Books

A moderately accessible introduction about the very real risks of superintelligent AI. more »

Pragmatic overview of the role

A bit too cutesy for my taste, but came highly recommended so might still read the others in the series.

Hard sci-fi with some interesting ideas for an alien ecosystem. Pairs well with Parasite Rex

I know basically nothing about tennis, but this was a great read. Goes into the details of what it takes to succeed at the top level, and how unglamorous it is unless you’re at the very top. You can read a pretty representative excerpt first to decide if it’s your type of thing.

Disgusting, but fascinating.

The evolution of soccer tactics in Europe from the 1990s to 2020

Good overview across the AI stack

Nerdy, detail-oriented look into what it would really take to have humans living in space. Gets a bit bogged down in legal/governance details, but I enjoyed the exploration of biological and logistical issues.

tldr: Break big projects into small manageable tasks, understand the odds, and plan carefully

Enjoyed some of the background and anecdotes, but not quite enough there unless you’re a huge fan

There were a few interesting parts here, but ultimately this book less about AI and more about philosophy/the meaning of life. Not my cup of tea, I preferred Superintelligence.

Recommended for fans of the band

Stephenson’s books always take a while to get going, and this is just Book 1 so still too early to really judge

This book does a great job of laying out just how much the Sackler family laid the groundwork for the opioid crisis and then managed to evade accountability for it. Depressing, but well-written.

If a book about capitalism within a fantasy world sounds like a good time, then this book is for you.

Basically a 300-page long New Yorker article about the history of the semiconductor industry

I embarked on this (silly) goal to read ten Spanish-language books in 2023, but stupidly picked this 555-page monster with plenty of challenging Castilian vocabulary as my first book. Unsurprisingly, my reading speed in Spanish is far slower than English, and I discovered how much of my love of books is due to reading quickly. I kept on pausing this book to read other quick (English language) reads, so it took me about a year and half to finish this. I enjoyed the book, though my Spanish isn’t quite at the level to fully appreciate the quality of the writing.

Part African travelogue, part baboon behavioral study

Interesting premise, but not a fan of the writing style and drags a bit

Modern retelling of David Copperfield set in Appalachia

This won the Hugo in 2023. It’s … fine. Easy read but not particularly memorable.

First book in the new series by the authors of The Expanse, shows promise.

Historical fiction that tickles my wannabe language nerd heart.

Had to force myself to finish this, I don’t know why this was nominated for a Hugo. There are some interesting ideas, but in the end this is a detective story where the main character is an unlikable Space Karen that uses her money to bully everyone around her.

A bit dated now, but some interesting stories about the French wine industry in the 80s. Drags at times with random stories though.

Heard a lot of hype about Emily Wilson’s modern translation, so decided to give it a shot. I found the preface and initial notes to be fairly interesting, and the translation is definitely more readable than what I remember in high school. However, finishing this ended up being a bit of a slog for me.

Zen advice on the creative process, can dip in and out of the book depending on where you are in a project. I wish he’d used specific examples from his work, but the book is probably already a bit longer than it could be anyway.

Don't mistake this for a book about FTX, the focus here is Sam Bankman-Fried. Worthwhile if you're interested in his story and the genesis of FTX. more »

Another plot-driven sci-fi popcorn read with a familiar story line

Popcorn read that is pretty much what you expect from the title. Enjoyable read, but I’m surprised it was nominated for the Hugo.

Originally only available in audio, the last book is for superfans only. Feel free to skip.

Came very highly recommended, many likened it to Ready Player One, which isn’t a great comparison. Though both books lean heavily into nostalgic video games, this book is really about relationships, romantic and platonic. Not a bad read, but didn’t live up to the hype for me.

I do not get the hype

Astounding to read all the gory details about Weinstein’s behaviors and everyone who enabled it. Ronan Farrow is a fantastic writer.

Some interesting ideas, but not my favorite of his

Novel-length hustle porn

I have no idea how this has a 4.2 on Goodreads or how I managed to finish it.

Fun, modern take on the backstory of characters from Greek Mythology

Good intro to the benefits of fasting, in case (like me) you have to convince people you’re not crazy for not eating six times a day

Not for everyone, but I enjoyed this more than I expected. Nominally about time travel, but the evolution and permutations of adult friendships resonated with me.

Some interesting ideas, but a bit of a slog

After the disappointing Artemis, Andy Weir is back with a read that recaptures the nerdy fun of The Martian

Makes an important and though-provoking point, but with about twice as many pages as necessary which dilutes the message

IMO, should have been edited down a bit, but overall was a fun series to read

Classic Stephenson: Interesting ideas, but drags at times.

Fascinating look at the story of Theranos, absolutely appalling how far Holmes and co were willing to go.

A good idea, but this is a New Yorker article worth of content stretched into a book.

Portuguese translation

This book really helped my mental health

No idea how anyone ever though this was a true story.

The movie translated this very well, no particular reason to read it if you've seen it

Read the Spanish translation because I was traveling and ran out of books

Portuguese translation

Heart’s in the right place I guess, but the authors got super lucky buying bonds when rates were high in the 80s so good luck replicating that

One of the best design books ever written

Barely finished this, not sure how I was convinced it was worth reading (it is not).

This is one of only two English-language books I had during a year abroad, and the only good one. I read it at least six times.