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Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

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Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#51

Post by tolleydbg »

westurner wrote: post #50
tolleydbg wrote: post #40

This suggestion is humorous, but absolutely true: Potty Training In 3 Days. Before having children, I thought I was fairly empathetic and introspective, but raising a child helped me realize how superficial those traits in myself were. I'm being completely honest when I say this book made me a better leader and project manager - having a better understanding of the motivations of others, incentivizing those looking t…

"The Everyday Parenting Toolkit: The Kazdin Method for Easy, Step-by-Step, Lasting Change for You and Your Child" https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/g/11h7dr5mm6&hl=en-US&q... "Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing" (Kazdin, Yale,) https://www.coursera.org/learn/everyday-parenting : > The course will also shed light on many parenting misconceptions and ineffective strategies that are routinely used. Re: Eff…

I love Kazdin, great additional suggestion. I didn't know there was a course on Coursera though, thanks for sharing!

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#52

Post by microjim »

eigenvalue wrote: post #21

It’s not a book, but I revisit Munger’s Psychology of Human Misjudgment nearly every year to remind me of the various biases that we are all susceptible to and to hopefully keep them at bay as much as possible. Link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ca3e714d74562b554c38...

This sounds great, but isn't this -

> hopefully keep them at bay as much as possible

...wishful thinking, or symptom management, rather than cutting at the root of the issue (less than rational thinking)? Would be happy to be corrected here.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#53

Post by washadjeffmad »

sadn1ck wrote: post #29
JackMorgan wrote: post #8

From a software engineering standpoint: - Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (doing all the exercises is key). This book helped me think about how programs run, how state is stored, how you can build out asynchronous computation, and how you can build your own languages. - Designing Data Intensive Applications. This book profoundly changed how I think about application performance and data. It describe…

never thought i'd see someone mention HPMoR on HN :D

https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu...

The more the merrier :)

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#56

Post by gwd »

sadn1ck wrote: post #29
JackMorgan wrote: post #8

From a software engineering standpoint: - Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (doing all the exercises is key). This book helped me think about how programs run, how state is stored, how you can build out asynchronous computation, and how you can build your own languages. - Designing Data Intensive Applications. This book profoundly changed how I think about application performance and data. It describe…

never thought i'd see someone mention HPMoR on HN :D

I read it recently (and then re-read it twice within a few months), after seeing it referenced here on HN. Seems very much on-brand, and I'm surprised it took me so long to see it referenced.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#57

Post by m-watson »

codethief wrote: post #34

Not any particular book but: Studying mathematics and physics has greatly improved my thinking and problem solving abilities. Already a semester or two (of real analysis, linear algebra, experimental physics, theoretical physics) would get one very far I think. As for books, https://theoreticalminimum.com/ might be a great starting point.

I often say to people that the most important thing physics gave me was being comfortable not knowing something. My math and physics education have 100% changed the way I think and address problems in life, despite not going into a physics career.

Since it is a book thread:

The Information: James Gleick - really made me take a step back to think about what information is and how we talk about it

Reinventing Discovery: Michael Nielsen - It was some years back now but I had trouble reading it because I kept having to write things down or read about a new idea the book just put into my head. It really was thought provoking at the time.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#58

Post by eigenvalue »

microjim wrote: post #52
eigenvalue wrote: post #21

It’s not a book, but I revisit Munger’s Psychology of Human Misjudgment nearly every year to remind me of the various biases that we are all susceptible to and to hopefully keep them at bay as much as possible. Link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ca3e714d74562b554c38...

This sounds great, but isn't this - > hopefully keep them at bay as much as possible ...wishful thinking, or symptom management, rather than cutting at the root of the issue (less than rational thinking)? Would be happy to be corrected here.

Basically, it’s remembering to take a step back when thinking through a thorny problem, be it interpersonal, business, or technical, and asking yourself “are one of the big biases at work here?”. It has also informed some of my work habits. For example, I’m less likely now to share investment ideas with more than a couple close associates so that I’m less likely to suffer from commitment and consistency bias.
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