Editor's Note - We are taking a break
With one-and-a-half months of articles under our belt, we will enjoy the European Summer (although in Germany, we might celebrate if it arrives at some point!) to pause, recharge, and rest.
But worry not, we are not leaving you empty-handed.
Below, find some books recommendations that challenge, provoke and illuminate. Think of them as our way of continuing the conversation while we're away.
You will read us again on August 4th.
Enjoy!
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
For me, this is the pinnacle of perennial philosophy. Spirituality and practicality can't get much closer than in this book. While not related to AI directly, it touches upon what some might call "the singularity" - a pivotal point where we either ascend above the current way of life, or risk catastrophic destruction, courtesy of powerful technology (like AI).
(Recommended by Jachym)
Get it in your local book store. Or Amazon
Making time by Maria Bowler
This book makes you pause in your schedule and in your thinking. Bowler offers perspective in a time of productivity tips. If time feels like it's accelerating beyond your control, Bowler shows you how to reclaim it.
Get it in your local book store. Or Amazon
Becoming Myself by Irvin Yalom
There’s something about Yalom’s memoir that felt like watching the fragments of my life being pieced together for me. Although a renowned psychotherapist, Yalom’s story is very much about what it means to become human: he writes about memory, mentorship, meaning and the long arc of self-acceptance. The book made me feel less alone in my contradictions, slowness and my fear of being seen. If you’re looking for a humanistic, quietly profound memoir that invites reflection - I wholeheartedly recommend Becoming Myself.
(Recommended by Roshan)
Get it in your local book store.
The Extinction of Experience by Christine Rosen
This book names something you’ve likely felt but couldn’t quite articulate: the quiet loss that comes from trading lived experience for mediated convenience. Rosen traces how technology reshapes not just what we do, but how deeply we feel and remember. A reminder of what's at stake when algorithms replace attention.
Get it in your local book store. Or bookshop
Empire of AI by Karen Hao
Hao exposes the extractive machinery behind today’s most powerful AI systems. From data mining in the Global South to the invisible labor of content moderators and click workers, Hao traces how exploitation is the engine of AI development.
Buy it on your local book store. Or bookshop
The Business Case of AI by Kavitan Ganesan
Because it cuts through the hype and shows how AI can actually deliver value—without wasting time on flashy, impractical ideas. Ganesan offers grounded, case-based insights into when AI makes sense, how to scope projects realistically, and what it takes to go from experiment to impact. If you're serious about using AI in your organization, this is your no-nonsense starting point.
(Recommended by Olga)
Buy it on your local book store. Or Amazon
AI Ethics by Mark Coeckelbergh recommended by
Because it doesn’t just ask whether AI is fair or biased—it asks what kind of world we’re building with it. Coeckelbergh moves beyond checklists and compliance to explore the philosophical and societal questions AI forces us to confront. If you’re looking for an ethics book that challenges your assumptions rather than comforts them, start here.
(Recommended by Olga)
Buy it on your local book store. Or Amazon
A Theory of Justice by John Rawls
By asking how you would design society if you didn’t know whether you’d end up rich or poor, the Veil of Ignorance is a concept that invites us to think of justice without advantage. This feels urgently relevant to AI: How would we build these systems differently if we couldn't know whether we'd be the ones benefiting from their decisions or bearing their consequences?
(Recommended by Karin)
Buy it on your local book store. Or Amazon
Tech Agnostic by Greg M Epstine Recommended by Veronica Zora Kirin
Epstine is a humanist minister who asks the question: is the world's biggest religion actually tech? He addresses addiction, disparities, and ethics, all in the face of the advent of AI.
(Recommended by Veronica)
Buy it on your local book store. Or bookshop
Straw Dogs: Thoughts On Humans And Other Animals by John N. Gray
From a post-humanistic perspective, I think what’s most relevant about this book in relation to AI is Gray’s invitation to reconsider our agency in creating technology, the idea of humans being tech developers, and repositioning it as a natural phenomenon. We may not be entirely free to make our choices in the world we live in.
(Recommended by Sebastian)
Buy it on your local book store. Or bookshop
“What is Life?” by Blaise Aguera y Arcas
Under the Antikythera series on planetary computation as a philosophical, technological and geopolitical force, the first book of the series asks what is life from an evolutionary and computational perspective, arguing evolution is computation. Chapters cover symbiogenesis, complexification, embodiment and more, and it’s the perfect companion for the summer holidays as it’s small (pocket book), snappy (short introductions over key concepts) and mighty (leaves you with more questions to debate over a drink)!
Buy it on your local book store. Or here
(Recommended by Mishka)