An Empire of Wealth
Ask HN: What book did you read in 2016 that was so good you gifted it to others?
11–20 of 45 posts
Re: Ask HN: What book did you read in 2016 that was so good you gifted it to others?
#12"Infinite Jest," whose 20th anniversary of publication was celebrated this year.
Did you get the version with the new cover?
Re: Ask HN: What book did you read in 2016 that was so good you gifted it to others?
#13Re: Ask HN: What book did you read in 2016 that was so good you gifted it to others?
#14The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
Re: Ask HN: What book did you read in 2016 that was so good you gifted it to others?
#15Neither are new books, but this year I both read and subsequently gifted
* 1491 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1491:_New_Revelations_of_the_A...
* Stranger in a Strange Land (the "Original, Uncut version") https://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Strange-Land-Robert-Heinlein...
1491 is about the societies in the Americas prior to European contact. And if anyone knows of any books on the topic that have been written since then (and thus are even more up-to-date with the current state of the field), I'm very, very interested.
Stranger in a Strange Land is just... excellent. I really appreciate Heinlein and I like his world view. Though I've never read the traditional "cut" version, I've talked with people who have read both and I'm sold on the unabridged version. As an aside, if you enjoy Heinlein, then I also recommend reading "For Us, The Living: A Comedy of Customs." It was Heinlein's first book, but was never published (until recently, of course). It's not polished, but it is very interesting to see how he had already formed in the 1930s a lot of the ideas that would dominate his writing for the rest of his career. A good and enjoyable read.
---Alex
Re: Ask HN: What book did you read in 2016 that was so good you gifted it to others?
#16The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
What were your takeaways from the book?
Also, Citizen of the Galaxy and Double Star are really good reads in the same sort of vein of political-minded science fiction.
Re: Ask HN: What book did you read in 2016 that was so good you gifted it to others?
#17A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine
Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Leif Babin and Jocko Willink
Re: Ask HN: What book did you read in 2016 that was so good you gifted it to others?
#18totally off topic, but what ever happened to "gave"
My guess is that gave just implies transfer of something, but gifted specifically implies giving something as a gift.
Re: Ask HN: What book did you read in 2016 that was so good you gifted it to others?
#19All works of Carl Jung, great writings, I love them.
Re: Ask HN: What book did you read in 2016 that was so good you gifted it to others?
#20Sounds childish, but because a lot of people seem to be losing wonder and imagination:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_...