Ask HN: What are some books where the reader learns by building one project?

Code by Charles Petzold takes this approach to explaining how a computer works.

Eloquent Javascript - http://eloquentjavascript.net/ You build 5 projects through the book

I'll second this. I worked through the book and downloadable exercises a few years ago. It's a great way to learn about the multiple layers of abstraction that a modern program sits upon.

I really liked The Elements of Computing Systems (nand2tetris). The reader gets to build a computer from nand gates up.

I recommend both books; I found them very good.

I recommend both books; I found them very good.

Automate the boring stuff - Al Sweigart. This book teaches you python through a series of example projects.

Ray Tracing in One Weekend

Physically Based Rendering – From Theory to Implementation

Accelerated C++ involves working on a program to analyze student grades. The book itself is excellent, but the overarching project is very dry.

the book is highly recommended.

Build a compiler from scratch. Main annoyance is that it uses SML - most readers are likely to want to use OCaml, and it's a bit fiddly translating between the two.

Modern Compiler Implementation in ML by Andrew Appel

Programming from the Ground Up teaches x86 assembler from first principles.