Ask HN: What non-fiction do you read?
Share any fascinating books you've been reading lately. I only read non-fiction; mostly philosophy. Here are some books off the top of my head: * The Inner Citadel/Philosophy as a Way of Life by Pierre Hadot * Plato's dialogues (someone already mentioned a few of them, but the Republic was missing from their list). * Epictetus (Discourses and Enchiridion) * The various essays/letters of Seneca * Matter and Consciousness by Churchland (older, but fascinating) * The Mediations of Marcus Aurelius * (mostly) any Buddhist texts * What a Plant Knows * Moonwalking with Einstein There are tons of fascinating books, way too many to list. Second the recommendation for "Moonwalking with Einstein." Ed Cooke (the memory coach and world memory champion featured prominently in the book) is also a really nice chap. If you have any interest in memorization or mnemonics, it's a great read. > If you have any interest in memorization or mnemonics, it's a great read. Absolutely. Even if you don't have an interest in the subject, it's worth a read. I honestly picked that book up out of random; I had no idea such a world of memory existed. Brilliant book. Totally agree. If you like this style of memoir + deep subject dive, I also highly recommend anything by A.J. Jacobs - his "Year of Living Biblically", and "The Know-It-All" are great reads in the same vein. The Very Short Introduction series is great. ie A Very Short Introduction to Art History, Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction etc Your Inner Fish: A Journey Into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
- Really cool account of human evolutionary history Stolen Focus (Johann Hari)
- About how we've lost (and can regain) the ability to focus due to technological distraction (currently social media, etc. but hasn't always been) Chip War
- History and geopolitical significance of the semiconductor industry Second Chip War. That and Breakneck by Dan Wang do a good job of broadening one’s perspective on the global situation Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic Modern environments and lifestyles have changed our jaw development dramatically, contributing to the high prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (snoring through to obstructive sleep apnea), chronic tension, jaw joint problems, and orthodontic need. "The Molecule of More" by Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long. A bit naive but fascinating narrative about how dopamine controls our feelings, addictions, and, basically, happiness. "Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner" by Paul Sammon A deep history of the making of the movie "Blade Runner". Very enjoyable if you liked the movie. Plato's works surrounding Socrates' death: Phaedo, Crito, Euthyphro, The Apology. Its fascinating to discover how many thoughts and ideas they had which are still relevant in our societies today. Also, they are incredibly readable, its like taking part in on a conversation among friends. I've started 'The One Thing' by Gary Keller and it's serving as a helpful reminder to keep my focus undiluted. All Pulitzer price winning non-fiction books — specifically investigative journalism - is always a great read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard History: about halfway through The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium by Anthony Kaldellis. (About halfway through 918 pages, not counting notes etc., so you will see that it holds the interest.) Philosophy: about halfway through A Reading of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit by Quentin Lauer. Memoir: last year read Journeys of the Mind: A Life in History by Peter Brown, The Story of a Life by Konstantin Paustofsky.