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Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?

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Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?

#52

Post by hknmtt »

MonkeyClub wrote: post #48
hknmtt wrote: post #29

I have read almost all of Zecharia Sitchin works on Anunnaki, the ancient astronauts, this year. Still have couple of books to go. I read the 12th planet when in elementary school a long time ago and always wanted to read more on this. So I finally did and am very glad. Best things is that he is merely interpreting in his own way all the found sumerian, akkadian, babylonian... literature and jewish writings and bible…

Onwards to Jordan Maxwell, then? If so, also check Michael Tsarion. Keep in mind, all this stuff is fiction, sort of magic realism in the garb of documentary exposition, and scholarly dubious research. But much more enjoyable than hollow earth or flat earth stuff! My favorite bit of it is the presaging of the Dyson sphere in the “energy grid” that surrounds the earth, limiting life form travel. Even better than their…

i have noticed a lot of bs attached to anunnaki when i wanted to research more on this. a bunch of ufo, lizard-people... crap. i am interested in facts, not fiction.

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?

#54

Post by gertrunde »

gdy wrote: post #25
asicsp wrote: post #12

I've read 80+ fictional books so far (mostly fantasy and sci-fi) and these are my 5-star reads: * "Legends & Lattes" by Travis Baldree * "Dreadgod" by Will Wight * "Tongue Eater" by John Bierce * "The Umbral Storm" by Alec Hutson * "Soul Relic" by Samuel Hinton * "The Weirkey Chronicles" by Sarah Lin * "The Eldest Throne" by Bernie Anés Paz * "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers (reread)

>"The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers This one made me think, is there any sci-fi by female authors, which involves aliens, but doesn't depict or mention sex with them?

There is Nnedi Okorafor - Binti, which I enjoyed (a series of three novellas, so fairly short overall).

There's quite a lot of interesting African sci-fi around at the moment, usually feels quite different from the usual western fare.

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?

#55

Post by nicopappl »

× The Cyberiad (English translation) by Stanisław Lem. It's the most hilarious science fiction I've read. It hits a special note with me, I actually immediately started reading it again from the start as soon as I finished it.

× The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber & David Wengrow. An amazing rethinking of archeology, a denunciation of social orthogenesis and an invitation to dream of a better world

Other mentions are long fantasy series, including a complete re-read of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett and Tchaikovsky's Shadow of the Apt (not his best, but frighteningly relevant in 2022. A story about the Eastern "wasp empire" invading the west and all its strategies of propaganda, division and subjugation)

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?

#57

Post by sien »

How the World Really Works by Vaclac Smil is one of the best book I've read this year. It gives such a great perspective on how much energy and material we use.

It's one of the most readable books by Smil and has gems like this :

“Moreover, within a lifetime of people born just after the Second World War the rate had more than tripled, from about 10 to 34 GJ/capita between 1950 and 2020. Translating the last rate into more readily imaginable equivalents, it is as if an average Earthling has every year at their personal disposal about 800 kilograms (0.8 tons, or nearly six barrels) of crude oil, or about 1.5 tons of good bituminous coal. And when put in terms of physical labor, it is as if 60 adults would be working non-stop, day and night, for each average person; and for the inhabitants of affluent countries this equivalent of steadily laboring adults would be, depending on the specific country, mostly between 200 and 240. On average, humans now have unprecedented amounts of energy at their disposal.”

My review is at : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4708765021

Another excellent book is Arbitrary Lines by Nolan Gray - which is a great book about zoning and why we should all be YIMBYs.

My review is at : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4800787011

How Asia Works by Joe Studwell is a fascinating look at why Japan, South Korea and China have done so well.

My review is at : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4806521204

Another book I really enjoyed was Firepower : How Weapons Shaped Warfare by Paul Lockhart

review at : https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4417950705

Re: Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?

#58

Post by zuhayeer »

I really enjoyed reading Build by Tony Fadell. It's about building startups, but the stories embedded throughout the book really makes it. He speaks about pouring his heart into little details highlighting his experience designing the iPod, iPhone, and Nest. Lot of inspirational motivation balanced with practical examples and reality checks.

One of my favorite examples of a seemingly tiny, yet delightful experience was a tool delivered with each Nest thermostat. It was a beautifully crafted screwdriver with multiple magnetic heads (https://i.imgur.com/zgZRnS1.png). Why? To make it easier to install the thermostat without having to drag out the process to go look for a tool. But it doesn't just stop there. Even years down the line if someone were to open their tool drawer, they could have a delightful run-in with their Nest tool once again, which can help them with something else! Small details, but apparently it was an iconic memento for the company.

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