Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf?

#31

Post by amohr » Wed, Mar 12, 2008, 7:19 PM UTC

The Design of Everyday Things - Don Norman

I know he's gotten some flak lately for ripping on 37signals, but this book seriously changed how I look at the world... especially doors.

Freakonomics - Steven Levitt

Good for understanding the value of taking another perspective.

Re: Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf?

#32

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Mar 12, 2008, 7:44 PM UTC

andreyf wrote: post #27

tomjen wrote: post #10

Make friends and influence people -- will help you understand why people react as strange as they do.

I skimmed that book and it all seemed to boil down to "be nice". Am I the only one who finds that ironic?

[deleted]

Re: Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf?

#33

Post by hbien » Wed, Mar 12, 2008, 7:45 PM UTC

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2325563013_d62ca9cde5.jp...

I'm a fan of "The Pragmatic Programmer".

Other books I thought were a good read: getting things done, 4 hour work week, and founders at work.

I've also got all 6 seasons of 24 on my bookshelf =/, probably not the most productive times of my life.

Re: Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf?

#34

Post by semigeek » Wed, Mar 12, 2008, 7:50 PM UTC

The 4-Hour Work Week

Re: Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf?

#35

Post by mosburger » Wed, Mar 12, 2008, 8:04 PM UTC

-Showstopper by G. Pascal Zachary

-The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman

-UNIX in a Nutshell (O'Reilly book written by Arnold Robbins)

Re: Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf?

#36

Post by edw519 » Wed, Mar 12, 2008, 8:17 PM UTC

Founders at Work by Jessica Livingston

Hackers and Painters by Paul Graham

I am NOT recommending these because I am an avid hacker.news participant.

I became an avid hacker.news participant AFTER reading these books.

Re: Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf?

#37

Post by jorgeortiz85 » Wed, Mar 12, 2008, 8:25 PM UTC

Introduction to Algorithms - Cormen/Leiserson/Rivest/Stein (CLRS)

Re: Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf?

#38

Post by zenlinux » Wed, Mar 12, 2008, 8:26 PM UTC

DarrenStuart wrote: post #15

designing the obvious - a common sense approach to web application design by Robert Hoekman Jr The New New Thing Masters of Doom (story of id software, great story) Smart Start-ups: How Entrepreneurs and Corporations Can Profit by Starting Online Communities steven levy's Hackers and crypto also for the history.

I love Designing the Obvious - it's a great book on interface design and usability, and focuses on web applications. Very relevant to this community.

Re: Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf?

#39

Post by curi » Wed, Mar 12, 2008, 8:30 PM UTC

The Fabric of Reality - David Deutsch

Godel, Escher, Bach - Douglas Hoftstadter

Karl Popper's books (too many to list)

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

Re: Ask YC: What would you put on a hacker's bookshelf?

#40

Post by pjf » Wed, Mar 12, 2008, 9:06 PM UTC

"Silence on the Wire" by Michal Zalewski