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YC’s Summer Reading

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Re: YC’s Summer Reading

#161

Post by fmavituna »

Yhippa wrote: post #12

Just curious, what's everybody's pace around here? It took me about a month to casually get through "Ready Player One" (great book BTW), and that was for a book club. It seems like a lot of the people I respect get through about a book a week. Either they're lying or have such good focus to avoid distractions other than books. Maybe I could put down the HN for a bit.

I used to commute 3 hours a day, I used to finish 1-2 books per week. 3 hours of solid reading every single day.

Now, depending on the book it can be 1 week to 3 months as I don't commute and when I'm at home it's quite hard to drop everything read for one hour.

So I think it depends on people's lifestyle, if you are commuting 3 hours a day reading a book in a week is very very easy.

Re: YC’s Summer Reading

#163

Post by erelde »

goodgoblin wrote: post #162

I just finished reading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quantum_Thief , and it was amazing. Best sci-fi book I've read since Neuromancer.

I read the three books last year, it really was good, left some strong impressions.

IMO: the beginning introduces some hard to get concepts, expecting the reader to stop and really try to understand.

PS/EDIT: I think Ars Technica is going to do or has done an interview of the author yesterday or today.

Re: YC’s Summer Reading

#164

Post by overcast »

bmer wrote: post #75
overcast wrote: post #73

I'm really surprised to see Ready Player One on there. It relied way too heavily on the 80's nostalgia, to prop up the shallow story telling. But even that got old, it was like hanging around with someone that talks entirely in movie quotes, while fun at the right times, gets stale fast. You didn't care about the character, because there was nothing for him to really lose.

Totally agree with you. I couldn't get past the first few chapters, because it was flat out boring. Compared to something like Leviathan Wakes, by James S.A. Corey...Ready Player One is so.... boring. There, I said it too.

I'll check out Leviathan Wakes, thanks!

Re: YC’s Summer Reading

#165

Post by ilamparithi »

bolasanibk wrote: post #107
facepalm wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you can recommend more female authors on par with, say, JK Rowling, Fred Vargas, Neil Gaiman or Patrick Rothfuss, I'd be happy to read them. It's hard enough to find good books, worrying about the author's gender is very pointless. Especially since I am not interested in women's issues, which nobody should be obliged to be.

I would highly recommend Lois McMaster Bujold. She is not hard sci fi though and the sci fi elements mostly act as a setting for the story.

Seconded. Her books are wonderful.

Re: YC’s Summer Reading

#166

Post by bewe42 »

avindroth wrote: post #120
Yhippa wrote: post #12

Just curious, what's everybody's pace around here? It took me about a month to casually get through "Ready Player One" (great book BTW), and that was for a book club. It seems like a lot of the people I respect get through about a book a week. Either they're lying or have such good focus to avoid distractions other than books. Maybe I could put down the HN for a bit.

I write a lot while reading. Sort of like having a conversation with the author. I read less books this way, but the knowledge in the books become much more internalized. I tend to implement them much faster too. And aren't we reading, in part, to better our lives (short-term pleasure or long-term changes)? Of course, I read fiction just for the pleasure as well (like Ready Player One). This method of reading also sh…

I use a similar but somewhat simpler method: whenever I read something, immediately after I have a finished I try to write down everything I remember. That has helped me a lot to internalize the material. Another method: in subjects I'm deeper interested, before starting to read, I scan the chapters and headlines and write down what I expect to learn and what I already know.

Re: YC’s Summer Reading

#167

Post by overcast »

wrsh07 wrote: post #122
overcast wrote: post #73

I'm really surprised to see Ready Player One on there. It relied way too heavily on the 80's nostalgia, to prop up the shallow story telling. But even that got old, it was like hanging around with someone that talks entirely in movie quotes, while fun at the right times, gets stale fast. You didn't care about the character, because there was nothing for him to really lose.

It's fun, but if you want dystopian capitalist world with a parallel vr universe, snow crash has more surprising ideas. (And better writing) Although it's a bit violent and has some... interesting mechanisms (as I was told: it gets weird) Also, the nostalgia comes baked in because it was written in the 90s. Still super relevant though

I thought SnowCrash was horrendous, with terrible writing. Most overrated book I've read to date, by far.

Re: YC’s Summer Reading

#168

Post by avindroth »

bewe42 wrote: post #166
avindroth wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I write a lot while reading. Sort of like having a conversation with the author. I read less books this way, but the knowledge in the books become much more internalized. I tend to implement them much faster too. And aren't we reading, in part, to better our lives (short-term pleasure or long-term changes)? Of course, I read fiction just for the pleasure as well (like Ready Player One). This method of reading also sh…

I use a similar but somewhat simpler method: whenever I read something, immediately after I have a finished I try to write down everything I remember. That has helped me a lot to internalize the material. Another method: in subjects I'm deeper interested, before starting to read, I scan the chapters and headlines and write down what I expect to learn and what I already know.

That is awesome. Reminds me of Barbara Oakley's Mind for Numbers; she tells her students to practice recall rather than rereading the material for learning.

When I am reading to converse, I am inclined towards not looking at the original text while writing notes. This helps me capture the material into the right context, as well as remember in the long-term.

Re: YC’s Summer Reading

#169

Post by avindroth »

sp527 wrote: post #128
avindroth wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I write a lot while reading. Sort of like having a conversation with the author. I read less books this way, but the knowledge in the books become much more internalized. I tend to implement them much faster too. And aren't we reading, in part, to better our lives (short-term pleasure or long-term changes)? Of course, I read fiction just for the pleasure as well (like Ready Player One). This method of reading also sh…

I'd be very curious to hear more about this. I've flirted on and off with note-taking on books for all the same reasons you mention, but I invariably feel guilty about progressing too slowly. In a weird way, I think this a quintessentially American affliction - like our obsession with throughput and productivity washes into our real lives as well. I'm just wondering what you do to fight that instinct. Specifically, I…

I feel much smarter after reading more slowly. When someone asks me, "What are you reading?" I feel much more confident in answering that question.

And the knowledge is less flimsy as well; I become a master, not a slave, of the material. I do not place the source material on a pedestal. I take what I need, and discard the garbage.

I can also cook the material much better. I am able to merge ideas from the book with my previous interests. The products from mental fusing turn out to be solid business ideas and mental models.

Re: YC’s Summer Reading

#170

Post by DanBC »

facepalm wrote: post #160
DanBC wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's pretty clearly atheist, and has been criticised by religious groups for that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Pullman#Perspective_on_...

Maybe I didn't read far enough, didn't think a book about souls could be atheist.

The book includes religion. That's what world building is. That doesn't mean it's pro religion, anymore than it's pro armour-clad polar bears.

In the books the church is pretty oppressive.

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