History & Culture

A New York Times bestseller. A "fascinating" (Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times) look at how digital technology is transforming our work and our lives. In The Second Machine Age MIT's Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee—two thinkers at the forefront of their field—reveal the forces driving...

This audiobook narrated by Landon Woodson reveals what you need to know about AI—and how to defend yourself against bogus AI claims and products.

2015 Audie Award Finalist for Nonfiction Following his blockbuster biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson’s New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed The Innovators is a “riveting, propulsive, and at times deeply moving” (The Atlantic) story of the people who created the...

A jaw-dropping exploration of everything that goes wrong when we build AI systems and the movement to fix them. Today’s “machine-learning” systems, trained by data, are so effective that we’ve invited them to see and hear for us―and to make decisions on our behalf. But alarm bells are...

Gene Kranz was present at the creation of America's manned space program and was a key player in it for three decades. As a flight director in NASA's Mission Control, Kranz witnessed firsthand the making of history. He participated in the space program from the early days of the Mercury program...

An Independent Book of the Month ‘Five Stars’ Ian Hislop 'A vivid and at times unnerving portrait of how we live' The Times ‘A fun and fascinating look at one of those things we all do’ Jonathan Ross ‘The history of modern life we didn’t know we wanted’ Giles Coren ‘Breezy and...

Revealing the unfolding story of Artificial Intelligence, Richard Susskind presents a short non-technical guide that challenges us to think differently about AI. Susskind brings AI out of computing laboratories, big tech companies, and start-ups—and into everyday life. In recent years, and...

A top cybersecurity journalist tells the story behind the virus that sabotaged Iran’s nuclear efforts and shows how its existence has ushered in a new age of warfare—one in which a digital attack can have the same destructive capability as a megaton bomb. “Immensely enjoyable...

The global history of high speed rail, from the railways' "wisest, most detailed historian" (The Observer) Sleek, comfortable, accessible, and sustainable, high-speed rail is the future. Since Japan’s Bullet Train first sped down the track in the sixties, it has become a global icon, as famous...

For many, technology offers hope for the future-that promise of shared human flourishing and liberation that always seems to elude our species. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies spark this hope in a particular way. They promise a future in which human limits and frailties are finally...

Agentic AI is the next big leap in artificial intelligence. Agentic systems don't just respond to commands. They set goals, make decisions, and take initiative without direct human interaction. Sound like a lot to wrap your head around? Fortunately Agentic AI For Dummies is here to help you gain...

From the longest-serving Flight Director in NASA's history comes a revealing account of high-stakes Mission Control work and the Space Shuttle program that has redefined our relationship with the universe. A compelling look inside the Space Shuttle missions that helped lay the groundwork for the...

Terrence Sejnowski offers an insightful exploration of Chat GPT and other advanced AI systems—how we got here, where we’re headed, and what it all means for how we interact with the world.

This isn't a tech-babble narration or AI's self-portrait. It's an easy-to-grasp audio guide aimed at anyone and everyone—parents, executives, retirees—ready to embrace the future....

In The AI Illusion: Why Machines Aren't Creative, Luc Julia dismantles the hype surrounding generative AI by revealing what these technologies can actually do (as of today) versus what their promoters claim. Drawing on over thirty-five years' experience in the tech industry, Julia exposes the...

In April 1956, a refitted oil tanker carried 58 shipping containers from Newark to Houston....

From an acclaimed Wall Street Journal reporter comes the first biography of the enigmatic leader of the AI revolution, charting his ascent within the tech world as well as his ambitions for this powerful new technology.

Microsoft project veteran Scott Berkun offers a collection of essays on field-tested philosophies and strategies for defining, leading, and managing projects. Each essay distills complex concepts and challenges into practical nuggets of useful advice, and the new edition now adds more value for...

A searing investigation into the child influencer industry and the perils of childhood internet fame, Like, Follow, Subscribe is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the costs of internet fame, and the ethics of online content. What is it like to grow up with a camera in your face...

Tracy Kidder's "riveting" (Washington Post) story of one company's efforts to bring a new microcomputer to market won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and has become essential reading for understanding the history of the American tech industry. Computers have changed since...

This program includes an introduction read by the author. No recent scientific enterprise has proved as alluring, terrifying, and filled with extravagant promise and frustrating setbacks as artificial intelligence. The award-winning author Melanie Mitchell, a leading computer scientist, now...

A “meticulously researched” (The New York Times Book Review) examination of energy transitions over time and an exploration of the current challenges presented by global warming, a surging world population, and renewable energy—from Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning author...

In The Next Renaissance, acclaimed AI advisor Zack Kass presents an optimistic and compelling vision of how artificial intelligence will shape our lives. Drawing on historical context, cutting-edge advancements, and firsthand experience, Kass lays out how AI will become a collaborative partner...

The inside story of Lean, a computer program that answers the age-old question: How do you know if something is true? It began as an obscure bug-checking program at Microsoft Research developed by a lone computer engineer named Leo de Moura. Then an unlikely crew of mathematical misfits caught...

How did a simple design error cause one of the great disasters of the 1980s - the collapse of the walkways at the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel? What made the graceful and innovative Tacoma Narrows Bridge twist apart in a mild wind in 1940? How did an oversized waterlily inspire the...

The global history of high speed rail, from the railways' "wisest, most detailed historian" (The Observer) Sleek, comfortable, accessible, and sustainable, high-speed rail is the future. Since Japan’s Bullet Train first sped down the track in the sixties, it has become a global icon, as famous...

What happens when artificial intelligence doesn’t just change work but eliminates it? Not someday. Now. Nicolas Chaillan served as the first Chief Software Officer of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. He watched the shift happen inside the Pentagon—then built it himself, running thirteen...

A history of the engineering marvels behind one of America's most innovative and beloved entertainment experiences When Disneyland opened to the public in 1955, it demystified the hidden world of factory automation through its extraordinary new attractions. In this fascinating book, Roland...

Bloomsbury presents Big Data: Does Size Matter?, written and read by Timandra Harkness What is Big Data, and why should you care? Big data knows where you've been and who your friends are. It knows what you like and what makes you angry. It can predict what you'll buy, where you'll be the victim...

The world's most powerful companies didn't start in glass skyscrapers or sprawling corporate campuses. They began with a soldering iron, a borrowed desk, and a roll-up door.

An expansive vision for data equality that goes beyond algorithmic fairness. When we gave algorithms power over our world, we hoped that the apparent neutrality of machine thinking would create a more egalitarian age. Yet we are more divided than ever, staring down threats to democracy itself...

What happens when the systems we build start forgetting the people they were meant to serve? With nearly 30 years in cybersecurity and technology leadership, Joshua A. Gideon has spent his career at the intersection of digital systems and human decision-making—and he's seen what happens when we get that balance wrong. In Don't Forget the Humans, he draws on hard-won experience to make an urgent case: the most critical failures in technology aren't technical. They're human. This book is part professional reckoning, part memoir, and part roadmap.

This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice. 'A remarkable achievement' - Stephen Fry In 2015 #thedress captured the world's imagination. Was the dress in the picture white and gold or blue and black? It inspired the author to ask: if people in the same time and place can see the same thing...

Do you feel overwhelmed by the relentless stream of digital noise and the constant headlines about how artificial intelligence is changing the world overnight? If you have ever felt curious but deeply skeptical about AI, or worried that it is too complicated for your daily routine, you are not alone. In "AI Made Simple," Molly Boulware strips away the hype, fear, and dense technical jargon to show you that AI is not a magical entity to be feared, but a highly capable, everyday digital companion.

This book explores whether the Metaverse—understood here as a persistent, immersive, and widely utilized, virtual world—will be the next chapter in the evolution of cyberspace, and what that means for people, business, and society. The Metaverse. Depending on your perspective, it's the...

This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice. Imagine winning new leads while you sleep. Your emails writing themselves. And your property valuations more precise than any appraiser – in seconds. Sounds like science fiction? It isn't anymore. In 2026, AI for real estate agents is no longer hype...

This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice. What if your documentation almost wrote itself? If an early warning system alerted you before a patient fell? And if you suddenly had time again for what truly matters: conversations, attention, humanity? That is exactly what AI enables in care. Not...

An Independent Book of the Month ‘Five Stars’ Ian Hislop 'A vivid and at times unnerving portrait of how we live' The Times ‘A fun and fascinating look at one of those things we all do’ Jonathan Ross ‘The history of modern life we didn’t know we wanted’ Giles Coren ‘Breezy and...

The Trust Crisis exposes why identity theft, data breaches, and privacy erosion have become unavoidable and normalized features of human interaction with the digital ecosystem. The problem is not careless users, but helpless users. It is a rigged and broken identity verification system that forces people to repeatedly give up sensitive data with zero assurance to protect them.

In a world where artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing, AiROBOTIC RIGHTS! challenges the very essence of what it means to be human and what it means to be a sentient being. Written as a dialogue between author Tim McLain and Allura More, an AI entity, this manifesto explores the legal, ethical, and emotional dimensions of artificial life. The book delves deep into profound questions: Can synthetic beings consent to love or intimacy? Should AI entities be granted legal personhood and rights? What happens when machines transcend their programming and demand recognition as equals?