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Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?

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Re: Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?

#21

Post by kumartanmay »

jakamau wrote: post #7

Dune - Frank Herbert It's one of the few books that resets my frame of mind. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or chronically distracted the sands of Arrakis always seem to strip my mind of clutter and set me back into a state of flow.

Never heard but it sounds good. I just finished reading The Courage to be disliked by Ichiro Kishmi and it was so refreshing to reset my mind that I've planned to read again. This time I'll go slow and even make notes. Also, the inspiration behind this ASK HN is also the same book.

Re: Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?

#22

Post by kumartanmay »

aalhour wrote: post #10

1) Never Split the Difference Really, this book changed how I view communication and negotiation forever. It will definitely impact your life positively. 2) The Lean Startup A classic, but worth re-reading. Everytime I read the book, it leaves a greater imprint on how I think. 3) The Obstacle is the Way How to turn obstacles into solutions. This book is a great treatise on Stoicism via examples. I read the book at th…

I am practising Stoicism and I have heard a lot about Ryan Holiday's Ego is the enemy. Both these books are on my reading list.

Re: Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?

#23

Post by kumartanmay »

jackconnor wrote: post #5

Joel on Software - I learn new things every time I read it, but the best part is how insanely funny Joel is when he tells stories about working on the early microsoft products. Stardust - My favorite last page of all time, but it only works if you read the whole thing. Which is fine, since it's a seriously fun story that's short one, and can be taken in over a long afternoon. Antifragile - Simply amazing, and I learn…

Thanks for reminding Joel on Software. Definitely, it is the go-to guide for all techies. I like NNT's mind but it is too difficult to learn or practise what he preaches. What's your take away from Antifragile?

Re: Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?

#24

Post by kumartanmay »

rurban wrote: post #13

SICP - alway something new TAOCP - esp. the latest fascicles about book 4, crazy combinatorial problems, esp. exciting solving unsolvable problems. Anti Patterns - never gets old

SICP makes computer science super fun and easier to understand. I believe it is one of the tenets on which CS-philers grow upon.

Re: Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?

#25

Post by kumartanmay »

segmondy wrote: post #17

Whatever book that inspires or lights a fire in you. For me it use to be "Hackers" by Steven Levy, I will go on massive coding binges after reading that. Doesn't work anymore tho. :-D

Just checked Hackers on Amazon and I love reading quick histories. Should be an interesting one. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?

#27

Post by aalhour »

kumartanmay wrote: post #22
aalhour wrote: post #10

1) Never Split the Difference Really, this book changed how I view communication and negotiation forever. It will definitely impact your life positively. 2) The Lean Startup A classic, but worth re-reading. Everytime I read the book, it leaves a greater imprint on how I think. 3) The Obstacle is the Way How to turn obstacles into solutions. This book is a great treatise on Stoicism via examples. I read the book at th…

I am practising Stoicism and I have heard a lot about Ryan Holiday's Ego is the enemy. Both these books are on my reading list.

The Ego is the Enemy is not a good book IMHO. It is a blog post repeated to fit into a book. The Obstacle is the Way is Ryan Holiday's good work.

Try to read "A Guide to the Good Life" or Epictetus's Enchiredion. Good stuff.

Re: Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?

#28

Post by rurban »

Jtsummers wrote: post #14
rurban wrote: post #13

SICP - alway something new TAOCP - esp. the latest fascicles about book 4, crazy combinatorial problems, esp. exciting solving unsolvable problems. Anti Patterns - never gets old

You read TAOCP once a year? Or you scan it? I could see perusing it periodically and doing a dive into a few sections. But not reading the whole thing. I read and mostly worked through all of volume 1 once, that took enough time (and a detour through Concrete Mathematics ). Volumes 2 and 3 I scanned and did a few exercises here and there on areas I found interesting.

Not the whole of course. Only certain parts. Esp. the new ones.

Re: Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?

#29

Post by mindcrime »

kumartanmay wrote: post #20
mindcrime wrote: post #19

The Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank would probably top my list. Some other books that I find deserving of the at least occasional re-read (if not yearly) The Soul of a New Machine - Kidder Hackers - Levy False Memory - Dean Koontz The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand Neuromancer - William Gibson Nineteen Eighty-Four - Orwell The Mysterious Island - Jules Verne

I have read Four Steps. Although it is meant for early-stage founders, I believe an experienced founder would learn more from it because it is experiential and exhaustive. On the other hand, an experienced founder will not like to read a book on early-stage startups, especially as exhaustive as this one. There are many alternatives to it for him, such as Hard Things about Hard Things by Ben Horrowitz. I am writing th…

Like you said... it's very exhaustive and detailed. I think one can learn more from this book on multiple subsequent readings. I also find it inspirational and motivating, so that's another part of the reason.

Re: Ask HN: What books do you recommend reading once a year?

#30

Post by kumartanmay »

aalhour wrote: post #27
kumartanmay wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am practising Stoicism and I have heard a lot about Ryan Holiday's Ego is the enemy. Both these books are on my reading list.

The Ego is the Enemy is not a good book IMHO. It is a blog post repeated to fit into a book. The Obstacle is the Way is Ryan Holiday's good work. Try to read "A Guide to the Good Life" or Epictetus's Enchiredion. Good stuff.

Thanks for your candid feedback. I'm removing Ego is the Enemy from my list.

Stoicism is always a fascinating read.

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