Episode · a16z Podcast · 2025-07-30
Books mentioned on AI Content and the War for Your Attention
What happens when AI starts generating content for everyone—and no one wants to watch it?
Antonio Garcia Martinez recommended The Sirens' Call by Chris Hayes, and discussed The Frenzy of Renown by Leo Braudy. Chris Hayes discussed The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen and Infinite jest by David Foster Wallace.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Sirens' Call
The Sirens' Call by Chris Hayes explores how human attention has become the world's most endangered and exploited resource in the digital age.
Recommended“which by the way I I think I think it's time we just plug Chris's book I think you wrote a phenomenal book actually thanks and I would recommend it to most of my ads”
Where to get it
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The Frenzy of Renown
Discussed“One thing I find interesting of the impact of social media I mean you cite a lot of the negative impacts of social media and you cite one book the frenzy of renown that I actually started reading based on your recommendation actually.”
Where to get it
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The Corrections
Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections is a sprawling, multi-generational novel that explores the complexities, dysfunction, and shifting fortunes of an American Midwestern family at the turn of the twenty-first century.
Discussed“What was the last sort of like literary event that like every American paid attention to? And and my vote is for like Jonathan Frank's The Corrections that came out.”
Where to get it
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Infinite jest
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace is a sprawling, maximalist novel exploring addiction, entertainment, and modern American culture.
Discussed“I mean with the possible exception of David Foster Wallace and Infinite Jazz. But but it's one of those books everyone claims to read but no one's actually read.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Um wrote a book about that time called Chaos Monkeys that came out in 2017 that they read well. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I quoted it in the book.”
“I'm gonna be that guy self. I think I have a line in Cows Monkeys that says, you know, Andy Warhol was wrong.”