Ask HN: What were the best books you read this year? (2019)

mtmail · on Jan 1, 2020

"Ask HN: Favorite Nonfiction Books of 2019?" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21792158

"Ask HN: What book(s) had the most impact for you in 2019?" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21677320

"Ask HN: Books You Read in 2019?" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21799531

"Ask HN: What were the best science fiction books that you read in 2019?" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21925100

freedomben · on Jan 1, 2020

Nice, thanks. This list probably covers it all!

mindcrime · on Jan 1, 2020

Well, first things first, here's the list of what I read (well, everything I finished) in 2019.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/33942804-phillip-rhode...

Out of those, which ones would I pick as "the best"? Hmm... I guess I'd single out the following for mention:

Non-fiction:

A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science - Barbara Oakley

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft - Stephen King

CustomerCentric Selling - Michael Bosworth

The Prime Solution: Close the Value Gap, Increase Margins, and Win the Complex Sale - Jeff Thull

The Man Who Tamed Lightning - Floyd Miller

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid - Douglas Hofstadter

Mastering the Complex Sale: How to Compete and Win When the Stakes Are High! - Jeff Thull

Fiction:

Zero Sum Game - S.L. Huang

The Institute - Stephen King

The Night Window - Dean Koontz

Blue Moon - Lee Child

freedomben · on Jan 2, 2020

Thanks for the list! Several of those look incredibly interesting. Do you tend to prefer fiction or nonfiction more?

mindcrime · on Jan 2, 2020

Do you tend to prefer fiction or nonfiction more?

That's a tough question. I hate to sound like I'm dodging the issue, but I'd say it's pretty close to 50/50. But if you put a gun to my head and made me pick, I guess I'd say that I have a very slight preference for reading non-fiction.