See the best tech books so far in 2023 – 06/30/2023 – Tech

Care to preserve our privacy and freedom of thought in the face of the advancement of neurotechnology, the potential that technology has in building a less unequal society and the advancement of quantum computing are some of the topics addressed by technology books that gained prominence in the first half 2023, in the selection of the Financial Times innovation editor, John Thornhill.

See below for suggested works, followed by expert commentary.

Power and Progress: Our Thousand Year Struggle over Technology and Prosperity [Poder e progresso: nossa luta de mil anos por tecnologia e prosperidade]

Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, ed. PublicAffairs (560 pages), BRL 70.47 (ebook)

Listen to the “technorati” of Silicon Valley and you’ll think the future is already written in computer code, if not in the stars. In this comprehensive and compelling book, two MIT professors reject any notion of technological determinism and explore how countries can shape technology to create more humane societies.

The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology [A batalha pelo seu cérebro: defendendo o direito de pensar livremente na era da neurotecnologia]

Nita A. Farahany, ed. St. Martin’s (288 pages), R$72.28 (ebook)

Recent advances in neurotechnology are bringing much needed relief to stroke victims and epileptics. But the growing ability to probe and penetrate our brains also opens up sinister possibilities for evil militaries, corporations and governments. Farahany champions the safeguards we need to preserve our privacy and freedom of thought.

The Everything Blueprint: The Microchip Design That Changed the World [O projeto de tudo: o design do microchip que mudou o mundo]

James Ashton, ed. Hodder & Stoughton (423 pages), R$ 47.65 (ebook)

More than 1 trillion microchips are sold each year, operating from smartphones and nuclear missiles to toothbrushes and toys. A surprising number of them are used in projects by a highly successful and little-celebrated British company: Arm. In this brilliant corporate biography, Ashton recounts her origins and her remarkable global influence.

More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech [Mais que uma falha: confrontando o preconceito de raça, gênero e capacidade em tecnologia]

Meredith Broussard, ed. MIT (248 pages), BRL 103.66 (ebook)

Technology often discriminates against marginalized communities because society does, writes this leading researcher on algorithmic bias and associate professor at New York University. But Broussard argues that a reboot is possible and that public interest technology can be used to promote a more just society.

Quantum Supremacy: How Quantum Computers Will Unlock the Mysteries of Science — and Address Humanity’s Biggest Challenges [Supremacia quântica: como os computadores quânticos irão desvendar os mistérios da ciência e abordar os maiores desafios da humanidade]

Michio Kaku, ed. Allen Lane (304 pages), R$ 59.69 (ebook)

While Kaku is super excited about the potential impact of quantum computers, given their severe limitations today, his book helps explain the science behind the technology. If you want to understand all the quantum theory that led to Schrodinger’s cat, superpositions, entanglement and parallel universes, this is a good place to start.

Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves