Ok this question is a shameless attempt to find out what the HN community has been reading in 2013 but the caveat is that the book must have had a meaningful impact in the way you live your life. That's fairly open ended and can include anything such as new programming languages learned, health and fitness, investment philosophy, relationships and so on. Choosing one book is an artificial constraint but it does help with focusing on that one big change. Also the book doesn't have to be from 2013 only that you read it during the year and it in some way changed your life.<p>The most significant book for me was in the area of health and fitness as I finally read The 4-Hour Body (2010) by Tim Ferris. I'd read about many of the topics he covers before but they just didn't stick until The 4-Hour Body. What I like about Tim's approach is that one should experiment to see what works rather than following a rigid plan. I tried many of his suggestions and some worked for me while others didn't. The binge day was particularly bad so now I just follow the same plan every day; as well I had to increase the amount of carbs before my last meal of the day to get a better sleep. But experimentation and tracking my results has made all the difference from other diet and exercise changes I've attempted in the past. It's definitely worth the read even if experimentation and tracking are the only things you get from the book.<p>Thanks for a great community and I look forward to your suggestions.
It's hard to choose a single book, as I've read (or listened to) a number of books this year.<p>I'll choose Daniel Kahneman - Thinking, Fast and Slow (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman-ebook/dp/B005MJFA2W" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman-ebo...</a>).<p>The way it changed my life was to make me actually think more about the way my mind operates, the decisions I make and the way these decisions affect my life. As a consequence, there were a few books I read later that were loosely related to this one in the way that they all refer to the way people think.<p>Barry Schwartz - The Paradox of Choice<p>Steven Pinker - How the Mind Works<p>Nassim Taleb - The Black Swan; and Fooled by Randomness<p>Leonard Mlodinov - The Drunkard's Walk (quite similar to Fooled by Randomness)<p>Carol Dweck - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success<p>Neil Postman / Andrew Postman - Amusing Ourselves to Death<p>Rolf Dobelli - The Art of Thinking Clearly (just started)<p>On my reading list now:<p>Quiet by Susan Cain - mentioned already<p>The Better Angels of Our Nature - Steven Pinker<p>Jared Diamond - Guns, Germs and Steel<p>Neal Stephenson - Snow Crash<p>Jared Diamond - The World Until Yesterday<p>Also, did not quite change my life, but very recommended:<p>Neal Stephenson - Anathem.<p>You may have to struggle through the beginning, but as soon as I understood the way the world he devised operates, I was thrilled completely.
How to Win Friends and Influence People<p>I had avoided this one for years due to its age and because reading it seemed to imply one has no friends and no influence. It gets long-winded in parts with a few too many examples, but it's excellent. Definitely something everyone should read once, no matter what type of job or lifestyle one leads.
<i></i>Quiet by Susan Cain<i></i><p>This book profoundly affected me because she convinced me that many of my mannerisms and preferences are completely normal, and even positive. She also confirmed a lot of my suspicions that open offices, group work and the like are not as beneficial as they may seem.<p>Her TED talk[0] hits most of the major points in her book. If you enjoyed that, her book is a must read.<p>[0] -- <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts....</a>
Two years ago I was lucky enough to read a comment here about the 4 Hour Body and how it changed someones life. I downloaded it and read it that night. Lost 50lbs. Never looked back.<p>This year the book that shaped my year has to be The Motivation Hacker by Nick Winter. Great read, teaches you how to motivate yourself to get shit done. Has worked really well for me.<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Motivation-Hacker-Nick-Winter-ebook/dp/B00C8N4FNK" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/The-Motivation-Hacker-Nick-Winter-eboo...</a>
I read a significant amount of fiction and non-fiction in 2013, including books on founding start-ups, marketing, psychology, english lit (even Shakespeare, Dickens and Jane Austin), and sci-fi.<p>Surprisingly (at least to me), the most interesting and profound was an obscure sci-fi book called Permutation City by Greg Egan. It was surprising because it was written in 1994 and pretty much nails HPC and cloud computing. It also plays on the ideas of intelligence, consciousness, artificial life and longevity, all of which I think we're right on the precipice of making some pretty significant inroads within the next decade.<p>The cloud computing aspect of the novel though really blew me away. Most parts seem almost like throw away paragraphs which help support the plot, but you don't have to squint very hard to see the similarities between it and something like the Amazon Spot Market. For me, in 1994, I couldn't even imagine cloud computing. The PC was so completely dominant at the time (I had a 486DX2-50) and the internet might as well have not existed for most people. The web consisted of a handful of sites and only a few people had even heard of NCSA Mosaic.<p>I realize others might not find this profound, but for me, working in cloud infrastructure and virtualization, it really struck a chord.
I think "The Kingdom of God is Within You" by Tolstoy was the most life changing book I read this year.<p>It made me start thinking about the idea of sin, which I haven't given much thought about before since I was not raised as a Christian and do not identify myself as one. But sin is such a powerful concept for understanding my own weakness and shortcomings and the evils that come about when I let them control my life.<p>It is also a very powerful message against the corruption of Church and State and the necessity of peaceful rebellion against these corruptions if they do not allow the living of a Christian life.
The book is Hold Me Tight: Your Guide to the Most Successful Approach to Building Loving Relationships. It's a book from the creator of emotionally focused therapy which is based on the insights brought by the attachment theory.<p>The attachment theory was completely new to me and it let me have a new look on the way I act in the close relationships. It cut a lot of shame I had about the way I act when the relationships didn't go the right way.
The rest of the book related to the therapy itself was good too. It shifted my focus from solving relationship problems the rational way (it didn't work out) to something more aware of the emotional reality of the process.<p>In the end I feel like I perceive all the interhuman relations a little bit different then I did before.
The one that made the biggest impression (and, hopefully, impact) on me was definitely The Power of Habit. tl;dr: on a fundamental level, habits of all sorts shape much of our days and lives. It's like setting up automation scripts — it takes some time, but makes your life better and easier once you do. And they're like a sharp knife — a powerful tool, but be careful not to cut yourself. Good habits make you do things right without any effort, bad habits will ruin you. The book shows you how.
Given the criteria, this would come closest:<p>* A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0195374614/" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/dp/0195374614/</a><p>Honorable Mention:<p>* Anything You Want - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00506NRBS" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00506NRBS</a><p>* On Intelligence - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003J4VE5Y/" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003J4VE5Y/</a><p>* Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00555X8OA/" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00555X8OA/</a><p>Related:<p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6901046" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6901046</a>
"The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion"<p>If you're like me and love debates, this book is awesome. It'll show you how to find common ground and understand implicit values behind arguments.<p>Link for the lazy (non-affiliate): <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Righteous-Mind-Politics-Religion/dp/0307455777" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/The-Righteous-Mind-Politics-Religion/d...</a>
I read about a book a week this year, and the one that I loved most was "Give and Take" by Adam Grant. The book discusses two opposite approaches to work and life: being a taker (where you always try to use people and situations to your advantage) and being a giver (where you try to help others out before yourself). The book included a nice combination of anecdotes and research that all pointed to giving being a more effective road to success than taking. The first half of the book is spent building a compelling case for the main thesis (i.e. that giving is better); the second half talks about a few pitfalls that should be avoided and offers tips on how to be a more effective giver. Some of the lessons that I learned included tips for learning when I'm being taken advantage of and tips on how to keep from burning out on generosity.<p>I loved the combination of research + practical applicability and I think the book encapsulates many parts of the startup/tech community where people will help others -- even strangers -- very generously. I've given (no pun intended) about half a dozen copies of this book as gifts to friends.
What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
By Marshall Goldsmith<p>I came to realize that sometimes to improve your teams' performance you don't need another tip to add into the behavior of the team members. actually the problem with mature team members is not that they don't know what to do; The problem is that they don't know what to STOP doing. And there is another thing that makes the situation even worse: Most of the time the team member who hurts others in the team don't realize that. But everyone in the room knows that something is wrong as the heat in the room rises. And this heat raise certainly will affect the team overall performance and unity. So this is a serious business.
Understanding Michael Porter on Strategy by Magretta. Porter is a well known thinker on business strategy but most people misunderstand him. He has also been derided because his own company (Monitor) failed but his work in strategy still remains the best.<p>This book by one of his former students and proteges lays it out clearly. Too many people don't really know what strategy is about. The bottom line is that if you have a strategy it should show up in your profits and the examples/case studies of Southwest, Ikea and Zara are really insightful. If you are serious about business or entrepreneurship this book is a must read.
I've read a lot of books this year[1], but if I had to pick one to fit your criteria, I'd lean towards <i>The Origin of Wealth</i> by Eric Beinhocker.<p>TOoW presents a case for a new view of Economics, rooted in evolution as the primary engine behind endogenous growth[2], and modeling the economy as a complex adaptive system[3].<p>In the end, his theories may or may not be correct, but I've learned a TON about economics from reading this book, and if the "Complexity Economics"[4] guys are right, it has some interesting implications.<p>Personally, I suspect that the CE folks <i>are</i> onto something, but this book is worth reading just for the history lesson it presents, vis-a-vis the development of modern economic thought. And for a book featuring a ton of history and on a topic (economics) that some people might find dry, it's very accessible and reads more like a novel than a textbook. I churned through the whole thing in about 2 days, it was so engrossing.<p>Anyway, I only just read it last week, so it may be too early to call it a "book that changed my life", but I can say that as soon as I finished it, I immediately started re-reading it, this time to take notes and jot down thoughts about some of the implications and actionable aspects of this thinking. It definitely gets a +1 from me.<p>Outside of that, <i>The Discipline of Market Leaders</i> would probably be the other candidate. I only discovered this one because it was referenced in a different book I was reading, but it's turned out to be quite interesting. The authors present a pretty strong case for a very specific approach to business strategy that resonates with me.<p>[1]: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6964841" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6964841</a><p>[2]: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endogenous_growth_theory" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endogenous_growth_theory</a><p>[3]: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_adaptive_system" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_adaptive_system</a><p>[4]: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complexity_economics" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complexity_economics</a>
Test-Driven Web Development with Python.<p>Very well written and engaging. The prerelease version is available free online at <a href="http://chimera.labs.oreilly.com/books/1234000000754" rel="nofollow">http://chimera.labs.oreilly.com/books/1234000000754</a>. I've known for a long time that I wanted to do unit testing on my web dev projects but never really understood the how part. I'm almost done with the book, and am super excited to try TDD on my projects now.
Looking through my list, none jumps out as a 'life changer':<p><a href="http://davids-book-reviews.blogspot.it/" rel="nofollow">http://davids-book-reviews.blogspot.it/</a><p>Although there are several good ones there:<p>* Nathan Barry's Authority: <a href="http://blog.liberwriter.com/2013/11/21/nathan-barrys-authority/" rel="nofollow">http://blog.liberwriter.com/2013/11/21/nathan-barrys-authori...</a><p>* Worthless, Impossible and Stupid: <a href="http://davids-book-reviews.blogspot.it/2013/09/worthless-impossible-and-stupid-how.html" rel="nofollow">http://davids-book-reviews.blogspot.it/2013/09/worthless-imp...</a> - not one for the ages, but I thought his take on entrepreneurship was interesting.<p>* <a href="http://davids-book-reviews.blogspot.it/2013/08/pathfinder-john-charles-fremont-and.html" rel="nofollow">http://davids-book-reviews.blogspot.it/2013/08/pathfinder-jo...</a> - biography of John Fremont. Interesting guy in an interesting period of American history.<p>* <a href="http://davids-book-reviews.blogspot.it/2013/02/innovation-and-entrepreneurship.html" rel="nofollow">http://davids-book-reviews.blogspot.it/2013/02/innovation-an...</a> - Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Drucker. Still a very relevant book in a lot of ways.
[The one I self-published](<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/52397119/decrypting-rita-volume-2" rel="nofollow">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/52397119/decrypting-rita...</a>).<p>It's the second volume of three. The change is still ongoing; book 1 has garnered me some new fans at the top of the comics game, some cool short-form opportunities, and some tentative little beginnings of nibbles from publishers. I figure bringing book 2 to cons will keep that going; I'm pretty confident that by the time I run out of copies of book 3 and want to publish an omnibus, I'll have someone interested in taking care of that and the distribution for me.<p>Oh, wait, you want books we <i>read</i>, not any books, huh? I'd have to say [The Primal Blueprint](<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982207786?tag=egypurna-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0982207786&adid=0MV7FA1YES7EWVFRK3EP&" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982207786?tag=egypurna-20&camp=0&...</a>), which got me seriously thinking about what I put in my body and how I use it. I've been backsliding from the fabulous shape I was in during the year I was taking burlesque class, and while I haven't gotten it back, reducing my carb intake and trying to regularly remind myself to just run around for the hell of it! has been keeping things mostly under control.<p>I mean, I've actually started eating salads, made from awesome locally-produced ingredients that actually have flavor. I still eat a decent amount of junk, I'm nowhere near following a hardcore Primal diet, but I'm doing better than I was a couple years ago.
A Manual for Creating Atheists by Peter Boghossian. This book has completely changed the way I approach interactions with people of faith. It's an incredibly important, useful and practical book.<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Manual-Creating-Atheists-Peter-Boghossian/dp/1939578094" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Manual-Creating-Atheists-Peter-Boghoss...</a>
How to Win Friends and Influence People<p>I was skeptical at first due to how old the book is but the advice is truely everlasting and extremely effective.
Godel, Escher, Bach - [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach)" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach](http:...</a><p>Made me view, and think about every day to day problem or decision making in a completely new light.
Most of what I read is related to startups or economics, but for the short list of change-my-life books:<p>This year I read a lot about what you might loosely call the Paleo movement / anti-carbs and sugar movement. <i>The New Evolution Diet</i>, <i>The Primal Blueprint</i>, books by Gary Taubes, and so on. I think this is going to change how I eat and exercise forever.<p><i>The Gift of Imperfection</i> and other works by Brené Brown. Lately this is being promoted by Oprah, which isn't usually a good sign. I think it stands apart because it's not theory or poetry; it's based on some solid research on what people living more productive and satisfying lives are actually doing. If nothing else, her books have made me a better friend when my friends are in pain. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw</a>
- Anatomy of the State by Murray Rothbard<p>- Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt<p>then couldn't stop reading all there is to read at Mises.org
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big -- Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame)<p>Super Rich -- Russell Simmons (hip-hop magnate)<p>Choose Yourself -- James Altucher<p>Edit: forgot about Walt Isaacson's bio of Steve Jobs
I have to name two in a tie: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, and Masters of Doom by David Kushner. Both Jobs and John Carmack have been huge sources of inspiration since I've read these books, and in very different ways. And that effect has lasted long since I finished the books, which is rare.
I suspect this will be a long-tail answer, but what the heck:<p>Born to Run by Christopher McDougall<p>It is not a perfect book, but it did get me running, and in that sense literally changed my life.
Rainbows End, Vernor Vinge, 2007<p>Random review -
<a href="http://boingboing.net/2007/11/28/vinges-brilliant-rai.html" rel="nofollow">http://boingboing.net/2007/11/28/vinges-brilliant-rai.html</a><p>Fiction, near future. Not a biggie but an easy read and changed my opinion on possible futures.
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Took me about five months and I already want to reread it. Brilliant masterpiece. Read it right after my friend's suicide and help me think about my own addiction to success.
Choose Yourself by James Altucher. I was already heading in the direction of the books theme. Reading it though gave me the extra push and had some good ideas for making the necessary changes. Basically, getting enough sleep, exercise, gratitude, mental challenge, and bringing people you love and who love you closer are what he found to be keys to happiness. And I have to agree. I was even able to get back into programming, after experiencing severe burnout years ago, by setting my priorities in a like manner. Choose Yourself!
"Seeking Wisdom - From Darwin to Munger" - by Peter Bevlin<p>What struck me about this book is that it's a summary of insights about how to think better from some of the best thinkers ever (Munger to Twain to Einstein to Feynman).<p>If you're looking for more book recs, Farnam Street (blog dedicated to extracting wisdom from the best of what other people have figured out) is another great resource - <a href="http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.farnamstreetblog.com/</a>
I would say 3 books did it for me:
1. How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life by Scott adams
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Fail-Almost-Everything-Still-ebook/dp/B00COOFBA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388289158&sr=8-1&keywords=scott+adams" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/How-Fail-Almost-Everything-Still-ebook...</a>
2. Choose Yourself! - James Altucher
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Choose-Yourself-James-Altucher-ebook/dp/B00CO8D3G4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388289250&sr=8-1&keywords=choose+yourself" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Choose-Yourself-James-Altucher-ebook/d...</a>
3. Anti Fragile -Nassim Taleb
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-that-Gain-Disorder-ebook/dp/B0083DJWGO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388289334&sr=8-1&keywords=antifragile" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-that-Gain-Disorder-...</a>
The first two as the names suggest are more on self-improvement and creating systems that increase the probability of long term success.
The third one talks more about the things that gain from disorder thus increasing my understanding of how the world works.
Of all the books I read (or listened to) The Trauma of Everyday Life: A Guide to Inner Peace by Mark Epstein was the most life changing in that it made me more conscious of myself and my emotions, both of which I find difficult to understand.<p>Some other great ones:<p>The Neurobiology of We - Daniel Siegel (lots of stuff on interdependence here)<p>Zealot - Reza Aslan (a great book detailing the life of the man, Jesus of Nazareth)<p>1984 - George Orwell (I think very topical)<p>The Field - Lynne McTaggert (some "woo" but thought provoking)
I must submit a third vote for Susan Cain's <i>Quiet</i>[1]. This book is a great revisitation (and arguably a more diplomatic treatment) of the topic of Anneli Rufus' 2003 book <i>Party of One: The Loner's Manifesto</i>[2]: introversion, lonerism, individualism, etc. While the latter - as its subtitle intimates - is far more geared toward introverts/loners, Cain's book is effectively an overview and comparison of both the inward as well as outgoing personality types.<p>For those who do not label themselves as loners or introverts I would recommend reading <i>Quiet</i> and perhaps skipping <i>Party of One</i> altogether. However, for the loner/introvert I would recommend <i>Party of One</i> as the prerequisite to <i>Quiet</i>.<p>[1] <a href="http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com/about-the-book/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com/about-the-book/</a><p>[2] <a href="http://www.annelirufus.com/partyofone/" rel="nofollow">http://www.annelirufus.com/partyofone/</a>
"The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty" by Peter Singer. After reading this I dramatically increased the amount of money that I donate and began supporting several new charities.<p>"Lying" by Sam Harris. This is really just a long essay, but it changed the way I think about communication. It convinced me that honesty really is the best policy.
Steven Pressfield's 'The War of Art' helped me view my own work in a new light and get shit done by removing my ego from the outcome. It's very complimentary to modern startup ethos in that it is better to focus on the art of production than to become mired in the outcome of one attempt.
Life's Ratchet: How Molecular Machines Extract Order from Chaos by Peter M. Hoffmann<p>Just an amazing book giving what seems like the secret details how of the world works at a physical level.<p>"Thus, the nanoscale is truly special. Only at the nanoscale is the thermal energy of the right magnitude to allow the formation of complex molecular structures and assist the spontaneous transformation of different energy forms (mechanical, electrical, chemical) into one another. Moreover, the conjunction of energy scales allows for the self-assembly, adaptability, and spontaneous motion needed to make a living being. The nanoscale is the only scale at which machines can work completely autonomously. To jump into action, nanoscale machines just need a little push. And this push is provided by thermal energy of the molecular storm."<p>"At the nanoscale, nothing can escape the molecular storm. As Astumian and Hänggi point out, every molecular machine in our bodies is hit by a fast-moving water molecule about every 10−13 seconds. Each collision delivers on average 4.3 × 10−21 joules of energy (the energy is determined by the product of Boltzmann’s constant and body temperature measured in degree Kelvin). This translates into an average power input of more than 10−8 watts. Remember that a molecular machine generates only about 10−16 watts in power."<p>"Where do molecules obtain the needed activation energy? From the molecular storm! The impetus needed to make it across the transition state is provided by small, fast molecules (typically water molecules) fortuitously colliding with the reacting molecules to give them the right push. If lucky, the push causes the molecules to snap into their new shapes. Of course, not every colliding water molecule will have enough energy or hit the reacting molecules in the right way. Chemical reactions take time— we have to wait for the right push to come along, and the higher the activation energy needed, the more time it takes, as higher-energy collisions are much less frequent than low-energy collisions."
I read a lot of books this year, a lot that were great. But the one that gave me a stronger impression in my real life and the future of it is Accelerando, from Charles Stross (you can read it here <a href="http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/fiction/accelerando/accelerando.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/fiction/accelera...</a> or buy it from amazon).<p>The always increasing rate of change in technology, from a close and foreseable future to a not so far away but almost not recognizable one made me rethink how fast are things changing now, and how much they will change pretty soon. Probably we won't get "there", but got the impression that a lot will change the next 1, 5 and 10 years.
Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of The Thing One Sees, on Robert Irwin's life: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0520256093?tag=morgasuthe-20" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/dp/0520256093?tag=morgasuthe-20</a><p>Many lessons in discipline, joy, and taking time to see.
Software development related reads with a strong focus on proven practices that enhance software quality in terms of readability and maintainability (and other software ~ilities) to ease the process of changing the software later on.<p>The Art of Readable Code by Dustin Boswell & Trevor Foucher<p>Don't Make Me Think 2ed by Steve Krug<p>Remote: Office not Required by Jason Fried & DHH<p>The Art of Unit Testing by Roy Osherove<p>Code Complete 2 by Steve McConnell<p>Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code by Martin Fowler<p>The Practice of Programming by Brian Kernighan & Rob Pike<p>JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford<p>Code Simplicity by Max Kanat-Alexander<p>An Introduction to Programming in Go by Caleb Doxsey at <a href="http://www.golang-book.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.golang-book.com/</a><p>Also read: How To Be Black by Baratunde Thurston
I've listened to a few books this year (Audible saves me time), but I read/listened to a book that actually changed my life in the summer of 2012 (close enough). I had wanted to become an entrepreneur, but then I read The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco. He described some of the things that I really don't want to do deal with: hiring non-engineer employees, using the services of lawyers, marketing, and other business responsibilities. It wasn't that I hadn't heard these themes before, but he said it in a way that made me recognize what I don't want. I just want to be a great engineer. I didn't give up on a dream; I found a better one.
Non-fiction: Antifragile by Nassim Taleb was very good. Reminded me of Hayek's deep insight into chaotic, organic systems (e.g. human interaction systems). Also helped me to find out what direction I should take after my own book (<a href="http://www.nationbydesign.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.nationbydesign.com</a>)<p>Fiction: re-read Milan Kundera's Immortality and The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. Still lifetime favourites after all these years.
Quiet by Susan Cain
The Art of Meditation by Mathieu Ricard (I've read it in French, though)<p>The first changed profoundly how I view myself, the second shows me how I can improve.
Red Thread Thinking: Weaving Together Connections for Brilliant Ideas and Profitable Innovation. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Red-Thread-Thinking-Connections-Profitable/dp/0071808213" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Red-Thread-Thinking-Connections-Profit...</a>
The Author Debra Kaye, presents market driven innovation and product development in a way that is engaging and fascinating.
The pattern on the stone by Daniel Hillis changed the way I look at computing and software. It is just simple book, but explains the computers in the initial pages using sticks and stones, in all seriousness and leads the reader to appreciate how the "principles" of the machine we use is no different than built using stick and stone. This outlook changed the way, I look at computers.
I read every short story written by Ted Chiang. His science fiction stories are, for me, the best I've read. As a biologist, I especially enjoyed "72 letters" (<a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20020202192832/http://www.tor.com/72ltrs.html" rel="nofollow">http://web.archive.org/web/20020202192832/http://www.tor.com...</a>).
No More Mr Nice Guy. Dr Glover. I met this book thinking it was a self help book related to the the downsides to seeking approval in our personal lives, but I was surprised by the positive impact on my work also. I became a more assertive manager, stopped seeking approval in various 'David Brent'ish ways, and ultimately become a better manager.
Antifragile - Nassim Nicholas Taleb. His other books Fooled By Randomness and The Black Swan are more accessible - all incredibly great discussions of risk, probability, complex systems such as the global financial and banking industries, and how many attempts at risk modeling fail to recognize important unpredictable "black swan" events.
Might not be a very popular theme here, but I'm an active investor/speculator. Michael Covel's book - "Trend Following" was a eye opener.
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trend-Following-Updated-Edition-Millions/dp/013702018X" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Trend-Following-Updated-Edition-Millio...</a>
Thanks for all the great recommendations I’ve compiled a list of the books mentioned in this post, non-fiction and then fiction by author. Apologies in advance for any I missed.<p><a href="http://flexlists.com/key/0RruJjnHQCKoPckvmqhVfl1yHK0QXL4QikTDcDTm" rel="nofollow">http://flexlists.com/key/0RruJjnHQCKoPckvmqhVfl1yHK0QXL4QikT...</a>
For me, the book that instantly jumps to mind is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Nothing else I've read – let alone this year – comes anywhere even close to having had such an impact on me.<p>Yet, the more I think about specifically “how it's changed my life” the more I'm finding it devilishly difficult to either qualify or quantify.<p>It sounds ridiculous, I know, but it's almost as-if the book was written for me. I'd say I'm nothing if not a dreamer so it really speaks to what I want to believe about life, namely that I can do with it what I want.<p>For years, I've been mulling over a business idea in my mind. I'd finally put the fear of failure to bed before but the book has since given me a previously evasive confidence that I can do something extraordinary if I dedicate my life to it.<p>It's full of ideals like: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it,” and other great notions which will never leave me.<p>Please feel free to chime in with your thoughts if you've read it too because this has turned into something of a stream of conciousness and I'm not entirely sure I'm making much sense any more.
Mastery by Robert Greene is one I mentioned in another post. I don't want to say its life changing but its extremely good and it's the closest thing I've found to a self help book that isn't full of fluff. <i>Edit</i> "Who owns the future" by Jarron Lanier was good too.
I don't think there's just a single book that changed my life, however there's this one book that changed my perspective on procrastination and personal productivity. And being more productive can be pretty life changing IMHO. The book's name is <i></i>The Now Habit<i></i>, BTW.
None sadly.<p>2013 was a bit of a write-off in terms of books for me. Didn't read enough & encountered nothing truly great. I'm thankfully well read compared to my peers so it doesn't show - but deep down I know it was a bit of a screw-up. Oh well...kindle is charged for now/2014.
Not a book, but a blog: Kevin Simler's exploration of consciousness, sacred experiences, and the sociological underpinnings of religion has turned my rationalist materialist perspective inside-out.<p><a href="http://meltingasphalt.com" rel="nofollow">http://meltingasphalt.com</a>
I never really thought that reading psychology books by PhDs would change your outlook on your own life. Turns out, they seem to have PhDs for a reason. This one made a big impact:<p>The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World
I'm jealous of all you reading some useful sounding books. Every time I try anymore, I lose focus or start falling asleep :P. Anyone else have this issue and any suggestions? Coffee doesn't work - I've tried.
I _have_ to choose between:<p>Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us
and
Daring greatly by Brene Brown<p>I think Daring greatly will be the winner, since it has had the biggest influence on how I run my business and where I am going in the future.
The short story "Runaway" by Alice Munro. Alice Munro is very good at depicting the complex emotions of people in a relationship. This story has given me insight about my own relationship.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. Game changing. Humans are creatures of habit, and we need to be able to recognize these habits to successfully control them
<i>Mindstorms</i> by Seymour Papert<p><i>How Children Fail</i> by John Holt<p>These books literally changed what I was doing with my life. Both are about how children (and thus people) learn.
1. Think and Grow Rich - by Napolean Hill<p>2. Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story - by Arnold Schwarzenegger<p>3. The Motivation Hacker - by Nick Winter.