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by bradly 5671 days ago
Into Thin Air. http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/038...

Amazing story, super inspirational, and lots of great history. My wife and I both loved this book and could not set it down.

3 comments

I second this book too although I read several years ago. AND it's relevant in our startup life in a surprising way.

I often found myself make much better decision when I'm a bit detached, which is one of 'the' lessons people learned from that accident. So now in our startup, my business partner does all the client/customer/user communication works and I had the precious opportunity to sit back and observe.

Along the theme of "unexpectedly resonant books for startup entrepreneurs", can I submit "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain?

(Medium Raw, a 2010 book, was also pretty good --- although probably only if you're into the high-end restaurant scene).

Kitchen Confidential seconded. The account is surprisingly honest and also funny. Lots of tips on how to manage a business, how not to start a venture, now to keep on trying after failure, team interactions etc.
Krakauer can get really, really shrill --- I mean, really shrill --- but he hasn't written a book I've found that I didn't enjoy at least a little.
What does "shrill" mean in the context of writing?
Polemic, passionate in a one-note way, pleading, to an extent that sacrifices the narrative. Two great examples from Krakauer: _Under The Banner Of Heaven_, which veers into a straight-up litigation against the Mormon faith†, and _Where Men Win Glory_, whose latter third is practically tear-stained.

Note: I'm not saying either of those books are bad; I liked them. I loved _Into The Wild_.

I'm not one.

You'll probably like also "Touching the void". The movie/documentary is fantastic too.