Reading guide
Books and practical courses on artificial intelligence, human–machine collaboration, and the technology shaping business and society.
Explore the books together, then put the ideas into practice with the courses below. The list connects AI with the infrastructure, governance, and strategic questions surrounding it.
Explore the full list in one place.
I include this book for its perspective on deepMind, AI competition, and innovation. Begin the independent AI path here for context, then turn to Co-Intelligence for practical collaboration and The Coming Wave for governance.
Explore this book →I include this book for its perspective on practical leadership and work with AI. This is the practical middle of the AI path: move from understanding the field toward using it thoughtfully before examining wider governance questions.
Explore this book →I include this book for its perspective on AI, power, and governance. Read this for the wider questions of governance and responsibility, alongside practical accounts of working with AI.
Explore this book →I recommend Chip War for making the strategic importance of semiconductors understandable and connecting microchips with diplomacy, defense, and economics.
Explore this book →I find Tau’s reporting clear and unsettling, and pairs it with Chip War to show that influence depends on information as well as infrastructure.
Explore this book →I recommend Fisher’s reporting to understand amplified outrage, reactive politics, and the increasing difficulty of reaching consensus.
Explore this book →I emphasize accountability: the people who design powerful technologies also bear responsibility for how they are used.
Explore this book →I value Brose’s call for urgency and innovation, connecting digital technologies with the practical demands of national defense.
Explore this book →I value the book’s account of intertwined commercial success and geopolitical vulnerability, especially its implications for trade, labor, and national security.
Explore this book →I include this book for its perspective on national security and emerging threats. Read alongside Nuclear War to compare the questions raised by different forms of catastrophic risk.
Explore this book →I include 2054 for its questions about technology and political instability. Read after 2034, then continue to 2084.
Explore this book →I include this alongside Co-Intelligence to help readers evaluate AI claims before deciding where a tool belongs in their work.
Explore this book →I include this to connect practical AI use with deeper questions about objectives, incentives, bias, and human judgment.
Explore this book →I include this to make the infrastructure and human work behind AI visible alongside discussions of its capabilities.
Explore this book →From reading to practice
These courses offer practical ways to understand AI and use it thoughtfully. Start with the fundamentals, explore tools that fit your work, and build the judgment to evaluate their results. Each recommendation explains who it suits and what you can expect to learn.
DeepLearning.AI · Andrew Ng
Beginner · No coding required
A starting point for understanding AI, recognizing business opportunities, and asking better questions about an AI project.
Pairs with The Infinity Machine for readers who want the basic vocabulary behind the story.
Coursera; check current enrollment and certificate options.
View course AI for Everyone — Opens in a new windowDeepLearning.AI · Andrew Ng
Beginner · No coding required
Understand generative AI, practice prompting, and explore its applications and limits at work.
A useful companion to Co-Intelligence before experimenting with AI in your own workflow.
Coursera; check current enrollment and certificate options.
View course Generative AI for Everyone — Opens in a new windowGoogle · Coursera
Beginner · Practical workplace projects
Apply AI to brainstorming, planning, research, writing, content creation, data analysis, and building tools.
Choose this for a structured progression from learning concepts to producing work you can evaluate.
Subscription program; see provider for current pricing.
View course Google AI Professional Certificate — Opens in a new windowAnthropic
Beginner · Everyday AI work
Learn the basics of working with Claude, improving responses, organizing projects, and using connected tools.
A practical starting point for readers who want to try the collaboration ideas in Co-Intelligence.
Free course; some product features may require paid access.
View course Claude 101 — Opens in a new windowAnthropic · PayPal
Business owners and teams
Use the 4D framework to choose suitable tasks, supply useful context, review outputs, and establish responsible business workflows.
Turns broad AI strategy into practical decisions for a small team.
Free course. Framework & Foundations is recommended preparation.
View course AI Fluency for Small Businesses — Opens in a new windowAnthropic
Practical · Files and multi-step work
Practice delegating work with files and projects, using skills and plugins, and steering longer tasks while checking the results.
A next step after basic chat skills for people building repeatable work processes.
Free course; access to Cowork may require a paid plan.
View course Introduction to Claude Cowork — Opens in a new windowAnthropic
Technical · Code editor and command-line familiarity
Learn to plan, build, debug, and review software with a coding agent, while managing context and permissions.
For readers ready to move from using AI tools to developing software with them.
Free course; a supported Claude plan or API access is required for practice.
View course Claude Code 101 — Opens in a new windowAnthropic
Beginner · Human–AI collaboration
Build a repeatable approach to delegation, description, discernment, and diligence when working with AI.
Recommended preparation for the small-business course and a useful bridge from Co-Intelligence to everyday practice.
Free course.
View course AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations — Opens in a new windowAnthropic
Beginner · No technical background required
Develop a working understanding of why generative AI behaves inconsistently and how to recognize and respond to its limits.
Complements Framework & Foundations and the questions about judgment raised by The Coming Wave.
Free course.
View course AI Capabilities and Limitations — Opens in a new windowDeepLearning.AI · Stanford Online
Technical · Basic programming and high-school math
Study supervised and unsupervised learning with Python exercises, including model evaluation and practical applications.
A deeper technical option for readers who want to understand how models are built and assessed.
Coursera; check current enrollment and certificate options.
View course Machine Learning Specialization — Opens in a new windowCourses are offered by their respective providers. Follow the course link for current availability, pricing, certificate details, and tool requirements. Course enrollment is separate from any AI product subscription.
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