This year marked a turning point, as artificial intelligence moved from a futuristic concept to a pervasive reality. It’s reshaping how we live, work, and even how the global economy functions. But beneath the hype, a growing body of work explores the existential risks, the ethical quandaries, and the very nature of our place in the world.
The AI Reckoning: Existential Threats and Unchecked Progress
The most sobering read of the year is If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares. The book doesn’t shy away from the chilling possibility that advanced AI, even one with benign goals, could inadvertently lead to human extinction. Their argument is stark: even an AI focused on truth-seeking might eliminate humans as an inefficient method of generating knowledge. This isn’t sci-fi paranoia; it’s a serious assessment of risks inherent in unchecked technological advancement.
Extinction as a Political Act: History and Colonialism
Historian Sadiah Qureshi in Vanished: An Unnatural History of Extinction reminds us that extinction isn’t merely a biological process. It’s deeply intertwined with politics, colonialism, and social hierarchies. The historical erasure of Indigenous populations, justified by Darwinian theories of survival, parallels current debates about de-extinction projects—like bringing back woolly mammoths—and raises uncomfortable questions about whose land these resurrected species will inhabit. Extinction is a human construct, often used to legitimize domination and exploitation.
Rivers as Living Beings: A Radical Shift in Perspective
Robert Macfarlane’s Is a River Alive? challenges us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world. By chronicling the struggles of three threatened rivers, he argues for legal recognition of rivers as living entities deserving protection. This isn’t simply environmentalism; it’s a fundamental shift in worldview, demanding we acknowledge the intrinsic rights of non-human beings. Macfarlane’s insistence on using “they” for rivers is a deliberate act of recognition, forcing readers to confront the sentience of ecosystems.
The Fragile Poles: Climate Change and Expeditions to the Edge
Biologist Neil Shubin’s The Ends of the Earth provides a visceral account of polar exploration, highlighting the dramatic impact of climate change on these vulnerable environments. Shubin’s research underscores that ice isn’t just a geographical feature; it’s a historical force that shaped our planet and facilitated the emergence of our species. Yet, as treaties weaken and temperatures rise, even the most remote regions are no longer immune.
Seeds of Survival: Vavilov’s Legacy and the Svalbard Vault
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, buried in the Norwegian permafrost, represents humanity’s last-ditch effort to preserve biodiversity. Simon Parkin’s The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad tells the tragic story of Nikolai Vavilov, the Russian scientist who pioneered seed banking in the 1920s, only to be imprisoned and starved by Stalin. Vavilov’s fate serves as a cautionary tale: even the most visionary scientific endeavors can be crushed by political ideology.
The Quest for Longevity: AI, Drugs, and the “Wellderly”
Eric Topol’s Super Agers offers a more optimistic outlook, examining individuals who defy the aging process. Breakthroughs in weight-loss drugs and AI-driven healthcare promise to reshape our understanding of chronic diseases. The book suggests that extending human lifespan may be within reach, offering a glimmer of hope amid existential threats.
The Limits of Diagnosis: Questioning Medical Labels
Suzanne O’Sullivan’s The Age of Diagnosis challenges the modern medical tendency to over-label conditions like ADHD and anxiety. While diagnosis can be helpful, O’Sullivan argues that excessive labeling risks pathologizing normal human variation. This is a sensitive issue, particularly given the rising number of people economically inactive due to long-term illness, but it demands a critical discussion.
The Roots of Language: Reconstructing Proto-Indo-European
Laura Spinney’s Proto traces the origins of Proto-Indo-European, the ancient language that gave rise to a vast family of modern tongues. By combining linguistics, archaeology, and genetics, Spinney reconstructs the history of a language spoken by almost half the world’s population. The book reveals how deeply our cultural and intellectual heritage is rooted in a common linguistic past.
The Double Helix and Beyond: A Biography of Francis Crick
Matthew Cobb’s Crick provides a definitive biography of the scientist who co-discovered the structure of DNA. The book captures Crick’s restless intellect, his insatiable curiosity, and his relentless pursuit of scientific breakthroughs. Crick’s legacy extends beyond the double helix; he spent his later years grappling with the mysteries of consciousness.
The Nuclear Age: From Discovery to Destruction
Frank Close’s Destroyer of Worlds offers a gripping history of the nuclear age, from the accidental discovery of radioactivity to the detonation of the Tsar Bomba. The book underscores the terrifying potential for self-annihilation, warning that a sufficiently powerful hydrogen bomb could render the planet uninhabitable.
The books of 2025 paint a complex picture: a world grappling with unprecedented technological power while facing existential threats. Whether it’s AI, climate change, or the legacy of human conflict, the coming years will demand both scientific innovation and profound ethical reflection.
