A curated list of books I recommend about AI, technology, and practical thinking.
| Thumbnail | Author | Brief description |
|---|---|---|
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The Coming Wave |
A fast, readable look at how AI and other frontier technologies could reshape power, economics, and security—and what realistic guardrails might look like. |
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Co-Intelligence |
A practical guide to using AI well at work: what to delegate, how to prompt for better results, where mistakes happen, and how to keep humans accountable. |
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The Singularity is Near |
Kurzweil’s long-range forecast on exponential tech—why he thinks human capability and machine capability will increasingly merge, and what that implies. |
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Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies
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A sober, accessible look at why advanced AI could become difficult to control—and what long-term strategy and governance might look like. View on Amazon |
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Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach
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The classic AI text—broad and foundational. Great for understanding what’s “under the hood” behind modern AI systems. View on Amazon |
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The Hundred-Page Machine Learning Book
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A tight, no-fluff overview of ML concepts—excellent if you want real understanding without wading through a thousand-page textbook. View on Amazon |
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Using Artificial Intelligence: Absolute Beginner’s Guide
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A friendly on-ramp for non-technical readers who want practical, plain-English grounding in what AI is and how people actually use it. View on Amazon |
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Generative Artificial Intelligence: What Everyone Needs to Know®
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A short, readable explainer that frames generative AI in real-world terms—capabilities, limits, and the practical implications for society. View on Amazon |
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Mastering AI Prompt Engineering
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A prompt-focused guide aimed at getting better outputs quickly—helpful if your goal is hands-on productivity rather than theory. View on Amazon |
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The Hundred-Page Language Models Book
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A compact, practical intro to modern language models—useful if you want a clearer mental model of “how LLMs work.” View on Amazon |
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Deep Learning
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The deep-learning reference book—more technical, but valuable if you want an authoritative backbone behind neural network concepts. View on Amazon |
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Reinforcement Learning: An Introduction
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The standard RL text. If you’re curious how systems learn through trial-and-error (reward signals), this is the canonical starting point. View on Amazon |
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Probabilistic Machine Learning: An Introduction
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A modern take on ML through uncertainty and probability—useful for understanding confidence, risk, and decision-making in real systems. View on Amazon |
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Linux Basics for Hackers, 2nd Edition
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A hands-on introduction to Linux skills used in real security work—file permissions, networking, scripting, and practical tools. View on Amazon |
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Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition
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A classic, technical deep-dive into how exploits work—great for understanding the “why” behind vulnerabilities. View on Amazon |
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The Web Application Hacker’s Handbook
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Web security, explained through real attack/defense techniques—especially useful if you build, manage, or audit websites and apps. View on Amazon |
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The Art of Invisibility
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Practical privacy and personal security advice—less theory, more “what to do” to reduce tracking, exposure, and easy compromises. View on Amazon |
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Ghost in the Wires
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A fast, true story that highlights how human behavior gets exploited—excellent for understanding social engineering risk. View on Amazon |
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The Cuckoo’s Egg
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A classic cyber-detective story that shows how intrusions unfold in the real world—and how investigators think. View on Amazon |
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Countdown to Zero Day
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The definitive, readable account of Stuxnet—how cyber operations can cause physical damage and reshape modern conflict. View on Amazon |
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Sandworm
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A gripping true story of modern cyberwar and destructive malware—useful context for how large-scale attacks actually happen. View on Amazon |
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This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends
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A wide-angle look at the zero-day economy—how vulnerabilities are found, traded, and used, and why it matters to everyone. View on Amazon |
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Cybersecurity Myths and Misconceptions
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A practical “belief check” for security decisions—useful for separating common myths from what actually reduces risk. View on Amazon |
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