Ask HN: Please name two of your most favorite books.

Not meant to hamper your productivity.

I only read technical and business material, I love this type of stuff.

1. The Windows 3.1 manual. A hardcopy in a small grey ring binder that shipped with the operating system when I bought it new. I read it cover to cover to cover 3 times because I wanted to know everything about it. I kept thinking this is a lot like UNIX but nicer to use except for the fact that it had less features than UNIX. Every time I re-read the manual I would think of new things I wished it would do! Which lead me to examine--every--file in the operating system looking for a way to make it better, until Windows 95 came out, lol.

2. EMC Retrospect for Windows Users Guide. I read it cover to cover twice (it’s a 300 page pdf). It is my absolute favorite. If you ever want to learn about backup, this is a great read. Pure tech stuff, no fluff. Here is link if anyone is interested, it’s free: http://www.retrospect.com/assets/en_rug_win75.pdf

1984

(I don't read much)

among my favorites. Every time you pick a page to read, it's just like watching a sunset; it's never the same.

Hackers and painters

Gitanjali

Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl