As someone often inspired by TED, I found Chris Anderson’s book a timely, inspiring read about the internet’s impact on generosity. Chris’s central arAs someone often inspired by TED, I found Chris Anderson’s book a timely, inspiring read about the internet’s impact on generosity. Chris’s central argument is that communications technology creates both an opportunity and a responsibility to give more. He highlights powerful examples like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and the online giving platform DonorsChoose, where people have come together to deliver extraordinary results.
Of course, Chris doesn’t gloss over the challenges of the internet. Instead, he invites us to reimagine, reinvent, and even redefine giving and philanthropy for the digital age. If we stick with Chris’s infectious proposal, the world would be a much more generous place....more
Over the years, I’ve read and watched a lot about the war in Vietnam. But The Women—Kristin Hannah's great novel about the heroic but largely overlookOver the years, I’ve read and watched a lot about the war in Vietnam. But The Women—Kristin Hannah's great novel about the heroic but largely overlooked role of frontline nurses—made me think about it in a new light. It’s a beautifully written tribute to a group of veterans who deserve more appreciation for the incredible sacrifices they made. The book was a recommendation from my brother-in-law John, who served two tours in Vietnam. I agree with him—it’s a fantastic read....more
Brave New Words is a masterclass on how AI can be used in the classroom. Chapter by chapter, Sal Khan takes readers through his predictions—some have Brave New Words is a masterclass on how AI can be used in the classroom. Chapter by chapter, Sal Khan takes readers through his predictions—some have already come true since the book was written—for AI’s many applications in education. His main argument: AI will radically improve both student outcomes and teacher experiences, and help usher in a future where everyone has access to a world-class education.
No one understands where education is headed better than Sal Khan, and I can't recommend Brave New Words enough....more
My mom believed that connecting with others was a skill that had to be cultivated, even (or perhaps especially) for an introverted kid like me. ReadinMy mom believed that connecting with others was a skill that had to be cultivated, even (or perhaps especially) for an introverted kid like me. Reading this new book by David Brooks, I ended up thinking a lot about that. The key premise is that conversational and social skills aren’t just innate traits—they can be learned and honed. I especially appreciated his advice on “loud listening” and using the SLANT method to convey attention and interest in a conversation (Sit up, Lean forward, Ask questions, Nod, and Track the speaker). More than a guide to better conversations, How to Know a Person is a blueprint for a more connected and humane way of living....more
When my Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, and I were kids, we fell in love with computing. But software wasn't the first thing we bonded over. It was When my Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, and I were kids, we fell in love with computing. But software wasn't the first thing we bonded over. It was Robert Heinlein.
I met Paul around the time I had finished reading all of the science fiction writer’s early books. Those novels were adventure stories with titles like Rocket Ship Galileo and Space Cadet. They weren’t labeled children’s books, but they appealed to kids. The plots were very straightforward. They always had a simple moral and involved a little bit of cool technology and a little bit of romance. I loved them.
Then, when I was in seventh or eighth grade, I got into the Heinlein novels that were meant for adults—but I didn’t know it. Starship Troopers was set in the future but drew parallels with the Cold War. Stranger in a Strange Land and The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress went even deeper into Heinlein’s philosophy of life and his concerns about the future. They were dark and ambiguous. You didn’t always know who the hero was. "This is not the Heinlein I’ve been reading,” I thought. “What happened to the guy?”
I met Paul around the same time, and we got to know each other by talking about sci-fi. I thought I had read a lot of it, but Paul way outdid me. (To be fair, he did have the advantage of being two grades ahead of me in school.) I had one bookshelf filled with science fiction. He probably had eight. Paul explained that the Heinlein books I had stumbled on weren’t children’s stories—they had messages and were supposed to help you think about the real world. That was news to me as a young teenager.
Eventually we started looking for other shared interests. Our school acquired a computer, and we said to each other, “How does this thing work? Let’s try and make it do something.”
Of all the sci-fi I read as a teenager, Stranger in a Strange Land is my favorite. It was published in 1961 and is Heinlein’s most popular book. It’s about a human named Michael Valentine Smith, who’s raised on Mars by Martians and then returns to Earth as a young adult. Because he grew up on Mars, he has psychic abilities and is super-intelligent. After some early adventures, including an escape from the facility where he’s being studied by scientists, he becomes fascinated by the world’s religions. In the novel’s futuristic setting, religions are more politically powerful than they are today, and Smith decides to start his own.
He calls it the Church of All Worlds, and through it, Heinlein predicted a lot of the hippie culture that was to come later in the 1960s. Smith’s adherents learn to “grok” things, a Martian term meaning to understand something by becoming one with it. (The idea of grokking got picked up in popular culture and became, at least for a while, a term you heard a lot even outside the context of the book.) Smith’s followers live in communes, which struck me as pretty out-there when I read it as a teenager.
I love sci-fi that pushes your thinking about what’s possible in the future. In Heinlein’s case, hippie culture isn’t the only thing he predicted. Among other things, Stranger in a Strange Land and other works of his mention what he called a “hydraulic bed”—what we now know as a waterbed. He also does the classic sci-fi thing of using an obviously fictional setting to ask profound questions about human nature.
Heinlein isn’t known as a particularly humorous writer, but Stranger in a Strange Land definitely has some funny parts. Early in the novel, for example, a nurse offers Michael a glass of water. To her, it’s a simple gesture, but it has a lot of meaning for him because water is so scarce on Mars. He thanks her: “May you always drink deep.” After they both take a sip, she can’t figure out why he “seemed content to sink back, as if he had accomplished something important.”
I’m glad I stumbled on Stranger and Heinlein’s other grown-up novels when I did. Everything I had read before them had a tidy ending. Here though the ending is unclear. It’s up to us to decide what happens next, just like in real life....more
I believe that COVID-19 can be the last pandemic. In my upcoming book, I lay out the specific steps we can take to not only stop future pandemics but I believe that COVID-19 can be the last pandemic. In my upcoming book, I lay out the specific steps we can take to not only stop future pandemics but provide better health care for everyone around the world....more
Like most people, I was first introduced to Weir’s writing through The Martian. His latest novel is a wild tale about a high school science teacher whLike most people, I was first introduced to Weir’s writing through The Martian. His latest novel is a wild tale about a high school science teacher who wakes up in a different star system with no memory of how he got there. The rest of the story is all about how he uses science and engineering to save the day. It’s a fun read, and I finished the whole thing in one weekend....more
If you’re a Shakespeare fan, you’ll love this moving novel about how his personal life might’ve influenced the writing of one of his most famous playsIf you’re a Shakespeare fan, you’ll love this moving novel about how his personal life might’ve influenced the writing of one of his most famous plays. O’Farrell has built her story on two facts we know to be true about “The Bard”: his son Hamnet died at the age of 11, and a couple years later, Shakespeare wrote a tragedy called Hamlet. I especially enjoyed reading about his wife, Anne, who is imagined here as an almost supernatural figure....more
I love a good robot story, and Ishiguro’s novel about an “artificial friend” to a sick young girl is no exception. Although it takes place in a dystopI love a good robot story, and Ishiguro’s novel about an “artificial friend” to a sick young girl is no exception. Although it takes place in a dystopian future, the robots aren’t a force for evil. Instead, they serve as companions to keep people company. This book made me think about what life with super intelligent robots might look like—and whether we’ll treat these kinds of machines as pieces of technology or as something more....more
Few subjects have captured the imaginations of science fiction writers like artificial intelligence. If you’re interested in learning more about what Few subjects have captured the imaginations of science fiction writers like artificial intelligence. If you’re interested in learning more about what it might take to create a true AI, this book offers a fascinating theory. Hawkins may be best known as the co-inventor of the PalmPilot, but he’s spent decades thinking about the connections between neuroscience and machine learning, and there’s no better introduction to his thinking than this book....more
The CRISPR gene editing system is one of the coolest and perhaps most consequential scientific breakthroughs of the last decade. I’m familiar with it The CRISPR gene editing system is one of the coolest and perhaps most consequential scientific breakthroughs of the last decade. I’m familiar with it because of my work at the foundation—we’re funding a number of projects that use the technology—but I still learned a lot from this comprehensive and accessible book about its discovery by Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues. Isaacson does a good job highlighting the most important ethical questions around gene editing....more
Loading...
