Book Review: “Nexus” & “The Singularity is Nearer”

I want to capture the great conversation between these two books, so I’ll try something new. As I read / listened to these two amazing thinkers and futurists contemplate the state of our world, its past and future, I couldn’t help but see how they references one another’s thinking, and played with the ideas in opposition to one another.


Why Read These Two Books:  I can’t pretend to be able to summarize these tomes so here are the summaries of these books on Amazon.

Nexus summary on Amazon: Nexus looks through the long lens of human history to consider how the flow of information has shaped us and our world. Taking us from the Stone Age, through the canonization of the Bible, early modern witch hunts, Stalinism, Nazism, and the resurgence of populism today, Yuval Noah Harari asks us to consider the complex relationship between information and truth, bureaucracy and mythology, wisdom and power. He explores how different societies and political systems throughout history have wielded information to achieve their goals, for good and ill. And he addresses the urgent choices we face as non-human intelligence threatens our very existence. Information is not the raw material of truth, nor is it a mere weapon. Nexus explores the hopeful middle ground between these extremes, and in doing so, rediscovers our shared humanity.

The Singularity is Nearer summary on Amazon: In this entirely new book Ray Kurzweil brings a fresh perspective to advances toward the Singularity—assessing his 1999 prediction that AI will reach human level intelligence by 2029 and examining the exponential growth of technology—that, in the near future, will expand human intelligence a millionfold and change human life forever. Among the topics he discusses are rebuilding the world, atom by atom with devices like nanobots; radical life extension beyond the current age limit of 120; reinventing intelligence by connecting our brains to the cloud; how exponential technologies are propelling innovation forward in all industries and improving all aspects of our well-being such as declining poverty and violence; and the growth of renewable energy and 3-D printing. He also considers the potential perils of biotechnology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence, including such topics of current controversy as how AI will impact employment and the safety of autonomous cars, and “After Life” technology, which aims to virtually revive deceased individuals through a combination of their data and DNA. The culmination of six decades of research on artificial intelligence, The Singularity Is Nearer is Ray Kurzweil’s crowning contribution to the story of this science and the revolution that is to come.

Where it gets really interesting in how they play off of one another.


When read side-by-side, so to speak, these works create a compelling dialogue between the historical progression of information dissemination and the speculative future of human-AI integration. Harari’s exploration of past networks provides a foundation for understanding the potential that Kurzweil envisions. For educators, this interplay offers really interesting considerations:

Understanding the Evolution of Knowledge and Critical Thinking: Recognizing the historical context of information networks can inform how we integrate technology into educational frameworks. It can also prompt us to consider the role that knowledge and information play in seeking out the truth / wisdom that will allow us and students to thrive in the future.

Preparing for Change and the Need for Flexibility: Anticipating the rapid advancements in AI encourages proactive adaptation in teaching methodologies. Harari’s exploration of Homing Pigeons as a mode of information dissemination all the way to current-day technology gives us pause for how far we’ve come and the skills that we have acquired, and the skills that will be necessary in this increased pace of knowledge and communication acceleration.

Ethical Considerations: Both authors prompt reflection on the ethical implications of technological integration, a crucial discourse for shaping future curricula. Ethics has always been critical in communication – how we understand the truth, and how we communicate it, miscommunicate it, and dis-communicate it, intentionally and otherwise. How might we use these two books to help us navigate the ethical skills and practices for ourselves and our students?


Implications for Educators

Engaging with these texts invites us to reflect on our role as educators in a world where the past informs the future, and the future reshapes our understanding of the past. As we stand at the nexus of history and possibility, Harari and Kurzweil challenge us to navigate the complexities of technological integration with wisdom and foresight. Where we might get that from, who knows!?

I can highly recommend these two books, but also caution the reader – take your time with them. For me, it was reading one and listening to the other that allowed me to appreciate the conversation between the two.

Nexus and The Singularity Is Nearer support any educators striving to comprehend and contribute to the evolving narrative of technology in human development, and the role of education within. By exploring the conversation between these works, we are better equipped to guide our students through the growing tension, interplay and understanding of history and innovation.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *