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Ask HN: What books will stay relevant for many years to come?
I just finished reading, The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman and it is just amazing how the author has laid down principles of design that will stay relevant for many years even if the technology will change drastically.
What are books like this which will stay relevant for a long period of time?
- LarryMade2 11y agoThe Psychology of Computer Programming seems to be holing up well from its first publishing in 1971.
- simulo 11y agoDo you mean books in general or books on design and/or psychology, like Norman’s?
- magic_beans 11y agoAn algorithms book.
- collyw 11y agoIts good to have an idea of algorihms, but in this day and age, only so you know the correct library to choose.
- idoh 11y agoA quick heuristic is that older books that are still relevant today are more likely to remain relevant in the future. I don't know much about design books, but I would bet on Tufte books to remain relevant for a long time. Any really old book that is still in print would be a good candidate, and the older the more likely to stay relevant. Other books that will be around for decades (or more) (to pick some non design things): The Bible, SICP, Feynman's Lectures, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Shakespeare.
- veddox 11y agoHaving done a paper on cyber war for school, I was surprised to find that the two books that were quoted most often by war theorists were Carl von Clausewitz's "Vom Kriege" and Sun-Tzu's "The Art of War" - one is 200 years old, the other 2000...
- taprun 11y agoAny book light on specifics (tactics) but heavy on theory (strategy) will age better because it will be less effected by changing circumstances.
- rajnikant 11y agoIf you are asking about the general books then the one which has been relevant from 5000 years and will always be relevant in future also is Bhagwat Gita
- thorin 11y agoCode complete and mythical man month stand up very well. As does K and R as a lesson in concise documentation even if it's a little outdated technically.