Aula Reading List

This page is a compilation of books and articles that we found very informative, inspiring, or jarring. Here you will find the title, where to find the literature, and a short description of each selection. There is no particular order to our choices. Happy reading!

The Third Industrial Revolution

“The Third Industrial Revolution” is a book by Jeremy Rifkin published in 2011. The premise of the book is that fundamental economic change occurs when new communication technologies converge with new energy regimes, in this case, renewable electricity.

This is a great book to think about new technology in a systemic way and how designing systems is as important as designing technologies.

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow is a book written by

Yuval Noah Harari. The book describes mankind's current abilities and achievements and attempts to paint an image of the future. Many philosophical issues are discussed, such as humanism, individualism, transhumanism, and mortality.

Harari expertly recognizes trends in technology, projects them into the future, and by studying their interaction with people, re-evaluates what it means to be human.

21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Harari turns in 21 Lessons his attention to the present. In a loose collection of essays, many based on articles previously published, he attempts to untangle the technological, political, social, and existential quandaries that humankind faces.

If you need a synthesis of our present social, scientific and ethical trends, this is the perfect book for you!

AI Ethics

AI Ethics is a book by Mark Coeckelbergh and printed by “The MIT Press” for its “Essential Knowledge Series”.
AI Ethics is an accessible synthesis of ethical issues raised by Artificial Intelligence that moves beyond hype and nightmare scenarios to address concrete questions.

BioDesign - Nature, Science, Creativity

BioDesign is a collection of the most prominent and interesting biodesign projects of the last 10 years. It is a book by William Myers and if you are looking for inspiration for your next biodesign project, this is the perfect bookyou!

The Inevitable

The Inevitable is a 2016 nonfiction book by Kevin Kelly that forecasts the twelve technological forces that will shape the next thirty years.
The 12 technological forces that will shape our future are nicely explained and can give context to your next project.

Life 3.0

Life 3.0 discusses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on the future of life on Earth and beyond. The book discusses a variety of societal implications, what can be done to maximize the chances of a positive outcome, and potential futures for humanity, technology and combinations thereof.