Books

A mega-thread of all the books I read in 2024.

The setup: one cast per book (from oldest to most recent)—title, author(s), an impression and a link. Comments, questions and further recommendations welcome.

A mega-thread of all the books I read in 2023.

The setup: one cast per book (oldest > recent), inc. an impression and a link. Comments, questions and extra recommendations welcome.

This may take a while...

Here's the thread from 2023. My personal site also has my active reading tracks, quake books and top reads from 2022 and 2021. 2024's will go up once I've done the year's annual review.

in motion | founder, researcher, scout, storyteller | into computing, communication, complex systems | building subset.network | all the things: msweet.net

Here's the thread from 2023. My personal site also has my active reading tracks, quake books and top reads from 2022 and 2021. 2024's will go up once I've done the year's annual review.
https://warpcast.com/msms/0x71239ef2
https://www.msweet.net/

Being-Time: A Practitioner's Guide to Dogen's Shobogenzo by Shinshu Roberts. A fun text which highlights (amongst other things) one of the central tenets of Dōgen's Sōtō school of Zen: that the duality between enlightened and unenlightened is BS. I'm kinda convinced—it helped nudge me away from "happy" and "unhappy" as dominant "inner game" labels, at least.

Being-Time: A Practitioner's Guide to Dogen's Shobogenzo by Shinshu Roberts. A fun text which highlights (amongst other things) one of the central tenets of Dōgen's Sōtō school of Zen: that the duality between enlightened and unenlightened is BS. I'm kinda convinced—it helped nudge me away from "happy" and "unhappy" as dominant "inner game" labels, at least.
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/being-time/

How to Grow a Robot by Mark H. Lee. This one's about developmental robotics and how we may facilitate the growth of machines, rather than merely building them. With the increasing pace of developments in AI, I suspect we're going to have to begin thinking in these sorts of paradigms by default, especially at the end user level.

How to Grow a Robot by Mark H. Lee. This one's about developmental robotics and how we may facilitate the growth of machines, rather than merely building them. With the increasing pace of developments in AI, I suspect we're going to have to begin thinking in these sorts of paradigms by default, especially at the end user level.
https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262043731/how-to-grow-a-robot/

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Illustrated) by J.K. Rowling. I didn't realise I had this on the shelf—it turned out to be a fun, lightweight holiday season read.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Illustrated) by J.K. Rowling. I didn't realise I had this on the shelf—it turned out to be a fun, lightweight holiday season read.
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix-9781408845684/

Adaptive Oncogenesis by James DeGregori. I really enjoyed this. The proliferation of cancerous cells is more than just the accumulation of cellular biological trials. Evolutionary dynamics—such as occupying reproductive lifecycle phases or being at the upper end of human lifespan—and the enveloping tissue macro-environment are big factors. The biggest factors, perhaps?

Adaptive Oncogenesis by James DeGregori. I really enjoyed this. The proliferation of cancerous cells is more than just the accumulation of cellular biological trials. Evolutionary dynamics—such as occupying reproductive lifecycle phases or being at the upper end of human lifespan—and the enveloping tissue macro-environment are big factors. The biggest factors, perhaps?
https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674545397

Every Man for Himself and God Against All by Werner Herzog. Herzog is the epitome of an unreliable narrator. All the same, this was interesting and contained some harrowing autobiographia—like knife fights with a sibling. I enjoyed the earlier set of interviews produced in collab with Paul Cronin more.

Every Man for Himself and God Against All by Werner Herzog. Herzog is the epitome of an unreliable narrator. All the same, this was interesting and contained some harrowing autobiographia—like knife fights with a sibling. I enjoyed the earlier set of interviews produced in collab with Paul Cronin more.
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/447206/every-man-for-himself-and-god-against-all-by-herzog-werner/9781529923865
https://www.faber.co.uk/product/9780571259779-werner-herzog-a-guide-for-the-perplexed/

Memories of Ice (Malazan Book of the Fallen III) by Steven Erikson. I mean, it's Malazan. I've read it multiple times and I will shill it to anyone who 1) likes epic fantasy and 2) can stomach long reads. Just read it, goddammit.

Memories of Ice (Malazan Book of the Fallen III) by Steven Erikson. I mean, it's Malazan. I've read it multiple times and I will shill it to anyone who 1) likes epic fantasy and 2) can stomach long reads. Just read it, goddammit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memories_of_Ice

Leftovers from 2023—done. Moving onto the proper 2024 texts...

From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. My second foray into the work of Alan Moore. It's easy to see why he's cited as a seminal artist. From Hell was a real blast, blending thriller vibes was Masonic ritual and London history and geography.

From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. My second foray into the work of Alan Moore. It's easy to see why he's cited as a seminal artist. From Hell was a real blast, blending thriller vibes was Masonic ritual and London history and geography.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_Hell

Meeting the Universe Halfway by Karen Barad. I'm no physicist, nor a philosopher, but this text resonated—it argues for viewing phenomena as entangled and actions as embodied. It seems to present a different path forward for meta science.

Meeting the Universe Halfway by Karen Barad. I'm no physicist, nor a philosopher, but this text resonated—it argues for viewing phenomena as entangled and actions as embodied. It seems to present a different path forward for meta science.
https://www.dukeupress.edu/meeting-the-universe-halfway
https://newmaterialism.eu

Once and Future Vols. One to Five by Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora, and Tamra Bonvillain. My final sequential art read before I switched back to regular texts. A dark, Arthurian romp that places the power of narrative at the core of the story. Gorgeous visuals, too.

Once and Future Vols. One to Five by Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora, and Tamra Bonvillain. My final sequential art read before I switched back to regular texts. A dark, Arthurian romp that places the power of narrative at the core of the story. Gorgeous visuals, too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Once_%26_Future

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Cancer affects practically every person in some way or form and it was fascinating to see how it evolved from an almost unacknowledged phenomena of sufficiently advanced biological systems into an organising force for much of modern medicine.

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Cancer affects practically every person in some way or form and it was fascinating to see how it evolved from an almost unacknowledged phenomena of sufficiently advanced biological systems into an organising force for much of modern medicine.
https://siddharthamukherjee.com/the-emperor-of-all-maladies/

Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World by Malcolm Harris. Reality is not history is not lore—this applies to Silicon Valley, too. Harris is by no means a neutral observer, but his recounting of the region's arc from gold rushes through railroads, defence, personal computers and contemporary Big Tech provides a good start for sensemaking SV's position today.

Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World by Malcolm Harris. Reality is not history is not lore—this applies to Silicon Valley, too. Harris is by no means a neutral observer, but his recounting of the region's arc from gold rushes through railroads, defence, personal computers and contemporary Big Tech provides a good start for sensemaking SV's position today.
https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/malcolm-harris-2/palo-alto/9781529430875/
https://contraptions.venkateshrao.com/p/on-lore

The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick is a simple approach for doing product discovery and understanding end users. TL;DR: their life is more important than your idea, past specifics are more valuable than generics / opinions about the future, and one should talk less and listen more to what they have to say. It's definitely impacted my thoughts and actions concerning a lot of things.

The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick is a simple approach for doing product discovery and understanding end users. TL;DR: their life is more important than your idea, past specifics are more valuable than generics / opinions about the future, and one should talk less and listen more to what they have to say. It's definitely impacted my thoughts and actions concerning a lot of things.
https://www.momtestbook.com

Talking to Humans by Giff Constable is similar to the Mom Test in some respects. It offers a bunch of tactics and tools for the latter half of the pre-PMF discovery arc; "build s*** and talk to people".

Talking to Humans by Giff Constable is similar to the Mom Test in some respects. It offers a bunch of tactics and tools for the latter half of the pre-PMF discovery arc; "build s*** and talk to people".
https://www.talkingtohumans.com

Microhabitable by Fernando Garcia Dory, Lucia Pietroiusti and others. It's a reader focused on the micro—scopic, political, economic. My favourite essay was by Marisol de la Cadena and concerned the irreconcilable conflicts concerning the Amazon—what exactly a territory is and what relations make it is the ground truth that none of the parties can gain consensus on.

Microhabitable by Fernando Garcia Dory, Lucia Pietroiusti and others. It's a reader focused on the micro—scopic, political, economic. My favourite essay was by Marisol de la Cadena and concerned the irreconcilable conflicts concerning the Amazon—what exactly a territory is and what relations make it is the ground truth that none of the parties can gain consensus on.
https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/whats-on/microhabitable/
https://www.marisoldelacadena.com

House of Chains (Malazan Book of the Fallen IV) by Steven Erikson. I'll say it again. Malazan; epic; read it. And this is one of my favourite in the original ten book series—so much happens, and the array of characters is just divine.

House of Chains (Malazan Book of the Fallen IV) by Steven Erikson. I'll say it again. Malazan; epic; read it. And this is one of my favourite in the original ten book series—so much happens, and the array of characters is just divine.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Chains

Effectuation: Elements of Entrepreneurial Expertise (2nd Ed.) by Saras S. Sarasvathy. To some degree, the mythologising of entrepreneurs (a practice that should have a wider scope than tech founders) is correct. There's disproportionate risk assumed in a lot of cases, which I think is the main myth-making requirement. But, as this text helped me realise, what's really valuable about such endeavours is the audacity. The knowhow required to do it? That can be learned. Effectuation is one approach for doing that.

Effectuation: Elements of Entrepreneurial Expertise (2nd Ed.) by Saras S. Sarasvathy. To some degree, the mythologising of entrepreneurs (a practice that should have a wider scope than tech founders) is correct. There's disproportionate risk assumed in a lot of cases, which I think is the main myth-making requirement. But, as this text helped me realise, what's really valuable about such endeavours is the audacity. The knowhow required to do it? That can be learned. Effectuation is one approach for doing that.
https://effectuation.org/effectuation-books-and-chapters

Galileo Unbound by David D. Nolte. If you want to speedrun the history of the science of motion, this is the way to do it.

Galileo Unbound by David D. Nolte. If you want to speedrun the history of the science of motion, this is the way to do it.
https://galileo-unbound.blog

Scattered Minds by Gabor Mate. I came to this text looking for ways to help me focus more easily on the most important thing, and to learn how to unattach from things that get stuck in my attention. That kinda happened? At the least, I picked up a new frame of reference for some of my long-held tendencies and dispositions.

Scattered Minds by Gabor Mate. I came to this text looking for ways to help me focus more easily on the most important thing, and to learn how to unattach from things that get stuck in my attention. That kinda happened? At the least, I picked up a new frame of reference for some of my long-held tendencies and dispositions.
https://drgabormate.com/book/scattered-minds/

The Infinite Machine by Camila Russo. I didn't know much about the world of Ethereum—either technically or historically. I still don't, really, but I'm in a better state than before.

The Infinite Machine by Camila Russo. I didn't know much about the world of Ethereum—either technically or historically. I still don't, really, but I'm in a better state than before.
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-infinite-machine-camila-russo?variant=32123333836834

Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain by David Gerard. I picked this up as a counterweight to the Russo text. It was meh. Gerard is a well-known cryptocurrency cynic but most of the criticisms didn't land with me as much as I expected them to.

Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain by David Gerard. I picked this up as a counterweight to the Russo text. It was meh. Gerard is a well-known cryptocurrency cynic but most of the criticisms didn't land with me as much as I expected them to.
https://davidgerard.co.uk/blockchain/

The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Lesser in scope than The Emperor of All Maladies, its equal in narrative quality and rigour, and with a greater sense of pathos, this history of the gene is a solid telling of the past and present of genetics. As for the future of genetics—and of humanity? That's what the text gets one thinking about.

The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee. Lesser in scope than The Emperor of All Maladies, its equal in narrative quality and rigour, and with a greater sense of pathos, this history of the gene is a solid telling of the past and present of genetics. As for the future of genetics—and of humanity? That's what the text gets one thinking about. https://siddharthamukherjee.com/the-gene-an-intimate-history/

Summer of Protocols

The Protocol Kit by the /sop 2023 team. This came in five instalments over the course of the year. It really altered my perspective on a lot of issues, from sociality and culture to organism decay and technology development. So much so that I've elevated it to "quake book" status (a text that radically perturbs how one thinks about and acts within the world).

The Protocol Kit by the /sop 2023 team. This came in five instalments over the course of the year. It really altered my perspective on a lot of issues, from sociality and culture to organism decay and technology development. So much so that I've elevated it to "quake book" status (a text that radically perturbs how one thinks about and acts within the world).
https://summerofprotocols.com/kit

Matter and Motion by Thomas Nail. Nothing especially new for me here because I've read all of Nail's kinetic case studies (Being and Motion was a revelation). Enjoyed coming back to some of the motion-centric ideas, though.

Matter and Motion by Thomas Nail. Nothing especially new for me here because I've read all of Nail's kinetic case studies (Being and Motion was a revelation). Enjoyed coming back to some of the motion-centric ideas, though.
https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-matter-and-motion.html
https://academic.oup.com/book/43685

Daughter of the Moon Goddess (The Celestial Kingdom Duology I) by Sue Lynn Tan. My wife thought I'd enjoy this, and she wasn't wrong. It's a touching story and a fun read.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess (The Celestial Kingdom Duology I) by Sue Lynn Tan. My wife thought I'd enjoy this, and she wasn't wrong. It's a touching story and a fun read.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daughter_of_the_Moon_Goddess

The Murderbot Diaries (#1-#6 Bundle) and System Collapse (Murderbot Diaries #7) by Martha Wells. I ended up at this series because 1) I caught Martha Wells on the Embedded FM podcast, and 2) because I'd heard @jenna mention it multiple times. It's really, really good. Great characters, strong world, compelling events and awesome narration.

The Murderbot Diaries (#1-#6 Bundle) and System Collapse (Murderbot Diaries #7) by Martha Wells. I ended up at this series because 1) I caught Martha Wells on the Embedded FM podcast, and 2) because I'd heard @jenna mention it multiple times. It's really, really good. Great characters, strong world, compelling events and awesome narration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Murderbot_Diaries

Midnight Tides (Malazan V) by Steven Erikson. The fifth Malazan book. The Edur-Lether collision is perfectly executed. The anguish experienced is almost too much, at times. Just exquisite stuff.

Midnight Tides (Malazan V) by Steven Erikson. The fifth Malazan book. The Edur-Lether collision is perfectly executed. The anguish experienced is almost too much, at times. Just exquisite stuff. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Tides

Anti-Oedipus (Capitalism and Schizophrenia P1) by Giles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. I persevered with this for a bit but then quit. It's a text that needs an almost devotional level of attention to contextualise and unpack—I wasn't willing to give it that.

Anti-Oedipus (Capitalism and Schizophrenia P1) by Giles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. I persevered with this for a bit but then quit. It's a text that needs an almost devotional level of attention to contextualise and unpack—I wasn't willing to give it that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Oedipus

Biosemiotics by Jesper Hoffmeyer. I kind of connected this to some of Barad's ideas about observers, entanglement and intra-action and to some of the concepts coming out of new materialism. It argues that intermediation, signs, signalling, boundaries are more central to the emergence of consciousness than given credit for.

Biosemiotics by Jesper Hoffmeyer. I kind of connected this to some of Barad's ideas about observers, entanglement and intra-action and to some of the concepts coming out of new materialism. It argues that intermediation, signs, signalling, boundaries are more central to the emergence of consciousness than given credit for.
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/B/bo5932926.html

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (4th Ed., Global) by Stuart Russel and Peter Norvig. Picked this up to get a good overview of the basics of modern AI—it's ideal for that. Also makes it very apparent how frictionless the slope is from reasoning about logic and computation through to agents, decisions and systems. If one's not careful, you can end up trying to remake / revolutionise the world.

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (4th Ed., Global) by Stuart Russel and Peter Norvig. Picked this up to get a good overview of the basics of modern AI—it's ideal for that. Also makes it very apparent how frictionless the slope is from reasoning about logic and computation through to agents, decisions and systems. If one's not careful, you can end up trying to remake / revolutionise the world.
https://aima.cs.berkeley.edu/global-index.html

Ways of Seeing by John Berger. The first of two arbitrary art book pickups. Easy to see why this hit hard in the 1970s. I also suspect that it's more impactful in documentary format (no, I haven't watched it).

Ways of Seeing by John Berger. The first of two arbitrary art book pickups. Easy to see why this hit hard in the 1970s. I also suspect that it's more impactful in documentary format (no, I haven't watched it).
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/56465/ways-of-seeing-by-berger-john/9780141035796

Viewing Velocities by Marcus Verhagen. The second of the opportunistic art book purchases. It's about speed in contemporary art. Revealed some interesting recent projects and theorists (e.g. Harmut Rosa, Jacques Rancierre), and made me think about the slow and fast in my own life.

Viewing Velocities by Marcus Verhagen. The second of the opportunistic art book purchases. It's about speed in contemporary art. Revealed some interesting recent projects and theorists (e.g. Harmut Rosa, Jacques Rancierre), and made me think about the slow and fast in my own life. https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/2951-viewing-velocities

Doomsday Book (Oxford TIme Travel I) by Connie Willis. This looked promising but I found to be a bit too dry to get into. I quit it.

Doomsday Book (Oxford TIme Travel I) by Connie Willis. This looked promising but I found to be a bit too dry to get into. I quit it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomsday_Book_%28novel%29

The Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Marillier. Another recommendation from my wife, and another good one. I read the original first three novels (there's six total). Very much enjoyed the Gaelic mythology and the druidic elements of the story.

The Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Marillier. Another recommendation from my wife, and another good one. I read the original first three novels (there's six total). Very much enjoyed the Gaelic mythology and the druidic elements of the story.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sevenwaters_Trilogy

The Soul of the Octopus by Sy Montgomery. I'm struck by melancholy for the most part when thinking of this text. Cephalods are SO fascinating (esp. when juxtaposed when brain-dominant dialogues around intelligence) but we know SO little about them. And the minor ways we can know things require these animals to be in captivity.

The Soul of the Octopus by Sy Montgomery. I'm struck by melancholy for the most part when thinking of this text. Cephalods are SO fascinating (esp. when juxtaposed when brain-dominant dialogues around intelligence) but we know SO little about them. And the minor ways we can know things require these animals to be in captivity.
https://symontgomery.com/soul-of-an-octopus/

Lapidarium by Hettie Judah. Total opportune purchase and a book I really loved. I have not spent any time, really, thinking about minerals, and it turns out they're intricately intertwined with our histories.

Lapidarium by Hettie Judah. Total opportune purchase and a book I really loved. I have not spent any time, really, thinking about minerals, and it turns out they're intricately intertwined with our histories.
https://www.hettiejudah.co.uk/lapidarium-the-secret-lives-of-stones

Testing Business Ideas by David J. Bland and Alex Osterwalder. I'm familiar with other texts in the Strategyser series. This one had the same high production values as the others, although it didn't have the personal resonance of the OG texts on business model design and value proposition design. Still, really handy to have around.

Testing Business Ideas by David J. Bland and Alex Osterwalder. I'm familiar with other texts in the Strategyser series. This one had the same high production values as the others, although it didn't have the personal resonance of the OG texts on business model design and value proposition design. Still, really handy to have around.
https://www.strategyzer.com/library/testing-business-ideas-book

Designing Data-Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann. Seems like a GOATed text in many corners of the web. And definitely worthy of the praise. It provides a lot of guidance for thinking about and unpacking the consequence of decisions when designing systems. Insightful and kinda timeless.

Designing Data-Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann. Seems like a GOATed text in many corners of the web. And definitely worthy of the praise. It provides a lot of guidance for thinking about and unpacking the consequence of decisions when designing systems. Insightful and kinda timeless.
https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/designing-data-intensive-applications/9781491903063/

High Growth Handbook by Elad Gil. A pretty dense book; a lot of insight in little space. Not particularly applicable for me or any of my projects at the time, but definitely handy for eyeing up potential futures and thinking about the elements that need to exist for them to manifest.

High Growth Handbook by Elad Gil. A pretty dense book; a lot of insight in little space. Not particularly applicable for me or any of my projects at the time, but definitely handy for eyeing up potential futures and thinking about the elements that need to exist for them to manifest.
https://press.stripe.com/high-growth-handbook

Systems Medicine by Uri Alon. A really neat text. Reasoning about physiological systems as circuits that can be modelled AND connecting those circuits to a periodic table of diseases just seems, to an outsider like me, a paradigmatically different approach to traditional cause-and-effect medicine.

Systems Medicine by Uri Alon. A really neat text. Reasoning about physiological systems as circuits that can be modelled AND connecting those circuits to a periodic table of diseases just seems, to an outsider like me, a paradigmatically different approach to traditional cause-and-effect medicine.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.1201/9781003356929/systems-medicine-uri-alon

Cybernetics for the 21st Century by Yuk Hui et al. "...dedicated to the epistemological reconstruction of cybernetics, consisting of a series of historical and critical reflections on the subject". It seems to do that quite well. It manages to avoid drinking the cybernetics kool-aid, and also highlights some lesser known cybernetic thinking outcomes (e.g. China and Latin America). I still prefer Michael C. Jackson's Critical Systems thinking for situating cybernetics historically, though.

Cybernetics for the 21st Century by Yuk Hui et al. "...dedicated to the epistemological reconstruction of cybernetics, consisting of a series of historical and critical reflections on the subject". It seems to do that quite well. It manages to avoid drinking the cybernetics kool-aid, and also highlights some lesser known cybernetic thinking outcomes (e.g. China and Latin America). I still prefer Michael C. Jackson's Critical Systems thinking for situating cybernetics historically, though.
https://hanart.press/cybernetics-for-the-21st-century-vol-1/
https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Critical+Systems+Thinking+and+the+Management+of+Complexity-p-9781119118398

Imperial Radch Trilogy by Ann Leckie. Loved this. It read like a mashup of the Murderbot Diaries and Iain M. Banks' Culture series. A little more gritty than the former and not as monumental in scope or as deft philosophically as the latter.

Imperial Radch Trilogy by Ann Leckie. Loved this. It read like a mashup of the Murderbot Diaries and Iain M. Banks' Culture series. A little more gritty than the former and not as monumental in scope or as deft philosophically as the latter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancillary_Justice

The Bonehunters (Malazan VI) by Steven Erikson. The sixth Malazan book. Things are getting weighty, and the christening of the Bonehunters is easily one of my favourite sequences in the ten-book saga. These books just get better with each re-read.

The Bonehunters (Malazan VI) by Steven Erikson. The sixth Malazan book. Things are getting weighty, and the christening of the Bonehunters is easily one of my favourite sequences in the ten-book saga. These books just get better with each re-read.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bonehunters

Energy and Civilisation: A History by Vaclav Smil. I was expecting this to be dry AF. But it wasn't too bad. Smil's writing does have a very subtle character and he's a solid guide to the intricacies of energy utilisation and some of its downstream effects. Smil-like depth feels like table stakes for reasoning about Kardashev scales and accelerating civs.

Energy and Civilisation: A History by Vaclav Smil. I was expecting this to be dry AF. But it wasn't too bad. Smil's writing does have a very subtle character and he's a solid guide to the intricacies of energy utilisation and some of its downstream effects. Smil-like depth feels like table stakes for reasoning about Kardashev scales and accelerating civs.
https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262536165/energy-and-civilization/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale

Venture Deals (4th Ed.) by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson. Useful to understand what the eff VC is all about and where it sits in the greater landscape of capital allocation and movement. Also helped me realise how dangerous a game it can be if one doesn't understand the incentives, the norms and the risks.

Venture Deals (4th Ed.) by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson. Useful to understand what the eff VC is all about and where it sits in the greater landscape of capital allocation and movement. Also helped me realise how dangerous a game it can be if one doesn't understand the incentives, the norms and the risks.
https://www.venturedeals.com

Onchain Capital Allocation Handbook by @owocki. As a counterweight to Venture Deals, I really enjoyed this. One of the main reasons I think cryptocurrencies are important is they allow us to ask really basic questions, like, "With these new mechanisms, how can we distribute capital?" The text is a nice survey of some proven and emerging methods.

Onchain Capital Allocation Handbook by @owocki. As a counterweight to Venture Deals, I really enjoyed this. One of the main reasons I think cryptocurrencies are important is they allow us to ask really basic questions, like, "With these new mechanisms, how can we distribute capital?" The text is a nice survey of some proven and emerging methods.
https://allobook.gitcoin.co

The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI by Jonathan Birch. Attempts to wrangle with definitions of sentience. Not just conceptually, or philosophically, but in a way that can be actualised within and inform literal policy decisions. It's excellent and I expect it would sap the heat from a lot of the discourse concerning non-human (machines AND animals) sentience if more widely known.

The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI by Jonathan Birch. Attempts to wrangle with definitions of sentience. Not just conceptually, or philosophically, but in a way that can be actualised within and inform literal policy decisions. It's excellent and I expect it would sap the heat from a lot of the discourse concerning non-human (machines AND animals) sentience if more widely known.
https://www.edgeofsentience.com

Cryptography Engineering: Design Principles and Practical Applications (1st Ed.) by Niels Ferguson. I had this lying around (digitally) as a PDF from a while back. It was interesting to see the sorts of questions the design of a cryptographic protocol raises. It also got me into thinking about maximum extractable value.

Cryptography Engineering: Design Principles and Practical Applications (1st Ed.) by Niels Ferguson. I had this lying around (digitally) as a PDF from a while back. It was interesting to see the sorts of questions the design of a cryptographic protocol raises. It also got me into thinking about maximum extractable value.
https://www.schneier.com/books/cryptography-engineering/

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach. I've read some of Brach's other texts, as well as a bunch of other texts that make the contemplative arts palatable for more secular audiences. Not mind blowing for me at this stage, but a handy reminder of some really important approaches for handling one's self.

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach. I've read some of Brach's other texts, as well as a bunch of other texts that make the contemplative arts palatable for more secular audiences. Not mind blowing for me at this stage, but a handy reminder of some really important approaches for handling one's self.
https://www.tarabrach.com/books/radical-acceptance/

Scaling People by Claire Hughes Johnson. Came to this text after hearing her on the Tim Ferriss pod. (which was itself strongly recommended by a friend). A good book for management wonks and for people heading up rapidly scaling teams / departments / orgs. I don't really fit in either category so I noped out of this one early.

Scaling People by Claire Hughes Johnson. Came to this text after hearing her on the Tim Ferriss pod. (which was itself strongly recommended by a friend). A good book for management wonks and for people heading up rapidly scaling teams / departments / orgs. I don't really fit in either category so I noped out of this one early.
https://press.stripe.com/scaling-people
https://tim.blog/2024/02/27/claire-hughes-johnson/

The Study of Language (6th Ed.) by George Yale. I picked this up a couple years back when I was going deeper in the craft of writing and the mechanics of language. Re-upped it because of language's proximity to questions of intelligence. Put it back down, however, as I found the style a tad too monotonous and the level of granularity a little too much for my interests at the time.

The Study of Language (6th Ed.) by George Yale. I picked this up a couple years back when I was going deeper in the craft of writing and the mechanics of language. Re-upped it because of language's proximity to questions of intelligence. Put it back down, however, as I found the style a tad too monotonous and the level of granularity a little too much for my interests at the time.
https://www.cambridge.org/highereducation/books/the-study-of-language/FFAD6D438AEC1F023DF700ECB66DF022#overview

Molecular Biology of Cancer (3rd Ed.by Lauren Pecorino. The downsides of sufficiently advanced organisms is a bit of a special interest. So, primed by Mukherjee's popular intro to cancer, I picked up a fuller treatment. Similar to the language textbook this was a bit too much for my purposes so I quit it.

Molecular Biology of Cancer (3rd Ed.by Lauren Pecorino. The downsides of sufficiently advanced organisms is a bit of a special interest. So, primed by Mukherjee's popular intro to cancer, I picked up a fuller treatment. Similar to the language textbook this was a bit too much for my purposes so I quit it.
https://global.oup.com/ukhe/product/molecular-biology-of-cancer-9780198833024?cc=ch&lang=en&

Civilisation and Capitalism 15th-18th Century Vol. 1: Structures of Everyday Life by Fernand Braudel. I first heard of Braudel's work when Nassim Taleb name dropped him as a particularly seminal scholar (in Antifragile, I believe, as a contrast to pseudo-grand theoretical historians like Hurari). With a growing interest in how things move amongst people and the continuing web enshittification, it seemed sensible to take a closer look at what came before the modern methods of interaction and exchange.

Civilisation and Capitalism 15th-18th Century Vol. 1: Structures of Everyday Life by Fernand Braudel. I first heard of Braudel's work when Nassim Taleb name dropped him as a particularly seminal scholar (in Antifragile, I believe, as a contrast to pseudo-grand theoretical historians like Hurari). With a growing interest in how things move amongst people and the continuing web enshittification, it seemed sensible to take a closer look at what came before the modern methods of interaction and exchange.
https://www.ucpress.edu/books/civilization-and-capitalism-15th-18th-century-vol-i/paper

Lying for Money by Dan Davies. With a long-ish trip to Australia looming, I decided to relax some of the constraints I usually apply when picking new reads. I'd listened to Davie's appearance on Patrick Mackenzie's podcast recently and I ended up checking out his first book. It's a good study of the unintended consequences of incentives.

Lying for Money by Dan Davies. With a long-ish trip to Australia looming, I decided to relax some of the constraints I usually apply when picking new reads. I'd listened to Davie's appearance on Patrick Mackenzie's podcast recently and I ended up checking out his first book. It's a good study of the unintended consequences of incentives.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38605195-lying-for-money
https://www.complexsystemspodcast.com/episodes/dan-davies-organizations-fraud/

Unauthorised History of Australia Vols. 1-3 (Girt, True Girt, Girt Nation) by David Hunt. These reads spanned my Australia trip and short windows before and after. They're Bryson-esque (a plus for me, a minus for others) and end around about the time that Australia federates and becomes a modern state. Massively enjoyed them, both because they helped me contextualise the places we visited and the people we encountered, and because they tell the rather uncommon story of a land with a deep (and illegible) history being accelerated towards statehood.

Unauthorised History of Australia Vols. 1-3 (Girt, True Girt, Girt Nation) by David Hunt. These reads spanned my Australia trip and short windows before and after. They're Bryson-esque (a plus for me, a minus for others) and end around about the time that Australia federates and becomes a modern state. Massively enjoyed them, both because they helped me contextualise the places we visited and the people we encountered, and because they tell the rather uncommon story of a land with a deep (and illegible) history being accelerated towards statehood.
https://davidhuntwriter.com/about/

Alchemy of Air by Thomas Hager. This tells the tale of how massive scale synthetic nitrogen came to be. It whirls from guano to niche lab experiments and into agriculture and armaments. Fun to learn how such a material process increases in demand, how it drives innovation and gets optimised, and how all those things mutate the trajectory of individuals, orgs and states.

Alchemy of Air by Thomas Hager. This tells the tale of how massive scale synthetic nitrogen came to be. It whirls from guano to niche lab experiments and into agriculture and armaments. Fun to learn how such a material process increases in demand, how it drives innovation and gets optimised, and how all those things mutate the trajectory of individuals, orgs and states.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3269091-the-alchemy-of-air

Reaper's Gale (Malazan VII) by Steven Erikson. The seventh Malazan book. Another blast of a read.

Reaper's Gale (Malazan VII) by Steven Erikson. The seventh Malazan book. Another blast of a read.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaper%27s_Gale

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut. A truly distinct experience, reading this. Felt like it provided a tangible sense of what it is to be on the edge of coherence, grasping at and grappling with something that cannot really be comprehended.

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut. A truly distinct experience, reading this. Felt like it provided a tangible sense of what it is to be on the edge of coherence, grasping at and grappling with something that cannot really be comprehended.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_We_Cease_to_Understand_the_World

Toll the Hounds (Malazan VIII) by Steven Erikson. The eighth Malazan book. I actually quit this re-read in order to have something fresh and new whilst I was Down Under.

Toll the Hounds (Malazan VIII) by Steven Erikson. The eighth Malazan book. I actually quit this re-read in order to have something fresh and new whilst I was Down Under.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toll_the_Hounds

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. The first Aussie fiction that I picked up. Set in Melbourne, it's about the fallout from a man slapping a 3-year old kid at a barbecue. It works through the POV of several characters and although we didn't make it to Melbourne on our trip, it felt like a good proxy for some elements of Aussie culture at large.

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. The first Aussie fiction that I picked up. Set in Melbourne, it's about the fallout from a man slapping a 3-year old kid at a barbecue. It works through the POV of several characters and although we didn't make it to Melbourne on our trip, it felt like a good proxy for some elements of Aussie culture at large.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Slap_%28novel%29

The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut. After When We Cease to Understand the World, I was buzzing to get to this. It's about Johnny VonNeu, the trajectory of AI, and the the AlphaGo move 78 moment. In comp. to Labatut's previous, this felt more measured and deliberate, less schizo.

The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut. After When We Cease to Understand the World, I was buzzing to get to this. It's about Johnny VonNeu, the trajectory of AI, and the the AlphaGo move 78 moment. In comp. to Labatut's previous, this felt more measured and deliberate, less schizo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_MANIAC

The Bridge by Iain M. Banks. I've read Banks' culture series but none of his other fiction. This was an attempt to remedy that. It definitely has Banks' character throughout. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't say it stood out.

The Bridge by Iain M. Banks. I've read Banks' culture series but none of his other fiction. This was an attempt to remedy that. It definitely has Banks' character throughout. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't say it stood out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_%28novel%29

Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood. This is quite an odd text. At first, it brought to mind my own novella, Riven. Not because mine is comparable in quality to Wood's (not even close there) but because the intent is to portray an intense sense of isolation and disconnection, an experience where the character is somehow untethered from their world. I enjoyed it, though, mostly sampling a chapter every day or so.

Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood. This is quite an odd text. At first, it brought to mind my own novella, Riven. Not because mine is comparable in quality to Wood's (not even close there) but because the intent is to portray an intense sense of isolation and disconnection, an experience where the character is somehow untethered from their world. I enjoyed it, though, mostly sampling a chapter every day or so.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Yard_Devotional
https://swellandcut.com/riven/

Border and Rule by Harsha Walia. This gets into the effects of borders, of impeding the movement of people. The term "brutal" is appropriate here, and the examination of Fortress Europe, White Australia, the US-Mexico and US-Canada borders etc. really does paint a harrowing picture.

Border and Rule by Harsha Walia. This gets into the effects of borders, of impeding the movement of people. The term "brutal" is appropriate here, and the examination of Fortress Europe, White Australia, the US-Mexico and US-Canada borders etc. really does paint a harrowing picture.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54626107-border-and-rule

The Man from the Future by Ananyo Bhattacharya. After Labatut's focus on Von Neumann, I thought it'd be fun to pick up an explicit biography of the man. A good choice—he was in the right place at the right time for a surprising amount of significant events, and it was even more interesting to see him slide from mostly formal pursuits (e.g. Hilbert's axioms) to practical applications (e.g. defence projects).

The Man from the Future by Ananyo Bhattacharya. After Labatut's focus on Von Neumann, I thought it'd be fun to pick up an explicit biography of the man. A good choice—he was in the right place at the right time for a surprising amount of significant events, and it was even more interesting to see him slide from mostly formal pursuits (e.g. Hilbert's axioms) to practical applications (e.g. defence projects).
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/313705/the-man-from-the-future-by-bhattacharya-ananyo/9780241398869

The English Dane by Sarah Bakewell. I learned about Jorgen Jorgenson, "the world's most interesting man", in The Unauth'd History of Australia. Happily, a biography by Sarah Bakewell (who also wrote an excellent bio of Montaigne) was available. Turns out JJ did live a ridiculously colourful life—sailor, physician, officer of the law, spy, convict, explorer, gambler, author, Icelandic ruler. Incredible stuff.

The English Dane by Sarah Bakewell. I learned about Jorgen Jorgenson, "the world's most interesting man", in The Unauth'd History of Australia. Happily, a biography by Sarah Bakewell (who also wrote an excellent bio of Montaigne) was available. Turns out JJ did live a ridiculously colourful life—sailor, physician, officer of the law, spy, convict, explorer, gambler, author, Icelandic ruler. Incredible stuff.
https://sarahbakewell.com/books-3/the-english-dane/
https://sarahbakewell.com/books-3/how-to-live-a-life-of-montaigne/

Boom by Byrne Hobart and Tobias Huber. Booms can be massively consequential forces for good, actually. I wouldn't say I was a doom-and-gloom-maxi re: the trajectory of the world prior to reading this. But I would say that I came out the other side of this text several notches more positive about the possible futures ahead of us all.

Boom by Byrne Hobart and Tobias Huber. Booms can be massively consequential forces for good, actually. I wouldn't say I was a doom-and-gloom-maxi re: the trajectory of the world prior to reading this. But I would say that I came out the other side of this text several notches more positive about the possible futures ahead of us all.
https://www.stripe.press/boom

True History of the Kelly Gang Q by Peter Carey. A telling of the story of the Kelly Gang, ostensibly structured around a sequence of letters penned by Ned Kelly himself. I noped out of this for two reasons, though. First, I was mostly familiar with the story of the Kelly Gang. Second (and more importantly), I just couldn't reliably get on with the style of narration.

True History of the Kelly Gang Q by Peter Carey. A telling of the story of the Kelly Gang, ostensibly structured around a sequence of letters penned by Ned Kelly himself. I noped out of this for two reasons, though. First, I was mostly familiar with the story of the Kelly Gang. Second (and more importantly), I just couldn't reliably get on with the style of narration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_History_of_the_Kelly_Gang

Dostoyevsky Reads Hegel in Siberia and Bursts into Tears by Laszlo F. Foldenyl. This bunch of essays gets at the understory of enlightenment culture—mostly the rise of rationality, the death of religion and the decay of meaning, but also concepts like fear and events like the von Kleist-Vogel suicide.

Dostoyevsky Reads Hegel in Siberia and Bursts into Tears by Laszlo F. Foldenyl. This bunch of essays gets at the understory of enlightenment culture—mostly the rise of rationality, the death of religion and the decay of meaning, but also concepts like fear and events like the von Kleist-Vogel suicide.
https://yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300258455/dostoyevsky-reads-hegel-in-siberia-and-bursts-into-tears/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Kleist#Relationship_with_Henriette_Vogel_and_suicide_pact

Morphotrophic by Greg Egan. Imagine a reality where a body's cells ("cytes") can themselves opt to exit an organism in pursuit of a more enriching or well-adapted host. That's the core of Egan's Morphotrophic and, let me tell you, it makes for an entertaining story.

Morphotrophic by Greg Egan. Imagine a reality where a body's cells ("cytes") can themselves opt to exit an organism in pursuit of a more enriching or well-adapted host. That's the core of Egan's Morphotrophic and, let me tell you, it makes for an entertaining story.
https://www.gregegan.net/MORPHOTROPHIC/MORPHOTROPHIC.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit,_Voice,_and_Loyalty

Australians: A Short History by Thomas Keneally. I began this mostly because it covered Australian history and its characters after the state's federation and through the world war's and the Vietnam conflict. I dropped it, however, because I'd returned from Australia and felt less need to dig into its roots, and mostly because the stitched-together biographical narrative didn't land too well.

Australians: A Short History by Thomas Keneally. I began this mostly because it covered Australian history and its characters after the state's federation and through the world war's and the Vietnam conflict. I dropped it, however, because I'd returned from Australia and felt less need to dig into its roots, and mostly because the stitched-together biographical narrative didn't land too well.
https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Thomas-Keneally-Australians:-A-short-history-9781760632359

The Secret River by Kate Grenville. The novel's about a London born and bred husband and wife who lose it all and get shipped off to Australia as one of the earlier convict fleets. It's a story of, what seems to be, a somewhat conventional experience of the early settlements and the contact with Aboriginal people, and it's told really well.

The Secret River by Kate Grenville. The novel's about a London born and bred husband and wife who lose it all and get shipped off to Australia as one of the earlier convict fleets. It's a story of, what seems to be, a somewhat conventional experience of the early settlements and the contact with Aboriginal people, and it's told really well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_River

Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick. He's been in and out of my X feed consistently for a few months, as all the furore around AI products and impacts and directions has played out, and I was looking for an easy holiday read. It was that. Hits a lot of notes I'd heard before yet still acted as a refresher and reminder that the near-future is not likely to resemble the present for more people than expected.

Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick. He's been in and out of my X feed consistently for a few months, as all the furore around AI products and impacts and directions has played out, and I was looking for an easy holiday read. It was that. Hits a lot of notes I'd heard before yet still acted as a refresher and reminder that the near-future is not likely to resemble the present for more people than expected.
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/460207/co-intelligence-by-mollick-ethan/9780753560778

Civilisation and Capitalism 15th-18th Century Vol. 2: The Wheels of Commerce by Fernand Braudel. I started this a little before the close of 2024 and it's just as immersive and grand as the first volume.

Civilisation and Capitalism 15th-18th Century Vol. 2: The Wheels of Commerce by Fernand Braudel. I started this a little before the close of 2024 and it's just as immersive and grand as the first volume.
https://www.ucpress.edu/books/civilization-and-capitalism-15th-18th-century-vol-ii/paper

Vector by Robyn Arianrhod. Begun in late 2024 and finished a few days into 2025. It helped me "get" vectors and tensors with a little more depth, and it's a great overview of the idea maze behind some of the key mathematical concepts that power contemporary civ.

Vector by Robyn Arianrhod. Begun in late 2024 and finished a few days into 2025. It helped me "get" vectors and tensors with a little more depth, and it's a great overview of the idea maze behind some of the key mathematical concepts that power contemporary civ.
https://robynarianrhod.com/books/

Harrow the Ninth (Vol. 2 of Locked Tomb) by Tamsyn Muir. At the close of the year, I ended up with three open slots to fill with fiction. To start, I picked up the follow-up to the phenomenal Gideon the Ninth. Still reading this.

Harrow the Ninth (Vol. 2 of Locked Tomb) by Tamsyn Muir. At the close of the year, I ended up with three open slots to fill with fiction. To start, I picked up the follow-up to the phenomenal Gideon the Ninth. Still reading this.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_the_Ninth

Waste Tide by Chen Qiufan. Next, I picked up the decade-old Waste Tide, which is about the fate and fortune of the imaginary Silicon Isle, a prominent e-waste recycling and processing centre populated with "waste people" and run by local clans. A WIP so no further comment (aside from, "it's good").

Waste Tide by Chen Qiufan. Next, I picked up the decade-old Waste Tide, which is about the fate and fortune of the imaginary Silicon Isle, a prominent e-waste recycling and processing centre populated with "waste people" and run by local clans. A WIP so no further comment (aside from, "it's good").
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Waste_Tide

A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark. Set in early 20th century Cairo, after the leaking of magical forces and entities and their incorporation to Egyptian society. Like the previous two novels, still a WIP and a lot of fun.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark. Set in early 20th century Cairo, after the leaking of magical forces and entities and their incorporation to Egyptian society. Like the previous two novels, still a WIP and a lot of fun.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Master_of_Djinn

Now, let's kick off my 2024 reading mega-thread. First up, the texts begun late in 2023 and finished in early January 2024...