Ask HN: Any interesting books you have read lately?

In jeeves and wooster, there isn't much word play. It is somewhat antiquated english though, and wooster likes shortening words (the metrop, instead of metropolis/london, "thos" instead of thomas (almost pronounced "foss" but with a th sound))

Its not hard like oscar wilde, but its not overly easy. You _might_ want to try watching the Fry and Laurie version first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkLulnrecAQ

First was Gene Wolfe’s The Shadow of the Torturer. After about 1/4th of the book, I didn’t care about anything. Neither the world nor the main character. Decided to stop there, it seems it’s not for me.

Next up, Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea Again, I stopped after 25%. This time the story was interesting enough, but I couldn’t stand her writing style, everything was written as if it was a prologue and the actual story is starting anytime now. That just got real annoying when it’s the main story.

Finally, I jumped many years forward (both regarding the release, and the setting), and started Pierce Brown’s Red Rising which I’m enjoying very much so far.

Say, I manage engineers, and I have a new intern, who is supposed to behave in a particular way, with particular standards. Their words strongly suggest sincerity, but again and again their actions go in the opposite direction. Why does this happen, what's the "problem"?

From Bohms framework, this sort of behavior is way too common, and it is due to the paradoxical nature of our psychological machinery. It's not a problem, it's a paradox. In the mind of the intern, there tends to be competing and opposing needs. One hand, they want higher quality output (verbally asserted). On the other hand, the unspoken parts of the mind demand comfort and energy saving. On top of this "incoherent" intentions/results, the intern will seem like they're lying, since words and actions/results don't match. They say they want quality, but behavior goes another way.

So, I see this entire situation clearly, so I become more patient. I understand it's not a simple situation, there's a lot going on underneath the hood. I can help this intern see their inner contradiction, generate higher awareness, make them work with less inner friction (and eventually less external friction). My process for helping someone out becomes accurate, crisp and helpful due to these additional insights from Bohm.

This is just one instance of Bohms framework helping me out in a practical organizational context.

Interesting:

The Ark before Noah, Dr Irvine Finkel: A very engaging and slightly humorous history of arks from before the time of the Bible. Its not a religious book, its a book about myths/history.

A very english Scandal: a long tale about how the establishment closed ranks around a slimy piece of shit.

Fun:

Will save the galaxy for cash, by Yahtzee Croshaw: Actually funny scifi, best listened to when narrated by the author. His other series is also great too.

Death and Croissants, Ian Moore: gentle humorous crime thriller. Follows a divorced slightly unsuccessful middle aged man who has emigrated from britian to france and runs a B&B. he bumps into a glamorous but mysterious woman who he struggles to keep up with. best listened to by the author.

Engaging:

Casino royale: ian flemming. Its not at all like the movies. A page turner, but has 1930s attitudes to things. Its not as obvious as Live and let die, which is full of words you cant say in public.