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Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working?

I tend to prefer reading books as opposed to listening to audio books because the level of engagement is far less with the latter. However after getting a big kick out of listening to "Brian Tracy - Maximum Achievement" on a friend's recommendation, I seem to have found the perfect use for motivational audio books.

This genre is great to listen to while working because you can just ignore the lamer parts of it but get a boost out of the better bits.

Are there any audio books you'd recommend for coders/entrepreneurs?

( 11 comments | 8 points | on HN )
Re:Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? by jeffcoat on Thursday September 10, 2009 @09:48PM (#816624)
While coding? None.

If you're doing something so mindless that you can follow an entirely different thread of plot or conversation while doing your best work, something's gone very wrong. At best, your talents are wasted on whatever you're working on.

Re:Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? by jacquesm on Thursday September 10, 2009 @10:18PM (#816671)
While coding ?? I have the room dark, the music off or set to something very quiet that I know well so it won't distract me, if possible the door locked, the phone switched off, the cat tied up in the hallway and everybody else in the house sedated.

How on earth can you listen to an audiobook while coding ? Are you superhuman ?

Re:Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? by dilanj on Thursday September 10, 2009 @10:24PM (#816682)
Mate, I agree with you, I'd do the same if I was writing kernel code. But do you really need to be that isolated while fixing some CSS or running admin tasks? If it's the case that all your work really is that interesting, you are in a very enviable position.
Re:Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? by jacquesm on Thursday September 10, 2009 @10:35PM (#816694)
Let's just say that I'm easily distracted. It can take me hours to really get in to something and the slightest disturbance around me will draw me out of whatever it is that I'm doing.

Best hour of the day to work: at night (it's 4:30 am here right now, to give you an idea...).

Not everything that I do is 'interesting', there is plenty of grunt work but even there it helps if you can just dig in and stay underwater for a while rather than to have to get out of it and back in again.

I find it hard to keep datastructures and code in my head for any amount of time when I'm not actively engaged with them.

To add an audio book to that would be unthinkable to me, I could do one or the other, but definitely not both.

Re:Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? by ScottWhigham on Thursday September 10, 2009 @09:45PM (#816618)
Hmmm - Brian Tracy is really good and, if you like his style, you might enjoy Anthony Robbins as well. Anthony Robbins isn't for "coders/entrepreneurs" specifically but the lessons/ideas are valuable to anyone IMO.
Re:Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? by dilanj on Thursday September 10, 2009 @10:19PM (#816673)
Thanks, right now I'm listening to Marshall Goldsmith and really liking it.
Re:Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? by mrlyc on Friday September 11, 2009 @12:25AM (#816847)
Have you thought of listening to podcasts as well? Marshall Goldsmith's are at http://coachm.hipcast.com/rss/marshall_goldsmith.xml

These could also be useful to your entrepreneur side:

David Maister http://feeds.feedburner.com/DavidMaistersBusinessMasterclass

Negotiation Tip of The Week http://feeds.feedburner.com/ottergroup/negotiationtip

Re:Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? by dilanj on Friday September 11, 2009 @01:12AM (#816891)
Thanks! I'll make sure to check those out.
Re:Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? by cema on Friday September 11, 2009 @12:47AM (#816872)
When you work on coding, do not listen to books; read! Read what you are writing.
Re:Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? by mike463 on Friday September 11, 2009 @03:26AM (#817004)
listen in the car instead -- it's wonderful.

I wouldn't recommend it while working on focused mental tasks.

It would probably be ok if you work at a job where you don't use your brain much like a parking booth attendant, janitor or a manager. ;)

Re:Ask HN: Audio books to listen to while working? by throw_away on Friday September 11, 2009 @01:02AM (#816887)
I can barely listen to music with words while I code.