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Ask HN: Which books were the most influential in creating a field expert of you?

by ggr2342 on 8/30/23, 4:45 PM with 4 comments

The field can by any field and by expert I don't mean the number 1 world expert. By expert I mean someone who can confidently do work (create things) in their domain for quite some time. Some fields are so vast there can't be a single top most expert.

If you consider yourself someone like that and assuming you read (past and present) books of that field, which books have you found the most influential for your knowledge and expertise?

  • by softwaredoug on 8/30/23, 8:36 PM

    The one I wrote about my field. I faced possible public humiliation for every mistake I made, so I busted my butt to learn all those gaps in my knowledge :)

  • by GoldenMonkey on 8/31/23, 5:08 PM

    It will be much easier to be good enough at 2-3 domains... and be considered an expert... at the intersection of them.

    Scott Adams (dilbert author), has a book on this. "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Will Big...". https://www.amazon.com/How-Fail-Almost-Everything-Still-eboo...