Singularity University: basic readings to understand the future

Singularity University is a combination between long term macrotrends and entrepreneurial practice. For a taste of it, these are some of the books we talked about at Singularity's Global Solutions Program 2016.

Ray Kurzweil. The Singularity is Near.

This book, Singularity's "bible", introduces the concept of technological singularity, a hypothetical future moment in which humans transcend biology and merge with machines. The beginning of a new age of superintelligence and abundance.

Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler. Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think.

In a world of Trumps and Brexits, it is easy to be a pessimist. In Abundance, Peter Diamandis, co-founder of Singularity, presents some key technological, economic and social trends about a future of prosperity. Although the zeitgeist is one of decadence, indicators of poverty, health, education and governance, among many others, suggest that this is the best time to be alive. 

Steven Pinker. The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.

In the same vein of Peter Diamandis' optimism, this monumental book by Steven Pinker presents a historical, sociological and biological analysis of a trend towards the decline of violence that has been occurring since the eighteenth century. Pinker argues that this is the most peaceful time in human history, according to a series of indicators such as inter-state wars, civil wars, genocides, crime, gender violence and even respect for the rights of animals.

Kevin Kelly. The Inevitable.

Maybe the top tech book of 2016. In The Inevitable, Wired founder Kevin Kelly describes 12 technological trends that will impact our lives in years to come: virtual reality, artificial intelligence, blockchain, among others.

Nick Bostrom. Superintelligence.

Although Singularity's general mindset is optimist, we also discussed the risks mankind faces during transition to abundance. For this, a great book is Nick Bostrom's Superintelligence. Artificial intelligence, though it has innumerable positive applications, is also a source of risk, as is frequently pointed out by Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking. 

Marc Goodman. Future Crimes.

In the United States 2016 elections, we learned that a country could hack the political system of another. Big data, AI, face recognition devices and other exponential technologies also have criminal applications, as Black Mirror series followers know. If you're interested in this, read Future Crimes, by former police officer and Singularity University faculty Marc Goodman.

Dambisa Moyo. Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa.

In his opening talk at Singularity, Peter Diamandis said that private for-profit companies like Google and Facebook did much more for the progress of humanity than all the non-profits in history. Dead Aid, by Dambisa Moyo, explains the reasons of failure of many anti-poverty programs conducted by international organizations and NGOs. According to this perspective, real progress will be made by entrepreneurs using exponential technologies and innovative business models.

Salim Ismail. Exponential Organizations.

The organizations of our time (states and corporations) were created with technologies from the industrial revolution. Based on the same performance parameters that are used in factories, with cultures of authority, hierarchy, and obedience, they are becoming obsolete. Exponential Organizations, by Salim Ismail, describes the new ways of human organization ushered by the Internet.

Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler. How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World.

Some years ago, you had to physically by in Silicon Valley to create a tech company of big impact. Servers used to cost millions, capital that was only available in the Valley. Over the past decade, new tools (Amazon Web Services, Angel List, Freelancer, crowdsourcing, etc.) have made capital and labor more global, paving the way for players from other geographies. Bold is a practical guide to how these new technologies can be used to build businesses that impact the world.