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Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?

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Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?

#823

Post by andrea_sdl »

I'll be in the minority then, but to me these are my best books.

The Power of Vulnerability by Brenè Brown and Quiet by Susan Cain.

The first is not a real book since it's audio only, there is no written counterpart but it changed the way I see, connect, live in the world entirely. I _never_ found something along those lines.

While the second book, Quiet, although a little boring in some sides, made me accept my introversion (although I don't appear like an introvert).

If I had to pick only one then it would be the power of vulnerability, such a shame it hasn't a paper counterpart (you could read all brene brown books probably and get the same message, but that audio book is so great).

Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?

#824

Post by austinjp »

air7 wrote: post #69

"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari. Hands down the book that most influenced me. The book had (for me) not one but several simple-yet-profound ideas that were forever inserted into the foreground of how I make sense of the world. For example, the existence of shared myths that allow humans to cooperate on a large scale. Or how I too, am religious, though I was sure I wasn't. Can't recommend…

I'm finding it a bit hit and miss. I agree, the "shared myths" notion is very appealing. And I enjoy learning the facts that form the skeleton on which he pins his thinking. However, I can't help feeling that a professional thinker -- philosopher, whoever -- would debate his proposals. It seems to me that a collaboration with a second author would have leant robustness to his philosophy. As it stands, it comes across as an historian stepping outside of his expertise unchallenged. All well and good, but a bit flimsy.

I look forward to reading further books published in response by others.

Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?

#825

Post by shookla »

Antifragile by N N Taleb. Additionally also the black swan by the same author.

All said and done I feel like it's made me look at and evaluate a lot more possibilities at all important junctions in my life (if not all junctions). It's helped me channelise my mind better to understand signals I care about in an otherwise extremely noisy world. It's also made me a stronger individual being able to do more for people and look at things sometimes as just a series of outcomes, and making everyday life and outcomes more tolerable for me emotionally as well.

Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?

#826

Post by tentam »

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/178734.Summerhill - changed the way how I think about society. Very good book for parents. Explains why people are prone to manipulation and following a bad leader.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2053923.What_Every_Paren... - a very nice book about neuroscience for parents

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26329.Emotional_Intellig... - changed the way how I think about emotions and interactions with people

Re: Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?

#828

Post by rapht »

I have seen Harari's "Sapiens" and Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel" in the comments.

Both are nice reads but Harari's book is shallow from multiple respects, and Diamond's book omits important counter-examples.

To me the book that made everything fall into place with respect to political history (and at some point, political philosophy) - and that I actually read before Harari and Diamond - was Francis Fukuyama's "The Origins of Political Order". An absolute must-read.

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