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Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?
What book have you found so amazing that you have given it as a gift? This could be a tech book, biz, self help or other book.
- cmdrfred 10y agoDune, Enders Game and Ready Player One.
- eddd 10y agoLast year (I'm 28), I tried to read Enders Game for the for the first time since 15 years. I was disappointed, it's really cool, but for younger generations.
- cmdrfred 10y agoEver read speaker for the dead?
- stevenmays 10y agoReady player one was disappointing. Dune and Enders game were superb.
- schappim 10y agoI have given The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.
- simonpure 10y agoAlexander Osterwalder's Business Model Generation [0] [0] http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/book http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/book
- edoceo 10y agoLean Customer Development
- sokoloff 10y agoWeb Operations:Keeping the Data On Time
- lackbeard 10y agoThe Blind Side, The Hard Thing about Hard Things, Sex at Dawn. If asked, I would say those aren't the books I've found most amazing but they're the ones I felt compelled to give as gifts.
- flubert 10y ago>Sex at Dawn I hate to be that guy, but I thought that book was unreadable. Had some weird obsessive chip on the shoulder about Darwin (mentioned on almost every page). Complete with nearly contentless USA Today style infographics. I'd recommend "Sperm Wars" instead.
- smacktoward 10y agoThe Stephen Mitchell translation of the Tao Te Ching: https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Te-Ching-Laozi/dp/0060812451/ref=sr_1_3 https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Te-Ching-Laozi/dp/0060812451/ref=... It's beautiful.
- roylez 10y agoI was about to say the same. Recommended it to a few friends. It is a life changing book, even more enjoyable than original Chinese version.
- adolgert 10y agobash Pocket Reference. I keep a stack by the office door, sort of like a candy bowl.
- bcook 10y agoAndroid Internals: A Confectioner's Cookbook
- jesuslop 10y agoSomething of John Verdon
- jackgavigan 10y agoAgainst The Gods by by Peter L. Bernstein
- halhen 10y agoI've given Alan Watts The Book to at least five people I thought could use it. Four of them never mentioned it again. I'm marrying the fifth next month.
- hluska 10y agoCongratulations!
- dominotw 10y agoheh. I tried to get my friends into Jiddu Krishnamurthi but unfortunately people in the west seem to have a pavlovian revulsion to eastern 'guru's from the east nowadays. There seems to be some sort of strange obsession with applying the scientific method to psychological issues. Bunch of my friends started meditating because it is 'scientifically proven' to make them happy, make them rich, make them have good sex or whatever . Nevermind that all those "studies" are pure nonsense[1]. But people will buy anything with the stamp of science on it, they are not joking when they claim 'I believe in science not god' . Congratulations on your wedding and for finding a compatible partner. That's really great!! 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19123875 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19123875
- antisocial 10y agoI am glad to see somebody mentioning Jiddu Krishnamurti here. He is the most underrated and forgotten person, mainly due to his own insistence, but he made a tremendous difference to some lives. I've come across his books almost twenty years ago, I haven't read any of his books in years now, but his teachings(insights he shared, because he wouldn't like to be called a teacher ) are so well ingrained that I am reminded of them every day. Similar to the OP of this thread, I didn't marry a person who said he finds his teachings dry :), I am now happily married to my spouse for twelve years who humbly says it is too difficult to really understand Jiddu.
- mch82 10y agoFantastic book! I got my copy from my grandmother and have given away multiple copies since. My favorite concepts from "The Book" are the Wiggles and the Net, exploring the idea that so many modern pressures and stresses are human created and are therefore open to change. His live lectures, recorded in the 1960s, are great as well. Audible carries various collections: http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_search_c4_1_16_1_srAuth?searchAuthor=Alan+Watts&qid=1470654629&sr=1-16 http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_search_c4_1_16_1_srAuth?...
- AlphaGeekZulu 10y agoDouglas Hofstadter: Gödel, Escher, Bach
- durga 10y agoI tried to read this book but never quite understood it. What's it really about?
- randcraw 10y agoThinking about thinking.
- qwertyuiop924 10y agoIt's about the thing it's about.
- dahart 10y agoMaybe you should add "spoiler alert"? ;)
- qwertyuiop924 10y agoNah. if you haven't read GEB, your brain won't evaluate the previous statement correctly, and you won't gain any information. Neurolinguistic hacking! (it works, just ask Stephenson)(JOKE)
- dahart 10y agoYeah, right, I know, your comment was hilarious! I was adding joke to joke, but I guess I failed, someone else even downvoted my bad joke. Did my smiley make it feel snarky?
- qwertyuiop924 10y agoLook, I don't know. I didn't down you.
- paulsutter 10y ago"Crap Taxidermy" https://www.amazon.com/Crap-Taxidermy-Kat-Su/dp/1607748207/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401679657&sr=8-2&keywords=crap%20taxidermy https://www.amazon.com/Crap-Taxidermy-Kat-Su/dp/1607748207/r...
- fillskills 10y agoI've given On Intelligence and The Alchemist as gifts.
- bjelkeman-again 10y agoMaverick, by Richardo Semler. I must have given away a dozen of this book to various people. Very inspiring if you are looking to build an organisation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick_(book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick_(book)
- durga 10y agoSurely you're joking, Mr Feynman is amazing.
- pjmorris 10y agoI've always loved the book, I recently gave it to a co-worker with somewhat Feynman-like qualities. He reciprocated with 'The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century', Salsburg.
- haukur 10y agoI was going to say the same thing. "What Do You Care What Other People Think", another Feynman book, is also pretty good.
- zelcon 10y agoThe Little Schemer
- jurgenwerk 10y agoCookin' with Coolio
- bokumo 10y agoI had to check to make sure this wasn't some kind of joke, but it is real! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookin%27_with_Coolio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookin%27_with_Coolio
- ehudla 10y agoZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
- Dowwie 10y ago+1
- bmh_ca 10y agoHow to Win Friends and Influence People
- danmaz74 10y ago"Make you contacts count", to a couple of cousins who will start working soon.
- nugget 10y agoThe Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley
- EliRivers 10y agoBooks by David Mitchell. Possibly the finest modern literature author alive.
- parkersweb 10y agoIt wasn't as highly rated as 'Cloud Atlas' but I particularly loved 'The Bone Clocks'. Something about his vision of a post-apocalyptic future seemed very plausible - and very memorable.
- AdrianRossouw 10y agoAllen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. I pay it forward. Stopped smoking six years ago and haven't had the desire to start again since. it feels great. I actually played the nintendo DS adaptation of the book, which was also available on ios for a while. it turned all the points the book was trying to make into a series of minigames that really illustrated the principles beautifully.
- steinsgate 10y agoYes that's a great book. I am still amazed how well it worked for me. I was a chain smoker smoking 40 cigs a day, and then I read the book and poof! I stopped for good.
- nikmobi 10y agoI second this! I've recommended this to countless people. Did you guys find that a lot of people are really skeptical that a book can have such an impact? It certainly worked wonders for me as well.
- steinsgate 10y agoI was skeptical at first too. But man, was I wrong! I have recommended it to about four or five friends so far. Only one read it till the end. And it didn't work so well on him, even though he reduced smoking. Did the book work on your friends who read it completely?
- nikmobi 10y agoI have one other friend (the only one of them all to actually read) and it was just as effective for him as it was me. I'm now trying to get my sister to read it. The hard part seems to be getting people to pick it up and stick it through.
- steinsgate 10y agoBest of luck getting your sis to quit :-)
- SwellJoe 10y agoThe Elements of Style by Strunk and White. I've given it to just about everyone I've known who seriously wanted to be a writer, journalist, etc. as well as some folks who just wanted to write better. It's a small, beautiful, book about writing better. This is the book I've gifted the most. Several scifi books have also been gifted to friends, mostly Asimov (both the Foundation and Robots series), Herbert's Dune, and Clarke's Rendezvous With Rama. Also, gifted a copy of Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad, which is my favorite book about my favorite bands (and the American punk scene of the early 80s). The recipient was too young to remember the scene from that era, but was open to understanding why "punk" isn't so much a style of music, but an ethos. Every book I've gifted is because I really love the book, and really like the person I'm giving it to.
- omaranto 10y agoWith Strunk & White I think you should ignore their advice which is often confused or nonsensical and just imitate their prose which is delightful. This review explains it better than I could: http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/25497 http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/2549...
- SwellJoe 10y agoIs there a more correct book that is similarly concise and similarly well-written? I would love to read it, if so. Edit: I found this blog post that lists some alternatives http://thewritingresource.net/2011/09/22/forget-everything-strunk-white-told-you/ http://thewritingresource.net/2011/09/22/forget-everything-s... About half of the titles are punny or plays on words, which I'm somewhat suspicious of (even though I like puns). And, all are at least twice the size of Strunk and White. I understand that some subjects are bigger than a ~100 page book can cover, but despite having spent a lot of my life writing (and having published a book), I've never been able to plod through a big grammar book. I can read Elements of Style in an afternoon without feeling like it's a chore. As noted in some of the reviews, if it's wrong it's not worth even that much effort. But, I never thought it was predominantly wrong or predominantly misleading. And, it usually reminds me about one or more of my negative writing habits, and I correct it for a while until I forget again.
- darksim905 10y agoThe 48 Laws of Power
- bluejekyll 10y agoYou've worked with a sociopath haven't you ;) It's a great book.
- api 10y agoSeconded. If you find the tactics in this book reprehensible and vile, it's even more important that you read it so you are not taken in by them. People do these things because they work.
- copperx 10y agoAlso: If you find the rules contradict themselves, that's ok. You must play it by ear and know when to apply each rule.
- ehudla 10y agoMindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas (Papert) Since this was discussed here recently (in sad circumstances), I'll just say that everyone who might be involved with kids, either as an educator or parent needs to read this book. And it was great to read when I was a kid, too!
- nhumrich 10y agoPeopleware Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams (3rd Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321934113/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1Y6Pxb1RFKP38 https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321934113/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1Y6P...
- randcraw 10y ago"At Home" by Bill Bryson. "Quiet" by Susan Cain. "Hackers" by Steven Levy.
- drited 10y agoMisbehaving by Richard Thaler. It's like Thinking, Fast and Slow except more hilarious.
- ehudla 10y agoThe Mythical Man-Month
- reidacdc 10y agoI gave this to my colleagues when I joined the my current development project, the lessons about trying to scale development teams remain pretty sound.
- bertique 10y agoThe Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
- jboynyc 10y agoMost recently, Password by Martin Paul Eve. Highly recommended. http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/password-9781501314872/ http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/password-9781501314872/
- ehudla 10y agoProgramming Pearls (Jon Bentley). His essays on bumper sticker CS, Doug McIlroy @ Bell Labs, and little languages still resonate in mind regularly. It's when I feel someone can be trusted with really cool ideas.
- feiss 10y ago"A short history of nearly everything" by Bill Bryson. The best science book I've ever read, recommended for anyone.
- passivepinetree 10y agoBryson has a wonderful way of dealing with academic subjects that most would find boring and making them both interesting and approachable. I recommend this book as well.
- m12k 10y agoLetters of Note. From the blog of the same name - a fascinating collection of letters from and/or to historical figures. Makes a great coffee table book. https://unbound.com/books/letters-of-note https://unbound.com/books/letters-of-note
- mooreds 10y agoBooks I found so amazing that I actually bought copies and given them as a gift (in some cases to multiple people): * Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier--eye opening list of vegetables that come back year after year * The Hard Thing About Hard Things, by Ben Horowitz. Somewhat presumptuously, I bought multiple copies and sent them to some of my friends/acquaintances that were CEOs. * Climate Wars, by Gwynne Dyer. This mix of fiction and non fiction really brought the climate change crisis to my attention.
- qwertyuiop924 10y agoI don't have any friends who haven't read it who would appreciate it, but Clifford Stoll's The Cuckoo's Egg is both a highly entertaining thriller, a fascinating look at how computer security was, and is, viewed, and a highly personal story about a man trying to figure it all out. It's very funny, entirely true, and taught me a lot. Oddly, a lot of people hated the various more personal aspects of the book, as you see Cliff's friends, and his life as a whole. While that's valid, calling it a flaw in the book is, I think, inaccurate. The book as much a story a story about Cliff as the shadowy hacker on the other side of the wires, and that's a big part of its charm, IMHO. Ghost in the Wires, and Exploding the Phone are also good, and true stories.
- joshschreuder 10y agoI thought I recognised the name... turns out Cliff is the guy from the Numberphile videos who loves klein bottles. He is such an enjoyment to watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k3mVnRlQLU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k3mVnRlQLU
- qwertyuiop924 10y agoThe TV adaptation of the novel, The KGB, The Computer, and Me, will be right up your alley then.
- vmasto 10y agoOh dear I have no idea how and why I just spent 2 hours watching videos about Klein bottles and Mobius strips. Fascinating.
- iandioch 10y agoI am just on the final few pages of The Cuckoo's Egg, and was planning on finishing it tonight. I too would say that it is a fantastically written page-turner, and it has taught me a lot about the old-school networking scene. How do the other two books you mentioned compare?
- qwertyuiop924 10y ago
- x0x0 10y ago_The Book With No Pictures_ by BJ Novak. It's a great book for friends with kids under 6 or so. You can see the author reading the beginning here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cREyQJO9EPs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cREyQJO9EPs I've given probably 10 copies to family and friends with kids and it's been universally liked. https://www.amazon.com/Book-No-Pictures-B-J-Novak/dp/0803741715 https://www.amazon.com/Book-No-Pictures-B-J-Novak/dp/0803741...
- robot 10y agoThe intelligent investor - benjamin graham. In my home country investing is still a mystery for many and there are no good books. This book gives you some base and perspective about investinng
- ehudla 10y agoDanny, the Champion of the World. For kids and kids at heart. One of the books that I feel made me want to be a maker/hacker.
- pavlov 10y agoI gave Stafford Beer's "Think Before You Think" [1] as a gift because I didn't seem to understand any of the book, so I gave it to someone smarter than me in the hope she would eventually explain it to me. I've forgotten to follow up on that. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Think-Before-You-Complexity-Knowledge/dp/0954519469 https://www.amazon.com/Think-Before-You-Complexity-Knowledge... (Edit: I just looked at the Amazon page and realized the book seems to cost about $200 used -- can that be true...?! I think I paid $30 for it. Maybe I should have kept it.)
- ehudla 10y agoThe Swiss Family Robinson. A children's book, about a family that has no other option but to become makers.
- rudedogg 10y agoI read this book in grade school and loved it!
- spapas82 10y agoThe Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.
- old-gregg 10y ago"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany" by William L. Shirer. It's a classic history book of our century which, despite its title, primarily focuses on Hitler's raise to power in the early 30s and the long, painful and ultimately futile international attempts at avoiding WW2 in the late 30s. It's a book I wish everyone would read, particularly everyone in a public office and the media. It's a shame that comparing politicians and their actions to Hitler has became a cliche everyone now is quick to ignore. Meanwhile there's plenty of stuff happening in the world straight from the Nazi playbook of the 30s.
- nickbauman 10y agoAlbert Speer's Inside the Third Reich is a good accompaniment, too.
- noinsight 10y agoThere's a new trilogy by Richard J. Evans about the same subject. I have them sitting on my bookshelf but have yet to read them. Apparently Shirer's book has drawn some criticism because he was a journalist and not a historian whereas Evans is a historian. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Reich_Trilogy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Reich_Trilogy
- madao 10y agoThis is true, however I think its safe to say that most of his work was from primary sources, he kept extensive journals during the period and was also lucky enough to talk to several generals of OKW and get access to their journals. Not to mention that he also gained access to the Nuremberg trial records and German records (very well documented) after the war. Well worth the read.
- tvural 10y ago"It's a shame that comparing politicians and their actions to Hitler has became a cliche everyone now is quick to ignore." The trouble is that whenever person Y puts person X and Hitler in the same sentence, there will be news headlines that say, "Y compares X to Hitler". At that point it looks like Y suggested X would do something on the level of the Holocaust. If Y really just meant that X and Hitler provoked distrust of minorities, that nuanced message will get lost. Examples: https://www.google.com/#q=+sam+altman+compares+trump+to+hitler https://www.google.com/#q=+sam+altman+compares+trump+to+hitl... https://www.google.com/#q=meg+whitman+compares+trump+to+hitler https://www.google.com/#q=meg+whitman+compares+trump+to+hitl... https://www.google.com/#q=glenn+beck+compares+trump+to+hitler https://www.google.com/#q=glenn+beck+compares+trump+to+hitle...
- ehudla 10y agoThe Interpretation of Cultures (Clifford Geertz)
- jsmith0295 10y agoAtlas Shrugged Just kidding. I did give a friend The Go Programming Language by Donovan & Kernighan, though
- justifier 10y agoi play a game where i have duplicate copies of some books to give to anyone interested who has yet to have heard of one here's a incomprehensive list in alphabetical order: a people's history of the united states; howard zinn a rebours; joris-karl huysmans alcestis; euripides apology; plato belaya staya; anna akhmatova die verwandlung; franz kafka elements; euclid epic of gilgamesh; unknown ficciones; jorge luis borges fractals: form, chance and dimension; benoit mandelbrot fragments; sappho gospels of mary and judas; unknown i ching; unknown la vida es sueno; pedro calderon de la barca leaves of grass; walt whitman letters of vincent van gogh meghaduta; kalidasa my life; isadora duncan nightwood; djuna barnes oku no hosomichi; basho one piece; eiichiro oda poems; emily dickinson relativity: the special and general theory; albert einstein saga; fiona staples and brian k vaughan the brothers karamazov; fyodor dostoyevsky, translated by constance garnett the first third; neal cassady the power of pi; stickman lagrou graves the secret life of salvador dali; dali the way of a pilgrim; unknown twelth night; william shakespeare thing explainer; randall munroe ulysses; james joyce women, race, and class; angela davis if you want a quick description of any i enjoy talking about them, and i appreciate suggestions
- krisdol 10y agoSomeone stole a A People's History of The United States from me at a party I hosted, and I don't mind at all. Hope they read it or gave it to someone who would.
- justifier 10y agoone of the wildest first read throughs you will ever experience especially if you come from an us educational upbringing where songs about oceans being blue(o) are historical place holders stead primary sources the elucidation is immediate.. zinn's first paragraph has an excerpt from christopher columbus' log: They ... brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks' bells. They willingly traded everything they owned... . They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features.... They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane... . They would make fine servants.... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want. fuck you chris if you like zinn check out angela davis, her ability as a historian to find substantial sources is incredible (o) http://www.teachingheart.net/columbus.htm http://www.teachingheart.net/columbus.htm
- ScottBurson 10y agoOliver Morton's The Planet Remade: How Geoengineering Could Change the World. Obviously this is a selection for someone who likes to read serious nonfiction and is interested in the science of climate change and what we might be able to do about it. I've mentioned the book on HN before and got an unenthusiastic reception, but I loved it. The author does an excellent job avoiding both knee-jerk skepticism and knee-jerk credulity, and it's so well written I could hardly put it down.
- LeicaLatte 10y agoLife Inc. by Douglas Rushkoff
- petr_tik 10y agoI give books to people I work with and the 3 books that people will have heard of are: Thinking fast and slow by Danny K Antifragile by Nassim Taleb Algorithms To Live By by Brian Christian & Tom Griffiths I thought about giving fictional books to people, but it seems to personal a present for a work acquaintance
- Jemaclus 10y ago"I Will Teach You To Be Rich" by Ramit Sethi (http://amzn.to/2aF1vjF http://amzn.to/2aF1vjF). It's a fantastic, easy read that takes you step-by-step into automating your finances and making smart decisions toward not necessarily being rich, but being richer and having some financial security on a month to month basis. Every once in awhile, I'll have a conversation with friends about finances, and they'll complain about how much work it is to manage money, and I'll go home and order them this book. It's an easy $10 gift, and they've all told me it changed the way they approach finances. Good stuff. Cannot recommend it enough.
- kfrz 10y agoRamit doesn't mess around.
- sooper 10y agoHow much of this book applies in a non-US context? Is it worth reading anyway?
- Jemaclus 10y agoI don't know how finances work in the rest of the world, but at least the half that deals with bank accounts, savings, and automating your finances should still be applicable. There's a sizable chunk that has to do with stocks and retirement stuff that may not be applicable to you, but the rest of it should be!
- kowdermeister 10y agoWould anyone recommend a book about mathematical thinking? Basic, intro level would fit best.
- heretolearn 10y agoBook of Proof by Richard Hammack[0]. It's free. [0] http://www.people.vcu.edu/~rhammack/BookOfProof/ http://www.people.vcu.edu/~rhammack/BookOfProof/
- mturmon 10y agoHave you read "The Mathematical Experience" by Davis and Hersh? It's a fantastic and engaging introductory book that tries to get across what drives mathematical investigation. The reviews on Amazon are pretty accurate.
- hartem_ 10y agoMostly 'Hackers and Painters' and 'Surely you are joking Mr. Feynman'.
- itbeho 10y agoFiction: Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny. Non-Fiction: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Technical: The C Programming Language by Kernighan and Richie
- colomon 10y agoI'd forgotten, but back in the day I gave several people the Science Fiction Bookclub omnibus edition of the first five Amber books. Seems like you could always find them in used bookstores...
- aaronbrethorst 10y agoThe Pragmatic Programmer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pragmatic_Programmer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pragmatic_Programmer
- petr_tik 10y agoMy SO gave this to me last Christmas - what touched me the most was her lack of knowledge in CS/IT field, but willingness to research and find one of the best books in our domain. It's not just the book that was given, it's often the context (who, to whom, what for)
- mindcrime 10y agoThe Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is one I've given adults. For kids, every year a local group called Book Harvest does a thing with Barnes & Noble where if you go in a B&N store, you can donate a book straight to Book Harvest which gives books to disadvantaged kids. For them, I usually grab a few books like A Wrinkle in Time or some Choose Your Own Adventure books or something. I also semi-frequently buy (by accident) a second copy of a book that I already own. Usually instead of returning those to the store, I keep them and just give them to somebody as a gift, where the "who" depends on what the book is.
- engi_nerd 10y agoThe only reason I can see that you've been downvoted is your mention of The Fountainhead. Come on, people, you may not like the book or its author, but let's be civil. This is a perfectly fine comment.
- teekert 10y agoI'm still looking for the discontinued Dutch version of Atlas Shrugged (also Ayn Rand for those who don't know) to give to people around me (many don't regularly read in English). It changed me, I think it can do wonders for insecure people that tend to efface themselves for "the good of the group" and that may be less happy than they could be because of it. Also it may very well provide people with unbalanced marriages the motivation to speak up and teach them that lesson that if someone loves you, you can make them happy by stating what you want and doing it (together). I often tell people to read it, hardly anybodies does. I find the ideas in the Fountainhead equally powerful. Find something that you love, do it the way you love to do it, stay true to yourself. I don't understand how Ayn Rand always seems to trigger down votes here.
- mindcrime 10y agoI don't understand how Ayn Rand always seems to trigger down votes here. Me either, but I'm used to it. Whatever. The downvoters are probably the people who thought Ellsworth Toohey was the hero in The Fountainhead.
- iamben 10y agoI've literally just bought someone "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami. It was the first Murakami book I read, and I've read plenty since. Wonderful.
- elliott34 10y agoI read Murakami books not because they are entirely entertaining WHILE I'm reading them, but because the dream-like memory of the experience sticks in your mind for years.
- nickbauman 10y ago"Ishmael, An Adventure of Mind and Spirit" by Daniel Quinn. The book that created and destroyed the Turner Tomorrow Foundation Fellowship Award. It will make you examine some of the most profound myths at the center of our civilization and how those myths will determine our destiny, for better or for worse. It's a book that changed the way I think fundamentally. I will never be the same because of it.
- dredmorbius 10y agoCurious about that "created and destroyed" bit. I found this at NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/05/books/judges-in-turner-award-dispute-merits-of-novel-given-a-500000-prize.html http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/05/books/judges-in-turner-awa...
- nickbauman 10y agoI think Quinn's win and the controversy Styron stirred up afterward shut down the award. After all, there were 2500 manuscripts to start with. Quinn's next novel, The Story of B addressed some of the criticism Styron (and others) had. I think it might be even better than Ishmael because of it.
- alcuadrado 10y agoThis has been my most recommended book lately.
- mrkgnao 10y agoAlso the book that inspired the name Animals as Leaders.
- BarkMore 10y agoEconomics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt.
- woodpanel 10y agoMe too. It's an easy read and deliveres an Enlightenment to the typical economic-folklore. I also like it because it doesn't question your morale, but just asks to broaden your scope of possible perspectives.
- miloshadzic 10y agoThe Art of Computer Programming
- vinchuco 10y agoThat's a really nice gift
- jbmorgado 10y agoI've given Flatland: an adventure in many dimensions on some occasions. I think it's a wonderful and amusing book, full of philosophical and political meaning that can be read at almost any age.
- dmd 10y agoFor the under-4 set: The House In The Night. It's a perfect new-baby book.
- japhyr 10y agoWhen I've had friends interested in learning to play chess, I've given Play Winning Chess by Yasser Seirawan. It's great at explaining what to think about when playing the different phases of the game, with no emphasis on memorizing particular lines.
- xacaxulu 10y agoI always have copies of George Orwell's "Animal Farm" to give out. As I get older, I love seeing younger people flip out when they read it and see how applicable it is in modern life.
- r3bl 10y agoCan confirm that as a younger generation representative. Read it like five times already. I liked it more than 1984 and I have two copies of it in my book shelf (English version, and translated to my local language).
- unimpressive 10y agoHaving read at least one history book about the Soviet Union, I'd recommend you not waste your time with Animal Farm and read an actual history book instead. The plot is basically ripped from Russian history, as it was intended to be a critique of Stalinism. My taste for Orwell's two most read, Animal Farm and 1984 was especially dulled after I read his non-fiction masterpiece Homage To Catalonia which is a harrowing lesson in realpolitik and the socialist infighting of the 1930's. http://www.george-orwell.org/Homage_to_Catalonia/ http://www.george-orwell.org/Homage_to_Catalonia/
- StanislavPetrov 10y ago1984 and Animal Farm aren't important for their historical allegories but their statements about the nature of society, and are just as poignant when applied to today's society as they were about the Soviet Union. Homage To Catalonia is a wonderful book. I would also highly recommend checking out Down and Out in Paris and London and Burmese Days (two works of fiction loosely based on events from his real life experiences).
- joshstrange 10y agoGreat book, one of the few I enjoyed the first time around reading it. I had to read it for school and I strongly believe that required reading for school has a way of ruining a book for children. There have been a handful of required books that I re-read when I got older and enjoyed immensely more (and found more applicable).
- bluejekyll 10y ago"The Four Agreements", I wish I had read it when I was younger, I give it to anyone who seems to feel other people are their problem.
- MichaelGG 10y agoIsn't this the book that starts off with the guy claiming he (or his ancestors) could transform into Jaguars? IIRC, the book was littered with falsehoods.
- bluejekyll 10y agoNative American traditions often don't distinguish between hallucinations and actual transmorphing into something else. So while it's been a few years since I read it, it wouldn't necessarily surprise me. But the four agreements are what are important: 1) always do your best 2) never make assumption 3) don't take things personally 4) be impeccable with your word 2&3 were the most help to me in both work and dating.
- arviewer 10y agoYou mixed up 1 and 4, but that's no problem. Doing your best means that you will never be 100% perfect in following up on 1, 2 and 3, so make the best of it and forgive yourself if you forget to follow them. For me 3 was very important, with many small things that annoyed me, people getting in my way etc. They don't do that to annoy me, and of course I know that, but to fully realise that was important. Be impeccable is the most important for me. This is more about shouting at yourself than about shouting at other people. Most of the time we shout - silently - at ourselves, and these little punishments that you often don't even notice, take you down and can make your life a lot more miserable. And if you shout a lot at other people, try to figure out why you need to do that. In the last five years, this was the most important book for me. Whenever I'm having troubles with someone, reading this book helps me get through it.
- bluejekyll 10y ago
- gpestana 10y agoThe Art of Travel, by Alain de Botton https://g.co/kgs/3WZtk1 https://g.co/kgs/3WZtk1 . I highly recommend it!
- elwaz 10y agoSecond that and add: Status Anxiety
- eddd 10y agoZero to One by P. Thiel (cheezy for HN, I know) Meltdown by T. Woods (cool guy, Austrian Economy) The Witcher by A. Sapkowski (Fantasy, but It reads well only in polish language)
- typeseven 10y agoThe Age of Reason by Thomas Paine.
- sonabinu 10y agoThe Alchemist
- oaalami 10y ago"What do you do with an idea?" By Kobi Yamada
- krapp 10y agoSeamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf
- PebblesHD 10y agoMy personal favourite that I've given as a gift is Thomas Glover's Pocket Ref [0]. Its easily the most useful thing you can buy for anyone in engineering, fabrication or just generally a tinkerer. I've loved my copy since I was given it as a kid. [0] - https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Ref-4th-Thomas-Glover/dp/1885071620 https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Ref-4th-Thomas-Glover/dp/18850...
- funkaster 10y ago"Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams"[1]. Even if you're not in a management track, it's a great read to learn and better understand how to structure teams for a happy, productive and successful path. [1]: https://www.amazon.com/Peopleware-Productive-Projects-Teams-3rd/dp/0321934113 https://www.amazon.com/Peopleware-Productive-Projects-Teams-... Edit: add Amazon link.
- Thriptic 10y agoComplications by Atul Gawande
- omginternets 10y agoCalculus Made Easy by Silvanus P. Thompson I was surprised to find out how old this text was. It hasn't aged a day!
- iyn 10y ago> Meanwhile there's plenty of stuff happening in the world straight from the Nazi playbook of the 30s. Can you elaborate?
- curiousgal 10y agoTrump jumps to mind.
- huehehue 10y agoSorry to be that guy, but could you elaborate further?
- cyphar 10y agoExploitation of the public's fear, promises to make the country great again, rejection by their own party once they figured out that they might come to power. Those spring to mind as examples.
- jfoutz 10y agoHe really doesn't have the rhetorical flair. Hitler was a monster, but that poem about mothers was very pretty. Trump is charismatic, but not really at that level.
- hoppa_liza 10y agoOne point I always think of whenever the comparison between current day politicians and Hitler arises; was it apparent to the people when Hitler was elected that this is a man that will start the onslaught of millions of people? When I assume the answer is no, the current political situation seems very scary.
- Amezarak 10y agoBy that logic, anyone might be the next Hitler; no politician can be trusted. The lessons of history are manifold indeed, but it has been my observation that when one reads a good book on any period of history one suddenly discovers its immense applicability to the present. WWII is very popular, therefore its histories are popular, therefore we find Hitlers in 2016. In 2020 there will be a new Hitler. In the past, every political opponent was a Nero or Caligula. In the future they will be someone else. History does repeat itself, but never in a crass or obvious way.
- kareemsabri 10y agoThe Selfish Gene - fundamental world-view shaker
- MichaelGG 10y agoI'll second this. The book provides some fundamental ideas, sort of first principles, that anyone can use to prove to themselves the workings of evolution, and perhaps the inevitability. Another is CODE, by Petzold. It explains computers from the ground (literally) up. After reading this, one can go buy some magnets, relays, and wire and proceed to build a rudimentary computer.
- bobcostas55 10y agoI think The Extended Phenotype is a better choice. It contains the central insight of The Selfish Gene, and then adds a lot on top of it.
- kareemsabri 10y agoI've never read that one - I'll add it to my list!
- psiclops 10y agoSiddhartha by Herman Hesse. I learned a lot from that novel
- tingol 10y agoLike what?
- adrinavarro 10y agoI have given out as a gift a copy of 'Predictably Irrational'. I found it interesting and insightful at many different levels (whether you're just a normal person and enjoy those 'huh' moments, or you're actually dealing with this stuff at a professional level).
- woodpanel 10y ago"Why the Germans, why the Jews" by Götz Aly - good insight into younger German and Ashkenazi history. Is the most comprehensive book I've read about the why. Why the broad anti-semitism, why the NSDAP, why the holocaust. Poor Charlie's Almanack - It's one the books that Warren Buffet always recommends. I gotta say though that I don't get why. But it makes a good gift since it has good "coffee table" value because of the many illustrations.
- daltonlp 10y agoShadows on the Koyukuk, by Sidney Huntington Skunk Works, by Ben Rich
- jvrossb 10y agoSnow Crash by Neil Stephenson
- pjmorris 10y agoI've given a copy of 'The Making of the Atomic Bomb', Rhodes, and lent a copy that didn't come back. The gift recipient has urged the book on various managers, as the book has much to teach of scientific and technical management, as well as much, much more.
- tbihl 10y agoAlong the same lines, I'd recommend 'The Rickover Effect'.
- taylodl 10y agoI give Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to High School graduates. It's a good book for that time in a person's life.
- Dowwie 10y ago+1, but gave it to a someone who was quitting his job and about to take on an entirely new career
- evanb 10y agoBradbury: Now and Forever: Somewhere a Band Is Playing & Leviathan '99 Gleick: The Information Michener: The Source Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire (all of them, digital)
- acidburnNSA 10y agoJust read The Source. What an epic whirlwind of historical fiction. Good call.
- evanb 10y agoI read it before and during a trip to Israel. Changed the way I saw everything.
- SeanBoocock 10y agoI read it in high school and I still remember how enchanting it was some fifteen years on. What a great look through historical epochs. I need to put it on my short list to reread.
- xerophyte12932 10y agoI gifted all books of A Song of Ice and Fire (hard coopies) to a friend. The sad part is he hasn't read them yet, even though he loves books and he loves the show
- pjmorris 10y agoThe software-related books I've given most often are Gerald Weinberg's 'Becoming a Technical Leader', Brook's 'Mythical Man Month', Demarco and Lister's 'Peopleware', Hunt and Thomas 'The Pragmatic Programmer', and Mconnell's 'Code Complete'.
- lettergram 10y agoTime Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein, I've recommended it to four people and all came back with it being their new favorite book. It has all of science fiction classics, but focuses on a guy who can live forever and attempts to experience everything. Of course this leads to some strange events, and is definitely worth a read.
- mbauman 10y agoThe Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Díaz (fiction) - At face value, a story about a nerdy outcast in love, which means most people I know will relate to it. Pulitzer Prize winner. The Elements of Typographic Style by Bringhurst (design) - Most designers I know already own a copy, but interesting for laymen. The Little Schemer by Friedman & Felleisen (programming) - Fun and educational for anyone interested in programming, at just about any level.
- jackess 10y agoCarol Dweck's Mindset. Really gives insight into how our limiting self-beliefs can stunt our growth and potential, and how to fix them.
- anonymoushn 10y agoThinking, Fast and Slow
- phonon 10y ago"Mathematics: From the Birth of Numbers", by Jan Gullberg.
- gooseus 10y agoThis is the sort of thread that hits me right in the wallet. Here are some books I've given as gifts recently: * The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm, Lewis Dartnell[1] * The Black Swan, Nassim Taleb[2] * Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse[3] * The Happiness Trap, Russ Harris and Steven Hayes[4] * Code, Charles Petzold[5] [1] https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Rebuild-Civilization-Aftermath-Cataclysm/dp/0143127047/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470613401&sr=1-1&keywords=the+knowledge https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Rebuild-Civilization-Afterm... [2] https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness-Fragility/dp/081297381X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470613378&sr=1-1&keywords=the+black+swan https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness-Frag... [3] https://www.amazon.com/Siddhartha-Hermann-Hesse/dp/1613823789/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470613352&sr=1-1&keywords=siddhartha https://www.amazon.com/Siddhartha-Hermann-Hesse/dp/161382378... [4] https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Trap-Struggling-Start-Living/dp/1590305841/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470613328&sr=1-1&keywords=the+happiness+trap https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Trap-Struggling-Start-Livin... [5] https://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Software/dp/0735611319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470613285&sr=1-1&keywords=Code https://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Softw...
- Frogolocalypse 10y agoThe Black Swan is on my list too.
- nl 10y agoIs it really that good? I've started it a few times. Nassim Nicholas Taleb seems to make sure never to use one word when ten could possibly be used, especially if some of them about himself.
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- sundarurfriend 10y agoYep, I haven't been able to finish the book either, and what I've read didn't stand up to all the hype. Taleb's Antifragile I did, unfortunately, finish, and it's way, way worse. Now that I think about it, both books have a similar pattern: the first dozen or so pages present an interesting idea, which does give you a fresh and useful mental model in understanding the world. The rest of the book, unfortunately, meanders off into superficial redundant applications of it and pounding into the reader's head how anti-establishment Taleb is.
- arkadiyt 10y agoI've gifted the PostSecret books to several people - it's always well received.
- StanislavPetrov 10y agoThe Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Not a long read but classic Dostoevsky. A real gem.
- bch 10y ago"how to cook a wolf" by mfk fisher. Insight into tough times, getting by, and making the most of those times.
- miduil 10y agoThis Saturday as a birthday present for a 14 year old friend of mine, who haven't been reading so much lately: * Persepolis, first version * Dark Angel, by David Klass I've just started reading "Flowers for Algernon", I guess this can also be a good birthday present. I think gifting books is something very difficult, in my experience I never wanted to get books for present.
- jasonlmk 10y agoI'm surprised there aren't more philosophy-oriented books mentioned here. I think they make great gifts. Many of my friends are straight out of university, and it's a period where most people seem to start asking existential questions. The two books which have affected me greatly (and which I regularly give as gifts) are: * Meditations by Marcus Aurelius * Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
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- wilwade 10y agoNo kids books have been listed, but I have found them all too often enlightening. Sometimes even more than an adult book. I and my kids have enjoyed all of Graeme Base's books, but The Eleventh Hour is particularly good and have given it to many kids and adults: http://graemebase.com/book/the-eleventh-hour/ http://graemebase.com/book/the-eleventh-hour/ I am also thinking about giving Yertle the Turtle By Dr. Seuss out to anyone I meet before the election: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yertle_the_Turtle_and_Other_Stories https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yertle_the_Turtle_and_Other_St... I have given many Dr. Seuss books away as well.
- flubert 10y agoGet a couple of the collections of Dr. Seuss. Can't help but think that in addition to "Yertle", that "Sneetches", "Horton Hears a Who", and "The Grinch who Stole Christmas" are all timeless masterpieces. https://www.amazon.com/Six-Seuss-Treasury-Dr-Classics/dp/0679821481/ https://www.amazon.com/Six-Seuss-Treasury-Dr-Classics/dp/067... https://www.amazon.com/Hatful-Seuss-Favorite-Sneetches-Bartholomew/dp/0679883886/ https://www.amazon.com/Hatful-Seuss-Favorite-Sneetches-Barth...
- ilikebits 10y agoMy favourite is "The New Way Things Work" by David Macaulay. Loved this book as a kid, it really got me into trying to figure out how the world worked (the title really nailed it).
- cure 10y agoFiction, because it is so funny: * Good Omens, by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman [1] I wish Pratchett and Gaiman had written more books together. [1] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060853980?ref_=sr_1_1&pldnSite=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060853980?ref_=sr_1_1&pld...
- rosser 10y agoI also give this book as a gift often. It started when I'd lend it out and never get it back, which, on reflection, I found I was actually fine with. So I found a UK 1st Edition, signed by both authors, which I'm never lending to anyone, and buy whatever copy is to hand for people as I feel moved to. I've also done this a couple times with Joe Haldeman's The Forever War.
- RegW 10y agoI gave this to one son when he was about 18, along with a pretty much complete set of Discworld: http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/discworld-reading-order/ http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/discworld-reading-order/. These were collected over many years, so a bit of a wrench. The best of which might be: "Wyrd Sisters" (Shakespeare), or "The Truth" (Newspapers). He can make fun of pretty much anything, while still showing it great affection. Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book" is a great book for reading to younger kids. Weird, creepy, but strangely uplifting, even if it does begin with a triple murder. I can't remember which kid took that. I bought Robert Silverberg's "Nightwings" in the 80s and read it several times. I was going to give away but couldn't find it, so I had to buy a new copy and read it again first. This seems to anticipate a lot that followed, from genetic modification to drastic climate change, but it is essentially about a character trying to cope in a mad world.
- captn3m0 10y agoI recently read the graphic novel version of Graveyard Book. Would highly recommend that as well, it is quite well done.
- acidburnNSA 10y agoEast of Eden by John Steinbeck. It's about life. Has become 2 recipients' favorite book so far.
- davewasthere 10y agoThe most: Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Think I've bought almost a dozen copies over the years. Although that book wasn't really a gift, more a loan I never got back. Others: Lord of the Rings - I gave this to the guard who detained me in Russia. I thought it was the best revenge. The life changing magic of tidying - to my partner. We're both messy. I've read it, she hasn't... neither of us have changed. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami to the friend who lent me Wind up Bird Chronicle all those years ago and started me on the path.
- entilzha 10y agoFunnily enough, same here with Ender's Game (not as many copies though)
- joshstrange 10y agoSearched the page for Ender's Game, I've always really enjoyed that book. I never had to read it for school but an older friend of mine did and told me to read it. I did and then a few years later was able to use it for a "pick your own book" report in school. I was always embarrassed to lend out my copy as it had writing in the margins that I had to do for school so I just bought it and gave it away whenever I was going to lend it. Really great book and this reminds me I still need to read the rest of the Ender series, I read all of the Bean/Shadow story line but somehow never got around to the continuation of the Ender line.
- pavel_lishin 10y agoJust so you know, the Ender line is very different from Ender's Game and the Shadow series. A lot of people are incredibly disappointed that they're not just like the first book in the series - but I think they're excellent books none-the-less.
- mcphage 10y ago> I still need to read the rest of the Ender series, I read all of the Bean/Shadow story line but somehow never got around to the continuation of the Ender line. They go in a very different direction. The Bean/Shadow books are still military fiction, and the Ender ones are... not. I do recommend reading them, but just don't go into them expecting anything similar.
- stevenking86 10y agoVagabonding by Rolf Potts It opened the doors to the remote lifestyle for me and led me to switch to careers to tech (due to the abundance of remote opportunities) and to embrace a new kind of lifestyle. http://www.vagabonding.net/ http://www.vagabonding.net/
- cosmic_shame 10y agoWhat career field did you transition from?
- stevenking86 10y agoI was a talent buyer for the live music industry - booking bands for a music venue. Involved being physically at the space a few times a week.
- pm 10y agoAnd here I am trying to transition going from tech into music (as a musician though - we'll see how it goes). Any words of wisdom from your side of the music bench?
- stevenking86 10y agoYou can definitely do both! I still perform music as well. I went from performer -> music industry pro -> programmer. Making money as a performer was definitely the toughest. But it pairs well w/ tech work if you can do your job during the day and play at night. If you're trying to make it in rock music, you'll be disgusted at how little has to do w/ how good you are or how good your music is. It's very much who you know and how well you can promote yourself. If you're trying to make it in jazz/classical it's more of a meritocracy so just practice a lot and you'll get gigs. Good luck!
- ultrasandwich 10y agoThe Collected Stories of Lydia Davis. I think her writing appeals to a wide range of people. The stories are simultaneously experimental, hilarious, methodical, obsessive, but mostly just excellent.
- caretStick 10y agoHomotopy Type Theory: Univalent Foundations of Mathematics It's a book I wish everyone would read, particularly everyone in a public office and the media. It's a great book for friends with kids under 6 or so. If you find the tactics in this book reprehensible and vile, it's even more important that you read it so you are not taken in by them. People do these things because they work. Several scifi books have also been gifted to friends, mostly Asimov. Stopped smoking six years ago and haven't had the desire to start again since. It feels great.
- xfax 10y agoWait, what? Are you sure you typed the right title?
- caretStick 10y agohttps://homotopytypetheory.org/book/ https://homotopytypetheory.org/book/
- tonyhb 10y agoWhy have you copied and pasted disparate sentences from other people's posts into one?
- vinchuco 10y agoTo be fair, it is a good book with a noble goal. After reading it, I didn't smoke any more. Granted, I didn't smoke before it, but that's beyond the point.
- nabusman 10y agoIs this a new form of comment spam?
- caretStick 10y agohttp://www.lulu.com/shop/http://www.lulu.com/shop/univalent-foundations-project/homotopy-type-theory-hardcover/hardcover/product-22480762.html http://www.lulu.com/shop/http://www.lulu.com/shop/univalent-...
- hanoz 10y agoThe Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
- vskarine 10y ago- The Ultra-Mind Solution, by Dr Mark Hyman - Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand - The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho
- xf00ba7 10y agoAn imaginary tale, the story of sqrt( -1 ). link: http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9259.html http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9259.html. One of my favorites. Oh....also handed out the foundation series in combined hardback form to a few folks for the winter holiday. I loved that series as well. Thankfully so did the people I handed it out to.
- mudil 10y agoI gave my father Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Horrors of war and the triumph of the human spirit. What a story, what a life!
- crdb 10y agoIt's tough finding books that don't send a message to the receiver. I particularly remember a colleague expressing disappointment at whichever secret Santa gave him The Fountainhead at the office Christmas party (he was pretty left wing). The four I remember gifting were Asimov's entire Foundation series, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, The Phantom Major by Virginia Cowles and See you in November by Peter Stiff.
- ChicagoBoy11 10y agoHA, I gave Atlas Shrugged to my boss and told her it was because she really reminded me of Dagny Taggart -- she was really happy about it, as far as I can tell
- wj 10y agoA cookbook is the book I have given the most. Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller is an absolutely great book for somebody that is getting into cooking. Of the top of my head some books I gave my brother included Salt, Siddhartha, and Shantaram. There were others that didn't start with an S as well.
- agentgt 10y agoMany of the books I would have been covered already but one that hasn't (ie not found via option-f) is: "Is God a Mathematician?" by Mario Livio It is a wonderful exploration and history of math, science and light theology (mostly historic though. the book is written by a mathematician). I still wonder frequently if math is human made up thing or is it innate. Is the universe inherently mathematical? Can we prove it?
- vinchuco 10y agoDefine inherently mathematical.
- agentgt 10y agoI'm probably not doing the justice of describing the book particularly since I am especially weak at writing. Before I go on and waste everyones time with me falsely explaining things I recommend you just read up on the book (ie just read some summaries). What I mean by "inherently mathematical" is that everything is based on math. That all thing in the universe are mathematical and everything can be represented with formulas and constants. That math makes the universe work and not the other way around. It may seem obvious to some that of course the universe is mathematical but many believe that it is a human's way of modeling patterns that just so happen to happen in our universe. Like I said I sort of want to avoid prolong discussion of this topic as it could be its own HN thread and I also know I'm doing a great injustice to the book and people actually working in this area of attempting to try to explain it. Here is SA article on the subject (SA is hardly academic but it might be better than my explanation): http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-universe-made-of-math-excerpt/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-universe-ma...
- vinchuco 10y agoI'll take a look at both! I did not expect a definitive answer to a hard question (I myself wish I had a good one). The "unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics" is a really interesting topic. A spider may wonder if the universe is inherently spiderthought-like. Spiderwebs work great, after all.
- nabusman 10y ago- 48 Law of Power (Because we all have to deal with power games and politics) - The Intelligent Investor (Because people ask how do I invest) - Fooled by Randomness (Same ideas as Black Swan but oriented towards the markets) Edit: formating
- joshstrange 10y agoMotivating the Middle [0] by T.J. Sullivan It's a relatively short book and it's focus is on college fraternities (which is what I was in when I first read it). I bought about 20 copies and handed them out after reading it. While it has nothing to do with software development I have found it's core message to be applicable to working on a team. The core message is you can normally divide your organization up into 3 categories, these will not necessarily be equal in size. These categories are the highly motivated "top" go-getters who will do everything they can to help further the org, the "middle" who with the right motivation can work just as hard and be just as driven as the first group, and the "bottom" who rarely make more than minimum effort if that and are extremely unlikely to go out of their way for the greater good of the org. The book suggests to more or less ignore the bottom and spend your energy on "motivating the middle" to use them to their greatest potential. It says that spending your time on the bottom is a fruitless endeavor and will only result in alienating the middle people who are somewhat on the fence. Now this applies much more to a community-run (in this case student-run) organization where letting someone go is often off the table (in greek life removing a brother/sister can be a much bigger challenge than one might assume). I do not bring any of this up to debate the pros and cons of greek like of which there are many (you can talk to me privately if you wish to do that), but just to bring some clarity to what I'm trying to say. Often as an employee not in a managerial role you are in a similar situation and while I'd be a lier if I said I always applied this logic but I do try to always remember that being annoyed/angry with under-performers is, in all honesty, a zero-sum game. It's best to focus on what I can do to make the place I work better and work to bring the "middle" to want the same. It's probably not the best book to bring up here but it's really the only book I'd ever bought for more than 1 person (and the only one that I didn't by for purely entertainment/enjoyment reasons, I've gifted fiction books on a number of occasions). [0] https://smile.amazon.com/Motivating-Middle-Fighting-College-Organizations/dp/1604946903?sa-no-redirect=1 https://smile.amazon.com/Motivating-Middle-Fighting-College-...
- rendx 10y agoMitch Albom: Tuesdays with Morrie Karin Boye: Kallocain Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 Raymond Chen: The Old New Thing
- probinso 10y ago"Calvin and Hobbes: there is treasure everywhere" This book was amazing.
- jrs235 10y agoThe Underachiever's Manifesto: The Guide to Accomplishing Little and Feeling Great http://amzn.to/1GmFRvX http://amzn.to/1GmFRvX
- bostonaholic 10y agoThe Lean Startup
- thomasreggi 10y agoThe Alchemist
- dmourati 10y agoThe Little Prince, or Le Petit Prince if the recipient is a francophile. A wonderful story that I personally try to read every year. Netflix has recent plans to release as a film as well.
- nether 10y agoBeing Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh Great primer on mindful meditation.
- gravypod 10y agoThe Kamasutra to a friend. Didn't work sadly.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- endgame 10y agoGift? Not quite, but I enthusiastically offer my copies of Simon Singh's books up for loan when anyone sounds vaguely interested. "The Code Book" is a great history of cryptography and "Fermat's Last Theorem" is a good history of the problem and its eventual solution.
- Zezima 10y agoYes! I actually just finished "Fermat's Last Enigma" after reading "The Code Book" 2 years ago. He's an excellent author who begins all of his books with the premise that the lay person will be reading it. He even makes this explicit in Fermat's Last Enigma. He gives the reader an amazing depth of knowledge by gradually building on very simple examples and explanations which still can intrigued someone with deep technical knowledge. Coming into "Fermat's Last Enigma", I had two years of higher level math, number theory, discrete math, and linear algebra. I still learned so much about Mathematics, the progress of the field, and proofs of simple things like Pythagorean triples. Singh is the best scientific writer, truly.
- zgotsch 10y agoI've given out several copies of "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson and "Stories of Your Life and Others" by Ted Chiang.
- joelhooks 10y agoI've given about 30 copies of Kathy Sierra's Badass: Making Users Awesome. It's wonderful. edit: whoops meant to reply to OP
- netcraft 10y agoI will probably give _Seveneves_ this christmas.
- thedudemabry 10y agoTed Chiang's short story collection is the most concentrated dose of fantastic sci-fi/fantasy I've read. Each story is brief, memorable, and plays with at least one neat "what if?" I've also given out a couple of copies because it's a great way to demonstrate SF&F genre awesomeness to the sceptical in just a few pages.
- nl 10y agoEveryone should read Ted Chiang. https://subterraneanpress.com/magazine/fall_2010/fiction_the_lifecycle_of_software_objects_by_ted_chiang https://subterraneanpress.com/magazine/fall_2010/fiction_the...
- arisAlexis 10y agoThe peripheral by Wiliam Gibson
- danbolt 10y agoI've received The Brothers Karamazov, and found it to be my new favourite book.
- jen729w 10y agoHyperion by Dan Simmonds. It, and the follow-up Fall of Hyperion, are by far and away my favourite sci-fi books. Given them to 5+ people over the years and every one has loved them.
- Ntrails 10y agoI was gifted my copy, and have gifted 3 copies to others now. Pay it forward :)
- werber 10y agoI think I've given "Go Tell It On The Mountain" by James Baldwin more times than any other book.
- peckrob 10y agoI read a lot of Science Fiction for fun. These are a few of my favorites that I've given to other people: 1. Vacuum Diagrams by Stephen Baxter. When I think of epic hard science fiction, the Xeelee Sequence books spring to mind. With a story line that spans millions of years (and a few dozen books), this collection of short stories is a good introduction to one of the best and most underrated sci-fi series out there. Baxter's Manifold trilogy (Manifold: Space, Manifold: Time and Manifold: Origin) are also fantastic. 2. Foundation by Isaac Asimov. The whole Foundation series is wonderful, but this book is a landmark of sci-fi that should be on any fan's bookcase. 3. The Martian by Andy Weir. This book is what I've been giving the last couple years to people who don't think they like sci-fi. Everyone I've given it to has loved it. 4. Rama by Arthur C. Clarke. Another hard sci-fi staple. The rest of the Rama books he "co-wrote" with Gentry Lee are decent but become more space opera than hard sci-fi. I enjoyed them but many sci-fi fans find them polarizing. 5. Silver Tower by Dale Brown. More of a military thriller than sci-fi (Flight of the Old Dog is another favorite of mine by him) and terribly dated by modern standards (it was written when the Soviet Union was still a thing). But it's the first "adult" sci-fi book I ever read as a kid, so it'll always have a special place for me. EDIT: Another one: 6. Coyote by Allen Steele. I love stories like this one: primitive, longshot interstellar exploration and primitive, first generation colonization. Especially for desperate reasons. The first two Coyote books were good, but I just can't get into any of the subsequent ones.
- tnecniv 10y agoThose are all great. I've also given Dune, the Forever War, and The Stars my Destination.
- swframe 10y agoI used to give Dune to my teenage relatives and it usually turned them into avid readers; they would thank me later. I noticed that it doesn't hold the interests of the recent teenagers in the family; it is hard to get them to start and even harder to get them to finish. I think competition from the internet, youtube and cellphone is just too strong. That is horrible because developing a passion for reading helps lot in highschool/college/life. I've offered to pay them $100 and they still won't read it!
- misiti3780 10y agoAntifragile by Taleb The Black Swan by Taleb Thinking Fast & Slow by Kahneman Guns, Germs, and Steel by Diamond The World According To Monsanto by Robin The Organized Mind by Levitin The Vital Question by Lane Life Ascending by Lane Chasing the Scream by Hari Anything By Gladwell.
- matwood 10y agoReplay by Ken Grimwood. https://www.amazon.com/Replay-Ken-Grimwood/dp/068816112X https://www.amazon.com/Replay-Ken-Grimwood/dp/068816112X It's ground hog day, but on a lifetime scale. The search for happiness and what it means to be happy.
- voycey 10y agoI tend to either give "The Belgeriad" or "Mistborn" as a gift to people who want to get into Fantasy. I think when Rothfuss releases his final Kingkiller Chronicle book it might be my new intro series :)
- mden 10y agoWhy did you have to remind me about Kingkiller Chronicle :( Also Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings (fantasy and same author as Mistborn). The audio books are really good.
- jgord 10y agoCapital in the 21C - Thomas Piketty Because it changes the way you see the world.
- davidjnelson 10y agoThe Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
- jfb 10y agoRiver-Horse, William Least-Heat Moon. It's a wonderful account of a classically idiosyncratic journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific, through the waterways of North America. Speak, Memory, Vladimir Nabokov. The pinnacle of the memoirist's art. I find it nearly uncreditable, Nabokov's facility with English, his 5th language. Lyonesse, Jack Vance. Vance is the greatest stylist in 20th century American letters, and Lyonesse is probably his greatest achievement. Fantasy indebted to Celtic mythology, not Tolkien. Marvelous, poetic, pungent language in service of a wonderful story.
- jayroh 10y agoI've given this as a gift several times -- "What Should I Do with My Life" by Po Bronson. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FBFMKC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1#nav-subnav https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FBFMKC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?... Had a run-in with serious burn-out about 12 years ago and had considered leaving software entirely and starting a landscaping business. This book was inspirational in that it helped me figure out what I might LOVE doing, and then made me realize it was right under my nose the whole time. I just needed to get a new job that appreciated and challenged me
- drdrey 10y agowhat are you doing now?
- jayroh 10y agofreelance developer these days. That's what I meant by "right under my nose". I still loved what I DID, I just wasn't in the right place or right industry. To be more specific - I was writing code, but in advertising. Being a programmer in advertising is a brutal, thankless, experience. When I figured that out and left for software consulting, it got better.
- hardmath123 10y agoOne book that works well for techy parents who have kids is The Number Devil. It's fantastic read-with-your-kid-at-bedtime material.
- chiph 10y agoI've given out a few copies of Corporate Confidential: 50 Secrets Your Company Doesn't Want You to Know---and What to Do About Them. So far, the recipients have done well after reading it. It really clued them into the hidden meaning behind common corporate-speak. https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Confidential-Secrets-Company-Know----ebook/dp/B003K15PC4 https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Confidential-Secrets-Compan...
- bschwindHN 10y ago* How to Sharpen Pencils: A Practical & Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening for Writers, Artists, Contractors, Flange Turners, Anglesmiths, & Civil Servants * Ulrich Haarburste's Novel Of Roy Orbison In Clingfilm
- billhendricksjr 10y agoA People's History of The United States by Howard Zinn. Given it at least 5 times. All students should realize that history is written by the "winners" see US history from the perspective of the oppressed - Native Americans, slaves, women, the poor.
- aaron695 10y agoIf the book is so generic that someone can suggest it here, then it's not a good gift. But a great philosophy is below. People will appreciate the gesture and you'll never get cranky about lent books never returned. “It's a gift. Never lend a book.” ― Bill Adama
- atsaloli 10y ago"The Way to Happiness" by L. Ron Hubbard is a common-sense moral code. It's inspired me to be a better person in different ways (e.g., as a husband, professionally, personally, etc.). I gave it to a plumber in Sydney once (I used to hand them out) and he came back and asked for a few more for his mates "because they could use it". http://www.thewaytohappiness.org http://www.thewaytohappiness.org
- Jaruzel 10y agoPutting the scientology stuff to one side for a moment, L. Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth and Mission Earth books are fun pulp sci-fi, good for summer holiday reading.
- atsaloli 10y agoAye. BTW, I just got this promotion from the publisher: Amazon Kindle edition of Battlefield Earth (1094 pages) is available for 99 cents until midnight August 14th. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B41I4NI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=galaxypcom-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01B41I4NI&linkId=cee637675360d7a332e5803c5d1cb021 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B41I4NI/ref=as_li_tl?ie...
- thatha7777 10y ago1. The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Repeatedly (to different people).
- dredmorbius 10y agoInteresting question, and a quite difficult one for me to answer as I'm refactoring much of my thinking presently. I'll offer a list, some authors, and some guidelines, largely based on books which radically changed my thinking. Madelaine l'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. A quite profound children's book with lifelong impacts. https://www.worldcat.org/title/wrinkle-in-time/oclc/22421788 https://www.worldcat.org/title/wrinkle-in-time/oclc/22421788 Frank Herbert's Dune introduced true complexity into storytelling for me. https://www.worldcat.org/title/dune-frank-herbert/oclc/52908888 https://www.worldcat.org/title/dune-frank-herbert/oclc/52908... James Burke's books Connections and The Day the Universe Changed, and their accompanying television series, were a profound introduction to the history of technology, science, ideas, and philosophy. Though 30+ years old, they remain highly current and relevant. https://www.worldcat.org/title/connections/oclc/4494136 https://www.worldcat.org/title/connections/oclc/4494136 https://www.worldcat.org/title/day-the-universe-changed/oclc/12049817 https://www.worldcat.org/title/day-the-universe-changed/oclc... Jeremy Campbell's Grammatical Man (1984) introduced the concepts of information theory and their deep, deep, deep interconnections to a tremendous number of interconnected systems, many not explored within his book. Darwin's The Origin of Species, James Gleick's Chaos, and many of the works of Santa Fe Institute members, including John C. Holland, J. Doyne Farmer, Geoffrey West, W. Brian Arthur, David Krakauer, and Sander van der Leeuw, continue these themes. https://www.worldcat.org/title/grammatical-man-information-entropy-language-and-life/oclc/8306673 https://www.worldcat.org/title/grammatical-man-information-e... https://www.worldcat.org/title/chaos-making-a-new-science/oclc/15366709 https://www.worldcat.org/title/chaos-making-a-new-science/oc... William Ophuls' Ecology and the Politics of Scarcity (1977) is perhaps the best, most comprehensive, shortest, and most readable exposition of the fact, reality, dynamics, and interactions of limits on the present phase of fossil-fuel fed economic growth I've found. This is a book I recommend not only for the message, but the author's clarity of thought and exposition, his meticulous research, exquisite bibliographical notes, and, given the nearly 30 years elapsed, testability numerous of his predictions, some failed, yes, others uncannily accurate. Rather more the latter. In a similar vein, William R. Catton's Overshoot looks at the ecological dynamics in more depth, with much wisdom, the writings of Richard Heinberg cover the ground of limits fairly accessibly and more recently. Vaclav Smil in numerous books addresses technical factors of the profound nature of the past 250 years, and implications for the future. Meadows, et al, in Limits to Growth set off much of the post-1970 discussion (though they're hardly the first to raise the question -- it dates to Seneca the Elder), https://www.worldcat.org/title/ecology-and-the-politics-of-scarcity-prologue-to-a-political-theory-of-the-steady-state/oclc/2524932 https://www.worldcat.org/title/ecology-and-the-politics-of-s... https://www.worldcat.org/title/overshoot-the-ecological-basis-of-revolutionary-change/oclc/6195764 https://www.worldcat.org/title/overshoot-the-ecological-basi... https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3Aheinberg%2C+richard&qt=owc_search https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3Aheinberg%2C+richard&q... https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3Asmil%2C+vaclav&qt=results_page https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3Asmil%2C+vaclav&qt=res... Though hardly pessimistic, Daniel Yergin's book The Prize (and TV series) impressed upon me more than any other just how much petroleum specifically changed and transformed the modern world. Though intended largely as laudetory and championing the oil industry by the author, my read of it was exceptionally cautionary. The impacts on business, everyday life, politics, wars, industry, and transport, and the rate at which they occurred, are simply staggering. You can continue this exploration in Vaclav Smil's Energy in World History (1994) (I've recommended Smil independently elsewhere), and a rare but profound two-volume set I'm currently reading, Manfred Weissenbacher's Sources of Power: How energy forges human history (2009). The shear physicality of this book speaks to the message -- it's divided into five parts: 1) Foraging Age (6 pages), 2) Agricultural Age (156 pp), 3) Coal Age (160 pp), 4) Oil Age (296 pp), and 5) Beyond the Oil Age (142 pp). That is, the ~2 million years of pre-agricultural existence are little more than a footnote, the 8,000 years of agriculture roughly equal to the 150 years of coal, and the 100 years of petroleum use roughly twice either. The oil and post-oil ages comprise their own volume. Yergin followed up with The Quest, continuing the search for oil, though I've been less impressed by it. https://www.worldcat.org/title/prize-the-epic-quest-for-oil-money-and-power/oclc/22381448 https://www.worldcat.org/title/prize-the-epic-quest-for-oil-... https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-in-world-history/oclc/30398523 https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-in-world-history/oclc/... https://www.worldcat.org/title/before-oil-the-ages-of-foraging-agriculture-and-coal/oclc/837625798 https://www.worldcat.org/title/before-oil-the-ages-of-foragi... https://www.worldcat.org/title/oil-age-and-beyond/oclc/837625970 https://www.worldcat.org/title/oil-age-and-beyond/oclc/83762... Adam Smith's An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations is among the most-cited (and most incorrectly cited), least-read books of high influence I'm aware of, outside religious texts (and perhaps it is a religious text to some…). The author's message has been exceptionally shaped and manipulated by a powerful set of forces, quite often utterly misrepresenting Smith's original intent. Reading him in his own words, yourself, is strongly recommended. I'd also recommend scholarship particularly by Emma Rothschild and Gavin Kennedy, though also others, on Smith. Contrast with the portrayal by the propaganda disinformation front of the Mont Pelerin Society / Atlas Network / so-called Foundation for Economic Education, and much of the modern American Libertarian movement (von Mises, Hayek, Friedman, Hazlett, Rothbard, and more recently, Norberg). Contrast The Invisible Hand (1964), a compilation of essays published by Libertarian house Regnery Press in 1966, at the beginning of the rise in public use of Smith's metaphor to indictate mechanism rather than an expression of the unknown. There are numerous editions of Smith, I believe the Glasgow is frequently cited by Smith scholars: https://www.worldcat.org/title/glasgow-edition-of-the-works-and-correspondence-of-adam-smith-2-an-inquiry-into-the-nature-and-causes-of-the-wealth-of-nations-vol-1/oclc/832488566 https://www.worldcat.org/title/glasgow-edition-of-the-works-... https://www.worldcat.org/title/economic-sentiments-adam-smith-condorcet-and-the-enlightenment/oclc/45282974 https://www.worldcat.org/title/economic-sentiments-adam-smit... https://www.worldcat.org/title/adam-smith-and-the-invisible-hand/oclc/820387997 https://www.worldcat.org/title/adam-smith-and-the-invisible-... https://www.worldcat.org/title/adam-smiths-lost-legacy/oclc/56598640 https://www.worldcat.org/title/adam-smiths-lost-legacy/oclc/... https://www.worldcat.org/title/invisible-hand-a-collection-of-essays-on-the-economic-philosophy-of-free-enterprise/oclc/326622 https://www.worldcat.org/title/invisible-hand-a-collection-o... I'd like to put in recommendations on technology specifically, but am still searching for a good general text. The material's covered somewhat in the chaos and complexity recommendations above (Campbell et al), though I'd add Joseph Tainter's The Collapse of Complex Societies. Charle's Perrow has several excellent books including Normal Accidents and Organizing America. I'd like to reference something concerning Unix, Linux, and programming, perhaps Kernighan and Pike's The Unix Programming Environment, Linus Torvalds' Just for Fun, Richard Stallman's The GNU Manifesto, and Steve McConnel's Code Complete. The O'Reilly book Unix Power Tools also encapsulates much the strength of the Unix toolset. All these are somewhat dated. https://www.worldcat.org/title/collapse-of-complex-societies/oclc/15083222 https://www.worldcat.org/title/collapse-of-complex-societies... https://www.worldcat.org/title/normal-accidents-living-with-high-risk-technologies/oclc/10229932 https://www.worldcat.org/title/normal-accidents-living-with-... https://www.worldcat.org/title/organizing-america-wealth-power-and-the-origins-of-corporate-capitalism/oclc/939707157 https://www.worldcat.org/title/organizing-america-wealth-pow... https://www.worldcat.org/title/unix-programming-environment/oclc/10269821 https://www.worldcat.org/title/unix-programming-environment/... https://www.worldcat.org/title/unix-power-tools/oclc/52381684 https://www.worldcat.org/title/unix-power-tools/oclc/5238168... https://www.worldcat.org/title/free-software-free-society-selected-essays-of-richard-m-stallman/oclc/51101440 https://www.worldcat.org/title/free-software-free-society-se... https://www.worldcat.org/title/just-for-fun-the-story-of-an-accidental-revolutionary/oclc/45610395 https://www.worldcat.org/title/just-for-fun-the-story-of-an-... https://www.worldcat.org/title/code-complete-a-practical-handbook-of-software-construction/oclc/27035508 https://www.worldcat.org/title/code-complete-a-practical-han...
- ComputerGuru 10y agoThe Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas. I'd read thousands of books, novels, and other literature and never had an answer to "your favorite book?" and thought I just wasn't meant to ever have one... Until I read it. Since then, I've bought copies solely to have on hand to gift to people I actually care about. To drive home the point of just how much I loved this book, I went on to learn French just so I could read it in the original print. Make sure it's the full, unabridged edition (1200 or 1400 pages), though! (Just to throw in a nonfiction title as well, Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything is a great gift for scientifically-inclined minds (esp younger ones) looking for a first foray into the world of nonfiction, wittily-written and well-narrated.)
- vecter 10y agoThat's fascinating. Could you explain what made you love the book so much?
- aas1957 10y agoDumas originally wrote The Count as a weekly story for the newspaper. Hence, each chapter ended as a cliffhanger enticing the reader to wait and then buy next week's issue. I works like a charm. One of the best I ever read.
- wazoox 10y agoI've read it in a nearly uninterrupted reading binge of 3 days and 2 nights. In fact, in my recollection there's a cliffhanger at the bottom of each odd page :)
- wallflower 10y ago> I went on to learn French just so I could read it in the original print. That is one of my mom's favorite books! Can you please elaborate about the process of getting there/how much practice it took to get you towards the point where you could enjoy The Count of Monte Cristo in its native French? Right now, I am studying Spanish and my reading comprehension in Spanish is low. It is not enough to understand something like 'The Little Prince' (in Spanish) to enjoy it.
- yla92 10y agoI have given Humans of New York book as a gift to a friend of mine and now preparing another one to another friend. Mainly because I think the book has so much great quality photo essays, worth keeping it for a long time, sit down, flip it through from time to time and enjoy the beautiful stories.
- RobLach 10y ago"Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius. A stoic tenet plus it grounds everyone once you realize not even the power and wealth of a Roman emperor is enough to escape certain realities and you need to re-adjust your definition of success.
- pessimizer 10y agoVampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality by Paul Barber. It's pretty much my Bible, and is all that needs to be said about the nature of my secularism. I tell people it's a cool book about vampire myths, though.
- d-roo 10y agoA couple years ago a friend gave me 'It Starts With Food' and after reading it I bought it for at least a half-dozen of my friends. It was truly life changing for me and my approach to food and health. Within a couple weeks I went from having hypertension/pre-hypertension to normal blood pressure and over the course of 6 months or so I lost 40 lbs. Changing my diet to 'whole' foods redefined for me what hunger was. My daily diet had been one of going from one sugar high to the next. What I interpreted as hunger and a big appetite were in fact cravings for sugar. Admittedly, it may be a bit below the reading level for the average user here but I can't recommend this book enough. Especially for those of us that sit in front of a computer all day. Take a look at the reviews at Amazon which are numerous and nearly unanimous. Do yourself a favour and give it read. https://amzn.com/1628600543 https://amzn.com/1628600543
- Induane 10y agoGödel, Escher, Bach Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Enders Game Speaker for the Dead A Brief History of Time I Am a Strange Loop Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (5 or 6 book trilogy) Dune
- raymondh 10y agoThing Explainer.
- chenster 10y ago"How to read a book" should be the first book gift you ever give. It changed my life. https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Intelligent-Touchstone/dp/0671212095 https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Intelligent-Touchstone/...
- kingkawn 10y agoLetter to a Teacher by the Schoolboys of Barbiana. Beautifully written call for better education for the poor by the children who need it. Available in PDF now too: http://www.swaraj.org/shikshantar/LTAT_Final.pdf http://www.swaraj.org/shikshantar/LTAT_Final.pdf
- francasso 10y agoObviously "The Universal Master Key" by Franz Bardon. They might start looking at you in strange ways though... you have been warned https://amzn.com/1291355138 https://amzn.com/1291355138
- vectorpush 10y agoThe Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. My favorite sci-fi story, I might even admit it is my favorite of all stories. I've given it as a real book but the experience really benefits from the e-reader format because, at least for me, there were many terms to look up and many sections that I wanted to notate for consideration later. It's a challenging book but a very thoughtful and rewarding read. Highly recommended.
- KRuchan 10y ago"The Defining Decade" by Meg Jay to anyone in their twenties. Shameless plug -I posted a summary here: https://rkirti.wordpress.com/2015/12/05/learnings-from-the-defining-decade/ https://rkirti.wordpress.com/2015/12/05/learnings-from-the-d...
- wdr1 10y agoThe Princess Bride. I've given it away seven times & purchased it eight. Like every book, it's different from the movie. I'm not going to say it's better than the movie, but I'm also not going say the movie is better either. Both are just so amazing in their own right that I adore them both.
- sflicht 10y agoHuygens and Barrow, Newton and Hooke [1] by mathematician V. I. Arnol'd. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Huygens-Barrow-Newton-Hooke-quasicrystals/dp/3764323833 https://www.amazon.com/Huygens-Barrow-Newton-Hooke-quasicrys...
- physicsyogi 10y agoI gave Joseph Brodsky's Watermark and Alan Watts' The Wisdom of Insecurity to two friends last year. And for Mothers Day last year I gave my wife a book of themed photos and prose, Two, by Melissa Ann Pinney.
- syngrog66 10y agoSteven Levy's Hackers, to a boy considering a career in computers Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, to a fan of history
- skmurphy 10y agomany copies of "Secrets of Consulting" by Gerald Weinberg and two copies of Bionomics by Michael Rothschild
- brianzelip 10y agoKahlil Gibran's 'The prophet'
- cionescu1 10y agoAfter reading Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, I offered it as a gift to most of my friends. It's an exhilarating read, one that I would recommend to anyone
- anonbiocoward 10y agoStrunk and White. I put my email and phone number in the inside cover. Only for good friends. Have gotten contacts from people I haven't seen in 10 years.
- upbeatlinux 10y agoI found each of these invaluable at different points in my life. YMMV Biz - the Personal MBA - Josh Kaufman - http://amzn.to/2aFsj3c http://amzn.to/2aFsj3c Org - the Fifth Discipline - Peter Senge - http://amzn.to/2aNpbQz http://amzn.to/2aNpbQz SciFi - Perdido Street Station - China Mieville - http://amzn.to/2aNoWFn http://amzn.to/2aNoWFn Parenting - The Continuum Concept - Jean Liedloff - http://amzn.to/2aZEAAL http://amzn.to/2aZEAAL
- rahulskateboard 10y agoI have in the past gifted multiple books written by Terry Pratchett,his Discworld series is an amazing example of social satire.The people who tend to love his stuff most are usually science oriented folks though since he tends to reference a lot of technology in an oblique fashion,including programming.
- mwest 10y agoThe Player of Games, by Iain M. Banks - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Player_of_Games https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Player_of_Games
- Jaruzel 10y agoI've been scrolling through all the comments, seeing if someone mentioned the late great Mr Banks. His Culture books are almost perfect hard sci-fi in my opinion, and his contemporary collection contain some amazing books (The Wasp Factory, and The Bridge immediately come to mind).
- mattsouth 10y agoI'm a fan of Iain M. Banks and have gifted this one. It reminds me a lot of Hermann Hesse's Glass Bead Game.
- boznz 10y agoA Friend lent me this and I never gave it back (Sorry Tony!) The first chapter was so hard going I didnt read it for two years then wham! What an awesome book, sex, violence, deception, robots and starships with a bloody good ending to boot, definitely in my top five novels of any genre.
- a_c 10y agoThe Phoenix Project by Gene Kim. A novel that tells how to manage IT department in a very enchanted manner. The situation entailed in the story is too real. I had some many "I have come across this shit before, wish I handled it better" encounters that I couldn't put the book down until finished.
- 35bge57dtjku 10y agoI give One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, in movie form, to departing coworkers.
- stevewilhelm 10y agoTurtle Island, by Gary Snyder. or more recently, Tamalpais Walking: Poetry, History, and Prints, By Gary Snyder and Tom Killion and Quiet Light, by John Sexton or Places of Power: The Aesthetics of Technology by John Sexton
- Ace17 10y agoMasters of Doom, by David Kushner.
- abrkn 10y ago10% Happier by Dan Harris (audio book, narrated by the author) A light hearted account of a news anchor's introduction to meditation
- SeaDude 10y ago"Ecotopia" by: Earnest Callenbach "Self Reliance" by: Ralph Waldo Emerson "The Iron Heel" by: Jack (fuckin) London!
- SyneRyder 10y agoAnything You Want by Derek Sivers. It's still my favorite book on business, a short easy read filled with anecdotes from his time running CD Baby. The situations are ones I keep encountering myself running a small business, and the way the stories are written makes them highly memorable & applicable. If I can't decide between opportunities, I remember "Hell Yeah! or No." If I'm working on fraud screening, I remember "Don't Punish Everyone For One Person's Mistake". When working on an MVP and feel it isn't big enough, I'm reminded of "Start Now. No Funding Needed." And it has my favorite twist ending in business. It's the first book I've specifically bought multiple copies of to give away, including to clients.
- neelkadia 10y agoJonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.. I've bought around 20 copies and given as a gift to all my close {friends, cousins, co-workers} two years back.
- daniel_iversen 10y ago"Strategic Selling" by Miller Heiman. It was the first book that really opened up my eyes to the fact that sales is (mostly) a science and its an awesome methodology. I got it as a gift and I've given it as a gift too.
- d4nte 10y agoOne book I've given is Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis. It is deeply philosophical, beginning with astute observations about human nature, continuing with an evaluation of possible worldviews and their consistency with logic and evidence, and concluding with an enlightening discussion of Christian theology. Regardless of a person's beliefs or lack thereof, it provides interesting ideas to consider and challenge.
- Gatsky 10y agoBlood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. This book got its hooks into me. Also fantastic writing craft if you get a kick out of that.
- qq66 10y ago"Maus" by Art Spiegelman "The Way Things Work" by David Macaulay "Winnie the Pooh" by A.A. Milne
- kp25 10y ago"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green, "P.S. I Love You" by Cecelia Ahern, "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee,
- ktRolster 10y agoI gave my own book, "Zero Bugs and Program Faster." I gave Randall Jarrell's version of Faust it is an excellent book.
- fny 10y agoInfinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
- rmchugh 10y agoThe Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan. A beautiful and moving tale of post-boom rural Ireland.
- rukuu001 10y agoI heard the owl call my name, by Margaret Craven I get the feeling this is better known in the US/Canada than here in Australia. I found it during an unstable time of my life and it helped a lot.
- mangamadaiyan 10y agoOne, Two, Three... Infinity by George Gamow. I can't recommend it enough.
- phaitour 10y agoFiction: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón is beautifully written and I've recommended it to many people. I've gotten lost in Carlos' worlds over and over again, and the cemetery of forgotten books is mesmerizing. Humor: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. I've recommended this to many friends who needed a good laugh. I don't remember another book that made me laugh so hard that I dropped the book. Non-fiction: this one's a tough one because many good books are mentioned already, but two that I really enjoyed and have recommended in the last year are: Boyd by Robert Coram and How the Other Half Banks by Mehrsa Baradaran. Boyd tells the story about a brilliant but petulant air force pilot who rewrote the guidelines of US military aviation. How the Other Half Banks is an eye opening account of how broken our banking system is and the history of how we got to where we are. Business: again, a lot of good books are mentioned already, but two I've enjoyed are Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg and Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. Both are fascinating books that'll leave you thinking about how to improve your own game. --Edit-- Bonus: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi is a tremendous piece. It's a short read but a must read!
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- Frogolocalypse 10y agoNon-fiction The Emperors New Mind - Roger Penrose Godel, Escher, Bach - Douglass Hoffstadter Brocas Brain - Carl Sagan The (mis)Behavior of Markets - Benoit Mandelbrot The Black Swan - Nicholas Nassem Taleb Fiction Gates Of Fire - Stephen Pressfield Neuromancer - William Gibson Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson Hardwired - Walter Jon Williams Altered Carbon - Richard Morgan Red Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson Space - Stephen Baxter Enders Game - Orson Scott Card Skeleton Crew - Stephen King I've given away a lot of books. I'm old.
- runT1ME 10y agoGood list. Define ou haven't read all of these but of the ones you've mentioned I can tell I'd probably like the rest. Have you read Anathem or any of Peter Watts' stuff? If not give them a try.
- runT1ME 10y agoGood list. Define ou haven't read all of these but of the ones you've mentioned I can tell I'd probably like the rest. Have you read Anathem or any of Peter Watts' stuff? If not give them a try.
- sguav 10y agoThe Ambidextrous Universe, Martin Gardner, 1979 edition. I find it fascinating even today
- callmeed 10y agoOn Writing Well by Zinsser Traction by Weinberg & Mares Predictable Revenue by Ross Choose Yourself by Altucher Learn Python the Hard Way by Shaw Mere Christianity by Lewis
- CalRobert 10y agoGetting out: Your guide to Leaving America The title is a bit provocative but if you're looking to move from the US to another country it's a great place to start. I've given it to a couple of footloose people in their twenties who wanted to move abroad but were intimidated by dealing with visas and expense. (Remember, not everyone works in fields where countries are clamoring to give out visas!)
- thallian 10y agoGood Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett + lots of the Discworld novels (also by Terry Pratchett). The latter have become one of the basic building blocks of my life.
- warpas 10y ago"Freakonomics" by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Great book about how and why people respond to incentives. A lot of good examples told through fascinating stories supported by data.
- hollander 10y agoDon't shoot the dog, by Karen Pryor, about operand conditioning, the effects of positive and negative reinforcement. This is a fun book, and very informative.
- mrmondo 10y agoThe Phoenix Project, many, many times.
- anonyfox 10y agoRich dad poor dad. It's not the most professional book on the topics, sure. But the content is written in a very accessible manner and I give it to young friends that are about to throw away their life because they were never exposed to any other mindset but "underclass". It is really shocking to me, that bright young people (with a bachelors degree) choose to go for a crappy paid hamsterwheel job, barely make ends meet, feel miserable at work, begin drinking/TV to cope with these frustrations and complain all day. A few years ago I discovered that it isnt a choice for them at all. Many can't even imagine that life can could be any different than this suffering. Once you're trapped in the hamsterwheel a few years, your life is basically wasted and you're a slave to the paycheck forever. But being exposed to very basic lessons like kiosaki's early on can spark just enough curiosity to break out. Just invest a little time in yourself aside of work goes a long way to improve life situations over time. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity, not a lottery ticket. Going entrepreneur isn't even required, but just getting paid adequately for something you actually like doing, and the confidence by being quite good at it, does work wonders to improve your daily quality of life. You just have to "get" some basic ideas and invest a little effort in yourself.
- Dowwie 10y agoRich Dad Poor Dad is a great gift for those who are beginning their careers. It influenced my thinking and motivated me in many important ways. Today-- 13 years since my first reading -- I realize that what I'm doing today (4 years into entrepreneurship) is based on beliefs that took root during that first year out of university that I studied texts such as Rich Dad Poor Dad. Other texts included Tom Peters's books (The Brand You, Re-Imagine!), The Magic of Thinking Big, and The Millionaire Next Door.
- dsr_ 10y agoIt's worth noting that this is a work of fiction. http://www.johntreed.com/blogs/john-t-reed-s-real-estate-investment-blog/61651011-john-t-reeds-analysis-of-robert-t-kiyosakis-book-rich-dad-poor-dad-part-1 http://www.johntreed.com/blogs/john-t-reed-s-real-estate-inv...
- cheshire_cat 10y ago"The Genius and the Goddess" by Aldous Huxley. It's one of his lesser known works and also quite short (128 pp). I really like Huxleys way of waving thoughts on psychology and philosophy into a story and specially liked it in this novel.
- markvdb 10y ago"Dead souls", by Nikolaj Gogol. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Souls https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Souls
- JimmyM 10y agoOn What Matters by Derek Parfit. Happened to be vol. 1, but vol. 2 is also fantastic. Honestly, Reasons & Persons would also make a fine gift.
- shoedog 10y agoShoe Dog by Phil Knight. A memoir of how Nike was build from scratch. Written is a witty funny way that can be totally funny and brutally honest.
- david-given 10y agoBarry Hughart's Bridge of Birds. Set in a mediaeval China that never existed (but should have), it's the story of how village peasant Number Ten Ox and the ancient sage Master Li (who has a slight flaw in his character) go on a quest to save the children of his village from a plague which can count... and the other quest which they find themselves part of. On the way you'll learn how to make a fortune with a goat, how not to cook porcupine, the best way to move rocks using only a corpse, why you should always be polite to ginseng, and the true meaning of courage. You'll meet ghosts, monsters, and gods --- and they're typically less bizarre than the human cast, which contains such jewels as the Ancestress, Miser Shen, the Old Man of the Mountain, Lotus Cloud and of course, the inimitable Ma the Grub and Pawnbroker Fang... It's by parts hilarious, touching, gripping, and there are parts that will make you cry from sheer beauty. Read this book.
- Jaruzel 10y agoLast Christmas, I was given and then bought for others: The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thrilling-Adventures-Lovelace-Babbage-Computer/dp/0141981512 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thrilling-Adventures-Lovelace-Babba... ) It's a halfway house between a graphic novel and a proper book, and is written in a very entertaining way. I can thoroughly recommend it for anyone who is interested in Computer History, and normally struggles through dry tomes of non-fiction (which this is most definitely not!)
- yumaikas 10y agoCode: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software was one of the most formative books for my programming self education. I've tried to loan it to several of my friends more than once, and it was a gift to me. Also had a strange case of loaning out C# 4.0 in a Nutshell and never getting it back, but I would do it again (with an updated version). Albahari is good at writing a reference without being too boring, and C# has some legitimately interesting sides in how it does some things, like it's dynamically compiled regexen.
- klausjensen 10y agoI have given away ~20 "Who Moved My Cheese" by Spencer Johnson over the years. It is a great little book, which deals with how we handle change in our lives (work and other) and how we sometimes fail to see, when it is time to move on. My favorite one-sentence takeaway from the book is the question: "What would you do, if you were not afraid?" - which has helped me make hard decisions many times over the years. https://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-Amazing/dp/0399144463 https://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-Amazing/dp/039914...
- rplnt 10y agoThe reviews on goodreads[1] are hilarious. Ordered it right away, though I mostly don't read books that I order, so... 1. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4894.Who_Moved_My_Cheese_ http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4894.Who_Moved_My_Cheese_
- lightonphiri 10y agoIn my previous life, MD of company I worked for gave a copy of Who Moved My Cheese to all 300+ employees. Great read.
- Gnarl 10y ago"The Body Electric" by Dr. Robert O. Becker. Everyone in healthcare, medicine and especially the wireless industry should read it. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Electric-Robert-Becker/dp/0688069711 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Electric-Robert-Becker/dp/0688...
- dantheman 10y agoEconomics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt https://mises.org/library/economics-one-lesson https://mises.org/library/economics-one-lesson It's focus is to get people thinking about 2nd and 3rd order effects. It's very simple and well written.
- collinglass 10y agoEric Fromm's The Art of Loving. It's my grandmas favorite non-fiction and she's read over 1000 books. She gave it to me and it sat on my shelf for months because the title wasn't appealing and I'm not a big book reader. Since I read it, I've now bought a second version of this book and give it to friends to read. It's a technical write-up about Love in the general sense. Fromm pitches the idea that love is an art rather than a feeling. I highly recommend the read. This book discusses the topic in a serious and insightful way.
- avh02 10y agoI'm really surprised by no mention of the tripods trilogy by John Christopher. Only managed to gift it once. Don't think they even read it :( Truly a phenomenal story IMO https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tripods https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tripods
- spdionis 10y agoThe Dune series by Frank Herbert is by far one of the best works of fiction ever written. I recommend it to anyone interested in something mind-expanding and entertaining at the same time.
- NTripleOne 10y agoI'm not a big reader (Last book I read was back in 2010~?), but I think my favourite was Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's Roadside Picnic. Big fan of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series as well as the film, so it only made sense that I read the book that it was all based on.
- mironathetin 10y agoFranz Werfel: Pale Blue Ink in a Lady's Hand. The story of an Austrian aristocrat and politician, who is - through his marriage - well established in society and on a safe carrier path, who discovers that he might have a child with a jewish woman (in pre-WWII Austria). Great story and so well written by Werfel.
- azogue 10y agoColleen McCullough's The First Man in Rome. It's historical fiction, set in Rome a few years before Julius Caesar was born. I began reading it to see what I could learn about how war was waged by the romans and was absolutely dazed by the political and social intricacies exposed. One of the most welcome gifts I've ever bought. One friend told me he had rediscovered the pleasure of reading; another read the full Masters of Rome series shortly after. Really good feedback. Terry Pratchett's Night Watch is also one of my favorites to give. Although when asked if it is the first of a series people tend to be somewhat surprised by the answer: I send them a graph spanning all the Discworld books[1]. Night Watch is in no way the first but I've found it to be a good starter and the order is not that important in Pratchett's books. Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. Already mentioned by someone. Some translations have an incredibly lyrical prose, but you've got to be careful with the one you buy. [1] http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/38700000/The-Discworld-Reading-Order-Guide-2-0-discworld-38786764-1000-1198.jpg http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/38700000/The-Discworl...
- elorant 10y agoThis year I gave "The Martian" to four different people. They couldn't thank me enough. Best SF book I've ever read.
- nl 10y agoLots of good books have been mentioned. I think Watership Down is worth considering. I only read it because I had to as a 15 yo, and it was absolutely brilliant. I went and read every other book Richard Adams wrote.
- dmichulke 10y ago"Economics in one Lesson" by H. Hazlitt (conveys the same as "Atlas shrugged" in much much less pages) "The Selfish Gene" (R. Dawkins) "Dune" (F. Herbert) "Walden II" (B. F. Skinner)
- rgun 10y agoGlimpses of World History by Jawaharlal Nehru: A collection of letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru to his daughter Indira Gandhi, from jail, teaching her about world history. An interesting introduction to history.
- grafelic 10y agoI haven't yet gifted a copy of Robert Anton Wilson's and Robert Shea's "The Illuminatus! Triology", but I want to. This book strikes the fine balance of being funny and mindblowingly weird at the same time. Great fun.
- kqr 10y agoI started reading this when I was very young and then eventually trailed off. Thanks for reminding me I gotta try again!
- grafelic 10y agoYou're welcome! My approach to this book was to stop thinking too much about the numerous "plot lines" and just go with the flow.The fact that I bought the book in a second-hand bookstore in Berkeley and read most of it while exploring the Californian coast, probably put me in that mindset from the get-go. :)
- alex_ixd 10y agoI second this. I did my first reading in high school and it changed me for the better (and weirder).
- pareidolia 10y agoNeil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death makes a great gift for anyone who watches too much TV or is addicted to Youtube
- remmelt 10y agoCooked by Michael Pollan. Great history about food, how cooking made us "human," links to religion, feminism, consumerism, and much more. Very insightful and at times heart felt. Not recommended if you don't eat food.
- lagirl1994 10y agoUncle Tom´s cabin
- nrjames 10y agoWest with the Night, by Beryl Markham. This is the autobiography of a woman who grew up on a farm in British East Africa (Kenya) in the early 1900s. She eventually became a bush pilot and the first person ever to fly an airplane solo across the Atlantic Ocean from east to west. It is a beautifully written and interesting story. Note: if you decide to read it, skip the Forward because it sort of spoils the book. Come back to it at the end, however, because it provides some interesting historical context.
- gardnr 10y ago"How the World Works" by Noam Chomsky
- koolba 10y agohttp://pbfcomics.com/book/ http://pbfcomics.com/book/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_the_Fuck_to_Sleep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_the_Fuck_to_Sleep Intro to programming in Python - I don't remember which one though. I think it was one of the O'Reilly ones.
- openfuture 10y agoI buy books that catch my interest when I'm travelling and then give them to people I meet who I think will appreciate them. I'm so tired of giving books to family that then never read them. Anyway, books I've given recently (last 3 months): The Dominant Man: The Pecking Order of Human Society https://www.amazon.com/dominant-man-pecking-order-society/dp/B0006C317G https://www.amazon.com/dominant-man-pecking-order-society/dp... __ Completely changed my perspective on social interaction. I've been trying to get people to read this but the title sounds very non-pc. Got it for 1AUD on a second hand book table somewhere, it's very dry though and mostly just presents evidence without drawing conclusions. Cat's Craddle - Kurt Vonnegut __ I love the word Karass. Lots of travelers like this book. When Nietzsche wept __ Amazing book, the amount of strategy in their conversations is amazing and the book is just high quality. Best to know some stuff about Nietzsche and that era before you read it though. Teach us to sit still - Tim Parks __ Not something you'd give to anyone but if the person is a little intrigued by meditation then this book will probably get them to start doing it. Why the West Rules for Now: The patterns of history and what they reveal about the future __ I had learned the history of certain periods in certain locations but this book brought it all together into a cohesive narrative. Highly recommended if you want to start inquiring into history but don't know where to start. Carlos Castaneda's series on learning shamanism __ I dunno what to think of this. I can believe that the guy actually experienced what he's writing, it's just too much to make up imo. Anyway I'd recommend it to anyone interested in philosophy, religion or meditation because it's just such a radically different perspective on how to live life and the meaning of enlightenment. -- I also have a long list of books that I've seen recommended here or recommendations from people I've met all over the world that I use for inspiration when I need to give gifts for Christmas or something but I haven't read them yet so I won't mention them here.
- GnarfGnarf 10y agoJames Kunstler: "The Long Emergency"
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- mattsouth 10y agoI love this thread. One that hasnt been mentioned and that I've enthusiastically gifted is The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin.
- hkhall 10y agoThe most recent is Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold[1] [1]https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Intelligence-Science-Perfect-Cocktail/dp/0393089037 https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Intelligence-Science-Perfect-C...
- kidster 10y agoThe Little Prince and The Alchemist. Whenever I make new friends I give them either of these books if they haven't read them yet. These two have changed my point of view significantly -- and I've read them at an adult age already.
- mch82 10y ago[Rework][] from DHH and Jason Fried. Rework explains the "life beyond work" and "make a dent in the universe" philosophy behind Basecamp and Rails and is a valuable counterpoint to the popular media narrative of the startup IPO mindset. The book also explains how to apply the philosophy with actionable examples and it's fun to read. [Rework]: https://37signals.com/rework https://37signals.com/rework
- Dowwie 10y agoZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
- shabinesh 10y agoI am not much into fiction, my gift depends on the kind of person I gift to, few books I most of the time prefer gifting, 1. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche, for those spiritual minds. I am a huge fan of this book, I am traveling this week to Dharamshala to learn about Buddhism after reading this book. 2.Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, for those aspiring young minds. 3. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, for my adventure loving friends. I had an intense desire to see Mt.Everest after reading this book, I traveled to Everest base camp. 4. Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, for everyone, I don't remember how many I have gifted. 5. Imitation of Christ, I have gifted it, but haven't read it myself. It's in my list. 6. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
- Atwood 10y agoNonfiction:Global Brain, Fiction:Robinson Crusoe. A handful of poetry (rumi) and philosophy books over the years too.
- pop8row9 10y agoThe Dark Side of Camelot, by Seymour Hersh. A very, very interesting treatment of the Kennedys.
- is_it_xmas 10y agoThere are so many great books here. I'm surprised to see nothing by Palahniuk. I've given Choke and Survivor as gifts. Also disappointed that George Saunders didn't make the list. His essays in The Brain-dead Megaphone are great and his short stories, especially Isabelle and others is The Tenth of December, are heart-warming.
- smountcastle 10y agoI give these three books out to new managers in my org: * High Output Management by Andy Grove https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679762884/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679762884/ * Turn the Ship Around by David Marquet https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591846404/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591846404/ * The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591843472/ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591843472/ For interns I give out these two books: * The Pragmatic Programmer https://www.amazon.com/Pragmatic-Programmer-Journeyman-Master/dp/020161622X/ https://www.amazon.com/Pragmatic-Programmer-Journeyman-Maste... * The Passionate Programmer https://pragprog.com/book/cfcar2/the-passionate-programmer https://pragprog.com/book/cfcar2/the-passionate-programmer
- matthewvincent 10y agoSiddhartha by Herman Hesse is my current go to gift book. It's so short that anyone can dive in without being intimidated. I don't think it's possible to read Siddhartha without coming just a little bit closer to enlightenment.
- sevensor 10y agoThe Soul of a New Machine: it's the 1970s and the mincomputer wars are hot. A bunch of young engineers at the upstart Data General race to get a new mini out the door. Tech has changed a lot in 40 years, but the way people work on it hasn't.
- ptha 10y ago2 that I've given and reread myself a few times would be: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien
- danvesma 10y agoWill Self – Great Apes. To remind people that sometimes we're just fucking monkeys.
- mrjummyman 10y agoThe Denial of Death - Ernest Becker
- dedalus 10y agoThese days I present anyone with this book: Mindset,The New Psychology of Success https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FCKPHG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FCKPHG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?... and they tell me it makes a difference to their lifestyle
- davidtpate 10y agoCreativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull It's the story of Pixar and there's so many things I enjoyed about this book. It helped validate for me many of my instincts in running a creative business. The Martian by Andy Weir I very much enjoyed the story and how it was all approached. Seven Eves by Neil Stephenson Similar to his other books (Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon) I've gifted these a few times. I really enjoy his method of storytelling and his stories appeal to the geek in me as well.
- ehudla 10y agoPrimo Levi, The Periodic Table.
- ehudla 10y agoThe Double Helix (Watson)
- ehudla 10y agoBreakfast at Tiffany's (Truman Capote).
- hkmurakami 10y agoThe 4 part LBJ book series by Robert Caro.
- Pulce 10y ago"The hacker Ethic and the spirit of the information age", Pekka Himanen. "Deadhead", Robert Sheckley. "The world she wanted", Philip K. Dick. "Poesia in forma di rosa", Pasolini.
- quantum_nerd 10y agoElon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future to my college best friend as a birthday gift.
- cyman 10y agoFour Hour Work Week. Take it with a grain of salt, since it takes a lot longer than the author suggests to create a business. (I'd say a year of hard work at least to finally hit a product that sells easily enough in high enough quantities rather than a matter of months.) But it's possible. It's a great read with direct, practical advice. Ex: It says exact what services to use and how much they cost, rather than the more typical theoretical "think this way" of other business books.
- tixocloud 10y agoThe Essential Marcus Aurelius was a book that was given to me as a gift. Since reading it, I've bought many more copies to share with people I deeply care about. This book contained so many great insights into how to deal with life's stresses and has been a revelation in my transformation of attitude.