Ask HN: Life Changing Books? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#141

Post by mrweasel » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 7:32 PM UTC

rg111 wrote: post #137

mrweasel wrote: post #109

Perhaps I just never read that kind of book, but I don't believe that a single book can significantly change your life. There's a few recommendations made here that I have read, for instance Nassim Talebs Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness, both of which I honestly didn't find to be all that good. They're interesting, but not that useful and I don't feel that he's all that good at explaining his ideas. Meditations b…

> I don't believe that a single book can significantly change your life Yes it can. I don't merely think so or believe so, I know so.

Do you mind sharing which book, and how? I view it as you pick up parts of the books you read. Hopefully they makes you smart, more knowledgable, makes you think, view the world a little differently, but the person who puts the book down is still you.

By significant I mean would the people around you see a different person after you read the book.

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#142

Post by barrenko » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 7:39 PM UTC

- Jed Mckenna "Spiritual Warfare"

- N.N. Taleb "Black Swan", as great intro to his thought system which may well be called the "mediterranean soul".

Later books by him can be safely ignored, more worth in his Medium articles, especially the one on work and employment.

- Spitznagel "Dao of Capital", pound for pound one of the smartest books I've ever read.

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#143

Post by guiambros » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 7:43 PM UTC

biophysboy wrote: post #33

palencharizard wrote: post #18

A 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...

I really enjoyed the book (although I read when I was well beyond the recommended age group). I wrote about it a while ago [1], and I think it can be still valuable for someone in their 30s (or, if you have kids, it will be valuable for them one day).

[1] https://www.quora.com/I-am-in-my-late-20s-and-feel-I-have-wa...

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#144

Post by ravenstine » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 7:43 PM UTC

stevebmark wrote: post #70

ravenstine wrote: post #52

Here are mine: - "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene - "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin de Becker - "Left of Bang" by Patrick van Horne and Jason Riley - "Influence" and its follow-up "Pre-suasion" by Robert Cialdini - "Courage is Calling" by Ryan Holiday (yes it was published this year but I found it helpful) - "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie - "No One Ever Told Us That" by John D. Spooner…

48 laws of power, influence, win friends, and to some degree rich dad, when put together in a list, could tell a story about someone. I’m curious in a non-attacking sort of way, do you consider yourself a sociopath, or to have more manipulative tendencies than those around you?

No.

There are many reasons that even ordinary people should, in my opinion, read such material and take it in, but the most important one is that understanding how other people work is necessary to knowing if you are being manipulated and how to out-manipulate the manipulator if that's called for.

Of course, I think if I didn't include the 48 Laws of Power, attributions of sociopathy towards me (yours certainly not being the first) would be largely diminished. Cialdini's books, if you were to read them, certainly aren't written as guides on how to be a sociopath, but rather the contrary. The 48 Laws of Power is written the way it was to be the most entertaining and thematic, which I think is pretty clear.

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#145

Post by nazgulnarsil » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 7:44 PM UTC

Core Transformation by Connierae Andreas ($3 on kindle)

on transforming core motivational schemas that we were conditioned with since a young age and no longer serve us

Opening the Heart of Compassion by Lar Short and Martin Lowenthal (available free on dli.org)

on understanding deep patterns of behavior in yourself

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#146

Post by DrRobinson » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 7:49 PM UTC

alecst wrote: post #40

Harry 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/ .

I second this, it changed how I think in way other books have not. How I look at life, death and problems in general. It sounds dramatic but it really did change my life.

There is also an excellent and free audio book here: https://hpmorpodcast.com/

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#147

Post by MrYellowP » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 7:51 PM UTC

colordrops wrote: post #31

MrYellowP wrote: post #22

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.

Yes, his idea around model agnosticism completely changed the way I engage with reality.

Do you also have problems with other people, who don't "get it" ?

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#148

Post by teekert » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 7:51 PM UTC

mdoms wrote: post #78

alecst wrote: post #40

Harry 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/ .

Isn't this a series of novels targeted at 12 year olds?

I still enjoy them at 39. It’s one of those series that suck you into a different world as soon as your eyes hit the words.

I read the last one 10 years ago? Can’t wait to start reading them to my kids.

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#149

Post by devnull255 » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 7:52 PM UTC

Moral Politics, by George Lakoff: this book offered a new perspective on not just the discussion and language of politics, but sent me down the rabbit hole of cognitive linguistics and "embedded mind" in books he authored or co-authored, such as "Metaphors We Live By", "Philosophy in the Flesh", and "Where Mathematics Comes From".

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond: Gave me a deeper insight into the geographic underpinnings of civilization and history, and how available resources and climate allowed some early settlements to grow into mighty empires, while others struggled to subsist. It also improved my Civilization 3 game playing. ;)

The Language of Mathematics by Keith Devlin: Sparked a renewed interest in mathematics through historical narratives of the development of our number systems, mathematicians and numerous mathematical topics.

The Code Book by Simon Singh: Kicked off my historical and professional interest in cryptography and keeping secrets.

Flow by Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi: Showed me how to make the best use of every minute, especially waiting at bus/train stops, and helped me recognize what I really like doing.

Re: Ask HN: Life Changing Books?

#150

Post by throwaway2331 » Sat, Dec 18, 2021, 7:52 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…

May I recommend reading them in their original languages?

It becomes impossible to truly appreciate a completely different culture, and way of thinking and seeing the world, when it's being tortuously twisted to fit into the "English" way.

It's like reading Bulgakov's The Master and the Margarita in anything but Russian; or Clauswitz's On War in anything but German; or Homer's Iliad in anything but Ancient Greek.

In the first, you lose the raw emotion of the Russian language. In the second, you lose the exacting precision of the German language. And in the last, you lose the sublime beauty of the Ancient Greek language.