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Ask HN: What book changed your life?

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Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?

#151

_The Mind Illuminated_ Hasn't changed my life yet but it might (found it three days ago out on hoopla.com). I say this as someone who has given meditation practice a good college try (more than a year at a time of daily practice) on a couple of occasions. Most books say just keep going and you will eventually fart pixie dust. This book says you can reach advanced practice in under a year BUT requires a consistent one…

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Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?

#155
post #150
post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And you are confusing welfare states with socialism.

I'm not, thanks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism

No Nordic country describes itself as socialist. The Nordic welfare model is made possible by free markets and private enterprise: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_model

This conflation of a welfare state with democratic socialism is Bernie Bro level nonsense: https://www.thelocal.dk/20151101/danish-pm-in-us-denmark-is-...

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?

#156
post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. I would also add continues to change my life. I read the Bible every day and am constantly amazed how relevant ancient wisdom is today. In recent years teaching from Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament taught me how to understand my work. There is such a lot of nonsense on HN and the net about success. So many are pursuing a pipe dream. Below helped me to work hard, enjoy what I have, and not be concerned abou…

Man, I tried reading the bible, maybe some pages are to be skipped, I couldn't keep after 5 ... too many "don't have sex with your cousin's wife unless her father owned a goat" logic.

Yeah I'm also slightly confused by those comments. I tried reading it from start to end, and it wasn't that enjoyable. It was mostly lost listings of names about peoples grand grand parents... and things that didn't really fit what was say two sentences ago.

Am I missing the "proper" way of reading it? But if there is, that would eventually just leave to cherry picking...

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?

#157
post #54

The Hithchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Catch 22. They helped me work through my teenage existential crisis.

The Salmon of Doubt was the one from Douglas Adams for me. I loved hitchhiker's, but there's something so earnest in that book. Like a late goodbye from someone you would've loved to be friends with.

Made me go on a life-long quest to understand what I am leaving, and how I want to be remembered after I'm gone. I've never met him and read his books after he passed away, but he still makes his presence aware through his words.

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?

#158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Man, I tried reading the bible, maybe some pages are to be skipped, I couldn't keep after 5 ... too many "don't have sex with your cousin's wife unless her father owned a goat" logic.

Yeah I'm also slightly confused by those comments. I tried reading it from start to end, and it wasn't that enjoyable. It was mostly lost listings of names about peoples grand grand parents... and things that didn't really fit what was say two sentences ago. Am I missing the "proper" way of reading it? But if there is, that would eventually just leave to cherry picking...

I made the same mistake as yourself. Read from the beginning. To make it worse in 16th century english. This is a good resource, https://www.biblegateway.com/.

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?

#159
Charlie and the great glass elevator. Changed my life in a way where I actually started reading not just for education but for fun. The book which kindled my love for reading. That books don't need to be academic or a hill to be climbed.
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