Best of 2011 · Top 10 Books

Best of 2011

The 10 highest-scoring books whose peak discussion occurred in 2011.

01
Cover of Modern Perl

Modern Perl

chromatic
Mentioned alongside Higher-Order Perl as an example of elegant and powerful Perl programming.
Score
71.7
Sent.
58.8/100
Positive
Subst.
70.9/100
Very Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
54.8/100
Good Stories
Mentions
61
Threads
34
Commenters
39
02

The Road to Reality

Roger Penrose
A comprehensive physics text exploring the concept of eternal return and a cyclical universe through Penrose's theories. HN discussion notes it as intellectually challenging, difficult to understand even for readers with physics training and graduate education.
Score
65.5
Sent.
44.3/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
56.9/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
86.0/100
Exceptional Stories
Mentions
42
Threads
22
Commenters
36
03

Why Don't Students Like School?

Daniel Willingham
Commenters reference Willingham's work on learning and cognitive science, with one noting that Willingham does an excellent job filtering research on human learning and recommending reading all his writings.
Score
64.8
Sent.
34.9/100
Mixed
Subst.
72.0/100
Very Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
78.6/100
High-Quality
Mentions
12
Threads
10
Commenters
11
04

Starting Strength

Mark Rippetoe
A foundational weightlifting book covering proper form, safety, and strength training theory through diagrams and detailed explanations. HN users consider it life-changing for serious beginners, though note the author can be somewhat dogmatic.
Score
64.3
Sent.
39.1/100
Mixed
Subst.
61.8/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
82.0/100
High-Quality
Mentions
15
Threads
10
Commenters
15
05

How to Write Mathematics

Paul Halmos
Halmos is celebrated as an outstanding expositor whose work on clear mathematical writing is highly regarded and recommended for learning how to communicate mathematics effectively.
Score
63.8
Sent.
40.9/100
Mixed
Subst.
59.7/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
74.8/100
High-Quality
Mentions
17
Threads
11
Commenters
14
06

Predictably Irrational

Dan Ariely
An exploration of human decision-making and cognitive biases through behavioral economics. HN readers found it more engaging than anticipated despite familiarity with some core concepts.
Score
63.7
Sent.
46.1/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
55.7/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
63.0/100
Good Stories
Mentions
35
Threads
26
Commenters
33
07

Learn Python the Hard Way

Zed Shaw
Recommended as a resource for beginners learning Python programming.
Score
63.3
Sent.
47.5/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
53.9/100
Moderate Depth
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
58.0/100
Good Stories
Mentions
30
Threads
15
Commenters
28
08

Moonwalking with Einstein

Joshua Foer
The author debunks myths about memorization abilities and explores how famous characters with apparent perfect recall may use natural versions of learnable mental techniques rather than being charlatans.
Score
61.6
Sent.
36.1/100
Mixed
Subst.
61.4/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
67.5/100
Good Stories
Mentions
16
Threads
11
Commenters
16
09

Hackers and Painters

Paul Graham
A collection of essays exploring hacker culture, programming aesthetics, and the importance of side projects. HN community considers it essential reading for programmers and frequently recommends it as a foundational text.
Score
60.5
Sent.
43.9/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
43.3/100
Moderate Depth
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
70.6/100
High-Quality
Mentions
24
Threads
15
Commenters
23
10

Weapons of Mass Instruction

John Taylor Gatto
Cited as a work examining how compulsory schooling systems suppress creativity and individualism.
Score
59.3
Sent.
27.0/100
Slightly Negative
Subst.
67.6/100
Substantive
Diverse
99.7/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
67.0/100
Good Stories
Mentions
11
Threads
9
Commenters
9