Breakneck is a concise investigation of China’s rapid, engineering-driven transformation and the social costs that have accompanied it. Drawing on reporting and analysis, the book examines how large-scale state-led projects, governance choices, and recent political shifts shape China’s society and its global competition with the United States—offering a framework to understand both the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese model.

In this high-octane thriller, the protagonist, an elite intelligence operative known by his codename, navigates a world brimming with danger and betrayal. After being falsely accused of a horrendous crime, he becomes the target of a global bounty hunt, forcing him to evade capture by bounty hunters and international special forces alike. As he fights to clear his name and uncover the true culprits behind the conspiracy, he must also contend with a series of high-stakes missions that take him across the world. The narrative is a relentless race against time, packed with explosive action and intricate plot twists that keep the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish.

Set against the backdrop of the late 1990s, this compelling narrative follows the transformative journey of two young men from a small, economically struggling town in Idaho. With limited prospects and facing societal stereotypes, they find solace and empowerment in the burgeoning world of technology and the internet. Their passion for computers not only provides them with a sense of identity and community but also opens doors to new opportunities, ultimately leading them to a brighter future. Through their story, the book explores themes of resilience, the power of technology, and the breaking of traditional barriers.

In late-1980s France, poet–psychologist Jon-Perse acquires an early computer and, with his Uzbek translation partner Abdulhamid Ismail, feeds it fragments of Persian poetry. The resulting program that both analyzes and generates text becomes the catalyst for a multilingual, postmodern meditation on authorship, translation, and how history, philosophy and longing are refracted through human and digital minds.

This book delves into the historical debate over the nature of life and the mechanistic view of living beings, tracing its evolution from the early modern period to the present. It challenges the long-standing notion that machines and organisms are fundamentally different, arguing instead for a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between mechanics and life. Through a detailed examination of philosophical, scientific, and technological developments, the work explores how ideas about automata and mechanical models have influenced and been influenced by evolving concepts of nature, life, and intelligence. The narrative weaves together stories of inventors, philosophers, and scientists who have contributed to the development of this complex discourse, offering a compelling argument for rethinking the boundaries between the animate and the inanimate.

This compelling narrative delves into the meteoric rise of Instagram, exploring its transformation from a simple photo-sharing app to a cultural phenomenon that reshaped the digital landscape. Through meticulous research and insider interviews, the book unveils the strategic decisions, power struggles, and visionary leadership that propelled the platform to global prominence. It also examines the impact of Instagram on society, including its influence on social interactions, business marketing, and the broader tech industry, while highlighting the challenges and controversies faced along the way.

This biography provides an in-depth look at the life of the co-founder of Apple Inc., a visionary and creative genius who revolutionized several industries, from personal computing and animated movies to music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. Drawing from over forty interviews with the subject himself, as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues, the book offers an exhaustive exploration of his intense personality and passionate drive. It delves into his early life, the founding of Apple in his parents' garage, and his rise to becoming one of the most admired creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century. Through his story, the biography not only sheds light on the innovations that have shaped modern technology but also on the qualities and imperfections that defined a man who was at once a brilliant innovator and a complex human being.

"The Shock of the New" is an insightful exploration of modern art from the late 19th century to the present day. The book examines the cultural, social, and political forces that shaped and influenced the development of various art movements such as Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism, and Pop Art. It also provides an in-depth analysis of the works of prominent artists who played pivotal roles in these movements. The book serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding the complexities and nuances of modern art.

In this science fiction epic, humanity is embroiled in an interstellar conflict with an authoritarian regime seeking to control ancient alien technology. The story follows a band of renegade heroes who struggle against the oppressive Laconian Empire, which has harnessed the power of the mysterious protomolecule to assert its dominance over the human colonies. As the empire faces an unforeseen threat from the alien entities that created the protomolecule, the protagonists must navigate political intrigue, personal loss, and the complexities of human and alien morality to protect humanity's future and unravel the secrets of the universe itself.

The novel is an expansive exploration of humanity's journey into space, weaving together the lives of fictional characters with historical events to depict the development of the American space program. It delves into the personal and professional challenges faced by astronauts, engineers, and politicians, highlighting the ambition, sacrifice, and innovation required to reach the stars. Through a blend of drama and meticulous research, the story captures the excitement and tension of the space race, reflecting on the broader implications of space exploration for society and the human spirit.

In a visually captivating exploration of contemporary identity, this book delves into the profound shifts in self-perception and societal norms brought about by the digital age. Through a series of thought-provoking essays and striking imagery, it examines how technology, social media, and global connectivity have reshaped our understanding of individuality, community, and reality itself. The narrative weaves together cultural commentary and artistic expression to highlight the paradoxes and challenges of living in an era where the boundaries between the personal and the public, the physical and the virtual, are increasingly blurred.

This insightful book delves into the meteoric rise and profound impact of YouTube, exploring how it transformed from a simple video-sharing platform into a cultural and economic powerhouse. Through detailed narratives and interviews with key figures, the book examines the platform's role in shaping modern media, influencing global culture, and redefining the entertainment industry. It also highlights the challenges and controversies YouTube faces, including issues of content moderation, misinformation, and the balance between creator freedom and corporate responsibility. The narrative offers a comprehensive look at the platform's evolution and its implications for the future of digital media.

When journalist Amanda Hess becomes pregnant, a routine ultrasound and her online searches pull her into the fraught landscape of digital parenting. She examines how apps, prenatal tests, social media groups, and algorithmic attention amplify fear, judgment, and choices, and connects those experiences to longer histories like eugenics and surveillance. The book is a personal, clear-eyed look at how the internet reshapes pregnancy and early parenthood.

In a world where the boundaries between reality and virtual existence blur, the protagonist navigates a complex landscape of identity and consciousness. As they grapple with the implications of technology on human experience, they are forced to confront the essence of what it means to be truly "real." The narrative delves into themes of memory, perception, and the human condition, weaving a thought-provoking tale that challenges the reader to question the nature of their own reality.

The Hour of the Predator is a concise, provocative look at contemporary international politics, arguing that tech billionaires, rising autocracies and digital disruption are weakening traditional diplomacy. Drawing on Giuliano da Empoli’s experience as a political adviser, the book travels from New York to Riyadh and examines how coercion, deception and the unchecked rise of technologies like AI are reshaping global power dynamics.

Gemini recounts NASA’s crucial intermediate program that bridged early orbital flights and the Apollo moon landings. Across ten missions in twenty months, engineers and astronauts solved rendezvous, docking, and long-duration flight challenges while facing safety setbacks, political and budget pressures, and Cold War rivalry—work that provided the technical foundation for Apollo.

House of Huawei examines the rise of Ren Zhengfei and his family alongside the ascent of Huawei, focusing on the company's ties to China's state apparatus. It recounts the 2018 detention of Meng Wanzhou as a turning point that revealed the family's political prominence and explores how Huawei's technologies intersect with China’s surveillance and security systems. The book considers what these links and Huawei’s global reach mean for business, state power, and international relations.

The Thinking Machine traces Nvidia’s transformation from a maker of video-game graphics chips into the dominant supplier of AI hardware. Stephen Witt follows CEO Jensen Huang, the engineers and business decisions that repurposed GPUs for AI and high-performance computing, and how that shift reshaped industries and practical applications—from supercomputers and robotics to AI-generated media—without revealing key plot points or surprises.

Adam Becker critiques Silicon Valley’s fixation on space colonization, digital immortality, and superintelligent AI, arguing these visions lack strong scientific grounding and often serve power-seeking interests. He shows how such fantasies distract attention from urgent social and environmental problems and rest on shallow futurism and harmful assumptions.

Aiden Arata's You Have a New Memory is a short collection of personal essays that examines life online—identity, girlhood, and the ways digital platforms shape feeling and behavior. Mixing memoir and cultural criticism, Arata reflects on forums, fan fiction, TikTok, and influencer culture to question how we become creators, consumers, and commodities in the internet age.

Millions of anonymous letters begin arriving worldwide, each opening with "We must confess," exposing dark secrets and triggering chaos after LLIAM, a supercomputer that governed major life decisions, abruptly goes offline. CEO Kaitlan Goss seeks Maud Brookes, an ex-nun who taught LLIAM about humanity, hoping she can help stop the unrest, but when Maud receives a letter implicating Kaitlan the two women are drawn into a dangerous struggle as society teeters on the brink.

In this captivating book, the author explores the fascinating world of materials that surround us, revealing their hidden stories and remarkable properties. From the glass in our windows to the concrete in our buildings, Miodownik takes readers on a journey through the history, science, and cultural significance of everyday materials. With a blend of personal anecdotes, scientific explanations, and historical context, he showcases the marvels of materials and their impact on our lives, ultimately highlighting the beauty and complexity of the man-made world we inhabit.

In this science fiction novel, the protagonist, born in a world where travel between parallel universes is possible, is one of the rare individuals who can traverse these alternate realities due to her counterparts being dead in other worlds. The story delves into themes of identity, privilege, and survival, as she navigates complex relationships and a web of secrets. Her unique position allows her to gather intel across worlds, but it also places her in grave danger, leading her to confront her own past and the stark disparities between different versions of her life and society. As she moves through these spaces, she must grapple with the moral implications of her actions and the true meaning of having a place to call home.

In the thrilling conclusion to a space opera trilogy, the story follows the newly crowned leader of an interstellar empire as she grapples with unexpected threats to her rule and the stability of the empire. As an ancient and sprawling network of human-occupied planets faces imminent collapse due to the failure of the extradimensional flow streams that connect them, political intrigue, assassination attempts, and complex alliances abound. The protagonist must navigate treacherous political waters, confront her own mortality, and make impossible choices to save her empire and billions of lives, all while dealing with the legacy of her unpredictable predecessor and the looming specter of an existential crisis.

In this metafictional novel, a time machine repairman, trapped in a time loop, searches for his father and the meaning of his existence within a universe that operates on science fiction tropes. As he navigates a landscape filled with paradoxes, dog-eared pages of his life, and a self-aware narrative, he confronts his past and the nature of reality itself. The book blends emotional depth with quantum mechanics, exploring themes of family, memory, and the passage of time, all while breaking the fourth wall and challenging the conventions of storytelling.