Category Archives: Essential Knowledge
Big ideas in science, history, technology and business.
The Mythical Man-Month Review: Why Late Projects Get Later
Fifty years on, Brooks's essays still explain why software projects slip, though the mainframe-era examples [...]
Cosmos Review: Carl Sagan’s Poetic Tour of the Universe
Sagan's Cosmos is science writing at its most inspiring, mixing astronomy, history and wonder, though [...]
The Wealth of Nations Review: Smarter Than Its Slogans
Smith's founding work of economics is sharper, more humane and more critical of business than [...]
Factfulness Review: Why the World Is Better Than You Think
Rosling's warm, data-rich antidote to doom is the best short guide to global development, though [...]
Co-Intelligence Review: A Practical, Upbeat Guide to Working With AI
Mollick's hands-on guide gives clear, evidence-informed advice on using AI at work and school, but [...]
Guns, Germs, and Steel Review: Geography as Destiny, With Caveats
Diamond's Pulitzer-winning explanation of why Eurasian societies came to dominate is brilliant big-picture history, though [...]
The Better Angels of Our Nature Review: Has Violence Really Declined?
Pinker's massive, data-heavy case that violence has declined is persuasive on homicide and cruelty, but [...]