# The Manuscripts of Edsger W. Dijkstra by Edsger W. Dijkstra

3 Hacker News commenters recommended The Manuscripts of Edsger W. Dijkstra by Edsger W. Dijkstra and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 1 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended for Dijkstra's clear thinking on simplicity and structure in code, which people say is still completely relevant. One mixed reader found the writing emotionally charged and closed to other views.

## Why people recommend it

- Clear thinking on code simplicity (1 comments): "His clarity of thought on simplicity and structure in code still sets a standard we rarely reach." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45874082))
- Still completely relevant today (1 comments): "still completely relevant" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45866461))

## What people warn about

- Emotional tone, little open-mindedness (1 comments): "there is a lot of emotion baked in and little room for being open minded" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45868423))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion](https://hackerapproved.com/p/slouching-towards-bethlehem.md): 8 recommend
- [Why I Write by George Orwell](https://hackerapproved.com/p/why-i-write.md): 6 recommend
- [Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke](https://hackerapproved.com/p/letters-to-a-young-poet.md): 5 recommend
- [Paul Graham essays](https://hackerapproved.com/p/paul-graham-essays.md): 5 recommend
- [Metamagical Themas by Douglas Hofstadter](https://hackerapproved.com/p/metamagical-themas.md): 4 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=The+Manuscripts+of+Edsger+W.+Dijkstra&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "The Manuscripts of Edsger W. Dijkstra by Edsger W. Dijkstra", https://hackerapproved.com/p/manuscripts-of-edsger-w-dijkstra/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).