Best Reads 2022 at BCIT Library: Technology & Engineering

"Ball takes a deep dive into the metaverse, mentions how proto-metaverses, such as Fortnite and Roblox, already exist and explores some of the technology that will power the metaverse, also called the “next internet.” Ball’s book clarifies the widely misunderstood concept, its potential value and how it will radically reshape society." From Revolutionized

"What if somebody knew everything about you? Somebody does. That somebody is "Big Tech." Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft know more about you than you do. And they make billions of dollars by cashing in on your private data. Our personal data, which Big Tech companies get for free, is the engine that drives the unregulated, free-for-all world called the digital marketplace. These corporate giants may bring us information and entertainment, convenience and connection, but they also do a lot of harm. So, what can we do about it? This eye-opening book provides vital information that has been out of reach to those who need it most-the millions of Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft users who have come to love and depend upon these digital products. Veteran consumer advocate Jane Hoffman makes the complex world of Big Tech simple to grasp as she reveals exactly how Big Tech uses-and abuses-your personal information. And she proposes a bold blueprint for reforming these corporate behemoths. Your Data, Their Billions is a guidebook to everything at stake in our digital society, from Big Tech's overreach into our daily lives to its practices that threaten our democracy." Publisher

"If you've ever made a secure purchase with your credit card over the Internet, then you have seen cryptography, or "crypto", in action. From Stephen Levy—the author who made "hackers" a household word—comes this account of a revolution that is already affecting every citizen in the twenty-first century. Crypto tells the inside story of how a group of "crypto rebels"—nerds and visionaries turned freedom fighters—teamed up with corporate interests to beat Big Brother and ensure our privacy on the Internet. Levy's history of one of the most controversial and important topics of the digital age sounds like the best futuristic fiction." Publisher

"The wheel was invented some 5,000 years ago, and the modern suitcase in the mid-nineteenth century, but it wasn't until the 1970s that someone successfully married the two. What was the hold up? For writer and journalist Katrine Marçal, the answer is both shocking and simple: because "real men" carried their bags, no matter how heavy. There were rolling suitcases before the '70s, but they were marketed as a niche product for (the presumably few) women travelling alone, and the wheeled suitcase wasn't "invented" until it was no longer threatening to masculinity. Mother of Invention draws on this example and many others, from electric cars to tech billionaires, to show how gender bias stifles the economy and holds us back. Our traditional notions about men and women have delayed innovations, sometimes by hundreds of years, and have distorted our understanding of our history. While we talk about the Iron Age and the Bronze Age, we might as well talk about the Ceramic Age or the Flax Age, since these technologies were just as important. But inventions associated with women are not considered to be technology in the same way. Marçal takes us on a tour of the global economy, arguing that gendered assumptions dictate which businesses get funding, how we value work, and how we trace human progress."-- Publisher

"Amazon is notoriously difficult to report on and its founder Jeff Bezos is a man of mystery. Brad Stone’s Amazon Unbound is delightful because it’s jammed packed with new information about the company and the man behind it. The book reveals just how instrumental Bezos was in developing Alexa, uncovers how his saucy text messages with a romantic partner leaked, tells us more about his involvement with the Washington Post, and has plenty more. This is Stone’s second book about Amazon, following The Everything Store, making him the company’s foremost chronicler. The only thing missing is participation from Bezos himself." From Big Technology website

"Tony Fadell has spent the last three decades making things and founding companies that have profoundly changed millions of lives. After leading the team that created the iPod and iPhone, products that saved a struggling Apple, Tony founded Nest Labs and revolutionized household electronics." From the publisher

"Making Videogames is an extraordinary snapshot of modern interactive entertainment, with insight from pioneers about the most important games in the industry. Illustrated with some of the most arresting in-game images ever seen in print, this book explores the unique alchemy of a technical and artistic endeavor striking a captivating balance between insider insight and accessibility.

Across twelve chapters, each focusing on a specific game from AAA blockbusters such as Control and Half-Life: Alyx to cult breakthrough games including No Man’s Sky and Return of the Obra Dinn, this volume documents the incredible craft of videogame worldbuilding. These chapters present masterful visual storytelling via the world’s most popular, but seldom fully understood, entertainment medium.

Demonstrating the magic and method behind each studio’s work, the book includes enlightening text by Alex Wiltshire complementing specially created imagery “photographed” in-engine by screen capture artist Duncan Harris. A book for die-hard videogame fanatics, aspiring designer-creatives, video game developers, and the visually curious alike, Making Videogames will showcase the boundless creativity of this thrilling industry." Publisher

"We have seen through many examples that data science and artificial intelligence can reinforce structural inequalities like sexism and racism. Data is power, and that power is distributed unequally. This book offers a vision for a feminist data science that can challenge power and work towards justice. This book takes a stand against a world that benefits some (including the authors, two white women) at the expense of others. It seeks to provide concrete steps for data scientists seeking to learn how feminism can help them work towards justice, and for feminists seeking to learn how their own work can carry over to the growing field of data science. It is addressed to professionals in all fields where data-driven decisions are being made, as well as to communities that want to better understand the data that surrounds them. It is written for everyone who seeks to better understand the charts and statistics that they encounter in their day-to-day lives, and for everyone who seeks to better communicate the significance of such charts and statistics to others. This is an example-driven book written with a broad audience of scholars, students, and practitioners in mind. It offers a way of thinking about data, both their uses and their limits, that is informed by direct experience, by a commitment to action, and by the ideas associated with intersectional feminist thought"-- Publisher.

"Practical, proven strategies for transforming your company from a digital dabbler into a full-fledged digital business Several years ago, digital disruption inspired business leaders to rethink and redesign their business model for the digital age. Next, they shifted toward the organizational and cultural aspects of digital transformation. And there they stalled. In fact, up to 90 percent of companies undergoing some form of digital transformation are failing to meet their original objectives. Written by a team of global digital transformation thought leaders, Hacking Digital walks you through the implementation phase by providing the practical advice and information you need to ensure overall success. Equipping you to successfully navigate your business through the entire transformation process, the authors organize Hacking Digital into five thematic sections: Creating a solid foundation for digital transformation Dealing with organizational dynamics and culture Meeting the external challenges you'll inevitably face Generating revenue though digital products and services and business model renewal Building the skills and capabilities required to be an effective leader in a digital environment Sustaining transformation momentum How do you set up digital governance? How do you create successful digital offerings? How do you manage the relationship between digital transformation and IT? Hacking Digital answers these and all the other questions you need to transform your company and seize the competitive edge for years to come"-- Publisher