May 2025 Reading

Published: 2025-06-02 7:00 AM

Category: Books | Tags: Peter Pan, alila lalami, john warner, ai, dreams

Another month down, some more books finished.

More Than Words: How to think about writing in the age of AI - John Warner

This is a critical look at artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and why these tools do not write in the same sense that people do. Warner provides an approachable technical overview of what the systems do and why that doesn't fit the definition of human-produced writing.

The middle of the book explores the experience of writing and reading as humans, building a case against using large language models for writing in general. Warner does give examples of where these tools could be helpful, though.

Lastly, he breaks down ways in which to responsibly and slowly engage with AI tools. The adoption of ChatGPT and similar is not inevitable nor should we accept the argument that we should just accept them in classrooms. This book is well worth a slow read for anyone working in schools.

I also have a longer post on this book. You should just read the book.

The Dream Hotel - Laila Lalami

I read this book after hearing a review on NPR. Sara is retained (not detained, an important distinction) after returning from a trip abroad because government AI systems flagged her as a threat to others. She struggles to make her way in the retention center, facing discipline for arbitrary and shifting rules and physical danger while having her rights, masked as privileges, stripped.

This future isn't far away and is already here in many ways.

The Bridge to Never Land - Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson

A fifth book in the "Peter and the Starcatchers" series which follows Sarah, Aiden, and JD about 100 years after the original four books were set. Again, lots of rising action spread into 40 or so chapters before the characters really start to make progress.

The main characters ask questions through the whole book without really finding answers. The antagonist feels flat and just kind of "there" for the suspense. No one really develops and again, like the last previous two books, this was a chore to get through.