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Comment by marttt | Hacker News Reader

(I'm in my late 30s, but I always try to look for "time-tested" books first. Books that seem to hold their value after decades; see also: Lindy effect.)

Language and linguistics: "Metaphors We Live By" by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (1980): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphors_We_Live_By

Systems thinking: "An Introduction to General Systems Thinking" by Gerald M. Weinberg (1975): https://geraldmweinberg.com/Site/General_Systems.html

I still often use Weinberg's Systems Triumvirate when feeling stuck on a problem:

1. Why do I see what I see?

2. Why do things stay the same?

3. Why do things change?

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Lakoff and Johnson followed up with Philosophy in the Flesh, applying their conceptual metaphor analysis to philosophies and philosophers. One of the most enlightening philosophy books I've read - and I read mostly philosophy for many years - it felt like having my eyes opened. And the book that helped me in understanding art and music far more than any other, Dewey's Art as Experience, I picked up because of good things they say about Dewey in the first pages of Philosophy in the Flesh! I'm a musician and artist, so I'm extremely grateful for that lead.

"Philosophy in the Flesh" has stubbornly been in my "most relevant books" reading list for several years, hmm. I came across it when I had interest in mind-body relationship, and immediately thought about it as the book for me. Unfortunately, those interests have shifted a little for now; or maybe it's just the 600+ pages that has been holding me back (considering that "Metaphors We Live By" was also quite a demanding book).

Thanks very much for reminding about this one, though. Feeling inspired to look into it again now.

I would add The Embodied Mind - Francisco Varela and Evan Thompson (1991) https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/embodied-mind-revised-edition

A great accomponiment to the first two, and a great read for those in AI related fields to start thinking about cognition more holistically and less computationally.

+1. Haven't read that one, but I remember being fascinated by Varela's "Ethical Know-how: Action, Wisdom, and Cognition": https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=896

Weinberg's book should be required reading for all scientists and engineers.

Any good readings on the Triumvirate? Struggling to apply it to troubleshooting code

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