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Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models?
It's ok to "forget" what you read (https://medium.com/the-polymath-project/its-okay-to-forget-what-you-read-f4ef1c34cc01) as books update our mental models or how we perceive the world. What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models?
- xtiansimon 9y agoThis is not book, but it has 'content' and an 'author'. A Coursera course: "Model Thinking" by Scott E. Page https://www.coursera.org/learn/model-thinking https://www.coursera.org/learn/model-thinking
- LucianLMZ 9y agoIn no particular order and probably not remembering all: The signal and the noise - Nate Silver; Black Swan - Nassim Nicholas Taleb; Antifragile - Nassim Nicholas Taleb; 1984 - Orwell; Man's search for meaning - Viktor Frankl; Diplomacy - Henry Kissinger (not only international politics but also deep-thinking strategy that can be used anywhere); Meditations - Marcus Aurelius; Superforecasting - Philip Tetlock; Propaganda - Edward Bernays; Pitch anything - Oren Klaff; Guns, Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond; How to win friends and influence people& Stop worrying (both by Dale Carnegie); The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins; Trust - Francis Fukuyama;
- Hyperbolic 9y agoThe Ender's Series - For the essence of xenophobia and subjective realities.
- spookyuser 9y agoWhat is a Mental Model? I've heard this word tossed around so much recently and I still don't feel like I understand what it means.
- CGamesPlay 9y agoIt refers to a person's perception of the outside world and how well the person is able to predict the future and understand the causes of events. Sort of like how a machine learning "model" is the mechanism by which a program understands it's inputs.
- ismail 9y agoHave been reading and researching for my postgrad and in some cases "Perspective" & "Mental models" are used interchangeably. However i like to think of it in this way: Perspective: The point of view from which something is looked at Mental Model: A mechanism or thought pattern to make sense of something or understand something about some situation You can never break out of your perspective of looking at the world. So a mental model is always confined within a specific perspective. Example: Supply&Demand is a model that helps you understand pricing in markets. The point of view/perspective is that of an economics/economist perspective. You could just as easily look at the same situation from a different perspective such as sociology or even psychology. In other words, mental models are like a short cut to look at situations, solve problems and understand the world from different perspectives.
- spookyuser 9y agoVery interesting, thank you.
- farnsworth 9y agoYou could say that humans understand the world by building a "model" of it in our minds. When we are trying to decide how to act, we can simulate a situation by running it through the model. For example, you might have a model of your boss that helps you predict how they will react if you give them bad news. And you might have a mental model of your country that you can use to predict what will happen if it goes to war or goes broke. Every time you learn something, you can use it to adjust your mental model. It's like a simulation of the world inside your mind. Pretty cool, actually. People can end up with very different mental models of the same objects because they trained them with different data (ie, had different experiences growing up) or because other mental models impacted the interpretation of the data, and the development of those different mental models.
- MK999 9y agoif you are unsurprised by events then your mental model is very good its an understanding of the world that allows you to predict behavior, political events, markets, etc
- outlace 9y agoHumans (and probably anything else) don't have access to the complete set of raw data that makes up our environment. We have imperfect data streams coming from our sense organs and from that we build a model of reality, which may have varying levels of accuracy for different people (e.g. we could say a schizophrenic has a disturbed model of reality). The idea being that reading a lot books, traveling, or in general exposing oneself to as much varied data as possible will improve the accuracy of your model of reality.
- omnibrain 9y agoFiction: Peter Watts - Blindsight Nonfiction: Gödel Escher Bach CS: David West - Object Thinking
- autarch 9y agoIn no particular order ... I Am a Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter - strongly influenced my beliefs about how consciousness works Godel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter - made me think more deeply about so many topics Animal Liberation by Peter Singer - made me both an animal advocacy activist and strongly influenced me towards a consequentialist moral Neuropath by R. Scott Bakker - more on how consciousness works, this time through a work of fiction The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin - strongly influenced my beliefs about political systems The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins - changed how I thought about animal behavior and what living things do Republic, Lost by Lawrence Lessig - strongly influenced my beliefs about US government Manufacturing Consent by Herman & Chomsky - made me rethink my view of the media and news
- colordrops 9y agoYes! "Godel, Escher, Bach" and "The Mind's I" completely broke down the rigid models I had for how I perceive objects around me and my place in the world.
- austenallred 9y agoGreat list. Stealing the ones I haven't read.
- andrewb1 9y agoPoor Charlie's Almanack. It's a compilation of talks and essays from Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet's business partner. This book has single-handedly changed my invest strategies and mindset. Instead of trying to buy low and sell high, Berkshire Hathaway holds a large cash position, until they find something they consider to be a sure bet, take a large stake and hold. I now have the quote "Be right and hold tight" written at my work table.
- MarkMc 9y agoPoor Charlie's Almanack is a fine book, but as it's just a collection of speeches and short stories the content is somewhat unstructured. I prefer "Seeking Wisdom from Darwin To Munger" by Peter Bevelin: https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Wisdom-Darwin-Munger-3rd/dp/1578644283 https://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Wisdom-Darwin-Munger-3rd/dp/1...
- supershobu 9y agoThis is one of the most powerful books I have read.
- makerleader 9y agoThis is the best "reference" book out there in my opinion. My algorithm for making decisions now boils down to: Filling out this: https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2014/02/decision-journal/ https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2014/02/decision-journal/ and referencing applicable models from Seeking Wisdom and https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/ https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/
- kornakiewicz 9y agoYesterday I was reviewing answers in this thread. Some might be applicable: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14477851 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14477851
- phatak-dev 9y agoMillennium series by Tejaswi
- arc_of_descent 9y agoMind is a myth - UG Krishnamurti Godel, Escher, Bach - Douglas Hofstadter Unweaving the rainbow - Richard Dawkins
- palerdot 9y agoThe Slight Edge by Jeff Olson Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman
- jaco8 9y agoPoor no more - Robert Chester Ruark A Coffin Full of Dreams - Frisco Hitt Oblomov - Ivan Goncharov The Man Without Qualities - Robert Musil
- kilian 9y agoThe Dance of Gods novels by Mayer Allan Brenner, free download here: http://www.mayerbrenner.com/download/ http://www.mayerbrenner.com/download/ They are like a Discworld where magic and programming are basically the same, of sorts, with a large, sprawling world with overlapping storylines. It's a great read and I came away with many interesting lines of thought whilst reading a very fun story.
- ssivark 9y agoAmong my recent reads: 1. Finite and infinite games, by James Carse 2. Antifragile, by Nassim Taleb (IMHO the book rambles on a little too much; some of his hour long YouTube talks convey the ideas almost as well) 3. Obedience to authority, by Stanley Milgram
- kyoob 9y agoFinite and Infinite Games blew my mind. I re-read it every couple of years and it recalibrates me every time.
- BrandiATMuhkuh 9y agohitchhiker guide to the galaxy: it taught me how small the earth is. And therefore we should use the limited time we have wisely. Also, Don't Panic.
- ozim 9y agoI would say not even earth but life, everything and universe is insignificant but it does not matter. So does using your time wisely does not matter, just try to have fun (in a nice way) and don't panic. I am reading it again this week.
- thedeep_mind 9y agoEgo is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday. The book tells you all there is to know about ego and will change the way you see yourself.
- jventura 9y agoNo More Mr. Nice Guy by Robert Glover. Raised as a peaceful kid whose introversion taught me to try to control my world and keep things to myself, I am now more aware of how much healthier it is to set boundaries and just let the world run its own course. Immensely happier!
- mikesabat 9y agoI'm on a streak of reading Neuromarketing/behavioral economic type books. 1. Predictably irrational is particularly good. Especially the first half. 2. The Confidence Game explains the steps of how con trick people to fool themselves. 3. Buyology is very focused on purchases/retail. 4. Brainfluence. I'm halfway through it. Mostly bite-sized chapters and it's similar to Buyology, but I prefer this book.
- austenallred 9y agoFantastic question. The selfish gene - for understanding human behavior Meditations of Marcus Aurelius - for understanding how to be content Debt, the first 5,000 years - for understanding money and finance from the ground up Wright Brothers - for understanding how technological breakthroughs happen Snowball (Warren Buffet), Andrew Carnegie and Rockefeller biographies - for understanding the mental mindset to win in business (it's not what you think) Hackers and painters - for understanding startups and how/why they work Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance - for understanding beauty in the routine Essentialism, the disciplined pursuit of less and Walden - for understanding how "stuff" gets in the way of happiness Les Miserables - for understanding love
- yodsanklai 9y ago> Debt, the first 5,000 years It's often cited on HN, but I've found it very dense and difficult to read.
- mashmac2 9y agoI've had the audiobook version recommended for this exact reason - easier to listen to than to read :)
- thefuzz 9y agoI've heard exactly this about the book, audio book > text
- eliben 9y agoIt is dense and difficult to read, I agree. But it's also very insightful, and hence recommended. I agree with the other comment that listening to difficult books is generally easier than reading.
- ashark 9y agoProbably depends on the kind of stuff you're used to reading, but I thought it was relatively light and lively, haha. My favorite part was the author's knack for writing a paragraph that caused me to think of several critical questions or potential holes, then immediately follow it up with a few paragraphs addressing most or all of those questions and plugging the holes.
- xutopia 9y agoThe Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan. I come from a very religious background and it helped shape my way of thinking around superstitious thoughts of all kinds.
- wolco 9y agoThe Sugar Barons: Family, Corruption, Empire, and War in the West Indies
- almost_usual 9y agoThe Intelligent Investor - Benjamin Graham A Guide to the Good Life - William B. Irvine
- BeetleB 9y agoBargaining for Advantage : Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion Lies my teacher told me : everything your American history textbook got wrong Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life Thinking, Fast and Slow
- fillskills 9y agoOn Intelligence - taught me how our brains work Sapiens - How the world works Biographies of Steve Jobs and Einstein - Taught me that even geniuses dont work in a vaccum Lean Startup and essays from PG - taught me how to start a business
- yotamoron 9y ago'Deschooling society' by Ivan Illich.
- andrei_says_ 9y agoCould you elaborate on the concepts and effect they had on you?
- KirinDave 9y agoPredictably Irrational is essentially required reading for anyone who is making decisions for a product. The Information by James Gleick. Remember, Africa has had long range, distributed, fault tolerant wireless communication networks since before Europe had reliable clocks. Euclid's Window by Mlodonow. The entire arc of history in a sweeping curve towards, ultimately, machine learning. Reading Doc Smith's lensmen series (particularly the chronologically first 2) helped me recognize how very much pop science culture shapes perception. A futurist in the 20s thinking about interstellar travel has delightfuly different ideas. Wrong ideas, but hey. Peter Hamilton's sci-fi, particularly the 6 Commonwealth Books: they're so different and so surprising and very happy to present a glowing and balelful view of capitalism in an expansionist universe. Everyone in the west should.be required to read Ways of Seeing by Berger.
- dwaltrip 9y ago"Godel Escher Bach" and "I am a strange loop". I only made it half way through GEB, however the latter is a bit easier to get through. For me, these books marked the beginning of a lifelong journey of "self" contemplation and intellectual/philosophical exploration.
- patrickdavey 9y agoI might have to "Godel Escher Bach" again after reading these comments. I found it incredibly dense and hard to read.. My own pick for a book that made me think differently is "crucial conversations".
- dwaltrip 9y agoI might try out "I am a strange loop". It's more approachable.
- Exuma 9y agohttps://www.amazon.com/Six-Pillars-Self-Esteem-Nathaniel-Branden-ebook/dp/B007JK9BAY/ https://www.amazon.com/Six-Pillars-Self-Esteem-Nathaniel-Bra... Hands down
- SpinningCode 9y agoPsychology of Self-esteem by the same author is brilliant https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Self-Esteem-Revolutionary-Approach-Self-Understanding-ebook/dp/B0030II1Y6/ref=sr_1_2 https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Self-Esteem-Revolutionary-...
- subsubsub 9y agoWithout affiliate ref code: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0030II1Y6 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0030II1Y6
- andrei_says_ 9y agoWhat's the gist of the premise? 370 pages for a list of six items seems a bit inflated (forgive my judgment but am a slow reader and love efficiency)
- Exuma 9y agoAll I can say is... I stopped reading self-help books 10 years ago because they all bored me to tears. I HATE fluff. I hate repeated ideas and concepts, I hate long intros... I usually will stop reading books 30% in because it's like "I get it". This book, however, is written by a guy who basically died at 87 and studied self-esteem since he was very young. So basically he's studied the same topic for 60 years, and his ability to convey certain concepts is absolutely profound. He truly understands the concepts down to the core. And it's such a hard thing to explain when you get past the 'surface level', but he repeatedly does over and over throughout the whole book. I probably have over 100 passages highlighted on my Kindle, of particular sentences or paragraphs where I put the book down and was like........... DAMN. I've referred the book to 2-3 people and they all were blown away. It's a book in a league of it's own. I heard of the book from my friend who mentioned it's his #1 self help book out of his favorite 10, and I can definitely see why. Basically it just comes down to how well he can talk about such an abstract topic in many different ways, without repeating himself, and eventually one of those ways will 'click' for you. I find it's also affecting me day to day, in a positive way, which is something books like this have never really done in the past. I tend to like/absorb the info but I don't vibe with the author or their knowledge on the subject enough to commit to whatever exercises they say to do, etc.
- nur0n 9y agoHow to Design Programs. It helped make explicit the very concept of mental models.
- shadowtree 9y agoThe Wealth and Poverty of Nations - David S. Landes Agree or disagree with his findings, but it was the first book I read as a teenager that tried to connect seemingly disparate things into a single narrative - culture, technology, luck. Jared Diamond had a similar, but more simple premise. I still think of certain passages of Landes' book to this day. The impact of clockworking, the start of the modern tech industry. The impact of protocol and bureaucracy, especially the Spanish one.
- RockyMcNuts 9y agoThe Emperor's New Mind, by Roger Penrose The Tao of Physics, by Fritjof Capra Dancing Wu Li Masters, by Gary Zukav The Naked Ape, by Desmond Morris The Road to Serfdom, by Friedrich Hayek The Worldly Philosophers, by Robert Heilbroner The Story of Philosophy, by Will Durant Grammatical Man, by Jeremy Campbell Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig Flow, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- maaaats 9y agoNot aimed at only you, but a trend in posts like these: When it's no particular order and you don't comment on what a book is or why you recommend it, I feel the list becomes kinda useless. And when a post is upvoted much that contains a lot of elements, I don't know which book gained those votes.
- polarix 9y agoOne value of an unordered unannotated book list is in reinforcing books you've already read, and providing a little extra push towards the action potential on the ones you haven't.
- mck- 9y agoAlso known as Collaborative Filtering in recommender systems: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_filtering https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_filtering
- RockyMcNuts 9y agoWell Pirsig's Zen and the other ones related to eastern religions and science, are around the idea that there is no locus of reality or meaning, the reality is how everything interrelates. It's kind of like word2vec, the context of other words and real-world situations in which each word is used tells you everything about what it means. Take away a particle's charge and mass and the other numbers we associate with it, and is it still a particle? Those numbers describe how it interacts and all we can really say about it is how it interacts. Plato was off the mark when he talked about the ideal form of different objects. There is no ideal form of a chair, except that chairness is an abstract idea about how things (asses and furniture) interact. Then I think that Grammatical Man and Penrose are around the nature of information, and what can be communicated and understood. And I sort of think that question is at the top of the tree of abstraction about what we think about. Then comes computer science and math which are about any symbolic systems or formal systems that can be computed and reasoned about. Then most everything else is applying those systems to various problems. Then I think The Naked Ape and Hayek and Flow are around the notion that humans are their own thing. They are tribal and hierarchical and territorial and violent and not nearly as self-aware or even aware of our surroundings as we think we are. You get a lot more mileage out of just observing what they do than about listening to the rationalizations of why they say did it, things like God and blood and soil, i.e. superstitions and us-and-them-ing arbitrary physical features of a pack of mongrels and arbitrary lines on maps. Invitation to Sociology by Berger was another big one on those lines. And the Heilbroner and Durant are basically inventories of major mental models that people have come up with in philosophy and economics.
- rkunnamp 9y agoCourage : The joy of living dangerously - by Rajneesh - for giving that extra push to take risks and live on edge. It is a highly opinionated work, with full of questionable arguments and logic. And, I am not sure whether it resulted in good or bad, but certainly, it has made an influence.
- RodericDay 9y agoLudwig Wittgenstein: Duty of Genius was a great ride, as well as a fantastic introduction to powerful ideas about communication and non-scientific disciplines' wish to imitate science. The Autobiography of Malcolm X makes a brilliant case for angry speech, making the mainstream portrayal of figures like Gandhi and MLK Jr. seem like straight-up whitewashed propaganda. Delusions of Gender is a fierce analysis of the nature/nurture discussion that rears its head over and over, explaining various mistakes people when interpreting results, both at the research level and at the journalistic level. Marx's Inferno reinvents Marx in a super clever way.
- ringaroundthetx 9y agoThe Bible of Options Strategies
- dmux 9y agoObject Thinking by David West
- i_dont_know_ 9y agoTwo that I almost never see on these kinds of lists, but really think they should get more acknowledgement: "Crucial Conversations" - breaks down how to have what might otherwise be an uncomfortable conversation about anything. I really think everyone should read it. "The Enchiridion" - A stoic guide, boiled down, short, and very very relatable even in the modern age.
- buddapalm 9y agoMeditations - Marcus Aurelius https://g.co/kgs/PkoSGf https://g.co/kgs/PkoSGf
- maaaats 9y agoFrom AI to Zombies by Yudkowsky. Interesting framework and thoughts about knowledge, perception and how we deal with biases. Can be downloaded for free/pay what you want here https://intelligence.org/rationality-ai-zombies/ https://intelligence.org/rationality-ai-zombies/
- callesgg 9y agohttps://www.amazon.com/Art-Reading-Minds-Henrik-Fexeus/dp/9187173107 https://www.amazon.com/Art-Reading-Minds-Henrik-Fexeus/dp/91... Learned how to read peoples emotions more reliably.
- decasteve 9y agoMarshall McLuhan's "Gutenberg Galaxy" and "Understanding Media". Buckminster Fuller's "Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth" (and other books and essays of his).
- preordained 9y agoLife: The Disappearance of the Universe Programming: Effective Java - straight forward pragmatism Learn You a Haskell for Great Good - took me down the rabbit hole of Haskell, which is just a natural mindbender
- yodsanklai 9y ago1984. A very powerful book. It really made a strong impression on me and definitely changed my views on politics, propaganda, governments and so on. Capitalism and freedom. Helped me to understand capitalism and American right-wing ideology. The grapes of wrath. Actually, I haven't read the book, only watched the movie. It puts into perspective what we see happening with refugees in Europe.
- kelukelugames 9y agoThe first is the Millionaire Next Door. Gave me a better idea of how to manage my finances and what kind of spending habits to look for in a partner. If you are a tightwad then don't marry a spendthrift. Vice versa. [http://amzn.to/2vAmbW8 http://amzn.to/2vAmbW8] The second is On Writing Well. This book changed my view regarding how to write and how important it is to write well. As an engineer I regret how much I avoided writing in school. Now I play catchup after realizing lawyers and others with client facing jobs write much better emails. [http://amzn.to/2vTXu27 http://amzn.to/2vTXu27] And here are three other books that would be recommended by few on HN. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. I used to hate going home until I realized the clutter of stuff made me miserable. [http://amzn.to/2wwvS5h http://amzn.to/2wwvS5h] Why Men Love Bitches. 100% serious. This book is over the top but I stopped being a doormat in relationships and looked for partners with more self confidence. [http://amzn.to/2wwcYeZ http://amzn.to/2wwcYeZ] The Low Down on Going Down. Yes the title is cheesy, but again I am 100% serious. I think a lot of us have unhealthy expectations due to Internet porn and this book sets the right attitude for the physical component in a relationship.[http://amzn.to/2vTSY41 http://amzn.to/2vTSY41] And companion book: [http://amzn.to/2wwSpyY http://amzn.to/2wwSpyY]
- subsubsub 9y agoHere are all of the books, without the affiliate links: - The Millionaire Next Door [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1589795474 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1589795474] - On Writing Well [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0090RVGW0 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0090RVGW0] - The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607747308 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607747308] - Why Men Love Bitches [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580627560 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580627560] - The Low Down on Going Down [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMX939C https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMX939C] - Blow Him Away [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WSV866 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WSV866]
- kelukelugames 9y agoI haven't seen anything about posting affiliate links on HN, but thank you for giving people another option.
- Ronsenshi 9y agoBlindsight (Peter Watts) - read it some time in university and it has completely changed how I think about things. Figuratively speaking turned my mind inside out.
- ibigb 9y agoTheosophy: An Introduction to the Supersensible Knowledge of the World and the Destination of Man, http://www.rsarchive.org/Books/GA009/ http://www.rsarchive.org/Books/GA009/ The First and Last Freedom, J Krishnamurti http://www.jkrishnamurti.com/krishnamurti-teachings/view-text.php?tid=30&chid=56839&w= http://www.jkrishnamurti.com/krishnamurti-teachings/view-tex...
- QAPereo 9y agoTrying to avoid repeats... M.T.W Gravitation The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
- asddddd 9y agoThe Divided Self (R. D. Laing). Bit dense at times, and perhaps not relevant to many on HN, but a truly fascinating examination of the edges of sanity.
- TheAceOfHearts 9y agoA few weeks back I read "The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion". It was very insightful. I enjoyed it so much that I ended up immediately recommending it to many of my friends. The author does a good job at getting the main points through. He ends each chapter with a summary of the discussed points, and at the end of the book he sums em all up again. Not a book, but I've been consuming many Jordan Peterson videos on YouTube. He has presented me with many new arguments and ideas which I hadn't previously considered.
- travmatt 9y agoIf you liked the righteous mind you'd similarly enjoy "The Dictators Handbook" by Bruce Burna De Mesquita - he explores how rulers looking to maintain power are all driven by similar incentives, and similarly provided a clear framework for analyzing political or business strategy.
- TheAceOfHearts 9y agoThank you for the suggestion, the premise sounds really interesting. I've just added it to my queue.
- afarrell 9y agoThis CGPGrey video is a decent summary of parts of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStL7niR7gs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStL7niR7gs
- psadri 9y agoAntifragile - way to think about situations in terms of upside/downside exposure
- RealityNow 9y agoDebt, the first 5,000 Years (David Graeber) - Learned that most of history has been communist (eg. hunter gatherer societies), shops of the past were run on credit (eg. tally sticks), money/capitalism tended to emerge with the rise of the state, taxing to feed soldiers for war, and that the drive to pay off one's debt fueled a lot of the cruelty of mankind (eg. Hernan Cortez, Casimir). 21 Things they don't tell you about Capitalism, Bad Samaritans (Ha Joon Chang) - Learned that free trade is generally bad for developing countries, countries need to build out high productivity industries to grow their economy in the long term and avoid a balance of payments deficit (unless blessed with oil or something), manufacturing is vital to a country's economy and its service sector, "free markets" are a constantly evolving political definition with numerous inherent double standards, the only reason most of us in first world countries are paid well has nothing to do with our own superior ability (eg. bus driver in India vs. Norway), but due to immigration control and the institutions we inherit. Also looking for more book recommendations, so feel free to send some my way!
- afarrell 9y ago> money/capitalism tended to emerge with the rise of the state, taxing to feed soldiers for war There is actually a musical about the way that the US federal government and financial system were founded in order to be able to provide capital for warfighting.
- selimthegrim 9y ago1776?
- cgmg 9y ago> Learned that free trade is generally bad for developing countries The consensus among experts on the matter is that protectionism has a negative effect on economic growth and welfare, while free trade has a positive effect. There are challenges to be sure, but free trade is most definitely a net positive for developing countries. Countries whose governments prevent their citizens from engaging in international trade tend to be much worse off.
- franze 9y agoThinking in Systems: A Primer https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-Meadows/dp/1603580557 https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-Meadows/dp...
- mrdependable 9y agoCandide
- sguav 9y agoThe Go-Getter by Peter B. Kyne and Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull
- michaelmcmillan 9y agoOn Having No Head by Douglas Harding had a profound effect on my introspection. It simply points out who you really are from your subjective. It bypasses the religious mumbo jumbo that so often gets bundled in guides to spirituality by using scientific experiements. Highly recommended!
- brudgers 9y agoCritique of Pure Reason Philosophical Investigations The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Foucault's Pendulum Snopes == The Hamlet, The Town, The Mansion. A River Runs Through It Programming Erlang: Software for a Concurrent World A Pattern Language The Analects Bhagavad Gita Apology The Republic Touch the Earth The Pity of War: Explaining World War I The Civil War: A Narrative
- etplayer 9y ago>Foucault's Pendulum What's this about? >Critique of Pure Reason What did you find particular challenging to your worldview? As a side note, you may be interested in Critique of Pure Tolerance which has an essay by Robert Wolff and Marcuse. Have you seen The Dialectic of Enlightenment?
- lolive 9y agoFoucault's pendulum is Dan Brown power 1 billion. A super story about the secrets of history. I never managed to read it (it IS dense). But as a audiobook, it was superb.
- selimthegrim 9y agoI read it during a particularly horrendous stretch of my first stint in grad school, mostly in my car outside the DMV in Goleta. A very effective set and setting for finishing it.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- brudgers 9y agoI didn't mean to imply that any of them challenged my world view. Only that each shaped my mental models. Foucault's Pendulum is about semiotics on one level and cretins, fools, morons, and lunatics on another. Critique of Pure Reason put radical philosophical skepticism (and hence empiricism) in perspective. I find the model of the human mind useful in some situations. Thank you for the recommendation. My philosophy reading days are mostly in the past or perhaps future. Currently, my reading interests seem to be elsewhere.
- maxprogram 9y agoPoor Charlie's Almanac -- can't beat Charlie Munger when it comes to explaining how the world works. Fooled by Randomness, Black Swan, Antifragile -- Nassim Taleb reviles lots of new ways to think, first in finance, then everything in later books. The Origin of Wealth -- Similar to Antifragile with a lot of mental models packed in on many different subjects: economics, business, biology, ... The Design of Everyday Things -- the bible of design. Read it to know why everyday frustrations with tech are probably not your fault. His book Emotional Design is a good compliment. The Essential Drucker -- "essential" reading for anyone in management or scaling a startup. History, and why the world is the way it is today: Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond The Birth of Plenty, William Bernstein They Made America, Harold Evans -- fantastic history book with each chapter telling the detailed story of a businessperson or inventor in U.S. history
- thedevil 9y agoThis list is close to mine. I would also add: - Influence: the Psychology of persuasion - Selfish Gene - Emotional Design - Antifragile - How To Fail At Everything And Still Win Big
- anishcharith 9y agoHC Verma concepts of physics
- selimthegrim 9y agoHaha is this for JEE?
- lolive 9y agoBeyond Good and Evil, by Nietzsche. A short history of nearly everything, by Bill Bryson.
- wittedhaddock 9y agoThe Story of Philosophy by Will Durant ^ This book more than any other
- jeffersonheard 9y agoGetting More - Stuart Diamond. I still think this is the best book on the art of negotiation. Getting Things Done - David Allen. If you have adult ADHD like me, and you haven't read this, it's the first system that's really worked for productivity for me. Man's Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl. Living Buddha, Living Christ - Thich Nhat Hanh. Cosmos - Carl Sagan. The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula K. LeGuin. The One who Walks Away from Omelas - U.K. LeGuin. Wild Seed - Octavia Butler. The Heike Monogatari - (tr. Helen Craig McCullough) “The sound of the Gion Shoja temple bells echoes the impermanence of all things; the color of the sala flowers reveals the truth that to flourish is to fall. The proud do not endure, like a passing dream on a night in spring; the mighty fall at last, to be no more than dust before the wind.” If you need a comparison. this is the Japanese historical equivalent of Game of Thrones combined with a bit of MacBeth. The rise and fall of two shogunate families, and an analysis of the tragic flaws of character that brought their fall about. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo. Small Gods - Terry Pratchett. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad. The Guide - R. K. Narayan. Evidence - Mary Oliver. All of Us - The Collected Poetry of Raymond Carver. Silence - Shusaku Endo. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Murakami Haruki. This and the next four are odd choices, perhaps, since it's a surrealist book, but IMO books that force your imagination to work hard do as much for creativity and fresh ideas as any of the more popular methods. The Well-Built City (The Physiognomy / Memoranda / The Beyond) Jeffery Ford - Surrealist novellas best described as about the protagonist living and achieving agency within the constructs, dreams, and nightmares of a "Great Man's" mind. Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson. Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon. Dhalgren - Samuel L. "Chip" Delany.
- grok2 9y agoThe one book that has reconfigured some aspects of how I deal with people and has helped me in day-to-day life is "Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive" (http://a.co/0QoTla6 http://a.co/0QoTla6).
- subsubsub 9y agoNon-affiliate link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1416576142 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1416576142
- grok2 9y agoThe shared link wasn't intended to be an affiliate link -- just something I got from the share link on the product page -- I was logged into Amazon at that time, but the account I was logged in to isn't signed up as an Amazon affiliate. The original URL that I saw was long, which is why I chose to go with the shorter link provided me.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- andrei_says_ 9y agoI am That by Nisargdatta Maharaj. Shifted my perception of who/what I am. Not a book but Marshall Rosenberg's many lectures, audiobooks and workshops on nonviolent communication. I am now able to set boundaries in a peaceful way, and see myself and everyone, no matter what their actions, through eyes of effortless compassion.
- xtiansimon 9y agoHmm. Not to repeat, I think I must dig deep into the archives... Korzybski, Alfred. Science and Sanity. Institute of GS, 1958. [1] The Institute of General Semantics has a current website [2], is on Facebook, and has several articles on Wikipedia.org [3]. One of the mind-bending premises (Wikipedia.org): "Non-Aristotelianism: While Aristotle wrote a true definition gives the essence of the thing defined ..., general semantics denies the existence of such an 'essence'. [...] In general semantics, it is always possible to give a description of empirical facts, but such descriptions remain just that—descriptions—which necessarily leave out many aspects of the objective, microscopic, and submicroscopic events they describe. According to general semantics, language, natural or otherwise ... can be used to describe the taste of an orange, but one cannot give the taste of the orange using language alone." [1]: https://books.google.com/books/about/Science_and_Sanity.html https://books.google.com/books/about/Science_and_Sanity.html? [2]: http://www.generalsemantics.org/ http://www.generalsemantics.org/ [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_General_Semantics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_General_Semantics
- taurath 9y agoThat seems really interesting from reading the abstract - I wonder if its possible that by training non-verbality it could become easier to think on the various levels without confusing them?
- mck- 9y ago[1] Balthasar Gracian, "The Art of Worldly Wisdom" Timeless classic, 300 short maxims containing sage advice, written in beautiful prose. One of those books you can read just a few pages whenever you feel like. Currently re-reading it for the third time since I first read it 10 years ago. Still updates my mental model. [2] James Allen, "As a man Thinketh" At 21 pages, by far the most impactful piece of work on an impact-to-effort ratio. Very simple, yet very true. Changed my mental model completely, also 10 years ago, and also a book I'm re-reading for the third time. [3] Nassim Taleb, "Black Swan" A much more modern business book on the now-mainstream concept of "Black Swan" events. But the true value of this book goes beyond the concept – it changed my view of statistics, knowledge, empirical scepticism, philosophy, cognitive biases, societal dynamics, and sure, made me quit investment banking. [4] Brian Greene, "Fabric of the Cosmos" Mind-blowing primer on physics, all the way from Newtonian physics, to General Relativity, to Quantum Mechanics, to String Theory (and beyond). Concepts explained without a single equation. [5] Douglas Hofstadter, "Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid" What a unique masterpiece. Covers a wide range fascinating concepts through the three geniuses in Math, Art, and Music. Most mind-blowing is his meta-writing style, using short fictional dialogue interludes (sprinkled with easter eggs) to convey each concept in very subtle manner. The joy when you see it. [1] http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/aww/index.htm http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/aww/index.htm [2] https://wahiduddin.net/thinketh/as_a_man_thinketh.pdf https://wahiduddin.net/thinketh/as_a_man_thinketh.pdf [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Swan_(Taleb_book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Swan_(Taleb_book) [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fabric_of_the_Cosmos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fabric_of_the_Cosmos [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach UPDATE: format
- SomeStupidPoint 9y agoI think I may be stupid, in that I can only really get details of a model I already sort of understand from most books -- I need it pretty short'n'sweet to get a major model revision. That being said, two papers that have radically changed my mental model are: Einstein's 1905 paper -- I'd never actually thought about what a clock or time was before, or what it meant for two events to happen "at the same time". http://hermes.ffn.ub.es/luisnavarro/nuevo_maletin/Einstein_1905_relativity.pdf http://hermes.ffn.ub.es/luisnavarro/nuevo_maletin/Einstein_1... A 2007 summary of MS's approach to (topological) quantum computers significantly changed my model of how physics worked -- likely because I hadn't gotten particularly far in physics before, but also because topological effects seem like they'd be more prevalent than I had initially conceived of (and we might need to rewrite physics to include topological features more explicitly). https://arxiv.org/abs/0707.1889 https://arxiv.org/abs/0707.1889
- ambletron 9y agoThe Urantia Book[1] There's a peculiar richness, depth, and inventiveness to it that has kept me coming back to it on occasion for over 20 years of intermittent reading. I haven't come across another book quite like it. Of the few people who have heard about it, most bounce right off after skimming it, very understandably so. But taken as a human project it's really quite an extraordinary piece of work. Having written short fiction and most of a novel before, I feel like I have a sense of the hard work it takes to master the craft of writing, and I have a lot of respect when I see not just good writing but writing that innovates, keeps pushing. The Urantia Book is like a fractal in its simplicity vs the narrative spun out from the seed ideas. The mental model is to merge both a science mindset and spirituality. Recommend the iPhone app of it (is free, and has a quotes collection included). [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Urantia_Book https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Urantia_Book
- bo1024 9y agoThe Black Swan. By far.
- carapace 9y agoEarly on I got into a box of my dad's old NLP books (not Natural Language Processing, the other NLP.) "Structure of Magic" vols I and II, "Frogs into Princes", "Trance-formations", and a couple of others. NLP grew out of the application of Chomsky's Transformational Grammar to recordings of very effective psychological therapists. (Virginia Satir, Fritz Perls, and Milton Erickson.) By the way, this is the same Transformational Grammar that leads to the Chomsky Hierarchy of languages. Neat, eh? Anyhow, the NLP people rapidly developed a powerful model of subjective reality and replicable results in theraputic settings (e.g. the "Five-minute Phobia Cure" algorithm, among many others.) The capability to reprogram belief structures engenders a change of self-definition even if you don't use it. "Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" "System design from provably correct constructs : the beginnings of true software engineering" about Dr. M. Hamilton's Higher Order Software. Everything by Robert Anton Wilson. (That's not a title, I mean everything he wrote.)
- hirundo 9y agoThe Origins of Order by Stuart Kauffman - Reality is autocatalytic of life. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - civilization as a struggle of producers vs. looters; selfishness > altruism; the love of money is the root of mostly good. A New Kind of Science by Stephen Wolfram - Simple rules can yield arbitrarily complex behavior. Therefore reality is inherently computational from the lowest levels.
- tomohawk 9y agoPaul's Letter to the Galatians
- kabdib 9y ago_The Innovator's Dilemma_ made me start thinking critically about the kinds of projects large organizations attempt, and why they often fail. It's kind of a depressing book, actually . . .
- camwiese 9y agoNot sure if you follow Ben Thompson (Stratechery / Exponent.fm) but he bases a lot of his business analysis around this book. If you liked TID then I highly recommend Ben's writings.
- thefuzz 9y agoMost books by Robert Anton Wilson
- saturnian 9y agoRational Meaning: A New Foundation for the Definition of Words https://books.google.com/books/about/Rational_Meaning.html?id=vHWY02aTgRsC https://books.google.com/books/about/Rational_Meaning.html?i...
- holri 9y agoEssais - Michel de Montaigne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_de_Montaigne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_de_Montaigne
- observation 9y agoOne book more than any other: The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. Why? Darwin opens up the door of Deep Time when he explained his discovery. An appreciation of the immensity of time happens to be linked to explanations of how and why things are. Wolfe also deals with Deep Time but in the context of society. What Gene Wolfe does is he creates books where you need to read between the lines, you need to create hypotheses to understand what's going on. I won't describe it further because it may lose some of the import, it's probably the most important fiction book written in the 20th century. What I'd like is a photograph of Peter Thiel's library, I'm fascinated by the range of ideas, the meta-ideas he explores. Maybe @sama can smuggle in a camera or we could hijack a roomba.
- stinkytaco 9y agoYou would probably enjoy Anathem by Neal Stephenson. It's also about deep time.
- chris_st 9y agoThis is an amazing set of books (it's four volumes). Possibly, what I appreciate about it most is that he doesn't describe anything, like so many other SF authors do. You just have to figure it out ("read between the lines" is a good way to describe it). The other astounding thing is how incredibly bad all the rest of Wolfe's work is. Really, it's night and day.
- observation 9y agoMaybe he got too close to an Alzabo. Suspect the format puts some people off, I understand it's publisher economics but having 4 volumes paired into 2 books strikes people as complicated as they try to work out how much book they're getting or not getting.
- majewsky 9y ago"The Design of Everyday Things" by Donald Norman describes mental models that I apply all the time when designing products or processes.
- sunwicked1 9y ago1)Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari 2)The design of everyday things 3) "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" In no particular order.
- DonHopkins 9y agoStanislaw Lem, Golem XIV. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem_XIV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem_XIV http://english.lem.pl/works/apocryphs/golem-xiv http://english.lem.pl/works/apocryphs/golem-xiv „Golem XIV” is one of Lem's most far-fetched intellectual adventures: for the purpose of this book Lem constructs the character of a supercomputer of the future that infinitely overshadows human intelligence. Golem, whose history we follow from its birth until his inexplicable departure from the human world, not only mercilessly criticizes humanity, claims of our culture and delusions about allegedly refining mechanisms of evolution, but also creates a breathtaking vision of further development of artificial intelligence – beyond our cosmos and cognition available within its limits. http://english.lem.pl/works/apocryphs/golem-xiv/67-lems-opinion http://english.lem.pl/works/apocryphs/golem-xiv/67-lems-opin... "Mine is also the thesis regarding the relationship between genetic code and various species in which individuals serve only as code's amplifiers - however Golem's opinion is somewhat exaggerated. This concept - that Richard Dawkins called "the selfishness of genes" - I published three years before him." http://english.lem.pl/works/apocryphs/golem-xiv/69-a-look-inside-golem-xiv http://english.lem.pl/works/apocryphs/golem-xiv/69-a-look-in... Instructions (for persons participating for the first time in conversations with GOLEM) 1. Remember that GOLEM is not a human being: it has neither personality nor character in any sense intuitively comprehensible to us. It may behave as if it has both, but that is the result of its intentions (disposition), which are largely unknown to us. [...]
- wizzerking 9y agoThe Moon is a HArsh Mistress Robert A. Heinlein The Foundation Series Isaac Asimov Both books provide macro economic examples, and sound philosophy such as "There aint no such thing as a free lunch", and enlighted self interest
- torbjorn 9y agoInfinite Jest by David Foster Wallace Antifragile by Nassim Taleb
- ignacio_gcaa 9y agoThis cognitive science/cognitive linguistics books were a hinge point for me: George Lakoff: - Philosophy In The Flesh http://amzn.to/2xFTKU7 http://amzn.to/2xFTKU7 - The Political Mind http://amzn.to/2vU9rF1 http://amzn.to/2vU9rF1 Gilles Fauconnier, Mark Turner: - The Way We Think http://amzn.to/2xFv4ep http://amzn.to/2xFv4ep Benjamin K. Bergen: - Louder Than Words http://amzn.to/2wwsMhv http://amzn.to/2wwsMhv
- subsubsub 9y agoAll the books, without the affiliate links: - Philosophy In The Flesh [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FSJAWK https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001FSJAWK] - The Political Mind [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017T0B2U https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017T0B2U] - The Way We Think [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AAL62RO https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AAL62RO] - Louder Than Words [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00918JOBI https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00918JOBI]
- jesperlang 9y agonot going to repeat what's already been said so I will just add one: The Act of Creation by Arthur Koestler about human creativity. This was a heavy read but mind-bending like no other, literally had to put it down every now and then to contemplate/write/sketch what I just read. Fascinating! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30676.The_Act_of_Creation https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30676.The_Act_of_Creatio...
- xtiansimon 9y agoWolfram, Stephen. A New Kind of Science. Wolfram Media, 2002. [1] Wikipedia: "The thesis of A New Kind of Science (NKS) is twofold: the nature of computation must be explored experimentally, and the results of these experiments have great relevance to understanding the physical world. [...] [Wolfram] argues an entirely new method is needed to do so because traditional mathematics fails to meaningfully describe complex systems, and there is an upper limit to complexity in all systems." [1]: https://www.wolframscience.com/nks/ https://www.wolframscience.com/nks/
- robotresearcher 9y agoCaveat lector. This book inspired some juicy reviews: A Rare Blend of Monster Raving Egomania and Utter Batshit Insanity by Cosma Shalizi 21 October 2005 A Thirty-five Year Old Kind of Science by Juergen Schmidhuber, based on a letter to Intl. Journal of High-Energy Physics, vol 43:5, June 2003. looked up at http://shell.cas.usf.edu/~wclark/ANKOS_reviews.html http://shell.cas.usf.edu/~wclark/ANKOS_reviews.html
- ma91c1an 9y agoJorge Luis Borges, Selected Non-Fictions, 1999. I first encountered Borges as a 15 year old student in high school. I am now 56. The book was ficciones. It changed my life. Borges read everything. What made him the genius that he was, is that he remembered everything that he read, and he was consequently able to make droll observations across cultures and epochs.
- invalidOrTaken 9y agoComplexity: The Emerging Science At The Edge of Order And Chaos was a good read. I strongly recommend reading Jurassic Park at the same time, as the two were both influenced by the recognization of complexity as a "thing" in the late 80's/early 90's. The two are really about the same thing, but JP tells it through dinosaurs. While I have the floor, I've mused lately that Jurassic Park is like the perfect scary morality tale for young researchers. You hear cautions about endogeneity and omitted variable biases, simultaneity...but the worst that will happen if you mess these up is your paper is wrong. Crichton described a world where lack of scientific discipline led to getting eaten by dinosaurs.
- colechristensen 9y agoYou'd like Chaos by James Gleick
- mmmpop 9y agoI'm in the middle of the biography of Robert Moses, "The Power Broker" by Robert Caro and just finished re-reading "A Portrait of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. As a fairly successful yuppie that came from Not A Whole Lot, it's really knocked me down a few pegs and made me realize that being a pompous ass about my exercised social mobility isn't all that special.
- dave_sullivan 9y ago> "A Portrait of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde Don't you mean "The Picture of Dorian Gray"? (Google it, it's Picture but everyone says Portrait for some reason)
- travmatt 9y ago>I'm in the middle of the biography of Robert Moses, "The Power Broker" by Robert Caro If you're finding you're learning a lot through that book, I'd also recommend Caro's series on LBJ. It's utterly fascinating and a vivid analysis of political public power.
- Tepix 9y agoI recently finished "The Singularity Is Near" (2005) by Ray Kurzweil. I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet. Super optimistic author and indeed a great book to think about after reading it.
- beefman 9y ago– Economics / sociology – A Farewell to Alms https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691141282/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0691141282/ Cartesian Economics https://www.amazon.com/dp/1616407395/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/1616407395/ The 10,000 Year Explosion https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465020429/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465020429/ The Righteous Mind https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307455777/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307455777/ Mindstorms https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465046746/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465046746/ – Philosophy – Tao Te Ching https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060812451/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060812451/ Meditations https://www.amazon.com/dp/1545565678/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/1545565678/ – Autobiography – Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393316041/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393316041/ Recollections of Eugene Wigner https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738208868/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738208868/ – Fiction – Fahrenheit 451 https://www.amazon.com/dp/030747531X/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/030747531X/ Dune https://www.amazon.com/dp/0441172717/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0441172717/
- _pmf_ 9y ago> Dune Do you mind explaining what's great about Dune (I have not read it yet, so maybe without major spoilers ...)?
- beefman 9y agoIt's a Messiah story set in the far future. I included it here because it had an impact on the way I understand history (I prefer to leave that a bit cryptic). As a work of fiction I'd call it good but not great. But at the moment I can't think of a work of fiction I'd call great, so I'm probably not the best critic on that point. Everybody seemed to hate the 1984 film adaptation by David Lynch but I think it's pretty good. The Syfy miniseries got much better reviews but I thought it was only so-so. The film doesn't really spoil the book, which is kinda cool, but may be easier to follow and more fun to watch after having read it. Last but not least, I really enjoyed the recent documentary Jodorowsky's Dune...
- nitrogen 9y agoThe Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality fanfic by Eliezer Yudkowsky provides an interesting introduction to some ways of thinking that may be new or surprising. Schild's Ladder by Greg Egan is interesting for considering models of reality (also his other books).
- sdfin 9y ago'I Am That' by Nisargadatta Maharaj 'The First and Last Freedom' by J. Krishnamurti: Mainly because of what he says regarding Free Will. Later I read 'Free Will' by Sam Harris, and I think Sam explains the same idea in more detail. Citing 'The First and Last Freedom': "Thought is nothing else but reaction; thought is not creative." 'The Grapes of Wrath' by John Steinbeck 'The Little Prince' by A.S.Exupery: when I was a child it made me reflect about society.
- 1001101 9y agoOur Mathematical Universe - Max Tegmark Being and Nothingness - Sartre Chaos - Gleik Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! - Feynman
- whalesalad 9y agoInfluence by Robert Cialdini. Models by Mark Manson. Eloquent Ruby by Russ Olsen.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- k__ 9y agoBlindsight
- orthoganol 9y agoAn anthropology textbook in college called "Culture as given, Culture as choice" - basically the good parts of Sapiens minus the preachy, questionable aspects. Another college textbook, "Global Capitalism: Its Fall and Rise in the Twentieth Century", I think is the best book you can read if you want to understand our capitalistic societies today. "Incognito" was great for exploring models from cognitive neuroscience, in same vein as Hofstadter works. French Enlightenment thinkers - esp. Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, who are not only awesome but in my opinion articulate the core of what's actually worth defending in Western civilization, not to mention are formative of actually good political views. German idealism, really starting with Kant to lay groundwork, and working up through Hegel, has hands down been the most wild and impactful philosophical journey I've taken. I don't recommend it unless you have some formal background or unusually strong appetite for philosophical reasoning, or (not including Kant) you'll probably just dismiss it or simply not be able to meet the exorbitant time demands required to reach a satisfying level of understanding. Writers like Borges, Calvino, theater of the absurd - just plain, intellectually stimulating fun. Disclaimer, I like contemporary 'critical theory' tinkers too, because they make you think outside the box.
- vpribish 9y agoGoedel, Escher, Bach -- If you're reading this page you will dig this book. Guns, Germs, and Steel -- how circumstance drove civilizations. Fun storytelling even if it's a bit too "just-so". definitely trains you to look at any situation and seek it's origins with less initial judgement. The Visual Display of Quantitive Information -- gets at the essence of communication and medium. more than it seems! The Alchemy of Finance -- "reflexivity", but if you're also interested in Soros or some finance storytelling it's worth it. The Selfish Gene -- as everyone else has said. The Prize -- the history of oil. huh? yeah. Likely to change how you look at the history of technology, government, power, the saudis, and geopolitics.
- enkid 9y agoBy the way,Guns, Germs, and Steel, while an interesting book, and brings an interesting perspective, is largely discredited from what I've read.
- vpribish 9y agoyeah, i was trying to allude to that. I found the way of looking at things compelling, regardless.
- CPUstring 9y agoOne of the key things that the book does is say, "Hey, you're probably looking at history with fundamental attribution bias goggles on. Take those off." The civilizational features that go into its namesake may not be sufficient or necessary features of wealthy civilizations, but they are important things to consider.
- phugoid 9y agoI'm bracing for a serious downvote... I have to admit that Anthony Robbins had a big influence on my thinking, particularly with "Awaken the Giant Within." The message was - you can control how you feel. Nearly twenty years later, I can see the limitations of his ideas - the danger of creating an arbitrary belief system for yourself and the selfishness of simply deciding what you want and rigging everything in your existence to get it. I also came to believe it's OK to not be happy all the time. But I will always respect Robbins' direct explanations of human motivation and how it can be nudged. That and 'Single Variable Calculus; Early Transcendentals'; the universe is about change and math can model nearly all of it.
- adammcnamara 9y agoFood Rules by Michael Pollan - for understanding food and nutrition Sapiens - for understanding what it means to be human The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant - for understanding groups of humans (civilization) The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor by Howard Marks - for understanding investing Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin To Munger by Peter Bevelin - for understanding mental models in general
- batshitinsane 9y agoEgo, Hunger and Agression by Fritz Perls.
- surak 9y agoAsimov's The Foundation Trilogy was the best sci-fi I've read. Then there are a lot of other types, e.g Porter mgmt theories.
- jamestimmins 9y agoAgreed. The dynamics between general and emperor in determining the safety of Foundation from the Empire at the end of book 2 part 1 is something I think about often.
- demircancelebi 9y agoI really liked Asimov's short story Profession when I read it a few years ago. Here is a link: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9568027 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9568027
- stinkytaco 9y agoJust a few that haven't been mentioned, because I cross over with several others: How to Cook Everything by Mark Bitman. Not so much my mental model, but it's the only book I could ever say "changed my life". Implementation - (https://www.amazon.com/Implementation-Expectations-Washington-Programs-Foundation/dp/0520053311 https://www.amazon.com/Implementation-Expectations-Washingto...) This is a great discussion of how best intention in government go awry once they are implemented. It explores how each step makes sense, but something always seems to go wrong. The Day the Universe Changed (slightly cheating since this was the companion to the TV show, but stands as an excellent book) - How certain innovations changed the way the world works and the way we see ourselves.
- sirspacey 9y agoThe Diffusion of Innovation, by Dr. Everett Rodgers. He discovered the concept of the Early Adopter in the 1950s. I would trade all the startup advice on the internet for that one book.
- Toine 9y agoBy far : Things hidden since the foundation of the world - René Girard https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/337517.Things_Hidden_Since_the_Foundation_of_the_World https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/337517.Things_Hidden_Sin...
- outlace 9y ago- The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch - Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari - Our Mathematical Universe by Max Tegmark - Statistical Rethinking by Richard McElreath
- tinsilver 9y agoThe Republic - Plato - why societies form the way they do Either/Or - Kierkegaard - as a father of Existentialism his views on society helped put things in perspective for me It's All About Time - John Furey - surprised I don't see this mentioned more - how people organise their thinking based on a time-based motivational model https://www.amazon.com/Its-All-About-Time-Companies https://www.amazon.com/Its-All-About-Time-Companies
- tinsilver 9y agoOn the topic of mental models, others have mentioned Feynman - but here's a discussion on why he was such an unusually effective scientist partly because of his use of less common mental models http://jamesclear.com/feynman-mental-models http://jamesclear.com/feynman-mental-models
- alyx 9y agoBernardo Kastrup - Why Materialism Is Baloney Has a lot of impact on current AI theory. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20543665-why-materialism-is-baloney https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20543665-why-materialism...
- scottlocklin 9y ago"Money: whence it came from and where it went" by John Kenneth Galbraith -title is self explanatory. "Darwinian fairytales" by David Stove -the antidote to Selfish Gene; funnier too. "Prediction, Learning and Games" by Cesa-Bianchi and Lugosi -the right way to think about sequential machine learning -a toss up with "Conformal Prediction" by Shafer, Gammerman and Vovk "Decline and Fall of the Roman empire" and "Italy and her invaders" (by Thomas Hodgkin) have had huge impacts on my understanding of civilization. Couldn't help but; it took years to read them all. Recently "The Attention Merchants" by Tim Wu -how advertising has screwed up humanity since snake oil merchants, and how we're on the cusp of another revolution in this field. I actually strongly disliked Hofstadter's book.
- andy_ppp 9y agoI’m really enjoying Open Andre Agassi’s autobiography. It’s beautifully written and makes me think about what it really means to want something. You can definitely get very far hating what you do.
- marcrosoft 9y agoAlmost all books by Harry Browne. Specifically "How I found freedom in an unfree world".
- NumberCruncher 9y agoCould you recommend something non investment related from him? How I found freedom is one of the books I re-read every year.
- marcrosoft 9y agoHis "how to sell anything" book is great if you are into marketing or sales. It basically boils down to: ask what they want, summarize their needs and ask them if your summary is accurate, tell them how you can deliver on their specific needs, if you can't tell them and move on. If your summary is accurate and fits their needs ask if they are willing to pay for your solution. This advice seems incredibly simple and obvious yet people tend to do the opposite.
- schlagetown 9y agoMindstorms, by Seymour Papert - for understanding the relationship of learning and technology; a smart, humanist, empathetic approach to education [See also: The Children's Machine; Deschooling Society] Clock of the Long Now, by Stewart Brand - for the concepts of deep time and the long now; appreciating a sense of how we experience time and our place in history [See also: Time and the Art of Living] Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbott - creative parable that's very helpful for conceptualizing abstract concepts of topology and higher dimensions Thinking in Systems, A Primer, by Donella Meadows - great introduction to systems thinking, which is a useful lens for appreciating the complexity of all sorts of complex phenomena A Pattern Language, by Christopher Alexander - great work of urban design, useful framework for looking at design systems and how pieces fit together on different scales [See also: Death and Life of Great American Cities] Oulipo - A Primer of Potential Literature - nice introduction to the Oulipo and ideas of constraint as creative / poetic device [See also: Exercises in Style; Eunoia] Impro, by Keith Johnstone - great primer on improvisation, really made me appreciate its impacts beyond just the theater, for example the importance of status in social relations The Power Broker, by Robert Caro - unbeatably rich and compelling look at how power and politics actually work, for better (power gets things done) and for worse (power blinds and corrupts) Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard - beautiful, meticulously observed study of the natural world close at hand; made me appreciate the power of looking deeply and persistently Le Ton beau de Marot, by Douglas Hofstadter - remarkable exploration of language and translation, in all its magic and complexity…both deeply personal and deeply researched, a must-read for lovers of language The Library at Night, by Alberto Manguel - turned me on to the various lenses through which we can conceive of and appreciate libraries; their vast power and potential Moby Dick, by Herman Melville - for really hammering home the grand, powerful potential of great literature and well-wrought language [ See also: Don Quixote; Infinite Jest]
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- bengkoang 9y ago40 hours a week - tim ferris, this book, even though its dated and not applicable in my life, there's a chapter that really boost my confidence about what is the worse things that could happens, it really help me experimented with new stuff, break out my conservative mind, realize its ok to be weird and have made me perceive a different views on problems.
- lackbeard 9y agoMasters Of Doom - The value of an unbalanced life and focused hard work. Also, how to start a startup. A really fun read, to boot. Fooled By Randomness - a) Survivorship bias. b) If you look at revealed preferences, people choose regular small gains with a rare huge loss over regular small losses and a rare huge gain even though that choice is -ev. c) Much more! Hackers and Painters - One of the most insightful, subversive, and surprising texts out there. C Interfaces and Implementations - Great examples of good API design and how to build clean modular code. The Paleo Manifesto - Explains how the origin of religion was probably as a set of models for coping with the transition from hunting/gathering to civilized agriculture. The part of the book where he points out that the story of the fall of man in the Bible is probably the story of this transition is super interesting. The Game - Made me realize that the narrative told by boomer and gen-x parents about how to attract a woman is probably doing young men (and women) more harm than good. I would not try to treat this as a how-to manual, though. A fun yarn. Starting Strength - After years of fumbling around in the gym this cut through a lot of bad ideas about fitness, exercise, strength, and health. It lead to the first real (and lasting) progress I've ever made physically. Understanding Comics - Understanding art and visual communication. Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! - Up there with Hackers & Painters in its rate of insight & surprise per page. Fail Safe Investing - Thought provoking ideas about why we invest and how best to go about doing that. (The ideas stand up, IMO, but some of the concrete advice on how to implement those ideas is very dated.) Good Calories, Bad Calories - It turns out that even scientists can be dishonest and corrupted by politics.
- orthoganol 9y agoWow, The Game I had totally forgotten about. Along with the 4 Hour Work Week, those are two books that gave me totally new measuring devices for success and attractiveness when I was in my early 20s. 4HWW redefined 'elite' as young entrepreneurial globe trotters (location freedom), and was probably the main igniter of the digital nomad movement, while The Game redefined attractiveness (for men) as a predominantly behavioral thing - boldness, non neediness, confidence etc. - not a wealth, credentials, or even primarily physical attributes thing (and pretty much ruined going out to bars for half a decade). Agree or disagree, those books really, really impacted thinking for millennials.
- marcuswestin 9y ago- Deep Work - Sapiens
- apo 9y agoStart with No https://www.amazon.com/Start-Negotiating-Tools-that-Pros/dp/0609608002 https://www.amazon.com/Start-Negotiating-Tools-that-Pros/dp/... Contradicts conventional wisdom about negotiation goals and tactics. Very actionable advice about using interrogative led questions and avoiding the pitfalls of making assumptions during negotiations.
- emurs 9y agoThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey- Particularly for Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood chapter
- johnsimer 9y agoInnovator's dilemma & Innovator's solution- why big companies almost always get beaten by startups and how to overcome this 10x Rule by Grant Cardone - you must take 10x more action than you think to get success Awaken the Giant Within - you can motivate yourself to do anything via the "Pain Pleasure Principle" Bold: How to go big, make wealth, and change the world - some strategies from Musk, Bezos, Diamandis/Singularity U The Art of Profitability - Coca-cola from a 2-Liter costs $.02/oz , Coca-cola from a restaurant costs $.20/oz my full list here: https://goo.gl/9SD8b6 https://goo.gl/9SD8b6
- ellius 9y ago• The Prize • The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich • The Lean Startup • Poke the Box • The Elements of Computing Systems • The Death of Common Sense • Up the Organization • The Personal MBA • The Wisdom of No-Escape • The Adapted Mind • Brain Rules • Getting Things Done • On Writing • Steal Like An Artist • George Orwell: A Collection of Essays And these are technically not books, but Glenn Greenwald's "Speech to the Massachusetts ACLU" and the Christopher Hitchens speech criticizing the proposed Canadian hate speech law.
- drited 9y agoLoved Brain rules, and Brain Rules for baby is also wonderful :)
- mrmyers 9y agoModeling the world generally (as in, why mathematics works and can apply to the real world): =Bertrand Russell= * An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth * A Theory of Knowledge * Logic and Knowledge =W.V. Quine= * Word and Object * Mathematical Logic =Norbert Weiner= * Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine =Smullyan= * Diagonalization and Self Reference Squishy Human Things: Thomas Kuhn - The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Norbert Weiner - The Human Use of Human-Beings Bertrand Russell - A History of Western Philosophy Karl Popper - The Open Society and Its Enemies Daniel Dennet - Consciousness Explained E. Abbot Abbot - Flatland
- jrs235 9y agoOutliers - the 20 or so page epilogue at the end titled "A Jamaican Story" had been the best writing I've read thus far that struck a chord and helped me understand "white privilege".
- r0brodz 9y agohttps://gitopanisadasitis.github.io/ https://gitopanisadasitis.github.io/
- luckyt 9y agoOur Marvelous Native Tongue by Robert Claiborne. This book tells the history of the English language, from its Indo-European roots to the Anglo-Saxon period to Shakespeare until the modern language it is today. It's the book that initially got me interested in language and linguistics, and now 10 years later I'm doing a master's in Computational Linguistics / NLP.
- edpichler 9y ago- The Lean Startup, by Eric Rives - The Long Tail, by Chris Anderson - The Blue Ocean Strategy, by W. Chan Kim - On the shortness of life, by Seneca - 1984, by George Orwell
- galfarragem 9y agoI would add also: The prince -- Machiavelli (to loose ingenuity) The little prince -- Saint-Exupéry (to recover some ingenuity)
- germainemalcolm 9y agoDao De Jing - Lao Tzu A Thousand Plateaus - Gilles Deleuze + Felix Guattari
- ntemposd 9y agoThe mom Test
- pbhjpbhj 9y agoThe synoptic gospels and NT, but to choose one book from the NT, ... The Epistle of James - as it has some strong counterpoints to other parts of the NT particularly the contrast of Pauline notions of grace with charity/works. Emperor's New Mind, Penrose - probably my biggest take away from it was to consider how human perception works alongside, and co-mingles with, physics. Web of Life, Capra - considering holistic nature of life, one's connection to the World at large; emergent patterns, complex structure birthing from simplicity (goes well with what I recall of Gleick's Chaos). Zen and the Art ... - what is value, what is valuable to me, whither/whence/wherefore value; how should I relate to my children (long before i had any) and how to challenge them philosophically. Republic, Plato - the first book that really set me thinking about the structure of society, about inequalities. And of course about stepping out of The Cave. Koran & Hadith (partial readings, ie whole sections; couple of major hadith only) - [redacted]; but greater understanding of Islam and of religion in general; taught me to watchfully avoid being tainted by the labels people give themselves and look instead to their actions. Mein Kampf (partial reading) - ideas have intrinsic moral value, that we should judge ideas on their merits and not by who has them; we should be careful about tarring people by simple association. Art of War - preparedness, looking to supply lines, avoiding conflicts, not entering "battles" you know you'll lose (which I'd take as 'learn nothing from'). Christianarchy - what it means to be a Christian, who is and isn't "in". Agrarian Justice, Paine - what is my place politically and economically in the world, whence do I derive the 'rights' to own what I do, whether such ownership is good. Worth noting here that the ideas and impressions I got are unlikely to be what you will get, we react to books based on who we are, our frame of mind, moods, etc.. Most of these books I read as a late teenager, that at least in part boosts their impact. The impact is not necessarily the purpose of the book, quite the opposite in some cases.
- diedyesterday 9y agoReading a book by a human mind works pretty much like training a neural network. You get tuned and change in a way that you might not see even if you don't remember.
- drited 9y agoHere's some: with why I like them Thinking, problem solving related: Superforecasting by Philip Tetlock: accurate forecasting Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman: how to avoid bias Misbehaving: like thinking fast and slow but more hilarious The checklist manifesto by Atul Gawande: the power of simple process From Darwin to Munger by Peter Bevelin: lots of mental models to add to your latticework Business management: The Outsiders by William Thorndike: capital allocation The hard thing about hard things by Ben Horowitz: some mental models for managers facing the real-life struggles of startups Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake masters: for the chapter on what kinds of business are always going to be tough (i.e. ones in perfectly competitive industries) Worldview: The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why violence has declined The making of modern economics by Mark Skousen (audiobook): explains various economic ideas through telling the history of the fathers of those ideas. Investing: You can be a stock market genius by Joel Greenblatt: where to look for undervaluation The Essays of Warren Buffett by Lawrence Cunningham: Buffett's thoughts in Buffett's words, neatly categorised by topic Competition Demystified by Bruce Greenwald: how to identify a high quality business
- davidhariri 9y agoSapiens Desert Solitaire Meditations Walden Meditations Thinking Fast and Slow