Q:

Do these Neal Stephenson books have a recommended chronological order?

I've had "In the Beginning...was the Command Line" by Neal Stephenson on my Amazon Wish list for a while, but I do realize it's not much of a science fiction / fantasy book (still going to get it some day).
Digging deeper into his work, I've found three books which I'm definitely going to get:

Snow Crash
Cryptonomicon
The Diamond Age

I find the subjects he covers fascinating, and being a programmer, I'm tempted to read all three of them. I've already read William Gibson's Neuromancer, and it feels like I'm going to enjoy these ones in a similar way.
I read this question What is the connection between Snow Crash and The Diamond Age? and learned about the connection between these two books. Being the first time I'm reading Stephenson, between Snow Crash and The Diamond Age, which would you recommend me to read first? Which one is the "lighter" one for a new reader? Do they have a chronological order?
I don't want to get closed by asking something subjective, but is it OK if I ask you to feel free to add your book recommendations on these subjects on your answers and comments?

A:

I agree with the other answers regarding both defaulting to the order books were written in, when in doubt, and that both Snow Crash and Diamond Age are stand-alone.
In regards to your question about which is "lighter", I'd have to say Diamond Age most closely fits that description, as Snow Crash involves some "heavy" (albeit interesting) digression into some linguist theory elements.  
Anathem, his most recent, is also stand-alone (and my favorite to date).  
The Baroque Cycle does tie in (loosely) to Cryptonomicon, and is, in my opinion, the "heaviest" of his books (as well as the slowest-paced).
My personal recommendation would be to start with Snow Crash (out of pure personal preference).  If you find it a bit too esoteric, but you still enjoyed it, then move on to Diamond Age.  If, however, you really enjoy every aspect of the book, I'd suggest skipping right to Anathem.

A:

In my mind Snow Crash is the easiest read. Starts quick, stays fast paced. If you've made it through Neuromancer nothing should surprise you.
Diamond Age is very hard core nanotech, and if you're not already familiar with the concept, there is a learning curve.
Cryptonomicon, while nearly my favorite, drags in the very beginning. It's got probably the lowest curve for a modern geek, but you have to push through the setup.
Anathem...How to describe Anathem? Anathem is fricking awesome, however, it is probably the hardest read of all, and probably not the best one to start with. It's got the slow build of Cryptonomicon coupled with the learning curve of Diamond Age.

A:

Reading books in the written order when there's not a clear chronology is usually a good default (as Omar Kooheji points out).
Snow Crash and Diamond Age are only barely related and can be read in any order.
If you intend to read the Baroque Cycle books at all, I believe you should read Cryptonomicon first (which was the written order).  Many of the characters in the Baroque Cycle books are ancestors of various Cryptonomicon characters, and some of the action takes place in locations recognizable from Cryptonomicon.  Reading them in the reverse order would probably work too but would be less amusing (in my opinion) than this order.

