Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had time or motivation for?

Posted by gghh on Saturday September 21, 2013 @04:18PM
from the ask-hn dept.

What is the book you always wanted to read but never had time or motivation for?

Three answers are allowed, one is to look smart (eg: "The Count of Monte Cristo"), one is for the title you are a little ashamed of (eg: "The Neuromancer"), one is for a tech book (eg: "Lions' Commentary on Unix").

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

( 14 comments | 6 points | on HN )

Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by callmeed on Saturday September 21, 2013 @05:18PM (#6424594)

To look smart (I think): Gödel, Escher, Bach or anything by Ayn Rand

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by ameister14 on Sunday September 22, 2013 @04:56AM (#6426270)

I don't mean to offend you, but for a large segment of the U.S. population reading Ayn Rand does not make you look smart.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by callmeed on Sunday September 22, 2013 @05:10PM (#6428030)

No offense taken ... I have no dog in the fight

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Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by mindcrime on Saturday September 21, 2013 @04:45PM (#6424444)

one is for the title you are a little ashamed of

FWIW, I'm interpreting this as "ashamed to admit you haven't read this title yet" as opposed to "ashamed to admit you want to read this title".

To Look Smart: Wolfram's A New Kind of Science

Ashamed Of: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (SICP)

Tech: Knuth's The Art of Computer Programming

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by selimthegrim on Saturday September 21, 2013 @06:37PM (#6424893)

Don't be so ashamed - it's a good book but even Sussman and Abelson teach their courses out of other books now.

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Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by gghh on Saturday September 21, 2013 @05:03PM (#6424530)

correct interpretation of my shame. All my friends have read Neuromancer, when they talk about it only think I can do is to try drifting the topic on something else.

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Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by clockwork_189 on Saturday September 21, 2013 @11:06PM (#6425648)

Moonwalking with Einstein(http://www.amazon.ca/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Rememberin...) Thinking, Fast and Slow (http://www.amazon.ca/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0...)

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Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by andrewcooke on Thursday September 26, 2013 @09:15PM (#6454665)

fast and slow is worth it. really. i am a picky reader - often stop reading books half way through - but i couldn't put that one down. very good book.

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Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by lemma on Saturday September 21, 2013 @05:05PM (#6424538)

to look smart Gravity's Rainbow

ashamed of: the Dark Tower series

tech: no interest in reading one from cover to cover, but I'm open to being convinced otherwise

edit: not sure which way I interpret "ashamed", take it how you will!

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Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by mariuolo on Sunday September 22, 2013 @07:21AM (#6426442)

In search of lost time, by Marcel Proust.

I've had it on my shelf for a while.

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Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by gghh on Saturday September 21, 2013 @04:21PM (#6424333)

to look smart: The Count of Monte Cristo, A. Dumas

ashamed of: The Neuromancer, W. Gibson

Tech: Lions' Commentary on Unix, J. Lions

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by terrykohla on Tuesday September 24, 2013 @01:23AM (#6436152)

that book by Marx, just to know what all the fuzz is about.

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Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by w_t_payne on Saturday September 21, 2013 @06:12PM (#6424807)

Err.... all of them?

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Re:Ask HN: The book you always wanted to read but never had ... by contextual on Saturday September 21, 2013 @05:17PM (#6424593)

To look smart: The Tao of Physics

Ashamed of the title: Yoga, Inc

Tech book: CSS and HTML Web Design (because I've been faking it all along)

[ Parent | on HN ]