Age Bible Versions" by G. A. Riplinger give insight into changes with modern versions like the NIV and NKJV that make deliberate alterations to the text. But even still, it's important to remeber that translations like the KJV has replaced words like "She'ol" and "Hades" with "hell", or even replacing the name…
The only translation of the bible that I can tolerate is the "plain english" translation. Otherwise it's just too cryptic and give me a headache
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#323Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Specifically the chapter called Nice People or New Men.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#324It's trite but Crucial Conversations. I think the key is that you have to read it when you are trying to collaborate with someone and you can't seem to communicate. In that moment, the guidance is a serious level up. If read outside of that context you'll say "well, yeah, sure, duh." In situ, it will help you better communicate (speaking and listening).
Might be trite, but it’s a book I’ve been meaning to read for awhile - thanks for the reminder to get a copy, which I just did!
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#325Asimov’s collections of his science columns from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. I bought several of these collections starting maybe a couple years before high school through when I left for college, and I’m reasonably sure they were an important factor in my developing a serious STEM interest.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#326Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not a bible expert, but the old testament in particular has books that are effectively 'legal' (rather than theological) in nature. The kind of thing you quote here is likely from that kind of book (and typically the kind of thing quoted in TV shows needing to show how 'silly are the things Christians believe in'). If you put it in that context, then it's not that much sillier than stuff like "Owning a pet lobster in…
I would invite you to re-evaluate your position on books like Leviticus not being "theological". For example, Leviticus 16, the Day of Atonement, shows you on so many levels what Christ accomplished. The reasons many of the rules and laws are put into place is to show how reality is structured ontologically. And to show you that mixing categories can be harmful, and that fringes are necessary to keep the rest of the…
Leviticus is a good book to read if you are stranded somewhere in a low technology environment that is relatively warm.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#327Quoted post unavailable.
Repeating a comment from earlier:
As a former Mormon myself, I appreciate where you are coming from.
I plan to read the recommendations folks made here, but due to the proselyting culture and the mystical emphasis Brighamite Mormonism puts on the Book of Mormon I want to offer a more substantial and impactful recommendation. In its place, I recommend Sagan's Demon-Haunted World.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#328I read the following 3 in this order and it definitely co-incided with a change in my life for the better: * A confession and other religious stories by Leo Tolstoy * Happiness by Matthieu Ricard (a counter argument against French philosophers who believe happiness doesn't exist) * The Diary of Anne Frank * A Life Interrupted by Etty Hillesum (the most beautiful book I will ever read)
"The Kingdom of God Is Within You" by Tolstoy is definitely a top book for me. I find that I understand it in a slightly different way each time I read it.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#329None, seriously. Sorry for not giving any inspiration. I have only read technical books like Static/Dynamics mechanics, TCP/IP, Material Science, mostly engineering stuff etc. Because I wouldn't want much reading about someone else's opinion or view of truth. People may find they are useful for learning broad spectrum of perspective, but I find that they all fall into limited set of views that I never be surprised to know, actually almost anything is not new to me (i am yet too old though).
Update more info:
I'm a really fun at party guy and used to read adventurous fictions (text and audio), lots of entertaining, individual-help, business-help kind of books, they are all just opinions, not even statistical useful because you manually collect just one data point per book. Use science based knowledge and can get stuff done and be able to make money, that will make much more impact to life and family!
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#330Earlier quoted context omitted.
Kingkiller moves the fantasy fiction genre past its LOTR-esque roots. Every word is a joy to read. I haven't read anything else that brings as big a smile on my face. Kingkiller's literary qualities are head and shoulders above anything in fantasy fiction. Every word, every metaphor and every description is chosen with care, so as to convey the exact emotion that the author wants you to feel. I hope the final book co…
I found Rothfuss comically bad as a writer and Kingkiller #1 nothing more than superficial wish fulfillment aimed at teens that were bullied at school. Not that Sanderson is much better.
Certainly everyone is entitled to an opinion :).
I'll echo the posts you replied to and say that the current 2 books in the KKC series are by far the best fiction I've ever read. I've listened to them at least 3x each on audio (a combined ~71 hours per pass through the series), and I enjoy them in a new way each time.
I'd be curious to hear which fiction series/authors appeal to you and why.