Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 2026-10-09
Books mentioned on Intelligence Isn't Power
At the center of the country’s debates over artificial intelligence is a simple but hard question: What kind of technology is this? Is A.
Arvind Narayanan recommended Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie, Breakneck by Dan Wang, and Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Not the End of the World
Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie is an evidence-based book that offers an optimistic, data-driven perspective on climate change and human survival.
Recommended“so maybe in keeping with that I really like Hannah Ritchie's book Not the End of the World she has a newer book but this one's from 2024 and I still like it very much”
Where to get it
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Breakneck
Breakneck by Dan Wang is a comparative study of political economy that examines the contrasting trajectories of the United States and China, famously framing the difference through the lens of a lawyer-dominated society versus an engineer-driven state.
Recommended“I liked Dan Wong's Breakneck a lot of echoes of abundance as well”
Where to get it
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Thinking in Systems
Thinking in Systems is a foundational guide by Donella Meadows that introduces readers to the core concepts of systems thinking and how feedback loops, stocks, and flows govern the world.
Recommended“and that led me to the book Systems Thinking by Donella Meadows from many many years ago”
Where to get it
