Best of 2018 · Top 10 Books

Best of 2018

The 10 highest-scoring books whose peak discussion occurred in 2018.

01
The Master and Margarita

The Master and Margarita

Mikhail Bulgakov
A philosophical novel by Mikhail Bulgakov featuring a fantastical frame story wrapping a grittily realistic interior narrative. HN readers note its emotional resonance and unusual structural inversion of typical frame stories.
Score
75.3
Sent.
67.5/100
Positive
Subst.
60.9/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
80.5/100
High-Quality
Mentions
111
Threads
12
Commenters
79
02

Deep Work

Cal Newport
A productivity book exploring how to maintain deep focus and flow in work rather than constant multitasking. HN readers find it transformative for changing habits and maintaining focus, though some note the anecdotal style is a minor weakness.
Score
72.9
Sent.
67.8/100
Positive
Subst.
54.6/100
Moderate Depth
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
71.1/100
High-Quality
Mentions
131
Threads
64
Commenters
113
03

Calculus

Michael Spivak
A rigorous calculus textbook focused on mathematical analysis and proofs. HN readers praise it as a classic introduction to rigorous mathematics that prepares well for further analysis study, though some note it can be confusing without additional explanation.
Score
71.7
Sent.
52.5/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
72.4/100
Very Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
76.3/100
High-Quality
Mentions
38
Threads
21
Commenters
30
04

Simple Made Easy

Rich Hickey
Cited as the source for definitions of 'simple' versus 'complex' code, arguing that simpler code is preferable for both performance and reasoning.
Score
71.5
Sent.
58.9/100
Positive
Subst.
62.4/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
73.7/100
High-Quality
Mentions
63
Threads
45
Commenters
61
05

The Case for Reparations

Ta-Nehisi Coates
Coates is cited as arguing that reparations would serve as proof of material reconciliation rather than actually fixing economic problems.
Score
70.4
Sent.
38.1/100
Mixed
Subst.
91.0/100
Exceptionally Deep
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
74.7/100
High-Quality
Mentions
17
Threads
11
Commenters
16
06

The Elements of Style

Strunk & White
A concise guide to English writing style and grammar fundamentals. HN readers recommend it as essential for developing writing skills, noting the original Strunk-only version is in the public domain.
Score
70.1
Sent.
54.5/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
62.8/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
76.3/100
High-Quality
Mentions
72
Threads
28
Commenters
55
07

The Feynman Lectures on Physics

Richard Feynman
A collection of physics lectures presenting fundamental concepts through Feynman's distinctive problem-solving approach and clear thinking. HN readers regard it as the physics equivalent of SICP and recommend the original audio recordings to capture Feynman's enthusiasm.
Score
69.7
Sent.
49.8/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
64.5/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
86.8/100
Exceptional Stories
Mentions
33
Threads
17
Commenters
30
08

Object-Oriented Software Construction

Bertrand Meyer
A foundational text on object-oriented design principles and software construction methodology by Eiffel language creator Bertrand Meyer. HN readers consider it an excellent reference despite not necessarily agreeing with all of its positions.
Score
69.7
Sent.
48.8/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
73.5/100
Very Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
67.5/100
Good Stories
Mentions
34
Threads
26
Commenters
23
09

Refactoring

Martin Fowler
The commenter credits Martin Fowler's Refactoring book as the source of the useful trick about not being afraid of one-line methods.
Score
69.6
Sent.
57.1/100
Positive
Subst.
56.8/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
75.3/100
High-Quality
Mentions
57
Threads
34
Commenters
52
10

A Short History of Nearly Everything

Bill Bryson
A tour through the history of science and mathematics written from a travel writer's perspective. HN commenters praise it as an engaging and accessible way to learn about natural sciences while illustrating the importance of execution.
Score
69.2
Sent.
50.4/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
63.2/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
82.4/100
High-Quality
Mentions
37
Threads
26
Commenters
36