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Ask HN: What should I save for offline reading during 5 weeks without Internet?

47 points by refrigerator ↗ HN
I'm going to Africa for 5 weeks where I'll have very little access to Internet. What interesting things should I download to my hard drive to read/watch during this period? Thanks

Edit: my areas of interest are the largely the kind of things that get posted about on HN, but I'd like to broaden my horizons and just read interesting things about new topics and get away from tech stuff. Also, I can't go out after dark alone for safety reasons so I'll have 2-3 hours every day where I'll just be in my room.

56 comments

[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 97.9 ms ] thread
walterbell
Areas of interest? Free or paid?

Edit: book suggestion: "African Fractals", by Ron Eglash, http://www.amazon.com/African-Fractals-Modern-Computing-Indi...

"..traditional African settlements tend to use fractal structures-circles of circles of circular dwellings, rectangular walls enclosing ever-smaller rectangles, and streets in which broad avenues branch down to tiny footpaths with striking geometric repetition. These indigenous fractals are not limited to architecture; their recursive patterns echo throughout many disparate African designs and knowledge systems."

refrigerator
Thanks for the reply. Updated the OP - my areas of interest are the kinds of things that get posted about on HN, but I'd really like to broaden my horizons and learn about things like politics and economics and philosophy, anything interesting really.

I'm leaving tomorrow so the only requirement is that I need to be able to get it before then. I had planned on downloading/buying stuff for this during the weeks before I leave but just never got round to it.

African Fractals looks interesting though, I'll check it out. Thanks

kefs
Create several wikipedia books on topics that interest you..

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Book&book...

refrigerator
This is awesome - never knew it existed. Thanks a lot
k-mcgrady
This is the first time I've ever seen this. I can already see myself using it a lot. I just created a book on blues music including a history of the music, technical details, and biographies of all the most famous players in about 10 minutes. Wikipedia has produced a 420 page book (PDF about 50mb in size) for me which includes all images, charts, and full attribution and I'm looking forward to reading it. This should be way more publicised.
oftenwrong
I recommend not bringing anything. Avoid the digital world as much as possible. Dedicate your attention to the analog world around you instead.
refrigerator
I wholeheartedly agree. The problem is that I won't be able to go out exploring after dark unless I'm with someone (which won't be every day) for safety reasons so I'll definitely have a few hours stuck in my room every day.
reuwsaat
Pick something up locally. Don't bring "home" with you.
nathan_f77
I really wish there was a way to go back and download the first 5 pages of Reddit for any given day, including an offline cache of every comment thread, image, video, web page, etc. Then you could go back and get 10 weeks worth of front-pages to keep you entertained.

Otherwise, just take a couple of good books.

gurkendoktor
Not quite the same as what you said, but I really wish any of the offline reading apps would automatically scrape comments from HN/reddit/disqus along with the page itself. Reading articles on Instapaper/Pocket/... without being able to check out the top comments feels incomplete :(
maaku
Go to a book store.
[dead] corpselord420
hahaha seriously? get some books or something. or like, talk to people in real life
patmcguire
Wikipedia archive.

https://dumps.wikimedia.org/other/static_html_dumps/

Gutenberg archive.

http://www.gutenberg.org/robot/harvest

Should be enough for anyone, and way less space than you would expect. Also, something on the languages for where you're going? And some docs for the work you'll be doing?

Ecio78
+1 for Wikipedia, not just for reading something but as a reference if you want to verify something as the old Encyclopedias we used to use. To just fill the hours, I would suggest some nice book, even better good series, like Foundation and Robot Series by Isaac Asimov, A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) by George R.R. Martin etc.. With those I think those 5 weeks will fly..
Broken_Hippo
5 weeks is a decent time: at first glance it seems like you'll need all sorts of materials. Seriously, it depends on how much free time you anticipate having and whether or not you could use a lot of that time having experience.

All that said, I'm pretty sure you can survive on what my spouse and I view as our own travel pack: Bring a few physical books - I read 1.5 during a 5 day stay in Amsterdam and it was much more comfortable carrying around a paperback than a laptop and much less risk of people taking it. Otherwise, just download away in any category you find interesting. I use an app called pocket on my phone to save long articles for later reading, right now my it centers around long occult articles, in depth current events, and tech news. These prove to be more timeless than other things - at least in short term. Movies and shows, that's fun. I hesitate to suggest movies or shows, but if I were going to suggest, might try Six String Samurai - but I'll warn you, it is a bit odd. Also, I do suggest downloading some free games to take with you that can be played offline just for some variety.

I partially agree with those that say to not bring it, though - use the laptop lightly, if possible, but I'd not leave it at home. Go out with a camera (gasp) and enjoy :)

PeterisP
I feel the exact opposite about physical books nowadays - they are nice to read, but they're practical only at home. When traveling, the bulk and weight matters a lot, and books are too heavy to lug around. Take a Kindle or something like that - it's smaller and lighter than any book; the full sized books can wait for you back in your home.
k-mcgrady
Unless you have an e-ink device like a Kindle it's much better to bring a physical book. When on holiday a lot of people seem to read outside and if you use something like an iPad for reading ebooks it'll be a nightmare. Not all physical books are huge. I've got two Hemingway novels sitting next to me which would last a few weeks if you were reading a few hours per day and they are compact (about 6" by 4") and very light.
Broken_Hippo
Agreed completely. I like smallish-sized paperbacks. They are light, easily carried, readable without power and in many lighting conditions, and I tend not to care so much if they get stolen. Even when I consider weight, the trip length, and things like that, I still would want a couple of physical books.
PeterisP
Well, but (as the parent poster says) you don't compare tablets with books as they would be completely wrong for this purpose.

An e-ink reader is as compact as a smallish paperback and of the same weight (it's a bit more dense but much thinner), can be used in outdoors light, doesn't need power during the trip (my ages-old kindle goes for weeks w/o recharging) and not expensive.

A book may be preferrable to a reader, but as soon as you go into multiple books, then it's a different story - as the weight of the books grows significantly and makes them a burdern. Okay, books are cheaper - but if theft is a concern, then a 69$ reader is not my priority, my wallet or phone would be more valuable to any thief.

chris_overseas
Over the past few years I've spent a total of five months travelling through or living in various remote corners of Africa. My advice would be to forget the Internet and all that is on it. Take a decent camera, learn photography. Take a local dictionary, learn the language. Take some art supplies, learn to paint. Take a guidebook and learn about the animals and plants. Get up for sunrise. Immerse yourself in the culture and the environment. You'll get far more out of your trip that way than if you're glued to a computer screen the whole time.
grownseed
"Forget the Internet and all that is on it" > I think this is very good advice.

I found writing was a very nice activity when you're not connected. When I was travelling, I always carried a small notebook and a pen. It just started as random scribbles, notes and doodles about various things I was experiencing, but after a while my writing started having more substance. I realized it helped me understand cultures, people, languages etc. a lot better.

For example, I'd see/hear a word I couldn't understand, write it down in the original language and phonetically, then would ask various people how they'd explain the word (or expression). Translations are very rarely 1:1, so people have different ways of explaining the same thing, which I find very insightful. Writing these things down was a good way to organize and etch those things in my mind.

rcoder
I'd highly recommend fiction, history, and biographies. If you can, find things written about people and events in the region(s) you're visiting. Detailed maps are also great, because they let you go wander around and get a bit lost, then find your way back to wherever you've staying.

My usual media/gadget inventory while traveling is a compact camera, Kindle and a paperback or two, and a battery-powered speaker for listening to music at night. No headphones (too isolating), no tech books (distracting, and honestly frustrating w/o the Internet to do additional research) and only as many hours of video as I need to keep myself distracted during the flight.

nvr219
Download a dictionary to translate to and from English and whatever language they'll be speaking where you are.
mbillie1
I've always enjoyed fiction in situations like yours. Iain M. Banks has some accessible but interesting sci-fi (recommendations: Consider Phlebas, Use of Weapons), and it's hard to go wrong with anything Jose Saramago wrote (recommendations: All the Names, Blindness, Death With Interruptions).
skrebbel
Did you consider writing instead of reading? You'll be amazed what you find once you just start writing down your thoughts, uncensored, stream-of-consciousness style.

So bring a notepad. :-)

wicknicks
It depends on personal taste. But if I were going to a country I never visited before, there would be very little time to do anything else other than sightseeing, mingling with the locals, learning about their culture, their history, the food, and if you are anywhere near one, visit the national parks and take the safari.

Document everything you see. Take a good camera with you, and if you don't know how to use an SLR, this is the perfect time to learn some basic tricks. Once you pick a camera, you can find some tutorial on the web, which teaches you the basics for that brand/model.

I would use this time out to "take a break" from computer science. But if you can't stay away from it, pick up a book like SICP (http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/). This is one of those books which you want to read away from all distractions and think deeply about. If you can, download the accompanying video lectures:

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-comput...

kazagistar
5 weeks is a long time. I could spend a week or two mingling and sightseeing, but burnout will eventually set in, and I would need a small break.
KhalilK
Depends on where in Africa, you are going to, it's not like the whole continent has no internet.
egypturnash
Spend those hours in your room writing a diary about your trip, doodling on your own projects, meditating. You're going to be overloaded with new input already. You don't need more.
thirdtruck
Seconded. In fact, I'm going to schedule time this week to do nothing but be in a park, sans eBooks, games, or the like.
txutxu
Why read/watch?

I mean... maybe you can enjoy coding offline ?

You can git clone many things... the linux kernel, the openbsd source tree, the bootstrap project, whatever you love. And then hack on it !

On my external HDD, I use to bring with me a Debian mirror and a CPAN mirror, so I can hack offline (building system scripts, etc).

On the other side, if you want to take a rest of coding, there are free publications and podcasts for many knowledge topics, I think a search engine will drive you to some ebooks in the areas of your personal interest. Just two suggestions if you want to explore them:

"modern perl" (http://onyxneon.com/books/modern_perl/)

"Higher-Order Perl" (http://hop.perl.plover.com)

First one is refreshing if you think "perl is perl4 of 1990", second one is an enlightening experience whatever programming language you like (even if not Perl).

But don't discard to make a git clone of your favourite project, tool, etc and pass the time "reading" source code (and even touching it!!). Enjoy in Africa!

icebraining
Who said OP is a programmer?
kachnuv_ocasek
>my areas of interest are the largely the kind of things that get posted about on HN

seems to imply that. Either way, it could be an advice for OP to learn a language. What's wrong with that?

txutxu
Well, I did made some assumptions, you're right on that.

kachnuv_ocasek did cite the relevant part which did bring me there.

I was a little bit selfish with my recommendation. I myself did start into programming just because I did use an open source desktop, by ethical interests, and I did want it to behave as I like and to learn about it. It did become my job and my income.

To learn to program if you don't know, nowadays, does not hurt to anybody with interest in progress as an actual person with a computer. Let's say it maybe brain exercise, the same than a sudoku or music.

Anyway you're right, I did make some assumptions, and maybe I could give a different recommendation with your question in mind.

bmorsh
Just enjoy something different during the 5 weeks.
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fsk
1. Buy or download a bunch of E-Books.

2. Buy or download a bunch of games.

I use myanonamouse, a good E-Book torrent tracker. It's also good for just browsing.