Benjamin Franklin by Walter Isaacson
A detailed, fair, and engaging recounting of the Founding Father most likely to be fun to hang out with.
Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
I think in retrospect, this book will be a very useful reference for when I am feeling stuck in some particular aspect of life. It is formatted to be consumed over four weeks, but the topics are suitable for picking up as needed. Definitely a great cure for the dilemma of the modern man.
Good Times are Over
https://www.seangoedecke.com/good-times-are-over/
Food for Thought by Alton Brown
I have been a long time fan of Alton Brown from Good Eats. I was excited to see this book at the bookstore a few months ago. I mentioned it to my wife, but had held fast to wait for it to come out in paperback. My birthday however turned this into a gift - and I am glad it did. This collection of essays was entertaining and a delicious read.
Smart Stuff
I was enamored by Google and some of the technological excellence they provided for consumers. The Chromecast was genius. Google smart home devices were solid in answering questions. The pulling together of their entire consumer offerings meant I wired up my entire home with a Google home device in every room.
The novelty quickly wore off. We ended up using them for a home-wide speaker system to announce dinner was ready, tell a joke, or turn the HVAC on or off.
The Alignment Problem by Brian Christian
In spite of all of the effort to make us think AI is going to be sliced bread, this book does an excellent job of showing how nuanced it is. AI is a model. Models are not real. That comes with consequences - or as I love to say, the map is not the territory.
Why it's so hard to build a jet engine
Why it’s so hard to build a jet engine by Brian Potter
It’s not that building a working commercial jet engine itself is so difficult. It’s that a new engine project is always pushing the boundaries of technological possibility, venturing into new domains — greater power, higher temperatures, higher pressures, new materials — where behaviors are less well understood. Building the understanding required to push jet engine capabilities forward takes time, effort, and expense.
The Age of Hubris?
Are we in the age of hubris?
hubris 🔗noun
/ˈhju·brɪs/
an extreme and unreasonable feeling of pride and confidence in yourself
No, Tell Us What You Really Think of AI
This is a very spicy take on AI, but I have a hard time disagreeing.
I’m tired of the delusion. I’m tired of being forced to take these men seriously. I’m tired of being told by the media and investors that these men are building the future when the only things they build are mediocre and expensive. There is no joy here, no mystery, no magic, no problems solved, no lives saved, and very few lives changed other than new people added to Forbes’ Midas list.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
I am not into Westerns, though I did just read True Grit which I reckon would imply I am. This is an epic and violent book which has won many awards. I don’t think I have ever been so drawn into such warm and vivid characters. By the third act, the book was all I could think about. I will miss reading this.