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Ask HN: Are books worth it?

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Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#261

Post by johnchristopher »

carapace wrote: post #205
goto11 wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never heard of anybody getting cured of depression by a self-help book. Congratulations with your amazing recovery, but it seems it wasn't due to a self-help book either.

Check out my answers to the other sibling comments. Would you settle for quit smoking by a self-help book? ;-D Here's something that blew me away... My sister just quit smoking. From ten cigarettes a day to zero. We (her family and friends) are all so overjoyed. How did she do it? https://www.allencarr.com/ She read that book. That's all. When she was done, she was no longer smoking. Within a few days her sense of sm…

I had a friend who also read that book. I don't know if he picked up smoking again but I remember him telling that the book basically hammers it into you that smoking is bad for 150 pages and that you just have to give up smoking because it's so annoying to read about how bad it is.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#262

Post by pier25 »

Pros of long written form:

- more in-depth content about a topic

- presents a structured approach

- can make you think about problems you didn't know you had (vs googling for a problem you have right now)

Cons of long written form:

- usually not up to date (some topics are less affected by this than others)

- you have to pay

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#263

Post by DreamScatter »

Math books are a solid investment and do not become obsolete. Looking at a digital math book is inconvenient, since learning from a math book often requires flipping between pages and the index. That is why a physical math book is more convenient. For many math topics, books from 50 or 100 years ago will also provide useful insights that are still entirely valid and true today and into the future. Books from non-math genres may not age as well, because the information may become obsolete or outdated. However, for pure math books this is not the case, which makes physical math books a good investment that could last.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#264

Post by brailsafe »

It seems like you're frame of reference for everything is about lists of things that have been recommended to you for some reason, whether it's online content or books that you've gotta read.

Just throw that out, erase your list of stuff, and go to a bookstore or a library and pick something up. Some books will catch you, some won't. You wouldn't very well deny going to a movie with friends because you can find the synopsis online and that's more efficient.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#265

Post by edjrage »

jimmyvalmer wrote: post #115

The answer should be apparent from the signal-to-noise of OP. He merely needed to ask "Are books worth the time?" to get his point across, but instead couched it in 350 extra words. Books are similarly inefficient. Verbosity is an existential threat.

Similarly, one must only count how much time is used for self-maintenance tasks such as eating, pooping and sleeping to conclude that living isn't worth it.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#266

Post by b_emery »

elcomet wrote: post #227
b_emery wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with your first few points, but I've never encountered a fiction book that I thought was greater than the best non-fiction. Surely, opinions differ but can you name a few (perhaps unusual) fiction books that make the 100x mark? I'm open to being convinced.

Not the OP, but I can name a few. I found Anna Karenina, or Crime and Punishment 100x better than all non-fiction books I ever read.

Thanks, I'll check them out.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#267

Post by abiro »

Books are totally worth it if they interest you. I’m living on a budget and my highest discretionary expense is books, so you know I put my money where my mouth is.

In my previous life, I had the misfortune of attending a Prussian style law school which lead me to compulsively attempt to memorize every text I’ve read for years, but lately I’ve found the joy of reading again. Here are a few tips that worked for me:

0. Books are just objects, don’t treat them with reverence.

1. Order every book as paperback that you come across and find interesting. Must read lists suck. Follow your interests.

2. Have a bias for older books. The longer a book has been relevant, the more likely it will stay relevant (aka the Lindy principle).

3. Don’t read books cover to cover. Start in the middle if that’s the most interesting part and feel free skip around. Put a book down immediately if it bores you.

4. Surround yourself with books. Make sure you can always pick up something interesting wherever you are. Messy book piles are a virtue.

5. Only use ebooks for fiction or tutorial type programming books.

6. Disregard what other people think and follow your interests. If books don’t interest you, that’s ok too.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#268

Post by ffast-math »

My experience attempting to optimize information intake:

-Many books are no better than podcasts or articles, and only leave you with a handful of takeaways.

-But the best books are fantastic and well worth the time/money.[1]

-Audiobooks are great if you integrate them into your routines. Think commuting, getting ready in the morning, exercising, etc.

-Videos (e.g., documentaries) tend to be the most informative per unit time for non-technical content, but there are far fewer of them for most topics.

-Re-reading/viewing the best content repeatedly addresses forgetting and amortizes purchase prices.

[1] This may not be a result of them being books per se; it could be more that the top .1% of content on any medium tends to be excellent, and reading books gives you access to another pool of top content. Though I've also found that many people who really know what they're talking about or have exceptionally interesting lives write books, not articles. This might be because articles are too short, they know that people will pay for their content, and/or they want the reputational benefits of publishing a book.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#269

Post by mgalgs »

mvp wrote: post #192
ssivark wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To elaborate on what @oneplane said, and in response to OP: > I spend most of my day reading online articles/conversations, watching videos, and listening to podcasts [...] I assume that the best part of the best books will surface in daily conversations, YouTube videos, CliffsNotes, podcasts, Reddit posts/comments, blog articles, etc. I even find myself reading the comments and not reading the article most of the ti…

Can you suggest some books

Recursion by Blake Crouch! Biggest mindf* of the 2010's, hands down.

Re: Ask HN: Are books worth it?

#270

Post by ryanobjc »

Most of your books in your must read are... self improvement? The field of self improvement non fiction is widely regarded to be filled with fluff and extra words for little content and purpose. They are the equivalent of listicles and blog post spam.

You can do better.

Books are one of the greatest human achievements. The internet was supposed to be the worlds largest library but that promise has failed.

For a moment, by analogy, do you think you can get 80% of the experience of your fave 2 hour movie by watching every single 5-10 minute review of it? If that sounds absurd, then so does your post to me.

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