5 ms·

Ask HN: Which book(s) did you read this summer?

26 points by NoB4Mouth 8y ago

Which book did you read this summer? Can you share a glimpse of the impact it(they) made on you and your work?

sunstone 8y ago
The Wayfinders by Wade Davis If you're interested in what living 20k years ago would have been like this is a pretty good place to start.
lugg 8y ago
7 habbits of effective people was well worth the read. Too early to speak about benefits but I have a feeling it was very beneficial long term. Don't expect something about getting things done it's not really about that.
- kik0729 8y ago
  What is it about, then?
howenterprisey 8y ago
I read two books recommended here, and one that wasn't. The Idea Factory, by Jon Gertner, was absolutely fantastic; How the Laser Happened was also very interesting. I also read (still reading, actually) Mason and Dixon by Pynchon. Really good so far.
asdffdsa321 8y ago
Madame Bovary: beautiful book, but also somewhat scary. Warning against idealism and condescension (the 'Belle' complex from Beauty in the Beast, ie too good for someone or some society). With it is an oddly inspiring ability to romanticize and imagine heights and a life different from reality, to dream big dreams. It maps well, though exaggerated in a fatalistic sense, onto the types of people today as it relates to love and relationships (the nice guy who is clueless and mistreated, the neighborhood wife who is motherly but not sexy, -- similar to Susan in the Waves -- the social climber whose credibility is self-fabricated and manages to achieve high renown and accolades despite being an imposter, the mysterious bachelor ie the ladies man who has accumulated his aura and attractiveness by focusing on himself rather than on a woman, the creepy old rich guy who offers money for sex to attractive women in financial/general distress or life threatening circumstances) Lots to say about, and lots to learn, it's a short book but it is packed with substance. Honorable mentions for its depiction of the swings of neuroticism and depression, the allure and mystery of the feminine, how it characterizes art/theater, and all around creating a beautiful, rich, vibrant world. Apologies for the run on sentences; I don't want to get too caught up in this unless people are interested
ArtWomb 8y ago
Still shook by John Carreyrou's Bad Blood. Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes chronicle. No discernible "style" to the writing. But the facts are chilling enough. Scale of the deception is pathological and systemic. Seeing trusting people treated scandalously will make you a more conscientious founder.
- sizzzzlerz 8y ago
  I know exactly what you mean! It is astonishing that Holmes and her love toy could perpetrate such fraud. That fact that they could fool the caliber of people that they did fool is mind boggling. The only thought in my head once I finished the book was that I hope these two spend a good part of the rest of their lives in prison.
guiambros 8y ago
"Why We Sleep", by Matthew Walker [1]. I've read a lot about sleep over the years, but I still found it fascinating and comprehensive. I've mentioned the book on several other thread [2], so there's plenty of opinions there if you're interested in knowing more. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144316 https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501... [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17606274 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17606274
HIPisTheAnswer 8y ago
The 'Dune' series by F.Herbert, and continuation by his son. God emperor of dune is definitely worth reading up to.
- TranquilMarmot 8y ago
  I started "Dune" in January and am now nearing the end of "Chapterhouse: Dune". The series as a whole is so chock full of amazing wisdom and meditations on what it means to be human and how far we can stretch humanity until it becomes unrecognizable, but it gets there so slowly that the teachings kind of creep up on you in the end. Cannot recommend the series enough. So sad that I'm reaching the end of Frank Herbert's part of the legacy, interested to see how Brian Herbert continued it.
  - cbanek 8y ago
    Totally agree. Also recommend the audiobooks, which I've been listening to for these summer road trips!
sizzzzlerz 8y ago
"Chasing New Horizons: Inside the First Epic Mission to Pluto" by Alan Stern and David Grinspoon Fascinating tale of the history and triumph of one of the most amazing scientific marvels of the age of robotic space exploration. Nine years and 7.5 billion miles to arrive at a place that, up till then, was usually seen as a few pixels and a blurry image.
ncmncm 8y ago
"Debt: The First 5,000 Years" by David Shaefer. Top marks! An exploration of the origin of money, and what it means. Money is a pure invention, invented for purposes now almost forgotten. Currency was invented thousands of years later, for military purposes. The book is full of surprises.
- NoB4Mouth 8y ago
  Read it last year! eye opening book on Money. After having read this book i always take every news headline on currency policy with brain of salt...
sidcool 8y ago
Deep Work by Cal Newport. Very good read. Next book is going to be Code Complete 2 by Steve McConnell. Followed by Zero to One by Peter Thiel.
yesenadam 8y ago
Is this question for people in the northern hemisphere only? We (Australia here) just had winter.
orcs 8y ago
Just finishing up Malazan book of the fallen series.
- ssijak 8y ago
  I am pondering if I should start the series. Was it worth it to you?
  - orcs 8y ago
    Well worth it. It's a long slog. I've never read anything on this scope before. There are so many characters and story lines I can't imagine how the author kept track! Brilliant series, nothing else like it.
playing_colours 8y ago
The biography of J.Rockefeller by Roy Chernow, who managed to serve God and money. “The secrets of consulting” by Gerald Weinberg, full of good wisdom.
digianarchist 8y ago
Just finished "Evicted" by Matthew Desmond. Great book on how evictions can keep people in a spiral of poverty.
bbcbasic 8y ago
Winter here¡
fernandokokocha 8y ago
1. "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg. Gave me a better perspective on how to tackle my bad habits like endless watching YouTube after work, drinking too much coffee etc. 2. "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind" by Joseph Murphy. Sold me on the idea of positive thinking, but generally I found the book crappy. 3. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. The only nover on the list. Definitely a good read. 4. "The Pragmatic Programmer". I fell in love with the idea of "the network" of views and controllers. 5. "The Software Craftsman" by Sandro Mancuso. Great one. Made me recosinder a few (quite a few!) things in my workflow and project. 6. "Deep Work" by Cal Newport. Amazing one. Can't wait for Monday to implement some at work. I even ordered 3 more copies for my team.

26 points by NoB4Mouth 8y ago

Which book did you read this summer? Can you share a glimpse of the impact it(they) made on you and your work?

The Wayfinders by Wade Davis If you're interested in what living 20k years ago would have been like this is a pretty good place to start.

lugg 8y ago

7 habbits of effective people was well worth the read. Too early to speak about benefits but I have a feeling it was very beneficial long term. Don't expect something about getting things done it's not really about that.

kik0729 8y ago
What is it about, then?

howenterprisey 8y ago

I read two books recommended here, and one that wasn't. The Idea Factory, by Jon Gertner, was absolutely fantastic; How the Laser Happened was also very interesting. I also read (still reading, actually) Mason and Dixon by Pynchon. Really good so far.

asdffdsa321 8y ago

Madame Bovary: beautiful book, but also somewhat scary. Warning against idealism and condescension (the 'Belle' complex from Beauty in the Beast, ie too good for someone or some society). With it is an oddly inspiring ability to romanticize and imagine heights and a life different from reality, to dream big dreams. It maps well, though exaggerated in a fatalistic sense, onto the types of people today as it relates to love and relationships (the nice guy who is clueless and mistreated, the neighborhood wife who is motherly but not sexy, -- similar to Susan in the Waves -- the social climber whose credibility is self-fabricated and manages to achieve high renown and accolades despite being an imposter, the mysterious bachelor ie the ladies man who has accumulated his aura and attractiveness by focusing on himself rather than on a woman, the creepy old rich guy who offers money for sex to attractive women in financial/general distress or life threatening circumstances) Lots to say about, and lots to learn, it's a short book but it is packed with substance. Honorable mentions for its depiction of the swings of neuroticism and depression, the allure and mystery of the feminine, how it characterizes art/theater, and all around creating a beautiful, rich, vibrant world. Apologies for the run on sentences; I don't want to get too caught up in this unless people are interested

ArtWomb 8y ago

Still shook by John Carreyrou's Bad Blood. Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes chronicle. No discernible "style" to the writing. But the facts are chilling enough. Scale of the deception is pathological and systemic. Seeing trusting people treated scandalously will make you a more conscientious founder.

sizzzzlerz 8y ago
I know exactly what you mean! It is astonishing that Holmes and her love toy could perpetrate such fraud. That fact that they could fool the caliber of people that they did fool is mind boggling. The only thought in my head once I finished the book was that I hope these two spend a good part of the rest of their lives in prison.

guiambros 8y ago

"Why We Sleep", by Matthew Walker [1]. I've read a lot about sleep over the years, but I still found it fascinating and comprehensive. I've mentioned the book on several other thread [2], so there's plenty of opinions there if you're interested in knowing more. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144316 https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501... [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17606274 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17606274

HIPisTheAnswer 8y ago

The 'Dune' series by F.Herbert, and continuation by his son. God emperor of dune is definitely worth reading up to.

TranquilMarmot 8y ago
I started "Dune" in January and am now nearing the end of "Chapterhouse: Dune". The series as a whole is so chock full of amazing wisdom and meditations on what it means to be human and how far we can stretch humanity until it becomes unrecognizable, but it gets there so slowly that the teachings kind of creep up on you in the end. Cannot recommend the series enough. So sad that I'm reaching the end of Frank Herbert's part of the legacy, interested to see how Brian Herbert continued it.
- cbanek 8y ago
  Totally agree. Also recommend the audiobooks, which I've been listening to for these summer road trips!

sizzzzlerz 8y ago

"Chasing New Horizons: Inside the First Epic Mission to Pluto" by Alan Stern and David Grinspoon Fascinating tale of the history and triumph of one of the most amazing scientific marvels of the age of robotic space exploration. Nine years and 7.5 billion miles to arrive at a place that, up till then, was usually seen as a few pixels and a blurry image.

ncmncm 8y ago

"Debt: The First 5,000 Years" by David Shaefer. Top marks! An exploration of the origin of money, and what it means. Money is a pure invention, invented for purposes now almost forgotten. Currency was invented thousands of years later, for military purposes. The book is full of surprises.

NoB4Mouth 8y ago
Read it last year! eye opening book on Money. After having read this book i always take every news headline on currency policy with brain of salt...

sidcool 8y ago

Deep Work by Cal Newport. Very good read. Next book is going to be Code Complete 2 by Steve McConnell. Followed by Zero to One by Peter Thiel.

yesenadam 8y ago

Is this question for people in the northern hemisphere only? We (Australia here) just had winter.

orcs 8y ago

Just finishing up Malazan book of the fallen series.

ssijak 8y ago
I am pondering if I should start the series. Was it worth it to you?
- orcs 8y ago
  Well worth it. It's a long slog. I've never read anything on this scope before. There are so many characters and story lines I can't imagine how the author kept track! Brilliant series, nothing else like it.

playing_colours 8y ago

The biography of J.Rockefeller by Roy Chernow, who managed to serve God and money. “The secrets of consulting” by Gerald Weinberg, full of good wisdom.

digianarchist 8y ago

Just finished "Evicted" by Matthew Desmond. Great book on how evictions can keep people in a spiral of poverty.

bbcbasic 8y ago

Winter here¡

fernandokokocha 8y ago

1. "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg. Gave me a better perspective on how to tackle my bad habits like endless watching YouTube after work, drinking too much coffee etc. 2. "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind" by Joseph Murphy. Sold me on the idea of positive thinking, but generally I found the book crappy. 3. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. The only nover on the list. Definitely a good read. 4. "The Pragmatic Programmer". I fell in love with the idea of "the network" of views and controllers. 5. "The Software Craftsman" by Sandro Mancuso. Great one. Made me recosinder a few (quite a few!) things in my workflow and project. 6. "Deep Work" by Cal Newport. Amazing one. Can't wait for Monday to implement some at work. I even ordered 3 more copies for my team.