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Ask HN: What's your favorite book you've read?

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Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite book you've read?

#3

Post by jll29 »

Torn between

It's a poem published in 1979 by the son of a physics Nobel prize winner, and it's about consciousness and artificial intelligence, and how they relate to mathematical proofs, music compositions (especially Baroque organ music) and visual art. It is full of self-references.

It's a twelve-episode science mystery called "TAOCP"... eagerly awaiting episode 4c! It's full of passion, hard facts, proofs, code fragments, even music scores and of course jokes.

Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite book you've read?

#7

Post by chistev »

ratracer2025 wrote: post #4

- Lost Connections by Johann Hari (Life, Overcome depression) - 1946: The Making of the Modern World : Sebestyen, Victor (History, WWII) - Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

I've seen Sapiens mentioned a lot, but I've read that it's been criticized by the scientific community as not being accurate, so I just haven't read it because of that.

Re: Ask HN: What's your favorite book you've read?

#8

Post by HenryBemis »

Books: Siddartha: to think about myself and my changes/voyage through life.

  Half-time: to think what-the-hell-comes-next (only if you are 40+)(it won't resonate with a 20yo)

  Systemantics, Nexus: if you work in mega-big-corpos this will save your life

  Hold on to your kids, The anxious generation: if you got kids

  Strong Fathers Strong Daughters: (and mothers/sons) if you got kids (too Christian-y for my taste but an amazing 'manual' to manage the relationship with your kid(s))

  1984, Animal Farm, Gulag Archipelago: ...

  Light on Yoga: (also do practice yoga, it's good for most-if-not-all)
You asked for "one book"... but.. life.. is not 'one' thing. Systemantics (and Dilbert) have helped me stay afloat at work. Siddartha gave me a perspective in live about myself, the different 'people' I have been throughout my life.

All the listed ones are books I read and read again every few years. They shaped me the first time I read them, keep me 'grounded'/taking stock/thinking the 'change' in me and my life. I see them as a 'check-diff' and how I have changed/evolved/devolved since the last time I read it/them.

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