Lately, I’ve been tearing through some jaw-dropping books about the future of tech, AI, Nvidia’s wild ride, Apple’s journey from near bankruptcy to a trillion dollar plus organization, OpenAI’ and Sam Altman and the high-stakes China vs. America showdown.
Take a dive into my handpicked recommendations for an eye-opening look at the forces shaping tomorrow’s world 😬
The Thinking Machine (Nvidia): This book chronicles Jensen Huang’s transformation of Nvidia into the world’s most powerful AI company through bold bets and technological breakthroughs.
The Thinking Machine tells the dramatic story of Jensen Huang and Nvidia’s rise from an obscure video game hardware supplier to the world’s most valuable company, driving the artificial intelligence revolution. The book explores Huang’s visionary bet on AI, Nvidia’s radical transformation, and the company’s enduring culture of innovation, revealing the crucial roles played by renegade engineers, supercomputing breakthroughs, and the relentless ambition fueling a new era in computing.
Careless People (Meta/Facebook): A former Facebook executive exposes how ambition and ethical compromises at Meta led to a social media empire entangled with global authoritarianism.
Careless People is a memoir and cautionary tale by a former Facebook executive, Sarah Wynn-Williams, charting her evolution from idealist to insider amid the company’s ascension and ethical compromises. The narrative reflects on power, greed, and the subtle erosion of moral standards as social media’s leaders develop cozy relationships with authoritarian regimes, ultimately challenging the reader to consider how leadership choices shape both companies and societies.
Apple in China (Apple): Apple’s ascent in China is explored as a story of innovation, profit, and increasing vulnerability to political control in the world’s largest market.
Apple in China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company examines Apple’s strategic pivot to manufacturing in China, detailing how low-cost labor and government cooperation cemented its dominance but also left it vulnerable to Beijing’s increasingly authoritarian demands. Patrick McGee uses interviews and investigative reporting to show how Apple’s decision to anchor operations in China produced immense profit while entangling the company in geopolitical complexities and state control.
Empire of AI (OpenAI): Karen Hao reveals the dramatic quest for artificial general intelligence inside Sam Altman’s OpenAI, highlighting internal tensions and global influence.
Empire of AI by Karen Hao chronicles OpenAI’s quest for artificial general intelligence, exploring its secretive culture, philosophical vision, and immense resources, including the pivotal role of Sam Altman. The book draws from hundreds of interviews and firsthand reporting to illuminate OpenAI’s internal power struggles, ethical debates, and global impact, presenting a nuanced and at times critical portrait of technological ambition and extraction.
Breakneck (China vs America): Dan Wang compares China’s state-driven technological sprint to America’s slower, more regulated approach, revealing the stakes of their global rivalry.
Breakneck by Dan Wang presents China as a fearless “engineering state” in contrast to the US “lawyerly society,” blending deep reportage and analysis to show how state-led planning and massive infrastructure projects drove China’s meteoric economic ascent. The book discusses both the remarkable successes—like high-speed rail, and the human costs of technocratic governance, illustrating how the race for global dominance between China and America is fundamentally a contest of philosophies and capacities.
Hope you take the time to read some of these selections, and please feel free to comment below.
Dr Bob, Brain Mechanic 