Ask HN: What is the best thing you read in 2023

by lhoff on 12/23/2023, 6:57:56 PM with 1 comments
Since last years Ask HN[1] was really useful for finding books that I read throughout the year i'd be interested to read about new recommendations.

Is there a book, paper, report or article etc. that really stood out?

[1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34055123

  • by lhoff on 12/23/2023, 7:13:59 PM

    I read three books this year that really changed my life in the order that I read them.

    1. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. S. Dweck helped me to rediscover my curiosity and my eagerness to evolve. I started working at the end of 2022 and I realized that during the last years of university I lost my own drive to learn. There was always something to learn for a course so i either did that or nothing. The book helped me to change that perspective.

    2. Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Dr Anna Lembke helped me to accept and work on my youtube and smartphone addiction. Since then I stopped watching Youtube for pleasure and only watch videos that are work related or that someone send to me. I learned to stand the pain of boredom and don't always jump on the next distraction.

    3. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport helped me to drastically reduce procrastination and increase my productivity and the quality of my work. All that without increasing my work hours. IMHO its a must read for every knowledge worker.