On: Ask HN: Best book you read in 2011

[bherms]

Not tech related, but I loved Devil in the White City by Larson and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Pirsig.

Also, I reread Rework about 3 times this year. Always a good and quick read.

[eliben → bherms]

Ah, but Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Pirsig is very much tech related!

[dsr_ → eliben]

For those who want a clue: the book is largely concerned with two things: how to get unstuck, and how to recognize quality.

[bherms → eliben]

Ahh true... That book is really deep. I love it.

Unrelated comment, but I feel compelled to mention... I just moved to SF and read that book right when I got here, only to find out that Pirsigs son (who is one of the main characters of the book) was stabbed and killed at roughly 22 (I am 25) a few blocks from where I work. For some reason, that story really affected me and has changed the way I look at life. I highly recommend the book to anyone in any field.

Being an engineer amplifies its meaning.