Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Five Books: The best books on everything

fivebooks.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 91 posts

Re: Five Books: The best books on everything

#41

Post by epgui »

leto_ii wrote: post #6

I find this to be simplistic pop intelectual nonsense. This is not how to learn anything. It's way more meaningful to understand and pursue your own actual interests than to humble brag by ticking the "correct" readings. Not to mention that talking about the best anything is basically meaningless, except for very tightly constrained achievements (e.g. we can talk about the best sprinter, but who's the best philosophe…

Agreed, the first thing I did was look at the categories in which I can argue I have expertise... And the five recommended books in each of these is grade 10 level pop-science at best.

Re: Five Books: The best books on everything

#42

Post by comicjk »

Nihilartikel wrote: post #37
deevus wrote: post #33

I was recently recommended the sci-fi space opera "A Fire Upon the Deep" by Vernor Vinge. That was an absolute blast to read. If you're into computer science, you'll really dig it. There is a summary with no spoilers at the start of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5jTNUSIR18

I was recommended the not-really-a-prequel, 'A deepness in the sky' and quite enjoyed that too! Very different plot, with a few connecting elements to the former, but still cracking good sci Fi.

I think A Deepness In The Sky is actually better, especially for people on here. The story takes place on spaceships thousands of years in the future, but the characters are still using code based on Unix timestamps, and still complaining about legacy software.

Re: Five Books: The best books on everything

#44

Post by budafish »

ofalkaed wrote: post #26

When ever I am getting into a new topic I try to start with OUP's Very Short Introduction series [0]. They generally do not give good understanding but they orient you in the field and provide extensive bibliographies along with the knowledge required to navigate that bibliography and select the sources which will give you the information you desire instead of what someone else thinks you want. Failing that I just go…

Thank you for this. I had no idea this series existed! It's exactly the level of info I want when picking up a new topic!

And bonus is my local library stocks many of them!

Re: Five Books: The best books on everything

#45

Post by jvanderbot »

comicjk wrote: post #42
Nihilartikel wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was recommended the not-really-a-prequel, 'A deepness in the sky' and quite enjoyed that too! Very different plot, with a few connecting elements to the former, but still cracking good sci Fi.

I think A Deepness In The Sky is actually better, especially for people on here. The story takes place on spaceships thousands of years in the future, but the characters are still using code based on Unix timestamps, and still complaining about legacy software.

100 percent. I read deepness before fire, and was terribly disappointed by the latter, even though it was a perfectly great book - just didn't measure up.

Re: Five Books: The best books on everything

#46

Post by musicale »

epgui wrote: post #41
leto_ii wrote: post #6

I find this to be simplistic pop intelectual nonsense. This is not how to learn anything. It's way more meaningful to understand and pursue your own actual interests than to humble brag by ticking the "correct" readings. Not to mention that talking about the best anything is basically meaningless, except for very tightly constrained achievements (e.g. we can talk about the best sprinter, but who's the best philosophe…

Agreed, the first thing I did was look at the categories in which I can argue I have expertise... And the five recommended books in each of these is grade 10 level pop-science at best.

> grade 10 level pop-science at best

The quantum computing books include at least one undergraduate text (Quantum Computing for Computer Scientists) and a more expansive reference (Quantum Computation and Quantum Information).

The CS books for data science include two undergraduate texts (SICP; Algorithm Design Manual by Skiena).

The regular CS books include two different undergraduate texts (Algorithms by Sedgewick and Wayne; Types and Programming Languages). I actually haven't read the latter, so maybe I will pick it up!

SICP is obviously a bona fide classic of CS and a great top 5 candidate. I also like Skiena's book a lot (and his lectures are available online and quite good).

Re: Five Books: The best books on everything

#47

Post by [deleted] »

comicjk wrote: post #42
Nihilartikel wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was recommended the not-really-a-prequel, 'A deepness in the sky' and quite enjoyed that too! Very different plot, with a few connecting elements to the former, but still cracking good sci Fi.

I think A Deepness In The Sky is actually better, especially for people on here. The story takes place on spaceships thousands of years in the future, but the characters are still using code based on Unix timestamps, and still complaining about legacy software.

[deleted]

Re: Five Books: The best books on everything

#48

Post by rocauc »

nindalf wrote: post #5

The Economist does something similar with their Economist Reads column. Their topics are more esoteric though. The best books to understand - The Scottish Independence Movement - https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/2023/05/02/wha... - Poker - https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/2023/04/16/wha... - Florida - https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/2023/04/16/wha... - Investing - https://www.e…

- Florida link - https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/2023/03/24/wha...

(noticed you accidentally linked to the Poker list twice and went looking)

Re: Five Books: The best books on everything

#49

Post by deevus »

jvanderbot wrote: post #45
comicjk wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think A Deepness In The Sky is actually better, especially for people on here. The story takes place on spaceships thousands of years in the future, but the characters are still using code based on Unix timestamps, and still complaining about legacy software.

100 percent. I read deepness before fire, and was terribly disappointed by the latter, even though it was a perfectly great book - just didn't measure up.

I think reading Fire before Deepness was a good choice for me personally. I loved absolutely loved the Tines race and the stories of that world.

Re: Five Books: The best books on everything

#50

Post by pkd »

deevus wrote: post #33

I was recently recommended the sci-fi space opera "A Fire Upon the Deep" by Vernor Vinge. That was an absolute blast to read. If you're into computer science, you'll really dig it. There is a summary with no spoilers at the start of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5jTNUSIR18

The thing I found amazing when I found Verner Vinge was that there were still sci-fi authors of his calibre that I had never heard of, given I have been reading sci-fi since I was 8. There are more things in this world etc etc.

A Fire Upon The Deep belongs on any sci-fi cannon and is probably top 10.

Post reply on HN