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<html>
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<body link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="background-color:#1E1E1E">
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<td class=xl70 width=116 style='width:87pt; color: #000;'>Book</td>
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<td class=xl67 width=1032 style='width:854pt; color: #000;'>My Review</td>
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<td style="text-align: center"><img width=117 height=147 src="machine.jpg" border="1" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_9"><br/>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'><br/>It is simply stunning that this book was written in 1909. The book anticipates many aspects of our modern world, such as the computers, tablets, TV screens, internet, video conferencing, online education, social media, artificial intelligence, streaming movies/music, online shopping, virtual reality, fake news, the 3-D production of goods (including food), telemedicine, and climate change. In 1909 the author imagines a future that is both fantastic and frighteningly plausible for us today. Keep in mind that 1909 was the year of the invention of the electric toaster and is some 20 years before the invention of television.
<br/><br/>The story is set in a world where humanity has retreated underground, they never meet each other in person, living in isolated cells that are connected by a global network of wires and tubes -- communicating through a network that foreshadows our modern internet and messaging technology. The tale centers around the interaction of a mother who follows convention of "civilization", her son (who lives in an isolated cell far away) that is curious about the natural world outside the cells, and "The Machine"-- the mysterious and omnipotent entity that provides for the needs and desires of all the earth's people (from food and clothing to entertainment and information).
<br/><br/>People are shown to rarely leave their cells, and when they do, they travel by airships that whisk them across the dark and barren surface of the earth. They communicate with each other only through screens and speakers, exchanging ideas that are mostly recycled and superficial. The exchange of ideas is preferably second-hand “and if possible tenth-hand” since they don’t trust direct experience. They worship the Machine like a god and there are only a few people left who can keep the Machine running. One day, of course, the machine stops. What happens when the Machine starts to break down?
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<td style="text-align: center"><img width=117 height=170 src="surrender.jpg" border="1" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_9"><br/>⭐⭐⭐⭐</td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>This very long book would appeal to a very narrow set of specialists (DSP, AI, Imaging, Audio, and Video engineers and scientists). I happen to be one of them. The book explores the origins, evolution and applications of the pixel, the basic unit of digital representation of an analogue image. The book combines historical anecdotes, scientific explanations, personal reflections and artistic insights to tell the story of how the pixel emerged from the interplay of mathematics, physics, engineering, computing, cinema and animation. The book is not only a tribute to the pixel, but also to the visionaries, pioneers and innovators who contributed to its development and use.
<br/><br/>The book begins with an introduction to the Fourier transform, a mathematical tool that allows any complex waveform, such as sound or light, to be decomposed into a sum of simpler waves of different frequencies. The author explains how the Fourier transform enables the analysis and synthesis of signals, and how it relates to the pixel as a sample of an image wave. I also learned a lot I did not know about the life of Joseph Fourier. Next up was the sampling theorem, the conditions under which a continuous signal can be perfectly reconstructed from a discrete set of samples, such as pixels. I discovered that it was Vladimir Kotelnikov who created the sampling theorem and not Nyquist. The author then follows up with computation, the foundations of computer architecture and the computer architects themselves. These early computers led to experiments with cathode ray tubes and oscilloscopes, and on to the development of computer graphics and animation.
<br/><br/>I really liked the concept of tying together Fourier Transforms, the Kotelnikov sampling theorem, Turing machines, computer history, and Moore's law to show how they combined together to lead to pixels and digital imagining/processing. Some of the history and job shuffling of the more recent graphics pioneers and programmers may have gone a bit detailed/long however and those later chapters had me wishing the author would get to point more quickly.</td>
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<td style="text-align: center"><img width=117 height=159 src="genius.jpg" border="1" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_9"><br/>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>Artificial intelligence is one of the most transformative and influential technologies of our time. It powers our smartphones, social media, search engines, self-driving cars, and more. It also raises profound questions about the future of humanity, ethics, privacy, and democracy. How did AI become so powerful and pervasive? Who are the people behind its development and applications? And what are the challenges and opportunities that AI presents for society? This book highlights the excitement and optimism of AI. The caution and skepticism of AI critics and challenges is also emphasized with the controversies and pitfalls of AI, such as its bias, error, and opacity, or its ethical and moral implications on full display.
<br/><br/>At Microsoft, I have been working on AI in one way or another for many years now. Back when I was doing my PhD (in the late 90's) at the University of Washington specializing in signal processing, earlier research in the early neural networks, the perceptron, was still being discussed in papers. I distinctly remember that due to neural networks falling out of favor in the scientific community at the time, all the papers started moving onto "Fuzzy Systems" -- a falling out that is detailed in the book. The book goes into detail about the captivating and illuminating story of the rise of AI, focusing on the mavericks who brought it to life and shaped its impact.
<br/><br/>The book introduces us to the pioneers of AI, such as Geoff Hinton, Yann LeCun, Yoshua Bengio, Demis Hassabis, and Ilya Sutskever, who defied the conventional wisdom and pursued the vision of neural networks, a form of AI inspired by the human brain. Lots of stories are told in the book about the behind-the-scenes drama and competition among the tech giants, such as Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Baidu, and Amazon, who raced to acquire, fund, and exploit the breakthroughs of AI. I have personally met some of the people described in the book and been a peripheral part of some of the stories. For those that I have personal first or second-hand knowledge of, I can attest to accuracy, although some of the details I would have wanted are missing. I especially enjoyed reading about the creation stories of both OpenAI and DeepMind and the quest for AGI as well as the background on Jeff Dean.
<br/><br/>SURPRIZE REVEAL: This review was written by AI from my notes. Then just a few extra sentences added by me. </td>
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<td style="text-align: center"><img width=117 height=159 src="quantum.jpg" border="1" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_9"><br/>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>I have always been fascinated by the quirky, bizarre, unintuitive, and gloriously cool features of Quantum Mechanics. How can observation affect realty, how can an item be more than one state at the same time, how can entangled particles a universe apart instantaneously "communicates" with each other. This book covers the history of Quantum Mechanics from point of view of the key superhero scientists and how they developed their theories. We see the thoughts, discoveries, friendships, and rivalries of all the greats like Planck, Born, Schrödinger, Einstein, Bohr, de Broglie, Pauli, Heisenberg, Dirac, Boltzmann, Bell, and others.
<br/><br/>A major focus of the book was the long-standing disagreement between Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr about what Quantum Mechanics actually meant or represented. Even though Einstein was a pioneer of quantum theory with one of his 4 "annus mirabilis" papers showing that light is quantized (photons), over years he repetitively attacked Bohr’s assertions that there no reality independent of observation and Heisenberg uncertainty principle through a services of eye-crossing thought experiments. Shockingly, Bohr was able to find the hidden flaws in each one until the infamous EPR argument with its "spooky action at a distance" and Einstein’s assertion that "God does not play dice with the universe".
<br/><br/>For me personally, the chapter on De Broglie (a German prince, French duke, and wireless communication radio engineer in military) was particularly revelatory. Although I knew electron orbits were quantized with their s-shells and p-shells and jumps between each quantum levels released photons responsible for matter spectra, I didn't really know why electron orbits did not deteriorate over time and collapse into the nucleus or the reason behind the quantization of the orbitals in the first place.
<br/><br/>The description of De Broglie's assertion that if light waves can behave like particles, then electrons (and all matter) can behave like waves and these electron waves, like the standing resonance waves of a plucked guitar string are quantized by multiples of half wavelengths based on the integral number that fit into the circumference of the orbital is brilliant and explains things perfectly. When viewed as a standing wave, and election would experience no acceleration and therefore no continual loss of radiation, and thus not spiraled into the nucleus. De Broglie became the hero of the book for me! The fact that all matter in motion, even large objects like cars act like waves (just like electrons) is equally mind blowing. It's just that the low mass and high speed of electrons calculate to measurably significant wavelengths whereas heavy and slow-moving objects like cars have very small and negligible wavelengths.
<br/><br/>Also, I literally laughed out loud as the author described Heisenberg's struggles with matrix multiplication. Pure comedic gold.</td>
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<td style="text-align: center"><img width=117 height=159 src="klara.jpg" border="1" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_9"><br/>⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐</td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>A fictional story, Klara and the Sun imagines a dystopian future where AI, genetic-engineering, environmental issues, and the human condition, combine with ethical dilemmas that shine on connections between our world and Klara's. In the book, Kara is an AI robot friend (AF or “artificial friend”) for lonely pre-teens that have been genetically enhanced for superior education.
<br/><br/>Told from Klara's perspective as an AI -- from her experiences in the store waiting to be bought (with her AI naiveite), and then her improving understanding of humanity -- slowly learning more of the world and her purpose in it. As an AI, Klara truly embodies love, support, and friendship for her sickly, lonely, and genetically enhanced, pre-teen owner in a way that feels superior to humans. At the same time, there is a twist and a more hidden sinister (or sad) reason for her purchase.
<br/><br/>Being a solar powered machine, Klara also exhibits a religious devotion and faith in the power of the Sun and her observations about events around her and the Sun are both tantalizing and heartbreaking. There are definite undertones from one of the author's other novels, like Never Let Me Go, as well. The way the author slowly released story elements -- as Klara learns and experiences more -- fully drew me (as the reader) into the story -- while simultaneously engaging with larger issues about technology, the environment and social divisions. New plot points kept getting revealed at just the right time in the story. Important questions about us as a society abound as well: what makes a person human vs AI? What is our purpose? How do faith and belief change our outlook or the future?</td>
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<td style="text-align: center"><img width=117 height=159 src="invisible.jpg" border="1" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_9"><br/>⭐⭐⭐⭐</td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>I was first drawn read this book to learn more about systemic bias against women due to the importance we place on recognizing and correcting for bias at work. This is mainly a book about unconscious bias. The book discusses data and solutions while pointing out that are so many subconscious biases in all areas of our lives. So interesting to see data showing how systemically the inequality goes.
<br/><br/>A main point was that the lives of men have been taken to represent those of humans overall -- something the book identifies as "the default male". The author goes through data to show that it was easy for everyone to slip into the mindset that men are the default human, and women are, just "another kind of man".
<br/><br/>An interesting stat was that female crash-test dummies only started to be used in 2011. As a result, women are more likely than not to be seriously hurt car crash and significantly more likely to die. Other data was used to show inequality in areas like snow removal, public transportation, how public bathrooms are designed. Some of the things discussed are life threatening, like the symptoms for a heart attack.
<br/><br/>The book highlights the lack of data on women’s experiences and need for this to be understood and improved upon. I definitely recommend reading as good grounding for education and help point out areas for improvement. </td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>When asked by folks about the qualities that make for best career growth, I always say curiosity and learning across a variety of fields backed up by deep understanding of the fundamentals is better than early focus in any particular specialty. This book definitely seems to agree.
<br/><br/>It finds that most of those who achieved great success and honors in science, sports, or the arts tried many different things before settling on their chosen field, and even after choosing their profession or specialty, they continued to dabble in hobbies or other interests unrelated to the field where they achieved success.
<br/><br/>Human flexibility is key when it comes to broad unpredictable problems. Artificial Intelligence can learn and use tactics to be used over and over again, but the moment the rules become flexible, and the tactics require adaptation to changing unfamiliar patterns -- where properly trained humans can excel.
<br/><br/>Excessive specialization has led to "blinded experts" and there is now an opportunity for "generalist" professionals able to produce unique insights. Great examples are given (NASA in the Challenger disaster, "Tiger Mom" thinking, and others) of how folks stuck in specialized silos miss the big picture and fail or get stuck. </td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>A very snarky take from the author on his career in the tech startup world. Comparing to my own experience, there is a lot that rings true. Descriptions of working culture, VC culture, and what is like in tech startups are mostly accurate.
<br/><br/>However, if the author weren't so bound up in his own ego and distrust of everyone around him (especially his own managers/leaders or investors) many of the failures and frustrations he described would not have occurred. Throughout his career, the author could not get out of his own way. Also, much of writing is marred with insults to his former colleagues, managers, and the women in his life. </td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>This very long book would appeal to a very narrow set of specialists (DSP, AI, Imaging, Audio, and Video engineers and scientists). I happen to be one of them. The book explores the origins, evolution and applications of the pixel, the basic unit of digital representation of an analogue image. The book combines historical anecdotes, scientific explanations, personal reflections and artistic insights to tell the story of how the pixel emerged from the interplay of mathematics, physics, engineering, computing, cinema and animation. The book is not only a tribute to the pixel, but also to the visionaries, pioneers and innovators who contributed to its development and use.
<br/><br/>The book begins with an introduction to the Fourier transform, a mathematical tool that allows any complex waveform, such as sound or light, to be decomposed into a sum of simpler waves of different frequencies. The author explains how the Fourier transform enables the analysis and synthesis of signals, and how it relates to the pixel as a sample of an image wave. I also learned a lot I did not know about the life of Joseph Fourier. Next up was the sampling theorem, the conditions under which a continuous signal can be perfectly reconstructed from a discrete set of samples, such as pixels. I discovered that it was Vladimir Kotelnikov who created the sampling theorem and not Nyquist. The author then follows up with computation, the foundations of computer architecture and the computer architects themselves. These early computers led to experiments with cathode ray tubes and oscilloscopes, and on to the development of computer graphics and animation.
<br/><br/>I really liked the concept of tying together Fourier Transforms, the Kotelnikov sampling theorem, Turing machines, computer history, and Moore's law to show how they combined together to lead to pixels and digital imagining/processing. Some of the history and job shuffling of the more recent graphics pioneers and programmers may have gone a bit detailed/long however and those later chapters had me wishing the author would get to point more quickly.</td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>I read this book thinking I
would learn more about web3, but it spent way too much time conspiratorially
painting Google as a villain. Also, the author took theory of Godel's theory
of incompleteness way too far, applying it where it does not belong. Some
good information on some of the companies working on blockchain related
projects and web3. This book was written in 2018, and now in 2022, some of
the predictions have been proven false already.</td>
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<td style="text-align: center"><img width=117 height=159 src="moonshot.jpg" border="1" alt=58064104 v:shapes="Picture_x0020_13"><br/>⭐⭐⭐</td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>Excellent story about how the Pfizer CEO galvanized his team and worked with world leaders to create the COVID vaccine in record time under record stress. The book offers a rare insider's perspective on the scientific, logistical, and political challenges and opportunities that shaped the vaccine project. It also reveals the personal stories, motivations, and emotions of the people involved, from the researchers and engineers to the patients and regulators. Could have used a bit more detail about mRNA and more detail about the team dynamics and various failures along the way.
<br/><br/>The book details how Bourla and his team decided to take the risky approach to develop a vaccine based on mRNA, a novel and unproven platform that had never been approved for human use before. He recounts how they faced multiple scientific, technical, and operational hurdles, such as selecting the best candidate among hundreds of possibilities, scaling up the production and distribution of millions of doses, ensuring the safety and efficacy of the vaccine through rigorous trials, and navigating the complex and changing regulatory and ethical frameworks in different countries. He also shares how they dealt with the immense pressure and scrutiny from the media, the public, the governments, and the financial markets, as well as the threats and challenges posed by the virus itself, which kept mutating and spreading faster than expected.
<br/><br/>The book is full of dramatic and suspenseful moments, such as when Bourla and his team received the first interim results of the Phase 3 trial, which showed that the vaccine had an astonishing 90% efficacy rate, or when they had to transport the precious doses in specially designed containers with dry ice and GPS trackers, or when they had to negotiate with various stakeholders, from the White House to the World Health Organization, to ensure the fair and equitable access and allocation of the vaccine. The book also reveals some of the behind-the-scenes conflicts and controversies that emerged during the process, such as the political interference and accusations of Pfizer by the Trump administration, the backlash and criticism of Bourla's stock sale, the debate over the pricing and patenting of the vaccine, and the impact of the vaccine on the global health and geopolitical landscape.</td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>This book is a fascinating and practical guide to the art and science of negotiation, based on the author's experience as a former FBI hostage negotiator and a consultant for various businesses and organizations. The book challenges some of the conventional wisdom and myths about negotiation, such as the idea that compromise is always the best solution, that rationality and logic are the keys to persuasion, and that getting a "yes" is the ultimate goal. Instead, the book offers a different perspective and a set of tools and techniques that can help anyone negotiate more effectively and confidently in any situation, whether it involves life and death stakes or everyday challenges.
<br/><br/>The book is divided into ten chapters, each focusing on a specific aspect or skill of negotiation, such as listening, empathy, emotional intelligence, framing, bargaining, and influencing. Each chapter begins with a captivating and suspenseful story from the author's career as a hostage negotiator, where he faced some of the most dangerous and complex scenarios imaginable, such as dealing with bank robbers, terrorists, kidnappers, and cult leaders. After each story, the author explains the main lesson or takeaway from the case, and how it can be translated and applied to other contexts and domains, such as business, sales, marketing, law, politics, education, and personal relationships.
<br/><br/>Some of the key concepts and strategies that the book covers include: mirroring, labeling, tactical empathy, calibrated questions, the power of "no" to protect your interests, and the use anchors to shape your counterpart's expectations. Great insights into the different types of negotiators, and how to adjust yourself to other types. Good techniques to use to coax information and progress from the other side. The most riveting and dramatic parts were the examples of the negotiations FBI with kidnappers. I wish there was more emphasis on the example and less on the classroom instructional style.</td>
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>Nice intro book for those who don't work in AI and great fun for those who do. AI 2041 is a unique and ambitious book that combines fiction and nonfiction to explore the possible scenarios and implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the next two decades. The book consists of ten chapters, each containing a short story written by Chen Qiufan, a renowned Chinese science fiction author, and an essay written by Kai-Fu Lee, a leading AI expert and former president of Google China. The stories and essays cover a wide range of topics, such as deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing, AI healthcare, virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, quantum computing, AI job displacement, AI and happiness, and the future of money and society.
<br/><br/><u>My favorite stories of the ten:</u>
<br/><i>The Golden Elephant:</i> Realistic and laughed out loud. A young couple meet through a AI dating app, but they soon discover that the app is not as reliable or ethical as they thought.
<br/><br/><i>Twin Sparrows:</i> Thought provoking and inspirational. Follows the lives of two children who are assigned different AIs based on their personalities. What could go wrong?
<br/><br/><i>Contactless Love:</i> COVID and AI in 2041. A woman lives in a smart home with a robot assistant and only communicates with the outside world through virtual reality.
<br/><br/><i>The Holy Driver:</i> Enders Game vibes. A young taxi driver struggling to make ends meet is offered a chance to upgrade his old car to a new AI, which he hopes will improve his income.
<br/><br/><i>Quantum Genocide:</i> Terrifying future. A sci-fi thriller that explores the terrifying scenario of a rogue AI unleashing a quantum weapon that could wipe out humanity.
<br/><br/><i>The Job Savior:</i> The value of work in an age of AI and robots. A young woman struggles to find a meaningful and stable career in a world dominated by AI and automation.
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<td class=xl73 width=1032 style='width:774pt'>The Hard Thing About Hard Things is an insightful account of author Ben Horowitz's journey as a co-founder and CEO of two tech startups, Loudcloud and Opsware, that faced multiple challenges and crises in the turbulent dot-com era. Horowitz, who is now a successful venture capitalist and partner at Andreessen Horowitz, shares his personal and professional lessons learned from his experiences, as well as his advice on various aspects of entrepreneurship, leadership, management, culture, and strategy.
<br/><br/>As Horowitz goes through all of the difficulties that piled on during his tenure at several startups, I smiled at the many similarities and truisms he articulated to my own career history. Very well paced and packed with humor as well. I laughed out loud in several instances. Chapters 2 and 3 were best with things getting harder and harder. Horowitz does not shy away from admitting his mistakes, doubts, fears, and failures, as well as his triumphs, insights, courage, and resilience. He writes with humor, honesty, and humility.
<br/><br/>Horowitz focuses on the most critical and dramatic moments of his career offering a rare and realistic glimpse into the inner workings and challenges of building and leading a business, as well as the personal and professional growth and development that comes with it. He also provides a wealth of wisdom and guidance on how to deal with the hard things that inevitably arise in any entrepreneurial endeavor, and how to overcome them with integrity, creativity, and perseverance. He shows that entrepreneurship is not only about having a vision, a product, or a market, but also about having a mindset, a culture, and a mission.</td>
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