My favorite books of 2023
I enjoy reading widely — mostly non-fiction, with some occasional fiction books. This year was no exception, I read about non-human intelligence, culture, happiness, longevity, philosophy, and more. Among all the books I read in 2023, four stood out as favorites. Happy to chat about any of them! (or about your own favorites)
Ways of Being: Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for a Planetary Intelligence, by James Bridle (2022). In the midst of the AI boom, the recurring question of “how do we define intelligence?” often prompts the misguided response of “it’s human intelligence.” However, as it turns out, there are myriad forms of non-human intelligence out there, in plants, animals, and the broader environment, some of which outshine human intelligence in certain aspects, while human intelligence excels in others. This book covers a wide spectrum of forms of intelligence, ranging from trees to birds, mammals, and even delving into the micro-universe of microbes and the macro-universe of the cosmos. Highly informative but also profoundly humbling — everyone should read it to become more aware of our limitations and come to appreciate the amazing forms of intelligence that surround us.
The Secret of Our Success: How Culture Is Driving Human Evolution, Domesticating Our Species, and Making Us Smarter, by Joseph Henrich (2015). Although weak as individuals, we are a “successful” species that has continued to progress over the many years of our evolution. While individually we struggle with fundamental survival tasks in the wild, such as obtaining food or building shelters, as a species, we’ve excelled in creating advanced technologies, intricate languages, and sophisticated organizations that have facilitated our global expansion. The key to our success is not our innate intelligence (see also the previous book: there are many other forms of intelligence out there!), but our collective brains — our capacity as human groups to socially connect and learn knowledge from one another. The book draws insights from the expeditions (and failures) of European explorers, clever chimpanzees, hunter-gatherers, as well as modern neuroscience. It also offers interesting insights that can serve as inspiration for the future of AI. Currently, AI systems, including ChatGPT and Gemini, operate as isolated “individuals” (even if they collected the language/images of billions). To truly emulate human capabilities, the essential element that is missing is the ability for these systems to engage in “group think” — to form a collective brain that enables them to learn from one another, mirroring the collaborative nature inherent in human learning and progress.
The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean Auel (1981). I’ve always been curious to find out more about the times when humans lived in caves, those hunter-gatherer times that we so often hear about but never really know what they truly meant. I tried reading non-fiction books before on this topic, but the ones I found were very dry and made it difficult to fully grasp how people actually lived. This is a book of fiction, but historically accurate according to anthropologists (as accurate as a book about prehistoric life can be). The bonus is that it comes with vivid descriptions of how people lived — how they organized their homes in caves, how they hunted or cooked, raised their children, or found mates; with detailed information on status and leadership, gender roles, education of the young, or health care. The book also captures a slice in time when both Neanderthal and Homo Sapiens roamed the earth, and gives a glimpse into the conflict between these early human species.
Hell Yeah or No: What’s Worth Doing, by Derek Sivers (2020). Derek Sivers’ “modern philosophy” style, written as short essays spanning diverse aspects of life, has been my standout discovery this year. Among the three books I’ve read by him, this one is certainly my favorite, and also one of the highlights of my year’s readings. There are so many gems in this book, most of them not following the ‘common beliefs’, but turning things on their head for a fresh new perspective. For instance, he encourages the idea that small actions can alter self-perception, and prompt a shift in behavior; or that we should say “yes” only to opportunities that elicit a genuine “hell yeah, that would be awesome!” response, and decline everything else; or that when comfort sets in, it’s a signal to go for change by quitting and starting something else, creating space for new pursuits.
