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  • Christopher Baiocchi

Leaders are Readers: The Chaos Machine

Leaders are readers - and from time to time I'll share thoughts on books that I have finished or (in this case) have just started. Topics include leadership, nonprofits, social issues, or whatever catches my eye!

My reading list of late has been pretty genre-heavy. Re-read Night Shift by Stephen King. Knocked out both Wanderers and Wayward by Chuck Wendig. Re-read Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut. Barely made it through The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy (RIP).


I decided to get back to my nonfiction list - and a book recommended to me by my friend (and all-around polymath) Kevin Staniec. The book is The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World by Max Fisher.


I'm about 1/3 of the way done with this one - and it's one of the scariest books I've read in a while. Fisher examines how social media algorithms - driven by AI and capitalism in equal measure - are designed to promote and accelerate extremist thoughts, misinformation, and the worst elements of tribalism.


It's chilling to read, but it does explain an lot about the past few years - and how what started as "here's a picture of my cat" seems to have devolved into a showcase of cruelty, racism, and misogyny.


Eager to finish this one ... while I don't think there will be a happy ending to the story, I hope there's a bit of optimism.


Have you read this one? What did you think?


Read more about the book here.


You can follow me on GoodReads to see my reading list.


Want to talk about more than just books?


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