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Ask HN: Which books have you re-read the most?

22 points by gits1225 ↗ HN
Books I have re-read the most:

  1. The C Programming Language
  2. The Design of Everyday Things
  3. On Writing
  4. Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
  5. Bruce Lee Striking Thoughts
  6. Meditations (Gregory Hays translation)
  7. The Personal MBA

19 comments

[ 3.7 ms ] story [ 47.4 ms ] thread
mindcrime
1. The Mysterious Island - Jules Verne

2. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

3. False Memory - Dean Koontz

4. The Four Steps to the Epiphany - Steve Blank

5. The Discipline of Market Leaders - Fred Wiersema and Michael Treacy

6. Mastering the Complex Sale - Jeff Thull

are the first few that come to mind.

dazfuller
1984

A Brave New World

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

bananicorn
In case of HhGttG, are you referring to the first Book, or to the whole series? I'm personally most fond of "Goodbye, and thanks for all the Fish" Mostly because it makes me so goddamn happy :)
potta_coffee
I really like Dirk Gentley's Holistic Detective Agency the best, for some reason.
muzani
> 33 Strategies of War > 48 Laws of Power

I keep going back to it because it applies in almost every conflict in life, from competitors to personal relationships to office politics. It's also very entertainingly written.

> The Checklist Manifesto

I know it cover to cover but someone impressive always keeps recommending it and I go back for a reread. Alas, it isn't very practical for a software engineer, where you face different situations daily. I really wish it was because I want it to work.

> Never Split the Difference

Negotiation is a very emotional thing. Most of the time it's simply negotiating with kids or the spouse. This book is completely amazing for it, but a lot of techniques feel unnatural. I brush up to find techniques I was using wrong or simply to remind myself to focus on empathy.

> Deep Work > Mastery > Peak Performance > The Art of Learning > The Power of Habit

My go to motivational books.

k6287manly
A Dance to the Music of Time - Anthony Powell
kleer001
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Godel Escher Bach - Douglas Hofstadter

Zen Flesh, Zen Bones - Translated by Paul Reps

Maus I & II - Art Spiegelman

Battle Angel Alita (original series) & B.A.A. Last Order - Yukito Kishiro

wirddin
> Zero To One, Peter Thiel.

> Hooked, Nir Eyal.

rfc
Reading Zero to One as I write this. I find that reading it each year provides a nice jolt of focus.
LarryMade2
Usually things I get inspiration from;

Dream Park series

William Gibson Stuff: Difference Engine, Burning Chrome, Neuromancer

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Series

Hackers - Steve Levy

Graphic Idea Notebook & other pasteup era graphic design books

Greetings from Route 66

Old Travel Guides

Old Issues (50s-60s) of home technical Magazines Like Popular Science and Mechanics

drakonka
The Stories of Ibis by Hiroshi Yamamoto
kluck
Danny Wallace - Yes Man

Clifford Stoll - The Cuckoo's Egg

shaunpud
Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture by David Kushner
gits1225
Even though I'm a huge Carmack fan, somehow missed this book. Adding to my immediate reading list. Thanks!
zapperdapper
1. Your Money or Your Life - Joe Dominguez 2. Is the American Dream Killing You - Paul Stiles 3. The Odyssey - Homer 4. Collected Works of Ted Hughes 5. DK Eye Witness Guide to Thailand (on second paper copy) 6. Lonely Planet Guide to Philippines (on third paper copy) 7. The Hobbit (about 4 reads to date) 8. LOTR (3 reads to date) ---
potta_coffee
Tech:

1. The C Programming Language

2. Data Structures and Algorithms in Python

Non-Tech:

3. Dune

4. Lord of the Flies

nestorherre
The Definitive Book of Body Language - How to win friends and influence People - Think and Grow Rich - Self Discipline in 10 days