Aristotle's Physics, Metaphysics, and De Anima.
Hear, hear! But not the Ethics?!
Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
251–260 of 1001 posts
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#252The Chalkbox Kid, because I read it when I was 10 and it was the first real book I read from cover to cover which wasn't a small children's book. It's a good story, too.
More recently, the short novel The Machine Stops blew me away with its prescience.
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#253One book that changed me was reading Master and Margarita in Russian for the first time. It was the first book I started reading I could not put down until the end. Gained a lot of appreciation for literature at that time. The other book that I enjoyed and changed me was ‘The Wisdom of Insecurity’ by Alan Watts. I was a fan of Alan Watts works through his lectures already and it was wonderful to hear his ideas in wri…
I LOVE the Master and Margarita but I've only read it in English. When you say you read it in Russian for the first time, did you mean you've read it in English before? If so, were there huge differences?
Russian is my native language so I read it in Russian for first and second time. Never read it in English so can't say. But I think this is one of those books that will lose some of its 'magic' in translation.
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#254There is one book that finally made me to do some work and it's called "The Midas Method".
Some of it describes a set of rules (methods) we should live by to make the luck leaning towards us.
Simple things as "Watch your language! Never say “I can’t do that”" or "Never blame anything or anybody else for your misfortune" And my favorite is "Grab every opportunity which is going" You'll keep yourself busy and open for the world.
https://hundredfoot.com/bookstore/the-midas-method
It's a little dated but the stupid thing is the basic principles if you can be bothered to understand them really do work.
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#255Mutual Aid by Kropotkin Was brought up in a very toxicly pop-libertarian household, and it really opened my eyes to how much all of nature (including human culture more specifically) depends on working together towards common goals.
Along those lines, "The Conquest of Bread" by Kropotkin exposed me to a new way of thinking about liberty and political self-determination.
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#256A Mind for Numbers by Barbara Oakley (and her corresponding Learning How To Learn course) absolutely changed my approach to learning and studying.
Applying the lessons made my studying many times more productive. After getting Bs and Cs in many of my undergrad classes, I recently finished a five course post-bacc CS program with all As. While Dr. Oakley isn't the only reason, it absolutely helped!
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#257My worldview-changing book was probably Stranger in a Strange Land, when I was maybe 15. I also ready Brave New World around then. I was raised in a super religious house; for whatever reason, that one or two books started my down a path of materialism/skepticism and away from religiosity/dualism/spiritualism. It was just the start, mind you. I was probably already primed and heading that way anyway, and that just ha…
Mine was The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, read around the same age (took me awhile to get through SiaSL).
The ideas around TANSTAAFL were what really drove me to believe in the value of hard work and being wary of the easy path to "success".
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#258I read through the bible every year and each time it shapes my thinking. For example, I was reading Exodus this morning about how we should care for the foreigner. I imagine several thousand years ago this was pretty radical. It also seems very relevant today.
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#259Fernand Braudel had the biggest impact on how I think about history and the creation of the modern world:
In particular his focus on the structures of every day life:
https://www.amazon.com/Structures-Everyday-Life-Civilization...
And his focus on the importance of trade among the different parts of the world:
https://www.amazon.com/Perspective-World-Civilization-Capita...
More here:
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#260"Manufacturing Consent" by Noam Chomsky really changed how I see the media and everything related to the media.
Like many "radicals" (it's the same for libertarians), he has great observations about the way things are, but umconvincing ideas for solutions. Oh well.