Person
Every book George Hotz recommended on podcasts
George Hotz is a prominent software engineer and hacker whose appearances on podcasts like the Lex Fridman Podcast showcase deep technical discussions alongside explorations of philosophy, artificial intelligence, science fiction, and the nature of reality. When asked about books that deeply impacted his life, Hotz enthusiastically shared a curated list of influential science fiction and philosophical texts. He recommended Greg Egan's Permutation City as a thought-provoking entry point into concepts of digital identity and copies of self, alongside the online post-singularity story The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect by Roger Williams. Hotz also strongly urged listeners to read Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. Beyond these, he discussed David Foster Wallace's complex and rewarding novel Infinite Jest, noting its themes of wireheading and personal growth. Finally, Hotz mentioned Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, candidly describing it as an entertaining, albeit unorthodox, read comparable to pornography in its production value while engaging with its underlying philosophical ideas. Through these recommendations, Hotz reveals a mind fascinated by speculative futures, complex systems, and foundational philosophical provocations.
Books recommended by George Hotz
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Infinite jest
Infinite Jest is a massive, sprawling novel by David Foster Wallace that explores themes of addiction, entertainment, and modern American culture, notably featuring a lethal, mesmerizing video cartridge known as the Entertainment.
Recommended“Let me know if you have any recommendations what three books technical or fiction or philosophical had an impact on your life or you would recommend perhaps uh maybe we'll start with the least controversial uh infinite jest”
Where to get it
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Permutation City
Permutation City by Greg Egan is an imaginative and mind-bending science fiction novel that explores the complex implications of digital consciousness, virtual reality, and software-based AI simulations.
Recommended“i could give these these two i'll just throw out uh there's sci-fi uh permutation city um great things to start thinking about copies of yourself and then uh that is uh greg egan uh he's uh that might not be his real name some australian guy might not be australian”
Where to get it
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Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is a sprawling philosophical novel that presents the author's objectivist worldview through a dystopian story about society's most productive individuals going on strike.
Recommended“it's called atlas shrugged um which uh atlas drug is pornography i mean it is i will not i will not defend the i will not say atlas shrugged is a well-written book it is entertaining to read certainly just like pornography the production value isn't great”
Where to get it
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Snow Crash
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson is a seminal cyberpunk science fiction novel that famously coined the term metaverse and explored virtual reality long before it became a mainstream technological reality.
Recommended“everyone should read snow crash if you haven't read those like start there”
Where to get it
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The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect
The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect by Roger Williams is a thought-provoking science fiction novel set in a post-singularity world that explores the complex boundaries between human agency, advanced artificial intelligence, and artificial constructs of reality.
Recommended“and then this one's online it's called the metamorphosis of prime intellect um it's a story set in a post-singularity world it's interesting is there uh can you if either of the worlds do you find something uh philosophy interesting in them that you can comment on i mean it is clear to me that uh metamorphosis prime intellect is”
Where to get it
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A Fire Upon The Deep
A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge is a celebrated hard science fiction novel known for its imaginative world-building, space opera scope, and foundational explorations of the technological singularity.
Discussed“fire upon the deep is interesting”
Where to get it
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Bronze Age Mindset
Bronze Age Mindset by Bronze Pervert is a controversial ideological text of the twenty-first century that critiques modern society from a radical, fringe perspective emphasizing physical vitality and classical heroism.
Discussed“and if you want the controversial one bronze age mindset”
Where to get it
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Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a profound psychological novel examining guilt, morality, and redemption through the harrowing experiences of a troubled former student in St.
Discussed“but when I was 19 I read crime and punishment Right that was another that was another great one that talked me out of ever really doing crime”
Where to get it
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Foundation
Foundation by Isaac Asimov is a classic science fiction masterpiece that chronicles a group of scientists working to preserve knowledge and shorten a dark age following the collapse of a galactic empire.
Discussed“i've been working through the foundation i've been i've haven't read much sci-fi my whole life and i'm trying to fix that the last few months that's been a little side project”
Where to get it
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Philosophy
Ayn Rand's nonfiction works, including her philosophical essays collected in volumes such as 'Philosophy: Who Needs It', present her philosophy of Objectivism in an accessible format.
Discussed“and i'll set that up for the second book which is pornography it's called atlas shrugged um uh which um atlas drug is pornography i mean it is i will not i will not defend the i will not say atlas shrugged is a well-written book it is entertaining to read certainly just like pornography the production value isn't great”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| #132 – George Hotz: Hacking the Simulation & Learning to Drive with Neural Nets | Lex Fridman Podcast | 2020-10-22 | 11 |
| George Hotz: Comma.ai, OpenPilot, and Autonomous Vehicles | Lex Fridman Podcast | 2019-08-05 | 1 |
Other mentions (3: passing, ad reads, own books)
“i feel like dune i've never read dune i've never read dune i have to read it”
“when I was 19 I read crime and punishment right that was another that was another great one that talked me out of ever really doing crime”
“when I was 19 I read crime and punishment right that was another that was another great one that talked me out of ever really doing crime”