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Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?

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281–290 of 294 posts

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?

#282

I only just finished Amanda Palmer's "The Art of Asking" (read by the author), but I already find it invaluable. If you're an aspiring freelancer or working on creative projects of your own, in particular, then her story has a lot for you.

Oh, thank you, I was looking for a book like that.

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?

#283
post #44

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield It's written for writers but is relevant broadly. The message is pretty simple and you don't really need to read the whole book to get it. It's one of those keep-driving-the-message self help-ish books. Basically the point is to name and shame "resistance," a catch all term for procrastination, fear and everything else that prevents a writer from writing a book. It also applies to…

I read this as well. The author bundles up most problems into something called "resistance" and then encourages you to fight "resistance." To me, this was pseudo religious nonsense, and I could never fully buy the concept.

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?

#284
post #51

The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing. Learning about the financial system really changed my perspective on how to deal with money in the long term. It has had immediate effects on my life. I learned about taxation in detail, opened an account on a discount brokerage, changed saving patterns, and have made a portfolio for the next 10 years. I have a spreadsheet of how much I can spend and componentize my bank cards. One…

Would this book be helpful for those who live in the UK? Or is it very US specific?

I would say, no. There's tons of practical advice, but in general it covers principles of sound personal finance, such as how to be savvy with your personal savings.

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?

#285
‘The Circle’ written by David Eggers and published this year, is a modern day twist on 1984 but it seemed so real and so close to where we are heading as a digital society. I recommend it, especially for those in the tech space. It was a fun fictional page turner and I couldn’t put it down for the week. http://www.amazon.com/The-Circle-Dave-Eggers/dp/0345807294

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?

#286
The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker.

It's about how death shapes life and human society. Completely changed how I view life and the world around me. Also launched me on a path that's resulted in me successfully combating depression and anxiety (and no, it's not a self-help book). It's a fascinating read.

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?

#287
post #272
post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy - William B. Irvine I read this, and have nothing bad to say about it per se. I think Stoicism in the classic sense is very under-appreciated these days, and it's good to have a book to serve as an introduction. But I personally found it to be very repetitive. The historical context part is worth reading in my opinion, but apart from that you'd be better off re…

Marcus Aurelius is an overrated bad philosopher. a) he takes a high moral position but persecuted christians in his kingdom (he is just a fascist in modern terms) b) he should have chosen to write in his native tongue instead he chose greek (according to jean-luc marion, wrote in bad greek), which makes me think he was just a pretentious guy who wanted to join the ranks of the great greek philosophers. And yes, I've…

If you want to understand Meditations and Marcus Aurelius, you should read The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot. For instance, there are good reasons for his writing in Greek, for the format of the book, for the repetitiveness, etc.

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?

#288
post #56

For the mind: http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Good-Life-Ancient-Stoic/dp/01953... A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy - William B. Irvine Not only a description of the Stoic philosophy, which is, unfortunately, not very well known today, but also a great practical guide to a variety of techniques that can be included into daily activities easily, and will increase happiness. For the body: http://www.am…

It's worth noting that much of what Irvine lays out in this book is closer to Epicureanism than Stoicism, per say. For a better treatment of Stoicism, I'd recommend The Inner Citadel by Pierre Hadot.

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?

#289
post #272
post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy - William B. Irvine I read this, and have nothing bad to say about it per se. I think Stoicism in the classic sense is very under-appreciated these days, and it's good to have a book to serve as an introduction. But I personally found it to be very repetitive. The historical context part is worth reading in my opinion, but apart from that you'd be better off re…

Marcus Aurelius is an overrated bad philosopher. a) he takes a high moral position but persecuted christians in his kingdom (he is just a fascist in modern terms) b) he should have chosen to write in his native tongue instead he chose greek (according to jean-luc marion, wrote in bad greek), which makes me think he was just a pretentious guy who wanted to join the ranks of the great greek philosophers. And yes, I've…

b) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koine_Greek

Re: Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?

#290
The Age of Miracles: A novel, Karen Thompson Walker - ever wonder how will homo sapiens survive?

Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman - taught me how to make better decisions

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, Chip Heath - improved my ability to persuade.

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