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9 comments

Considering the age of this list, would it not be a terrible idea to create a new one using HN suggestions. Or maybe a much better idea, throw together a website where people can add books (using amazon metadata) and then up vote (or down vote) them so we can build a list of the most important books for hackers to read.

johnfnvor 15 Jahren

The problem with the upvote/downvote mechanism for things like books is that popular books tend to get voted higher than better, less popular books. If only 5 people have heard of a book, but they all think it's amazing, it should probably be around equal or higher than a book that a hundred people read and all thought was okay.

Soapy_Illusionsvor 15 Jahren

Come on we have an entire community of math and computer science wizards here, I think heuristics like that can be quite easily written. Especially using a tab for "Popular Books" and another "Highly Rated"

johnfnvor 15 Jahren

Of course. It's not a hard problem to solve, but it is one to consider.

p4bl0vor 15 Jahren

You mean something like this: http://www.hackernewsers.com/books.html ? ;-)

Soapy_Illusionsvor 15 Jahren

I was just waiting for a link like that, I was sure someone had already done this

Edit: I do still think an up/down vote system to build a Top Hacker News suggested books, could be really cool to see

p4bl0vor 15 Jahren

I agree. A first step is to search HN for "book review"[1] and see what the review says and how many upvote it has. I know it's not exactly what you ask for but it's a start.

[1] https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=site%3Anews.ycombinato...

mindcrimevor 15 Jahren

http://www.hn-books.com/ appears to be something of an attempt to capture the book fancies of the HN crowd.

tokenadultvor 15 Jahren

"Last updated: 7/9/01"

There must be some newer books that would be worthwhile.

axxlvor 15 Jahren

Nothing will ever be more worthwhile than the VHS Gift Pack of Triumph of the Nerds!

On a more serious note, it seems to me that some of this list is still pretty valid.

derridavor 15 Jahren

Godel, Escher, Bach. I cannot recommend this book enough. Read it like it's literature.

ChuckMcMvor 15 Jahren

I would include "Algorithms in C" by Sedgewick [1] and might tone down the wilder side (I mean it is important to understand the dark side of the force but not to dwell on it (unless you're an secops type)).

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Algorithms-Parts-1-5-Bundle-Fundamenta...

tmktmkvor 15 Jahren

Sadly, I've read all of those books. Sigh

lispmvor 15 Jahren

without SICP? It is incomplete!

p4bl0vor 15 Jahren

In my opinion it also lacks "Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment", "Hackers and Painters", "The Cathedral & the Bazaar", "Free as in Freedom", "Rice Tea", "Free Culture", "Steal This Book", "Do it!", "Little Brother", "For The Win"... just to quote those which pop into my head as I'm writing this.

But it's a great idea to have such a list!

isomorphvor 15 Jahren

The Information, James Gleick

brad22vor 15 Jahren

radical-edwardvor 15 Jahren

Katie Hafner and John Markoff are dicks.