Hii,
I am trying to get into reading books but don't know what to read.
I like programming, tech, DIY stuff and science and would love to read about it.
Which book should I read that is not overwhelming for a begginer like me?
Edit: Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions :)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. A scientist is on a mission to save the world. The science stuff is accurate and easy to understand in my opinion (but I'm a physicist, lol).
The author also wrote the Martian, that was adapted as a movie, you probably know it.
My colleague recommends it to everyone, and she reads a lot. I read a little and also liked it. Not only because of the science, but also because of the story.
I’m going to have to re-read Project Hail Mary cause I’ve seen it recommended so many times, but I personally didn’t love it. I’m big Andy Wier fan - and absolutely loved The Martian.
With PHM, it felt like there were too many situations/problems that were created and then easily solved by the narrator. Each problem was a little too outlandish to then have a convenient solution right away.
Martha Wells and her Murderbot series is hilarious. It really made me laugh out loud and I read every book back to back.
It's about a robot that thinks he's a psychopath and a murderer, who hacked his own circuits so he can pirate TV shows and watch them while on missions.
Incredible, actually always wished for it and was disappointed that the movie adaptation only encapsulated the first 3 books.
Although nobody plays Count Olaf better than Jim Carrey in my respectful view. NPH was incredible but I'm partial to Carrey's portrayal. That scene with him "gently letting Meryl Streep go quietly into the sad night/lake to join the the human-eating carnivorous leeches and her late husband" was so fucking sadistic and yet comedically beyond compare. Chef's kiss, I love her just for her portrayal of Aunt Josephine, I literally cannot imagine anyone else/better for the role.
Top shelf casting!
Edit: it would be darkly humorous if Streep made the same ulimatum to the Unfortunate Events showrunner or director or whatever about only doing the scene once like when she has to make Sophie's (impossible) Choice in that namesake film due to the emotional turmoil she purported to experience in the method acting/nature aspect of her performance in such an emotionally outrageous dilemma but in this case because of the sheer lunacy/dark humor of the situation
I encourage folks to power thru the books tho. Both experiences are distinct and idiosyncratically amazing, but obv its more work to work through the physical books.
I don't really read much non-fiction, but if you want something entertaining and kinda sciencey look at the books "What if" and "How to" by the XKCD comic's author: https://what-if.xkcd.com/
I came here to recommend this book series. Very fun, compelling, and breaks down complex ideas into smaller digestible plot devices that actually mean something later in the series.
I think you and I have somewhat different tastes in books. Most of my favorites don't fall under programming, tech, DIY, and science, but some do. I've shared some below broken into your taste and other in case you want to venture out and try something new.
Programming, Tech, DIY, & Science
One, Two, Three...Infinity by George Gamov
An actual science book that fits with your interests! It's a book that covers major theories/areas of physical science and math in an interesting way that a layperson can understand it. I learned more from this book that any formal training on the matter. The book starts off with defining counting and infinity.
Bigger, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews
Provides education on weightlifting, from learning to design your own workouts & schedules to weightlifting diets. He goes into why certain workouts and diets work based on science. I have followed the recommendations in this book multiple times (separate episodes), and found them to be quite effective.
Other
Mirrors: Stories of Almost Everyone by Eduardo Galeano
A book that covers the history of humanity with a sense of social justice and poetic style. It's written in short poems rooted in actual history, but presents a perspective that is not typical of the common narrative.
A Field Guide to Earthlings by Ian Ford
This is a guide written by an autistic person for autistic people on understanding the neurotypical world. The premise is that autistic and neurotypical people are quite different from each other, to the point that they see each other as aliens. Because of this, it hits the reader differently depending on their neurotype. If the reader is autistic, it helps them understand the world and their social difficulties better. If the reader is neurotypical, I would imagine it's an interesting perspective on human behavior, almost like reading a report on human behavior written by an alien.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
This book is like a mental reset to me. It uses the innocence of a child to break down silly and unhelpful social matters to remind us what's universally important.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
A fun science-fiction that, according to me, it's main appeal is the style of writing. The author tells the story in a unique way that makes me laugh because it kind of says things in a way we think but rarely share with each other.
The Tetris Effect by Dan Ackerman is a lot of fun, a pretty breezy read, and is fairly unbelievable for how true the story is. It involves (in varying amounts) programming, science, and DIY, mostly from an early-80s perspective (since a lot of it is about the development of the game), plus some corporate espionage and Soviet meddling.
Check out Snowcrash. Not the best book ever written, but is definitely interesting and is a major influence for Mark Zuckerberg. (Which if you do read the book may lead you to think he has very little reading comprehension imo)
I think any of the books Mary Roach would suit you. They are easy to read, yet are brimming with science explained in a fascinating and unintimidating way.
Her book Stiff is prolly my favorite. It explains what happens to the body starting with death, and covers medical, forensic, and funerary subjects (among others). Fascinating.
Bit late to this, but you might enjoy The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton - later turned into a great movie and a TV show I've not seen so can't comment on. It's about scientists dealing with something dangerous brought back from space.
Prisoner of Trebekistan by Bob Harris. It's about the Jeopardy! champion's life and journey through the game, and shares his memorization techniques. It's quite funny and insightful.
Cant recommend a Canticle for Lebowitz enough. It was writen by a WWII bomber and talks about a post apocalyptic United States and how a group of monks preserve the flame of knowledge under the guise of religion to protect knowledge. Extremly well written and reads like a modern scifi novel even though the author only ever wrote the one book. Seriously its one of those books i think everyone should read, extremely impactful and powerful.
I really enjoyed The Powder Mage trilogy by Brian McClellan. Black powder style weaponry and some types of people get magical powers from ingesting black powder. I was a bit skeptical at first, but it really hooked me pretty quick
If black mirror was a book this would be it. It blends the current and upcoming AI/tech trends with sci-fi that allows you to explore different worlds and give you perspective on how they can really affect us. There is an analysis at the end of each story and explainds the tech used and where we are in terms of achieving that tech.