Person
Every book Max Schoening recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- Max Schoening has recommended or discussed 5 books on podcasts, as of May 3, 2026.
- Max Schoening has talked about books on 1 podcast, as of May 3, 2026.
- Those books came up in 1 episode, as of May 3, 2026.
- The 3 books Max Schoening has mentioned in the most episodes, as of May 3, 2026: Code, Seeing Like a State and Tools for Conviviality.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Max Schoening aired on May 3, 2026.
Updated
Max Schoening appeared on Lenny's Podcast to share his insights on technology, systems design, and human agency in the era of artificial intelligence. Schoening recommended several foundational books to listeners, highlighting works that explore how hardware functions, how technology supports human autonomy, and how large systems operate. Among his recommendations was Charles Petzold's Code, which he suggested for anyone wanting to understand the inner workings of computers through a step-by-step examination of hardware and software. He also recommended Ivan Illich's Tools for Conviviality, describing it as a thought-provoking look at the historical relationship between technology and human ingenuity. For executives and system designers, Schoening recommended James C. Scott's Seeing Like a State, drawing attention to its exploration of legibility and the limits of centralized planning. In addition to these recommendations, Schoening discussed Christopher Alexander's The Timeless Way of Building and Stewart Brand's How Buildings Learn. He used these architectural texts to illustrate how the best homes often adapt to the needs of the people living in them over time rather than being rigidly designed by architects. Through these selections, Schoening emphasized the importance of foundational technical knowledge and user autonomy.
Books Max Schoening recommended or discussed
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Code
Recommended“I would say so code uh by uh Charles Pzled which is uh the secret language of hardware and software. It basically it's like do you know how computers actually work?”
Where to get it
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Seeing Like a State
Recommended“And then the last one that I give mostly to executives uh that I think are creating a lot of systems uh is uh seeing like a state uh which I think there is a famous stack overflow that sort of um popularized this”
Where to get it
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Tools for Conviviality
Recommended“I have a weird one uh which is tools of conviviiality by Ivan Illich. It's sort of the contrast between like you look at the history of technology and tools that let users exercise human ingenuity and autonomy”
Where to get it
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How Buildings Learn
Discussed“Now the timeless way of building and Stuart Bran's uh sort of how buildings learn I think idea is also that it's very likely that the best homes for you are not actually built by an architect.”
Where to get it
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The Timeless Way of Building
Discussed“Now the timeless way of building and Stuart Bran's uh sort of how buildings learn I think idea is also that it's very likely that the best homes for you are not actually built by an architect.”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why cultivating agency matters more than cultivating skills in the AI era | Max Schoening (Head of Product, Notion) | Lenny's Podcast | 2026-05-03 | 5 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“I did like uh uh Project Hail Mary uh a lot. I liked the book and I think the adaptation was was was really good.”