HN Explorer

Ask HN: What is HN reading?

49 points by _dt47 ↗ HN
Interested in seeing what others are reading.

My pick for now:

Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhartha_(novel)

92 comments

[ 3.6 ms ] story [ 155 ms ] thread
nyddle
Traction by Gabriel Weinberg (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.)

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

philangist
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
alphadevx
Authority by Jeff VanderMeer, second part of the Southern Reach trilogy.
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.
checker659
I wonder how much it applies to digital electronics though.
kabdib
There's a bunch of stuff (maybe half the book) about digital electronics. It's frozen in time in the late 80s, but that's sufficient for me right now.

I think there's a third edition coming out soon, which should help bring its digital stuff up to date.

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chirau
The Hard Thing About Hard Things - Ben Horowitz
jprince
Israel: A History by Martin Gilbert
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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/
webmaven
I periodically check if there are new installments, and grumble a bit.
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.