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Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?

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Re: Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?

#131

Post by decasteve »

thorin wrote: post #21

Travels - Michael Crichton, got me into travelling, the outdoors and an interest in inner travel The hobbit - came with the adventure game that my aunty had on her c64 got me into computers and reading aged about 7 Fear - Thich nhat hahn, read repeatably during recent hard times. Might need to re-read again soon...

Bruce Lee: Artist of Life (in 2001). This book set me on a path that transformed my life more than any other book.

I met Thich Nhat Hanh in 2005. It's a meeting that changed my life. I've been rereading The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching since then.

Re: Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?

#132

Post by decasteve »

roymurdock wrote: post #47

omnivore's dilemma - fantastic look at modern day industrial food supply chain and consequences/alternatives. perfect amount of science, business, psychology analysis applied to a topic that affects all of us 3+ times a day

I read In Defense of Food first and that seemed to stick with me too.

Re: Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?

#133

Post by hazz99 »

tbjohnston wrote: post #50

1. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius - practical advice on how to arm yourself every day. 2. Man's Search for Meaning by Frankl - no matter how bad you think you have it, it can be worse, and you can find meaning. 3. The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen - it's the journey (not the destination) and pay attention!

I tried getting through Meditations, but I couldn't. Maybe I'm more used to long-form writings, rather than the short paragraphs? I could read them, but I felt like they didn't "sink in", even if I felt they were profound at the time.

Re: Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?

#134

Post by hood_syntax »

camjohnson26 wrote: post #57

Mere Christianity by CS Lewis. As a teenager it gave me an intellectual basis for my faith and helped me see it could be defensible. Darwin's Doubt by Stephen Meyer. If God exists methodological naturalism can't be completely true. This book helped me see that there's still areas science can't fully explain, like the information explosion of the Cambrian Explosion. Please don't burn me at the stake.

Although I'm not as religious as I used to be, I still highly regard 'The Screwtape Letters'. CS Lewis is an excellent writer.

Re: Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?

#137

Post by thorin »

decasteve wrote: post #131
thorin wrote: post #21

Travels - Michael Crichton, got me into travelling, the outdoors and an interest in inner travel The hobbit - came with the adventure game that my aunty had on her c64 got me into computers and reading aged about 7 Fear - Thich nhat hahn, read repeatably during recent hard times. Might need to re-read again soon...

Bruce Lee: Artist of Life (in 2001). This book set me on a path that transformed my life more than any other book. I met Thich Nhat Hanh in 2005. It's a meeting that changed my life. I've been rereading The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching since then.

I have already been recommended the bruce lee book, I'd order it now but I've literally just fired off an order for some of the books in this thread.

Re: Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?

#138

Post by Grangar »

tw1010 wrote: post #41

I'll give you a much higher life-changing-amplitude if you relax the one-book constraint. One book and I can give you something that might impact your life a few months, but that you'll likely forget afterwards. Allow me to suggest ten books (which I promise will all be focused on one specific area, and you promise you'll study seriously), and I'll give you something that will make a much higher, and long lasting, im…

It's been 16 hours. Are you gonna make good on that promise?

Re: Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?

#139

Post by TheTrotters »

monksy wrote: post #69
daphneokeefe wrote: post #54

Obligatory "48 Laws of Power". You have to understand the rules, even if you don't want to actively participate. Greene's other books are good, too.

They're not as strong. But to echo that. 21 Strategies of war is good the 51st law is not so great. Mastery Is ok The last I heard from Robert Greene was that he was working on a book about the motivations of people. However, I haven't heard of any progress.

I couldn't stand Mastery. It's superficial, pseudo-profound, and full of banalities. After that I've stayed away from anything by Greene.

Re: Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?

#140

Post by Glench »

svat wrote: post #103
Glench wrote: post #72

Non-violent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg. After reading this book, the way I related and communicated with people completely changed. Concretely, right after I read it, a break up that would have been very tense for me became straightforward and peaceful. Also, using NVC techniques, a fight with my friend got transformed into both of us getting tearful and pulling over the car to hug each other because we felt…

The developer of NPM.js recommended this book highly[1] on his blog, so I picked it up. Already on a first reading[2] I could see its potential to be life-changing. It has definitely changed how I interact with (or see) others (and myself), and I am trying to put more of it in practice; currently on a second reading. I think it appeals to the programmer/mathematician in me, because to a large extent it is teaching me…

Well said!
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