Since this year i'm going to force myself to relax by the pool with a book or two, I was wondering what things people would recommend?
I'd prefer things not directly technical (since I tend to read many of them while working) though not necessarily fiction.
Thanks!
See http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176710 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=110899 and http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=85840 for favourite books.
Thanks for that.
Sounds exactly like me. I strongly suggest:
1. The Selfish Gene (Richard Dawkins)
2. The Demon-Haunted World (Carl Sagan)
...or if you need a little inspiration...
3. Founders at Work
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curious_Incident_of_the_Dog...
Which version did you read? Dale Carnegie's estate has published a slightly different version almost every year since Carnegie's death.
The version I read mentioned Stevie Wonder. I was thinking 'WTF? I thought that Stevie Wonder became famous after Dale Carnegie died.' Indeed, I was right. Anyhow, for this reason, I recommend the earliest edition you can obtain so that it is closer to Carnegie's intentions.
There are other very good nerd literature authors out there, like Vernor Vinge and Neal Stephenson, but to me none of them was as big a revelation as Greg Egan.
If you don't mind something non-mainstream and a bit dated, but first-class literature nonetheless, you can try Stanislaw Lem. It's a Polish author but most of his work has been translated to English. I consider him one of the best science fiction authors ever. "The Star Diaries" is light and funny, a perfect pool side reading.
- I'm finishing it this weekend and it's a good fun read with lots to like: portrayal of early comics' culture, history, and impact, working long hours to produce a passionate product, leveraging your best qualities, and finding meaning when it appears bleak.
A short book that shows the awesome power in looking at things in a new light (in this case, through the eyes of a child). Not directly religious as the title may seem. Warning: I can't get to the end of Page 1 without crying.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/04...
If you want something lighter, try Banana Yoshimoto. If you want something with more sex and gruesome murders, try Ryu Murakami.
Nearly everyone that I know who has read it puts it at the top of their list.
Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works: http://tinyurl.com/3ftxva
Founders at Work:http://tinyurl.com/4cytwa
(links are to amazon.com)