Ep. 328 - Restarting the Local Maximum: Book Strategies for 2025

Ep. 328 - Restarting the Local Maximum: Book Strategies for 2025

Author: Expand Your Perspective September 1, 2025 Duration: 58:29

Returning after a Hiatus

* Today is just going to be a hangout with me and Aaron if you’re into that.. And later, we’ll return to more specific topics

* Give a little personal history & history of the show

Full Move to NYC

Teaching

* Less time

Hopscotch Labs

* Working on that

* Beebot - coming SOON!!

* Internship Program

Hope for The Local Maximum

Reading Habits and Strategies (for the busy)

* Is it still worth reading books in the AI era?

* What do I do if I get stuck on a book?

* How do I know I’m stuck?

* Can you read 2 books at once?

* How do I deal with these enormous tomes in my bookshelf

* What about textbooks?

* Local Maximum examples

* AJ Jacobs - easy to read! I didn’t think I’d be interested in the topic

* Jeffrey Tucker - fun to read!

* Sweet spot: 100-200 pages with SHORT CHAPTERS

* Books with 50-page chapters - WHY

* Topics: Current affairs vs History, philosophy, self-help, fiction?

* Examples

* Revisiting The Singularity is Nearer (Ep. 323 - The Technological Singularity Part I & Ep. 324 - The Technological Singularity Part II)

* Tracking tools

https://app.thestorygraph.com/

* (pause feature and journal feature)

* Take notes during or after; don’t wait!

Upcoming Topics for The Local Maximum

* Pull up the sheet

* Will we have a schedule? I plan on doing this differently



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit localmaximum.substack.com

The Local Maximum with Max Sklar is a conversation grounded in curiosity, hosted by Max Sklar. This podcast operates on the idea that our understanding of the world, particularly in fast-moving fields like artificial intelligence and technology, is often limited by our immediate surroundings and assumptions. Each episode is an attempt to push past those boundaries, to find a higher point of view from which to see the landscape of progress and its intricate effects on society. You'll hear thoughtful dialogues with researchers, builders, and thinkers who are shaping our digital and physical realities. The discussions are technical enough to be substantive yet remain accessible, focusing on the human stories and ethical questions woven into the code and the algorithms. It’s a space for nuanced exploration, where ideas are examined from multiple angles without the pressure of immediate hot takes. The aim is to provide listeners with a deeper, more contextual framework for understanding the tools and systems that are redefining our lives. For those who want to look beyond the headlines and engage with the substantive debates at the intersection of technology and human experience, this podcast offers a consistent and thoughtful destination. Further exploration and show notes for each conversation are available through the associated website and Substack page.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Local Maximum with Max Sklar
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