Ask HN: Life Changing Books? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#21

Post by d0mine » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 4:49 PM UTC

herodotus wrote: post #6

The Histories by Herodotus was life changing for me (see my handle!). But, be aware that it has to be a good translation: the online free ones are not the ones you should read. Why? Because until I read it my only other experience with writing of that era was the bible readings from when I attended synagogue (before I realized that there was no god). I always found the bible stuff strange, but I forgave it, because I…

It is obvious in hindsight but it was a revelation for me that the ancients were not idiots/have something to teach us, and how little progress there is in a non-technological sphere since then (e.g., political social issues from many 100s years ago are still relatable or the stoics wisdom is still applicable at the personal level)

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#22

Post by MrYellowP » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 4:50 PM UTC

I can recommend all books written by Robert Anton Wilson, especially the Cosmic Trigger series, Quantum Psychology and The New Prometheus.

Another book that's definitely worth a read, or two, is "The Goal", which teaches you how to think goal-oriented while not being a bore to read.

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#23

Post by paxcoder » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 4:50 PM UTC

The Holy Bible by God and His associate

Spiritual Combat by Lorenzo Scupoli

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#24

Post by rookie123 » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 4:51 PM UTC

rutgerv wrote: post #20

genjipress wrote: post #17

Gödel, Escher, Bach

Gödel, Escher, Bach completely blew me away and quite radically changed the way I looked at the world. Highly recommended.

Can you elaborate on how it changed your way?

Would help in understanding context.

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#25

Post by arisAlexis » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 4:51 PM UTC

Superintelligence by Nick Bosstrom

How to make friends and influence people

Black Swan by Nassim Taleb

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#26

Post by max_ » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 4:52 PM UTC

1. Incerto by Nassim Taleb

This is the first book that gave me a thorough insight into philosophy. Completely changed my worldview. I reread chapters from it everyday. It has become my bible. The Incerto strictly focuses on the practical applications of stoic philosophy.

2. All books by Dan Brown

The Dan Brown books got me in to reading for fun. While some people may regard his books as thrillers, I consider them hard science fiction. I owe him my reading culture.

3. The age of intelligent machines. 4. The singularity is near. 5. The age of spiritual machines. ... all the above by Raymond Kurzweil

These books introduced me to computer science.

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#27

Post by undoware » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 4:53 PM UTC

1. _The Question Concerning Technology_ by Martin Heidegger. Taught me how clean-room language reinvention can be a tool for clear thinking, and how you cannot add something without taking something away. Truth is "revealing and concealing" because it is, outside math and hard science, perspectival. Essential reading for UX engineers.

2. _Eichmann in Jerusalem_, Hannah Arendt. Made me wiser about how evil works. "Evil" is a fun word to throw around and lends itself to silly political slogans, but the real thing is no joke, is out there, and does not look like what you think.

3. _Eugene Onegin_, by Pushkin, as translated by Douglas Hofstadter (yes, that one). The man taught himself Russian by translating the Onegin to distract himself after his wife died. The foreword-essay changed how I regard language and translation.

3. _Getting Unstuck_, by Pema Chodron. I still use this shit every time I get obsessive about some coding thing. Wise AF.

4. _Getting Things Done_ by David Allen. Everything is an interface and everything is algorithmic, your only choice is whether or not to consciously intend them. You can engineer better habits.

5. A biography of Malcolm X -- I forget which one, embarrassingly, and I am in a hurry so I will not google. Whichever one came out closest to the year 2007 :)

These days tho I would grab _The Dead are Arising_ -- the most recent. It's aleady on my Kobo. Malcolm X showed me how to survive in hell and start a movement.

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#28

Post by cko » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 4:53 PM UTC

Electrified wrote: post #13

Outwitting the Devil - by Napoleon Hill Outwitting the Devil is a work of fiction that was written in 1938 by Napoleon Hill, which was considered too controversial to be published in its era. The book is written as an interview between Hill (Mr. Earthbound) and the devil (our inner dark self), wherein Hill attempts to uncover the secrets to freedom and success by evaluating the greatest obstacles that humans face in…

I recently learned that Napoleon Hill was quite the conman. At least he made outrageous claims of being an advisor to famous leaders he's likely never met.

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#29

Post by rchaves » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 4:54 PM UTC

Those were life-changing for me:

- The Black Swan

- Antifragile

- Crucial Conversations

- Why’s (Poignant) Guide to Ruby

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#30

Post by adventured » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 4:55 PM UTC

Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist, by Roger Lowenstein.

It ultimately led me down a path that changed a lot about how I approached investing, and how I perform value appraisal / how I view value in general across all aspects of life. The principles of value investing and value judging apply to most things, rather than being narrowly limited to eg stock investing. It introduced me to some of the basic foundations of value investing. It's not a super renowned book (ala Ben Graham's various treatises on value investing), however it's my favorite Buffett book regardless and the one I most often recommend to new investors.

Price is what you pay, value is what you get. Such a simple concept, so extraordinarily important as a distinction.