Books

Most recommended

• Kobo e-readerAn open, hackable e-reader that needs no account, sideloads EPUBs via USB or Calibre and borrows library books free, though some report sluggish firmware and flaky non-Kobo EPUB handling.154recommend
• Anna's ArchiveA huge free, DRM-free archive of books and research papers that people praise for opening up and preserving knowledge, though critics dislike its paid memberships and messy duplicate listings.134recommend
• Project Hail Mary by Andy WeirA fun, hopeful science-driven sci-fi story about friendship, with an acclaimed audiobook and a faithful film adaptation; critics find the plot too convenient and the movie simplified.117recommend
• CalibreFree, open-source ebook manager that converts formats and loads books onto Kindles and Kobos, keeping old e-readers useful; its clunky, unfriendly interface is the common complaint.107recommend
• Careless People by Sarah Wynn-WilliamsAn insider's account of Facebook's executives and political dealings, praised as revealing and entertaining, though many critics say the author downplays her own complicity.106recommend
• There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntmRecommended for its strikingly original premise and brilliant opening, a page-turner full of twists; many feel the second half meanders and repeats the same gimmick.98recommend
• Blindsight by Peter WattsA dense hard SF first-contact novel recommended for its unsettling exploration of intelligence without consciousness; many find the prose hard to follow and the vampires and plot distracting.96recommend
• Dune by Frank HerbertInfluential science fiction admired for its deep world-building, fresh voice and ideas about power and machines. Critics find it long and dense, and say the later books decline.82recommend
• Dilbert by Scott AdamsLong-running office comedy that many readers say captured corporate life accurately, though critics say its later work turned bitter and cynical.77recommend
• Project GutenbergA large free library of public-domain books, downloadable as EPUB and plain text and readable in any browser. Critics say many books have poor formatting and dated scanned images.76recommend
• Linux From Scratch by the LFS ProjectBuilds a deep understanding of how Linux components fit together by compiling everything by hand. Critics say it is more cookbook than explanation.72recommend
• Accelerando by Charles StrossReaders praise its prescient ideas about digital minds, space travel and the future. Critics most often say the characters feel thin or unlikeable.71recommend
• Calvin and Hobbes by Bill WattersonReaders recommend this comic strip for its humor, its insight into childhood, and its subtext that adults notice, and many read it with their kids.71recommend
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale CarnegiePeople recommend it as practical advice for making friends and handling social situations, especially for shy readers. Critics say the title and tone sound manipulative.67recommend
• The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienPeople recommend it for its prose, its rich sense of place, and the way it keeps rewarding rereading. The most common caveat is slow passages, especially the songs and Tom Bombadil chapters.66recommend
• Hyperion by Dan SimmonsFans praise its ideas, religion and prose as top space opera. Common caveat: it ends on a cliffhanger.66recommend
• Children of Time by Adrian TchaikovskyRecommended for its alien intelligences, especially its spider characters and sci-fi ideas. Some find the writing shallow or unengaging.62recommend
• Crafting Interpreters by Robert NystromPeople recommend it as a clear, practical introduction to interpreters and compilers, building two interpreters. Caveat: it focuses on dynamic runtimes, not compiled ones.60recommend
• CrossPoint ReaderFree open-source firmware that flashes easily and formats books better than stock; critics cite weak Kindle sync, no backlight and a maker lock-down attempt.60recommend
• The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy KidderEngineers recommend it as a vivid, honest account of a hardware project's pressures and ingenuity that shaped many careers. Some note it glorifies death-march schedules.59recommend
• The Mythical Man-Month by Fred BrooksA classic essay collection on software project management, valued for lessons on team size, communication and conceptual integrity that people say still hold. Some readers find parts dated or aimed at management rather than coding.56recommend
• Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Abelson and SussmanClassic computer science text that teaches how programs are built, using Scheme to explore abstraction and interpretation; critics say some of its examples are non-idiomatic and dated.55recommend
• The Last Question by Isaac AsimovA short Asimov story about a question asked across vast spans of time, recommended for its ending and for how often readers return to it. Some critics find the ending trite and the reveal obtuse.50recommend
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. TolkienPeople recommend it as an accessible classic that introduces Middle-earth well and suits children and adults alike. Critics say some illustrated editions, especially the Tove Jansson art, don't match readers' imagery of the story.49recommend
• Byte magazineRecommended for wide, deep computing coverage that taught readers programming; back issues are free online. Critics say later issues were thick with ads.49recommend
• Onyx Boox e-readerPeople like its near-paper e-ink screen, pen support, and full Android that runs any app. Critics most often cite weak vendor support and GPL source-release concerns.48recommend
• Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt DinnimanRecommended as fun, funny, light reading, with the audiobook narration especially praised. Critics call it pop fiction and say it is not science fiction with interesting ideas.48recommend
• Gödel, Escher, Bach by Douglas HofstadterRecommended for its playful exploration of self-reference, logic and consciousness. Common caveat: it is digressive and some find it slow going.47recommend
• The BibleRecommended as foundational cultural and literary reading, for its influence on English writing, its ethical ideas and its wisdom. Critics point to the translation's age and inaccuracies.47recommend
• Paged OutFree, freely licensed zine of technical hacker articles and retro-style art that readers compare to old BYTE and Dr. Dobb's. Critics find some article titles clickbait-like.46recommend