Best of 2019 · Top 10 Books

Best of 2019

The 10 highest-scoring books whose peak discussion occurred in 2019.

01
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Robert M. Pirsig
A philosophical novel examining the nature of quality and the relationship between romantic and classical ways of thinking through a motorcycle journey. HN readers frequently return to it for its profound insights on meaning and values, considering it essential reading for developers interested in philosophy.
Score
76.1
Sent.
73.2/100
Very Positive
Subst.
55.9/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
78.5/100
High-Quality
Mentions
201
Threads
49
Commenters
158
02

Gödel, Escher, Bach

Douglas R. Hofstadter
Hofstadter's work is cited for its mathematical wordplay and philosophical exploration of consciousness and computation.
Score
75.5
Sent.
71.3/100
Very Positive
Subst.
57.6/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
76.3/100
High-Quality
Mentions
189
Threads
91
Commenters
173
03

The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith
An 18th-century foundational text explaining capitalism and economics through accessible reasoning. HN readers consider it absolutely fundamental to understanding economics and more important than modern works like Piketty's.
Score
74.2
Sent.
56.7/100
Positive
Subst.
76.5/100
Very Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
74.5/100
High-Quality
Mentions
110
Threads
72
Commenters
93
04

Men at Arms

Terry Pratchett
RiderOfGiraffes used a Bulgarian translation of this novel as a language learning tool during a work assignment in Bulgaria.
Score
74.1
Sent.
55.4/100
Positive
Subst.
77.4/100
Very Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
75.8/100
High-Quality
Mentions
51
Threads
38
Commenters
50
05

Remembrance of Earth's Past

Liu Cixin
Readers are divided on the trilogy's merits, with many praising its grand sci-fi concepts and ideas but criticizing weak character development, slow pacing, and cultural/stylistic differences from Western sci-fi.
Score
72.7
Sent.
53.5/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
80.7/100
Very Substantive
Diverse
92.1/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
80.8/100
High-Quality
Mentions
79
Threads
6
Commenters
57
06

Getting Things Done

David Allen
A productivity system focused on managing tasks, expectations, and deliverables through structured organization. HN community has mixed views—some find the GTD methodology valuable for task capture and weekly reviews, while others question its effectiveness at prioritizing important work.
Score
72.4
Sent.
68.8/100
Positive
Subst.
51.3/100
Moderate Depth
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
71.1/100
High-Quality
Mentions
130
Threads
65
Commenters
113
07

The Checklist Manifesto

Atul Gawande
Emphasizes the need for processes while solving complex problems like surgery, demonstrating how machines cannot forget tasks that humans might overlook.
Score
70.1
Sent.
56.6/100
Positive
Subst.
61.4/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
71.6/100
High-Quality
Mentions
53
Threads
15
Commenters
47
08

Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury
A dystopian novel warning against mass media and intellectual suppression through the story of firemen who burn books. HN readers cite it as prescient regarding information control and note the irony that summaries and analyses now overshadow the original text in search results.
Score
69.5
Sent.
52.0/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
64.0/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
76.6/100
High-Quality
Mentions
132
Threads
52
Commenters
106
09

How to Change Your Mind

Michael Pollan
An exploration of psychedelic compounds and their therapeutic potential for mental health, personal growth, and self-discovery. HN readers recommend the audiobook version and credit it with providing profound insights into consciousness and spirituality.
Score
69.4
Sent.
56.5/100
Positive
Subst.
57.4/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
74.0/100
High-Quality
Mentions
51
Threads
25
Commenters
44
10

Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids

Bryan Caplan
Commenters reference the book regarding genetic links to behavioral traits and parenting styles, though one commenter argues it doesn't address ethnic genetic differences or the effects of socioeconomic status on behavior.
Score
68.3
Sent.
47.7/100
Mildly Positive
Subst.
68.7/100
Substantive
Diverse
100.0/100
Extremely Diverse
Story
71.1/100
High-Quality
Mentions
37
Threads
25
Commenters
28