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Ask HN: Life Changing Books?
41–50 of 234 posts
Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?
#42Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. I delayed for too long reading this thrilling book. It was like getting a brain massage. So many wonderful lessons in rational thinking packed into a truly enjoyable and memorable story. In response to some questions: It's not a kids book. It's a fan-fiction inspired by the original books, but written with adults in mind. You can read it for free at http://www.hpmor.com/ .
Is it fiction or non-fiction?
Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?
#43The Plague and The Outsider by Albert Camus. Be prepared to change your opinion of what is important!
Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?
#44For your fellow American and other westerners to possibly shine some light onto “the human kernel”, as developers would say.
Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson by George Guerdjieff
Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?
#45A few have stood out: - "The Defining Decade: Why Your 20's Matter and How to Make The Most of Them Now": it motivated me to find a fulfilling a career in tech (among other things). - "On the Shortness of Life" (Seneca) - Really made me take a hard look at my life, for the better. - "Eat and Run" - Interesting read about an Ultramarathoner. Inspired me to find the motivation for doing "tough things" in general.
Would the first book be valuable for someone in their late 20's? I'm fairly happy with what I've done this decade, but maybe I could apply the relevant stuff to my 30s...
Yes. The gist of the book is that the choices we make in our 20s set us into patterns that are unlikely to change.
So if you felt fairly happy chances are good you’ve made good choices. It may be worth a read for anything you’d like to tweak
Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?
#46Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?
#47Books that have changed my life: - How to win friends and influence people. Helped me understand the dynamics of relationships in a unon manipulative and empathetic way. - Sapiens. Changed my view on human organizations and religion - the monk who sold his Ferrari - meditations by Marcus Aurelius - the screwtape letters. Letter 15 specifically changed me
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius continues to inspire me, no matter how many times I read it. Incredible stuff.
Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?
#48The 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)
One follow up question you might want to be asking is why you thought that in the first place and what it has to do with current societal views.
Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?
#49The Stranger by Camus.
Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre.
The Prince by Machiavelli.
Categories by Aristotle.
Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?
#50Here's my list of mainly non-fiction.
The Blank Slate - Stephen Pinker
Capitalist Realism - Mark Fisher
Straw Dogs - John Gray
Godel Esher Bach - Douglas Hoffstader
The Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac
Path with a Heart - Jack Kornfield