Ask HN: What book changed your life?

It’s surprisingly insightful/original/authentic.

I think the key is that you have to read it when you are trying to collaborate with someone and you can't seem to communicate. In that moment, the guidance is a serious level up. If read outside of that context you'll say "well, yeah, sure, duh." In situ, it will help you better communicate (speaking and listening).

Introduced me to the beauty of logic and its limits. Also gave me solid mathematical thinking foundations.

Pro tip: Try listening to Bach while you read about Bach.

More recently - I hesitate to recommend it because the trilogy is unfinished, but still - Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicle books have redefined what is possible with fantasy fiction, with incredible depth and subtlety and literary flourishes. It has flaws for sure, but I can't think of anything that remotely compares to it, and I've read an enormous pile of genre fiction. A real eye opener if you're doing any kind of creative writing.

'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck' by Mark Manson

The book is full of examples and while reading, you go "hey, that's a bit like my friend X", or "hey, that sounds like my Uncle Y". And then, when Mark describes certain personality traits, you think, "hole smoke, that's ME!"

The book is very easy to read and quite enjoyable with everything that it includes. I definitely recommend to check it out.

[0]: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Now-Guide-Spiritual-Enlightenme...

And now I am able to briefly enter a state of complete acceptance and feel pure love flowing through me, like the perfect hug from a perfect being that understands me in every way. The first time I actually teared up a bit, the feeling of being accepted the way I was with no judgement.

It could be God, it could be "collective consciousness", it could be me just tricking my brain into releasing endorphins (and I'm leaning towards that explanation). But the result is amazing, it has seriously helped me with anxiety, fear, self hatred, etc.

Personally I'm depressingly cynical when it comes to Pinker's views, looking at, e.g., https://twitter.com/robinhanson/status/1496685550241292293 and then thinking about how now, given modern weaponry one man's decision could basically destroy all life on earth. A few billion dead in a single conflict would be all it'd take to really mess up Pinker's trend line.

It wasn't the book itself that changed my life, it was the exposure to all of the underlying ideas & philosophies that then significantly changed my life. I know many people can't stand the guy, but his book was really powerful for me at one point in my life. I got my shit together and started to understand the origins of many of the messages he promotes.

I like to think that there's a paradox of book reading in general in that you never remember what you read, but you change because of it.

though honestly I was more influenced by movies than books, I guess strongest influence on hour I vote the world around me had Fight Club, Falling Down and American Beauty plus the car speech in Se7en and Collateral as well, Taxi Driver as well

Think and grow rich - Napoleon Hill

That last one made something click in my head but I find it hard to describe what it is exactly. The key concepts that I learned from this book are in my thoughts and actions every single day.

Some may consider the book and its ideologies excessively materialistic, but I personally find that outlook refreshing especially considering the subject matter: making money; furthermore I think that take is a little baseless as the viewpoint on willpower etc. that Napoleon Hill provides can apply to far more than just accumulating wealth if utilized correctly.

All in all though, it was easily one of the most life-changing books I've ever read and I'm glad to see it's affected others positively too, cheers!

I’ve never even been an “executive” but have found that nuggets from this book have helped me navigate the working world for 25 years.

Very good at putting into words my introspection efforts and try to devise action plans for both personal and professional growth.

Gilgamesh--Stephen Mitchell's translation

Dear Author, you need to quit by Becca Syme-- a book for fiction writers, it opened my eyes to the fact that I dont need to follow the advice of "experts", thats its okay to write what I love and keep my writing a fun hobby. I only recently read this, and it allowed me to restart writing after a 2-3 year gap.

Gave me a new perspective.

It's not overly spiritual, but there's a relaxing, reassuring, thoughtful, and un-judging sense of peace that permeates this books. Brought me out of a really dark place when I was looking for reasons to keep existing.

Cosmos was such a departure from anything else I read for school or for pleasure. It transformed my love of reading into a love of learning.

On the Road gave me wanderlust and made me want to move beyond my bubble and see the world.

Not perfect today by any means but far, far better. And no, I'm not a "practicing" zen buddhist or anything close - the book just sort of reset my mind and outlook on life and dealings with others.

There is no innate talent - it takes practice and repetition to build those capabilities

Scary

It got me into reading about history and taught me to be more critical of media.

And not a book, but a documentary – The War by Ken Burns.

This book explained me concepts of - material - time - and quality

in chess and business life.

"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different."

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."

It show me there is another world if you go outside socialism and that socialism has a lot of bad consequence that are never talked about