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Ask HN: What are you reading these days?

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Re: Ask HN: What are you reading these days?

#71

Post by wolframhempel »

LoFiSamurai wrote: post #30
wolframhempel wrote: post #26

Last three things I read (slightly all over the place): - Aleister Crowley by Steven Ashe: A biography of the British occultist. - Going Infinite by Michael Lewis: A (very well meaning) story of Sam Bankman-Fried - The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt: A book about "safety culture" on campus and it's implications at large.

I thought The Coddling of the American Mind was excellent.

Yup. I've been looking for books that explain the underlying structures and dynamics of "wokeness" for a while. I feel "the Coddling" does a good job for some aspects of it. The best book I found so far in this regard is "Cynical Theories" by Helen Pluckrose. You read it and just think: "yeah, this is it". Unfortunately it's written like a PhD thesis, so not the lightest read.

Re: Ask HN: What are you reading these days?

#75

Post by QwertyPi »

nbonaparte wrote: post #65

Just finished The Song of the Cell , currently reading Gravity’s Rainbow (lol) and starting The Horse, the Wheel, and Language .

Gravity's Rainbow is just a shadow of Pynchon's best work by a large margin, Mason & Dixon. I can't recommend it highly enough. It's probably the best novel I've ever read.

Re: Ask HN: What are you reading these days?

#76

Post by TheAceOfHearts »

vidyesh wrote: post #62

Actively reading: - The Fountainhead - Project Hail Mary - Learning TypeScript Passively reading: - The Design of Everyday Things - Dive into Design Patterns Considering to read - This is mostly for anyone who has read them and would like to give their opinion about it. - Algorithms to Live By - Name of the Wind - Malazan Book of the Fallen - Good Girl's guide to murder - The Paradox of Choice - Moonwalking with Eins…

Re: Name of the Wind. I read the first book in the series and enjoyed it but didn't continue after finding out that the author has stalled indefinitely with the third volume. I understand that mental health issues are serious, but there's so many good finished series out in the world that I don't get why people keep recommending this guy's books.

There was also some drama surrounding the author due to some charity donations. He had agreed to release the first chapter of book 3 if some donation threshold was passed, but it has now been over a year and he still hasn't released it afaik.

Re: Ask HN: What are you reading these days?

#77

Post by renke1 »

graposaymaname wrote: post #74

I’m reading two very interesting books right now. - Designing Data Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann; comprehensive study on data models. - 9 Pints by Rose George; it’s 9 stories/anecdotes about blood. Supremely enjoyable non-fiction writing.

Designing Data Intensive Applications is really good, because it gives you an good overview of data systems. I had the feeling I don't have to understand all the details yet I would learn a lot.

Are there other books like this?

Re: Ask HN: What are you reading these days?

#78

Post by samskot »

vidyesh wrote: post #62

Actively reading: - The Fountainhead - Project Hail Mary - Learning TypeScript Passively reading: - The Design of Everyday Things - Dive into Design Patterns Considering to read - This is mostly for anyone who has read them and would like to give their opinion about it. - Algorithms to Live By - Name of the Wind - Malazan Book of the Fallen - Good Girl's guide to murder - The Paradox of Choice - Moonwalking with Eins…

I'm reading Algorithms to Live By at the moment. It's very interesting and definitely worth reading.

Re: Ask HN: What are you reading these days?

#80

Post by jeksn »

pdinny wrote: post #43
jeksn wrote: post #31

I’ve been getting into Italo Calvino after reading Invisible Cities, which was great. Right now I’m reading The Baron in the Trees.

I'm a big Calvino fan and can thoroughly recommend Cosmicomics as a great collection of shorts. If you enjoy Calvino you may also enjoy Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges.

Funny enough I bought Ficciones by Borges at the same time and will read it next.
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