A fascinating critique of how technology ceases to be a tool and becomes a culture of its own, redefining what we value and how we reason. Neil Postman's insights from 1992 feel more relevant today than ever.
"I think it’s important to reason from first principles rather than by analogy. The normal way we conduct our lives is we reason by analogy. [With analogy] we are doing this because it’s like something else that was done, or it’s like what other people are doing... [With first principles] you boil things down to the most fundamental truths… and then reason up from there."
— Elon Musk
A counterintuitive guide to living a good life. Instead of promoting relentless positive thinking, Manson argues that the path to resilience and happiness lies in learning to better handle adversity, accepting our limitations, and choosing to care only about what is truly meaningful.
AI pioneer Stuart Russell’s compelling analysis of the long-term risks posed by superhuman artificial intelligence. The book dismantles standard arguments downplaying AI risk and proposes a new foundation for AI development centered on provably beneficial machines. Russell argues that we must rebuild AI around the core principle of machines that are uncertain about human preferences, ensuring they always remain subservient to humanity.
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
— Albert Einstein