Well, it’s that time of year again where I share all of the interesting reads I encountered over the last year. In compiling this year’s edition, I’ve gathered over 170 blog posts, books, research papers and news articles for your reading pleasure.
As with last year’s post, I encourage you to treat this like a buffet; try sampling something from every category. That said, this year I’ve made an extra effort to streamline the content in a way I hope you’ll enjoy.
For those who can't sample much of the writing, but still want the narrative overview of what happened this year, I’ve curated each section into an overarching through-line. You might find that some of the article titles and topics of discussion become rather amusing when organized this way 😆 where as others are perhaps a little grim 😓
Either way, I hope you enjoy this year's content.
Bon Apétitt!
Table of Contents
Original Content
Financial vs. Technological Bubbles – in which I discuss the “AI bubble” and where I think things are heading
Vibe Coding with Devcontainers in the CLI – lessons from sandboxing my vibe coding experiments
If I were Eighteen Again – career advice I would give a younger version of myself now that Large Language Models exist
Critical Thinking in the Age of AI – in which I share benchmark data and academic research on AI functionality, its impacts on critical thinking, as well as its effects on mental health (I also share a few predictions on what this likely means for the security industry at-large)
On AI, Security, Reasoning, and Bias – a reflection on Dave Aitel’s “(the root of the root and the bud of the bud)” post where I respectfully disagree with some of his assertions
Surviving the Pan-decade: How to avoid COVID/ConFlu while traveling – sharing the scientifically backed precautions (and evidence) I use to avoid catching COVID/ConFlu, which have successfully worked across five trips this year (three of which were international)
Books
My wife independently published two more books this year (including a middle grade story!), and is in the process of wrapping up this series. I’m incredibly proud of what she’s accomplished, and truly cannot wait for Book 1 of her next series to be released 🤩 In the mean time, if you enjoy adult romantic fantasy, then this series is for you!
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
This is probably the “coziest” fantasy story I’ve ever read. It was absolutely delightful, and reminded me of a Studio Ghibli movie. It makes for a perfect read while snuggled in a blanket with a warm cup of tea.
They Hang Me in Tokyo by Allan West
I discovered this book entirely by accident. It tells the fascinating story of a world-renowned American Nihonga artist who set-out to make art that stands the test of time. I had the pleasure of meeting Allan during our trip to Japan this year 😊
Zen Flesh, Zen Bones compiled by Paul Reps by Nyogen Senzaki
A must-read book for anyone looking to further their meditation practice.
The AI Con by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna
While this book reads like a manifesto, it’s important to expose oneself to viewpoints that may challenge your worldview. Even so, I found myself agreeing with a number of the points they make – especially about the need for more skilled workers in certain professions.
Slow Down by Kōhei Saitō
Saitō-san walks through the impending challenges we should expect to face as a species resulting from climate change. He goes on to tie climate change directly to Capitalism, and proposes a path forward for how we might change the future we’re hurdling toward.
Academic Research
Artificial Intelligence
Career
Climate Change
Economics
Feel Good
Food for Thought
Healthcare
Information Security
Pandemic
Threat Model (weekly newsletter from Violet Blue)
Technology
As always, thanks again for picking through another year’s “Great Reads” 😊 While I consider my next post, you can git checkout other (usually off-topic) content I’m reading more regularly over at Instapaper.
Until next time, remember to git commit && stay classy!
Cheers,