ialja's reviews
285 reviews

The ed-tech industry is trying to sell us personalized learning, learning analytics, and similar buzzwords as these novel ideas that are going to revolutionize our classrooms. As is often the case with techno-solutionism, these promises largely ignore the history and ideologies of the proposed solutions. This book focuses on uncovering the surprisingly rich – and mostly US-focused – history of mechanical teaching machines. Various behavioral psychologists (most notably B. F. Skinner) tried to bring these machines to schools before the advent of computers, with arguments eerily similar to those we keep hearing today. The book is certainly not a casual read, but I highly recommend it to anyone interested in gaining a broader critical perspective on ed-tech. 

A good introduction to the – often ignored – B in LGBTQ+.

If you're tired of complaining and being exhausted when you think about the future, this book is for you. It can be read quickly, but to get the most out of it, you should engage with the future scenarios and other exercises designed to challenge and train your imagination. And it's not just about imagining a better future. The exercises and games in the book are an invitation to dig deep into what's important to you and will help you imagine how you can make a difference, no matter how small, starting today. 

So, if you're in need of some urgent optimism – and who isn't! – engage with this book as a reminder that the future isn't written yet. We can all start imagining better futures – together – as long as we're willing to face what makes us uncomfortable and get over our normalcy bias.

If you enjoyed the TV show The Good Place, you're going to love this book, written by its creator. And even if you've never seen the show, read this book if you want an easy-to-digest (and often really funny) introduction to moral philosophy. 

An excellent high-level overview of magic beliefs and practices over time and different parts of the world, with plenty of visual examples.

If you can get past the clunky language and repetitiveness, the Travels offer a fascinating glimpse at eastern cultures – and western prejudices – toward the end of the 13th century.