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Gift HN: Book Giveaway/Exchange
65 points by yan on Oct 15, 2010 | hide | past | favorite | 70 comments
So, inspired by jacquesm's giveaway of subdomains a few minutes ago, I'd like to start a HN book exchange/give away. I currently have a few recent CS classics that I no longer need and would be up for shipping them to someone in the continental US for just the cost of shipping. (Media mail is just a few dollars. If you really need the book and can't transfer money, I'll just cover the cost).

I encourage others to post books others might want that they no longer need and would be willing to either give them away, or trade for others.

edit: if contacting anyone in this thread by email, please prepend "HN Books: " to your subject. Also, please consider upvoting this thread if you think it's a good idea. The more eyeballs see this, the better it works.




This really needs a persistent website of some kind somewhere. Otherwise this is practically doomed to obscurity in a week or so.

Unless this sort of thing is better suited to being highly temporary, with new ones spawning whenever someone gets the itch? I don't see how, but I may not be thinking of something.


i made http://hntrades.com/ this afternoon after reading the domain thread.

it supports adding books, though i could work on some code to be able to put in an isbn number to automatically pull the book information.


There's already bookmooch, bookcrossing, etc. Unfortunately, when bookmooch released an open search API, people strip-mined collections for anything they could re-sell for profit on amazon. It needs to be handled very carefully.


make it tied to your hn account and have a karma limit? I know that it can be easily gamed but as a low pass filter it would be fairly successful.

Have someone create an account on the site and then the site gives a token to put in your profile to verify. After that it is linked.


I think this is doomed as a full-time website, once someone has traded a book they want to sit down and read it for a while before they trade again, so there will be very low traffic.

This thing is great as a yearly thread though, wait for all the pressure of unwanted books to build up and then throw them into one thread. Then once the pressure has dissipated wait until next year to do it again.


I have a little hobby swap site that I could quickly convert into an unofficial HN book/thing swap. I would be glad to release the source if necessary so others could improve upon it, seeing that there are a few things I haven't had time to finish. Let me know HN, this seems to be a common enough thing for a dedicated solution.


Very nice!

Hm, this is an interesting development. Sort of a HN pay it forward.

The subdomain giveaway thread referred to is here:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1796231


And I'll start, I have the following books (will add a few later) that I can send out for just the cost of shipping and a promise that they'll be useful to you or you'll appreciate them as much as I did:

- Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (2nd ed) by Russell and Norvig (hardcover)

- Introduction to Algorithms (2nd ed) by Cormen, Leiserson, Rivest and Stein. (hardcover)

(a few more will post tonight or tomorrow. shipping from nyc)


I'd love the AI book. My undergrad didn't cover any AI topics and so I've been looking forward to spending some time with this book to get a deep understanding of the subject matter. Skynet is my inspiration :) I'm in Boston and happy to cover shipping.


I'll love to get the AI book. I live in Thailand though but I could pay for the shipping, it's still cheaper than buying through amazon/ebay


Are you at all willing to ship to AK if I were to cover the cost? I'd love to get that Algorithms book.


I have the first three volumes of "The Art Of Computer Programming" Hard bound, some scuffs on the covers but no other damage.

I also have some new RoR books that I bought and never used as well as a number books on operating system design..

I also have a lot of C++ books and a lot of UNIX books.

Anyone have any really awesome Apple books for trade?


Unfortunately I've nothing Apple specific; however, I've been saving to get Knuth's magnum opus.

OTOH, I can definitely paypal you the cost of shipping and promise I can use them.


I have Hillegass's "Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X (2nd ed)" if you're interested and can ship. What OS books do you have?


I have the Hillegass book (he is a friend of mine).

I have: - Modern Operating Systems - Operating Systems Concepts - Operating Systems (Design and Implementation) - Solaris Internals - Design of the FreeBSD Operating System

Sorry for being vague. I just dont have them in front of me right this second...but I cab get more specific if you want.


Hm I have Modern Operating Systems and Solaris Internals somewhere here I'd be willing to put up also. (Hard to part with McKusick's fbsd book..) I'm definitely going to add a bunch tonight.


I've got a lot of books listed here, but you need to meet me in person to get them (I'm in Boston): http://github.com/bostonrb/bostonrb/wiki/BookSwap


Neat!! I had a similar idea a while ago , for any books. The idea was to read a book, then write your name/email in it and leave it somewhere where someone else may pick it up and read. Then they in turn would write their name/emails in it and leave it somewhere, and so on and so forth. It would be cool to see how many people read that book after a couple of months/years.


http://www.bookcrossing.com/


Wooo! looks like i'm not the only one. though my intention was to leave the book lying around in someplace like a cafe and where someone may pick it up and continue the chain.


Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages and Computation; Hopcroft Ullmann (the cinderella book), Object Oriented Python; Goldwasser Letscher, An Introduction to Database Systems; Date, C Programming A Modern Approach; K.N King, Mastering Algorithms with C Loudon, Computer Logic Designs and Applications; Hsu. Live in Chicago, happy to help.


Mastering Algorithms sounds great. I live in Tucson, AZ but could paypal you shipping. Is there a particular type of book you would want to trade for? My library is small but has a few gems.


Paypal would be fine, and no need to feel obligated to trade, I'm just trying to lessen the load on my shelves, especially if someone will make use of it. Hit me up danieltpeters at the mail of the great g ;)


I already have my own copy, but the Date - Introduction to Database Systems book is quite good. I hope somebody trades you something worthwhile. :)


Since Derek Sivers gave it to me and I've read through it, I think it'd be cool to pass it forth.

Citizen Marketers http://www.amazon.com/Citizen-Marketers-When-People-Message/...

It's not CS but it's an interesting read for those interested in product evangelism


I would love to read this. I sent you an e-mail.


I'm a first year CE student with not a lot of cash to spare-- I would absolutely love either SICP or K&R's 'C Programming Language'. I have them both in digital format, but it'd be extremely nice having them in dead-tree format as well since I get eye strain from looking at the LCD screen for too long.


I've got a copy of both, but I don't think I could part with them.

Got an Amazon wishlist?


Now I do:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3SFSFIGEGKWS4


Just wondering, perhaps an opportunity here, is there anything like netflix for books?


...the library


And before you complain that your library doesn't have many good CS books, look into inter-library loan. Libraries can often ship from other branch and regional libraries, and sometimes from both public and academic libraries throughout the US* (generally for a small fee, and be patient). I've borrowed rare books (including the Codex Seraphinianus!) for several weeks through my library, for $5.

Of course, if you have access to an academic library, particularly at a university with a decent CS program, start there. Particularly if you're looking for research papers, rather than books - it's what they do.

(I worked in a library for several years. <3.)

* I'm assuming you're in the US - I don't know about public libraries elsewhere.


The library also has TV shows and movies on DVD.


touche, good point.


There are a few sites that already do that, but I've personally never used them.

http://www.bookswim.com/

http://www.booksfree.com/


I use paperbackswap.com which works pretty well. I've mailed maybe 2 dozen books on the service and received maybe 10. It works quite well (though the design sensibilities are a bit off putting).


I have been eyeing SICP and the Norvig AI books at the bookstore for about 3 months now.

If anyone has one of these and is interested in any of the following, I'd love to trade:

- Artificial Minds

- Scientific Integrity

- Pragmatic Version Control Using Git

- Thinking with Type (First Edition)


While it's not exactly the same as _Pragmatic Version Control Using Git_, _Pro Git_ (http://progit.org/book/) is available free online.


Parallel Programming in C with MPI and OpenMP by Michael J. Quinn

It's been kicking around in my closet for too long now. Free to any HNer who could use it, though I'd appreciate it if shipping were covered.


I've got a relatively new Wicket in Action (Apache Wicket), Code Complete, and Rapid Development. I'd trade for some web programming books (CSS/JS/RoR). Mid-atlantic USA.


I am interested in code complete. I have "The Rails Way" by Fernandez and/or "Rails Recipes" by Fowler.


I'd be interested in The Rails Way, but I'll let you know in a week. I haven't yet figured out a way to swap with guarantees that I'll actually receive what I wanted. Now that I know someone is interested in it, I also decided to take it off of the bookshelf and see if I should actually read it.


I'd love Code Complete, however I have no web dev books, anything in graphics or AI interest you?


I've also got Software Architecture in Practice, 2nd edition, by Bass et al.


[deleted]


REWORK would be great. I am in San Jose. E-Mail me? E-Mail in profile.


Jason, the email field in your profile is just visible to you, you need to add another address in the text blurb.

see: http://jacquesmattheij.com/The+Unofficial+HN+FAQ#email


Thanks for the link. Corrected now.


No email in your profile


I'm a CS student in East Sussex, England. Having paid so, so much money to buy Uni books, I would absolutely love anything to do with C++ and Python. Anything at all.


I could offer up the Thinking in C++ series by Bruce Eckel unless that is to beginning for you. Just pay shipping.


I can also offer "C++ in 21 days" which is a decent book, barring it's awful title.


I have quite a bit of Python and Django if you'd like


- I have an extra copy of Goldberg's "Smalltalk80 the Language and its implementation" (HC)

- Also of the XINU Kernel osdev book (HC)

- A copy of "House of Leaves" (HC)


Could I get the House of Leaves off you? :) I've got a lot of old Lisp etc. books, I could probably find something worth a trade. Contact info in my profile, and I'm in Michigan.


If anyone wants a copy of The Design of Everyday Things, it’s yours. Covering shipping from Canada would be much appreciated.


I have heard that is a good design book - also located in Canada.


It’s yours. :)


I can offer up REWORK by the 37 signals guys and/or Rules For Revolutionaries by Guy Kawasaki

Just cover shipping from NYC


REWORK would be great. I am in San Jose. E-Mail me? E-Mail in profile.


I looked at my Profile and it does show my e-mail for sure...Yours does not have one though..am I missing something obvious?


There are two places you can put your email. Put it in both if you want it to show up to others.


Your email is not visible to others unless you list it again in your "about" section.


Weird hit me up on twitter @ctravisfd


ok I will in a bot Twitter has been "Over Capacity" for me all day or e-mail me slackmoehrle -AT- <Google's e-mail domain.com>


I am willing to trade or give away Practical Cryptography by Niels Ferguson, Bruce Schneier.


I would love to accept it, would you like to trade for Rework, Just for Fun, Getting Real, or any of my numerous books on Java/Linux/C/Game development/AI/3D game development?


Sounds good. How about an AI introductory book, if you have any?


How does this look?

http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Game-Example-Mat-Buckland/...

It's based on C++, and covers state machines, fuzzy logic, etc. It's a little old so there is no mention of behavior trees, but it does cover goal-driven behavior and is a great introduction to most techniques in AI.

you can email me at p206@briancloutier.com


Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics by Garrod. I accidentally purchased 2 copies.


Anyone in Norway want to trade/get some books on design?




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