3 ms·

Ask HN: How do you pick your next book?

4 points by saikatsg 4y ago

saikatsg 4y ago
Hello Hackers! How do you select your next book to read? Do you have a reliable source of recommendations? Related thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11865028 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11865028
surprisetalk 4y ago
I have two book-selection processes: 1. When I want to learn a specific skill or solve a specific problem, I read books for information. For example, I recently picked up a bunch of books on minimalist farming to learn how to take care of my property. I also recently read a bunch of parenting books because I recently had my first child. I think the thing to avoid here is reading "interesting" books without having a concrete application. With nothing to apply, I immediately forget everything I read. 2. When I want to learn and grow and explore, I reach for the classics! People have been reading a long time, and have collectively listed lots of life-changing books. To learn about humanity, go for Brothers Karamazov. To learn about computers, consider Godel Escher Bach or SICP. To learn about history, read Guns Germs Steel and Sapiens. And so on. Pick pretty much anything off of "best of all time" lists and it won't disappoint. [0] https://taylor.town/eschew-the-new https://taylor.town/eschew-the-new [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_top_book_lists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_top_book_lists [2] https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/127723.The_Greatest_Books_org_Top_100_books_of_all_time https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/127723.The_Greatest_Book... [3] https://4chanlit.fandom.com/wiki//lit/_Top_100_Lists https://4chanlit.fandom.com/wiki//lit/_Top_100_Lists
LunarAurora 4y ago
I put some of my bookmarked "sources of recommendations" here -> https://rentry.co/Book-Recommendations-Sites https://rentry.co/Book-Recommendations-Sites For specific categories, most reviews/ratings are (unfortunately) on Amazon and Goodreads, so I tend to visit them first (if no expert is on hand)
kamphey 4y ago
I download every single book anyone recommends me. If I see its already downloaded then I usually buy it. I do also keep a running list of books to read. A bunch of post its on a page in my notebook. I will move any to the top if someone recommends a specific book for a specific reasons. The more specific, the higher it moves up. I have had a few people emphatically recommend a book with no specificity and came up short in actually getting anything from the book. I keep a mental tally and will disregard their recommendations in the future.

4 points by saikatsg 4y ago

Hello Hackers! How do you select your next book to read? Do you have a reliable source of recommendations? Related thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11865028 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11865028

surprisetalk 4y ago

I have two book-selection processes: 1. When I want to learn a specific skill or solve a specific problem, I read books for information. For example, I recently picked up a bunch of books on minimalist farming to learn how to take care of my property. I also recently read a bunch of parenting books because I recently had my first child. I think the thing to avoid here is reading "interesting" books without having a concrete application. With nothing to apply, I immediately forget everything I read. 2. When I want to learn and grow and explore, I reach for the classics! People have been reading a long time, and have collectively listed lots of life-changing books. To learn about humanity, go for Brothers Karamazov. To learn about computers, consider Godel Escher Bach or SICP. To learn about history, read Guns Germs Steel and Sapiens. And so on. Pick pretty much anything off of "best of all time" lists and it won't disappoint. [0] https://taylor.town/eschew-the-new https://taylor.town/eschew-the-new [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_top_book_lists https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_top_book_lists [2] https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/127723.The_Greatest_Books_org_Top_100_books_of_all_time https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/127723.The_Greatest_Book... [3] https://4chanlit.fandom.com/wiki//lit/_Top_100_Lists https://4chanlit.fandom.com/wiki//lit/_Top_100_Lists

LunarAurora 4y ago

I put some of my bookmarked "sources of recommendations" here -> https://rentry.co/Book-Recommendations-Sites https://rentry.co/Book-Recommendations-Sites For specific categories, most reviews/ratings are (unfortunately) on Amazon and Goodreads, so I tend to visit them first (if no expert is on hand)

kamphey 4y ago

I download every single book anyone recommends me. If I see its already downloaded then I usually buy it. I do also keep a running list of books to read. A bunch of post its on a page in my notebook. I will move any to the top if someone recommends a specific book for a specific reasons. The more specific, the higher it moves up. I have had a few people emphatically recommend a book with no specificity and came up short in actually getting anything from the book. I keep a mental tally and will disregard their recommendations in the future.