Choosing this year’s top three books was harder than ever – and so I landed on four. It is rare for me to find books that shake my thinking in a foundational way. Each of these four books made me see the world in a new light, and so I couldn’t take any off the list.
At a time when sound bites rule and we are all seeking information and insight in shorter and shorter bursts, I still relish the opportunity for the deep perspective and understanding that comes from reading a book. It feels like a precious chance to spend time with the thoughts of an expert who has so generously given their time to share their intelligence and perspective with the world.
I would love your thoughts on any of these and recommendations for more! (In alpha order by author last name – not in any order of preference)
The AI Revolution in Medicine: ChatGPT-4 and Beyond
By Peter Lee, PhD, Carey Goldberg, M.A. and Isaac Kohane, MD, PhD
The AI Revolution in Medicine highlights how ChatGPT-4, already trained on both clinical and administrative aspects of healthcare, could transform the practice of medicine. The use cases are grounded in the present-day healthcare system, highlighting that AI substitutions for troublesome aspects of our healthcare system are already available. When seeing the specific use cases in action it is an easy leap to see how broad adoption of these capabilities could have a transformative impact on the practice of medicine and of healthcare at large. As the title suggests, making current healthcare more efficient isn’t the revolution that is badly needed in healthcare. The examples of what AI can do are so rich that the reader can instantly start envisioning how the same tech could be used to drive toward better solutions and business models. The book was written by several authors, with each chapter touching on a different theme. Much of the content is delivered through case examples, making it a quick and impactful read.
If you are looking for a single source to advance your thinking into real-world use cases for AI in healthcare, read this book!
The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI
By Fei-Fei Li, PhD
The Worlds I See is a rare intersection of the personal, professional, and scientific worlds in one coherent narrative. Dr. Li shares her personal story as an immigrant from China, her tenacious quest for purpose and achievement, and her commitment to making a positive impact. We hear her thinking for each step of her professional journey, including her periods of doubt and her incredible breakthroughs. In telling her own story, we also hear about the history of AI and how contributions from various scientists and academics built upon each other to develop what we see of AI today.
Dr. Li’s journey taking care of her mother’s health leads her on a quest to apply AI to solve problems in healthcare, long before the current applications of AI were understood or even contemplated.
The story is told with an uncommon and heartwarming sense of gratitude and humility. I am left with profound respect for Dr. Li as well as a deeper understanding of just what AI actually is. The former propelled me through the book, and the latter is a gift that grounds my thinking for where the future could lead.
If you are looking for an inspiring story and a more profound sense of what AI actually is and how it could be used to solve previously insolvable tasks, especially in healthcare, read this book!
The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-First Century’s Greatest Dilemma
By Mustafa Suleyman
The Coming Wave is a head’s up by one of the world’s leading experts in AI. Suleyman founded DeepMind, led AI Products and Policy at Google, and more recently founded InflectionAI. Few people have as deep an understanding of the power of new tech and how it could both help and harm our world. He describes the outcomes of this new wave of tech that will bring to us in the near term capabilities that would have seemed ‘Jetsons’ to us only a years ago. Examples include: bring about a world characterized by DNA printers, quantum computers, engineered pathogens, autonomous weapons, robot assistants, and abundant energy. This book raises vital concerns about unmanaged tech without being overly reactionary or alarmist. It also offers practical solutions that could be taken to try to keep humanity, equity, and fairness at the forefront of regulation and policy. And The Coming Wave does all of this in an accessible and compelling way.
If you’re trying to understand why those closest to AI are saying this new wave of tech-driven change is different than anything we’ve faced before, read this book! Trust me – you won’t ever look at the world in the same way after.
Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present
By Harriet Washington, M.A.
Medical Apartheid is a jolting history of racism against Black Americans in healthcare that brings home, in a visceral way, how dehumanizing people leads to cruel and dehumanizing acts. The book reveals how, throughout time, supposed healing professionals have been able to wrap a narrative of good intention around abusive, discriminating, and inhumane atrocities. The text is meticulously researched and artfully written -- appreciating the author’s skill helped to drive reading through difficult parts. Medical Apartheid highlights lingering consequences and vestiges of this legacy and serves as a call to action for greater awareness, inquiry, and reform throughout the healthcare system.
If you’re interested in learning a broader view of our country’s history and more context to the inequities that persist in healthcare today, read this book!