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SoBrief
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Hertzian Tales
by Anthony Dunne • 1999
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
4.26
125
Hertzian Tales Summary
Hertzian Tales 89%
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
by Anthony Dunne 1999
4.26
125 ratings
After Lockdown
by Bruno Latour • 2021
The lockdown ended. The fantasy of escaping Earth should end too.
3.50
311
After Lockdown Summary
After Lockdown 88%
The lockdown ended. The fantasy of escaping Earth should end too.
by Bruno Latour 2021
3.50
311 ratings
Organising Knowledge
by Patrick Lambe • 2007
Fragmented knowledge kills organizations. A shared taxonomy, built right, brings them back together.
3.95
64
Organising Knowledge Summary
Organising Knowledge 88%
Fragmented knowledge kills organizations. A shared taxonomy, built right, brings them back together.
by Patrick Lambe 2007
3.95
64 ratings
Social Identity
by Richard Jenkins • 1996
Your identity is shaped more by institutions than by introspection.
3.71
131
Social Identity Summary
Social Identity 88%
Your identity is shaped more by institutions than by introspection.
by Richard Jenkins 1996
3.71
131 ratings
Speculative Everything
by Anthony Dunne • 2013
Most design fixes problems. This design invents fictional worlds to test-drive better ones.
4.12
999
Speculative Everything Summary
Speculative Everything 88%
Most design fixes problems. This design invents fictional worlds to test-drive better ones.
by Anthony Dunne 2013
4.12
999 ratings
The Island of Knowledge
by Marcelo Gleiser • 2014
More answers only widen the shoreline of the unknowable. A physicist maps the ultimate limits.
3.93
915
The Island of Knowledge Summary
The Island of Knowledge 88%
More answers only widen the shoreline of the unknowable. A physicist maps the ultimate limits.
by Marcelo Gleiser 2014
3.93
915 ratings
The Essential Engineer
by Henry Petroski • 2010
Science explains; engineering creates. When we confuse the two, our biggest problems get harder.
3.37
270
The Essential Engineer Summary
The Essential Engineer 88%
Science explains; engineering creates. When we confuse the two, our biggest problems get harder.
by Henry Petroski 2010
3.37
270 ratings
Ethnic Boundary Making
by Andreas Wimmer • 2012
Ethnic boundaries are built, not inherited. Who draws the lines, and how they get enforced.
3.55
22
Ethnic Boundary Making Summary
Ethnic Boundary Making 88%
Ethnic boundaries are built, not inherited. Who draws the lines, and how they get enforced.
by Andreas Wimmer 2012
3.55
22 ratings
The Things We Make
by Bill Hammack • 2023
Engineering isn't applied science: it's the art of solving problems before anyone understands them.
3.75
1k+
The Things We Make Summary
The Things We Make 88%
Engineering isn't applied science: it's the art of solving problems before anyone understands them.
by Bill Hammack 2023
3.75
1k+ ratings
The Pencil
by Henry Petroski • 1992
A pencil hides centuries of engineering failures, global trade, and the secret to good design.
3.80
657
The Pencil Summary
The Pencil 88%
A pencil hides centuries of engineering failures, global trade, and the secret to good design.
by Henry Petroski 1992
3.80
657 ratings
Thinking In Systems
by Donella H. Meadows • 2008
One hidden delay makes your thermostat swing wildly and drives business cycles too.
4.18
23k+
Thinking In Systems Summary
Thinking In Systems 88%
One hidden delay makes your thermostat swing wildly and drives business cycles too.
by Donella H. Meadows 2008
4.18
23k+ ratings
An Introduction to General Systems Thinking
by Gerald M. Weinberg • 1975
Stability is not a property of a system but a contract it negotiates with its environment.
3.94
671
An Introduction to General Systems Thinking Summary
An Introduction to General Systems Thinking 88%
Stability is not a property of a system but a contract it negotiates with its environment.
by Gerald M. Weinberg 1975
3.94
671 ratings
Diversity and Complexity
by Scott E. Page • 2010
Diversity isn't a slogan: it's a measurable property with predictable benefits and knowable limits.
4.12
207
Diversity and Complexity Summary
Diversity and Complexity 88%
Diversity isn't a slogan: it's a measurable property with predictable benefits and knowable limits.
by Scott E. Page 2010
4.12
207 ratings
The Evolution of Useful Things
by Henry Petroski • 1994
Annoyance, not function, gave us forks, zippers, paper clips. The real driver of everyday design.
3.52
1k+
The Evolution of Useful Things Summary
The Evolution of Useful Things 88%
Annoyance, not function, gave us forks, zippers, paper clips. The real driver of everyday design.
by Henry Petroski 1994
3.52
1k+ ratings
A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders
by Jonn Elledge • 2024
Guesses, grudges, and a pope: 47 borders that explain why the map looks this way.
3.95
3k+
A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders Summary
A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders 87%
Guesses, grudges, and a pope: 47 borders that explain why the map looks this way.
by Jonn Elledge 2024
3.95
3k+ ratings
Limits to Growth
by Donella H. Meadows • 1972
A computer model of Earth's limits, tested for 30 years: the math says overshoot has already begun.
4.21
2k+
Limits to Growth Summary
Limits to Growth 87%
A computer model of Earth's limits, tested for 30 years: the math says overshoot has already begun.
by Donella H. Meadows 1972
4.21
2k+ ratings
Discursive Design
by Bruce M. Tharp • 2019
What if your toaster had an opinion? A field guide to design that argues.
4.36
25
Discursive Design Summary
Discursive Design 87%
What if your toaster had an opinion? A field guide to design that argues.
by Bruce M. Tharp 2019
4.36
25 ratings
How Infrastructure Works
by Deb Chachra • 2023
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
3.64
937
How Infrastructure Works Summary
How Infrastructure Works 87%
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
by Deb Chachra 2023
3.64
937 ratings
Information Is Beautiful
by David McCandless • 2001
Concept is the secret: why a simple, clever data drawing can reveal more than a supercomputer.
4.12
4k+
Information Is Beautiful Summary
Information Is Beautiful 87%
Concept is the secret: why a simple, clever data drawing can reveal more than a supercomputer.
by David McCandless 2001
4.12
4k+ ratings
Everyday Chaos
by David Weinberger • 2019
A medical AI diagnoses illness but can't explain how. The age of demanding explanations is over.
3.78
202
Everyday Chaos Summary
Everyday Chaos 87%
A medical AI diagnoses illness but can't explain how. The age of demanding explanations is over.
by David Weinberger 2019
3.78
202 ratings
Design for the Real World
by Victor Papanek • 1972
Design fills the world with disposables. A manifesto for building what people actually need.
4.24
2k+
Design for the Real World Summary
Design for the Real World 87%
Design fills the world with disposables. A manifesto for building what people actually need.
by Victor Papanek 1972
4.24
2k+ ratings
Dónde aterrizar. Cómo orientarse en política
by Bruno Latour • 2017
Climate, inequality, and nationalism share one cause: the Earth has become a political actor.
3.74
2k+
Dónde aterrizar. Cómo orientarse en política Summary
Dónde aterrizar. Cómo orientarse en política 87%
Climate, inequality, and nationalism share one cause: the Earth has become a political actor.
by Bruno Latour 2017
3.74
2k+ ratings
The Posthuman
by Rosi Braidotti • 2013
Humanism promised progress but delivered exclusion. A theory of what we become next.
3.82
949
The Posthuman Summary
The Posthuman 87%
Humanism promised progress but delivered exclusion. A theory of what we become next.
by Rosi Braidotti 2013
3.82
949 ratings
Computer Power and Human Reason
by Joseph Weizenbaum • 1976
The computer's greatest danger isn't outthinking us; it's that we'll remake ourselves in its image.
4.31
294
Computer Power and Human Reason Summary
Computer Power and Human Reason 87%
The computer's greatest danger isn't outthinking us; it's that we'll remake ourselves in its image.
by Joseph Weizenbaum 1976
4.31
294 ratings
Deep Simplicity
by John Gribbin • 2004
Simple rules, run long enough, build a universe. A physicist shows the working.
3.98
2k+
Deep Simplicity Summary
Deep Simplicity 87%
Simple rules, run long enough, build a universe. A physicist shows the working.
by John Gribbin 2004
3.98
2k+ ratings
The Systems Bible
by John Gall • 1977
Every system malfunctions and fights its own purpose. The counterintuitive guide to surviving them.
3.99
1k+
The Systems Bible Summary
The Systems Bible 87%
Every system malfunctions and fights its own purpose. The counterintuitive guide to surviving them.
by John Gall 1977
3.99
1k+ ratings
Sexing the Body
by Anne Fausto-Sterling • 2000
Nature gives us a spectrum of sexes. Medicine prunes it down to two.
4.16
3k+
Sexing the Body Summary
Sexing the Body 87%
Nature gives us a spectrum of sexes. Medicine prunes it down to two.
by Anne Fausto-Sterling 2000
4.16
3k+ ratings
Rational Choice and Security Studies
by Michael E. Brown • 2000
Two visions of political science: one builds mathematical temples, the other wants to stop war.
3.78
9
Rational Choice and Security Studies Summary
Rational Choice and Security Studies 87%
Two visions of political science: one builds mathematical temples, the other wants to stop war.
by Michael E. Brown 2000
3.78
9 ratings
Lost in Math
by Sabine Hossenfelder • 2018
Theoretical physics is stuck. The culprit isn't bad math, but a fixation on elegant theories.
4.05
3k+
Lost in Math Summary
Lost in Math 87%
Theoretical physics is stuck. The culprit isn't bad math, but a fixation on elegant theories.
by Sabine Hossenfelder 2018
4.05
3k+ ratings
The World Without Us
by Alan Weisman • 2007
What happens to every city, every nuclear plant, and every plastic bag the moment humans disappear.
3.81
44k+
The World Without Us Summary
The World Without Us 87%
What happens to every city, every nuclear plant, and every plastic bag the moment humans disappear.
by Alan Weisman 2007
3.81
44k+ ratings
The Arrogance of Humanism
by David W. Ehrenfeld • 1978
Modernity's religion of reason promises total control. Its actual deliverable is cascading failure.
3.97
91
The Arrogance of Humanism Summary
The Arrogance of Humanism 87%
Modernity's religion of reason promises total control. Its actual deliverable is cascading failure.
by David W. Ehrenfeld 1978
3.97
91 ratings
Technopoly
by Neil Postman • 1992
When a culture worships its tools, the old stories that held it together quietly disappear.
3.97
5k+
Technopoly Summary
Technopoly 87%
When a culture worships its tools, the old stories that held it together quietly disappear.
by Neil Postman 1992
3.97
5k+ ratings
The Tacit Dimension
by Michael Polanyi • 1966
Every explicit rule, theorem, and formula floats on a vast sea of knowledge you cannot articulate.
4.04
478
The Tacit Dimension Summary
The Tacit Dimension 87%
Every explicit rule, theorem, and formula floats on a vast sea of knowledge you cannot articulate.
by Michael Polanyi 1966
4.04
478 ratings
Mind and Nature
by Gregory Bateson • 2002
Mind and nature aren't separate; they share a master pattern that perception and evolution both obey
4.27
819
Mind and Nature Summary
Mind and Nature 87%
Mind and nature aren't separate; they share a master pattern that perception and evolution both obey
by Gregory Bateson 2002
4.27
819 ratings
The Wealth of Networks
by Yochai Benkler • 2006
Free, voluntary collaboration now rivals the firm, upending the old rules of economy and democracy.
3.96
2k+
The Wealth of Networks Summary
The Wealth of Networks 87%
Free, voluntary collaboration now rivals the firm, upending the old rules of economy and democracy.
by Yochai Benkler 2006
3.96
2k+ ratings
Everything Is Miscellaneous
by David Weinberger • 2007
Atoms forced one shelf per book. Bits let every fact live in many places at once.
3.74
2k+
Everything Is Miscellaneous Summary
Everything Is Miscellaneous 87%
Atoms forced one shelf per book. Bits let every fact live in many places at once.
by David Weinberger 2007
3.74
2k+ ratings
Atomic Design
by Brad Frost • 2016
Chemistry meets web design: a method for building reusable component systems from the ground up.
4.00
1k+
Atomic Design Summary
Atomic Design 87%
Chemistry meets web design: a method for building reusable component systems from the ground up.
by Brad Frost 2016
4.00
1k+ ratings
Complexity
by M. Mitchell Waldrop • 1992
In a desert convent, a few rogue scientists discovered the universal grammar of complex systems.
4.05
3k+
Complexity Summary
Complexity 87%
In a desert convent, a few rogue scientists discovered the universal grammar of complex systems.
by M. Mitchell Waldrop 1992
4.05
3k+ ratings
Managed Annihilation
by Dean L.Y. Bavington • 2010
The 1992 cod collapse that idled 30,000 workers was not nature's fault but management's.
3.29
21
Managed Annihilation Summary
Managed Annihilation 87%
The 1992 cod collapse that idled 30,000 workers was not nature's fault but management's.
by Dean L.Y. Bavington 2010
3.29
21 ratings
This Idea Must Die
by John Brockman • 2015
175 scientists each nominate one idea to retire, from IQ to the Big Bang itself.
3.50
1k+
This Idea Must Die Summary
This Idea Must Die 87%
175 scientists each nominate one idea to retire, from IQ to the Big Bang itself.
by John Brockman 2015
3.50
1k+ ratings
The Climate of History in a Planetary Age
by Dipesh Chakrabarty • 2021
All our political concepts assume a stable planet. The Anthropocene reveals it never was.
3.68
142
The Climate of History in a Planetary Age Summary
The Climate of History in a Planetary Age 87%
All our political concepts assume a stable planet. The Anthropocene reveals it never was.
by Dipesh Chakrabarty 2021
3.68
142 ratings
Extrastatecraft
by Keller Easterling • 2014
Free zones and broadband cables don't just move goods. They rewrite who governs the world.
3.68
410
Extrastatecraft Summary
Extrastatecraft 87%
Free zones and broadband cables don't just move goods. They rewrite who governs the world.
by Keller Easterling 2014
3.68
410 ratings
The Alchemy of Us
by Ainissa Ramirez • 2020
We invented quartz clocks, steel rails, and silicon chips. Then they reinvented us.
3.90
1k+
The Alchemy of Us Summary
The Alchemy of Us 87%
We invented quartz clocks, steel rails, and silicon chips. Then they reinvented us.
by Ainissa Ramirez 2020
3.90
1k+ ratings
The Reality Bubble
by Ziya Tong • 2019
You see 0.0035% of the light spectrum. The remaining 99.9965% hides how the world really works.
4.18
1k+
The Reality Bubble Summary
The Reality Bubble 87%
You see 0.0035% of the light spectrum. The remaining 99.9965% hides how the world really works.
by Ziya Tong 2019
4.18
1k+ ratings
You Are Not a Gadget
by Jaron Lanier • 2010
The internet reduces people to data points. The people who built it call that wisdom.
3.57
6k+
You Are Not a Gadget Summary
You Are Not a Gadget 87%
The internet reduces people to data points. The people who built it call that wisdom.
by Jaron Lanier 2010
3.57
6k+ ratings
This Idea Is Brilliant
by John Brockman • 2018
The overlooked scientific ideas top minds most urgently want you to know, from entropy to emergence.
3.83
662
This Idea Is Brilliant Summary
This Idea Is Brilliant 87%
The overlooked scientific ideas top minds most urgently want you to know, from entropy to emergence.
by John Brockman 2018
3.83
662 ratings
Modern Software Engineering
by David Farley • 2021
Software is not a craft; it's a science. The discipline that turns teams into learning machines.
4.16
1k+
Modern Software Engineering Summary
Modern Software Engineering 87%
Software is not a craft; it's a science. The discipline that turns teams into learning machines.
by David Farley 2021
4.16
1k+ ratings
What We Believe But Cannot Prove
by John Brockman • 2005
Science's greatest leaps begin as hunches without proof. A hundred top minds confess theirs.
3.65
2k+
What We Believe But Cannot Prove Summary
What We Believe But Cannot Prove 87%
Science's greatest leaps begin as hunches without proof. A hundred top minds confess theirs.
by John Brockman 2005
3.65
2k+ ratings
Resilience Thinking
by Brian Walker • 2006
Stop optimizing nature. The science that explains why management backfires, and what to do instead.
3.87
362
Resilience Thinking Summary
Resilience Thinking 87%
Stop optimizing nature. The science that explains why management backfires, and what to do instead.
by Brian Walker 2006
3.87
362 ratings
Reinventing Discovery
by Michael Nielsen • 2011
Science's discovery model held for 300 years. Open networks and citizen labs are replacing it.
3.94
640
Reinventing Discovery Summary
Reinventing Discovery 87%
Science's discovery model held for 300 years. Open networks and citizen labs are replacing it.
by Michael Nielsen 2011
3.94
640 ratings
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