
Ask HN: What is HN reading? - _dt47
Interested in seeing what others are reading.<p>My pick for now:<p>Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse
http:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Siddhartha_(novel)
======
kabdib
_The Art of Electronics_ \- Horowitz and Hill

I'm a software guy, with a bunch of firmware experience, but I sometimes do
data-center wrangling when I'm not slinging C++ and PHP around. It's really
good to have a grounding in electronics and how things work under the hood, so
you can have an appreciation for how (say) twisted pairs work, or how really
fast serial cables work. Just knowing what's involved in pushing a signal from
point A to point B in a rack or on a long-haul wire will help you make better
decisions about what to buy, or decide to rip out.

 _AoE_ is a great practical introduction to how a lot of modern electronics
stuff works. It has me tinkering with transistors and diodes again, and I may
have to tell the wife I want an oscilloscope for Christmas . . .

~~~
majke
Pretty pricey on amazon. How to get it?

~~~
hackerboos
It was published a long time ago. Second hand copies are not too hard to find
although a third edition is apparently in the works.

------
phowat
Masters of Doom -
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_of_Doom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_of_Doom)

And it's being an extremely fun read so far.

~~~
drtse4
I found it quite "meh" by the end, too much details about their private lives
and didn't like the hyperboles when describing more "technical" stuff (e.g.
when they built the engine for commander keen, described as something
revolutionary never done before, i don't remember it was the case...)

Read that after the GREAT "Commodore: A company on the edge" and was expecting
something with more gritty details (both technical and about the business) was
somewhat disappointed.

~~~
phowat
You are right about the technical details part, it is indeed lacking. And the
commodore book seems very interesting. I'll be sure to check it after.

------
nyddle
Traction by Gabriel Weinberg
([http://tractionbook.com/](http://tractionbook.com/))

~~~
bilalhusain
All the reviews of this book are so positive. I have read free chapters. Is it
worth purchasing?

~~~
petercooper
I'm listening to the audio version and am several chapters in so far and would
give it a definite thumbs up. There's little you couldn't divine from a lot of
the articles online from those involved and interviewed, but having it all in
one place wrapped up in a system of sorts is inspirational and more likely to
get you using the good stuff.

(If I had any complaint, it's that the way you get the audiobook version is
weird. I'd rather it were on Audible.)

------
Shish2k
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality -- a fanfiction with the twist
that Harry was raised to believe in science; as such he applies logic to
understand how magic works, to bend it to his will; IMHO it's easily on a par
with the canonical stories :) --> [http://hpmor.com/](http://hpmor.com/)

~~~
sushimustwrite
I'm so behind on reading this that I barely remember lots of plot points, but
at this point it might be easier to wait until the work is complete, then
return.

------
jdess
The Masks of God series by Joseph Campbell - [http://www.amazon.com/The-Masks-
God-Vol-Primitive/dp/0140194...](http://www.amazon.com/The-Masks-God-Vol-
Primitive/dp/0140194436)

Various myths and themes persist across religions, history and geography.

American Caesar - [http://www.amazon.com/American-Caesar-Douglas-
MacArthur-1880...](http://www.amazon.com/American-Caesar-Douglas-
MacArthur-1880/dp/0316024740)

Biography of MacArthur. Interesting for its disclosure of relationships
between politics, the media and the military in the absence of real time
communication. Also, watch the death of Victorian values during the 20th
century.

------
malyk
I just finished reading Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost
Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival[1]. It's a about a
piece of american history that I had no idea had ever happened. The Lewis and
Clark expedition is generally well known...at least that it happened...but the
Astorian expedition was completely unknown to me and to probably a ton of you
as well.

Very interesting.

1 - [http://www.amazon.com/Astoria-Jeffersons-Pacific-Ambition-
Su...](http://www.amazon.com/Astoria-Jeffersons-Pacific-Ambition-
Survival/dp/0062218298)

~~~
davidw
Good one! I like reading about interesting, but lesser known bits of history.
Another book in that mold is about John Fremont:

[http://davids-book-reviews.blogspot.it/2013/08/pathfinder-
jo...](http://davids-book-reviews.blogspot.it/2013/08/pathfinder-john-charles-
fremont-and.html)

------
webmaven
Currently?

Fiction:

* _The Hollows_ series by Kim Harrison: [https://www.goodreads.com/series/40628-the-hollows](https://www.goodreads.com/series/40628-the-hollows)

* _Discworld_ series by Terry Pratchett: [https://www.goodreads.com/series/40650-discworld](https://www.goodreads.com/series/40650-discworld)

* _Dresden FIles_ by Jim Butcher: [https://www.goodreads.com/series/40346-the-dresden-files](https://www.goodreads.com/series/40346-the-dresden-files)

* _Wiz_ by Rick Cook: [https://www.goodreads.com/series/43084-wiz](https://www.goodreads.com/series/43084-wiz)

Non-Fiction:

* _Programming Google App Engine with Python_ : [http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920033219.do](http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920033219.do)

* The latest additions to the _Lean Series_ : [http://shop.oreilly.com/category/series/lean.do](http://shop.oreilly.com/category/series/lean.do)

* _Think Stats_ : [http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920034094.do](http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920034094.do)

------
dabent
"The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin" \-- one of the books pg recommends.
I've just started, so I can't provide a review.

~~~
karlb
Do you know if there's a list of books that pg recommends?

~~~
acampbell28
Would you be interested in a site that lists books that have been recommended
by public figures like PG, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Obama, etc? I've been
kicking this idea around for a while.

~~~
phowat
It's been 8 days since you posted this comment so I have no idea if you'll
read this ( I couldn't find any contact info on your profile ) but yes, I
would. I've also been kicking this idea around for a while so if you're
interested in joining forces drop me an email: mail -at- phow.at

------
onion2k
This Book Will Make You Smarter - [http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Will-Make-You-
Smarter/dp/055277...](http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Will-Make-You-
Smarter/dp/0552778486)

It's a collection of essays from leading modern thinkers (Dawson, Pinker, etc)
on which cognitive tools people should be equipped with. It's _fantastic_. I'm
1/4 through at the moment and I can honestly say it lives up to it's title.

You can read all the essays for free at [http://edge.org/responses/what-
scientific-concept-would-impr...](http://edge.org/responses/what-scientific-
concept-would-improve-everybodys-cognitive-toolkit) (book form is a lot nicer
though) - edge.org is well worth poking about on. There's some seriously
interesting stuff on there.

------
smcl
Frigyes Karinthy - A Journey Round My Skull

A friend turned me onto an international bookstore in Budapest which has an
entire section of translated Hungarian novels which is where I bought this. I
had no idea Hungary had such a rich literary tradition and I'm counting the
days 'til I can go back to Budapest :)

~~~
sz4kerto
Depending on what kind of novels/etc. you're looking for, I could give you
some recommendations -- or even send something by post :) (although not that
much of the Hungarian literature is available in English). There's some stuff
available online (on Amazon, like this gem: [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Journey-
Moonlight-Antal-Szerb/dp/190...](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Journey-Moonlight-
Antal-Szerb/dp/1901285502)) or in digital form.

~~~
smcl
Ha actually my friend bought Journey By Moonlight - I'll try to borrow it off
him once he's done. I'm guessing you're Hungarian based, do you know of any
HN-related goings on in Budapest? I'm only a few hours by train away and I'd
love an excuse to go back :)

------
pacofvf
Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western
Civilization - Brownworth, Lars

------
joe_bleau
1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann
([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1491:_New_Revelations_of_the_Am...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1491:_New_Revelations_of_the_Americas_Before_Columbus))

------
davidw
Here are the reviews of stuff I've been reading:

[http://davids-book-reviews.blogspot.com](http://davids-book-
reviews.blogspot.com)

I'm currently reading "Made to Stick": [http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-
Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/140...](http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-
Survive-Others/dp/1400064287?tag=dedasys-20) \- which I put off buying for a
while, but am actually enjoying quite a bit. It's got real, actionable advice
in it.

I also read the transcripts from
[http://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/](http://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/)
on a regular basis.

------
fensterbrett
_Mathematics: Its Content, Methods and Meaning_ by A. D. Aleksandrov et al.

[http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Content-Methods-Meaning-
Do...](http://www.amazon.com/Mathematics-Content-Methods-Meaning-
Dover/dp/0486409163)

------
kaila
A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_People%27s_History_of_the_Uni...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_People%27s_History_of_the_United_States))

------
teh_klev
On the Steel Breeze by Alistair Reynolds (elephants in space!) [0]

Two Scoops of Django: Best Practices for Django 1.6 [1]

When the Clyde Ran Red by Maggie Craig [2]

[0]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Steel_Breeze](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Steel_Breeze)

[1]: [http://twoscoopspress.org/products/two-scoops-of-
django-1-6](http://twoscoopspress.org/products/two-scoops-of-django-1-6)

[2]: [http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Clyde-Ran-Maggie-
Craig/dp/18459...](http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Clyde-Ran-Maggie-
Craig/dp/1845967356)

------
MalcolmDiggs
I recently picked up Tim Geithner's book 'Stress Test'
([http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IN73B9E](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IN73B9E))

...but in the first few pages he referenced that _HE_ was recently reading a
different book, which sounded more interesting, so now I'm reading that:

Liaquat Ahamed - Lords of Finance
([http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QIGZEK](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QIGZEK))

...so far so good; if you're into historical stuff.

------
hrish2006
"Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki And His Years of Pilgrimage" by Murakami

------
nixy
"The Expedition" by Bea Uusma. A forensic investigation into why three arctic
explorers died trying to reach the north pole in a balloon—conducted over 100
years after they died.

It's a fascinating story, as well as a great insight into a mind that became
obsessed with answering the question "they had enough clothes, food, fuel and
ammo to survive. Why did they die?"

[http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Expedition-Forgotten-Story-
Trage...](http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Expedition-Forgotten-Story-Tragedy-
ebook/dp/B00KFDR028)

------
jaryd
Siddhartha is great--if you like Hesse I would also recommend that you check
out "Steppenwolf" (same author), and if that also appeals to you, then "The
Stranger" by Camus

~~~
stevedh
Hesse's "The Glass Bead Game" is well worth reading if a little enigmatic.

------
brerlapn
__Advanced API Security __by Prabath Siriwardena

Just started it, but so far it's a well-written discussion of OAuth, OpenID
Connect, UMA, and JSON for API security.

 __The State of the Art __by Iain Banks

I have been forcing myself to ration out the Culture books so I don't run
through them too quickly. Such a great series.

The Trauma of Everyday Life by Mark Epstein

The fourth book I've read by him, a really good synthesis of Buddhism and
psychology. I was pleasantly surprised to see him appear in Dan Harris's 10%
Happier, too.

~~~
sourabh86
The Prabath Siriwardena book is too expensive. Any good cheaper alternatives
out there?

------
bstamour
I have two on the go. In the middle of moving houses so it's been about a week
or so since I've picked up either :S

1\. Prelude to Foundation by Asimov 2\. The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene

I've read the Foundation series in the past, and I'm going through them again
since it's been years. As for Greene, I've always had an interest in Physics,
though I studied Computer Science. It's a nice introduction to String Theory
that is approachable enough to be read during my leisure time.

------
mekpro
Capital in the Twenty-First Century. A truly outstanding economic research of
the age. This book answer how and why inequality of wealth become part of our
society and will continue to be... if we failed to change.

One more impressive thing about this book is the massive amount of data used
to proof the writer's thesis. He find and represent data of wealth from
several countries over 200 years and present it neatly to support his idea. He
also open those data for others to proof it as well.

------
tyleregeto
Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
[http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B008PGKDOO](http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B008PGKDOO)
This is one of the most enjoyable reads I have had in a long time, definitely
recommended.

Introduction to Information Retrieval [http://nlp.stanford.edu/IR-
book/](http://nlp.stanford.edu/IR-book/) This is a free digital book, very
good so far.

~~~
blinkingled
I will second the recommendation for CODE. Great book - you can even read that
with your kids.

------
seanccox
'Snow Crash' by Neal Stephenson:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Crash)

------
rtpg
Finished reading The Center Holds recently, which was a page-turner despite
being pretty aware of the events (spoiler: Obama wins 2012).

There's a section about the Obama campaign's digital strategy which is
interesting.

Also read Jordan Mechner's "The Making of Prince of Persia", which is snippets
of his diary from working on the game. It's insanely interesting, very sad I
couldn't read more from his life (especially the making of Last Express).

------
aekeus
Quicksilver - Neal Stephenson

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quicksilver_(novel)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quicksilver_\(novel\))

------
laurenbee
I'm enjoying my free month of KU and reading Hugh Howey's works at the moment.
Halfway Home is pretty good, as are his short stories.

From what I have seen, there aren't a ton of amazing books in KU, but being
able to borrow lots of foreign-language books might compel me to stick with
it. I'm brushing up on my Spanish, and it helps to read children's books and
short stories I probably wouldn't buy otherwise.

------
chl
"The Eighth Day of Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Biology" by Horace
Freeland Judson; a masterpiece originally published in 1979 and based on ~10
years of research, interviews w/ more than 100 scientists &c.

[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/science/11judson.html?_r=0](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/science/11judson.html?_r=0)

------
piratebroadcast
Awesome book - The Postmortal - [http://www.amazon.com/The-Postmortal-Drew-
Magary/dp/01431198...](http://www.amazon.com/The-Postmortal-Drew-
Magary/dp/0143119826)

See also Ready Player One. [http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-A-
Novel/dp/0307887448](http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-A-
Novel/dp/0307887448)

------
drtse4
_dt47, if you like it read everything else from Hesse (continue with
Steppenwolf, Narcissus and Goldmund, The Glass Bead Game).

Right now, as late night reading, i'm in the midst of the sprawl trilogy of
Gibson, i read Neuromancer more than a few years ago and now i'm checking out
the rest.

Other than this, i started "Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies",
but i'm quickly getting bored.

------
donquichotte
We Learn Nothing by Tim Kreider. Kreider has a a blog on NYT. I liked this
post [1] and bought the book. Enjoyed every single page of it. [1]
[http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/15/i-know-
what-...](http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/15/i-know-what-you-
think-of-me/)

------
Igglyboo
Just started reading GEB[1] after having it recommended by many IRL and on
HN/proggit. Thoroughly blowing my mind, would recommend even if you don't have
a CS background.

[1][http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach)

------
Red_Tarsius
It's been years since my last fiction book. I feel kinda guilty if I spend my
time reading anything other than technical guides and reports.

I've just finished reading Addiction by Design:
[http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9156.html](http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9156.html)

------
leephillips
Just finished _Tiger Shrimp Tango_ by Tim Dorsey, and found out that it is
17th in a series starring the same ensemble of main characters (I'd never read
Dorsey before).

If you want nothing more nor less than pure entertainment and hilarity, with
plenty of social satire, this works.

~~~
davidw
Looked that up and it looks an awful lot like Carl Hiassen's books, which I
enjoy - ever read any of his books?

~~~
leephillips
I did, a good while ago. I think there is definitely a family resemblance, but
I don't remember it very well (aside from remembering that I enjoyed it). I
think there is almost a genre of Florida novels that take full advantage of
that state's unique oddness.

------
hypertexthero
1\. Another Great Day at Sea: Life Aboard the USS George H.W. Bush by Geoff
Dyer with photographs by Chris Steele-Perkins

2\. Windhorse by Kaushik Barua

3\. 17 Equations That Changed the World by Ian Stewart

4\. The First and Last Freedom by Jiddu Krishnamurti

------
norcimo5
"The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity" by Steven Strogatz

[http://goo.gl/ybI6KP](http://goo.gl/ybI6KP)

------
dasmithii
I'm alternating between "1984" and "I am a strange loop" right now. I like to
mix in some fiction with the serious stuff.

------
agrostis
Montaigne's Essays; and I'm reading (Bunin's Russian translation of) the Song
of Hiawatha for my son at bedtime.

------
thirdtruck
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, by Scott Adams. Highly
recommended, and I still have half the book left.

------
septerr
Worlds Together Worlds Apart
([http://amzn.to/1rzYmUg](http://amzn.to/1rzYmUg))

------
numo16
Finishing up "Ready Player One" on Audible right now and just started
"Neuromancer" the other day.

------
wmil
"A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History" by Nicholas Wade.

Controversial but fascinating.

~~~
leephillips
Supported by some economists and social scientists, but widely regarded as
rank pseudoscience by real scientists:
[http://www.americanscientist.org/bookshelf/pub/a-troubling-t...](http://www.americanscientist.org/bookshelf/pub/a-troubling-
tome) (just one example).

------
corford
Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers by Gabriel Weinberg (guy behind
Duck Duck Go).

Fantastic read so far.

------
ZanyProgrammer
Wycliffite Spirituality from Paulist Press' Classics of Western Spirituality
series.

------
pgathogo
Age Of Reason by Thomas Paine

A Tour of C++ by Bjarne Stroustrup

Effective C++ by Scott Meyers

Moon Walking With Einstein by Joshua Foer

------
ghostDancer
Paolo Bacigalupi "Pump Six and Other Stories" short sci-fi stories.

------
alphadevx
Authority by Jeff VanderMeer, second part of the Southern Reach trilogy.

------
himanshuy
Business Adventures By John Brooks. An awesome book. Must read for all.

------
caisah
The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology by Ray Kurzweil

------
fintler
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

------
charlie_vill
I Am Pilgrim - Terry Hayes. Yes, it's fiction.

------
Nogwater
what if? - Randall Munroe -
[https://whatif.xkcd.com/book/](https://whatif.xkcd.com/book/)

------
philangist
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

------
chirau
The Hard Thing About Hard Things - Ben Horowitz

------
alexcp_
The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

------
jprince
Israel: A History by Martin Gilbert

------
mark_integerdsv
The Chrysalids - John Wyndham.

------
narag
HN.

------
JoeAltmaier
Mindswap - Robert Scheckly

------
curiousDog
Focus by Dale Goleman

------
tzs
I have several in-progress.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling [5] (Kindle edition)

2012-06 issue of "Analog Science Fiction and Fact". I'm so far behind the
current issue because I switched to an electronic subscription when a few
years ago. At the time, it was only available from Barnes & Noble. The Nook
app on iPad was pretty terrible, and I don't like reading on iPad in bed, so I
fell behind. When it became available for Kindle [6], I switched my
subscription to that, and converted my Nook issues with Calibre, and am now
working my way through the backlog at a casual pace.

"Logical Chess Move by Move" by Irving Chernev [1].

"Build Up Your Chess 1: The Fundamentals" by Artur Yusupov [2].

"Understanding Copyright Law" by Marshall A. Leaffer [3] (Kindle edition).

"Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond [4] (Kindle edition, via Kindle
Owner's Lending Library)

I've also been re-reading "Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories"
by Arthur Conan Doyle [7] (Kindle). Generally what has been happening is that
a PBS station here has been showing the 1984 British "Sherlock Holmes" TV
series with Jeremy Brett as Holmes [8]. I'll watch that, and then often will
re-read the corresponding Doyle story.

[1] [http://www.amazon.com/Logical-Chess-Explained-Algebraic-
Edit...](http://www.amazon.com/Logical-Chess-Explained-Algebraic-
Edition/dp/0713484640)

[2] [http://www.amazon.com/Build-Up-Your-Chess-
Fundamentals/dp/19...](http://www.amazon.com/Build-Up-Your-Chess-
Fundamentals/dp/1906552010/)

[3] [http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Copyright-Law-
Marshall-L...](http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Copyright-Law-Marshall-
Leaffer-ebook/dp/B008O84N12)

[4] [http://www.amazon.com/Guns-Germs-Steel-Fates-Societies-
ebook...](http://www.amazon.com/Guns-Germs-Steel-Fates-Societies-
ebook/dp/B000VDUWMC/)

[5] [http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Half-Blood-Prince-Book-
eb...](http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Half-Blood-Prince-Book-
ebook/dp/B00728DYEM/)

[6] [http://www.amazon.com/Analog-Science-Fiction-and-
Fact/dp/B00...](http://www.amazon.com/Analog-Science-Fiction-and-
Fact/dp/B000N8V3EQ/)

[7] [http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Complete-Stories-
Volum...](http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Complete-Stories-Volumes-
ebook/dp/B000QCS8YM/)

[8]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_(1984_TV_series...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes_\(1984_TV_series\))

------
naturalethic
Not the New York Times, so stop posting it.

