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Ask HN: Which non-fiction books had the biggest impact on you?

• jakubmazanec 3y ago
  Denny Borsboom: Measuring the Mind - about measuring psychological attributes, its philosophical foundations and how that translates to actual mathematical models; short, focused book written with great information density, but very readable.
• momentmaker 3y ago
  The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer
• Simulacra 3y ago
  Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. It taught me to pay attention to nonverbal language in decision making
• philipov 3y ago
  As a kid? I'd probably name "Goedel, Escher, Bach" and "The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language" as the two that had the biggest impact on me while I was in high school.
• LeonB 3y ago
  I’d like to say - Factfulness or - Sapiens or - Richard Feynman’s various writings …but the most measurable impact was probably from something like - “Strunk and white The Elements of Style” or - “How to win friends and influence people” or - “Oh! Pascal!” Or - “the dictionary” or - some specific bus timetable that enabled a pivotal moment in my life
  • pjmorris 3y ago
    “Oh! Pascal!” is on my short list and I can see the influence of 'Elements', and Feynman as well.
  • curious_soul 3y ago
    > some specific bus timetable that enabled a pivotal moment in my life Story time? Don't leave us hanging :)
    • LeonB 3y ago
      I don’t know which specific incidents were pivotal, but surely some moment was?
  • tiffanyg 3y ago
    Ah, a literalist. I see your literality, and raise: enabled a pivotal moment in my life Like that time you beat Archimedes to the punch and moved the world with a cantilever? To not just 'standup philosopher'-post: Gödel, Escher, Bach (already mentioned by another I see); Euclid's Elements; Polya's How To Solve It; The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich; Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats - clearly non-fiction, if you know cats. :)
  • gnat 3y ago
    Oh! Pascal! was magnificent. The other influential Pascal text for me was “Elementary Pascal”, where Holmes writes Pascal for Babbage’s engine to solve mysteries. Books these days don’t seem to have the same whimsy.
  • D13Fd 3y ago
    Seconded on Strunk and White, although you also need to know not to follow some of its outdated advice.
• xekul 3y ago
  Language in Thought and Action by S.I. Hayakawa Metaphors We Live By by Lakoff and Johnson The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker Tao Te Ching (various translators)
• userbinator 3y ago
  The C Programming Language Course of Theoretical Physics
  • fiforpg 3y ago
    There are many different physics courses, so which one was that? In order not to sound solipsistic, I will admit that they all share the subject :P
    • userbinator 3y ago
      Landau and Lifshitz.
• CapitalistCartr 3y ago
  As a kid, "The Intelligent Man's Guide to Science" by Isaac Asimov. As an adult, "Das Kapital" by Karl Marx.
• davidthewatson 3y ago
  I'd suggest books like: https://equalityfiles.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/thomas_szasz_the_second_sin.pdf https://equalityfiles.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/thomas_sza... and any of Byung-Chul Han's philosophical books over the last ten years, though The Burnout society is probably the place to start. My favorite thing about these books is that if the title piques your interest, it's a quick read because of the aphoristic style keeping the aforementioned short.
• Brajeshwar 3y ago
  I made a page of some of the all-time favorite books I have read, re-read, and would recommend - https://brajeshwar.com/books/ https://brajeshwar.com/books/
• reallymental 3y ago
  If you're not a person who tends to get sucked into a book, and has every waking thought resonate with what you've read, then read some Chomsky. You may not agree with his views (it's so far to the left, that it makes your head spin) but rather read it for how he writes. His terse words are a window into his psyche. Everything is presented in a very "matter-of-fact" way. I've read most of his books and it's surprising how very little he thinks of his own opinions. For him, it's not a revelation that the world is corrupt and full of structures that incentivise the destruction of the middle class etc., it's just a matter of fact. "That's how the world is and this is where I think it's going, good luck with changing that.", that's what it feels like. I was pretty young when I started reading them, around 16. It temporarily changed me for the worse, the books are so pessimistic, that it tends to put that person I described above (getting sucked into books) into a depressive state. If you want to start somewhere, try "Manufacturing Consent" (by Chomsky and Herman). If you've already read that, then try "On Palestine" by Chomsky as well, I don't recall reading it but it does seem timely now.
  • voisin 3y ago
    Does he have a specific book that would relate to the hollowing out of the middle class?
    • pchangr 3y ago
      I know “Requiem for the American Dream” talks about it. Just keep in mind it’s written from a very us centric perspective
  • UtopiaPunk 3y ago
    I like Chomsky, and I agree with most of what you say. He is matter-of-fact, maybe cynical, but I wouldn't say pessimistic. He's trying to present the truth (or specifically, the truth of how those in power gain and maintain power). That's his role in trying to build a better world. I recall him saying somewhere (but I can't seem to find it now) that he's a bad organizer, so I think he sees his role as shining a light for others to use. I like listening to him speak more, tbh. He can come across as a rambling old man with disjointed thoughts. Then, after going off for 10 minutes, he brings it back. The world is complicated, and Chomsky has a very firm grasp on how complicated it all is, and in order to explain a point, he often has to untangle a large web of relationships and history. Sometimes exhausting, but also kind exhilarating. He refuses to short snappy news bits because he knows a statement that challenges the status quo needs strong evidence and explanation, and that necessarily requires a longer form (he discusses that point in Manufacturing Consent). I'd also recommend Manufacturing Consent.
• wj 3y ago
  Cosmos by Carl Sagan It really opened my mind to the quest for knowledge being its own noble pursuit.
• thinkerswell 3y ago
  Eccleisastes — Holy Bible A book on the vanity of life
• genghisjahn 3y ago
  Seneca Amusing Ourselves to Death The Color of Law
  • tiffanyg 3y ago
    A good ... jumble.* And what among Seneca's writings would you highlight? * Having elected not to use an obvious list format (as it appears on my screen), or even a single ASCII character beyond the fairly essential - parsimonious. You took the interrogative "How long shall you march under another man's orders?" very much to heart, it seems.
• c420 3y ago
  The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power by Shoshana Zuboff https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Surveillance_Capitalism https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Surveillance_Capi... And Permanent Record by Snowden
• patrickthebold 3y ago
  I liked "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"
  • gcanyon 3y ago
    As a funny aside, I have an otherwise intelligent friend who actually thinks the book is about motorcycles...
  • cgriswald 3y ago
    I read this as a young adult and I understood what Pirsig was saying in an intellectual sense, but I didn't really grok the book until I was closer to Pirsig's own age (when he wrote it) and learned 'the hard way'. I also didn't finish the book because I felt like Pirsig was repetitively making the same point. As a result, I have some questions (not necessarily directly for you, @patrickthebold, but for whoever cares to answer): (1) Were you able to internalize the lessons from this book? (2) Is there anything valuable in the back ~half of the book? (3) If you read this book about 20 years ago, would you re-read it; or if read it less than 20 years ago, would you recommend your future self re-read it?
    • gcanyon 3y ago
      1. Most definitely 2. The revelation about quality 3. I've read it three or four times, generally about ten years apart. I'm due...
    • karmakurtisaani 3y ago
      Easily one of my favourite books. My advice for anyone reading it is not to see it as a philosophical book, although some of the philosophical digressions are extremely interesting. Rather, read it as an autobiography of a person suffering from an obsession, and his quest to connect with his son. The end was very satisfying from this point of view. Edit: so to answer your points 1. No need to. 2. Worth reading the whole thing. 3. At the first reading when younger, one might focus too much on the philosophy and miss the story of the person behind the thoughts. It's not a book where you learn philosophy, but how this person thinks and how it impacts his life. With some life experience and perspective this aspect is much more interesting.
• david927 3y ago
  Guns, Germs, and Steel
  • philipov 3y ago
    Although, be careful about that one, because a lot of the claims Diamond makes are to be taken with a grain of salt. I would suggest the works of Richard Bulliet such as "Cotton, Climate, and Camels" and "Hunters, Herders, and Hamburgers" as counterpoints. Some historians really like the "A, B, and C" title format, don't they?
    • jazzyjackson 3y ago
      "women, fire, and dangerous things" by Lakoff for the meta on categories in general :)
• tiahura 3y ago
  Kids and the Amiga Hackers
• erehweb 3y ago
  "Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilbert. Big insight - people generally have a way of rationalizing away things they did (new job, move, relationship) that turned out to be bad ideas - they focus on the positive parts, or say how they learned so much. But this doesn't work if you decided not to do something, and that inaction turned out to be a bad idea - you can't say you learned so much, because you didn't do anything. Implication is that we should be bolder in our decisions, to avoid regret.
• RheingoldRiver 3y ago
  The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman. It had a huge impact on the way I view UX issues, and the relationship between users & developers/companies, and I prioritize users' "dumb questions" way differently now as a result. It's also made me feel less bad about times that I have a problem with using some piece of software, whether it's a settings menu that I can't find what I need in it, or some complex setup process.
  • MattPalmer1086 3y ago
    Yeah, seconded. Still on my shelf after 25 years and I still occasionally dip into it.
• david927 3y ago
  The four gospels: Mathew, Mark, Luke and John
  • tripletriple 3y ago
    [dead]
  • UtopiaPunk 3y ago
    Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell largely the same story, with several important differences. If you only read one, my favorite is Luke. It has The Magnificat (aka Mary's Song of Praise), and it's awesome. John, meanwhile, is very different vibe on the story of Jesus and is cool in its own way. I'd also recommend Acts, personally. It is a history of the very early church and written by the same author as the Gospel of Luke. Very proto-communist/anarchist in places, imo.
• mashygpig 3y ago
  I’ll echo the Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan. Recently, I finished the making of the atomic bomb by Richard Rhodes. It’s quite long, but a fascinating view on physics, weapon development, and then the politics of the bomb. It’s a good exercise to compare with the current state of AI and see what things are similar and what are different.
• voidhorse 3y ago
  Recently, "The Situation is Hopeless... But Not Serious" - Paul Watzlawick All of Nietzsche. Antioedipus. Marcuse's One Dimensional Man. Wittgenstein's Notebooks. The works of Vilem Fluser. Basically most major/famous philosophers are a solid bet.
• smoyer 3y ago
  "The art of electronics" by Horowitz and Hill
  • jazzyjackson 3y ago
    in that vein, "there are no electrons: electronics for earthlings" left an impression on me and is much shorter :)
  • mikewarot 3y ago
    I've read that, it's a great book if you're already into electronics. It filled a huge knowledge void that I wasn't aware I had... but the thing that got me started was "The Boy's Second Book of Electronics", which launched me into the world of electronics in the early 1970s, before PCs were a thing.
  • tshirttime 3y ago
    Dense, wordy, incomprehensible.
• jazzyjackson 3y ago
  women hold up half the sky. i was ignorant to a lot of suffering in the world before I read this book. very emotional read. spell of the sensuous. mind bending history of the alphabet, the effect of being literate on your ways of thinking and an introduction to phenomenology and our original sin of considering "nature" to be an "other"
• lylejantzi3rd 3y ago
  Rhetoric, Politics, and/or Ethics by Aristotle
• lasermatts 3y ago
  Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage lots of great recommendations already, but this is a relatively quick read and a great story. How To Build A Car If you're into F1 -- or precision engineering -- it's a cool book that gives you insight into a fantastic designer and his approach to producing machines I could go on but those are two books I thought about while going about my day today
• dmbche 3y ago
  James Gleick's books in general, Chaos being a favorite. Sartre's essays on existentialism, Camus's big essays too. Jiddu Krishnamurti's Awakening intelligence is also very good. Edit0: How nonviolence protects the state, Peter Gelderloos. Very measured look at the discourse around violence and nonviolence. Fruitful read. Free here: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/peter-gelderloos-how-nonviolence-protects-the-state https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/peter-gelderloos-how... Edit1: Freud's Totems and taboos, and some Jung, but I forget what exactly.
• ofou 3y ago
  The Ascent of Humanity: Civilization and the Human Sense of Self by Charles Eisenstein
• jrace 3y ago
  This Is Your Brain on Music -by Daniel Levitin --helped me understand why listening to music has such a varied and profound effect on me. Hallucinations -by Oliver Sack --piqued my interest in the brain and the notion that it is running the show behind the scenes and what we perceive to be reality is merely a construct of our neural activity.
• raminf 3y ago
  - Gödel, Escher, Bach (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gödel,_Escher,_Bach https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gödel,_Escher,_Bach) - Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline.
• jekude 3y ago
  The Road to Wigan Pier - Orwell Antifragile - Taleb What is Life? - Schrodinger Structure and Interpretations of Computer Programs - Abelson
• fiforpg 3y ago
  The big impact books tend to be the ones read in youth. One that I re-read many times was the biography of Robert Wood by William Seabrook (both really fascinating characters): Doctor Wood, Modern Wizard of the Laboratory For a more recent, although not nearly as formative read: The Coddling of the American Mind
• dirtybirdnj 3y ago
  You are Not So Smart by David McRaney. It started a journey of self reflection and introspection that I'm still working on to this day but extremely thankful for. It changed the way I look at myself and the actions of other people, both for the better. It all started for me when I heard about the three jesuses of ypselanti. I hope you enjoy it too. https://youarenotsosmart.com/2014/01/07/yanss-podcast-015-i-read-an-excerpt-from-you-are-now-less-dumb/ https://youarenotsosmart.com/2014/01/07/yanss-podcast-015-i-...
• bentt 3y ago
  On Writing by Stephen King is one of the best books about the craft of not only writing, but any solo creative endeavor. It is also immensely entertaining and dark. The Audiobook is read by the author and he does a great job.
• ttcbj 3y ago
  “How to sell at margins higher than your competitors”, which profoundly improved my pricing strategy at the software business I started. “Self esteem” - which altered how I saw myself and understood my own behavior when dating.
• db48x 3y ago
  "The Liberators" by Viktor Suvorov <https://archive.org/details/ViktorSuvorovTheLiberatorsMyLifeInThebOk.xyz/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/ViktorSuvorovTheLiberatorsMyLife...> I wish this one was required reading.
• mablopoule 3y ago
  "The righteous mind" by Jonathan Haidt. I loved it so much that I gave it to three different peoples. It's about psychological studies of morality, and what tends to influence one sense of morality. It had a huge impact on me because I feel that it helped me grow as a person, and being able to understand other culture/other principle, even if I don't necessarily agree with that. Lots of stuff that seems plain evil from a western point of view (ergo, centered about the morals of individuality) would look more sensible once understood from a moral coming from a sense of community, and the necessarily conservative need to foster a stable societal structure. It doesn't mean that I agree with things like opposing the rights of woman to drive/open bank account, but it help understanding the motivation better. Another interesting point he brings is the differentiation between a moral judgement (X is good or bad), and the moral reasoning (X is bad because of Y and Z). Notably, the moral judgement come before the moral reasoning, the latter being used not as a way to reach a conclusion, but as a way to defend a moral judgement with our peers. Jonathan Haidt is mostly known for his works on the political polarization of the USA. Another book I found incredibly enriching (but unfortunately only in French) is "Au coeur des services spéciaux", which is an interview by Jean Guisnel (a french investigative journalist) of Alain Chouet, a former director of the DGSE (the french CIA basically). Alain Chouet studied Arabic and the arab/muslim world even before joining the DGSE, and what I picked up at the bookstore as a way to understand the french intelligence services turned out to be an extremely interesting (and respectful) exposé of the muslim and arab world, with the prism of political Islam, the history of terrorism as seen by french intelligence service, his opinion on many nuclear programs, and of course a great deal about 9/11. The writing of the book is very fresh thanks to the conversational/interview style used, and while the book show its age more and more (it's from 2013), I still believe it's a worthwhile lecture if one is curious about such subject, especially given the current context.
  • rasse 3y ago
    I'd recommend The Righteous Mind along with Being Wrong by Kathryn Schultz to anyone who's ever argued on the internet.
  • mablopoule 3y ago
    For posterity: by "given the current context", I hint at heightened tensions in middle-east due to Hamas attack & the current Israel bombing of Gaza.
• mvncleaninst 3y ago
  I'm assuming this thread is non-programming related since that's like everything else on this website Probably Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit. And it didn't impact me in a way where I agreed with it, it was more the opposite. It sort of made me realize "oh, this is what bullshit looks like" and I was able to take that and apply it elsewhere I'll give an example... Hegel sort of works like this: person X says A, person Y says B, there's a disagreement, they both fight to the death and person X enslaves person Y, then person Y goes crazy, turns to religion (I'm not bullshitting here either, he introduces the priest at this point in the master slave dialectic [0]), then person Y affirms their own slavery both physically and mentally. This is the basic process on which "history" happens Think about this for a second, all of those people who died in the 20th century because of this guy's bullshit. I read his garbage cover to cover, lesson learned: bullshit is dangerous. There's a reason why Hegel doesn't like math. After I read this guy, it made me realize something: non-technical non-fiction is fiction [0] "As a separate, independent extreme, it rejects the essence of its will, and casts upon the mediator or minister [priest] its own freedom of decision, and herewith the responsibility for its own action. This mediator, having a direct relationship with the unchangeable Being, ministers by giving advice on what is right." (para 228)
  • number6 3y ago
    Sounds about right, actually
• gcanyon 3y ago
  The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker. Not because of the actual topic, although that's important too; but because of the first 150 or so pages, where Pinker starts by saying something like: you won't believe me about how violence has declined unless I first disabuse you of the notion that the past was nice. He then describes how truly awful pretty much everyone and everything was in the past. It was an eye-opener. Those who romanticize the past (which is most people) do themselves a grave disservice.
  • mrich 3y ago
    In a similar vein, Factfulness by Hans Rosling.
    • gcanyon 3y ago
      Yes! So much this. It's ridiculous just how much people don't realize how much better things are now than at any point in the past. Yes, democracies are cracking under strain. Yes, wars are happening that could spill over to larger areas and cause serious harm. Yes, social media and lack of truthfulness is a huge issue. Yes, global warming sucks and we need to do more. But still, on so many measures, things are better than they ever have been, and trending in positive directions.
• barbacoa 3y ago
  Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. Seriously would read each sentence then spend a minute just to letting the shattering existential realizations sink in.
• kaycebasques 3y ago
  Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem. Biggest effect on me of any book, by far. The only book that immediately jumped to mind without me needing to check my "read" list. I vaguely recall The Soul Of Sex giving me a healthier foundation for my own sexuality. The Power Of Myth and The Varieties Of Religious Experience for general spiritual goodness. The Selfish Gene has probably had a deep lingering effect on my thoughts about my life as a biological creature. Every Page Is Page One is very helpful for realizing (what I believe to be) the higher purpose of technical documentation, which is knowledge sharing.
• catlover76 3y ago
  The Experience of God by David Bentley Hart Any of David Foster Wallace's books of essays such as A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again and Consider the Lobster
• thunderbong 3y ago
  Finite and Infinite Games - James P. Carse
• keernan 3y ago
  Future Shock by Alvin Toffler I read it in 1970. It sparked my interest in technology; an interest that is very much alive and kicking all these years later.
• cagey 3y ago
  How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne
• johnea 3y ago
  Howard Zinn: A People's History of the US
• dosmithds2060 3y ago
  electric cool aid acid test the code book warped passages
• huijzer 3y ago
  A Mind for Numbers by Barbara Oakley. I’ve ingrained many of her lessons as habits.
• laserstrahl 3y ago
  LSD my problem child by Albert Hoffmann
• 0xbadc0de5 3y ago
  The Gulag Archipelago, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn None of this is taught in school - but it should be.
• UtopiaPunk 3y ago
  I really love "A World to Build: New Paths toward Twenty-First Century Socialism" by Marta Harnecker. Here, the phrase "21st Century socialism" is a phrase meant to distinguish between a different socialism that existed in the 20th century (namely the Soviet Union). The book outlines a socialist vision that is decidedly not like the Soviet Union, and it's inspiring. Think a focus on decentralization, anti-authoritarian, pushing power closer to people, greater democracy, and a general goal of human flourishing (or "living well"). I think a lot of people would resonate with Marta Harnecker's vision if they knew about it. It's hopeful and optimistic without being naive. Also a pretty easy read that doesn't get bogged down by academia or technical philosophy. It's also much more modern than a lot of the classic texts of socialism. https://monthlyreview.org/product/a_world_to_build/ https://monthlyreview.org/product/a_world_to_build/
• Quinzel 3y ago
  A book I really enjoyed was “Games people play” by Eric Berne. It made me reflect a lot on the interactions I have with the people around me, and I think I needed to develop a deeper level of self-awareness than I had prior to reading it. So I’m glad I read it.
• thefz 3y ago
  A History of The Internet And the Digital Future - Johnny Ryan The Master Switch - Tim Wu
• gidorah 3y ago
  Whilst not strictly non-fiction, I'm going with The Goal bg Eli Goldratt. It's a novel about accounting. Specifically, Goldratt's Theory of Constraints. It presents the idea that manufacturing accounting is wrong.
• chegra 3y ago
  I will go with Wanting by Luke Burgis. It makes the works of Rene Girard accessible. For me, it made me conscious of how much of our nature is simply copying others. Basically, one should make a conscious effort to select who to copy. Also, because we copy it means we would have a desire for the same object in which conflict can arise. We can realize this and take steps to mitigate possible conflict. A surprising insight of the book is that having hierarchies reduces conflict. I wrote a summary of the book here: https://www.chestergrant.com/summary-wanting-by-luke-burgis https://www.chestergrant.com/summary-wanting-by-luke-burgis
• Lockal 3y ago
  "Linux From Scratch" was a life-changing experience, with a high practical value: you finally take full control over your hardware and start to understand why every component exists on your system and how you can control it. Not going to mention any psychological studies or philosophical essays, because, sorry, OP asked for non-fiction...
• ydnaclementine 3y ago
  Marie Kondo - Spark Joy. I like it because it provides a different perspective on the stuff you buy but don't use (thank you for showing me that I didn't like this style of shirt) as you give it away. Getting rid of stuff isn't revolutionary, but how she thinks about the things you own is different. Her show is very similar to the book, but the book explains it better. Her second book is more of the same, not sure about the third
• lmorandi 3y ago
  Think and Grow Rich written by Napoleon Hill is the book that had the biggest impact on me. By the name you would think that only talks about money and finance, but the real message is about the power of desire. I loved it and really changed my mind and the way of doing things. Really recommend it.
• zingababba 3y ago
  Some recent ones I've really enjoyed: The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind - Julian Jaynes; And: Phenomenology of the End - Franco Berardi; The True Believer - Eric Hoffer; I See Satan Fall Like Lightning - Rene Girard; Surplus Enjoyment - Slavoy Zizek; Dionysus, Christ, and the Death of God - Giuseppe Fornari Phenomenology of the End in particular blew my mind.
• stranded22 3y ago
  Ok: 1) Happy by Derren Brown - a stoic interpretation for the modern world (how to live, and die, happy) 2) The Daily Stoic - 366 pages of stoic philosophy for each day 3) how to control drinking / this naked mind- second book is a reinterpretation of the first, made the biggest impact on my life, helping me stop drinking 4) Atomic Habits - helped me appreciate it is a little nudge that makes the biggest long term difference
• vjulian 3y ago
  The Nature of Personal Reality, by Seth (as “channeled” by Jane Roberts. That—and other Seth books. They provided me with a sense of wonder.
• happycamper22 3y ago
  I ran this thread through GPT-4 to extract mentions and summarize them in markdown. Sharing if it's helpful for others too. * "Manufacturing Consent" by Chomsky and Herman (2 mentions) * Summary: This book investigates and criticizes the media's role in promoting and sustaining powerful interests. Chomsky frames the media as a system that safeguards the power of the elite by shaping public opinion. * "On Palestine" by Chomsky (1 mention) * Summary: This book offers an insightful view of one of the most enduring and intractable conflicts of our time. Chomsky explores the historical origins, developments, and politics surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict. * "Requiem for the American Dream" by Noam Chomsky (1 mention) * Summary: This book discusses the concentration of wealth in the hands of the few and its effects on democracy in America. It highlights the decline of the middle class and the widening wealth gap. * "The Design of Everyday Things" by Don Norman (2 mentions) * Summary: The book details the science behind our interaction with everyday items. It scrutinizes the design process and explores the relationship between users and the products they use, urging designers to think deeply about how their designs influence user behavior. * "The Better Angels of Our Nature" by Steven Pinker (1 mention) * Summary: This book challenges the belief that society is becoming increasingly violent, arguing instead that violence has declined over historical time periods. It explores the psychological and societal mechanisms that have led to this decrease. * "Factfulness" by Hans Rosling (1 mention) * Summary: Factfulness emphasizes a more optimistic view of global human progress. It challenges the notion that the world is worse off today than it was in the past by providing facts and statistics that argue the contrary. * "Phenomenology of Spirit" by Hegel (1 mention) * Summary: This is a central work of German philosophy in which Hegel explores the concept of 'spirit'. He examines the relationship between consciousness and its objects, eventually leading to a discussion about the nature of freedom and the unfolding of history. * "The Righteous Mind" by Jonathan Haidt (2 mentions) * Summary: The book delves into the world of moral psychology and its impact on politics and religion. Haidt proposes that morality is not a product of rational thought but is driven by intuitive reactions, challenging conventional understandings of morality. * "How To Build A Car" (1 mention, author not specified) * Summary: The book offers a captivating analysis of Formula 1 car design and the precision engineering involved in creating these high-performance vehicles. It provides insights into the processes followed by a renowned designer. * "Factfulness" (1 mention, author not specified) * Summary: Factfulness emphasizes a more optimistic view of global human progress. It challenges notions that the world is getting worse by presenting an array of facts that argue the contrary. * "Strunk and White The Elements of Style" (1 mention, author not specified) * Summary: A guide to English language usage and writing style that covers topics such as conciseness, clarity, and simplicity of expression. It is considered a seminal work on English composition and is widely used in American English writing. * "Gödel, Escher, Bach" (1 mention, author not specified) * Summary: This book explores the concept of how symbols, patterns and loops manifest in the fields of mathematics, art and music. It also discusses aspects of cognition and consciousness and how our minds perceive and understand the world.
• goldforever 3y ago
  [dead]
• Cosuper 3y ago
  I have 3 books that have made me a before and after in my life: - the 4 hour work week - 48 laws of power - 12 rules for life
• daemon_9009 3y ago
  if you want to read modern philosophy, go for 48 laws of power, and human laws by robert Greene. These two books are better than any self help books collectively which are available today!