In the mood for some fiction. Nonfiction has been too depressing lately for me to read. There's enough depressing things going on in the world right now, I don't need to add to it by reading about history and politics. 😆
The main image may be mirrored, but fascinating anyway. Elites provided tax relief for followers all through history. Don't forget why people do things for powerful friends.
Digital Anthropology; Second edition by Haidy Geismar & Hannah Knox, 2021
Digital Anthropology, 2nd Edition explores how human and digital can be explored in relation to one another within issues as diverse as social media use, virtual worlds, hacking, quantified self, blockchain, digital environmentalism and digital representation.
A Brief History of the Philosophy of Time, Second Edition by Adrian Bardon, 2024
Adrian Bardon's A Brief History of the Philosophy of Time is a short introduction to the history, philosophy, and science of the study of time--from the pre-Socratic philosophers through Einstein and beyond.
The Death of Truth: How Social Media and the Internet Gave Snake Oil Salesmen and Demagogues the Weapons They Needed to Destroy Trust and Polarize the World--And What We Can Do by Steven Brill, 2024
How did we become a world where facts—shared truths—have lost their power to hold us together as a community, as a country, globally?
The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life’s Deepest Secrets by Thomas R. Cech, 2024
How did life begin? What makes us human? Why do we get sick and grow old? In The Catalyst, Cech finally brings together years of research to demonstrate that RNA is the true key to understanding life on Earth, from its very origins to our future in the twenty-first century.
Inventing the Alphabet: The Origins of Letters from Antiquity to the Present by Johanna Drucker, 2022
The first comprehensive intellectual history of alphabet studies. Inventing the Alphabet provides the first account of two-and-a-half millennia of scholarship on the alphabet.
"As you gingerly move forward, feeling your way through the dark, the flickering light cast from your torch partially illuminates a peculiar formation on the cave wall." —Izzy Fisher for Aeon
"Over the years, her friends wondered what ever happened to Antonietta. Was she safe? Was she being well-cared for? Was she even still alive?" —Maria Iqbal for Toronto Star
"A shocking act of violence attracted international attention and split the town over questions of truth and justice. Grand Marais is still trying to piece itself back together."
-The psychology of a mass shooter (Mother Jones)
-The phenomenon of Novak Djokovic (The Atlantic)
-Plant anatomy to understand human emotion (Virginia Quarterly Review)
-Lunches with a literary legend (Taste Magazine)
-Surfing . . . in a mall (Slate)
Artificial Negligence: The Book About AI for People Who Would Never Buy a Book About AI by James Wilson, 2022
Written in an accessible, balanced, light-hearted way, it is intended for those of you who wouldn't normally pick up a science or philosophy book. Using clear, and generally amusing, analogies and examples, it will ensure you can face the future with confidence and optimism.
Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder by Richard Dawkins, 2020
With the wit, insight, and spellbinding prose that have made him a bestselling author, Dawkins takes up the most important and compelling topics in modern science, from astronomy and genetics to language and virtual reality, combining them in a landmark statement of the human appetite for wonder.
Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control by Stuart Russell, 2019
A leading artificial intelligence researcher lays out a new approach to AI that will enable us to coexist successfully with increasingly intelligent machines.
"Then she fishes half a glossy purple eggplant from the fridge, and a ball of fresh mozzarella, too. She hands me a knife, and we both begin to slice. We work close together. Our shoulders almost touch." Sara Franklin for Taste
The Reader's Brain: How Neuroscience Can Make You a Better Writer by Yellowlees Douglas, 2015
The Reader's Brain is the first science-based guide to writing, employing cutting-edge research on how our minds process written language, to ensure your writing can be read quickly, assimilated easily, and recalled precisely - exactly what we need to transform anyone into a highly effective writer.
Disobey The Philosophy of Resistance by Frédéric Gros
In this provocative essay, Frédéric Gros explores the roots of political obedience. Social conformity, economic subjection, respect for authorities, constitutional consensus? Examining the various styles of obedience provides tools to study, invent and induce new forms of civic disobedience and protest.
Mind Design III: Philosophy, Psychology, and Artificial Intelligence by John Haugeland, 2023
The essential reader on the philosophical foundations and implications of artificial intelligence, now comprehensively updated for the twenty-first century.
Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are by Rebecca Boyle, 2024
Acclaimed journalist Rebecca Boyle takes readers on a dazzling tour to reveal the intimate role that our 4.51-billion-year-old companion has played in our biological and cultural evolution.
Third Millennium Thinking Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense by Saul Perlmutter, John Campbell, Robert MacCoun, 2024
Based on a wildly popular UC Berkeley course, how to use scientists’ tricks of the trade to make the best decisions and solve the hardest problems in age of uncertainty and overwhelming information.