I want to read books that give me insights into other professions preferably something unrelated to and far from working in technology. For example, what is it like to work on a container ship or the life of a forest ranger. Memoirs with a bit of adventure are a bonus.
Thanks!
Ask HN: Recommend books that give you insight into other professions
1–10 of 77 posts
Re: Ask HN: Recommend books that give you insight into other professions
#2This is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay
Memoirs of a Doctor in the UK. Very funny at times and moving as well. Useful insights for outsiders into the medical profession and a light read. NHS based, but presumably relevant to other health systems and countries.
Re: Ask HN: Recommend books that give you insight into other professions
#3Down and out in Paris and London by George Orwell is an excellent insight into the life of a parisian dishwasher in the 1920s. Its also a great exploration of the lives of the working class in that time period.
Just Kids by Patti Smith is a beautiful look into the life of a poet and artist.
Re: Ask HN: Recommend books that give you insight into other professions
#4Uncommon Carriers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OA64LQ "a collection of six excursions across the United States in various vehicles: coal train; barge-pushing towboat; a canoe on the Concord and Merrimack River, following John and Henry Thoreau's excursion in August, 1839; a UPS sorting station and truck; a five-axle, sixty-five foot, eighteen-wheel chemical tanker. " (quote from an Amazon review)
Re: Ask HN: Recommend books that give you insight into other professions
#5Not exactly what you asked for but something in a similar vein are profession-specific Reddit forms. I'm not sure they fully qualify as professions but I've found these two regularly odd and insightful:
- https://old.reddit.com/r/InstacartShoppers/
- https://old.reddit.com/r/McDonaldsEmployees/
I guess you could also add these to the list:
- https://old.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/
- https://old.reddit.com/r/TalesFromRetail/
I'm always looking out for curious little subreddits like these that give you a glimpse into a different way of living or working. If anyone has any other recommendations, please share.
Re: Ask HN: Recommend books that give you insight into other professions
#6Ex finance guy here - Liar's Poker for 1980s Wall Street, When Genius Failed for 1990s, More Money Than God for 2000s, Flash Boys for 2010s
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liar%27s_Poker
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Genius_Failed
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_Money_Than_God
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_Boys
obviously these do not represent all of finance but its a nice decade-by-decade recap of talking points, i figured i'd try to do it and was surprised how nicely it broke out
Re: Ask HN: Recommend books that give you insight into other professions
#7Working, by Studs Terkel
Re: Ask HN: Recommend books that give you insight into other professions
#81. How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling, Bettger
A good intro to sales, and a very good book on self-development.
2. When Genius Failed: The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management, Lowenstein
A story about LTCM, one of the early and most notorious "quant" hedge funds. A cheeky nod to intellectualism.
3. Liar's Poker, Lewis
Investment banking through a trader's eyes. Yes, the absurdity is only partly dramatized.
4. Pimp: The Story of My Life, Iceberg Slim
No pithy blurb can summarize this; read it if you want a look into human nature.
5. The Six-Month Fix: Adventures in Rescuing Failing Companies, Sutton
Written by a friend and a mentor; may he rest. Gives you a sobering account of what really goes behind the scenes of many companies, along with their management.
Apologies; I know this list isn't focused on more humbling professions like the examples you gave.
Re: Ask HN: Recommend books that give you insight into other professions
#9Historical but Boys on the Bus by Timothy Crouse on old-style political journalism. (Although I imagine a lot is still true.) There's a lot about journalism, photojournalism, and so forth (perhaps unsurprisingly) although so much has changed in the past 10-20 years it probably isn't that relevant to those professions today.
Re: Ask HN: Recommend books that give you insight into other professions
#10Ex finance guy here - Liar's Poker for 1980s Wall Street, When Genius Failed for 1990s, More Money Than God for 2000s, Flash Boys for 2010s - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liar%27s_Poker - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_Genius_Failed - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/More_Money_Than_God - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_Boys obviously these do not represent all of finance but its a nice decade-by-decade recap o…
Those are all good recommendations, but if anything tech/SV is resembling every day more and more to 1980s WS.