Below is a collection of fiction, science fiction, nonfiction, audiobooks, research, industry reports, and the occasional podcast that's been on Nicklas' radar recently.
May 2024
What If? - Randall Munroe
As a former NASA robotics expert turned cartoonist, Munroe is the perfect expert to consult for answers to the big questions.
The NASA Archives - Piers Bizony et al
A beautiful, illustrated exposé of the first 60 years of NASA. Covering both the early days as well as a brief look into the future.
Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynman! - Richard P Feynman
Apart from being an eccentric Nobel laureate in physics, Feynman is also a master in living a life full of adventures - a self-help book in disguise.
April 2024
How Economics Can Save the World - Erik Angner
A thought-provoking and highly relevant perspective on the economics of some of the grand (and not so grand) challenges that face humanity today.
Inevitable Surprises - Peter Schwartz
A classic book on future thinking published in 2003. It's interesting to see that Schwartz is pointing to demography, the climate, and technology as the megatrends to follow closely.
Year Ahead 2024 - UBS
The annual UBS report on market prospects and risk management. Even if you're not interested in the stock market, it's an essential read on geopolitics and macroeconomics.
March 2024
The Quantum Decade - IBM Institute
The IBM take on quantum "awareness, readiness, and advantage". Well-researched playbook with everything you need to know about the next computing paradigm.
2024 Tech Trends - Future Today Institute
979 pages of technology frenzy, covering close to 700 trends. Now in its 17th year, the report keeps growing exponentially. Useful, but almost hard to see the forest for the trees!
Abroad in Japan - Chris Broad
Lots of recognition for anyone who's visited Japan with all the cultural clashes and misunderstandings you can imagine.
February 2024
Big Ideas 2024 - ARK Invest
Ambitious work and an interesting read. Trying hard not to drink too much of the ARK tech cult cool-aid, though.
The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells
In a total of seven short stories, we follow a self-hacked cyborg that loves soap operas and is horrified by human emotions. Soon, on one of those streaming services.
The Precipice: - Toby Ord
A convincing book outlining the existential risks humanity is facing, how we ended up here, and what we must do to survive.
January 2024
2024 Generative AI Report - Acquainted
A really good compilation of dozens of thinkers sharing their views on the current state of Generative AI, all collected and structured by the great minds of acquainted.studio
The Orphan Master's Son - Adam Johnson
A beautiful, scary, and somewhat disturbing account of life in North Korea and beyond, all told through the eyes of a kidnapper.
Quantum Supremacy - Michio Kaku
He's definitely one of the best popular science writers around, and this time, he's leaving the cosmos to explain the future promises of quantum computing.
December 2023
The Netanyahus - Joshua Cohen
The 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, but it's impossible to understand what's real and what's fiction in this book. Highly recommendable!
Rosewater - Tade Thompson
Set in Nigeria in the 2060s, we follow a government agent, when he's fighting his demons from the past while trying to survive a chaotic world where new forms of intelligent life are emerging.
Humankind - Rutger Bregman
An edgier, better-written, and more political view on the state of humanity than "Sapiens". Of course also a bonus that Bregman got banned from the World Economic Forum!
November 2023
The Coming Wave - Mustafa Suleyman
Having the highest respect for the author and his work with Deep Mind, it's rewarding to read and understand his take on managing powerful technologies.
Global Megatrends - Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies
CIFS is probably the #1 source for future-oriented reports and courses, well worth a (virtual) visit!
Generative AI Report - Coatue
Another one of those investor brand-building reports. Still interesting if you cut through the hype and corporate/investor tech BS.
October 2023
Children of Time (-Ruin, -Memory) - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Without revealing too much (or hardly anything), a unique sci-fi plot that almost makes it to the end.
The Genesis Machine - Amy Webb and Andrew Hessel
As always with Amy Webb and FTI, this book is information-dense, to say the least. It's a great overview of the emerging field of synthetic biology and genetics, though.
The Power of Geography - Tim Marshall
Using geography to understand our past, present, and future. Eye-opening and always very revealing to see things from a different perspective.
September 2023
What We Owe the Future - William MacAskill
I'm not fully sold on effective altruism and longtermism, but must say that the book is well-written, albeit a bit repetitive.
Signals - Jeff Desjardins
258 pages of graphs "charting the new direction of the global economy". Great "read" if you're a visual thinker/doer!
Three-Body Problem - Cixin Liu
Well-written, and always fresh with a non-English perspective. Not sure how they will be able to make this into a Netflix series...