What to Read This Weekend

I am sending this out a day early as I have a new mystery book I want to finish this weekend, uninterrupted. Priorities, people!

Also, I have decided that this weekend’s reading list has to be decidedly less technology. I mean, we get enough of it already. There is a lot of great non-tech writing these days, and it is worth highlighting. Plus you can get your heart’s fill of “AI” writing from me.

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What to Read This Weekend

Corruption, Crime & Cricket Canada | CBC / The Fifth Estate

A months-long Fifth Estate investigation has found that a violent criminal group have been threatening cricket players in British Columbia to influence team selection all the way up to the national squad. This is scary and sobering. Great investigation, regardless whether you love, understand or care about cricket.

3D-Printed Homes, an Abandoned $590,000 Deposit, the FBI | ProPublica

Two men promised a $1.1 million 3D printer could fix Cairo, Illinois’ housing crisis. A year later, FBI has launched an investigation into Prestige Project Management. Heartbreaking and infuriating in equal parts. This is why I support ProPublica.

The Mansion, the Heiress, the Jewel Heist, and Me: A Bel-Air Fairytale | Vanity Fair

Jewels worth millions today were scooped up in twin burglaries in Los Angeles in 1961. The writer’s grandfather turns out to have planned the whole thing. Part family mystery, part true crime. Beautiful writing.

The Rise of Anywhere and Everywhere Radio | Huck

From a London rickshaw to a shipping container in Ukraine, independent radio stations are redefining what a studio looks and feels like. Huck talks to the founders of DIY stations who are building something intimate and defiant at the exact moment the big broadcasters are surrendering to algorithms and automation.

Independent Bookstores Are an Act of Cultural Resistance | Los Angeles Times

As a follow up to the story about independent radio stations, here is a great short piece about the come back of the independent book store. It is a good reminder that just when so much of our cultural infrastructure is being algorithmically flattened, independents are keeping culture alive. Try and shop for a book at independent. Amazon’s convenience isn’t worth it.

Menace on the Streets | Maclean’s

E-scooters and their burlier brethren, e-bikes, have zoomed onto streets faster than the law can keep up. This story is about Canadian streets, but these machines are a nightmare everywhere. Especially in places (like San Francisco) where idiots ride these on sidewalks, despite having bike lanes. Good reporting by Caitlin Walsh Miller.

How NASA Built Artemis II’s Fault-Tolerant Computer | Communications of the ACM

Okay, I know I said less technology. But this one is really engineering. There is a difference. Artemis II was supported by what NASA describes as one of the most fault-tolerant computer systems ever built for spaceflight. Required reading, considering we have forgotten what is engineering these days anyway.

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ICYMI

Newbird.AI! Or Loony.AI | Om.co

Allbirds, the failed maker of wool sneakers announced a pivot to AI compute infrastructure, renaming itself NewBird AI. Every speculative era gets the suffix it deserves. Once a turd, always a turd.

Eat Your Words | Om.co

You cannot tell people your product is an existential threat and then ask them to calm down. Words have consequences. That remains true in Silicon Valley, no matter how many times the lesson is forgotten.

Human Error Is OK, Machine Madness Is a No-No. Why? | Om.co

My essay on why we extend grace to human failure but demand perfection from machines. The gap between those two standards is where a lot of the AI anxiety actually lives.

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A Prayer & Wishes for Ron

Wishes for Ron Conway | Om.co

Ron Conway, the longtime Silicon Valley investor and founder of SV Angel, announced that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He is being treated at UCSF in San Francisco and is optimistic. Ron is one of the great human beings of this valley. Join me in wishing him the best and speedy recovery.

April 18, 2026. San Francisco