
Ask HN: What audio resources can improve my technical skills during my commute? - bberrry
I want to become a better developer and ideally get more into artificial neural networks also. Looking for audiobooks mainly, as I&#x27;ve found most podcasts quite light on substance. Any recommendations from the HN crowd?
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sz4kerto
Just sit. Silently. Give your brain a break -- that might be more helpful than
keeping yourself busy.

~~~
lawnchair_larry
These replies are unhelpful and off topic. Author asked for technical
resources, not a bunch of opinions about why they are wrong to want this and
what they should do instead.

~~~
tedmiston
Inevitably other people besides OP will be curious about things to do during
their commute and might stumble in here with less specific criteria.

~~~
aao
Inevitably other people and OP will not care about off-topic things

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unpythonic
I used to commute in silence or listening to the radio for my daily Silicon
Valley drive (237 Milpitas to Mountain View), and by the time I got to work,
I'd be angry, frustrated, and cognitively spent.

Listening to audio books has allowed me to relax, enjoy the reading, and get
to work excited about the day.

I treat the time as a chance to "read" those books which I wouldn't normally
spend either my work hours nor my free time hours on. It's a chance to get
informed on topics that are only slightly related to work, but expand your
mind in ways that will make you a better thinker, and thus a better
programmer.

The books I've found particularly good on audio are:

* Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

* Thinking, Fast and Slow

* How Not to be Wrong

* Ready Player One

* Neuromancer

~~~
taejavu
Do you mind sharing where you have found an audiobook of Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance? Doesn't look like it's available on Audible or Scribd.

~~~
unpythonic
I got mine from Audible at the link below. If you do use it, please _SKIP THE
INTRODUCTION_. If you haven't read or listened to the book before, it gives
away some major plot points as part of the author's update.

[https://www.audible.com/pd/Bios-Memoirs/Zen-and-the-Art-
of-M...](https://www.audible.com/pd/Bios-Memoirs/Zen-and-the-Art-of-
Motorcycle-Maintenance-Audiobook/B002VA8G6M)

~~~
taejavu
Thanks. Not available in Australia unfortunately:

"We're sorry. Due to publishing rights restrictions, we are not authorized to
sell this item in the country where you live."

~~~
jsilence
Mullvad VPN

------
kozikow
I listen to python podcasts: [https://talkpython.fm/](https://talkpython.fm/)
and [https://www.podcastinit.com/](https://www.podcastinit.com/) . Outside of
purely technical subjects, I also like "talking machines" about ML:
[http://www.thetalkingmachines.com/](http://www.thetalkingmachines.com/) .
Maybe they won't improve your "core" skills, but it's good with keeping up to
date with cool recent libraries or new language developments. I use an app on
android that pre-downloads podcasts on wifi and allow me to listen to them at
1.5X speed.

I wouldn't recommend audiobooks, as they require more focus and context than
podcasts and it's harder to find during the commute.

~~~
pen2l
The idea of technical podcasts intrigues me.

But, I just clicked to see the content of 'Talk Python' podcasts, and it seems
that a lot of it is _meta_ -talk... smart people talking about the fact that
they're going to teach someone, _not_ teaching the postcast-listener stuff
(besides perhaps the knowledge that some X and Y module exists?).

I think I'm just asking too much here... because creating instructional
content takes _time_... to organize, think about, record, review, etc. Hm,
maybe instead of complaining, I'll have a go at it...

~~~
wuster
the Talk Python series is actually a great way for Python programmers to
_discover_ authors and libraries you wouldn't organically come across on HN or
GitHub browsing. I highly recommend it to intermediate python programmers to
expand their knowledge scope.

------
jmgordon
Here is a technical podcast I listen to on my commute home:
[https://softwareengineeringdaily.com](https://softwareengineeringdaily.com)

I don't listen to every episode, however I feel it's technical breadth and
depth is fairly decent.

~~~
ralmeida
I second the recommendation - not too deep to make your commute mentally
tiring, but still useful enough that you learn new things (even as starting
points). Covers a wide range of topics, from machine learning to
infrastructure, which may also help you open your views.

A similar one would be: [http://www.se-radio.net/](http://www.se-radio.net/)

There are also some more tech-specific ones, such as Talk Python to Me, Under
the Radar (iOS dev), etc.

~~~
wenc
I find SE Radio (IEEE) to be less captivating than Software Engineering Daily.

I think it's partly because the latter has better production values, better
pacing and attracts more prominent guests in the field(for instance, Martin
Kleppmann, Neha Narkhede, etc.)

I find myself not being able to get through an episode of SE Radio.

~~~
smegel
I also listen to SE Radio (mainly back episodes as they don't release often).
This other one look great!

My contribution would be FLOSS Weekly with Randal Schwartz (most of the time).

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pasbesoin
(This may be someone OT with respect to the specific OP question/circumstance,
but...)

You are probably developing to/for a domain. (Healthcare, hardware, finance,
etc...)

Part of being successful is having good domain knowledge and understanding.

If the technical aspects of your work don't translate well to an audio
presentation, understanding of the domain(s) you are concentrating on might.

Then, when you're doing something, or in a meeting about it, you have a better
understanding of the "why". And of whether the tactics and strategy under
consideration make good sense, or of how they might be improved.

This is also a means of going past "pushing buttons" to becoming responsible
for design decisions and the like.

------
mbauman
If you're like me, nothing. I need to sit down and find ways to break
something to understand how it works.

What I do find useful is listening to books on practice or management.
Something like The Pragmatic Programmer, The Practice of Programming, and
Clean Code. These are high on substance but (relatively) low on examples, so I
feel I can still benefit from their insights without having to be in front of
a screen.

~~~
copperx
That's cool. I didn't know there were audio versions of those books.

------
ordu
Classical music. Learn it. Learn how to listen it, learn to feel it. It is
really fun, when you able to understand it. And it helps to move away from
current problems to return back from other side afterwards.

Oh... And it will greatly increase interconnectivity of your brains,
especially if you would not just listen, but play it too.

It may be not just classical music, but modern styles a way simplier, they
lack centuries of development by hundreds of musicians.

~~~
hsdfusa
> Learn it. Learn how to listen it, learn to feel it.

As someone willing to give this a try, where would you suggest one starts?

~~~
spiralganglion
Go to the symphony. Ideally, go with a friend who enjoys classical music.

Also, spend some time trying different classical music from different periods
/ parts of the world. You might find you prefer Steve Reich (Music For 18
Musicians) more than you like Bach (Well-Tempered Clavier) or Shostakovich
(10th Symphony) more than you like Schoenberg (... good luck).

Spend some time finding a favourite composer. Start with a composer you like,
and then try other composers who were alive in the same time and place.

Also, beware of orchestral renditions of pop music. Some of it is good (Alarm
Will Sound's album of Aphex Twin), but most of it is awful (Vitamin quartet).

Hope that helps.

------
coldpizza
This is not really audio, but when it comes to programming, I don't think any
sort of listening material (by itself) is ever going to top visual material.
In that department, I recommend this app:

[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=wiki.algorithm...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=wiki.algorithm.algorithms)

[https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/algorithms-explained-and-
ani...](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/algorithms-explained-and-
animated/id1047532631)

------
Grustaf
Have you checked out itunes u? There you can find actual lectures from too
universities recorded. Mostly they require video to get the most of them but i
find that just hearing the sound can still be very informative.

Specifically, stanford has some great cs material, and you could also look
into andrew ng's machine learning course (i think that one was on coursera).

------
snowAbstraction
Sometimes the O'Reilly Data Show [https://www.oreilly.com/topics/oreilly-data-
show-podcast](https://www.oreilly.com/topics/oreilly-data-show-podcast) get a
bit deep. Try a few epsiodes.

~~~
wenc
This. Ben Lorica is not the best interviewer--he interrupts his guests way too
often and way too abruptly--but he has a reputation of being one of the best
networkers in Silicon Valley, so his guest list is usually comprised of the
best people in the field.

------
mjlee
I quite enjoy [https://softskills.audio](https://softskills.audio)

It's not in any way technical, but I think it might help with the "become a
better developer" goal. It's also a good bit of light relief.

------
adamlindsay
Blinkist is worth checking out. I like using it to determine which books I am
going to actually read.

[https://www.blinkist.com](https://www.blinkist.com)

~~~
gauravagarwalr
Reminds me of [http://www.2000books.com/](http://www.2000books.com/)

------
electrichead
Linear Digressions is a great podcast to add to your list. It is not as
regular as some of the others but the subjects are great. The hosts are also
good.

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justonepost
I find Siri reading company wiki pages helps a lot. I only get about 50% but
enough that I know what to revisit at work

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hackermailman
My commute I grab a paper off sci-hub from a journal, print it out at a corner
store and read it to and from work. If it must be a podcast one I enjoy is the
Type Theory podcast
[http://typetheorypodcast.com/](http://typetheorypodcast.com/)

------
raducu
I listen to non-technical audiobooks during my walking part of my commuting -
psychology, self-help, history and science fiction.

I've also installed mobile apps for pluralsight(paid by my employer), udemy,
udacity -- which allow me to download content and watch it in the subway; but
I stil have to re-visit the course material and type things on my computer if
I actually want to learn anything, otherwise its just more junk food for the
brain.

I don't think there are many text-only technical audiobooks, so if you
actively drive that kind of sucks, because you can't watch videos, but then
again, you're not missing much, I don't think there's anybody who aquired any
technical skill by just listening to an audiobook.

------
spektom
Here's the list of great technical podcasts I've been listening during commute
to my previous work:

* Software Engineering Daily

* Software Engineering Radio

* The Changelog

* DevZen (in Russian)

* Reversim Platforma (in Hebrew)

Look for previous shows, most of the great content is there!

PS: It takes about 5 minutes to drive to my new work, and I really miss them
now.

~~~
sah2ed
Off topic: You can speak Russian and Hebrew?

~~~
spektom
Most of Israeli "repatriants" from USSR can

------
ali_hussein
Learning Machines 101 is nice and technical

If you're feeling spent and want something less taxing to listen to try
Partially Derivative it's more of a chilled out conversation on AI. It's more
of a guilty pleasure for me it does feel pretty stupid at times.

------
reactor
Not technical, but Money/Finance [http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-
money](http://www.npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money)

------
AJFleming
Surprised not to have seen this aleady -
[https://twimlai.com/](https://twimlai.com/) keeps me sane when the metal-
boxes stop moving.

------
Bud
Listen to Bach! Improve the overall wealth of your mind.

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geekfactor
Looks like I'm a little late to the party on this one, but I'd like to
recommend my This Week in Machine Learning and AI podcast here:
[https://twimlai.com](https://twimlai.com)

I try to maintain a good mix of topics and viewpoints (industry/application vs
researcher), and to keep the conversation technically interesting.

Happy to answer any questions here.

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cat199
Perhaps rather than audiobooks, you might look into CS lecture videos.. many
of these are probably fairly 'listening friendly' and don't require too much
visual focus, assuming your preference for audio is due to a driving commute..

other than that, I can only recommend more podcasts; on the systems side,
bsdtalk or bsdnow are quite good (obviously bsd focused)

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loudouncodes
Are you actively driving? That limits what you can learn technically, because
technical requires at least visual learning, if not actually hands on.

Stick with audiobooks about technical _concepts_ or managerial topics. I'd
suggest start with either The Phoenix Project or The Ideal Team Player. From
there, follow audible recommendations.

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tedmiston
Safari Books is great. Despite the name it's a mix of books and videos, either
talks from conferences or dedicated video series. A lot of it you can grok
just by listening.

[https://www.safaribooksonline.com/home/](https://www.safaribooksonline.com/home/)

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lzlarryli
I feel for technical subjects, you need to sit down with a pen and paper,
concentrate, understand and absorb the material. You can try listen to
Coursera or Edx lectures. But to be honest, if you are learning well with
that, you are probably not driving safely/likely to miss your stop.

~~~
wenc
I used to feel that way, but having listened to a few technical podcasts, I
find they are a good way to get a quick but nuanced introduction to topics
outside of my day-to-day. They are also a good way to learn about things that
are very new and are not part of a canonical body of knowledge yet.

For instance, I've read a lot of about containerization and microservices, but
actually listening to interviews with prominent people who work on building
these types of things helped me learn much faster about the nuances, tricks
and downsides that people don't normally talk about.

------
sgdesign
It's probably not that relevant anymore but we did try creating a more
educational podcast where we focused on a specific topic each episode, about
the Meteor JS framework:

[http://discovermeteor.com/podcast](http://discovermeteor.com/podcast)

------
pcarolan
[http://bikeshed.fm/](http://bikeshed.fm/)

------
kriro
I commute about 1h each way via train. I have realized that music with lyrics
distracts my brain quite a bit because it keeps trying to parse the text.
Since I like to read on the train (or just do nothing and let my brain rest) I
have created a playlist with no audio. It's pretty much everything from
XMeetsMetal (you'll have to weed out some of the stuff that has text. It's
basically a guy covering all sorts of songs/theme songs in a metal
interpretation. Awesome stuff:

His playlist:
[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL864F807C0B279111](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL864F807C0B279111)

His channel: [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtJVZjY6xsZUV-
sYdcIFpZw](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtJVZjY6xsZUV-sYdcIFpZw)

That + noise canceling headphones (I use Bose QuietComfort 20) = good commute.

------
tedmiston
I'd also like to say that meditation during a commute can be really great for
setting your day.

My current favorite apps for that are Simple Habit and Kevin Rose's up and
coming Oak which is in public beta now.

------
torbjorn
Martin Shkreli's This Week In Investing
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0dKDJeQAds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0dKDJeQAds)

~~~
tedmiston
Never listened to him talk but he's surprisingly down to earth, interesting,
and levelheaded.

~~~
kdazzle
i must be thinking of a different Martin Shkreli...

------
davidw
Find a way to live closer to work or the other way around, then bike or walk?
A bit of exercise gets my brain going way more than half listening to
something while driving.

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DerfNet
How about the audio book of Deep Work by Cal Newport?

~~~
GregBuchholz
Seconded. I've only just started it, but it really resonates with me so far.
It is about how to better use time / avoid distraction.

------
gorpomon
Not audio or even technical, but I recommend logic problems. The only downside
is that they are so engrossing you might miss your stop.

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juancn
Relax, listen to music, let your mind wander.

Passive learning is a overrated. You need deliberate practice to get truly
better.

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alexcnwy
Podcasts that have helped improve my technical skills:

    
    
      - Talking Machines
      - The O'Reilly Data Show
      - Software Engineering Radio
      - Software Engineering Daily
      - AWS Re: Invent series
    

Podcasts that have helped improve my general thinking:

    
    
      - Econtalk
      - Conversations with Tyler
      - Waking Up with Sam Harris

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gbraad
White noise... But the brown note should be avoided. ;-)

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aurizon
[https://www.google.ca/search?q=instructional+podcasts&oq=ins...](https://www.google.ca/search?q=instructional+podcasts&oq=instructional+podcasts&aqs=chrome..69i57.10958j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

~~~
michaelmior
I'm not sure Google is good at surfacing quality recommendations as HN users.

~~~
aurizon
wrong for general inquiries, I agree for specific ones. I responded to him as
a general wish to learn, not a special one like coding or math

