The most recommended technology books

All of McAfee’s work is a testament to the power of human ingenuity and technology in changing the world.

This important book marks no exception, addressing the key problem of managing scarce natural resources in spite of a growing human population and economy. In the process, McAfee challenges some widely-held views, such as the idea that ‘you cannot have an ever-growing economy on a finite planet.’

As a matter of fact, you can and the book shows that since the mid-1990s the US economy has continued to expand while extraction of the 72 raw materials tracked by the US Geological Survey, from aluminum to timber, has diminished (even when considering imports).

To me, More from Less is a testament to the power of technical progress.

This Thing Between Us is a strange, mesmerizing, and oddly funny story about one man’s grief and how it leads to an invasive, evil force penetrating our world from the beyond. In part, it’s a haunted house story, but the ghost is in the machine—specifically a smart speaker named “Itza,” which is Moreno’s version of Alexa. I had the idea to a write a haunted house novel in which the house is haunted by a computer, but Gus beat me to it, and did it ten times better than I could have. You won’t read anything like this one, I promise. 

I found myself wanting to stand up and applaud while reading this book. The description of what a kid really does on a typical day at school is alone worth the purchase (and will make you laugh... and then heave a deep sigh.) But more importantly, these two teachers outline the pitfalls our digitally-driven world has created in terms of education, deep thinking, social responsibility, and ability to problem solve. As someone who has done a lot of research into the “screens in school” topic, I found this book to be thorough and clear, and written with enough humor to make a tough topic palatable. 

I have a deep and profound love of history and the past and am privileged to be able to earn my living writing about such things. This book, by contrast, takes you to the possible future of humanity in a deeply memorable way.

I was particularly interested in Rees's thoughts in the preface to the paperback edition on the impact of COVID-19.  His clarion call is the hope that this pandemic will result in a shift of mindsets towards a greater awareness that "we are all in this together."

This is my number one book of all those I've read this year, and it has made a profound impact on me. I  heartily commend the book to all thinking readers.

Mumford’s classic describes the emergence of hierarchical power systems that subjugate both humans and the more-than-human nature, from ancient Egypt to modern capitalism and the “Pentagon of Power”. The book takes on the technocratic worldview, inherent in modern capitalism, with a huge scope of knowledge and remarkable detail, combined with Mumford’s deep humanism. Mumford also coined the term “Megamachine” to which I refer in my own book.

Anyone in the education world likely hears about STEM all the time.

We know, intuitively, that science and technology matter. But rarely does anyone so beautifully make the case for what great STEM learning can look like.

In What STEM Can Do for Your Classroom, author Jason McKenna provides practical advice; turnkey activities; and helpful, plainspoken research that can help teachers change students’ lives through STEM—just as McKenna’s teachers did for him.

Climate change is a hot topic, and so many gurus start writing about it regardless of expertise.

By making extreme claims, backed by selectively-quoted evidence, they can attract attention. The prevailing narrative is that decarbonisation would be easy if we just stop focusing on profits. Smil, an environmental scientist, points out that it’s not that simple. Steel, ammonia, cement, and plastics are “the four material pillars of modern civilisation” and they are inevitably carbon intensive.

We face a difficult trade-off between stunting the economic growth of developing countries, potentially permanently, and allowing the planet to warm, likely irreversibly.

I loved this book when it came out in 1990 and I still love it. Rocco has disturbing dreams of being in a primitive, cave-dwelling society then shockingly the dreams become reality. He must learn to live with the people who struggle to survive in a harsh landscape. He learns to hunt with primitive weapons just as he must learn how to live with the people he’s found himself amongst. But why has he ended up here? There’s something amiss with this life and the wise woman seems to hold the key but she won’t tell him. When he finds himself back home recovering from bubonic plague he has to find the answer.

Rocco is a book I wished I’d written! The story is fascinating with its well-researched depiction of surviving in a harsh environment without modern technology or tools. Also, the plot is clever – how is it that… show more.

I recommend this book to my coaching clients and friends and family members because it provides clear, practical, effective advice for getting things done without beating yourself up. Using Fiore’s “Unschedule” is so motivating and positive, you avoid feeling guilt-ridden or otherwise miserable with yourself. My favorite part? Rewarding yourself with guilt-free play.

This book illustrates the work of architects Xu Tiantian and DnA_Beijing in the Songyang region of China.

All the work manages to respect the culture and character of the region whilst not being a slave to historical appearance and the use of traditional materials and building techniques. The result is a masterclass in the insertion of new buildings into old geography and human settlement.

The authors of the book term this approach ‘acupuncture’, a term which carries both the precision in the way in which the work is conceived and the therapeutic benefit to the communities affected.