Earlier quoted context omitted.
After Shogun I read a bunch of his books. The only one that stood out for me was Rat King.
> Rat King It didn't stand out enough for you to get the title right though ;)
[deleted]
Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why
91–100 of 211 posts
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why
#92The book that caused the most external change in my life was Crash Proof 2.0 by Peter Schiff. I've been concerned about the economy and what its direction means for me, my family and my assets, but uncertain of what to do about it. Crash Proof is a practical and pragmatic approach to understanding and preparing for what Schiff predicts to be a virtual meltdown of the US Dollar.
The books that caused me the most mental change were the three volumes of the Gulag Archipelago. It's a harrowing real-life, incredibly human, insightful story of Solzhenitsyn's experience in the Soviet prison camps during and after Stalin in Russia. A real life page turner.
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why
#93The Fabulous Showman: The Life and Times of P.T. Barnum by Irving Wallace http://www.amazon.com/Fabulous-Showman-Life-Times-Barnum/dp/...
Barnum was masterful at using the media of his day to promote his various business enterprises:
"I am indebted to the press of the United States for almost every dollar which I possess and for every success as an amusement manager which I have ever achieved. The very great popularity which I have attained both at home and abroad I ascribe almost entirely to the liberal and persistent use of the public journals of this country."
A great read for startup people, even though it's a biography of a 19th-century personality. Chock full of timeless advice and quotes, to whit:
"Without promotion something terrible happens... Nothing!"
"Every crowd has a silver lining."
"Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant."
"Those who really desire to attain an independence, have only set their minds upon it, and adopt the proper means, as they do in regard to any other object which they wish to accomplish, and the thing is easily done."
"If I shoot at the sun I may hit a star."
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why
#94Andrew Hodges's biography of Turing, "Enigma", easily. Although "Profiles of the Future" by Arthur Clarke was also surprisingly good.
In a similar vein I just finished reading "the man who invented the computer" by Jane Smiley. It's mainly about John Atanasoff but it includes other important figures of early computer development such as Turing, Zuse, Mauchly,Eckert, Von Neumann...
Just came but worth buying if you don't know the story of the ABC and it's relationship to ENIAC.
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why
#95Founders at Work
The Big Short
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why
#96I'm getting great value out of this list.
Can anybody recommend a book that has helped them become a more productive and efficient developer?
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why
#97Delivering Happiness It made me think of what makes me happy and how I can help make the people around me happy, while still being entrepreneurial (which makes me happy).
I would start with providing the link and naming the author
http://www.amazon.com/Delivering-Happiness-Profits-Passion-P...
Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh.
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why
#98"Against Love: a polemic", by Laura Kipnis.
The title is a little misleading, since the book is not against love per se, but speaks about coupledom. It does not want to give answers, but only ask questions and it's a good book to think about our love affairs.
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why
#99'The Master Switch' by Tim Wu, because it gave me an added perspective on how History shapes present Information Empires
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2010 and briefly why
#100Neal Stephenson's "Anathem". Seriously one of the best novels I've ever read. He's an excellent writer, and after about the first fifty pages I couldn't put it down.
Also his "Cryptonomicon", a phenomenal novel.
Snow crash was great as well.
Also the "Daemon" series by Daniel Suarez is great along the same lines as snow crash.