Gödel, Escher, Bach
Comments and mentions from HN threads:
Ask HN: What books had the greatest effect on how you structure your code?
BJanecke: Just like the other non programming book on the list(Thinking Fast and Slow) GEB is a lot about perception to me. Understanding that nothing is purely logical nor is it purely expressionistic; by pigeonholing your perception of any design whether it be Code, Math or Art to either Logic xor Expression you are blinding yourself
Ask HN: What's one book that changed your life?
undy: That book made me clearly see what I wanted to do. (I am now a professor of mathematical physics). I should definitely read it again...
Mentions by: AlphaGeekZulu
Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?
Igglyboo: Finally got around to reading it and I'm kicking myself for not doing it earlier. I'm honestly considering staying in school and going for a masters or PhD in computer science after reading it(about to graduate and have job in industry lined up).
Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?
nemo1618: I'm loving it. Some parts are funny, some are dry, and some are truly mind-blowing. As someone who loves wordplay, self-reference, and multiple layers of meaning, this book is like crack. Every chapter surprises me with something new. Its reputation is well-deserved.
Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?
bottled_poe: This book is so rich with philosophical content it will change you.
sesteel: ...changed my entire world view.
Mentions by: dlwdlw : munificent : mountbranch : taylodl
Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models?
autarch: Made me think more deeply about so many topics
vpribish: If you're reading this page you will dig this book.
mck-: What a unique masterpiece. Covers a wide range fascinating concepts through the three geniuses in Math, Art, and Music. Most mind-blowing is his meta-writing style, using short fictional dialogue interludes (sprinkled with easter eggs) to convey each concept in very subtle manner. The joy when you see it.
colordrops: Completely broke down the rigid models I had for how I perceive objects around me and my place in the world.
Mentions by: PappaPatat : omnibrain : carapace : arc_of_descent
Ask HN: Which books do you wish you'd read earlier in life?
thescribe: I hated math for most of high-school, but I read this book between semesters and it changed my career choice.
Ask HN: What book do you recommend everyone should read?
niosus: I've read several times and glean new things each reading. And those things I've learned have formed essential parts of the heuristics I use on a day to day basis to deal with the dark ambiguities of life.
Ask HN: What are your favorite books of all time, and why?
mbrock: Awakened my intellectual curiosity about formal systems and other autistic modes of beauty as a teenager.
Mentions by: bobosha : purplezooey
Ask HN: What books do you keep on your desk?
alehul: It's one of the most informative books I've ever read with a really valuable perspective to view information through. I find myself applying it more frequently the more recently I've re-read it.
Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?
zengid: Made me realize how everything I've found interesting in Art-music-math-science-nature-etc have interrelated features that can be explained from a logical/computational perspective. It planted some ideas in my head that would later blossom into a deep passion for computer science and particularly programming languages.
Mentions by: MikeCapone : rcarmo : vnorilo : cpfeifer : Procrastes
Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?
fanf2: GEB convinced me that intelligence and consciousness could be mechanical. I already knew about chaos and fractals, so I already had the idea that mechanical things could be infinitely complicated and unpredictable. But GEB sealed the deal, and that was it: atheism.
gebBook83: One doesn’t read it so much as study and marvel it
Ask HN: Books on specific topics that have applied to many areas of your life?
Mentions by: anddyyyy
Ask HN: What are your favorite non-fiction books of all time?
Mentions by: myth_buster : yesenadam : atlas1428
Ask HN: Books that change your way of thinking?
kgutteridge: I was recently given this book by a doctor friend its absolutely brilliant and should appeal to any hacker
Ask HN: What are the books that changed the perspective of your life?
grey-area: An exhilarating skip through the wonderland of western maths, art, music and philosophy.
Mentions by: kabdib
Ask HN: Book Recommendations?
Ping_2_Ur_Pong: Recursion, but not from a software perspective. Its a glorious book that will change the way you think about recursion.
Ask HN: What language-agnostic programming books should I read?
mtreis86: ...is about the intersection of music, math, and computers.
Ask HN: What books fundamentally changed the way you think about the world?
Mentions by: yesbabyyes : cgh
Ask HN: What is the most mind blowing book you've ever read?
SCHiM: Shaped the way I think in many ways and really warped my perspective on allot of things.
sriku: Both a work of literary and technical genius.
Mentions by: mikefantast : hoers
Ask HN: Recommend one book I need to read this summer?
Culmat: A beautiful multidisciplinary dive into number theory, self-reference, consciousness art and much more. It's written in the spirit of Lewis Carroll. Really enjoying it right now
Ask HN: What three books impacted your career the most?
msluyter: Because it sparked my interest and got me started down the path.