# The Human Use of Human Beings by Norbert Wiener

2 Hacker News commenters recommended The Human Use of Human Beings by Norbert Wiener and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a thoughtful examination of automation and human augmentation from cybernetics pioneer Norbert Wiener.

## Why people recommend it

- Examines automation and human augmentation (1 comments): "covers a lot of the same plus more examination of automation and human augmentation" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48267614))
- Good companion to his Cybernetics (1 comments): "His The Human Use of Human beings and Cybernetics are extremely good too" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48265966))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cuckoo-s-egg.md): 40 recommend
- [Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/amusing-ourselves-to-death.md): 36 recommend
- [The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/anxious-generation.md): 24 recommend
- [Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bullshit-jobs.md): 20 recommend
- [Enshittification by Cory Doctorow](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enshittification.md): 19 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1283140179?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9781283140171) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Human Use of Human Beings by Norbert Wiener", https://hackerapproved.com/p/human-use-of-human-beings/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).