2024-05-06

Ask HN: What nonfiction books do you keep rereading?

Types of Books People Re‑read

Why People Re‑read Nonfiction

To notice new details as life experience and expertise grow.
To recalibrate values, motivation, and “moral compass.”
To stay grounded or “centered” in stressful periods.
For concrete ROI (e.g., better salary negotiations, investing, project management).
As comfort reading and recurring annual rituals.

Self‑Improvement, Habits, and Productivity

Habit books are used as ongoing prompts; some re‑listen while commuting.
Implementation-intention and “tiny habits” frameworks are praised.
Several commenters say these systems don’t work well for them, especially with ADHD; they suspect the books miss crucial steps for neurodivergent readers and prefer ADHD‑specific advice.
Classic interpersonal-skills books are reread for practical guidance in everyday interactions; earlier editions are often preferred over later, expanded ones.

Philosophy, Stoicism, and Meaning

Stoic texts (ancient and modern interpretations) are repeatedly revisited for:
- Coping with hardship, finitude, and uncertainty.
- Developing equanimity, assertiveness, and resilience.
Some highlight existential works on absurdity and suicide as deeply clarifying yet accessible.

Business, Startups, and Negotiation

Startup and growth titles (on traction, lean methods, category design, “explosive growth”) are described as:
- Ambition-raising and perspective-changing.
- Sometimes overwhelming but educational even when not directly applicable.
Negotiation books are singled out for huge perceived ROI:
- Specific tactics (precise numbers, certain phrasing) reportedly yielded large salary gains and time savings.
- Others say they quickly forget details and must reread before important negotiations.

Technical and Professional Texts

Networking, systems, and programming classics are reread every few years to:
- Re-anchor fundamentals.
- Appreciate clear exposition and “timeless” models.
Some enjoy highly mathematical or theoretical works for their density and clarity.
Others mostly reread manuals, cookbooks, and technical references rather than general nonfiction.

History, Politics, Economics, and Society

Books on trade, macroeconomics, Asia’s development, and neo‑feudalism are used to understand:
- Why manufacturing and certain policies dominate.
- How class, power, and international imbalances play out.
Political histories and campaign chronicles are reread to interpret current events, with several noting eerie parallels to past crises.
Works on mass movements and “true believers” are revisited to understand authoritarianism and conformity.

Religion and Spirituality

Some treat religious texts (e.g., Bible books, Bhagavad Gita, other devotional works) as:
- Daily or frequent guides to life and ethics.
- Sources of cultural literacy and allusions in literature.
Debate appears around:
- Whether such texts count as “nonfiction.”
- How historically reliable certain scriptures are; one side emphasizes archaeological/ textual robustness, another points to contradictions and unfalsifiable supernatural claims.

Biographies, Memoirs, and Narrative Nonfiction

Tech and business biographies, “soul of a new machine”‑style histories, and musician/pilot memoirs are reread for:
- Insight into creative and engineering culture.
- How politics, ego, and organizational dynamics shape products.
Some motivational autobiographies are criticized:
- One is seen as more self‑harm addiction than healthy discipline.
- Another figure in a similar niche is praised as saner and more useful.

Meta‑Discussion About Recommendations

A few commenters object to bare title‑lists and ask others to explain why they reread a book, viewing that as the valuable part.
Another suggests using frequency of mentions as a rough signal of which books to investigate.
Some lament that many modern nonfiction books are padded; they argue much could be compressed into short essays without losing value.

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