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FT editor Roula Khalaf picks her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Burn Book: A Technology Love Story, by Kara Swisher (Little, Brown)
Swisher, a blogger, columnist and podcaster, is one of the most readable and well-connected commentators of the digital age. In this book, he delves into the likes of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. High on anecdote and low on analysis, The Burn Book is “the book version of a tweetstorm,” concludes a Financial Times review.
“AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking” by Shannon Valler (OUP)
There has been a plethora of books published about AI this year, and philosopher Valor's “AI Mirror” is one of the most thought-provoking. The “utopian priests” who currently control the tech world use AI as a means to reinforce flawed human power structures. Valor argues that AI's great potential is to help reform those power structures.
Dark Wire: The Shocking Truth About the Largest Sting Operation in History by Joseph Cox (Public Affairs)
An investigative reporter tells the incredible story of how the FBI secretly launched a unique encrypted communications app to expose and trap smugglers, money launderers, and hitmen around the world. But this true techno-thriller also raises unsettling questions about privacy, deception, and accountability in the digital age.
Tell me what you think
Will you be taking any of these books with you on your summer vacation this year? Which ones? Are there any titles we missed? Let us know in the comments below!
“Atomic Human: Understanding Ourselves in the Age of AI” by Neil D. Lawrence (Allen Lane)
Lawrence, a professor of computer science at Cambridge University and a former Amazon executive, understands both the theory and practice of AI. His clear-sighted book expertly explains the capabilities and limitations of machine intelligence. Ignore the doomsayers: human intelligence, he argues, still has potential.
No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America's Biggest Catfish by Anna Akbari, Grand Central Publishing
Ethan Shuman is a witty, seductive, yet somewhat elusive character who seduces three separate, highly intelligent women online. But is he all he seems? In this page-turning, realistic look at technology-mediated relationships, Akbari reveals that Ethan is a catfish, a false identity that hides a shocking reality.
Coming to the book in summer 2024…
This week, FT reporters and critics will be sharing their favourite stories. Highlights include:
Monday: Business by Andrew Hill
Tuesday: Economics by Martin Wolf
Wednesday: Environment by Pirita Clark
Thursday: Fiction by Laura Battle and Andrew Dixon
Friday: History by Tony Barber
Saturday: Politics with Gideon Rachman
Sunday: FT journalists choose their favourite books of 2024 so far
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