Tom's Updates en-US Wed, 04 Jun 2025 01:31:54 -0700 60 Tom's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review6426421494 Wed, 04 Jun 2025 01:31:54 -0700 <![CDATA[Tom added 'HBR's 10 Must Reads on AI']]> /review/show/6426421494 HBR's 10 Must Reads on AI by Thomas H. Davenport Tom gave 2 stars to HBR's 10 Must Reads on AI (with bonus article "How to Win with Machine Learning" by Ajay Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and Avi Goldfarb) by Thomas H. Davenport
]]> Review7413605238 Sun, 01 Jun 2025 20:30:57 -0700 <![CDATA[Tom added 'Taming Silicon Valley: How We Can Ensure That AI Works for Us']]> /review/show/7413605238 Taming Silicon Valley by Gary F. Marcus Tom gave 3 stars to Taming Silicon Valley: How We Can Ensure That AI Works for Us (Kindle Edition) by Gary F. Marcus
]]> Review7573577741 Tue, 27 May 2025 19:19:57 -0700 <![CDATA[Tom added 'How to Move Up When the Only Way is Down: Lessons from Artificial Intelligence for Overcoming Your Local Maximum']]> /review/show/7573577741 How to Move Up When the Only Way is Down by Judah Taub Tom gave 5 stars to How to Move Up When the Only Way is Down: Lessons from Artificial Intelligence for Overcoming Your Local Maximum (Kindle Edition) by Judah Taub
The book explores the concept of “local maximums.� Through vivid storytelling and thoughtful analysis, Judah explains why pursuing long-term goals (or reaching a “global maximum�) is often difficult - and how we frequently trap ourselves in suboptimal solutions, mistaking them for the best we can do.

One striking example is the invention of the engine-powered vehicle. Before cars became mainstream, society had built an entire infrastructure around horses: special grains to extend their lifespan, roads wide enough for two carriages, waste removal systems, rest areas at trading posts and saloons, and much more. All of this reinforced a “local maximum.� Horses were not the best long-term solution for transportation, but moving toward the “global maximum� - creating infrastructure for cars - took over 30 years from the time of invention to widespread adoption. It was hard to let go of what was familiar.

That example is just one of many Judah explores in the book. It got me thinking about similar moments in my own life. When learning new technologies, I often discover better solutions only after becoming proficient in an older one. As Master Yoda wisely said, “You must unlearn what you have learned.� I’ve experienced this firsthand: I master one solution (climb a small mountain), then discover a better one (a higher mountain), but I have to get slightly worse before I can get significantly better (descend before ascending again). I’ve even noticed this in my practice of archery - changing my form often makes me worse temporarily, before improvements kick in.

All that to say, I was deeply impressed by Judah’s book and the thinking behind it. ]]> Review7597510681 Sun, 25 May 2025 02:37:34 -0700 <![CDATA[Tom added 'How to Become a LinkedIn Rock Star: By the Only CEO with a Mohawk, Chris J Reed']]> /review/show/7597510681 How to Become a LinkedIn Rock Star by Chris J. Reed Tom gave 4 stars to How to Become a LinkedIn Rock Star: By the Only CEO with a Mohawk, Chris J Reed (Kindle Edition) by Chris J. Reed
]]> ReadStatus9431197991 Fri, 16 May 2025 05:15:50 -0700 <![CDATA[Tom is currently reading 'How to Move Up When the Only Way is Down: Lessons from Artificial Intelligence for Overcoming Your Local Maximum']]> /review/show/7573577741 How to Move Up When the Only Way is Down by Judah Taub Tom is currently reading How to Move Up When the Only Way is Down: Lessons from Artificial Intelligence for Overcoming Your Local Maximum by Judah Taub
]]> Review7413609147 Fri, 16 May 2025 04:49:36 -0700 <![CDATA[Tom added 'Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves']]> /review/show/7413609147 Talk by Alison Wood Brooks Tom gave 5 stars to Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves (Kindle Edition) by Alison Wood Brooks
]]> ReadStatus9201380175 Tue, 18 Mar 2025 06:10:47 -0700 <![CDATA[Tom is currently reading 'Taming Silicon Valley: How We Can Ensure That AI Works for Us']]> /review/show/7413605238 Taming Silicon Valley by Gary F. Marcus Tom is currently reading Taming Silicon Valley: How We Can Ensure That AI Works for Us by Gary F. Marcus
]]> Review7303921340 Tue, 25 Feb 2025 20:37:30 -0800 <![CDATA[Tom added 'Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop']]> /review/show/7303921340 Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum Tom gave 5 stars to Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop (Hardcover) by Hwang Bo-Reum
]]> UserChallenge62302066 Sat, 08 Feb 2025 19:25:27 -0800 <![CDATA[ Tom has created a challenge to read 26 books in 2025. ]]> /user/show/75777506-tom-zacharski 11627
Tom Zacharski has read 2 books toward their goal of 26 books.
 
2 of 26 (8%)
Create your own 2025 Reading Challenge » ]]> Review7303920511 Sat, 08 Feb 2025 19:24:54 -0800 <![CDATA[Tom added 'Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger']]> /review/show/7303920511 Poor Charlie's Almanack by Charles T. Munger Tom gave 5 stars to Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger (Hardcover) by Charles T. Munger
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