The Gulag Archipelago, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
None of this is taught in school - but it should be.
Ask HN: Which non-fiction books had the biggest impact on you?
71–80 of 101 posts
Re: Ask HN: Which non-fiction books had the biggest impact on you?
#72The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman. It had a huge impact on the way I view UX issues, and the relationship between users & developers/companies, and I prioritize users' "dumb questions" way differently now as a result. It's also made me feel less bad about times that I have a problem with using some piece of software, whether it's a settings menu that I can't find what I need in it, or some complex setup pro…
Yeah, seconded. Still on my shelf after 25 years and I still occasionally dip into it.
Re: Ask HN: Which non-fiction books had the biggest impact on you?
#73If you're not a person who tends to get sucked into a book, and has every waking thought resonate with what you've read, then read some Chomsky. You may not agree with his views (it's so far to the left, that it makes your head spin) but rather read it for how he writes. His terse words are a window into his psyche. Everything is presented in a very "matter-of-fact" way. I've read most of his books and it's surprisin…
I like Chomsky, and I agree with most of what you say. He is matter-of-fact, maybe cynical, but I wouldn't say pessimistic. He's trying to present the truth (or specifically, the truth of how those in power gain and maintain power). That's his role in trying to build a better world. I recall him saying somewhere (but I can't seem to find it now) that he's a bad organizer, so I think he sees his role as shining a light for others to use.
I like listening to him speak more, tbh. He can come across as a rambling old man with disjointed thoughts. Then, after going off for 10 minutes, he brings it back. The world is complicated, and Chomsky has a very firm grasp on how complicated it all is, and in order to explain a point, he often has to untangle a large web of relationships and history. Sometimes exhausting, but also kind exhilarating. He refuses to short snappy news bits because he knows a statement that challenges the status quo needs strong evidence and explanation, and that necessarily requires a longer form (he discusses that point in Manufacturing Consent).
I'd also recommend Manufacturing Consent.
Re: Ask HN: Which non-fiction books had the biggest impact on you?
#74The four gospels: Mathew, Mark, Luke and John
Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell largely the same story, with several important differences. If you only read one, my favorite is Luke. It has The Magnificat (aka Mary's Song of Praise), and it's awesome.
John, meanwhile, is very different vibe on the story of Jesus and is cool in its own way.
I'd also recommend Acts, personally. It is a history of the very early church and written by the same author as the Gospel of Luke. Very proto-communist/anarchist in places, imo.
Re: Ask HN: Which non-fiction books had the biggest impact on you?
#75I really love "A World to Build: New Paths toward Twenty-First Century Socialism" by Marta Harnecker. Here, the phrase "21st Century socialism" is a phrase meant to distinguish between a different socialism that existed in the 20th century (namely the Soviet Union). The book outlines a socialist vision that is decidedly not like the Soviet Union, and it's inspiring. Think a focus on decentralization, anti-authoritarian, pushing power closer to people, greater democracy, and a general goal of human flourishing (or "living well"). I think a lot of people would resonate with Marta Harnecker's vision if they knew about it. It's hopeful and optimistic without being naive. Also a pretty easy read that doesn't get bogged down by academia or technical philosophy. It's also much more modern than a lot of the classic texts of socialism.
Re: Ask HN: Which non-fiction books had the biggest impact on you?
#76I liked "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"
I read this as a young adult and I understood what Pirsig was saying in an intellectual sense, but I didn't really grok the book until I was closer to Pirsig's own age (when he wrote it) and learned 'the hard way'. I also didn't finish the book because I felt like Pirsig was repetitively making the same point. As a result, I have some questions (not necessarily directly for you, @patrickthebold, but for whoever cares…
Easily one of my favourite books. My advice for anyone reading it is not to see it as a philosophical book, although some of the philosophical digressions are extremely interesting. Rather, read it as an autobiography of a person suffering from an obsession, and his quest to connect with his son. The end was very satisfying from this point of view.
Edit: so to answer your points
1. No need to.
2. Worth reading the whole thing.
3. At the first reading when younger, one might focus too much on the philosophy and miss the story of the person behind the thoughts. It's not a book where you learn philosophy, but how this person thinks and how it impacts his life. With some life experience and perspective this aspect is much more interesting.
Re: Ask HN: Which non-fiction books had the biggest impact on you?
#77A book I really enjoyed was “Games people play” by Eric Berne.
It made me reflect a lot on the interactions I have with the people around me, and I think I needed to develop a deeper level of self-awareness than I had prior to reading it. So I’m glad I read it.
Re: Ask HN: Which non-fiction books had the biggest impact on you?
#78I’d like to say - Factfulness or - Sapiens or - Richard Feynman’s various writings …but the most measurable impact was probably from something like - “Strunk and white The Elements of Style” or - “How to win friends and influence people” or - “Oh! Pascal!” Or - “the dictionary” or - some specific bus timetable that enabled a pivotal moment in my life
Oh! Pascal! was magnificent. The other influential Pascal text for me was “Elementary Pascal”, where Holmes writes Pascal for Babbage’s engine to solve mysteries. Books these days don’t seem to have the same whimsy.
Re: Ask HN: Which non-fiction books had the biggest impact on you?
#79A History of The Internet And the Digital Future - Johnny Ryan
The Master Switch - Tim Wu
Re: Ask HN: Which non-fiction books had the biggest impact on you?
#80Whilst not strictly non-fiction, I'm going with The Goal bg Eli Goldratt. It's a novel about accounting. Specifically, Goldratt's Theory of Constraints.
It presents the idea that manufacturing accounting is wrong.