Books like Tools and Weapons

01

Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies

Nick Bostrom · Science

Superintelligence is Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom's systematic analysis of what might happen if artificial intelligence systems become more capable than humans — and why that transition might represent one of the most significant risks in human history.

02

Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control

Stuart Russell · Science

Human Compatible is Stuart Russell's argument, from inside mainstream AI research, that the standard model of AI — build a system that optimizes for a fixed objective — is the wrong approach, and that the transition to much more capable AI systems requires a fundamental change in how AI is designed.

03

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power

Shoshana Zuboff · History

Shoshana Zuboff spent years researching what she calls surveillance capitalism — a new economic logic in which human experience is turned into raw material for prediction products that are sold to businesses wanting to influence behavior.

04

The Alignment Problem

Brian Christian · Science

Brian Christian's The Alignment Problem examines a fundamental challenge in machine learning: how do you ensure that an artificial system actually pursues the goals you intend, rather than a close but dangerous approximation?

05

100 Baggers: Stocks That Return 100-to-1 and How to Find Them

Christopher Mayer · Business

Christopher Mayer built this book on research conducted earlier by Thomas Phelps, whose 1972 book 100 to 1 in the Stock Market studied stocks that returned one hundred times their purchase price.

06

7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy

Hamilton Helmer · Business

7 Powers is Hamilton Helmer's attempt to distill the full landscape of business strategy into a single rigorous framework.