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Regardless of your views on David Goggins, it’s undeniable that he possesses an extraordinary level of persistence and willpower. Not only did he complete the grueling BUDS training for the Navy Seals three times, but he also finished US Army Ranger School and Air Force Tactical Air Controller training. He set a world record by completing 4,030 pull-ups in just 17 hours. Beyond that, he has finished over 60 ultra-marathons, triathlons, and ultra-triathlons....

We’ve lived with like ChatGPT for over a year now. Last year seemed to be the height of the hype cycle, at least for me. It felt like everyone, from friends to Uber drivers, was excitedly discussing the potential of this groundbreaking technology. However, as often happens with new technological advancements, the initial excitement has dimmed somewhat when faced with the reality of day-to-day use. The trough of disillusionment is real....

“The Coming Wave” explores the advantages and risks associated with a surge of emerging technologies. Authored by Mustafa Suleyman, a British artificial intelligence researcher and co-founder of DeepMind and Inflection AI, the book extends beyond just AI. It delves into the merits and drawbacks of other developing technologies, such as quantum computing and synthetic biology. In the initial sections of the book, the author paints a picture of the potential benefits of these emerging technologies, reading like utopian science fiction....

Sebastian Mallaby’s “The Power Law” traces the early history of the venture capital industry up to the present day, highlighting its significant impact on the development of technology. Contrary to common claims that venture capitalists (VCs) are merely opportunistic lemmings following trends, the book argues that venture capital requires genuine skill and provides various examples to support this claim. It covers successful venture capital investments in tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, as well as notable failures such as WeWork and Theranos....

Jared Diamond’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “Guns, Germs, and Steel” begins with a question posed by a New Guinea politician named Yali: “Why do white men have so much cargo [i.e., steel tools and other products of civilization], and we New Guineans have so little?” The book attempts to answer this question by uncovering the historical and evolutionary reasons for the vast wealth disparities between nations. Diamond’s answer to the question is summarized as follows: “History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples’ environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves....