Books and authors

Prof. Alan Berger writes for The Daily Beast about the findings of a new book he co-edited, Infinite Suburbia, which shows that “the vast majority of American economic and demographic growth continues to take place [in the suburbs].”

In an article for the Financial Times about the best economics books of 2017, Martin Wolf highlights new works by Prof. Andrew Lo and Prof. Peter Temin. Wolf writes that in Temin’s “important and provocative book, [he] argues that the US is becoming a nation of rich and poor, with ever fewer households in the middle.”

Science reporter Philip Shapira highlights Prof. Neil Gershenfeld’s new book, co-written with his brothers, about digital fabrication. Shapira writes that the, “Gershenfelds engagingly alert us not only to the opportunities that digital fabrication presents but also to the societal and governance challenges that the widespread diffusion of this technology will generate.”

Joe Coughlin, director of the AgeLab, has a new book called The Longevity Economy, which examines how companies can better serve older consumers, writes Robert Powell for USA Today. “A new generation of older adults is beginning to demand far more out of later life than ever before: not just passive consumerism, but the active pursuit of meaning,” says Coughlin.

In an article for The Atlantic, Joe Coughlin, director of the AgeLab, writes that tech companies often mistakenly view older adults “as a singular, homogenous population that depends on the largesse of others to survive because it can’t pro­vide for itself.” If companies treated older adults like they treat other consumers, they could live not only longer lives, but better lives, suggests Coughlin.    

The Economist reviews Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, a new book by Prof. Kieran Setiya, which attempts to demonstrate how philosophy can help people going through a midlife crisis. The book “may change preconceptions about the dryness of philosophy” as well as “make readers think and smile, which is not a bad therapy in itself,” the review concludes.

In an article for The Washington Post, Prof. Marcia Bartusiak writes about Scott Kelly’s new memoir of his record-setting year on the International Space Station. Bartusiak writes that the book, “offers Earthlings an informative and gripping look at both the adventures and day-by-day experiences of living in a metal container that is orbiting Earth at 17,500 mph.”

Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Scott Carlson speaks with Prof. Mitchel Resnick about his new book, which highlights the importance of kindergarten. Resnick explains that schools should create a more kindergarten-like environment for all students that enables “kids to follow their own ideas, to have their own agency, to make progress on problems and projects they really care about.”

Wall Street Journal reporter Eric Felten writes about Prof. Kieran Setiya’s new book on midlife crises. Felten notes that Setiya, “hopes to lift sufferers out of this dip and help them flourish by conveying the insights of modern philosophy.”

Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Arianne Cohen spotlights Prof. Andrew Lo’s research examining adaptive markets. Cohen explains that, “Lo’s hypothesis says people act in their own self-interest but frequently make mistakes, figure out where they’ve erred, and change their behaviors. The broader system also adapts.”

Deborah Blum, director of the Knight Science Journalism Program, writes for The Boston Globe about a new book that spotlights the work of women code breakers during World War II. Blum writes that a number of recent books, “remind us that women have been vitally important to the success of both science and technology — if only we will give them that credit.”

Prof. Mitch Resnick spoke about his new book, Lifelong Kindergarten, which is “his attempt to distill what he's learned over the last few decades…[and] includes the voices of children and teenagers who have participated in Lifelong Kindergarten projects,” writes NPR’s Anya Kamenetz. 

Prof. Max Tegmark speaks with Ariel Conn of HuffPost about his new book “Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” “I’m optimistic that we can create a great future with AI,” says Tegmark. “It’s going to require that we really think things through in advance.”

New York Times reporter Eduardo Porter speaks with Prof. Paul Osterman about his new book, which examines the need for better home health care in the U.S. Porter writes that in his book, Osterman suggests that improving home health care jobs, “could actually improve the quality and efficiency of the entire health care system.”

Prof. Max Tegmark speaks with Ira Flatow of PRI’s Science Friday about his new book, “Life 3.0,” which examines how AI might reshape the future. “We should try to create a great future with [technology] by winning this race between the growing power of technology, and the growing wisdom with which we manage it," says Tegmark.