Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Good books?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 170 posts

Re: Ask HN: Good books?

#141

Post by wdr1 »

mapleoin wrote: post #135
jakevoytko wrote: post #62

If you liked "Atlas Shrugged", you will love "East of Eden" by George Steinbeck. It has some passages on self-determination that puts anything found in Rand to shame. It's a tome, and it starts slow - do yourself a favor and make it through the introduction of one of the villains, Kathy (chapter 8 or so). It doesn't slow down after that. "The Watchmen" by Alan Moore. It may be a graphic novel, but the issues it raise…

Could you put into words the chilling issues about ethics and morality found in The Watchmen ? I've read it some year ago, but I really can't remember anything striking, though I'd like to.

I believe he's referring to the end: If you could save the world, but to do so, you had to destroy New York City, could you? Should you? How much evil is acceptable in order to do good?

Re: Ask HN: Good books?

#142

Post by barrkel »

kranner wrote: post #86
lispm wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Glass Bead Game is mostly about useless academics that play a useless game and are remote from reality. The main character tries to find true meaning, then dies a sudden death, unfit for life when confronted with it.

And Ulysses is about a man taking a walk... It's that perception of 'useless' that The Glass Bead Game addresses for me, at a personal level. YMMV.

I don't think lispm was expressing a judgement on The Glass Bead Game, but rather pointing out the subtext of the book. The parallel with Ulysses is not applicable, IMHO; a day of a man's life is just the ostensible surface of the book, not its subtext.

Re: Ask HN: Good books?

#144

Post by abhiyerra »

metamemetics wrote: post #32
abhiyerra wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love the Bhagavad Gita. I just wish Hindus actually followed what it said... That being said my additions to the mix are: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse Dhammapada Tipitaka ( http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/index.html ) Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault Philosophy in the Flesh by George Lakoff

I've listened to a couple recorded lectures by Lakoff before and enjoyed them, I'll have to add Philosophy in the Flesh to my reading list, thanks.

I took a Metaphors class with him. One of my more influential professors.

Re: Ask HN: Good books?

#145

Post by JeffL »

"Economics in One Lesson" by Henry Hazlitt is one of those perfect little books that can greatly expand your world view in one night. I highly recommend it. (http://www.amazon.com/Economics-One-Lesson-Shortest-Understa...)

Also, I second Walden by Thoreau and suggest you read the Fountainhead. The Fountainhead isn't quite as blunt as Atlas Shrugged, but I find it a lot more life affirming and positive.

Re: Ask HN: Good books?

#146

Post by vithlani »

coderholic wrote: post #53
yewweitan wrote: post #35

If I were to name one, it would be "The Black Swan", by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. You hear all the time about how unlikely it is for someone to succeed as a startup. Or how the Democrats have a 65% chance of winning. Or even how statistically speaking, it's safer to fly than to drive. After going through that book, my perception on randomness was changed forever.

Have you read the Taleb's previous book, "Fooled by Randomness"? I was completely blown away by it. I didn't find "Black Swan" to be anywhere near as interesting, but that could just be because I read it second.

I agree -- FBR is a much deeper book.

Re: Ask HN: Good books?

#147

Post by brunoc »

jakevoytko wrote: post #62

If you liked "Atlas Shrugged", you will love "East of Eden" by George Steinbeck. It has some passages on self-determination that puts anything found in Rand to shame. It's a tome, and it starts slow - do yourself a favor and make it through the introduction of one of the villains, Kathy (chapter 8 or so). It doesn't slow down after that. "The Watchmen" by Alan Moore. It may be a graphic novel, but the issues it raise…

If it turns out that you enjoy graphic novels, I'd recommend Alan Moore's "Promothea" as well.

Re: Ask HN: Good books?

#149

Post by GotToStartup »

lionhearted wrote: post #113

Has no one recommended Musashi? Really? Here's a writeup I did in another comment - -- If you're talented and get frustrated with stupid people, you have to read "Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa. I mean, you have to. Musashi was one of the greatest (maybe the greatest) swordsman of all time. He invented a Japanese longblade/shortblade mixed style of swordsmanship, at one point fighting himself out of an ambush when he was…

Bought the book because of this comment. I'm yet to read it though.

Re: Ask HN: Good books?

#150

Post by natep »

makmanalp wrote: post #82
jakevoytko wrote: post #62

If you liked "Atlas Shrugged", you will love "East of Eden" by George Steinbeck. It has some passages on self-determination that puts anything found in Rand to shame. It's a tome, and it starts slow - do yourself a favor and make it through the introduction of one of the villains, Kathy (chapter 8 or so). It doesn't slow down after that. "The Watchmen" by Alan Moore. It may be a graphic novel, but the issues it raise…

Surely You're Joking is amazing. It's one of those books I can't get enough of, and I reread it several times. I wish I had such an interesting life.

"Classic Feynman" is a compilation of Surely You're Joking and "What do you care what other people think?" plus some extra material. Highly recommended.
Post reply on HN