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Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?

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Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?

#51

Post by blueside »

hukola wrote: post #13

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People - I recommend because I apply every day at work and reap the results as well, somebody should have recommended this book to me ten years ago; 2. Children of Time - a science fiction book that I enjoyed, I notice that fiction, in general, helps me deal with stressful work, as I disconnect easier and put myself in an imaginary world while reading; 3. Meditations by Marcus Aure…

I'm sure I have an unpopular opinion on this, I have read How To Win Friends And Influence People a few times and I can't get over the fact that the skills taught feel very disingenuous and superficial. "act interested, use the person's name, etc". It's extremely cringe inducing when you see somebody blatantly using the tactics.

If there's a reason that everyone should read this book, it's more so that they are aware of these tactics.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?

#52

Post by atulatul »

rch wrote: post #21

India: A Million Mutinies Now - V.S. Naipaul Recommended by a friend who works on mobility policy in India.

Yes. It is a good one.

For me India: A Wounded Civilization by Naipaul was even better.

It is also from his India trilogy. I have read it a couple of times and even today I read a few pages. Highly recommended if you are open minded. A few people to whom I recommended it were quite offended. I guess that is because Naipaul has sharp eyes and blunt way of putting his observations.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?

#54

Post by atulatul »

adamheins wrote: post #40
calebm wrote: post #30

* The Unconsoled (Kazuo Ishiguro) * Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguro) * Influx (Daniel Suarex) * Sputnik Sweetheart (Haruki Murakami) * Apex (Ramez Naam) * One Second After (William R. Forstchen) * Anna Karanina (Leo Tolstoy) * Neuromancer (William Gibson) * A Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemingway) * Crux (Ramez Naam) * A Moveable Feast (Ernest Hemingway) * Hardboiled Wonderland and The End of the World (Haruki Murakami)

To continue the Ishiguro and Hemingway theme, two of the books I enjoyed most this year were The Buried Giant (Ishiguro) and The Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway).

Short stories from Nocturnes are good as well.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?

#55

Post by baud147258 »

The archipelago of another life from Andreï Makine. I don't think it's already translated in English, but since his other books has been translated, I think this one will be too.

Les chemin noirs by Sylvain Tesson. I don't think it will be translated in English but I enjoyed it a lot (and half of my family too). Sylvain Tesson is a traveller, he has walked across a lot of countries (mostly Russia and Asia). After a bad fall (multiple broken bones, head trauma) he decided to walk across France along the so-called 'empty diagonal' from South-East to North-East, recounting a solitary walk on forgotten/rarely-used trails (the so-called 'chemins noirs' or black trails), talking about places mostly abandoned by the current society. He'll also talk about the people he's meeting along the way and the friends that accompanied him along the way.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?

#56

Post by noobhacker »

blueside wrote: post #51
hukola wrote: post #13

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People - I recommend because I apply every day at work and reap the results as well, somebody should have recommended this book to me ten years ago; 2. Children of Time - a science fiction book that I enjoyed, I notice that fiction, in general, helps me deal with stressful work, as I disconnect easier and put myself in an imaginary world while reading; 3. Meditations by Marcus Aure…

I'm sure I have an unpopular opinion on this, I have read How To Win Friends And Influence People a few times and I can't get over the fact that the skills taught feel very disingenuous and superficial. "act interested, use the person's name, etc". It's extremely cringe inducing when you see somebody blatantly using the tactics. If there's a reason that everyone should read this book, it's more so that they are aware…

It's not disingenuous or superficial if you exercise the advice earnestly. For example, don't just "act interested", but "be interested" in what the other person has to say.

I assure you that doing so is both extremely difficult (because we're selfishly interested in ourselves most of the time) and kind (because the other person rarely receives such selfless attention.)

It's only cringe inducing if someone is using these tactics without actually being interested in others. Carnegie definitely does not advocate for being such a person.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?

#57

Post by Tehchops »

hukola wrote: post #13

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People - I recommend because I apply every day at work and reap the results as well, somebody should have recommended this book to me ten years ago; 2. Children of Time - a science fiction book that I enjoyed, I notice that fiction, in general, helps me deal with stressful work, as I disconnect easier and put myself in an imaginary world while reading; 3. Meditations by Marcus Aure…

Children of Time was one of my favorites this year as well.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?

#58

Post by Tehchops »

Currently reading: Hyperion.

* Peak: Secretes From the New Science of Expertise

* The Hard Thing About Hard Things

* American Gods

* The Dark Tower

* Children of Time

* Sapiens

* The Lies of Locke Lamora: Gentleman Bastards #1

* Red Seas Under Red Skies: Gentleman Bastards #2

* Dark Matter

* The Dark Tower #1

* Guns of The Dawn

* The Hunter Killers

* Snow Crash

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?

#59

Post by BlackjackCF »

1. Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem - I've been on a giant math books kick. I really enjoyed Simon Singh's other book, The Code Book, so this one is awesome.

2. The Code Book - If you're really into the history of cryptography, this book is for you.

3. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Not a really a revelatory book by any sorts. But a fun read.

4. The Handmaid's Tale - Revisiting this since the TV series came out and I really felt like getting traumatized all over again.

Re: Ask HN: Books you read in 2017?

#60

Post by rprameshwor »

Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer

If you like reading adventurous books, i'd recommend it. This one is about the Mt. Everest expedition of a group of people and the disaster that fell upon them.

You're Surely Joking Mr. Feynman - Richard Feynman

This one is collection of events in the life of Feynman. He's mostly known for being a scientist, but he's equally talented in few other areas as well. An interesting and fun book.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking - Malcolm Gladwell

Recommended if you are into psychology and knowing how our thoughts and actions are affected by our subconscious.

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