As 2018 comes to a close, people are starting to brainstorm their lists of New Year’s resolutions. A popular resolution is a vow to read more in the New Year. This is a great resolution, choosing among so many titles can be overwhelming. Narrowing an Amazon search to "technology books" still brings up over 80,000 results that cover hot topics like artificial intelligence, robotics, Silicon Valley and more. To make selection a bit easier, any of these ten books on technology would be a great starting point that New Year’s reading resolution.
Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys Club of Silicon Valley (Source: Emily Chang)
1) Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boys Club of Silicon Valley
This book explores the sexism, toxic workplaces and sexual harassment issues that run rampant in Silicon Valley. Author Emily Chang looks back at Silicon Valley’s history to figure out just how the industry became so sexist, and what needs to be done to change the industry for the better. Chang digs into gender-discrimination lawsuits, interviews women in Silicon Valley and attempts to find how to fix the toxic culture.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century (Source: Yural Noah Harari)
2) 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Author Yural Noah Harari wrote "Sapiens" and "Homo Deus," two books that study human history and how humans evolved to what they are today. His new book, "21 Lessons for the 21ST Century" turns to the future. "21 Lessons" looks at humanity’s current problems, upcoming technology such as artificial intelligence, and what these developments could mean for the future. Harari asks the looming questions surrounding technology and attempts to find how humanity survives technology that is smarter than it is.
Innovation and Its Enemies: Why People Resist New Technology (Source: Calestous Juma)
3) Innovation and Its Enemies: Why People Resist New Technology
When new technology is revealed, people are typically resistant, and even fearful of the new. In this book, author Calestous Juma attempts to find the deeper meaning behind this fear. He considers the debates surrounding technology and how technology changes the culture, economics, social order and more. Juma studies cases of human innovations like the printing press, electricity, refrigeration and music recording to research how these world-changing technologies were adapted into human lives. He uses the development of these examples to research why people are so resistant to new technologies, like artificial intelligence and robots. He makes a case for political leaders, scientists and engineers to work together to create a unified and happy environment with technology.
Geek Girl Rising: Inside the Sisterhood Shaking Up Technology (Source: Heather Cabot)
4) Geek Girl Rising: Inside the Sisterhood Shaking Up Technology
In this book, Heather Cabot takes a deeper look at the women currently shaking up the technology industry one step at a time. She doesn’t just look at the more famous women in tech, like Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. Cabot interviews the women who are currently working at the grassroots level, like Debbie Sterling, inventor of GoldieBlox, the first engineering maker kits created for girls. She explores the lives of female entrepreneurs, technologists and finds out what they are doing to change sexist technology culture.
Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War (Source: Paul Scharre)
5) Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War
Paul Scharre is a former U.S. Army Ranger and leader in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In his new book, Army of None, Scharre gives his opinion on the future of defense technology. He explores how autonomous weapons are changing the landscape of warfare, and how they will change humanity. He explores the arguments for and against autonomous weapons through studies and interviews with psychologists, defense experts, activists, and ethicists. Scharre also looks at the successes and failures of autonomous weapons so far. This book is available on Amazon for $25.16.
Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That Will Improves and/or Ruin Everything (Source: Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith)
6) Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That Will Improve and/or Ruin Everything
Kelly and Zach Weinersmith collaborated to make this funny and informative book. The wife and husband team explore ten technology fields that are making exciting and scary advancements and helps the reader feel better about the looming future. Soonish explores the pros and cons of technologies that are often in the headlines, like robots and artificial intelligence, while also reviewing some up-and-coming technologies that could be great, or awful. The book has informative and funny cartoons in each chapter, bringing an entertaining twist to the traditional book format.
Politics of Innovation: Why Some Countries are Better Than Other at Science and Technology (Source: Mark Zachary Taylor)
7) Politics of Innovation: Why Some Countries are Better Than Others at Science and Technology
When it comes to innovation and technology, there are a few countries that immediately come to mind. Author Mark Zachary Taylor tackles the question, why are some countries better than others at innovation? Taylor studies the backgrounds, research and theories behind these ‘top tier’ countries. While some may immediately think that economic status is behind the success, Taylor argues that social networks are the most important factor behind innovation success. Taylor compares data from the major and minor country players in science and tech to further confirm his theory.
Industries of the Future (Source: Alec Ross)
Author Alec Ross is a former Senior Advisor for Innovation to the Secretary of State. In this book, Ross uses his experience to provide the readers with a guide to up and coming innovations that will become regular parts of their lives in the next ten years. He goes through the fields that shape the economic future and attempts to address the tough questions that these fields will face with further development of technology. He also uses economic analysis and interviews with major tech leaders to look at how innovation and technology are affecting people now and how it will change the future.
The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers and the Future of Humanity (Source: Byron Reese)
9) The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers and the Future of Humanity
The industrial revolutions aren’t a new concept. According to historians, there have been three major industrial revolutions and a fourth one is on the way. Author Byron Reese looks at the first three ages of human technology and innovation and how each age is has set up the development of the fourth age in robotics. He uses his research and to find how people should be preparing themselves for the new age.
Architects of Intelligence: The Truth About AI From the People Building It (Source: Martin Ford)
10) Architects of Intelligence: The Truth About AI From the People Building It
Author Martin Ford interviews 23 researchers and entrepreneurs in AI and robotics who are currently building the technology of our future. He asks the experts the questions citizens are asking about how the new technologies are shaping our world. He also asks how people should prepare to integrate new life-changing technology into their lives. With this book, Ford attempts to educate citizens on AI and robotics so they know how to navigate the new, constantly changing, technological world around them.
These are just a few of the many books out there about technology and innovation. From sexism to robotics, readers can find a book on any aspect of technology they want.Wondering what was on last years list? Read 10 books engineers should read in 2018 here.
