I'm reading (well, listening on Audible) "Born a crime" by Trevor Noah (he does the narration). Fantastic story of growing up as a mixed-race child in apartheid and very entertaining narration.
Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?
71–80 of 396 posts
Re: Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?
#72Recently finished the Red Rising trilogy and would recommend to anybody who likes fantasy. Not as well developed as Brandon Sanderson's works but definitely a trilogy to follow if you've caught up with Sanderson's works and want something to scratch that fantasy itch while you're waiting for the next book of his many series.
Re: Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?
#73For a nonfiction book, The Millionaire Next Door was a game changer for how I though about wealth accumulation. It's the findings of a statistical analysis of the life and habits of millionaires. Deep Work had the similar effects on my work habits as the former did on my finances. If you're looking for a fun fantasy read, Elantris by Brandon Sanderson is one of my all-time favorite standalone novels.
> It's the findings of a statistical analysis of the life and habits of millionaires. I have not read The Millionaire Next Door, but that seems fraught. Does it avoid survivorship bias? E.g. Playing the lottery is a 'habit' common to all lottery winners, but it's also common to all lottery losers, of whom there are many more. If you only studied the winners though, the lottery might start to look like a wise investme…
I think a key difference is you have a choice to either be a lottery winner, loser or non-participant.
From the "Millionaire" or not game we're all "losers" by default.
Re: Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?
#74"Memories of a Theoretical Physicist", by Joseph Polchinski: 2017
Having only two bodies of knowledge, myself and physics, I decided to write an autobiography about my development as a theoretical physicist... But it is somewhat unique, a blow-by-blow history of where I started and where I got to.
https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.09093
A parting gift of sorts from a leader in modern physics who passed away prematurely due to cancer. A true Summer Read as the author takes you on a ride from a smart kid in California, to Caltech, to working within an academic environment that allowed him to contribute in fundamental ways to understanding physical reality. My takeaways: [1] calculus is actually useful, [2] telling the truth and being transparent are invaluable assets, [3] discoveries are hard won.
Clearly written towards advanced physics types but meant for a wider audience to give a backstage peek into the working life of scientists who push the boundaries of physics.
Re: Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?
#75Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm a huge Brandon Sanderson fan, but find that Mistborn is a better entry point for people these days - though it (and the Cosmere) are among my own personal my all-time favorite fantasy books, so perhaps I'm biased in that.
I agree with this but feel the need to add that the Stormlight Archives is his best work yet
Wholeheartedly agree that the Stormlight Archive is the best. However, if you can’t stand cliffhangers, you might have a hard time since the series isn’t finished yet. The first Mistborn trilogy is complete—I’d start with that if you want a nice complete series.
Re: Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?
#761) Devil Take the Hindmost: A History of Financial Speculation by Edward Chancellor Everything from the tulip craze to the dotcom boom. 2) If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look On My Face? by Alan Alda Alan Alda of MASH fame teaches you how to build more empathy and improve your communication skills. 3) Bad Blood by James Carreyou Theranos. Enough said. 4) Directorate S: The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in…
I can't second the recommendation of Bad Blood enough. I couldn't put it down. Every chapter I thought "surely I've reached the bottom of the rabbit hole now. It CANT get any crazier than this", but then it always did.
Aside from being a really enthralling and interesting story about one of SV's darling unicorns, it was also really eye opening into the absurdity of the amount of money that gets thrown around willy-nilly in SV, and how the bandwagon/FOMO effect just makes it worse. I won't say anything more because it's better to just read the book, but this is one of those stories that is almost endlessly fascinating.
Re: Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?
#77For sci-fi recs: I recently read The Three-body Problem by Cixin Liu (a trilogy) and thought it was really good. Also just started another sci-fi trilogy with A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge which has some really fun and interesting (if hand-wavy) ideas about deep space physics.
Wow! You managed to juxtapose my favorite and least favorite science fiction. I’ve never read anything bad by Vernor Vinge. I could not find a single thing to like about The Three Body Problem. I’ve heard it gets better after the first book, but I loathed the first book so thoroughly I wasn’t willing to try any more. What did you like about it? It seemed like there was practically zero plot, and the science bits seem…
Not op, but I'm a big fan of both authors. I enjoy Vinge more, but I wouldn't say his science is any more plausible than Liu Cixin's (with the exception of "A Deepness in the Sky"). I actually enjoyed "The Dark Forest" and "Death's End" more than the Three Body Problem. All three books have some fun, novel ideas. While the plot arc is not very traditional, it is complex and interesting -- lots of characters with vastly different motivations interacting in interesting ways. The main plot driver over all three books (that the universe is a dark forest) is highly plausible.
Re: Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?
#78Can anyone recommend some book about Africa? I would like to gain some insights about life there, ideally fact based, maybe some history? Doesn't need to be the whole continent as well, would love to start with any particular country. This year I decided to read at least one book a month the ones I found most inspiring were: * Factfulness - how we can misinterpret the data and how most of us have a wrong idea about t…
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is very good. It's fiction, but semi-autobiographical. It's as much about living as a Nigerian immigrant in America as it is about Nigeria, but it's really well-written and gives a ton of insight into Nigerian culture (from a very specific perspective some might find grating.)
Re: Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?
#79_Anathem_ by Neil Stevenson. Science Fiction. Takes place in a universe very much like ours. The most noticeable difference is the culture: intellectuals live inside monastery-like sanctuaries, while religious people live outside. The story is written from the point of view of one of the intellectuals. Very rich world building. The book also explores (high-level, slightly fictitious in some parts) some fascinating areas of quantum mechanics, topology, communication, diplomacy, and Zen.
Re: Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?
#80Books finished in June:
"How to Change Your Mind" by Michael Pollan. A fascinating look into the world and science of psychedelic drugs.
"Rendezvous with Rama" by Arthur C. Clarke. One of, if not Clarke's best. It's short for a sci-fi book and almost impossible not to like.
"The Hydrogen Sonata" By Iain M. Banks. It certainly wasn't my favorite culture entry, but it's worth a read none the less. If you haven't read the others in the series I wouldn't suggest starting with it.
"Children of Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It took me a bit to get into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. If you're into long timelines and human existential crisis this is your book.
As far as July goes, I'm digging into "Matterhorn" by Karl Marlantes and "The Origins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" by Julian Jaynes.