Difficult to pick just one, but I will go with The Stainless Steel Rat. It was a great introduction to the idea that society's rules don't always make sense. I haven't read it since I was in grade school, so I don't know if anyone older would enjoy it. But it definitely planted the seeds of anarchism, hacking, punk, and not taking rules too seriously.
Ask HN: What book changed your life?
301–310 of 539 posts
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#302Book on Pook on dating. Rich Dad Poor Dad on finance in general
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#303Behave - Robert Sapolsky
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31170723-behave
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#304Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've always wanted to read the Dune books, but have no idea where to start. It seems like there are so many, and so many prequels and so many optional side stories. Is there an agreed on book to start with and an order to follow?
Yes -- Dune. It is the starting point and best book in the series. The next three books in the series are also very, very good.
All of the prequel stuff and the books post Chapterhouse Dune are what happens when children take over the family business and run it into the ground, set it on fire, and grind the wreckage into dust. They are like the Highlander 2 of book sequels. Or imagine if Jar Jar Binks from Episode 1 was the best part of all three prequel movies made by a George Lucas with less talent.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#305Earlier 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.
My suggestion: Start reading in Matthew. Once you get through, go back to Genesis and Exodus. Leviticus is a harder read, but worthwhile because it provides so much context for the rest. But if need be, skip to Judges- it's an action packed book, and I genuinely enjoy it, as I do Ruth. If you get stuck on Chronicles, skip to Ezra. Esther is an especially wonderful book! What I'm really trying to say is: The Bible isn…
I'd like to suggest:
1)include Acts with Matthew for initial reading
2) get people to Samuel and Kings ASAP. You probably need to read genesis and exodus first, but after that, David seems like the archetype of God-fearing Jew, and you need to know his story.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#306As a young teenager, Carl Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World. A brilliant series of essays about critical thinking. More recently - I hesitate to recommend it because the trilogy is unfinished, but still - Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicle books have redefined what is possible with fantasy fiction, with incredible depth and subtlety and literary flourishes. It has flaws for sure, but I can't think of anything that…
Kingkiller moves the fantasy fiction genre past its LOTR-esque roots. Every word is a joy to read. I haven't read anything else that brings as big a smile on my face. Kingkiller's literary qualities are head and shoulders above anything in fantasy fiction. Every word, every metaphor and every description is chosen with care, so as to convey the exact emotion that the author wants you to feel. I hope the final book co…
I found Rothfuss comically bad as a writer and Kingkiller #1 nothing more than superficial wish fulfillment aimed at teens that were bullied at school.
Not that Sanderson is much better.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#307Isaac Asimov's Guide To The Bible. An agnostic atheist historian analyzes the history of every line of every book in the bible. Asimov is a good writer and he makes the bible a fun read.
>agnostic atheist I don't think I've seen these words used together. I've always understood the difference to be that an atheist is as sure in his beliefs as the religious zealot, each with the same amount of proof backing their opinions up. An agnostic realizing this lack of proof simply says "I don't know".
Gnosticism and theism are orthogonal and can be mixed and matched.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#308The Fabric of The Cosmos by Brian Greene
Mind-bending explanations of modern physics and how our Newtonian intuition is far from reality.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#309House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. It re-inspired my desire to read fiction. It's an internet rabbit hole crystallized into paper.
Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life?
#310The Color Purple - Even on re-reading I get emotional because the story is so powerful and impactful to me.