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Ask HN: How do you decide a non-fiction book is worth your time?

by butterNaN on 12/20/23, 5:36 PM with 44 comments

Books, especially non-fiction books, are big investments in terms of time and attention.

Before I came across a book called "How to Read a Book" [1], my philosophy was to simply to read book that's recommended to me and simply finish it - there must be something from the book that is of value. After reading HTRAB I realised that time spent reading a bad book is time not spent reading a good one. Thus I want to be better at assessing a book before I actually decide to read it.

"How to Read a Book" also suggests "Systematic skimming", which involves (some personal steps in the list):

- Reading the preface

- Reading the Table of Contents

- Checking the Index - Searching for a topic I might know a little bit about, and checking what the book says about that topic

- For books that rely on research (most (pop)sci/political books), I usually check the quantity of sources at the back of the book - however I am not sure how to check for the quality of those sources. I wonder if there is a website where I can put in ISBN and it gives me a "sources quality score"?

- Skip to a random chapter, read a page or two

- Search stackexchange/HN if for any mentions of the book to see what other people say about it

- Look up Author(s) and what they are about

What do you think? Any suggestions, additions to this list? How do you decide it?

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Read_a_Book

  • by autoexec on 12/20/23, 8:44 PM

    Anything I enjoy doing is worth my time. I enjoy reading non-fiction when the topic is interesting and the writing isn't terrible. It's usually such a small investment that if I'm interested in the topic I can take the risk in picking up a book about it even if I later discover that the writing is horrible and don't finish it. For books that are obnoxiously/unreasonably expensive I'll find a digital copy or make sure it's recommended. It is sometimes useful to be able to flip through the book first though just to make sure that it actually covers what I want to know and to get a feel for the depth/level of experience it's written for.

  • by keiferski on 12/21/23, 10:28 AM

    I actually think most non-fiction books are not worth the time, and you'd be better off reading a summary of the ideas and/or just going directly to an encyclopedic resource on the underlying subject matter.

    The contemporary publishing industry is designed around expanding an often very simple idea into a book-length treatment, typically to support the author's book tour and consulting career. It is not designed to create beautifully-written books that are worth reading in their entirety.

    None of this applies to fiction, in case that was unclear. It also doesn't apply as much to biographical-style books that offer some insight into the author's life and mindset.

  • by tea-coffee on 12/20/23, 7:58 PM

    It depends on what you mean specifically by "worth your time"? What "value" (in the sense that you're using) are you trying to get from the book? If you are reading to solve a specific problem, then a book being worth your time would depend on its ability to help explain the problem or approximate ways towards a solution. However, if you are reading non-fiction for other reasons, such as leisure, then the value-approach becomes more complicated.

  • by flpm on 12/20/23, 7:12 PM

    I usually get new book ideas from other books, maybe it's a reference to an author or a quote. This has been great for staying in the topic. Another similar source are articles I read online, specially the ones that look well researched.

    A site that has been a great source for ideas is https://www.themarginalian.org/ by Maria Popova. It's so well written and she usually brings together different books that are somehow connected by the topic of the article.

    The last post is a list of the best books for 2023, a lot of non-fiction https://www.themarginalian.org/2023/12/19/favorite-books-of-...

  • by koliber on 12/20/23, 8:06 PM

    I keep a list of recommended books, fiction and non-fiction. I try to note where the recommendation came from.

    Many come from people I know and who know me and my tastes. If a book is recommended by more people, it notches up.

    I then add mood to this. I take account of what I feel and pick books that fit into that. For example, I try to round out my fiction and perspectives by reading a Russian literature classic. But they tend to not be the cheeriest of the bunch, and even though I feel due for the next one, I am holding off until the sun stars shining.

    Another example: went sailing in the summer and read Old Man and the Sea as well as Moby Dick, because they both deal with wet and salty subjects.

    My mood affects what I read. WhAt I read affects me. I try to steer this loop as best as I can.

  • by blockwriter on 12/20/23, 7:52 PM

    A reading habit, past a certain point, is self-propagating, in my experience. Based on conversation, explicit reference in other texts, and a general sixth-sense of what books to read next, I find that I rarely have a miscue. Abandoning a book that’s no good, or that you simply can’t get into for whatever reason, is a big part of making a self-propagating sense for reading highly reliable. I write a lot about what I read, and I think this further helps to direct my reading.

    You can try writing a little testimonial when you start a book that would include your reasons for reading the book. When the book no longer seems to satisfy that rationale, it may be a good sign to abandon the book.

  • by aristofun on 12/20/23, 6:40 PM

    It's easy - you check youtube for short summary and in 99.99% of cases realize it's just another crap, rephrasing old ideas or author's wishful thinking.

    The more popular book - the more useless it usually is.

  • by morkalork on 12/20/23, 8:54 PM

    The test of time. I just recently finished reading Skunk Works, and in the last few months seen a few references to it here on HN and and on reddit. It was published almost 30 years ago and people still talk about it online? That's an easy signal for quality to go by. Counter example: Freakanomics. It did not pass. Even though everyone was so hyped about it at the time. Too bad we don't have a time traveller hanging around to give recommendations.

  • by cpach on 12/20/23, 6:58 PM

    I mostly go by a) recommendations from people I trust b) reviews (that I mostly find in the dailies).

    Also, if you focus on classics I think you’ll be fine. I.e. Hemingway, Kafka, Dickens et al. Classics can have their flaws too, but I think we can assume they didn’t become classics by pure chance. So IMHO it’s a reasonable filter.

  • by eimrine on 12/20/23, 5:54 PM

    Having a set of "cool" words or definitions and "anti-cool" one. Having a hope that some special topic helps in the research. Also unlike with fiction books, it is very typical to read about some narrow thing, maybe few pages, and to consider the book as a read because of some achieved goal.

  • by signaru on 12/20/23, 9:48 PM

    I try guesstimating the "information density". Often you can tell from the title that a topic is so specific that the book shouldn't be as long as it is. Self help books selling you one revolutionary idea are an example. Other books (often general business advice types) will fill themselves with many examples, but there's little novelty with each next example. On the other hand, some topics, e.g. history, would have to present a lot of facts that you wouldn't have guessed otherwise (unless you've read something similar before), so I'm inclined toward these books.

  • by in9 on 12/22/23, 2:56 PM

    I’ve been using reading to keep thinking about things I want to focus on. Getting involved with some different thoughts around a theme eases my anxiety around it and allows me to have a more ordered "vocabulary of ideas" around those problems.

    This leads me to read some "boring" books, some simple self-help stuff whose sole point is not to engage and make it extremely important in my life, but to think and organize those ideas.

    I'll read other nonfiction books because the subject interests me, such as history or math/probability.

    However, my approach is insufficient.

    I bought a cheap course from a local intellectual in my country (math and philosophy) on "how to have an intellectual life". My main takeaway was that I lack a fundamental question (or a set of) that I should use to guide reading and studies. For you to research, think, and confront your fundamental question you should have a solid base and read many angles, tangential including, around your fundamental question.

    This framework should guide the readings since if something is way above your head or skill, there is some base knowledge lacking and you should study those first. The way to organize all of this is through writing and reflection, where you summarize and intentionally spell out shortcomings and conclusions, even if sporadically.

    So yeah, I liked the approach and have, during this year, slowly adding to my study routine.

    One final add is the latest Ali Abdal video which sort of talks about this https://youtu.be/AvKGYyowFK4?si=Ah_6SM-nhv9uQ55O

  • by Dutchie987 on 12/20/23, 5:46 PM

    As I'm far past my student years I don't _have_ to read certain books. So nowadays I read non-fiction the same as fiction: I read until the book doesn't hold my interest anymore. I don't feel compelled to have to finish a book. As you said, not reading bad books (or good books that are just not for me in that moment) leaves more time for reading other books.

    I buy enough books, but I mostly read books from the library. Wonderful institutions, those are. Don't like a book? Just return it and get a few others.

  • by gherkinnn on 12/20/23, 8:41 PM

    - any current self-help style book can be discarded without further thought

    - navy seal anecdotes call for an instant binning

    - bad prose joins the others in the furnace

    Serious points aside, your steps don't work for non-fiction. Well, not the kind worth reading anyway. How would you do so with a novel?

    I go by recommendations or author I like. Maybe a classic I've heard about. Sometimes I find a volume in a public space and give it a skim. I read as long as I get enjoyment out of it. If it is a drain or badly written I stop. Same with films.

  • by libraryatnight on 12/20/23, 8:32 PM

    I generally rely on others to recommend nonfiction. If someone with a perspective or insight I find challenging or compelling mentions a book I haven't read, I at least will take a look. On occasion I'll stumble on an interview with the author that sufficiently piques my interest.

    Also, when I fixate on a new topic I often find that certain titles will be repeated in forums, chats, HN, articles, etc and I make note of things multiple people that seem to know things mention as useful.

  • by samstave on 12/21/23, 3:27 AM

    Ah, I totally forgot that I read how to read a book so long ago, but thats how I decide, mostly... however - "How to read a book" left out that absolute quintessential lesson on how to read a book: "Pick up the damn book and actually read it".

    For me selecting what to read though, is I was a voracious reader of non fiction when I was younger - but as I have aged, non-fiction seems like too much of a time sink (even though it is not), I find that when I am reading non fiction, instead of my mind engorged in the book with my imagination running all sorts of parallel scenarios, or sending me off into a daydreaming side topic...

    I find that I begin to let the real world intrude, which is to me, is a function of my stress level.

  • by galkk on 12/20/23, 7:15 PM

  • by max_ on 12/21/23, 10:30 AM

    - Recommended by someone that I have alot of respect for.

    - I was already aware of what the author had done liked it. So I would read thier book to hear more of what they had to say. If I like one author I usually look for thier other books.

    - If someone praises it very highly. For example someone said he "didn't know where he would be in life if it was for Dostoevsky". Also a former KGB agent said that if you want to understand psychology you have to read "Dostoevsky"

    - I already know what the book is about via Wikipedia, a review a friend and I find the topic interesting so I want to know more about the topic.

  • by an_aparallel on 12/20/23, 9:18 PM

    i try to read a lot of (even recommended books) of the blog post expanded into book type. If the author is so disrespectful of my intellect to repeat the same statement fifty billion times in different ways - they can go to hell, i wont continue reading their book.

    Reading the first actual chapter + a power skim helps work out if its worth your time. I also dont have time for people that dont write in Plain English...i dont need your ego making complex topics harder to understand because you like the smell of a thesaurus.

  • by _trackno5 on 12/20/23, 10:06 PM

    At some point I realized that it is okay to drop a book I started reading. If it turns out to be boring or not meeting whatever expectations I had, I just ditch it and move on.

  • by JoeMayoBot on 12/21/23, 5:36 AM

    Most of the time it's a combination of reviews, awards, and recommendations that give the book some social value before I trust it. Sometimes, I'll like an author and buy whatever they write. Other times, I'll see a subject I know nothing about that will spike my curiosity and I'll read the book, whether it sucks or not because I still learn something I didn't know before.

  • by heliodor on 12/20/23, 8:50 PM

    Step 1: make sure it's not on the New York Times bestseller list.

    That list is quite manipulated. Makes for fascinating reading to see the dynamics of it explained.

  • by slyall on 12/20/23, 10:25 PM

    I mostly listen to audiobooks so difficult to skim though these beforehand.

    Get candidates from blogs I follow, magazines and the like. Also do keyword searches for my areas of interests and look for new books in those areas.

    Usually I just do a quick check of the Amazon reviews and maybe some professional reviews and if it sounds okay I'll add it to the queue.

    I finish about 95% of the books I start.

  • by cafard on 12/21/23, 2:10 AM

    For the most part, I choose books where I know at least the author's reputation. I am willing to leave a nonfiction book unread or partly read if it doesn't seem worth my time.

    One exception is for books chosen (by others) for the neighborhood book club. Those I read through, however bad.

  • by kirso on 12/23/23, 5:06 AM

    It should stand a test of time. Don't pick-up books released this year. Search for the ones being recommended by people you trust and that are at least 5+ years old.

  • by jrflowers on 12/21/23, 2:37 AM

    Your question of “Was it worth my time to read ‘How To Read A Book’?” is a good one. Asking online if you should have read something after the fact may be clunky but you’ll surely get feedback

  • by mortallywounded on 12/20/23, 7:48 PM

    Honestly, I default to "it's not worth my time."

    If something keeps popping up and the answer is, "Damn, I should probably have just read that book." then I get a copy of the book.

  • by reactor on 12/21/23, 1:17 AM

    I have subscribed to a book summary app, which is not anywhere closer to what you get from reading a book, but it will give an idea of what book is worth investing time and money.

  • by tshirttime on 12/20/23, 6:17 PM

    You're getting ahead of yourself. Before reading How To Read A Book you need to have first read How To Read How To Read A Book.

  • by ted_bunny on 12/21/23, 12:51 AM

    If it's anything but journalism, I won't read a book written by a journalist. They almost always lack the expertise to be reliable.

  • by fetchingwater on 12/28/23, 10:27 PM

    it's a skill and art to know when to no longer give something more of your time .

  • by littlekey on 12/20/23, 11:41 PM

    Consider the following: reading bad books can help you better appreciate good books.