Prisoners of Geography: Ten maps that explain everything about the world (Tim Marshall)
The Feynman Processor (Gerard J. Milburn)
Strategy: A History (Lawrence Freedman)
Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
401–410 of 1001 posts
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#402Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg is an amazing eye-opener. It's a book about how how to interact with your fellow humans in a way that enriches the lives of everyone around you. It's full of things that should be obvious, but in practice are not. You can think of it as a more advanced version of Dale Carnegie's "How to make friends and influence people", with more focus on conflicts, and a specific communication methodology.
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#403Most recent: Factfulness , by Hans Rosling. For the past year or so, I've been trying hard to understand why people act the way they do, when those actions and beliefs are often irrational. This book brought so much of that together. Very first: The Song of Wandering Aengus , by William Butler Yeats. I read this when I was six or so. I found it as an illustrated children's book in children's section of the public lib…
A book I enjoyed on understanding people is The Elephant in the Brain. I'll check out yours. Thanks!
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#404War and peace by Tolstoi. It made me aware that someone as successful and powerful as Napoleon himself was by a large extent only a product of the people and the mood at the time. What I mean is that it wasn't him who inspired the people; it rather was just the Zeitgeist he was the perfect person for. I'm not a native speaker and can't really put it into words, but it completely changed my view of the amount of influ…
I read it in English as "Narcissus and Goldmund". The subject at the core of this book is very dear to me and it really moved me and like you, I was affected for a long time. I give away all the good books to friends saying "You must read this, it's excellent!" and thus I no longer have my copy. I must read it again.
By the way, if by some chance, there is a big overlap in our tastes, I recommend the fictional work called "Loving Vincent". It's a "moving painting" rather than a "movie".
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#405Reading Ender's Game as a child instilled a sense of agency at a young age.
I experienced the same thing reading that book. It gave me a powerful feeling about the things a teenager can do in an adult world. And a great story for a video game addict.
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#406One 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…
Thanks for mentioning an amazing book of literature. The Master and Margarita is my favorite fiction book! I've read it in two translations and I prefer the Burgin & O'Connor to the Glenny, but both are great. Everytime I read it I gain more insights. I absolutely recommend reading this book alongside a readers guide which gives more background and depth, there are many biblical, historical, and author-related refere…
Was amazed when I saw the recommendation on the top comment. My fiancé recommended me this book and I just finished it on my commute this morning (this specific translation). Still thinking about it! Wonderful book, super engaging and just absolutely beautifully written. I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#407Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#408Daring Greatly by Brené Brown revolutionized my understanding of anxiety, guilt, shame, vulnerability, courage and trust. For most of my life, I could not distinguish between the feeling of anxiety and the feelings of guilt, shame, and vulnerability, nor did I understand or see all the different forms of armor I donned in order to avoid feeling vulnerable. This book clarifies the distinction between these feelings, describes the different forms of armor we wear, and discusses how building shame resilience and daring greatly are critical to forming deeper and more meaningful connections with the people around us.
The Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples by John Gottman revolutionized my understanding of trust and relationships. Reading it was like flipping on the light switch after stumbling around in the dark for decades.
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan Peterson revolutionized my understanding of myth, faith, suffering, evil, meaning, and responsibility. It illuminates the underlying ailments that plague our modern societies and describes what we can and should do, as individuals, to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. It reaffirms the basic tenant of many world religions that suffering is real, and that the intentional creation of unnecessary suffering is evil. And finally, it makes a case that meaning is derived from responsibility.
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#409I 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.
I've been listening to the Bible when I drive somewhere almost every day since the beginning of last year. I use Prof. Horner's plan, which divides it into ten lists, and provides a consecutive chapter to read or listen to for each lists. So, ten chapters a day at 1.25x (it sounds like a New York cadence) takes about 25-35 minutes. The YouVersion Bible app makes it automatic for me. The idea is that you get an intense survey of all the books. Here's a brief description of the plan: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/19-professor-horners-bib...
It has gradually shaped my thinking in ways that is hard to describe. I've really began to understand just how much the Old and New Testaments tie together; many ideas and concepts are repeated several times in different books.
Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
#410Crucial Conversations. In my educational upbringing there was never any exploration of emotional intelligence and how to communicate. Since reading this book I notice elements it describes in basically every meaningful conversation I have.