Is technology helping or hurting us? What are the best books about technology that help us answer this question?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Technology is all around us, whether we like it or not. It charges our phones, cooks our meals, and diagnoses medical problems. On the other hand, it also distracts us from work and affects our privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below is a list of some of the best books about technology, organized into two categories: books that cheer on the advancements and those that warn about the dangers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Technology has helped us advance significantly as humans. Every day, more and more companies are using technology to create groundbreaking products that will serve us in the future. Take a look at more benefits with these best books about technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lifespan<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n David Sinclair is a professor of genetics and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging<\/a> Research at Harvard University. He argues that it\u2019s not only possible\u2014but inevitable\u2014that we\u2019ll learn to overcome the aging process. New medicines and technologies will increase our maximum lifespan and years of health until eventually, humans won\u2019t have<\/em> a maximum lifespan\u2014we\u2019ll stay young and healthy forever. In Lifespan: Why We Age<\/a> and Why We Don\u2019t Have To<\/em>, Sinclair discusses why aging happens, how we can prevent it, and how we might create a world where nobody has to die of old age. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Algorithms to Live By<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Humans and computers<\/a> face many of the same problems: We both have a never-ending stream of things we want to do and a limited amount of time and energy to do them. Is it possible that the age-old question of how best to live has already been solved by computer engineers? In Algorithms to Live By<\/em>, science writer Brian Christian and Berkeley psychologist Tom Griffiths team up to prove that computer science is a fount of unconventional wisdom with practical value<\/a> in many areas of human life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Building a Second Brain<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In today\u2019s modern age, we get overwhelmed and frustrated because we have access to more information than our brains can possibly store. Consequently, we feel like we\u2019re failing to reach our full potential\u2014we forget important information, waste time trying to recall old knowledge, or record important notes but lose track of their location. In Building a Second Brain<\/em>, Tiago Forte presents a solution to these problems\u2014a straightforward method of recording, organizing, and utilizing valuable information so you can easily recall it and accomplish goals to the best of your ability. Forte recommends storing valuable information in a digital storage center that he calls a \u201cSecond Brain.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Homo Deus<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the modern era, we no longer rely on prayer to cope with serious problems\u2014we\u2019ve mostly overcome famine, plague, and war through the development of technology and medical knowledge. In Homo Deus<\/em>, Yuval Noah Harari, a professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, envisions a future in which technology replaces humanist<\/a> ideals and liberal government. Dissecting the concepts of religion, immortality, and technology, Harari argues that the world of the future may be run by advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence, not human beings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Elon Musk<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hailed as this one of this generation\u2019s most innovative entrepreneurs, Elon Musk has built several industry-disrupting technology businesses, and he\u2019s known for shooting for the moon\u2014or more literally, Mars. Technology journalist Ashlee Vance spent almost 50 hours interviewing Musk and talked to around 300 people close to him to produce this biography, which presents new insights into Musk\u2019s life and businesses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Steve Jobs<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n From the first home computers to the smartphone revolution, Steve Jobs was a guiding force in the worldwide electronics industry. His innovations, his obsessions, and even his shortcomings impacted the way we use computers today. To understand Jobs\u2019s life is to understand why <\/em>the modern information landscape functions the way it does. Walter Isaacson\u2019s biography is considered to be the definitive work on Steve Jobs\u2019s life. He was given full access to Jobs and those who knew him with no limitations on what he might uncover. The result is an intimate portrait of a man who was thoughtful and callous, insightful and blind, and whose passions left a mark on the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While some believe our future is safe in technology\u2019s hands, many people would say otherwise. There\u2019s concern that phones, television, and more have created a toxic environment that is distracting and invasive. Check out these best books about technology if you want to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Amusing Ourselves to Death<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In Amusing Ourselves to Death<\/em>, Neil Postman argued presciently 35 years ago that television was reshaping our culture and trivializing public life\u2014news, politics, religion, education, and business\u2014by turning it into entertainment. He warned that we would become so inundated with irrelevant information that we\u2019d lose sight of what was important\u2014even worse, we wouldn\u2019t care as long as we felt entertained. With the proliferation of digital media today and worries about excessive \u201cscreen time,\u201d his analysis still resonates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Permanent Record<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2013, whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed the existence of STELLARWIND<\/a>, the US government\u2019s mass surveillance program. Until Snowden revealed the program, the US government was recording the phone and computer activities of nearly everyone in the world. In Permanent Record<\/em>, Snowden explains how he became involved with the government, how he learned about the mass surveillance program, and how he ultimately made the decision to speak up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Four<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Has Big Tech made our lives better or worse? In The Four<\/em>, entrepreneur and marketing professor Scott Galloway takes a hard look at four technology companies that dominate the modern marketplace: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google (the \u201cFour\u201d). He argues that the success of the Four has had a profound and decidedly negative impact on our society, affecting everything from our privacy and our opportunities for career advancement<\/a> to our free-market economy<\/a> and even the functioning of our democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A World Without Email<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s impossible to imagine a modern workplace without email, right? Computer science professor and productivity expert Cal Newport imagines\u2014and advocates\u2014for it. In A World Without Email, <\/em>Newport argues that email, and the relentless requests and distractions it introduces, makes knowledge workers less productive and more unhappy. Rather than dedicating focused time to the work they were hired to do, knowledge workers spend most of their days responding to and checking for unexpected requests which, because they\u2019re part of a team, they feel pressured to fulfill immediately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Age of Surveillance Capitalism<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you aware that you\u2019re being watched by big tech companies? In The Age of Surveillance Capitalism<\/a><\/em>, Shoshana Zuboff explores the concept and consequences of \u201csurveillance capitalism\u201d\u2014a term she created to describe the invasive and controlling data collection practices that tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook have adopted to maximize their profits. The Age of Surveillance Capitalism<\/em> explores what surveillance capitalism is, how it\u2019s been able to thrive despite growing opposition, and what we can do to prevent it from destroying our freedom and democracy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Digital Minimalism<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of us are glued to our smartphones, tablets, and laptops, to the point that we\u2019ve lost control of how we spend our time and attention. Meanwhile, tech companies continue to invest major resources into making their products and services addictive so that we\u2019ll continue scrolling and tapping. Digital Minimalism<\/em> explains how you can transform your tech habits by adopting digital minimalism, which aims to maximize the benefits of technology and avoid the pitfalls by identifying your values<\/a> and determining how to use technology to support them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 21 Lessons for the 21st Century<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The 21st century will bring changes and challenges unlike any humans have encountered before. Globalism and technological innovations are changing the structures of societies worldwide\u2014and the changes are happening quickly. If people don\u2019t face these challenges and help shape the future, the world could have a class of obsolete workers whose jobs have been automated and people could lose their ability to make their own decisions. In 21 Lessons for the 21st Century<\/em>, Yuval Noah Harari highlights the biggest challenges in the modern world, and he offers advice on making sense of and navigating such transitional times. <\/p>\n\n\n\nBooks Warning About Technology Going Too Far<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n