The story of B
by Daniel Quinn · first published 1996
88% recommend13% neutral
Why HN recommends it
A philosophical novel in which a teacher and student explore how civilization's core assumptions shape society. It is thought-provoking and entertaining, and a natural follow-on for fans of Ishmael.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Have you ever read The Story of B? Would you be able to read it without trying to argue against it simply because it contradicts your raison d’etre?
on “No-till no-herbicide farming system in trial since 1981” ↗I think Quinn's win and the controversy Styron stirred up afterward shut down the award. After all, there were 2500 manuscripts to start with. Quinn's next novel, The Story of B addressed some of the criticism Styron (and others) had. I think it might be even better than Ishmael because of it.
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗…by Daniel Quinn that begins with the book Ishmael. Here are some links to the books on amazon and audio books on youtube: Ishmael: https://www.amazon.com/Ishmael-Adventure-Mind-Spirit/dp/B000... The story of b: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553379011/ref=dbs_a_def_r... My Ishmael: https://www.amazon.com/My-Ishmael-Book-3-ebook/dp/B002PXFYHY... Ishmael audiobook: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0kuQuMYE0sYWcfK2e4_5...…
on “A Woman Who Lives 200k Years in the Past” ↗- Ishmael and Story of B by Daniel Quinn His thoughts on religion and interpretation of religion as propaganda and how we've framed our taker society very much influenced my young mind. - 1491 and 1493 by Charles C. Mann The…
on “Ask HN: What books fundamentally changed the way you think about the world?” ↗…taught is either incorrect or misinformed. A follow up to this is 1943, what happened in the Americas after the arrival of Columbus. A great pair of books. I'll also say Ishmael by Daniel Quinn and The Story of B are two of my favourite books.
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books? I'm bored” ↗The Story of B by Daniel Quinn helped break me of the last vestiges of magical thinking. Immediatism by Hakim Bey helped me see the beauty of disobedience.
on “Ask HN: What's one book that changed your life?” ↗…Permaculture One & Two, Gaia's Garden, Edible Forest Gardens I&II Black Swan, Antifragile, etc. (Nassim Taleb) Cloud Hidden: Whereabouts Unknown (Alan Watts, written late in life) Ishmael, Story of B, etc. (Daniel Quinn) You are Not a Gadget, Who Owns the Future, etc. (Jaron Lanier) Goethe's Italian Journey Vonnegut, Hemingway, Steinbeck The Wheel of Time
on “Ask HN: Books you plan to read in 2020?” ↗…during WW1. I've read that it's a inspiration for clockwork orange, 1984, and brave new world but much less well known. To be honest I find that it's the most relatable of all those dystopian books. -The Story of B By Daniel Quinn (also My Ishmael and Ishmael but less well known then those). They represent a fundamentally different way of viewing the world we inhabit. -The Foxes Of Harrow By Frank Yerby (Idk how…
on “Ask HN: What are the best unknown books you have read?” ↗I think you would like The Story of B By Daniel Quinn and his other books. They are light and fun, that one especially. Additionally allthough maybe a little more involved Tom Robbins' books are in this vain as well.
on “Ask HN: What are the best unknown books you have read?” ↗…learning that humans are dissatisfied because they no longer know how to live the life of a human, where (wild) pigs are fully capable of living the life of a pig. The big eye-opener for me was "The Story of B", by Daniel Quinn. Say what you want about the completeness or quality of its anthropology, it has touched on an ineffable fact that we are constantly trying to use more of what is bad for us to try…
on “A College Degree Is No Guarantee of a Good Life” ↗…to it; that the world was designed to do this, that the world was on our side; that God himself had fashioned the world specifically to support our efforts to conquer and rule it.” ― Daniel Quinn, The Story of B
on “We've made the world too complicated” ↗