
Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? - dilanj
I tend to prefer reading books as opposed to listening to audio books because the level of engagement is far less with the latter. However after getting a big kick out of listening to "Brian Tracy - Maximum Achievement" on a friend's recommendation, I seem to have found the perfect use for motivational audio books.<p>This genre is great to listen to while working because you can just ignore the lamer parts of it but get a boost out of the better bits.<p>Are there any audio books you'd recommend for coders/entrepreneurs?
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jeffcoat
While coding? None.

If you're doing something so mindless that you can follow an entirely
different thread of plot or conversation while doing your best work,
something's gone very wrong. At best, your talents are wasted on whatever
you're working on.

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jacquesm
While coding ?? I have the room dark, the music off or set to something very
quiet that I know well so it won't distract me, if possible the door locked,
the phone switched off, the cat tied up in the hallway and everybody else in
the house sedated.

How on earth can you listen to an audiobook while coding ? Are you superhuman
?

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dilanj
Mate, I agree with you, I'd do the same if I was writing kernel code. But do
you really need to be that isolated while fixing some CSS or running admin
tasks? If it's the case that _all_ your work really is that interesting, you
are in a very enviable position.

~~~
jacquesm
Let's just say that I'm easily distracted. It can take me hours to really get
in to something and the slightest disturbance around me will draw me out of
whatever it is that I'm doing.

Best hour of the day to work: at night (it's 4:30 am here right now, to give
you an idea...).

Not everything that I do is 'interesting', there is plenty of grunt work but
even there it helps if you can just dig in and stay underwater for a while
rather than to have to get out of it and back in again.

I find it hard to keep datastructures and code in my head for any amount of
time when I'm not actively engaged with them.

To add an audio book to that would be unthinkable to me, I could do one or the
other, but definitely not both.

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ScottWhigham
Hmmm - Brian Tracy is really good and, if you like his style, you might enjoy
Anthony Robbins as well. Anthony Robbins isn't for "coders/entrepreneurs"
specifically but the lessons/ideas are valuable to anyone IMO.

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dilanj
Thanks, right now I'm listening to Marshall Goldsmith and really liking it.

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mrlyc
Have you thought of listening to podcasts as well? Marshall Goldsmith's are at
<http://coachm.hipcast.com/rss/marshall_goldsmith.xml>

These could also be useful to your entrepreneur side:

David Maister <http://feeds.feedburner.com/DavidMaistersBusinessMasterclass>

Negotiation Tip of The Week
<http://feeds.feedburner.com/ottergroup/negotiationtip>

~~~
dilanj
Thanks! I'll make sure to check those out.

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cema
When you work on coding, do not listen to books; read! Read what you are
writing.

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mike463
listen in the car instead -- it's wonderful.

I wouldn't recommend it while working on focused mental tasks.

It would probably be ok if you work at a job where you don't use your brain
much like a parking booth attendant, janitor or a manager. ;)

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throw_away
I can barely listen to music with words while I code.

