Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift? - <AUTHOR> What book have you found so amazing that you have given it as a gift? This could be a tech book, biz, self help or other book. <comment><USER2> _The Count of Monte Cristo_ , by Alexander Dumas. I'd read thousands of books, novels, and other literature and never had an answer to "your favorite book?" and thought I just wasn't meant to ever have one... Until I read it. Since then, I've bought copies solely to have on hand to gift to people I actually care about.

To drive home the point of just how much I loved this book, I went on to learn French just so I could read it in the original print.

Make sure it's the full, unabridged edition (1200 or 1400 pages), though!

(Just to throw in a nonfiction title as well, Bill Bryson's _A Short History of Nearly Everything_ is a great gift for scientifically-inclined minds (esp younger ones) looking for a first foray into the world of nonfiction, wittily- written and well-narrated.)

<comment><USER3> > I went on to learn French just so I could read it in the original print.

That is one of my mom's favorite books! Can you please elaborate about the process of getting there/how much practice it took to get you towards the point where you could enjoy The Count of Monte Cristo in its native French?

Right now, I am studying Spanish and my reading comprehension in Spanish is low. It is not enough to understand something like 'The Little Prince' (in Spanish) to enjoy it.

<comment><USER4> I used Harry Potter as my first Spanish book :) I recommend it!

<comment><USER5> I'll second the Harry Potter books -- I've been reading the Sorcerer's Stone (electronically) in Portuguese after working through Duolingo. It's nice because I am familiar with the story and there's loads of new vocabulary, which I look up (after guessing) by switching to a translation app.

If you're on iOS, the built-in dictionary app will give you Spanish->English.

<comment><USER6> What translation app do you use (unless it's the built-in one)?

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER7> I read a lot of Science Fiction for fun. These are a few of my favorites that I've given to other people:

1\. _Vacuum Diagrams_ by Stephen Baxter. When I think of epic hard science fiction, the Xeelee Sequence books spring to mind. With a story line that spans millions of years (and a few dozen books), this collection of short stories is a good introduction to one of the best and most underrated sci-fi series out there. Baxter's _Manifold_ trilogy ( _Manifold: Space_ , _Manifold: Time_ and _Manifold: Origin_ ) are also fantastic.

2\. _Foundation_ by Isaac Asimov. The whole Foundation series is wonderful, but this book is a landmark of sci-fi that should be on any fan's bookcase.

3\. _The Martian_ by Andy Weir. This book is what I've been giving the last couple years to people who don't think they like sci-fi. Everyone I've given it to has loved it.

4\. _Rama_ by Arthur C. Clarke. Another hard sci-fi staple. The rest of the Rama books he "co-wrote" with Gentry Lee are decent but become more space opera than hard sci-fi. I enjoyed them but many sci-fi fans find them polarizing.

5\. _Silver Tower_ by Dale Brown. More of a military thriller than sci-fi ( _Flight of the Old Dog_ is another favorite of mine by him) and terribly dated by modern standards (it was written when the Soviet Union was still a thing). But it's the first "adult" sci-fi book I ever read as a kid, so it'll always have a special place for me.

EDIT: Another one:

6\. _Coyote_ by Allen Steele. I _love_ stories like this one: primitive, longshot interstellar exploration and primitive, first generation colonization. Especially for desperate reasons. The first two _Coyote_ books were good, but I just can't get into any of the subsequent ones.

<comment><USER8> Foundation is a great story, but am I the only one who thought the prose to be absolutely awful?

<comment><USER9> By the standards of the pulpy SF magazines _Foundation_ was published in, Asimov was a pretty brilliant prose stylist. He's a little clunky by literary standards, but that's a pretty high bar. The man could tell a story, though. And he had more _ideas_ than ten other SF authors put together.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER10> I don't have any friends who haven't read it who would appreciate it, but Clifford Stoll's _The Cuckoo 's Egg_ is both a highly entertaining thriller, a fascinating look at how computer security was, and is, viewed, and a highly personal story about a man trying to figure it all out. It's very funny, entirely true, and taught me a lot.

Oddly, a lot of people hated the various more personal aspects of the book, as you see Cliff's friends, and his life as a whole. While that's valid, calling it a flaw in the book is, I think, inaccurate. The book as much a story a story about Cliff as the shadowy hacker on the other side of the wires, and that's a big part of its charm, IMHO.

 _Ghost in the Wires_ , and _Exploding the Phone_ are also good, and true stories.

<comment><USER11> I thought I recognised the name... turns out Cliff is the guy from the Numberphile videos who loves klein bottles. He is such an enjoyment to watch.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k3mVnRlQLU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k3mVnRlQLU)

<comment><USER12> Oh dear I have no idea how and why I just spent 2 hours watching videos about Klein bottles and Mobius strips. Fascinating.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER13> _The Fountainhead_ by Ayn Rand is one I've given adults. For kids, every year a local group called Book Harvest does a thing with Barnes & Noble where if you go in a B&N store, you can donate a book straight to Book Harvest which gives books to disadvantaged kids. For them, I usually grab a few books like _A Wrinkle in Time_ or some Choose Your Own Adventure books or something.

I also semi-frequently buy (by accident) a second copy of a book that I already own. Usually instead of returning those to the store, I keep them and just give them to somebody as a gift, where the "who" depends on what the book is.

<comment><USER14> I'm still looking for the discontinued Dutch version of Atlas Shrugged (also Ayn Rand for those who don't know) to give to people around me (many don't regularly read in English). It changed me, I think it can do wonders for insecure people that tend to efface themselves for "the good of the group" and that may be less happy than they could be because of it. Also it may very well provide people with unbalanced marriages the motivation to speak up and teach them that lesson that if someone loves you, you can make them happy by stating what you want and doing it (together). I often tell people to read it, hardly anybodies does.

I find the ideas in the Fountainhead equally powerful. Find something that you love, do it the way you love to do it, stay true to yourself. I don't understand how Ayn Rand always seems to trigger down votes here.

<comment><USER13> _I don 't understand how Ayn Rand always seems to trigger down votes here._

Me either, but I'm used to it. Whatever. The downvoters are probably the people who thought Ellsworth Toohey was the hero in _The Fountainhead_.

<comment><USER15> Actually, its because Rand readers tend to have mentalities like yours - "Anyone who doesn't agree with me just doesn't get it because they don't recognize how supremely intelligent I am".

You aren't the first and you won't be the last Rand fanboy with this attitude. :)

<comment><USER13> _Anyone who doesn 't agree with me just doesn't get it because they don't recognize how supremely intelligent I am_

Where in the world did you get the idea that I think anything remotely like that??? Nothing could be further from the truth. But downvoting a post simply for _mentioning_ Rand or one of her works? To me that's very clearly just ideological bias, which is what I was referring to above.

<comment><USER15> Haha, are you serious? You said:

"Whatever. The downvoters are probably the people who thought Ellsworth Toohey was the hero in The Fountainhead."

You just look at your downvotes and you make some pretty ridiculous assumptions about the people who disagree with you - that anyone who disagrees with you is an idiot who didn't understand who the hero of the book was.

If you expect to be taken seriously in discourse, you would do well to be mindful of how you present your views.

<comment><USER13> _You just look at your downvotes and you make some pretty ridiculous assumptions about the people who disagree with you - that anyone who disagrees with you is an idiot who didn 't understand who the hero of the book was._

I'm not making an assumption that anybody is an idiot. What I am doing is suggesting a measure of ideological bias on the behalf of those people... that is, the people who see Toohey as the hero of the story because they share that ideological outlook. Of course I might be _wrong_ to say that, but I'm not calling anyone's intelligence into question, or comparing it to my own.

 _If you expect to be taken seriously in discourse, you would do well to be mindful of how you present your views._

Of course, that's pretty much a tautology. That said, there are times when one doesn't care whether the others take you seriously or not.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER16> This is the sort of thread that hits me right in the wallet.

Here are some books I've given as gifts recently:

* The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Civilization in the Aftermath of a Cataclysm, Lewis Dartnell[1]

* The Black Swan, Nassim Taleb[2]

* Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse[3]

* The Happiness Trap, Russ Harris and Steven Hayes[4]

* Code, Charles Petzold[5]

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Rebuild-Civilization- Afterm...](https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Rebuild-Civilization-Aftermath- Cataclysm/dp/0143127047/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470613401&sr=1-1&keywords=the+knowledge)

[2] [https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness- Frag...](https://www.amazon.com/Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness- Fragility/dp/081297381X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470613378&sr=1-1&keywords=the+black+swan)

[3] [https://www.amazon.com/Siddhartha-Hermann- Hesse/dp/161382378...](https://www.amazon.com/Siddhartha-Hermann- Hesse/dp/1613823789/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470613352&sr=1-1&keywords=siddhartha)

[4] [https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Trap-Struggling-Start- Livin...](https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Trap-Struggling-Start- Living/dp/1590305841/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470613328&sr=1-1&keywords=the+happiness+trap)

[5] [https://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware- Softw...](https://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware- Software/dp/0735611319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470613285&sr=1-1&keywords=Code)

<comment><USER17> The Black Swan is on my list too.

<comment><USER18> Is it really that good?

I've started it a few times. Nassim Nicholas Taleb seems to make sure never to use one word when ten could possibly be used, especially if some of them about himself.

<comment><USER19> Yep, I haven't been able to finish the book either, and what I've read didn't stand up to all the hype.

Taleb's _Antifragile_ I did, unfortunately, finish, and it's way, way worse.

Now that I think about it, both books have a similar pattern: the first dozen or so pages present an interesting idea, which does give you a fresh and useful mental model in understanding the world. The rest of the book, unfortunately, meanders off into superficial redundant applications of it and pounding into the reader's head how anti-establishment Taleb is.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER20> _The Elements of Style_ by Strunk and White. I've given it to just about everyone I've known who seriously wanted to be a writer, journalist, etc. as well as some folks who just wanted to write better. It's a small, beautiful, book about writing better. This is the book I've gifted the most.

Several scifi books have also been gifted to friends, mostly Asimov (both the _Foundation_ and _Robots_ series), Herbert's _Dune_ , and Clarke's _Rendezvous With Rama_.

Also, gifted a copy of _Our Band Could Be Your Life_ by Michael Azerrad, which is my favorite book about my favorite bands (and the American punk scene of the early 80s). The recipient was too young to remember the scene from that era, but was open to understanding why "punk" isn't so much a style of music, but an ethos.

Every book I've gifted is because I really love the book, and really like the person I'm giving it to.

<comment><USER21> With Strunk & White I think you should ignore their advice which is often confused or nonsensical and just imitate their prose which is delightful. This review explains it better than I could: [http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid- Grammar/2549...](http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid- Grammar/25497)

<comment><USER20> Is there a more correct book that is similarly concise and similarly well- written? I would love to read it, if so.

Edit: I found this blog post that lists some alternatives [http://thewritingresource.net/2011/09/22/forget- everything-s...](http://thewritingresource.net/2011/09/22/forget-everything- strunk-white-told-you/)

About half of the titles are punny or plays on words, which I'm somewhat suspicious of (even though I like puns). And, all are at least twice the size of Strunk and White. I understand that some subjects are bigger than a ~100 page book can cover, but despite having spent a lot of my life writing (and having published a book), I've never been able to plod through a big grammar book. I can read _Elements of Style_ in an afternoon without feeling like it's a chore. As noted in some of the reviews, if it's wrong it's not worth even that much effort. But, I never thought it was predominantly wrong or predominantly misleading. And, it usually reminds me about one or more of my negative writing habits, and I correct it for a while until I forget again.

<comment><USER22> On Writing Well by William Zinsser was a great book on writing. Though it's a bit more conceptual than Strunk and White.

<comment><USER23> I was looking to see if someone had suggested On Writing Well! I agree that it is an excellent resource, especially for those who are already familiar with basic grammar rules and are interested in improving their style.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER24> The most: Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Think I've bought almost a dozen copies over the years. Although that book wasn't really a gift, more a loan I never got back.

Others:

Lord of the Rings - I gave this to the guard who detained me in Russia. I thought it was the best revenge.

The life changing magic of tidying - to my partner. We're both messy. I've read it, she hasn't... neither of us have changed.

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami to the friend who lent me Wind up Bird Chronicle all those years ago and started me on the path.

<comment><USER25> Searched the page for Ender's Game, I've always really enjoyed that book. I never had to read it for school but an older friend of mine did and told me to read it. I did and then a few years later was able to use it for a "pick your own book" report in school. I was always embarrassed to lend out my copy as it had writing in the margins that I had to do for school so I just bought it and gave it away whenever I was going to lend it. Really great book and this reminds me I still need to read the rest of the Ender series, I read all of the Bean/Shadow story line but somehow never got around to the continuation of the Ender line.

<comment><USER26> > I still need to read the rest of the Ender series, I read all of the > Bean/Shadow story line but somehow never got around to the continuation of > the Ender line.

They go in a very different direction. The Bean/Shadow books are still military fiction, and the Ender ones are... not. I do recommend reading them, but just don't go into them expecting anything similar.

<comment><USER25> This is what has kept me from reading them, I greatly enjoy military fiction (especially when you add sci-fi into the mix, I semi-recently read the whole Honor Harrington series and loved it).

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER27> "Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams"[1]. Even if you're not in a management track, it's a great read to learn and better understand how to structure teams for a happy, productive and successful path.

[1]: [https://www.amazon.com/Peopleware-Productive-Projects- Teams-...](https://www.amazon.com/Peopleware-Productive-Projects- Teams-3rd/dp/0321934113)

Edit: add Amazon link.

</comment><comment><USER28> Fiction, because it is so funny:

* Good Omens, by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman [1]

I wish Pratchett and Gaiman had written more books together.

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060853980?ref_=sr_1_1&pld...](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060853980?ref_=sr_1_1&pldnSite=1)

<comment><USER29> I gave this to one son when he was about 18, along with a pretty much complete set of Discworld: [http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/discworld-reading- order/](http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/discworld-reading-order/). These were collected over many years, so a bit of a wrench. The best of which might be: "Wyrd Sisters" (Shakespeare), or "The Truth" (Newspapers). He can make fun of pretty much anything, while still showing it great affection.

Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book" is a great book for reading to younger kids. Weird, creepy, but strangely uplifting, even if it does begin with a triple murder. I can't remember which kid took that.

I bought Robert Silverberg's "Nightwings" in the 80s and read it several times. I was going to give away but couldn't find it, so I had to buy a new copy and read it again first. This seems to anticipate a lot that followed, from genetic modification to drastic climate change, but it is essentially about a character trying to cope in a mad world.

<comment><USER30> I recently read the graphic novel version of Graveyard Book. Would highly recommend that as well, it is quite well done.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER31> Rich dad poor dad. It's not the most professional book on the topics, sure. But the content is written in a very accessible manner and I give it to young friends that are about to throw away their life because they were never exposed to any other mindset but "underclass".

It is really shocking to me, that bright young people (with a bachelors degree) choose to go for a crappy paid hamsterwheel job, barely make ends meet, feel miserable at work, begin drinking/TV to cope with these frustrations and complain all day.

A few years ago I discovered that it isnt a choice for them at all. Many can't even imagine that life can could be any different than this suffering. Once you're trapped in the hamsterwheel a few years, your life is basically wasted and you're a slave to the paycheck forever. But being exposed to very basic lessons like kiosaki's early on can spark _just_ enough curiosity to break out. Just invest a little time in yourself aside of work goes a long way to improve life situations over time. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity, not a lottery ticket.

Going entrepreneur isn't even required, but just getting paid adequately for something you actually like doing, and the confidence by being quite good at it, does work wonders to improve your daily quality of life. You just have to "get" some basic ideas and invest a little effort in yourself.

<comment><USER32> It's worth noting that this is a work of fiction.

[http://www.johntreed.com/blogs/john-t-reed-s-real-estate- inv...](http://www.johntreed.com/blogs/john-t-reed-s-real-estate-investment- blog/61651011-john-t-reeds-analysis-of-robert-t-kiyosakis-book-rich-dad-poor- dad-part-1)

</comment></comment><comment><USER33> "I Will Teach You To Be Rich" by Ramit Sethi ([http://amzn.to/2aF1vjF](http://amzn.to/2aF1vjF)). It's a fantastic, easy read that takes you step-by-step into automating your finances and making smart decisions toward not necessarily being rich, but being rich _er_ and having some financial security on a month to month basis.

Every once in awhile, I'll have a conversation with friends about finances, and they'll complain about how much work it is to manage money, and I'll go home and order them this book. It's an easy $10 gift, and they've all told me it changed the way they approach finances. Good stuff. Cannot recommend it enough.

<comment><USER34> How much of this book applies in a non-US context? Is it worth reading anyway?

<comment><USER33> I don't know how finances work in the rest of the world, but at least the half that deals with bank accounts, savings, and automating your finances should still be applicable. There's a sizable chunk that has to do with stocks and retirement stuff that may not be applicable to you, but the rest of it should be!

</comment></comment></comment><comment> old-gregg "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany" by William L. Shirer. It's a classic history book of our century which, despite its title, primarily focuses on Hitler's raise to power in the early 30s and the long, painful and ultimately futile international attempts at avoiding WW2 in the late 30s.

It's a book I wish everyone would read, particularly everyone in a public office and the media. It's a shame that comparing politicians and their actions to Hitler has became a cliche everyone now is quick to ignore. Meanwhile there's plenty of stuff happening in the world straight from the Nazi playbook of the 30s.

<comment><USER35> There's a new trilogy by Richard J. Evans about the same subject. I have them sitting on my bookshelf but have yet to read them.

Apparently Shirer's book has drawn some criticism because he was a journalist and not a historian whereas Evans is a historian.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Reich_Trilogy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Reich_Trilogy)

<comment><USER36> This is true, however I think its safe to say that most of his work was from primary sources, he kept extensive journals during the period and was also lucky enough to talk to several generals of OKW and get access to their journals. Not to mention that he also gained access to the Nuremberg trial records and German records (very well documented) after the war. Well worth the read.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER37> I give _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ to High School graduates. It's a good book for that time in a person's life.

<comment><USER38> +1, but gave it to a someone who was quitting his job and about to take on an entirely new career

</comment></comment><comment><USER39> "How to read a book" should be the first book gift you ever give. It changed my life. [https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Intelligent- Touchstone/...](https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Book-Intelligent- Touchstone/dp/0671212095)

</comment><comment><USER40> i play a game where i have duplicate copies of some books to give to anyone interested who has yet to have heard of one

here's a incomprehensive list in alphabetical order:

a people's history of the united states; howard zinn

a rebours; joris-karl huysmans

alcestis; euripides

apology; plato

belaya staya; anna akhmatova

die verwandlung; franz kafka

elements; euclid

epic of gilgamesh; unknown

ficciones; jorge luis borges

fractals: form, chance and dimension; benoit mandelbrot

fragments; sappho

gospels of mary and judas; unknown

i ching; unknown

la vida es sueno; pedro calderon de la barca

leaves of grass; walt whitman

letters of vincent van gogh

meghaduta; kalidasa

my life; isadora duncan

nightwood; djuna barnes

oku no hosomichi; basho

one piece; eiichiro oda

poems; emily dickinson

relativity: the special and general theory; albert einstein

saga; fiona staples and brian k vaughan

the brothers karamazov; fyodor dostoyevsky, translated by constance garnett

the first third; neal cassady

the power of pi; stickman lagrou graves

the secret life of salvador dali; dali

the way of a pilgrim; unknown

twelth night; william shakespeare

thing explainer; randall munroe

ulysses; james joyce

women, race, and class; angela davis

if you want a quick description of any i enjoy talking about them, and i appreciate suggestions

<comment><USER41> Someone stole a A People's History of The United States from me at a party I hosted, and I don't mind at all. Hope they read it or gave it to someone who would.

<comment><USER40> one of the wildest first read throughs you will ever experience

especially if you come from an us educational upbringing where songs about oceans being blue(o) are historical place holders stead primary sources

the elucidation is immediate.. zinn's first paragraph has an excerpt from christopher columbus' log:

They ... brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks' bells. They willingly traded everything they owned... . They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features.... They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane... . They would make fine servants.... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.

fuck you chris

if you like zinn check out angela davis, her ability as a historian to find substantial sources is incredible

(o) [http://www.teachingheart.net/columbus.htm](http://www.teachingheart.net/columbus.htm)

<comment><USER40> "Did Christopher Columbus ever make this statement?"

[http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/18080/did- christ...](http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/18080/did-christopher- columbus-ever-make-this-statement)

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER42> I've given Alan Watts The Book to at least five people I thought could use it. Four of them never mentioned it again. I'm marrying the fifth next month.

<comment><USER43> heh. I tried to get my friends into Jiddu Krishnamurthi but unfortunately people in the west seem to have a pavlovian revulsion to eastern 'guru's from the east nowadays.

There seems to be some sort of strange obsession with applying the scientific method to psychological issues. Bunch of my friends started meditating because it is 'scientifically proven' to make them happy, make them rich, make them have good sex or whatever . Nevermind that all those "studies" are pure nonsense[1]. But people will buy anything with the stamp of science on it, they are not joking when they claim 'I believe in science not god' .

Congratulations on your wedding and for finding a compatible partner. That's really great!!

1\. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19123875](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19123875)

<comment><USER44> I am glad to see somebody mentioning Jiddu Krishnamurti here. He is the most underrated and forgotten person, mainly due to his own insistence, but he made a tremendous difference to some lives. I've come across his books almost twenty years ago, I haven't read any of his books in years now, but his teachings(insights he shared, because he wouldn't like to be called a teacher ) are so well ingrained that I am reminded of them every day.

Similar to the OP of this thread, I didn't marry a person who said he finds his teachings dry :), I am now happily married to my spouse for twelve years who humbly says it is too difficult to really understand Jiddu.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER45> "A short history of nearly everything" by Bill Bryson. The best science book I've ever read, recommended for anyone.

<comment><USER46> Bryson has a wonderful way of dealing with academic subjects that most would find boring and making them both interesting and approachable. I recommend this book as well.

</comment></comment><comment><USER47> Eric Fromm's The Art of Loving.

It's my grandmas favorite non-fiction and she's read over 1000 books. She gave it to me and it sat on my shelf for months because the title wasn't appealing and I'm not a big book reader. Since I read it, I've now bought a second version of this book and give it to friends to read.

It's a technical write-up about Love in the general sense. Fromm pitches the idea that love is an art rather than a feeling.

I highly recommend the read. This book discusses the topic in a serious and insightful way.

</comment><comment><USER48> I have given away ~20 "Who Moved My Cheese" by Spencer Johnson over the years.

It is a great little book, which deals with how we handle change in our lives (work and other) and how we sometimes fail to see, when it is time to move on.

My favorite one-sentence takeaway from the book is the question: "What would you do, if you were not afraid?" \- which has helped me make hard decisions many times over the years.

[https://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese- Amazing/dp/039914...](https://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese- Amazing/dp/0399144463)

<comment><USER49> The reviews on goodreads[1] are hilarious. Ordered it right away, though I mostly don't read books that I order, so...

1\. [http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4894.Who_Moved_My_Cheese_](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4894.Who_Moved_My_Cheese_)

</comment></comment><comment><USER50> "Ishmael, An Adventure of Mind and Spirit" by Daniel Quinn. The book that created and destroyed the _Turner Tomorrow Foundation_ Fellowship Award. It will make you examine some of the most profound myths at the center of our civilization and how those myths will determine our destiny, for better or for worse. It's a book that changed the way I think fundamentally. I will never be the same because of it.

<comment><USER51> Curious about that "created and destroyed" bit.

I found this at NY Times:

[http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/05/books/judges-in-turner- awa...](http://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/05/books/judges-in-turner-award- dispute-merits-of-novel-given-a-500000-prize.html)

<comment><USER50> I think Quinn's win and the controversy Styron stirred up afterward shut down the award. After all, there were 2500 manuscripts to start with. Quinn's next novel, _The Story of B_ addressed some of the criticism Styron (and others) had. I think it might be even better than _Ishmael_ because of it.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER52> I'm surprised there aren't more philosophy-oriented books mentioned here. I think they make great gifts.

Many of my friends are straight out of university, and it's a period where most people seem to start asking existential questions. The two books which have affected me greatly (and which I regularly give as gifts) are:

* Meditations by Marcus Aurelius * Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

</comment><comment><USER53> The Selfish Gene - fundamental world-view shaker

<comment><USER54> I think The Extended Phenotype is a better choice. It contains the central insight of The Selfish Gene, and then adds a lot on top of it.

<comment><USER53> I've never read that one - I'll add it to my list!

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER55> Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. I pay it forward.

Stopped smoking six years ago and haven't had the desire to start again since. it feels great.

I actually played the nintendo DS adaptation of the book, which was also available on ios for a while.

it turned all the points the book was trying to make into a series of minigames that really illustrated the principles beautifully.

<comment><USER56> Yes that's a great book. I am still amazed how well it worked for me. I was a chain smoker smoking 40 cigs a day, and then I read the book and poof! I stopped for good.

<comment><USER57> I second this! I've recommended this to countless people. Did you guys find that a lot of people are really skeptical that a book can have such an impact? It certainly worked wonders for me as well.

<comment><USER56> I was skeptical at first too. But man, was I wrong! I have recommended it to about four or five friends so far. Only one read it till the end. And it didn't work so well on him, even though he reduced smoking. Did the book work on your friends who read it completely?

<comment><USER57> I have one other friend (the only one of them all to actually read) and it was just as effective for him as it was me. I'm now trying to get my sister to read it. The hard part seems to be getting people to pick it up and stick it through.

<comment><USER56> Best of luck getting your sis to quit :-)

<comment><USER57> thank you :)

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER58> I've given out a few copies of _Corporate Confidential: 50 Secrets Your Company Doesn 't Want You to Know---and What to Do About Them_. So far, the recipients have done well after reading it. It really clued them into the hidden meaning behind common corporate-speak.

[https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Confidential-Secrets- Compan...](https://www.amazon.com/Corporate-Confidential-Secrets-Company-Know ----ebook/dp/B003K15PC4)

</comment><comment><USER59> _The Player of Games_ , by Iain M. Banks - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Player_of_Games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Player_of_Games)

<comment><USER60> I've been scrolling through all the comments, seeing if someone mentioned the late great Mr Banks. His Culture books are almost perfect hard sci-fi in my opinion, and his contemporary collection contain some amazing books ( _The Wasp Factory_ , and _The Bridge_ immediately come to mind).

</comment></comment><comment><USER61> _Anything You Want_ by Derek Sivers.

It's still my favorite book on business, a short easy read filled with anecdotes from his time running CD Baby. The situations are ones I keep encountering myself running a small business, and the way the stories are written makes them highly memorable & applicable. If I can't decide between opportunities, I remember "Hell Yeah! or No." If I'm working on fraud screening, I remember "Don't Punish Everyone For One Person's Mistake". When working on an MVP and feel it isn't big enough, I'm reminded of "Start Now. No Funding Needed." And it has my favorite twist ending in business.

It's the first book I've specifically bought multiple copies of to give away, including to clients.

</comment><comment><USER62> Douglas Hofstadter: Gödel, Escher, Bach

<comment><USER63> I tried to read this book but never quite understood it. What's it really about?

<comment><USER10> It's about the thing it's about.

<comment><USER64> Maybe you should add "spoiler alert"? ;)

<comment><USER10> Nah. if you haven't read GEB, your brain won't evaluate the previous statement correctly, and you won't gain any information.

Neurolinguistic hacking! (it works, just ask Stephenson)(JOKE)

<comment><USER64> Yeah, right, I know, your comment was hilarious! I was adding joke to joke, but I guess I failed, someone else even downvoted my bad joke. Did my smiley make it feel snarky?

<comment><USER10> Look, I don't know. I didn't down you.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER65> I've given a copy of 'The Making of the Atomic Bomb', Rhodes, and lent a copy that didn't come back. The gift recipient has urged the book on various managers, as the book has much to teach of scientific and technical management, as well as much, much more.

<comment><USER66> Along the same lines, I'd recommend 'The Rickover Effect'.

</comment></comment><comment><USER67> "Freakonomics" by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Great book about how and why people respond to incentives. A lot of good examples told through fascinating stories supported by data.

<comment><USER68> Don't shoot the dog, by Karen Pryor, about operand conditioning, the effects of positive and negative reinforcement. This is a fun book, and very informative.

</comment></comment><comment><USER63> Surely you're joking, Mr Feynman is amazing.

<comment><USER69> I was going to say the same thing. "What Do You Care What Other People Think", another Feynman book, is also pretty good.

</comment></comment><comment><USER70> I've literally just bought someone "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami. It was the first Murakami book I read, and I've read plenty since. Wonderful.

<comment><USER71> I read Murakami books not because they are entirely entertaining WHILE I'm reading them, but because the dream-like memory of the experience sticks in your mind for years.

<comment><USER72> Wow, you aren't kidding. After reading your comment I tried to recall Wind-Up Bird, and got the same sensation.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER73> Hyperion by Dan Simmonds. It, and the follow-up Fall of Hyperion, are by far and away my favourite sci-fi books.

Given them to 5+ people over the years and every one has loved them.

<comment><USER74> I was gifted my copy, and have gifted 3 copies to others now. Pay it forward :)

</comment></comment><comment><USER75> I found each of these invaluable at different points in my life. YMMV

Biz - the Personal MBA - Josh Kaufman - [http://amzn.to/2aFsj3c](http://amzn.to/2aFsj3c)

Org - the Fifth Discipline - Peter Senge - [http://amzn.to/2aNpbQz](http://amzn.to/2aNpbQz)

SciFi - Perdido Street Station - China Mieville - [http://amzn.to/2aNoWFn](http://amzn.to/2aNoWFn)

Parenting - The Continuum Concept - Jean Liedloff - [http://amzn.to/2aZEAAL](http://amzn.to/2aZEAAL)

</comment><comment><USER65> The software-related books I've given most often are Gerald Weinberg's 'Becoming a Technical Leader', Brook's 'Mythical Man Month', Demarco and Lister's 'Peopleware', Hunt and Thomas 'The Pragmatic Programmer', and Mconnell's 'Code Complete'.

</comment><comment><USER76> I always have copies of George Orwell's "Animal Farm" to give out. As I get older, I love seeing younger people flip out when they read it and see how applicable it is in modern life.

<comment><USER77> Having read at least one history book about the Soviet Union, I'd recommend you not waste your time with Animal Farm and read an actual history book instead. The plot is basically ripped from Russian history, as it was intended to be a critique of Stalinism.

My taste for Orwell's two most read, _Animal Farm_ and _1984_ was especially dulled after I read his non-fiction masterpiece _Homage To Catalonia_ which is a harrowing lesson in realpolitik and the socialist infighting of the 1930's.

[http://www.george-orwell.org/Homage_to_Catalonia/](http://www.george- orwell.org/Homage_to_Catalonia/)

<comment><USER78> _1984_ and _Animal Farm_ aren't important for their historical allegories but their statements about the nature of society, and are just as poignant when applied to today's society as they were about the Soviet Union.

 _Homage To Catalonia_ is a wonderful book. I would also highly recommend checking out _Down and Out in Paris and London_ and _Burmese Days_ (two works of fiction loosely based on events from his real life experiences).

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER79> Gift? Not quite, but I enthusiastically offer my copies of Simon Singh's books up for loan when anyone sounds vaguely interested. "The Code Book" is a great history of cryptography and "Fermat's Last Theorem" is a good history of the problem and its eventual solution.

<comment><USER80> Yes!

I actually just finished "Fermat's Last Enigma" after reading "The Code Book" 2 years ago.

He's an excellent author who begins all of his books with the premise that the lay person will be reading it. He even makes this explicit in Fermat's Last Enigma.

He gives the reader an amazing depth of knowledge by gradually building on very simple examples and explanations which still can intrigued someone with deep technical knowledge.

Coming into "Fermat's Last Enigma", I had two years of higher level math, number theory, discrete math, and linear algebra. I still learned so much about Mathematics, the progress of the field, and proofs of simple things like Pythagorean triples.

Singh is the best scientific writer, truly.

</comment></comment><comment><USER81> Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

It opened the doors to the remote lifestyle for me and led me to switch to careers to tech (due to the abundance of remote opportunities) and to embrace a new kind of lifestyle.

[http://www.vagabonding.net/](http://www.vagabonding.net/)

<comment><USER82> What career field did you transition from?

<comment><USER81> I was a talent buyer for the live music industry - booking bands for a music venue. Involved being physically at the space a few times a week.

<comment><USER83> And here I am trying to transition going from tech into music (as a musician though - we'll see how it goes). Any words of wisdom from your side of the music bench?

<comment><USER81> You can definitely do both! I still perform music as well. I went from performer -> music industry pro -> programmer. Making money as a performer was definitely the toughest. But it pairs well w/ tech work if you can do your job during the day and play at night. If you're trying to make it in rock music, you'll be disgusted at how little has to do w/ how good you are or how good your music is. It's very much who you know and how well you can promote yourself. If you're trying to make it in jazz/classical it's more of a meritocracy so just practice a lot and you'll get gigs. Good luck!

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER84> Books I found so amazing that I actually bought copies and given them as a gift (in some cases to multiple people):

* Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier--eye opening list of vegetables that come back year after year

* The Hard Thing About Hard Things, by Ben Horowitz. Somewhat presumptuously, I bought multiple copies and sent them to some of my friends/acquaintances that were CEOs.

* Climate Wars, by Gwynne Dyer. This mix of fiction and non fiction really brought the climate change crisis to my attention.

</comment><comment><USER85> My personal favourite that I've given as a gift is Thomas Glover's Pocket Ref [0]. Its easily the most useful thing you can buy for anyone in engineering, fabrication or just generally a tinkerer. I've loved my copy since I was given it as a kid.

[0] - [https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Ref-4th-Thomas- Glover/dp/18850...](https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Ref-4th-Thomas- Glover/dp/1885071620)

</comment><comment><USER86> It's tough finding books that don't send a message to the receiver. I particularly remember a colleague expressing disappointment at whichever secret Santa gave him The Fountainhead at the office Christmas party (he was pretty left wing).

The four I remember gifting were Asimov's entire Foundation series, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, The Phantom Major by Virginia Cowles and See you in November by Peter Stiff.

<comment><USER87> HA, I gave Atlas Shrugged to my boss and told her it was because she really reminded me of Dagny Taggart -- she was really happy about it, as far as I can tell

</comment></comment><comment> d-roo A couple years ago a friend gave me 'It Starts With Food' and after reading it I bought it for at least a half-dozen of my friends. It was truly life changing for me and my approach to food and health. Within a couple weeks I went from having hypertension/pre-hypertension to normal blood pressure and over the course of 6 months or so I lost 40 lbs. Changing my diet to 'whole' foods redefined for me what hunger was. My daily diet had been one of going from one sugar high to the next. What I interpreted as hunger and a big appetite were in fact cravings for sugar.

Admittedly, it may be a bit below the reading level for the average user here but I can't recommend this book enough. Especially for those of us that sit in front of a computer all day. Take a look at the reviews at Amazon which are numerous and nearly unanimous. Do yourself a favour and give it read.

[https://amzn.com/1628600543](https://amzn.com/1628600543)

</comment><comment> david-given Barry Hughart's _Bridge of Birds_.

Set in a mediaeval China that never existed (but should have), it's the story of how village peasant Number Ten Ox and the ancient sage Master Li (who has a slight flaw in his character) go on a quest to save the children of his village from a plague which can count... and the _other_ quest which they find themselves part of.

On the way you'll learn how to make a fortune with a goat, how not to cook porcupine, the best way to move rocks using only a corpse, why you should always be polite to ginseng, and the true meaning of courage. You'll meet ghosts, monsters, and gods --- and they're typically _less_ bizarre than the human cast, which contains such jewels as the Ancestress, Miser Shen, the Old Man of the Mountain, Lotus Cloud and of course, the inimitable Ma the Grub and Pawnbroker Fang...

It's by parts hilarious, touching, gripping, and there are parts that will make you cry from sheer beauty. Read this book.

</comment><comment><USER88> Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. I learned a lot from that novel

<comment><USER89> Like what?

</comment></comment><comment><USER90> "The Defining Decade" by Meg Jay to anyone in their twenties.

Shameless plug -I posted a summary here: [https://rkirti.wordpress.com/2015/12/05/learnings-from- the-d...](https://rkirti.wordpress.com/2015/12/05/learnings-from-the-defining- decade/)

</comment><comment><USER25> Motivating the Middle [0] by T.J. Sullivan

It's a relatively short book and it's focus is on college fraternities (which is what I was in when I first read it). I bought about 20 copies and handed them out after reading it. While it has nothing to do with software development I have found it's core message to be applicable to working on a team. The core message is you can normally divide your organization up into 3 categories, these will not necessarily be equal in size. These categories are the highly motivated "top" go-getters who will do everything they can to help further the org, the "middle" who with the right motivation can work just as hard and be just as driven as the first group, and the "bottom" who rarely make more than minimum effort if that and are extremely unlikely to go out of their way for the greater good of the org. The book suggests to more or less ignore the bottom and spend your energy on "motivating the middle" to use them to their greatest potential. It says that spending your time on the bottom is a fruitless endeavor and will only result in alienating the middle people who are somewhat on the fence.

Now this applies much more to a community-run (in this case student-run) organization where letting someone go is often off the table (in greek life removing a brother/sister can be a much bigger challenge than one might assume). I do not bring any of this up to debate the pros and cons of greek like of which there are many (you can talk to me privately if you wish to do that), but just to bring some clarity to what I'm trying to say.

Often as an employee not in a managerial role you are in a similar situation and while I'd be a lier if I said I always applied this logic but I do try to always remember that being annoyed/angry with under-performers is, in all honesty, a zero-sum game. It's best to focus on what I can do to make the place I work better and work to bring the "middle" to want the same.

It's probably not the best book to bring up here but it's really the only book I'd ever bought for more than 1 person (and the only one that I didn't by for purely entertainment/enjoyment reasons, I've gifted fiction books on a number of occasions).

[0] [https://smile.amazon.com/Motivating-Middle-Fighting- College-...](https://smile.amazon.com/Motivating-Middle-Fighting-College- Organizations/dp/1604946903?sa-no-redirect=1)

</comment><comment><USER91> Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt [https://mises.org/library/economics- one-lesson](https://mises.org/library/economics-one-lesson)

It's focus is to get people thinking about 2nd and 3rd order effects. It's very simple and well written.

</comment><comment><USER92> Replay by Ken Grimwood.

[https://www.amazon.com/Replay-Ken- Grimwood/dp/068816112X](https://www.amazon.com/Replay-Ken- Grimwood/dp/068816112X)

It's ground hog day, but on a lifetime scale. The search for happiness and what it means to be happy.

</comment><comment><USER93> Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett + lots of the Discworld novels (also by Terry Pratchett).

The latter have become one of the basic building blocks of my life.

</comment><comment><USER94> Peopleware

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams (3rd Edition) [https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321934113/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1Y6P...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321934113/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1Y6Pxb1RFKP38)

</comment><comment><USER95> "Calvin and Hobbes: there is treasure everywhere"

This book was amazing.

</comment><comment><USER96> I gave Stafford Beer's "Think Before You Think" [1] as a gift because I didn't seem to understand any of the book, so I gave it to someone smarter than me in the hope she would eventually explain it to me. I've forgotten to follow up on that.

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/Think-Before-You-Complexity- Knowledge...](https://www.amazon.com/Think-Before-You-Complexity- Knowledge/dp/0954519469)

(Edit: I just looked at the Amazon page and realized the book seems to cost about $200 used -- can that be true...?! I think I paid $30 for it. Maybe I should have kept it.)

</comment><comment><USER97> Antifragile by Taleb

The Black Swan by Taleb

Thinking Fast & Slow by Kahneman

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Diamond

The World According To Monsanto by Robin

The Organized Mind by Levitin

The Vital Question by Lane

Life Ascending by Lane

Chasing the Scream by Hari

Anything By Gladwell.

</comment><comment><USER98> _The Book With No Pictures_ by BJ Novak. It's a great book for friends with kids under 6 or so. You can see the author reading the beginning here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cREyQJO9EPs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cREyQJO9EPs)

I've given probably 10 copies to family and friends with kids and it's been universally liked.

[https://www.amazon.com/Book-No-Pictures-B-J- Novak/dp/0803741...](https://www.amazon.com/Book-No-Pictures-B-J- Novak/dp/0803741715)

</comment><comment><USER99> I tend to either give "The Belgeriad" or "Mistborn" as a gift to people who want to get into Fantasy.

I think when Rothfuss releases his final Kingkiller Chronicle book it might be my new intro series :)

<comment><USER100> Why did you have to remind me about Kingkiller Chronicle :(

Also Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings (fantasy and same author as Mistborn). The audio books are really good.

</comment></comment><comment><USER101> Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

<comment><USER38> +1

</comment></comment><comment><USER102> Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Generation [0]

[0] [http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/book](http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/book)

</comment><comment><USER103> I buy books that catch my interest when I'm travelling and then give them to people I meet who I think will appreciate them. I'm so tired of giving books to family that then never read them. Anyway, books I've given recently (last 3 months):

The Dominant Man: The Pecking Order of Human Society [https://www.amazon.com/dominant-man-pecking-order- society/dp...](https://www.amazon.com/dominant-man-pecking-order- society/dp/B0006C317G)

__ Completely changed my perspective on social interaction. I've been trying to get people to read this but the title sounds very non-pc. Got it for 1AUD on a second hand book table somewhere, it's very dry though and mostly just presents evidence without drawing conclusions.

Cat's Craddle - Kurt Vonnegut __ I love the word Karass. Lots of travelers like this book.

When Nietzsche wept __ Amazing book, the amount of strategy in their conversations is amazing and the book is just high quality. Best to know some stuff about Nietzsche and that era before you read it though.

Teach us to sit still - Tim Parks __ Not something you'd give to anyone but if the person is a little intrigued by meditation then this book will probably get them to start doing it.

Why the West Rules for Now: The patterns of history and what they reveal about the future __ I had learned the history of certain periods in certain locations but this book brought it all together into a cohesive narrative. Highly recommended if you want to start inquiring into history but don't know where to start.

Carlos Castaneda's series on learning shamanism __ I dunno what to think of this. I can believe that the guy actually experienced what he's writing, it's just too much to make up imo. Anyway I'd recommend it to anyone interested in philosophy, religion or meditation because it's just such a radically different perspective on how to live life and the meaning of enlightenment.

\--

I also have a long list of books that I've seen recommended here or recommendations from people I've met all over the world that I use for inspiration when I need to give gifts for Christmas or something but I haven't read them yet so I won't mention them here.

</comment><comment><USER104> Colleen McCullough's _The First Man in Rome_. It's historical fiction, set in Rome a few years before Julius Caesar was born. I began reading it to see what I could learn about how war was waged by the romans and was absolutely dazed by the political and social intricacies exposed.

One of the most welcome gifts I've ever bought. One friend told me he had rediscovered the pleasure of reading; another read the full _Masters of Rome_ series shortly after. Really good feedback.

Terry Pratchett's _Night Watch_ is also one of my favorites to give. Although when asked if it is the first of a series people tend to be somewhat surprised by the answer: I send them a graph spanning all the Discworld books[1]. _Night Watch_ is in no way the first but I've found it to be a good starter and the order is not that important in Pratchett's books.

Hermann Hesse's _Siddhartha_. Already mentioned by someone. Some translations have an incredibly lyrical prose, but you've got to be careful with the one you buy.

[1] [http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/38700000/The- Discworl...](http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/38700000/The-Discworld- Reading-Order-Guide-2-0-discworld-38786764-1000-1198.jpg)

</comment><comment><USER105> Fiction: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón is beautifully written and I've recommended it to many people. I've gotten lost in Carlos' worlds over and over again, and the cemetery of forgotten books is mesmerizing.

Humor: Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. I've recommended this to many friends who needed a good laugh. I don't remember another book that made me laugh so hard that I dropped the book.

Non-fiction: this one's a tough one because many good books are mentioned already, but two that I really enjoyed and have recommended in the last year are: Boyd by Robert Coram and How the Other Half Banks by Mehrsa Baradaran. Boyd tells the story about a brilliant but petulant air force pilot who rewrote the guidelines of US military aviation. How the Other Half Banks is an eye opening account of how broken our banking system is and the history of how we got to where we are.

Business: again, a lot of good books are mentioned already, but two I've enjoyed are Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg and Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. Both are fascinating books that'll leave you thinking about how to improve your own game.

\--Edit--

Bonus: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi is a tremendous piece. It's a short read but a must read!

</comment><comment><USER106> Atlas Shrugged

Just kidding. I did give a friend The Go Programming Language by Donovan & Kernighan, though

</comment><comment><USER107> Fiction: _Nine Princes in Amber_ by Roger Zelazny.

Non-Fiction: _How to Win Friends and Influence People_ by Dale Carnegie

Technical: _The C Programming Language_ by Kernighan and Richie

<comment><USER108> I'd forgotten, but back in the day I gave several people the Science Fiction Bookclub omnibus edition of the first five Amber books. Seems like you could always find them in used bookstores...

</comment></comment><comment><USER109> This Saturday as a birthday present for a 14 year old friend of mine, who haven't been reading so much lately:

* Persepolis, first version

* Dark Angel, by David Klass

I've just started reading "Flowers for Algernon", I guess this can also be a good birthday present. I think gifting books is something very difficult, in my experience I never wanted to get books for present.

</comment><comment><USER110> Bradbury: Now and Forever: Somewhere a Band Is Playing & Leviathan '99

Gleick: The Information

Michener: The Source

Martin: A Song of Ice and Fire (all of them, digital)

<comment><USER111> Just read The Source. What an epic whirlwind of historical fiction. Good call.

<comment><USER112> I read it in high school and I still remember how enchanting it was some fifteen years on. What a great look through historical epochs. I need to put it on my short list to reread.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><AUTHOR> I have given The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

</comment><comment><USER113> I have in the past gifted multiple books written by Terry Pratchett,his Discworld series is an amazing example of social satire.The people who tend to love his stuff most are usually science oriented folks though since he tends to reference a lot of technology in an oblique fashion,including programming.

</comment><comment> bjelkeman-again Maverick, by Richardo Semler. I must have given away a dozen of this book to various people. Very inspiring if you are looking to build an organisation.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick_(book)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maverick_\(book\))

</comment><comment><USER114> I have given out as a gift a copy of 'Predictably Irrational'. I found it interesting and insightful at many different levels (whether you're just a normal person and enjoy those 'huh' moments, or you're actually dealing with this stuff at a professional level).

</comment><comment><USER115> A cookbook is the book I have given the most. Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller is an absolutely great book for somebody that is getting into cooking.

Of the top of my head some books I gave my brother included Salt, Siddhartha, and Shantaram. There were others that didn't start with an S as well.

</comment><comment><USER116> The Stephen Mitchell translation of the _Tao Te Ching_ : [https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Te-Ching- Laozi/dp/0060812451/ref=...](https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Te-Ching- Laozi/dp/0060812451/ref=sr_1_3)

It's beautiful.

<comment><USER117> I was about to say the same. Recommended it to a few friends. It is a life changing book, even more enjoyable than original Chinese version.

</comment></comment><comment><USER111> East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It's about life. Has become 2 recipients' favorite book so far.

</comment><comment><USER118> No kids books have been listed, but I have found them all too often enlightening. Sometimes even more than an adult book.

I and my kids have enjoyed all of Graeme Base's books, but The Eleventh Hour is particularly good and have given it to many kids and adults: [http://graemebase.com/book/the-eleventh- hour/](http://graemebase.com/book/the-eleventh-hour/)

I am also thinking about giving Yertle the Turtle By Dr. Seuss out to anyone I meet before the election: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yertle_the_Turtle_and_Other_St...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yertle_the_Turtle_and_Other_Stories) I have given many Dr. Seuss books away as well.

<comment><USER119> Get a couple of the collections of Dr. Seuss.

Can't help but think that in addition to "Yertle", that "Sneetches", "Horton Hears a Who", and "The Grinch who Stole Christmas" are all timeless masterpieces.

[https://www.amazon.com/Six-Seuss-Treasury-Dr- Classics/dp/067...](https://www.amazon.com/Six-Seuss-Treasury-Dr- Classics/dp/0679821481/)

[https://www.amazon.com/Hatful-Seuss-Favorite-Sneetches- Barth...](https://www.amazon.com/Hatful-Seuss-Favorite-Sneetches- Bartholomew/dp/0679883886/)

</comment></comment><comment><USER120> I am not much into fiction, my gift depends on the kind of person I gift to, few books I most of the time prefer gifting,

1\. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche, for those spiritual minds. I am a huge fan of this book, I am traveling this week to Dharamshala to learn about Buddhism after reading this book.

2.Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, for those aspiring young minds.

3\. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, for my adventure loving friends. I had an intense desire to see Mt.Everest after reading this book, I traveled to Everest base camp.

4\. Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, for everyone, I don't remember how many I have gifted.

5\. Imitation of Christ, I have gifted it, but haven't read it myself. It's in my list.

6\. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

</comment><comment><USER121> I've given this as a gift several times -- "What Should I Do with My Life" by Po Bronson.

[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FBFMKC/ref=dp-kindle- redirect?...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FBFMKC/ref=dp-kindle- redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1#nav-subnav)

Had a run-in with serious burn-out about 12 years ago and had considered leaving software entirely and starting a landscaping business. This book was inspirational in that it helped me figure out what I might LOVE doing, and then made me realize it was right under my nose the whole time. I just needed to get a new job that appreciated and challenged me

<comment><USER122> what are you doing now?

<comment><USER121> freelance developer these days.

That's what I meant by "right under my nose". I still loved what I DID, I just wasn't in the right place or right industry.

To be more specific - I was writing code, but in advertising. Being a programmer in advertising is a brutal, thankless, experience. When I figured that out and left for software consulting, it got better.

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER123> A People's History of The United States by Howard Zinn. Given it at least 5 times.

All students should realize that history is written by the "winners" see US history from the perspective of the oppressed - Native Americans, slaves, women, the poor.

</comment><comment><USER124> I give books to people I work with and the 3 books that people will have heard of are:

Thinking fast and slow by Danny K

Antifragile by Nassim Taleb

Algorithms To Live By by Brian Christian & Tom Griffiths

I thought about giving fictional books to people, but it seems to personal a present for a work acquaintance

</comment><comment><USER125> Mostly 'Hackers and Painters' and 'Surely you are joking Mr. Feynman'.

</comment><comment><USER126> The Little Prince and The Alchemist. Whenever I make new friends I give them either of these books if they haven't read them yet. These two have changed my point of view significantly -- and I've read them at an adult age already.

</comment><comment><USER127> "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius. A stoic tenet plus it grounds everyone once you realize not even the power and wealth of a Roman emperor is enough to escape certain realities and you need to re-adjust your definition of success.

</comment><comment><USER128> Obviously "The Universal Master Key" by Franz Bardon. They might start looking at you in strange ways though... you have been warned

[https://amzn.com/1291355138](https://amzn.com/1291355138)

</comment><comment><USER129> Gödel, Escher, Bach Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Enders Game Speaker for the Dead A Brief History of Time I Am a Strange Loop Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (5 or 6 book trilogy) Dune

</comment><comment><USER130> * How to Sharpen Pencils: A Practical & Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening for Writers, Artists, Contractors, Flange Turners, Anglesmiths, & Civil Servants

* Ulrich Haarburste's Novel Of Roy Orbison In Clingfilm

</comment><comment><USER131> Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality by Paul Barber. It's pretty much my Bible, and is all that needs to be said about the nature of my secularism. I tell people it's a cool book about vampire myths, though.

</comment><comment><USER60> Last Christmas, I was given and then bought for others:

 _The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer_

( [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thrilling-Adventures-Lovelace- Babba...](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thrilling-Adventures-Lovelace-Babbage- Computer/dp/0141981512) )

It's a halfway house between a graphic novel and a proper book, and is written in a very entertaining way. I can thoroughly recommend it for anyone who is interested in Computer History, and normally struggles through dry tomes of non-fiction (which this is most definitely not!)

</comment><comment><USER132> 1\. The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Repeatedly (to different people).

</comment><comment><USER133> bash Pocket Reference. I keep a stack by the office door, sort of like a candy bowl.

</comment><comment><USER134> _River-Horse_ , William Least-Heat Moon. It's a wonderful account of a classically idiosyncratic journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific, through the waterways of North America.

 _Speak, Memory_ , Vladimir Nabokov. The pinnacle of the memoirist's art. I find it nearly uncreditable, Nabokov's facility with English, his _5th_ language.

 _Lyonesse_ , Jack Vance. Vance is the greatest stylist in 20th century American letters, and _Lyonesse_ is probably his greatest achievement. Fantasy indebted to Celtic mythology, not Tolkien. Marvelous, poetic, pungent language in service of a wonderful story.

</comment><comment><USER101> Programming Pearls (Jon Bentley). His essays on bumper sticker CS, Doug McIlroy @ Bell Labs, and little languages still resonate in mind regularly. It's when I feel someone can be trusted with really cool ideas.

</comment><comment><USER135> Kahlil Gibran's 'The prophet'

</comment><comment><USER136> Books by David Mitchell. Possibly the finest modern literature author alive.

<comment><USER137> It wasn't as highly rated as 'Cloud Atlas' but I particularly loved 'The Bone Clocks'. Something about his vision of a post-apocalyptic future seemed very plausible - and very memorable.

</comment></comment><comment><USER138> _Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software_ was one of the most formative books for my programming self education. I've tried to loan it to several of my friends more than once, and it was a gift to me.

Also had a strange case of loaning out _C# 4.0 in a Nutshell_ and never getting it back, but I would do it again (with an updated version). Albahari is good at writing a reference without being too boring, and C# has some legitimately interesting sides in how it does some things, like it's dynamically compiled regexen.

</comment><comment><USER139> Glimpses of World History by Jawaharlal Nehru:

A collection of letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru to his daughter Indira Gandhi, from jail, teaching her about world history. An interesting introduction to history.

</comment><comment><USER140> The intelligent investor - benjamin graham. In my home country investing is still a mystery for many and there are no good books. This book gives you some base and perspective about investinng

</comment><comment><USER141> Oliver Morton's _The Planet Remade: How Geoengineering Could Change the World_.

Obviously this is a selection for someone who likes to read serious nonfiction and is interested in the science of climate change and what we might be able to do about it.

I've mentioned the book on HN before and got an unenthusiastic reception, but I loved it. The author does an excellent job avoiding both knee-jerk skepticism and knee-jerk credulity, and it's so well written I could hardly put it down.

</comment><comment><USER142> Four Hour Work Week. Take it with a grain of salt, since it takes a lot longer than the author suggests to create a business. (I'd say a year of hard work at least to finally hit a product that sells easily enough in high enough quantities rather than a matter of months.) But it's possible. It's a great read with direct, practical advice. Ex: It says exact what services to use and how much they cost, rather than the more typical theoretical "think this way" of other business books.

</comment><comment><USER143> How to Win Friends and Influence People

</comment><comment><USER144> Dune, Enders Game and Ready Player One.

<comment><USER145> Last year (I'm 28), I tried to read Enders Game for the for the first time since 15 years. I was disappointed, it's really cool, but for younger generations.

<comment><USER144> Ever read speaker for the dead?

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER146> The Little Prince, or Le Petit Prince if the recipient is a francophile. A wonderful story that I personally try to read every year. Netflix has recent plans to release as a film as well.

</comment><comment><USER147> West with the Night, by Beryl Markham.

This is the autobiography of a woman who grew up on a farm in British East Africa (Kenya) in the early 1900s. She eventually became a bush pilot and the first person ever to fly an airplane solo across the Atlantic Ocean from east to west. It is a beautifully written and interesting story. Note: if you decide to read it, skip the Forward because it sort of spoils the book. Come back to it at the end, however, because it provides some interesting historical context.

</comment><comment><USER148> "Why the Germans, why the Jews" by Götz Aly - good insight into younger German and Ashkenazi history. Is the most comprehensive book I've read about the why. Why the broad anti-semitism, why the NSDAP, why the holocaust.

Poor Charlie's Almanack - It's one the books that Warren Buffet always recommends. I gotta say though that I don't get why. But it makes a good gift since it has good "coffee table" value because of the many illustrations.

</comment><comment><USER149> Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull It's the story of Pixar and there's so many things I enjoyed about this book. It helped validate for me many of my instincts in running a creative business.

The Martian by Andy Weir I very much enjoyed the story and how it was all approached.

Seven Eves by Neil Stephenson Similar to his other books (Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon) I've gifted these a few times. I really enjoy his method of storytelling and his stories appeal to the geek in me as well.

</comment><comment><USER150> [Rework][] from DHH and Jason Fried.

Rework explains the "life beyond work" and "make a dent in the universe" philosophy behind Basecamp and Rails and is a valuable counterpoint to the popular media narrative of the startup IPO mindset. The book also explains how to apply the philosophy with actionable examples and it's fun to read.

[Rework]: [https://37signals.com/rework](https://37signals.com/rework)

</comment><comment><USER151> _The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Díaz_ (fiction) - At face value, a story about a nerdy outcast in love, which means most people I know will relate to it. Pulitzer Prize winner.

 _The Elements of Typographic Style by Bringhurst_ (design) - Most designers I know already own a copy, but interesting for laymen.

 _The Little Schemer by Friedman & Felleisen_ (programming) - Fun and educational for anyone interested in programming, at just about any level.

</comment><comment><USER152> Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.. I've bought around 20 copies and given as a gift to all my close {friends, cousins, co-workers} two years back.

</comment><comment><USER153> Strunk and White. I put my email and phone number in the inside cover. Only for good friends. Have gotten contacts from people I haven't seen in 10 years.

</comment><comment><USER23> One book I've given is Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis. It is deeply philosophical, beginning with astute observations about human nature, continuing with an evaluation of possible worldviews and their consistency with logic and evidence, and concluding with an enlightening discussion of Christian theology. Regardless of a person's beliefs or lack thereof, it provides interesting ideas to consider and challenge.

</comment><comment><USER154> An imaginary tale, the story of sqrt( -1 ). link: [http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9259.html](http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9259.html). One of my favorites. Oh....also handed out the foundation series in combined hardback form to a few folks for the winter holiday. I loved that series as well. Thankfully so did the people I handed it out to.

</comment><comment><USER155> The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.

My favorite sci-fi story, I might even admit it is my favorite of all stories. I've given it as a real book but the experience really benefits from the e-reader format because, at least for me, there were many terms to look up and many sections that I wanted to notate for consideration later. It's a challenging book but a very thoughtful and rewarding read. Highly recommended.

</comment><comment><USER156> Getting out: Your guide to Leaving America

The title is a bit provocative but if you're looking to move from the US to another country it's a great place to start. I've given it to a couple of footloose people in their twenties who wanted to move abroad but were intimidated by dealing with visas and expense. (Remember, not everyone works in fields where countries are clamoring to give out visas!)

</comment><comment><USER157> I've given out several copies of "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson and "Stories of Your Life and Others" by Ted Chiang.

<comment><USER158> Ted Chiang's short story collection is the most concentrated dose of fantastic sci-fi/fantasy I've read. Each story is brief, memorable, and plays with at least one neat "what if?"

I've also given out a couple of copies because it's a great way to demonstrate SF&F genre awesomeness to the sceptical in just a few pages.

<comment><USER18> Everyone should read Ted Chiang.

[https://subterraneanpress.com/magazine/fall_2010/fiction_the...](https://subterraneanpress.com/magazine/fall_2010/fiction_the_lifecycle_of_software_objects_by_ted_chiang)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER159> Many of the books I would have been covered already but one that hasn't (ie not found via option-f) is:

 _" Is God a Mathematician?"_ by Mario Livio

It is a wonderful exploration and history of math, science and light theology (mostly historic though. the book is written by a mathematician).

I still wonder frequently if math is human made up thing or is it innate. Is the universe inherently mathematical? Can we prove it?

<comment><USER160> Define inherently mathematical.

<comment><USER159> I'm probably not doing the justice of describing the book particularly since I am especially weak at writing.

Before I go on and waste everyones time with me falsely explaining things I recommend you just read up on the book (ie just read some summaries).

What I mean by "inherently mathematical" is that everything is based on math. That all thing in the universe are mathematical and everything can be represented with formulas and constants. That math makes the universe work and not the other way around.

It may seem obvious to some that of course the universe is mathematical but many believe that it is a human's way of modeling patterns that just so happen to happen in our universe.

Like I said I sort of want to avoid prolong discussion of this topic as it could be its own HN thread and I also know I'm doing a great injustice to the book and people actually working in this area of attempting to try to explain it.

Here is SA article on the subject (SA is hardly academic but it might be better than my explanation):

[http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-universe- ma...](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-the-universe-made-of-math- excerpt/)

<comment><USER160> I'll take a look at both! I did not expect a definitive answer to a hard question (I myself wish I had a good one). The "unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics" is a really interesting topic.

A spider may wonder if the universe is inherently spiderthought-like. Spiderwebs work great, after all.

</comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER161> "The Four Agreements", I wish I had read it when I was younger, I give it to anyone who seems to feel other people are their problem.

<comment><USER162> Isn't this the book that starts off with the guy claiming he (or his ancestors) could transform into Jaguars? IIRC, the book was littered with falsehoods.

<comment><USER161> Native American traditions often don't distinguish between hallucinations and actual transmorphing into something else. So while it's been a few years since I read it, it wouldn't necessarily surprise me.

But the four agreements are what are important:

1) always do your best

2) never make assumption

3) don't take things personally

4) be impeccable with your word

2&3 were the most help to me in both work and dating.

<comment><USER163> You mixed up 1 and 4, but that's no problem. Doing your best means that you will never be 100% perfect in following up on 1, 2 and 3, so make the best of it and forgive yourself if you forget to follow them.

For me 3 was very important, with many small things that annoyed me, people getting in my way etc. They don't do that to annoy me, and of course I know that, but to fully realise that was important.

Be impeccable is the most important for me. This is more about shouting at yourself than about shouting at other people. Most of the time we shout - silently - at ourselves, and these little punishments that you often don't even notice, take you down and can make your life a lot more miserable. And if you shout a lot at other people, try to figure out why you need to do that.

In the last five years, this was the most important book for me. Whenever I'm having troubles with someone, reading this book helps me get through it.

<comment><USER161> I guess I never thought of the order as important. Like I said there are two that are the most important to me, and the others that I need less reminding of.

Though, since being married and having kids, I do find being impeccable with my word a little more difficult when you're out with a friend for a drink (very rare these days) and your wife asks you when you will be home... it's very easy to say "I'm on my way" when in fact you just got your last drink and you know it's going to be 20-30 minutes before you leave, but saying that will might get you in some hot water. I definitely need to do better on that one.

<comment><USER163> The order is not that important, but this is the order of the method. And you give a perfect example of 1 working with 4, although doing your best does not mean letting go and let this problem repeat and grow into something more annoying.

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER164> Carol Dweck's Mindset. Really gives insight into how our limiting self-beliefs can stunt our growth and potential, and how to fix them.

</comment><comment><USER165> [http://pbfcomics.com/book/](http://pbfcomics.com/book/)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_the_Fuck_to_Sleep](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_the_Fuck_to_Sleep)

Intro to programming in Python - I don't remember which one though. I think it was one of the O'Reilly ones.

</comment><comment><USER166> These days I present anyone with this book: Mindset,The New Psychology of Success [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FCKPHG/ref=dp-kindle- redirect?...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FCKPHG/ref=dp-kindle- redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)

and they tell me it makes a difference to their lifestyle

</comment><comment><USER167> "The Body Electric" by Dr. Robert O. Becker. Everyone in healthcare, medicine and especially the wireless industry should read it. [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Electric-Robert- Becker/dp/0688...](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Electric-Robert- Becker/dp/0688069711)

</comment><comment><USER101> Danny, the Champion of the World. For kids and kids at heart. One of the books that I feel made me want to be a maker/hacker.

</comment><comment><USER168> I gave my own book, "Zero Bugs and Program Faster."

I gave Randall Jarrell's version of _Faust_ it is an excellent book.

</comment><comment><USER169> The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.

</comment><comment><USER170> There are so many great books here. I'm surprised to see nothing by Palahniuk. I've given Choke and Survivor as gifts.

Also disappointed that George Saunders didn't make the list. His essays in The Brain-dead Megaphone are great and his short stories, especially Isabelle and others is The Tenth of December, are heart-warming.

</comment><comment><USER171> _Time Enough for Love_ by Robert Heinlein, I've recommended it to four people and all came back with it being their new favorite book.

It has all of science fiction classics, but focuses on a guy who can live forever and attempts to experience everything. Of course this leads to some strange events, and is definitely worth a read.

</comment><comment><USER172> _Letters of Note_. From the blog of the same name - a fascinating collection of letters from and/or to historical figures. Makes a great coffee table book. [https://unbound.com/books/letters-of-note](https://unbound.com/books/letters- of-note)

</comment><comment><USER173> Letter to a Teacher by the Schoolboys of Barbiana. Beautifully written call for better education for the poor by the children who need it.

Available in PDF now too: [http://www.swaraj.org/shikshantar/LTAT_Final.pdf](http://www.swaraj.org/shikshantar/LTAT_Final.pdf)

</comment><comment><USER174> Turtle Island, by Gary Snyder.

or more recently,

Tamalpais Walking: Poetry, History, and Prints, By Gary Snyder and Tom Killion

and

Quiet Light, by John Sexton

or

Places of Power: The Aesthetics of Technology by John Sexton

</comment><comment><USER175> I give these three books out to new managers in my org:

* High Output Management by Andy Grove [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679762884/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679762884/)

* Turn the Ship Around by David Marquet [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591846404/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591846404/)

* The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591843472/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591843472/)

For interns I give out these two books:

* The Pragmatic Programmer [https://www.amazon.com/Pragmatic-Programmer-Journeyman-Maste...](https://www.amazon.com/Pragmatic-Programmer-Journeyman-Master/dp/020161622X/)

* The Passionate Programmer [https://pragprog.com/book/cfcar2/the-passionate-programmer](https://pragprog.com/book/cfcar2/the-passionate-programmer)

</comment><comment><USER101> The Swiss Family Robinson. A children's book, about a family that has no other option but to become makers.

<comment><USER176> I read this book in grade school and loved it!

</comment></comment><comment><USER177> Franz Werfel: Pale Blue Ink in a Lady's Hand. The story of an Austrian aristocrat and politician, who is - through his marriage - well established in society and on a safe carrier path, who discovers that he might have a child with a jewish woman (in pre-WWII Austria).

Great story and so well written by Werfel.

</comment><comment><USER178> "Crap Taxidermy"

[https://www.amazon.com/Crap-Taxidermy-Kat- Su/dp/1607748207/r...](https://www.amazon.com/Crap-Taxidermy-Kat- Su/dp/1607748207/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401679657&sr=8-2&keywords=crap%20taxidermy)

</comment><comment><USER179> I'm really surprised by no mention of the tripods trilogy by John Christopher. Only managed to gift it once. Don't think they even read it :(

Truly a phenomenal story IMO

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tripods](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tripods)

</comment><comment><USER180> The Essential Marcus Aurelius was a book that was given to me as a gift. Since reading it, I've bought many more copies to share with people I deeply care about.

This book contained so many great insights into how to deal with life's stresses and has been a revelation in my transformation of attitude.

</comment><comment><USER181> The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim.

A novel that tells how to manage IT department in a very enchanted manner. The situation entailed in the story is too real. I had some many "I have come across this shit before, wish I handled it better" encounters that I couldn't put the book down until finished.

</comment><comment><USER182> _The Princess Bride_.

I've given it away seven times & purchased it eight.

Like every book, it's different from the movie. I'm not going to say it's better than the movie, but I'm also not going say the movie is better either. Both are just so amazing in their own right that I adore them both.

</comment><comment><USER183> Web Operations:Keeping the Data On Time

</comment><comment><USER184> I have given Humans of New York book as a gift to a friend of mine and now preparing another one to another friend.

Mainly because I think the book has so much great quality photo essays, worth keeping it for a long time, sit down, flip it through from time to time and enjoy the beautiful stories.

</comment><comment><USER101> Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas (Papert)

Since this was discussed here recently (in sad circumstances), I'll just say that everyone who might be involved with kids, either as an educator or parent needs to read this book. And it was great to read when I was a kid, too!

</comment><comment><USER185> Huygens and Barrow, Newton and Hooke [1] by mathematician V. I. Arnol'd.

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/Huygens-Barrow-Newton-Hooke- quasicrys...](https://www.amazon.com/Huygens-Barrow-Newton-Hooke- quasicrystals/dp/3764323833)

</comment><comment><USER186> I'm not a big reader (Last book I read was back in 2010~?), but I think my favourite was Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's Roadside Picnic. Big fan of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series as well as the film, so it only made sense that I read the book that it was all based on.

</comment><comment><USER187> When I've had friends interested in learning to play chess, I've given _Play Winning Chess_ by Yasser Seirawan. It's great at explaining what to think about when playing the different phases of the game, with no emphasis on memorizing particular lines.

</comment><comment><USER9> _The Soul of a New Machine_ : it's the 1970s and the mincomputer wars are hot. A bunch of young engineers at the upstart Data General race to get a new mini out the door. Tech has changed a lot in 40 years, but the way people work on it hasn't.

</comment><comment><USER188> The most recent is Liquid Intelligence by Dave Arnold[1]

[1][https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Intelligence-Science- Perfect-C...](https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Intelligence-Science-Perfect- Cocktail/dp/0393089037)

</comment><comment><USER189> Most recently, _Password_ by Martin Paul Eve. Highly recommended. [http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/password-9781501314872/](http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/password-9781501314872/)

</comment><comment><USER190> Misbehaving by Richard Thaler. It's like Thinking, Fast and Slow except more hilarious.

</comment><comment><USER191> Masters of Doom, by David Kushner.

</comment><comment><USER192> The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine.

</comment><comment><USER193> I haven't yet gifted a copy of Robert Anton Wilson's and Robert Shea's "The Illuminatus! Triology", but I want to. This book strikes the fine balance of being funny and mindblowingly weird at the same time. Great fun.

<comment><USER194> I started reading this when I was very young and then eventually trailed off. Thanks for reminding me I gotta try again!

<comment><USER193> You're welcome! My approach to this book was to stop thinking too much about the numerous "plot lines" and just go with the flow.The fact that I bought the book in a second-hand bookstore in Berkeley and read most of it while exploring the Californian coast, probably put me in that mindset from the get- go. :)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER195> I gave Joseph Brodsky's _Watermark_ and Alan Watts' _The Wisdom of Insecurity_ to two friends last year. And for Mothers Day last year I gave my wife a book of themed photos and prose, _Two_ , by Melissa Ann Pinney.

</comment><comment><USER196> The Ambidextrous Universe, Martin Gardner, 1979 edition. I find it fascinating even today

</comment><comment><USER197> "The Genius and the Goddess" by Aldous Huxley. It's one of his lesser known works and also quite short (128 pp).

I really like Huxleys way of waving thoughts on psychology and philosophy into a story and specially liked it in this novel.

</comment><comment><USER198> "Strategic Selling" by Miller Heiman. It was the first book that really opened up my eyes to the fact that sales is (mostly) a science and its an awesome methodology. I got it as a gift and I've given it as a gift too.

</comment><comment><USER199> Siddhartha by Herman Hesse is my current go to gift book. It's so short that anyone can dive in without being intimidated.

I don't think it's possible to read Siddhartha without coming just a little bit closer to enlightenment.

</comment><comment><USER200> I give One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, in movie form, to departing coworkers.

</comment><comment><USER201> Cooked by Michael Pollan.

Great history about food, how cooking made us "human," links to religion, feminism, consumerism, and much more. Very insightful and at times heart felt. Not recommended if you don't eat food.

</comment><comment><USER202> Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson

</comment><comment><USER203> The Pragmatic Programmer: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pragmatic_Programmer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pragmatic_Programmer)

<comment><USER124> My SO gave this to me last Christmas - what touched me the most was her lack of knowledge in CS/IT field, but willingness to research and find one of the best books in our domain. It's not just the book that was given, it's often the context (who, to whom, what for)

</comment></comment><comment><USER204> The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis. I think her writing appeals to a wide range of people. The stories are simultaneously experimental, hilarious, methodical, obsessive, but mostly just excellent.

</comment><comment><USER51> Interesting question, and a quite difficult one for me to answer as I'm refactoring much of my thinking presently. I'll offer a list, some authors, and some guidelines, largely based on books which radically changed my thinking.

Madelaine l'Engle's _A Wrinkle in Time_. A quite profound children's book with lifelong impacts.

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/wrinkle-in- time/oclc/22421788](https://www.worldcat.org/title/wrinkle-in- time/oclc/22421788)

Frank Herbert's _Dune_ introduced true complexity into storytelling for me.

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/dune-frank- herbert/oclc/52908...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/dune-frank- herbert/oclc/52908888)

James Burke's books _Connections_ and _The Day the Universe Changed_ , and their accompanying television series, were a profound introduction to the history of technology, science, ideas, and philosophy. Though 30+ years old, they remain highly current and relevant.

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/connections/oclc/4494136](https://www.worldcat.org/title/connections/oclc/4494136)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/day-the-universe- changed/oclc...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/day-the-universe- changed/oclc/12049817)

Jeremy Campbell's _Grammatical Man_ (1984) introduced the concepts of information theory and their deep, deep, deep interconnections to a tremendous number of interconnected systems, many not explored within his book. Darwin's _The Origin of Species_ , James Gleick's _Chaos_ , and many of the works of Santa Fe Institute members, including John C. Holland, J. Doyne Farmer, Geoffrey West, W. Brian Arthur, David Krakauer, and Sander van der Leeuw, continue these themes.

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/grammatical-man- information-e...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/grammatical-man-information- entropy-language-and-life/oclc/8306673)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/chaos-making-a-new- science/oc...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/chaos-making-a-new- science/oclc/15366709)

William Ophuls' _Ecology and the Politics of Scarcity_ (1977) is perhaps the best, most comprehensive, shortest, and most readable exposition of the fact, reality, dynamics, and interactions of limits on the present phase of fossil- fuel fed economic growth I've found. This is a book I recommend not only for the message, but the author's clarity of thought and exposition, his meticulous research, exquisite bibliographical notes, and, given the nearly 30 years elapsed, testability numerous of his predictions, some failed, yes, others uncannily accurate. Rather more the latter. In a similar vein, William R. Catton's _Overshoot_ looks at the ecological dynamics in more depth, with much wisdom, the writings of Richard Heinberg cover the ground of limits fairly accessibly and more recently. Vaclav Smil in numerous books addresses technical factors of the profound nature of the past 250 years, and implications for the future. Meadows, et al, in _Limits to Growth_ set off much of the post-1970 discussion (though they're hardly the first to raise the question -- it dates to Seneca the Elder),

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/ecology-and-the-politics- of-s...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/ecology-and-the-politics-of-scarcity- prologue-to-a-political-theory-of-the-steady-state/oclc/2524932)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/overshoot-the-ecological- basi...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/overshoot-the-ecological-basis-of- revolutionary-change/oclc/6195764)

[https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3Aheinberg%2C+richard&q...](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3Aheinberg%2C+richard&qt=owc_search)

[https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3Asmil%2C+vaclav&qt=res...](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3Asmil%2C+vaclav&qt=results_page)

Though hardly pessimistic, Daniel Yergin's book _The Prize_ (and TV series) impressed upon me more than any other just _how much_ petroleum specifically changed and transformed the modern world. Though intended largely as laudetory and championing the oil industry by the author, my read of it was exceptionally cautionary. The impacts on business, everyday life, politics, wars, industry, and transport, and the rate at which they occurred, are simply staggering. You can continue this exploration in Vaclav Smil's _Energy in World History_ (1994) (I've recommended Smil independently elsewhere), and a rare but profound two-volume set I'm currently reading, Manfred Weissenbacher's _Sources of Power: How energy forges human history_ (2009). The shear physicality of this book speaks to the message -- it's divided into five parts: 1) Foraging Age (6 pages), 2) Agricultural Age (156 pp), 3) Coal Age (160 pp), 4) Oil Age (296 pp), and 5) Beyond the Oil Age (142 pp). That is, the ~2 million years of pre-agricultural existence are little more than a footnote, the 8,000 years of agriculture roughly equal to the 150 years of coal, and the 100 years of petroleum use roughly twice either. The oil and post-oil ages comprise their own volume. Yergin followed up with _The Quest_ , continuing the search for oil, though I've been less impressed by it.

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/prize-the-epic-quest-for- oil-...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/prize-the-epic-quest-for-oil-money- and-power/oclc/22381448)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-in-world- history/oclc/...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/energy-in-world- history/oclc/30398523)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/before-oil-the-ages-of- foragi...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/before-oil-the-ages-of-foraging- agriculture-and-coal/oclc/837625798)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/oil-age-and- beyond/oclc/83762...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/oil-age-and- beyond/oclc/837625970)

Adam Smith's _An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations_ is among the most-cited (and most _incorrectly_ cited), least-read books of high influence I'm aware of, outside religious texts (and perhaps it _is_ a religious text to some…). The author's message has been exceptionally shaped and manipulated by a powerful set of forces, quite often utterly misrepresenting Smith's original intent. Reading him in his own words, yourself, is strongly recommended. I'd also recommend scholarship particularly by Emma Rothschild and Gavin Kennedy, though also others, on Smith. Contrast with the portrayal by the propaganda disinformation front of the Mont Pelerin Society / Atlas Network / so-called Foundation for Economic Education, and much of the modern American Libertarian movement (von Mises, Hayek, Friedman, Hazlett, Rothbard, and more recently, Norberg). Contrast _The Invisible Hand_ (1964), a compilation of essays published by Libertarian house Regnery Press in 1966, at the beginning of the rise in public use of Smith's metaphor to indictate _mechanism_ rather than _an expression of the unknown_.

There are numerous editions of Smith, I believe the Glasgow is frequently cited by Smith scholars: [https://www.worldcat.org/title/glasgow-edition-of- the-works-...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/glasgow-edition-of-the-works- and-correspondence-of-adam-smith-2-an-inquiry-into-the-nature-and-causes-of- the-wealth-of-nations-vol-1/oclc/832488566)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/economic-sentiments-adam- smit...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/economic-sentiments-adam-smith- condorcet-and-the-enlightenment/oclc/45282974)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/adam-smith-and-the- invisible-...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/adam-smith-and-the-invisible- hand/oclc/820387997)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/adam-smiths-lost- legacy/oclc/...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/adam-smiths-lost- legacy/oclc/56598640)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/invisible-hand-a- collection-o...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/invisible-hand-a-collection- of-essays-on-the-economic-philosophy-of-free-enterprise/oclc/326622)

I'd like to put in recommendations on technology specifically, but am still searching for a good general text. The material's covered somewhat in the chaos and complexity recommendations above (Campbell et al), though I'd add Joseph Tainter's _The Collapse of Complex Societies_. Charle's Perrow has several excellent books including _Normal Accidents_ and _Organizing America_. I'd like to reference something concerning Unix, Linux, and programming, perhaps Kernighan and Pike's _The Unix Programming Environment_ , Linus Torvalds' _Just for Fun_ , Richard Stallman's _The GNU Manifesto_ , and Steve McConnel's _Code Complete_. The O'Reilly book _Unix Power Tools_ also encapsulates much the strength of the Unix toolset. All these are somewhat dated.

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/collapse-of-complex- societies...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/collapse-of-complex- societies/oclc/15083222)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/normal-accidents-living- with-...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/normal-accidents-living-with-high- risk-technologies/oclc/10229932)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/organizing-america-wealth- pow...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/organizing-america-wealth-power-and- the-origins-of-corporate-capitalism/oclc/939707157)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/unix-programming- environment/...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/unix-programming- environment/oclc/10269821)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/unix-power- tools/oclc/5238168...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/unix-power- tools/oclc/52381684)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/free-software-free-society- se...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/free-software-free-society-selected- essays-of-richard-m-stallman/oclc/51101440)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/just-for-fun-the-story-of- an-...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/just-for-fun-the-story-of-an- accidental-revolutionary/oclc/45610395)

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/code-complete-a-practical- han...](https://www.worldcat.org/title/code-complete-a-practical-handbook-of- software-construction/oclc/27035508)

</comment><comment><USER205> "Dead souls", by Nikolaj Gogol. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Souls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Souls)

</comment><comment><USER206> The Underachiever's Manifesto: The Guide to Accomplishing Little and Feeling Great [http://amzn.to/1GmFRvX](http://amzn.to/1GmFRvX)

</comment><comment><USER207> My favourite is "The New Way Things Work" by David Macaulay. Loved this book as a kid, it really got me into trying to figure out how the world worked (the title really nailed it).

</comment><comment><USER18> Lots of good books have been mentioned.

I think _Watership Down_ is worth considering.

I only read it because I had to as a 15 yo, and it was absolutely brilliant. I went and read every other book Richard Adams wrote.

</comment><comment><USER22> \- 48 Law of Power (Because we all have to deal with power games and politics)

\- The Intelligent Investor (Because people ask how do I invest)

\- Fooled by Randomness (Same ideas as Black Swan but oriented towards the markets)

Edit: formating

</comment><comment><USER208> The Blind Side, The Hard Thing about Hard Things, Sex at Dawn.

If asked, I would say those aren't the books I've found most amazing but they're the ones I felt compelled to give as gifts.

<comment><USER119> >Sex at Dawn

I hate to be that guy, but I thought that book was unreadable. Had some weird obsessive chip on the shoulder about Darwin (mentioned on almost every page). Complete with nearly contentless USA Today style infographics. I'd recommend "Sperm Wars" instead.

</comment></comment><comment><USER209> "Mathematics: From the Birth of Numbers", by Jan Gullberg.

</comment><comment><USER210> "At Home" by Bill Bryson.

"Quiet" by Susan Cain.

"Hackers" by Steven Levy.

</comment><comment><USER211> The Art of Travel, by Alain de Botton [https://g.co/kgs/3WZtk1](https://g.co/kgs/3WZtk1) . I highly recommend it!

<comment><USER212> Second that and add: Status Anxiety

</comment></comment><comment><USER213> "Economics in one Lesson" by H. Hazlitt (conveys the same as "Atlas shrugged" in much much less pages)

"The Selfish Gene" (R. Dawkins)

"Dune" (F. Herbert)

"Walden II" (B. F. Skinner)

</comment><comment><USER214> _Shadows on the Koyukuk_ , by Sidney Huntington

 _Skunk Works_ , by Ben Rich

</comment><comment><USER215> The Dune series by Frank Herbert is by far one of the best works of fiction ever written.

I recommend it to anyone interested in something mind-expanding and entertaining at the same time.

</comment><comment><USER216> Capital in the 21C - Thomas Piketty

Because it changes the way you see the world.

</comment><comment><USER4> I heard the owl call my name, by Margaret Craven

I get the feeling this is better known in the US/Canada than here in Australia.

I found it during an unstable time of my life and it helped a lot.

</comment><comment><USER217> After reading Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, I offered it as a gift to most of my friends. It's an exhilarating read, one that I would recommend to anyone

</comment><comment><USER101> The Mythical Man-Month

<comment><USER218> I gave this to my colleagues when I joined the my current development project, the lessons about trying to scale development teams remain pretty sound.

</comment></comment><comment><USER219> I've given On Intelligence and The Alchemist as gifts.

</comment><comment><USER220> Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. A memoir of how Nike was build from scratch. Written is a witty funny way that can be totally funny and brutally honest.

</comment><comment><USER221> One book that works well for techy parents who have kids is _The Number Devil_. It's fantastic read-with-your-kid-at-bedtime material.

</comment><comment><USER222> _On What Matters_ by Derek Parfit.

Happened to be vol. 1, but vol. 2 is also fantastic. Honestly, _Reasons & Persons_ would also make a fine gift.

</comment><comment><USER145> Zero to One by P. Thiel (cheezy for HN, I know)

Meltdown by T. Woods (cool guy, Austrian Economy)

The Witcher by A. Sapkowski (Fantasy, but It reads well only in polish language)

</comment><comment><USER223> This year I gave "The Martian" to four different people. They couldn't thank me enough. Best SF book I've ever read.

</comment><comment><USER224> I love this thread. One that hasnt been mentioned and that I've enthusiastically gifted is The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin.

</comment><comment><USER225> _Economics in One Lesson_ by Henry Hazlitt.

<comment><USER148> Me too. It's an easy read and deliveres an Enlightenment to the typical economic-folklore. I also like it because it doesn't question your morale, but just asks to broaden your scope of possible perspectives.

</comment></comment><comment><USER226> Android Internals: A Confectioner's Cookbook

<comment><USER227> Any idea where I can find a copy of this?

<comment><USER226> Through the author. [http://newandroidbook.com/msg.html](http://newandroidbook.com/msg.html)

</comment></comment></comment><comment><USER228> The Little Schemer

</comment><comment><USER229> _Against The Gods_ by by Peter L. Bernstein

</comment><comment><USER230> _On Writing Well_ by Zinsser

 _Traction_ by Weinberg & Mares

 _Predictable Revenue_ by Ross

 _Choose Yourself_ by Altucher

 _Learn Python the Hard Way_ by Shaw

 _Mere Christianity_ by Lewis

</comment><comment><USER231> I gave my father Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Horrors of war and the triumph of the human spirit. What a story, what a life!

</comment><comment><USER232> Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death makes a great gift for anyone who watches too much TV or is addicted to Youtube

</comment><comment><USER233> Steven Levy's Hackers, to a boy considering a career in computers

Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, to a fan of history

</comment><comment><USER234> "how to cook a wolf" by mfk fisher. Insight into tough times, getting by, and making the most of those times.

</comment><comment><USER235> 10% Happier by Dan Harris (audio book, narrated by the author)

A light hearted account of a news anchor's introduction to meditation

</comment><comment><USER236> Nonfiction:Global Brain, Fiction:Robinson Crusoe. A handful of poetry (rumi) and philosophy books over the years too.

</comment><comment><USER237> The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley

</comment><comment><USER238> I think I've given "Go Tell It On The Mountain" by James Baldwin more times than any other book.

</comment><comment><USER239> Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.

This book got its hooks into me. Also fantastic writing craft if you get a kick out of that.

</comment><comment><USER240> "Ecotopia" by: Earnest Callenbach

"Self Reliance" by: Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The Iron Heel" by: Jack (fuckin) London!

</comment><comment><USER241> 2 that I've given and reread myself a few times would be:

 _Catch-22_ by Joseph Heller

 _The Third Policeman_ by Flann O'Brien

</comment><comment><USER242> "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green,

"P.S. I Love You" by Cecelia Ahern,

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee,

</comment><comment><USER243> Calculus Made Easy by Silvanus P. Thompson

I was surprised to find out how old this text was. It hasn't aged a day!

</comment><comment><USER244> The Dark Side of Camelot, by Seymour Hersh. A very, very interesting treatment of the Kennedys.

</comment><comment><USER78> _The Gambler_ by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Not a long read but classic Dostoevsky. A real gem.

</comment><comment><USER245> Would anyone recommend a book about mathematical thinking? Basic, intro level would fit best.

<comment><USER246> Have you read "The Mathematical Experience" by Davis and Hersh? It's a fantastic and engaging introductory book that tries to get across what drives mathematical investigation. The reviews on Amazon are pretty accurate.

</comment></comment><comment><USER247> The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

</comment><comment><USER248> Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

to my college best friend as a birthday gift.

</comment><comment><USER249> "Maus" by Art Spiegelman

"The Way Things Work" by David Macaulay

"Winnie the Pooh" by A.A. Milne

</comment><comment><USER250> The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan. A beautiful and moving tale of post-boom rural Ireland.

</comment><comment><USER251> I've gifted the PostSecret books to several people - it's always well received.

</comment><comment><USER252> Will Self – Great Apes. To remind people that sometimes we're just fucking monkeys.

</comment><comment><USER253> "Make you contacts count", to a couple of cousins who will start working soon.

</comment><comment><USER254> I've received The Brothers Karamazov, and found it to be my new favourite book.

</comment><comment><USER255> For the under-4 set: The House In The Night. It's a perfect new-baby book.

</comment><comment><USER256> \- The Ultra-Mind Solution, by Dr Mark Hyman

\- Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand

\- The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

</comment><comment><USER257> Lean Customer Development

</comment><comment><USER258> Cookin' with Coolio

<comment><USER259> I had to check to make sure this wasn't some kind of joke, but it is real!

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookin%27_with_Coolio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookin%27_with_Coolio)

</comment></comment><comment><USER260> Mitch Albom: Tuesdays with Morrie

Karin Boye: Kallocain

Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451

Raymond Chen: The Old New Thing

</comment><comment><USER261> One, Two, Three... Infinity by George Gamow.

I can't recommend it enough.

</comment><comment><USER262> "What do you do with an idea?" By Kobi Yamada

</comment><comment><USER263> The 48 Laws of Power

<comment><USER264> Seconded.

If you find the tactics in this book reprehensible and vile, it's even more important that you read it so you are not taken in by them. People do these things because they work.

</comment></comment><comment><USER101> The Interpretation of Cultures (Clifford Geertz)

</comment><comment><USER265> "How the World Works" by Noam Chomsky

</comment><comment><USER266> James Kunstler: "The Long Emergency"

</comment><comment><USER101> Breakfast at Tiffany's (Truman Capote).

</comment><comment><USER267> _Infinite Jest_ by David Foster Wallace

</comment><comment><USER268> many copies of "Secrets of Consulting" by Gerald Weinberg and two copies of Bionomics by Michael Rothschild

</comment><comment><USER269> Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf

</comment><comment><USER270> The 4 part LBJ book series by Robert Caro.

</comment><comment><USER38> Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

</comment><comment><USER271> The Phoenix Project, many, many times.

</comment><comment><USER272> The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

</comment><comment><USER273> The Denial of Death - Ernest Becker

</comment><comment><USER274> The Alchemist

</comment><comment><USER275> The Kamasutra to a friend.

Didn't work sadly.

</comment><comment><USER276> The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

</comment><comment><USER101> Primo Levi, The Periodic Table.

</comment><comment><USER277> The peripheral by Wiliam Gibson

</comment><comment><USER278> The Art of Computer Programming

<comment><USER160> That's a really nice gift

</comment></comment><comment><USER279> Complications by Atul Gawande

</comment><comment><USER280> Life Inc. by Douglas Rushkoff

</comment><comment><USER101> The Double Helix (Watson)

</comment><comment><USER281> Something of John Verdon

</comment><comment><USER282> Thinking, Fast and Slow

</comment><comment><USER283> Uncle Tom´s cabin

</comment><comment><USER284> Thing Explainer.

</comment><comment><USER285> The Lean Startup

</comment><comment><USER286> The Alchemist

</comment><comment><USER17> Non-fiction

The Emperors New Mind - Roger Penrose

Godel, Escher, Bach - Douglass Hoffstadter

Brocas Brain - Carl Sagan

The (mis)Behavior of Markets - Benoit Mandelbrot

The Black Swan - Nicholas Nassem Taleb

Fiction

Gates Of Fire - Stephen Pressfield

Neuromancer - William Gibson

Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson

Hardwired - Walter Jon Williams

Altered Carbon - Richard Morgan

Red Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson

Space - Stephen Baxter

Enders Game - Orson Scott Card

Skeleton Crew - Stephen King

I've given away a lot of books. I'm old.

<comment><USER287> Good list. Define ou haven't read all of these but of the ones you've mentioned I can tell I'd probably like the rest. Have you read Anathem or any of Peter Watts' stuff? If not give them a try.

</comment></comment><comment><USER288> I've given Flatland: an adventure in many dimensions on some occasions.

I think it's a wonderful and amusing book, full of philosophical and political meaning that can be read at almost any age.

</comment><comment><USER289> If the book is so generic that someone can suggest it here, then it's not a good gift.

But a great philosophy is below. People will appreciate the gesture and you'll never get cranky about lent books never returned.

"It's a gift. Never lend a book."

― Bill Adama

</comment><comment><USER290> "The hacker Ethic and the spirit of the information age", Pekka Himanen.

"Deadhead", Robert Sheckley.

"The world she wanted", Philip K. Dick.

"Poesia in forma di rosa", Pasolini.

</comment><comment><USER291> Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh

Great primer on mindful meditation.

</comment><comment><USER292> > Meanwhile there's plenty of stuff happening in the world straight from the > Nazi playbook of the 30s.

Can you elaborate?

<comment><USER293> Trump jumps to mind.

<comment><USER294> Sorry to be that guy, but could you elaborate further?

<comment><USER295> Exploitation of the public's fear, promises to make the country great again, rejection by their own party once they figured out that they might come to power. Those spring to mind as examples.

<comment><USER92> >Exploitation of the public's fear, >promises to make the country great again,

So any politician running for an election?

> rejection by their own party once they figured out that they might come to > power.

You mean, the basic reason the democrats invented the super delegate to begin with?

Not sure how old you are, but when Bush 2 was in power the same comments were made. I guess Bush didn't turn into Hitler so now it's Trumps turn.

<comment><USER296> > Not sure how old you are, but when Bush 2 was in power the same comments > were made.

I'm sure there are some who complained of that, but nobody I know did. There is a categorical difference between merely having a different policy agenda (most Republicans) and outright rejecting basic Constitutional principles (ex. religious equality, free press, no torture).

I didn't vote for Romney in 2012, but I certainly didn't think he was a fascist.

Pretending that all politicians are equivalent is rather ignorant. After all, Hitler was _also_ a politician and clearly he was in fact different, as were dozens of other leaders who around the world who have shared his approach.

<comment><USER168> _I 'm sure there are some who complained of that, but nobody I know did._

Look up "Bush Hitler" and you'll see plenty of images. It's the American national past-time to compare our president to either Hitler or the Antichrist, depending on your persuasion.

<comment><USER296> As I said, I'm sure that plenty of people did. Fringe groups will always have extreme opinions.

That's different than mainstream news sources and even multiple historians making the comparison. No credible argument could be made for Bush (or any other Republican) being a fascist, but Trump's campaign follows many fascist criteria. Compare the results, to see for yourself that it's obviously a whole different degree:

\- [http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/#/trump+hitler/](http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/#/trump+hitler/)

\- [http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/#/bush+hitler/](http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/#/bush+hitler/)

Or just look at the facts. Bush never campaigned on an explicit central theme of xenophobia and fear of foreigners. Heck, immigration reform was actually one of the stronger aspects of his policy proposals. Yet Trump's most consistent message, by far, is that we need to be afraid of foreigners and minorities—something straight out of the fascist playbook.

<comment><USER92> >As I said, I'm sure that plenty of people did. Fringe groups will always have extreme opinions.

If you consider MSNBC a fringe group:

[http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/chris-matthews-compares- bushs-...](http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/chris-matthews-compares-bushs- aggressive-iraq-war-nazis-trial-nuremberg)

</comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment></comment><comment><USER297> "The Way to Happiness" by L. Ron Hubbard is a common-sense moral code. It's inspired me to be a better person in different ways (e.g., as a husband, professionally, personally, etc.). I gave it to a plumber in Sydney once (I used to hand them out) and he came back and asked for a few more for his mates "because they could use it".

[http://www.thewaytohappiness.org](http://www.thewaytohappiness.org)

<comment><USER60> Putting the scientology stuff to one side for a moment, L. Ron Hubbard's _Battlefield Earth_ and _Mission Earth_ books are fun pulp sci-fi, good for summer holiday reading.

<comment><USER297> Aye. BTW, I just got this promotion from the publisher: Amazon Kindle edition of _Battlefield Earth_ (1094 pages) is available for 99 cents until midnight August 14th.

[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B41I4NI/ref=as_li_tl?ie...](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B41I4NI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=galaxypcom-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01B41I4NI&linkId=cee637675360d7a332e5803c5d1cb021)</comment></comment></comment>