Hacker News Reader

Comment by brown9-2 | Hacker News Reader

Really liked this.

For anyone who has read Alain de Botton: Could you recommend some of his books? I'm really interested in checking out his work after watching this.

View on HN

This talk is derived from his book "Status Anxiety" as is the documentary of the same name which is available on Youtube in low quality:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=336D8AE0334C5C91

I learned a huge amount from reading this book. I bought it second hand for perhaps 3 pounds. If it had cost 100 pounds it would still have been worth it for the gems I got out of it!

I have just finished reading "The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work" which I thought was fantastic. Particularly the chapter where he follows a high voltage electricity line across southern England until it disappears underground in London. He walks with a man who's a 'pylon geek' essentially and it's wonderful.

I read that one recently too. I liked it... something pleasantly British about it (I don't know how else to describe it).

I really enjoyed reading The Consolations of Philosophy by him:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Consolations_of_Philosophy

Try The Art of Travel.

Art of Travel is an excellent book. It contains a great story of a man who decided that planning for traveling is superior to actually traveling and many other great little gems.

I once picked up de Botton's "How Proust can change your Life" in an airport impulse purchase; found it disappointing. But based on others' positive reviews of his other works, I might check those out.

Looks like everyone has a different AdB favourite. I think I enjoyed "On Love" most.

I've only read "The Architecture of Happiness", but I really enjoyed it.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com