Awesome Smart Thinking Books
Every so often a book will fill you with awe and change your world view. Each of these books have done that for me on a range of topics from the invention of the bit, what an even more technology enabled life will look like, how far technology can evolve, life wisdom and secrets from the world's best and the importance and impact of philanthropy . Check out some short reviews of each below, combined with affiliate links to a number of online bookshops where you can buy each book.
Who would have thought a book about the scientific classification of information could be fascinating and interesting! From African drum communication to Napoleonic semaphores to Morse Code onwards, Gleick weaves a enthralling fact filled narrative around Claude Shannon's monumental principle. (All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing) A window into our future lives with technology from the godfather of futurists and founding executive editor of WIRED magazine Kevin Kelly. The book uses scenarios to describe the multiple technology touchpoints that could or will become ubiqutous to modern life, before describing how and why each prediction can materialise. (All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing) Scientific leviathan James Lovelock describes how the next evolutionary cycle that heralds the coming of the singularity could involve humanity co-existing with the cyborgs for the good of the planet. A standout metaphor for me from the book is that the self aware AI race will see us the same way we see plants today. For some this could be science fiction, but for the creator of the GAIA theory and the CFC detector, this is reasoned and considered prediction. (All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing) The master of the unlocking questions Tim Ferriss presents even more life lessons and secrets of success from a laundry list of the world's best in every category imaginable. Each profile offers up wisdom and advice that some have taken a lifetime to discover. (All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing) This is very much a book of two halves, both as enthralling as the other. Firstly, Conor O'Clery brings us on a roaring trip through the successful business life of Chuck Feeney, who went from selling alcohol and cars to Navy sailors at ports, to earning billions in the duty free business in Hong Kong and Hawaii. Secondly, O'Clery pulls open the curtain to reveal the largest secret philanthropic endeavour on the planet and how Chuck Feeney helped economies of countries with his investments and philanthropic work, while staying anonymous for years. A showcase of business acumen and using those powers to effect real change for millions of people. A fascinating and inspiring book. (All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood
Buy On:
Book Depository €12.28
Waterstones £12.99
Amazon UK £6.49
Amazon US $8.49
The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future
Buy On:
Book Depository €11.05
Waterstones £12.99
Amazon UK £9.35
Amazon US $7.69
Novacene: The Coming Age of Hyperintelligence
Buy On:
Book Depository €12.56
Waterstones £12.99
Amazon UK £9.43
Amazon US $16.57
Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World
Buy On:
Book Depository €15.44
Waterstones £16.99
Amazon UK £11.89
Amazon US $17.01
The Billionaire Who Wasn't: How Chuck Feeney Secretly Made and Gave Away a Fortune
Buy On:
Book Depository €14.75
Waterstones £13.99
Amazon UK £13.99
Amazon US $11.59
Image Copyrights: HarperCollins Publishers (The Information), Penguin Putnam Inc (The Inevitable), Penguin Books Ltd (Novacene), Ebury Publishing (Tribe of Mentors), INGRAM PUBLISHER SERVICES US (The Billionaire Who Wasn't)
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