The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt
Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011
281–290 of 313 posts
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011
#282Earlier quoted context omitted.
Many non-arabic Muslims have not read the Koran, at least not most of it. There are a couple of reasons for this: Most importantly, translations of Koran are not equated to the real thing, i.e. a Koran in English is not the Koran, it's only a translation. This has historically been a handicap for the "common people" to have access to the book. This situation was also backed by the religious elite (although Islam lack…
All correct. I would also add that I (along with many other non-Arab muslims) had read the Koran at a very young age in Arabic phonetically without understanding what it means. As far as my parents (and our sunday school teachers) were concerned, it was just as good. It wasn't until later that I tracked down a translation.
Excellent point, which I've forgot. My mom and her neighbors perform the hatim during religious festivals using exactly the method you describe, without knowing one word of Arabic and without understanding anything. Reading in the native tongue is just not done.
As far as access to the contents of the Koran, Islam truly has some medieval qualities.
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011
#283Particularly memorable books I read (or re-read) this year: - Don't Make Me Think by Krug: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Make-Me-Think-Usability/dp/032134... - Apartment Therapy by Gillingham-Ryan http://www.amazon.com/Apartment-Therapy-Eight-Step-Home-Cure... - Presentation Zen by Gar http://www.amazon.com/Presentation-Zen-Simple-Design-Deliver... - Belisarius Saga by Flint and Drake http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/…
Wise Man's Fear was incredible. That's the only non-technical book I've read multiple times in years.
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011
#284Particularly memorable books I read (or re-read) this year: - Don't Make Me Think by Krug: http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Make-Me-Think-Usability/dp/032134... - Apartment Therapy by Gillingham-Ryan http://www.amazon.com/Apartment-Therapy-Eight-Step-Home-Cure... - Presentation Zen by Gar http://www.amazon.com/Presentation-Zen-Simple-Design-Deliver... - Belisarius Saga by Flint and Drake http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/…
Don't make me think was the best book I made someone else read in 2011. It changed my boss's view of our web site, and now he's on my 'side'.
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011
#285I can't really decide, but here are a few of my favorites. * Song of Ice and Fire series. I never really liked fantasy but this series is wonderful. The TV-series (Game of Thrones) is okay but a far cry from the books. * The Pragmatic Programmer. The best programming book I've seen. A must read for programmers I'd say. * Introduction to Algorithms. Haven't really gone through it but so far it's been great.
Complimentary to Introduction to Algorithms you might enjoy The Algorithm Design Manual (http://www.algorist.com/).
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011
#286Hmm... there have been a few, and I'd have to look through my "read books stack" to remind myself exactly which ones fell into 2011 and not prior years... but offhand, I'd mention: Fiction: Mona Lisa Overdrive - William Gibson Zero History - William Gibson 11/22/63 - Stephen King The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss The Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss Non-fiction: Ghost in the Wires - Kevin Mitnick The Elegant…
Reamde, non-fiction?
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011
#287Anathem - Neal Stephenson. Recommended here last year, it blew my mind in a similar way to Name of the Rose but with a sci-fi theme.
Dr Zhivago - Boris Pasternak. If you have not read any of the Russians, give this a go. Initially it is not easy, like all Russian literature, but the wonderfully poetic images and lyricism keep drawing you back. Easily my favourite for the year.
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011
#288I'm going to be on the receiving end of a great deal of vitriol for saying The Bible and the Koran, but sitting down and reading those two books—for the first time in my 21-year existence—was a really interesting experience. I'm not going to turn this into a personal essay. I realized—after reading both books with a critical eye—that there are a lot of trumped-up claims made about each books' contents that ultimately…
As someone who's made the transtion from muslim -> atheist, I was disappointed, confused and terrified when I first read a translation of the Koran. I'm genuinely curious as to what you've learned from it that's of any use, apart from perhaps, a deeper understanding of the thought-process and ethos of Islamic fundamentalists.
I am genuinely curious what you gleamed from your reading that made you atheist. I made the transition from atheist -> Muslim a few years back, though this was not solely from reading the Quran it certainly played a large role in it.
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011
#289Speaking of business books: Growing a business (old but still valid and great) and Setting the Table. Speaking of fiction I want to recommend Neil Gainman The Graveyard Book
just curious, where do you get updates for book recommendations or updates ?
Re: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011
#290Poor Economics - Changed my views on some areas of how to combat poverty and poor education. As well as relating a huge amount a detail regarding the unexpected ways people with different backgrounds behave.
just curious, where do you get updates for book recommendations or updates cuz that one is my favorite ?