7 ms·
Ask HN: What ONE book would you recommend?
If you could recommend ONE book with the goal to get someone who doesn't read regularly, to become a regular reader.... What would that one book be?
- ldoc 7y agoSteppenwolf by Hermann Hesse It's a mind blowing book that's best read if you're a 30+ y/o individual.
- vips7L 7y agoThat was my least favorite of his books tbh. I've read Siddartha, Demian, and Narcissus and Goldmund as well.
- Kaibeezy 7y agoHesse’s Glass Bead Game made a huge impression on me in my early 20s. A favorite professor had recommended it when I was struggling with “how the world works” (see also Animal Farm, above)
- butteredpopcorn 7y agoAnything by PG Wodehouse may work, assuming you like virtuosic light fiction from the 1920s-1940s. On the other hand my father almost never reads fiction unless it is depressing and/or about a war he didn’t attend. If this sounds like you, maybe Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich?
- Kaibeezy 7y agoOrwell’s Animal Farm How the world has always worked, in an allegorical nutshell.
- yesenadam 7y agoI think it totally depends on who the someone is. But something for everyone...hmm how about: a diary. It also teaches you to write. I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train. - Oscar Wilde
- jugjug 7y agoI would recommend a shorter book with an easy-to-follow plot for a start. Popular young adult books or an easy to read memoir. I loved Trevor Noah memoir.
- RaceWon 7y agoStephen King short stories. I mean, if you don't like any of those, you do Not like to read. I'd probably go with "Everything's Eventual", but so many of his short stories are Epic and his Novella's too.
- phaus 7y agoSteven King has his own style of writing and it's quite possible to dislike it while enjoying reading in general. I read Insomnia, some short stories and about 100 pages of Needful Things. Needful things is on the very short list of about 5 fictional books I disliked so much that that I gave up on them. He's a great guy that gives a lot back to the community in Maine (where I grew up), but I don't care for his writing. His book on writing, however, is pretty great.
- rubicon33 7y agoI assume that's true of all writing - It's subjective, whether or not you'll enjoy that particular piece. That's why I was hoping to hear many answers from this community of like-minded people as well as (hopefully) some justification for their answers.
- phaus 7y agoI wouldn't try to talk you out of giving Steven King a shot. He's a good writer, I just don't like his writing. As for my own recommendation, Phillip K. Dick has a ton of great short story compilations if you're into Science Fiction. Technically he's not the most gifted writer, but he was good enough and his ideas were very creative. To give an example, he wrote the stories that inspired Total Recall, Blade Runner, Imposter, A Scanner Darkly, Paycheck, The Minority Report, and many others.
- RaceWon 7y ago> style of writing and it's quite possible to dislike it while enjoying reading in general. Fair point, well made. I too don't like everything he's written, however I do think his short stories have a wide appeal. I was getting down on myself today for how little fiction I have read in the past 6 months, or maybe more, and King is typically a decent jump start for me. I'm currently about 120 pages in on "The Executioner's Song" -N Mailer but it hasn't captivated my imagination... I find the dialogue trite. The only other book I had with me today was "The Hunt for Red October" -T. Clancy. I've read it already, but its been like 10 years, so started in on that again even though I reread way too many books. BTW all comments were plused.
- snyena 7y agoRoald Dahl's stories
- open-source-ux 7y agoInteresting choice! Dahl wrote quite a few short stories for adults, but of course he's most well known for his children's stories. There should be no embarrassment for adult readers to read (or re-read) his children's stories. They are a masterclass in writing - full of inventive and imaginative prose. He knows how to write fluidly without excess verbiage. These are qualities we'd all love to have in our writing. All of this makes his stories very easy to read, but satisfying and enjoyable too.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- DoreenMichele 7y agoA compendium of excerpts from good books on a topic of interest to them. I had an urban planning book of that sort at one time.
- beatgammit 7y agoI absolutely love The Little Prince, and it's very short, so it makes a good first book. I think that would be my top recommendation.
- hunterjumper06 7y agoBeing Mortal by Atul Gawande
- quietthrow 7y agoLooks like you need a page turner. I would say I had that experience with The DaVinci Code. Not to discourage you but books don’t make you a reader because they (their content) are largely relative (to the readers interest) . Let your curiosity lead the way and set a small achievable goal like ready 20 mins a day but hold yourself accountable to reading regularly
- 2rsf 7y agoactually I have found the whole Robert Langdon Series fascinating and fun to read (with the exception of the last book- Origin, for some reason it's less flowing)
- partisan 7y agoI am having trouble getting through this book as well. I had hopes, but I may have to “lose” the book on the train.
- newen 7y agoOmg, renowned author Dan Brown! I actually liked DaVinci Code though it reads a lot like watching a movie than reading a novel.
- michelinman 7y agoIn the true DA tradition I recommend the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy trilogy - Read the fourth one.
- srge 7y agoThe Godfather. Such a brilliant and addictive book.
- highhedgehog 7y agoGeorge Orwell - 1984
- dusted 7y agoSince 1984 was mentioned, I will mention Brave New World.
- seren 7y agoMaybe I am a bit grumpy because it is Monday morning, but I don't think that question makes much sense because it is too broad. There isn't a universal single book that everyone will enjoy. It depends what the person like : rather a novel or an essay, something easy to read or hard to grasp but ultimately satisfying, something to read on the beach or in a quiet library, something soothing or terrifying... Since this person does not read, arguably you don't have the answer, but at least you should provide a list of broad interests. And also likely the recommendation won't be for an 8 or a 50 years old. It is a bit like asking, what is the single piece of technology you should know. Well, it depends..
- rubicon33 7y agoWell, the question is being asked on a forum which (at least historically) has been tech minded entrepreneurial folks. So asking the question to that type of audience would naturally garner an answer heavily skewed by that audience. Assume that the asker of the question understands and accepts that, so you are free to simply answer whatever comes to mind.
- eb0la 7y ago"One hundred years of solitude" - Garcia Marquez masterwork is really absorbing, and a great introduction to Magic Realism genre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_realism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_realism (Marquez, Isabel Allende, Laura Esquivel).
- kashyapc 7y agoI wouldn't recommend One Hundred Years of Solitude for a novice reader -- that's quite a heavy book to start with. You (I had to) have to also constantly refer to the large family tree at the beginning of the book, as people are given the same two names, generation after generation. There's a good reason for it, though; still, confusing and tedious. I tried it in my initial years of reading, some 13 years ago. I gave it up after some 90 pages. Maybe the current, disciplined me, should give it a retry. As for the OP's question, I would suggest a book like Sapiens, by Yuval Harari. It's written in uncomplicated language, a broad topic, engagingly written. FWIW, I gave out at least seven copies of it as a present to friends (who are not serious readers). Most of them really appreciated it.
- eb0la 7y agoMaybe a bit thick, i agree with you... But... I think I read it only once about 10 years ago and I can remember the first paragraphs about the coronel and the ice. If you are into storytelling, there are some great Little books from Garcia Marquez script workshop.
- true_tuna 7y agoNo. This book ends suddenly half way through. I absolutely cannot recommend it.
- jryb 7y agoMore of a meta suggestion: I hadn't read for fun in a decade, but once I got a subscription to an audio book service, I've been reading (listening?) constantly. It's not worth it to me to just read, but it's great to have on when doing chores or monotonous things at work.
- slipwalker 7y agoaudible or anything else ?
- jryb 7y agoAudible, yes. I haven't tried any others though.
- a-saleh 7y agoDepends. I had some success with Terry Prattchet's Discworld? Especially Moist von Lipwig series or The Watch. Like, if you get hooked, suddenly you are reading the rest of the series and you kinda have to become a regular reader :D
- mortivore 7y agoProbably something shorter, easier to read, and in a genre that they like. If they like horror, then maybe something from Stephen King. If they like sci-fi, then Isaac Asimov. Romance? Nicholas Sparks.
- oldsklgdfth 7y agoHow to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler
- ghettolabs 7y agoPython Crash Course
- tangbao 7y agoHow about Harry Potter?
- true_tuna 7y agoIt really depends on interest. What does your target audience care about? I’d recommend Sapiens to anyone, but it’s more of a thinking book than an escaping book.
- SamReidHughes 7y agoIf it's a man? Jack Reacher. If it's a woman? Janet Evanovich, but there might be better recs.
- croh 7y agosurely you're joking Mr Fenyman !