Ask HN: What are the best unknown books you have read?

Quality in the west also has potential for strength because of greater devolution to the production floor.

But I do have a problem with saying 'west' vs 'east', everyone can learn from each other. I have problems with assumptions of superiority. Could framing it as a question of learning and leadership be better?

This book literally changed my life and set it on a very different course a few years ago.

It builds upon the 8 circuit-brain model of Timothy Leary, to provide both a map (which is presented as such and not expounded so as to confuse it with the reality it describes), and a practice that is derived from classic, western-compliant core shamanism, as formulated by the anthropologist Michael Harner who created the Foundation for Shamanic Studies (FSS) in the 80's, practice which makes testable the framework presented in the book (so it remains quite pragmatic and not only theoretical), and provides the absolutely delightful properties of:

- not rejecting any part or aspect of reality as we know it, so that biology, emotions, the intellect, social life, sex, drugs, sports, science, religions, yoga, meditation, nutrition, arts, quantum probabilities etc. all have their place in this story;

- doesn't paint itself as THE ONE AND ONLY valid view of reality, but instead offers (and strongly recommend) to integrate and make your own life experiences first class citizens and to adapt the discourse according to them, thus completely reversing the usual pattern of those kind of "revelation" books;

- offers a very coherent and inclusive perspective on reality, borrowing concepts from the science of cybernetics to paint a picture of it in terms of feedback loops that develops a new approach of the mind and its harmony, relying on eight broadly defined "circuits" or "tracks" (like in a car engine) and their interactive and dynamic play to provide fulfillment and as the source to real life creativity...

It is not long but it is dense in content; there is no fluff, and I am fairly certain that any competent hacker (in the broadest sense) with an open mind will find a many very precious tools and ideas in it.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shamanic-Path-Quantum-Consciousness-C... Official website: http://8circuits.org/ENGLISH/index_ENG.html

There's something... special, about finding these in old printings. I found the sequel to the one I linked at, of all places, a flea market in Temple Bar in Dublin, as a circa 1850s print. As in the book itself was over a century old!

I look forward to finding a printing of yours that's nice and old, too!

Eduardo: I'm here for you

Mark: No, I need the algorithm you use to rank chess players