NEXUS: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

I have read and enjoyed each of Yuval Noah Harari’s previous books. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind; Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow; and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. As the titles suggest, he writes about history and persuaded this reader that is the only context to fully understand what is happening in the world.

This book scared the shit out of me. I grew up during the early days of the Cold War, watching B-52 bomber packed with nukes flying overhead. As a teenager, I held my breath with the rest of the world during the Cuban Missile Crises. But Harari makes a compelling case for AI (assuming we fuck it up and we will) as a greater existential threat.

Like all of Harari’s books, this one (about 400 pages) got a loft of highlighter. More excerpts after the jump. Or you can watch this 40 minute discussion with Sam Harris. Continue reading →

Vintage timepieces

Favorite author William Gibson is reported to have a passion for vintage timepieces and used them as a plot element in “All Tomorrow’s Parties.” [ChatGPT summarizes]

  1. The novel features a character named Silencio who is
    searching for a specific antique watch – a LeCoultre “Futurematic”
    with a black dial and wind reserve indicator.
  2. Silencio has detailed knowledge about this watch, including its
    serial number, bid history, and auction status.
  3. The watch serves as a plot device that allows Silencio to track
    down one of the main characters, Harwood.
  4. There’s a scene near the end of the book involving a nanotech
    watch repair machine, which is described as a novelty. This
    ties into themes of emerging technology.
  5. Gibson himself had a fascination with vintage mechanical
    watches, particularly military-issue watches from WWII and post-
    war era. He was drawn to their functional designs
    disconnected from fashion or status.
  6. While not specifically about antique watches, the novel
    explores themes of obsolescence and the relationship between
    humans and machines, which could relate to mechanical
    watches as “heritage devices” in a high-tech future.

An antique LeCoultre watch serves as a key plot element for tracking a character, and watches more broadly tie into the novel’s themes of technology and obsolescence.

The Jackpot Trilogy

I have a theory…no, let’s call it a fantasy… about William Gibson’s Jackpot trilogy. Specifically, the yet-to-be-published third novel. First, some background via ChatGPT:
William Gibson’s Jackpot Trilogy is a series that delves into the near future, exploring the consequences of environmental, economic, and social changes that push humanity toward a series of cascading disasters, which he collectively refers to as “The Jackpot.” The trilogy consists of three novels:
1.The Peripheral (2014): This novel introduces a dual-timeline narrative. One timeline is set in a near-future America, where the protagonist, Flynne Fisher, witnesses a murder through a virtual reality headset, leading her into a complex conspiracy. The other timeline is set several decades later in London, after the “Jackpot” has drastically altered society. The two timelines become intertwined, creating a rich, intricate plot that reflects Gibson’s deep concerns about technology, power, and societal collapse.
2.Agency (2020): The second novel in the series shifts focus to another timeline, where an alternate history unfolds. In this world, Hillary Clinton won the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and a form of AI, called “Eunice,” begins to influence events. The narrative continues to explore the implications of advanced technologies and the convergence of different realities.
3.The third novel (Title TBD): While Gibson has mentioned that he is working on the third novel in the trilogy, as of my last update, it hadn’t been released or titled yet. This book is anticipated to bring closure to the complex themes and narrative threads established in the first two books.
The “Jackpot” itself is a concept that Gibson uses to describe a series of interlinked crises—climate change, pandemics, economic inequality, political instability—that gradually and cumulatively devastate the world, leading to a starkly divided society. The trilogy examines how these changes impact individuals and the global power structures that emerge in response.
So here’s my fantasy: Gibson has already written the third novel. And he’s given it two different endings: one in which Trump is re-elected in 2024 and one in which he is not.

Books as props

Using a bookshelf as a background for your home video setup is almost de rigueur these days. Most of them look… staged? … to me. Every book facing the same way. Titles that demonstrate erudition. Always makes me wonder if the person read these books or are they simply props. I think political commentator Bill Kristol has read the books in his shelf.

If you read a lot, you invariably run out of shelf space and you wind up jamming books and journals wherever they’ll fit.

The Onion: Tips for Starting A Book Club

With the loneliness epidemic impacting millions of Americans, book clubs offer a simple and structured way for readers of all ages to socialize. The Onion shares tips for starting your own book club.

  • Seek out fellow readers by blackmailing a librarian into giving up names.
  • Choose the day of the month that works best for everyone to cancel on.
  • Make sure you have a good mix of people who will keep the book discussion going and people you actually like.
  • Select one of three books not banned by your state.
  • Establish a rotation order for club members to take turns shooting down each other’s book suggestions.
  • Bookmark the Dictionary.com page for “glib” for easy future reference.
  • Challenge your club with a book written in an ancient, untranslatable language.
  • Establish independent election monitors to maintain legitimacy of the book selection process.
  • Spend five to six years seeking your doctorate in comparative literature so you can absolutely smoke your friends with your opinion on A Court Of Thorns And Roses.
  • Keep your meetings on topic by dressing in an intimidating leather outfit and occasionally cracking your knuckles.
  • Make sure that everyone is hitting their page goals by administering regular pop quizzes, a midterm, and a final.
  • Spread the hosting duties around so that, a few months from now, you can easily shed yourself of this albatross of a social commitment once and for all.