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Summer Reading List

blog.ycombinator.com

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Re: Summer Reading List

#121

Post by Osmium »

asdffdsa321 wrote: post #105
jackschultz wrote: post #81

I know this is a technical site, but for all of these I always get a little sad with how few fictional books are listed on these types of posts. Going over it, seems like there's just one, "The Nix" (may be more where I just missed them). I like seeing fictional books since I can relate to the people writing them. If I enjoyed some of the fictional books that people talk about, then I'll go along with their non-ficti…

Eh, I keep those circles separate. Programmers usually don't discuss or care about literature in my experience. Like any hobby, just gotta find the people that do.

Self-fulfilling prophecy. If we shut down the conversation about literature when it starts, then yes we'll never discuss it ;)

I'm always pleased to see posts on literature show up on the HN[0], but often disappointed to see so few comments. But enough people are up-voting them that they do regularly appear on the front page, so there's clearly enough interest around here.

[0] e.g. see https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=nybooks.com and https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=lrb.co.uk

Re: Summer Reading List

#122

Post by dp-tyvek »

kentt wrote: post #97

I'd consider Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection to be fiction as well. Too long, shouldn't read: if you believe, your back pain will go away. I'm surprised to see the anti-scientific pseudoscience promoted.

I'm not familiar with the book, but behavioural therapy has acutally been shown to be useful for managing back pain.

Re: Summer Reading List

#123

Post by CalChris »

arnioxux wrote: post #34

No opinion on "The Man Who Knew" but kind of bummed that it will now beat "The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan" in autocompletion.

Probably only briefly. Ramanujan was a genius who deserves to be studied. Greenspan's hagiography will be soon forgotten.

Re: Summer Reading List

#124

Post by open-source-ux »

dsplittgerber wrote: post #106
jackschultz wrote: post #81

I know this is a technical site, but for all of these I always get a little sad with how few fictional books are listed on these types of posts. Going over it, seems like there's just one, "The Nix" (may be more where I just missed them). I like seeing fictional books since I can relate to the people writing them. If I enjoyed some of the fictional books that people talk about, then I'll go along with their non-ficti…

I'm interested in your argument to why fiction is not time "wasted"! Would you mind discussing? I have thought about this a lot and personally only read non-fiction, but am always interested in other viewpoints.

Sometimes the pleasure of reading fiction is simply to be entertained. Look at the popularity of TV and film - can you imagine never watching a fictional story again?

Teachers always tell their pupils to read often and to read widely. Why? Because the more you expose yourself to a wide range of writing styles the greater the chance it will help improve your own writing (regardless of whether you write fiction or non-fiction).

Fiction arguably lets the writer compose sentences with more freedom and creative licence than the non-fiction writer. The more you read, the more likely that some of that will rub off in your own writing or influence the rhythm of your own writing.

Re: Summer Reading List

#125

Post by quest88 »

dsplittgerber wrote: post #106
jackschultz wrote: post #81

I know this is a technical site, but for all of these I always get a little sad with how few fictional books are listed on these types of posts. Going over it, seems like there's just one, "The Nix" (may be more where I just missed them). I like seeing fictional books since I can relate to the people writing them. If I enjoyed some of the fictional books that people talk about, then I'll go along with their non-ficti…

I'm interested in your argument to why fiction is not time "wasted"! Would you mind discussing? I have thought about this a lot and personally only read non-fiction, but am always interested in other viewpoints.

It exposes me to viewpoints, warnings, or subjects I wouldn't have learned otherwise.

For example, I've never given time to reading about gene editing, but after reading Change Agent I've been reading about gene editing and Crispr. I also have some minor understanding of the dangers and benefits of where that could take civilization.

I hadn't thought about what would happen in doomsday scenarios, like a large virus outbreak or an EMP blast, but Holding Their Own and One Second After exposed me to that.

Reading Seveneves exposed me to space travel and Lagrange points, I had no idea about these otherwise.

Authors like John Fante are great story tellers and he's such a joy to read instead of watching a tv series.

Re: Summer Reading List

#126

Post by socratees »

orthoganol wrote: post #67

Sapiens is a very preachy, low-on-citations work... the Goodreads reviews are interestingly divided ("Dude it changed my whole world!" to "This is not a serious work."), but the early sections on pre historical humans are still interesting to read, and seemed mostly correct from what I remember from my college anthropology class.

My opinion of Sapiens is the same as well - very broad strokes. I feel Sapiens is heavily promoted because of ease in which the content flows? - maybe that's the selling point of the book?

Re: Summer Reading List

#128

Post by TeMPOraL »

dsplittgerber wrote: post #106
jackschultz wrote: post #81

I know this is a technical site, but for all of these I always get a little sad with how few fictional books are listed on these types of posts. Going over it, seems like there's just one, "The Nix" (may be more where I just missed them). I like seeing fictional books since I can relate to the people writing them. If I enjoyed some of the fictional books that people talk about, then I'll go along with their non-ficti…

I'm interested in your argument to why fiction is not time "wasted"! Would you mind discussing? I have thought about this a lot and personally only read non-fiction, but am always interested in other viewpoints.

Depends on the kind of fiction, and what you're trying to get, I guess.

Personally, I see lot of value in science fiction books. They're good at exploring impact of technological changes on people (both on individual and societal level), and they can also be very inspiring. Also, the less such work is about people and their relationship, the more I like it - what I look for in science fiction is ideas and inspirations, not the boring interpersonal drama our lives are so full of already.

Re: Summer Reading List

#129

Post by a_c_s »

dsplittgerber wrote: post #106
jackschultz wrote: post #81

I know this is a technical site, but for all of these I always get a little sad with how few fictional books are listed on these types of posts. Going over it, seems like there's just one, "The Nix" (may be more where I just missed them). I like seeing fictional books since I can relate to the people writing them. If I enjoyed some of the fictional books that people talk about, then I'll go along with their non-ficti…

I'm interested in your argument to why fiction is not time "wasted"! Would you mind discussing? I have thought about this a lot and personally only read non-fiction, but am always interested in other viewpoints.

Not the parent but this article discusses benefits: https://open.buffer.com/reading-fiction/

They discuss benefits in: 1. Increasing empathy 2. Decreasing stress 3. Sleep 4. Relationships 5. Memory 6. Inclusivity 7. Vocabulary 8. Creativity 9. Pleasure

Re: Summer Reading List

#130

Post by DanBC »

wuch wrote: post #120
louprado wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a drug so powerful that every drug other drug is tested against it: the placebo. If this book saves just one HN reader from opioid addiction then I am glad it made the list.

Actually there is pretty limited support that placebo actually works on anything but subjective measured outcomes.

Back pain is mostly subjectively measured outcome, and many types of back pain respond very well to placebo.
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