Ask HN: Please name two of your most favorite books. • Hacker News Board

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

#71

Post by jey » Mon, Oct 12, 2009, 4:04 AM UTC

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!

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

#72

Post by aaronblohowiak » Mon, Oct 12, 2009, 4:06 AM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #30

gtt wrote: post #17

Nassim Nicholas Taleb -- The Black Swan Sun Tzu -- The Art of War Lao Tzu -- Tao Te Ching

2 == 3 for any sufficiently large value of '2' :)

If you think you understand 2, it is not the true 2

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

#73

Post by Scott_MacGregor » Mon, Oct 12, 2009, 4:10 AM UTC

mahmud wrote: post #25

The Story of Civilization; 11 volumes of pure joy. Will and Ariel Durant will make you fall in love with mankind. The most humanist take on history I have read. I read them over 6 years and I still live under the Durants' spell. Exquisite and delightful read. Muqadimat Ibn Khaldun. History, Sociology, Political Science, Scientific Empiricism, Theology, Superstition, Gossip, Leadership, Trivia .. it's everything. It f…

Muqadimat Ibn Khaldun. You make this book seem very interesting. Based on your description and explanation of it, I think many people from outside the Islamic culture might find this book fascinating (buy a copy) if it came with a running dialog inserted into the text as needed that explained the history and cultural beliefs of that time. Might be a best seller in the west.

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

#74

Post by cromulent » Mon, Oct 12, 2009, 4:12 AM UTC

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Pirsig

Asterix in Britain - Goscinny, Uderzo

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

#75

Post by kirpekar » Mon, Oct 12, 2009, 4:13 AM UTC

Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid; Douglas Hofstadter.

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies; Jared Diamond.

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

#76

Post by neuromancer2600 » Mon, Oct 12, 2009, 4:14 AM UTC

chaosmachine wrote: post #42

Neuromancer Dune

+1 for Neuromancer.

I recommend a non-fiction book for a different read: The Four Steps to the Epiphany by Steve Blank.

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

#77

Post by btilly » Mon, Oct 12, 2009, 4:15 AM UTC

ori_b wrote: post #12

Godel, Escher, Bach - Douglas Hofstadter Fiasco - Stanislaw Lem

When I was in grad school I noticed that Gödel, Escher, Bach was the book about mathematics that non-mathematicians had on their coffee table. The one that the mathematicians had was The Mathematical Experience.

If I had to name only one other book, for this audience I'd have to go with Code Complete.

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

#78

Post by tokenadult » Mon, Oct 12, 2009, 4:16 AM UTC

How Children Fail by John Holt

http://www.amazon.com/Children-Fail-Classics-Child-Developme...

The Nature of Paleolithic Art by R. Dale Guthrie

http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Paleolithic-Art-Dale-Guthrie/dp...

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

#79

Post by chops » Mon, Oct 12, 2009, 4:16 AM UTC

Atlas Shrugged

and

Masters of Doom: The story of Carmack, Romero, and id Software

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

#80

Post by simanyay » Mon, Oct 12, 2009, 4:17 AM UTC

Everytime I read a very good fiction book (or series) like Asimov's Foundation, Simmons' Hyperion Cantos or (currently reading) Stephenson's Cryptonomicon I think 'hey, this one is going to be my favorite'.