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Ask HN: Autodidacts, give me your book recommendations

4 points by hifuncmaniac 2y ago

I am an autodidact and I like to read books on subjects entirely out of my wheelhouse to get some breadth of perspective. As I am coming into these topics with a completely open mind, it can be exhausting trying to find good content to learn from, but good learning content is soooooo rewarding. I have had a lot of success talking to some people (IRL) and sourcing book recommendations that way, but my wells are running dry. I tried (strategically) asking strangers in person, and that has not been successful either. So, what better place to ask than HN? Please share your oft-unsolicited book recommendations. I specifically love self help and business/organizational health books lately.

keikobadthebad 2y ago
Autodidacts learn by doing themselves. I am not sure they're going to dig this whole book learning concept.
- hifuncmaniac 2y ago
  I am not sure you and I have the same definition of autodidact :-)
- sn9 2y ago
  Do you think they're rederiving everything from first principles? Like math autodidacts are speedrunning thousands of years of mathematics without books?
  - keikobadthebad 2y ago
    You know, there are important topics in the world other than academically blessed ones. There has never been an easier era to spurn 'books' and find the exact information instead. ... if that is you haven't been bent to the idea that's the only legitimate way to share and acquire information.
    - sn9 2y ago
      Most people don't call themselves autodidacts for things that have never usually required conventional academic learning environments. That's just called living a normal life.
sandwichsphinx 2y ago
Mastery by Robert Greene, 2012
- hifuncmaniac 2y ago
  [dead]
mtmail 2y ago
HN archive has many recommendations https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=pastYear&page=0&prefix=false&query=ask%20hn%20best%20book&sort=byPopularity&type=story https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=pastYear&page=0&prefix=fal... There's also tools like 'Show HN: All books recommended on Ask HN' https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41881788 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41881788 and 'Show HN: I mapped HN's favorite books with GPT-4o' https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41473518 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41473518
bediger4000 2y ago
Beginners Guide to Mathematical Logic Raymond Smullyan

4 points by hifuncmaniac 2y ago

keikobadthebad 2y ago

Autodidacts learn by doing themselves. I am not sure they're going to dig this whole book learning concept.

hifuncmaniac 2y ago
I am not sure you and I have the same definition of autodidact :-)
sn9 2y ago
Do you think they're rederiving everything from first principles? Like math autodidacts are speedrunning thousands of years of mathematics without books?
- keikobadthebad 2y ago
  You know, there are important topics in the world other than academically blessed ones. There has never been an easier era to spurn 'books' and find the exact information instead. ... if that is you haven't been bent to the idea that's the only legitimate way to share and acquire information.
  - sn9 2y ago
    Most people don't call themselves autodidacts for things that have never usually required conventional academic learning environments. That's just called living a normal life.

sandwichsphinx 2y ago

Mastery by Robert Greene, 2012

hifuncmaniac 2y ago
[dead]

mtmail 2y ago

HN archive has many recommendations https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=pastYear&page=0&prefix=false&query=ask%20hn%20best%20book&sort=byPopularity&type=story https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=pastYear&page=0&prefix=fal... There's also tools like 'Show HN: All books recommended on Ask HN' https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41881788 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41881788 and 'Show HN: I mapped HN's favorite books with GPT-4o' https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41473518 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41473518

bediger4000 2y ago

Beginners Guide to Mathematical Logic Raymond Smullyan