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Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

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Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#211

Post by Dowwie »

dottedmag wrote: post #7

«Systems thinking» by Levenchuk. Masterful distillation of the most important parts of current systems engineering and systems management into a broadly applicable systems thinking approach. The book is now reworked to a course and is currently free: https://eem.institute/open-endedness/systems-thinking/ TBH I read the original (in Russian), and English translation does not seem to be of stellar quality.

Have you taken the program, or any of its courses? Can I reach out to you to chat about your experiences?

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#212

Post by dottedmag »

Dowwie wrote: post #211
dottedmag wrote: post #7

«Systems thinking» by Levenchuk. Masterful distillation of the most important parts of current systems engineering and systems management into a broadly applicable systems thinking approach. The book is now reworked to a course and is currently free: https://eem.institute/open-endedness/systems-thinking/ TBH I read the original (in Russian), and English translation does not seem to be of stellar quality.

Have you taken the program, or any of its courses? Can I reach out to you to chat about your experiences?

I have. Sure, the contacts are in the profile.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#213

Post by alexpetralia »

gyulai wrote: post #200
alexpetralia wrote: post #188

- Seeing Like a State: how legibility informs how societies and people view reality - Antifragile: how things benefit from volatility - Hold Me Tight: relationship advice - The Lucifer Principle: energy flows - Scale: how patterns persist across various scales

> "Scale" Can you give the author?

Geoffrey West

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#214

Post by mejutoco »

rubayeet wrote: post #15

Masters of Doom. It’s the story of two renowned game developers, John Karmack and John Romero, and how they built id Software, the video game company that profoundly changed PC gaming and graphics. I was writing software for enterprise / consulting companies at the time (early phase of my career). This book opened my eyes to the crazy/wonderful/scary world of ‘startups’, the idea that people can bring their passion i…

In a similar vein: the making of prince of Persia.

You really see the highs and the lows in this book about the developing of prince of Persia. It is structured as a diary, so you can see other interests (learning Spanish, becoming a script writer). It is a good insight at how long developing something real feels IMO.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#215

Post by rramadass »

rajeshp1986 wrote: post #79
hayst4ck wrote: post #76

I would look for books that either: 1. Increase context on problems being solved 2. Improve tactics/strategies/systemic understanding 3. Improve physical health/mental health If you want to think better, I think physical health and mental health will have the highest return by far. Thinking is kind of like driving. Imagine driving a car where some parts are broken (mental health problem) or a really uncomfortable sea…

I am not able to spend enough time on solving problems and my mind wanders away. What books/resources do you suggest to improve this?

There is nothing other than practicing Self-Discipline to manage this.

Isolate yourself in a room with Book to study, Notebook to take notes in, Pen/Pencil. No Music/TV/White Noise/Distractions etc. It is just you and the subject to be studied. Set yourself a Functional unit of study (say a complete chapter) and fixed amount of Time(say 30-mins to 1-Hour) to do it in before you take a break. This is key. Your Mind will take some time (say 10-15 mins) to calm/settle down so you have to persevere. That is where taking Notes (eg. Cornell Note-taking method) comes in handy. It helps your Mind gradually Focus on the subject matter by involving your entire organism through the process of active Writing. You can also read out aloud along with the above. Another Technique to help your Mind Focus is to invent a ritual to do explicitly only before starting a study session. The Mind works contextually and hence once trained with a specific ritual before a study session will automatically switch to that state on encountering the ritual. This is the formation of a "Habit"; and Self-Discipline is the key.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#216

Post by rramadass »

dottedmag wrote: post #7

«Systems thinking» by Levenchuk. Masterful distillation of the most important parts of current systems engineering and systems management into a broadly applicable systems thinking approach. The book is now reworked to a course and is currently free: https://eem.institute/open-endedness/systems-thinking/ TBH I read the original (in Russian), and English translation does not seem to be of stellar quality.

I see the course but not the Book? Can you point me to it please?

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#217

Post by rramadass »

Aromasin wrote: post #12

This might sound odd for those who know it, but the "48 Laws of Power" I've always felt worth recommending. It gives insight into how the power-hungry think and act, and is a valuable tool for helping to recognizing when a sociopathic/narcissistic person is trying to manipulate or undermine you. I think it crumbled away some of that social naivety I used to have, but in a good way. It made me more empathetic to peopl…

If you liked that book, you should read the original sources from which Robert Greene derived his (too simplified) work viz. the works of Baltasar Gracian, Machiavelli, Francesco Guicciardini, Baldassare Castiglione etc.

These are far more nuanced and all-encompassing books on what i call "Worldly Wisdom" i.e. dealing with the World as is rather than how you would like it to be. These sort of books are some of my favourites that i constantly keep going back to.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#218

Post by kickaha »

The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking by Burger and Starbird.

https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691156668/th...

Defies categorization, difficult to summarize. A tutorial for effective and fulfilling learning, grappling with challenging intellectual problems, and for cultivating creativity.

It’s easy to read it superficially. The authors recommend reading it three times through. I read it again with first semester college students every fall. In actual fact, returning to it always reveals more insights (at least for me).

Most students roll their eyes and miss the value. But every year students come back and tell me that it changed the way they think when they got to college.

I’ve gotten some colleagues hooked on it too.

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#219

Post by dotemacs »

westurner wrote: post #50
tolleydbg wrote: post #40

This suggestion is humorous, but absolutely true: Potty Training In 3 Days. Before having children, I thought I was fairly empathetic and introspective, but raising a child helped me realize how superficial those traits in myself were. I'm being completely honest when I say this book made me a better leader and project manager - having a better understanding of the motivations of others, incentivizing those looking t…

"The Everyday Parenting Toolkit: The Kazdin Method for Easy, Step-by-Step, Lasting Change for You and Your Child" https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/g/11h7dr5mm6&hl=en-US&q... "Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing" (Kazdin, Yale,) https://www.coursera.org/learn/everyday-parenting : > The course will also shed light on many parenting misconceptions and ineffective strategies that are routinely used. Re: Eff…

Thanks for these suggestions, bought the books & signed up for the course!

Re: Ask HN: Which books have made you a better thinker and problem solver?

#220

Post by nashashmi »

sureglymop wrote: post #209
nashashmi wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being a soldier is more than just about fighting in war. It’s about handling difficulties. It’s about constantly being on the move even when you are tired. It is about protecting your comrades. It is about containing your anger in difficulty. It is about discipline. It is about management, leadership, camaraderie. It is about being human. It is about way more stuff than that. And maybe one day someone will share ever…

I will tell you as someone who had to do mandatory army service that this wasn't my experience at all. Being a soldier is about being a mindless vessel that can take orders, execute them and report back for more orders. If you start to think, think creatively or show too much empathy or compassion you might get punished.

Mandatory army service can be like that. It’s like everyone’s miserable to be there. The grunts hate it. Their superiors think they hate it and so treat them like they are worthless. A soul sucking experience if you are unfortunate.
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