Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#141

Post by wtmt » Sun, Dec 23, 2018, 6:28 AM UTC

japhyr wrote: post #112

The View from Flyover Country Sarah Kendzior is my favorite political analyst today. She has called so much of what's happened over the past few years long before others, and she cuts right to the heart of what's happening. This book is a collection of essays she published about the changing economy and political scene over the past ~5 years. https://www.amazon.com/View-Flyover-Country-Dispatches-Forgo... https://twi…

If you see this reply soon, you can edit and fix the Amazon link for this book. Your link shows a Page Not Found error. The correct link is https://www.amazon.com/View-Flyover-Country-Dispatches-Forgo... (the last two digits are flipped in your link).

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#142

Post by mindcrime » Sun, Dec 23, 2018, 6:34 AM UTC

jacobkg wrote: post #132

How to Measure Anything - Douglas Hubbard This book is a treatise against the notion that some important things can’t be measured. Full of information about how to figure what should be measured and then how to measure it. Very thorough and he managed to answer every objection I could come up with throughout. Deep Work - Cal Newport Starts with the thesis that a generation of workers have forgotten how to concentrate…

How to Measure Anything - Douglas Hubbard

I personally consider this one of the most valuable non-fiction books I've ever read. It would be hard for me to state emphatically enough how strongly I recommend this book and the author's approach. Using calibrated probability assessments, an understanding of nth order effects, and Monte Carlo simulations, is a process that everyone should have in their toolkit.

The stuff on AIE and portfolio management I found less valuable, but all in all it's a great book.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#143

Post by rofo1 » Sun, Dec 23, 2018, 6:44 AM UTC

softwaredoug wrote: post #53

shawnps wrote: post #37

Favorites that I read in 2018: * Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep ) * Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4806.Longitude ) * Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss (…

If you like “Why We Sleep” I recommend “The Sleep Solution” as a companion. Why We Sleep is heavy on interesting sleep science but light on practical tips for improving sleep (The Sleep Solution is the opposite...)

Agreed with the remark about 'Why We Sleep'. I also suggest "Circadian Code" for some practical remarks (for improving sleep, but overall health too)

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#144

Post by vertigolimbo » Sun, Dec 23, 2018, 6:47 AM UTC

Bryan Cranston: A Life in Parts. It shows Bryan's life, struggles and pleasures - everything that prepared him to play Walter White in Breaking Bad. That's the only Autobiography I ever read, but once I picked up the pace I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#145

Post by x220 » Sun, Dec 23, 2018, 6:52 AM UTC

randomacct3847 wrote: post #72

12 rules for life by Jordan Peterson

I read this too. It was an enjoyable read. You can safely ignore any commentary or review you read about this book since I have not found a single one yet that isn't incredibly biased. About half of reviews I've read seem to be written by people who didn't read the book at all, let alone skimmed it.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#146

Post by seansamuelson » Sun, Dec 23, 2018, 6:59 AM UTC

rationalbeaver wrote: post #64

james_s_tayler wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What were some key insights from this? It looks quite interesting. I'm guessing it's centered around entropy?

You're on the right track with that, although I'd say it's centered around order, rather than entropy. It's hard to do it justice here, but the book builds off of existing information theory to offer an explanation of why there are pockets of order in the universe (like our solar system) instead of uniform chaos. From there it explains how natural systems can increase in complexity over time, and then moves eventuall…

This was definitely the best book I read in the last year and really changed my larger worldview and led me down the path into information and chaos theory. I particularly like how you put it here: "It also provides an interesting sort of grand purpose for humanity - to be caretakers of this little region of ordered information we find ourselves in." that is an elegant summary of that concept which really resonated with me, but I hadn't been able to quite put into words. Thanks!

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#147

Post by sunstone » Sun, Dec 23, 2018, 7:02 AM UTC

Didn't read it this year but if you're in the mood for a challenging small book, using small words in short sentences then Consilience by E.O. Wilson is hard to beat. Philosophy at its best.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#148

Post by gordon_freeman » Sun, Dec 23, 2018, 7:03 AM UTC

WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #138

shawnps wrote: post #37

Favorites that I read in 2018: * Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep ) * Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel ( https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4806.Longitude ) * Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss (…

I second Libby. You can get just about any of the books recommended on this thread for free. Additionally, for me, I like to get my books from the library since it gives me a reason to read them before I have to return them.

I have not tried Libby yet but recently started checking out eBooks from my local public library (via Overdrive) to read on my Kindle. I am pleasantly surprised how convenient and straightforward that process is. And all that without spending any money.

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#149

Post by seer » Sun, Dec 23, 2018, 7:04 AM UTC

theothermkn wrote: post #97

The Dictator's Handbook by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith Everyone should read it. You think you know politics, but you haven't even begun until you've read this book.

If you don’t have the time for a whole book - CGP Gray does a pretty good summary in his “Rules for rulers” youtube video. Very highly recommended!

Re: Ask HN: Favorite nonfiction books of 2018?

#150

Post by gikochi » Sun, Dec 23, 2018, 7:13 AM UTC

* The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt

Tries to explain the reasons behind all the "triggering" and safe spaces phenomenon on college campuses

* Escape from Freedom by Erich Fromm

WWII as the outset, one of the topic discussed why people in a democracy would turn to authoritarian figures.