Two Perspectives: The AI Con & AI for Life

THE AI CON by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna offers a unique perspective on “How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want.” In fact, Kirkus describes this book as “a refreshingly contrarian take on AI” and includes it in a list of “5 Essential New Books That Challenge Big Tech” (Careless People, on my TBR pile, is also included). Bender is a Linguistics professor at the University of Washington and Hanna, a former member of the ethical AI team at Google, is now Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR); both have been critical about promises made and potential societal impact of AI. They have crafted this book with the following goal: “preventing harm from AI hype. [They believe] When people can spot AI hype, they make better decisions about how and when to use automation, and they are in a better position to advocate for policies to constrain the use of automation by others.” Bender and Hanna raise issues such as surveillance (including facial recognition often coupled with biased algorithms) or devaluing creativity, and they point to the importance of more discussion and evaluation. They focus on the application of automation in the areas of decision-making, classification, recommendation, transcription/translation, and text/image generation. Bender and Hanna provide an entire chapter containing questions which “we can each ask, whenever we are in a position to make decisions about automation or influence others who are doing so.” Prompting more thoughtful consideration, they certainly ignited my desire to investigate further with sources such as The Conversation, Journalist’s Resource, CNET’s ai atlas, and think tanks like Brookings Institution or reports from CQ Researcher (citing AI Now Institute, Center for Democracy & Technology, MIT, Pew Research Center, and The Stanford Institute for Human Centered AI, as just a few examples).  As an aide to critical thinking and accountability, roughly a third of their text is devoted to notes and an index. Interested readers may also want to explore their podcast: Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000.

In contrast, AI FOR LIFE by Celia Quillian offers “100+ Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence to Make Your Life Easier, More Productive…and More Fun!” PC Magazine recently interviewed the author and begins by quoting her: “Approach AI with curiosity, not fear.” Quillan, who has been featured as a commentator on AI by several business publications, begins by discussing “getting started with generative AI” and then offers numerous helpful suggestions (e.g., “explain it to me like I’m 12” or “ask me 10 questions to better guide your response”) in a chapter titled “Prompting 101.” From there, she delves into using AI and devotes a chapter to each of the following areas: Home Life; Food, Health, and Wellness; Career Development; Personal Finance; Personal Growth and Learning; Relationships; Travel; and Fun and Entertainment. Using travel as an example, readers will find a series of helpful suggestions for personalizing destination ideas (e.g., What is the best time of year to travel? What are some must-do activities? What is the estimated cost per person?), planning road trips, and exploring local cuisine. This should help users new to AI because her prompts are often quite instructive and specific, like this one: “Could you identify 10 upcoming events or performances in and around Philadelphia's music, arts, or nightlights scenes in May 2025? Make note of the date they are happening and provide a brief description of the event.” Packing tips, local etiquette, and translation are other topics she explores in that travel chapter. My teaching experience has reinforced the view that people learn best when they are pursuing a task relevant to them – Quillian highlights numerous ways to experiment with AI in a personally meaningful way. Although her text is not up-to-the minute (e.g., no reference to Deepseek), she does provide information on several models and AI FOR LIFE should propel readers to a better understanding of the benefits and limitations of AI.

This important topic was just addressed in an Atlantic article, “What Happens When People Don’t Understand How AI Works?” by Tyler Austin Harper. Coming full circle, he references Bender and Hanna, expresses concern about the industry’s “tradition of anthropomorphizing,” and argues that large language models “do not think and feel but instead mimic and mirror.” And laments further about “minimizing attention spans, literacy, and social cohesion.” Much to reflect upon and consider. 

Hello, Cruel World! by Melinda Wenner Moyer

HELLO, CRUEL WORLD! by Melinda Wenner Moyer offers “Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times.” In ten chapters Wenner Moyer, a contributing editor at Scientific American and a regular contributor to The New York Times, looks at Coping, Connecting, and Cultivating, all presented in a conversational, non-judgmental and helpful way. Adam Grant writes, “[Moyer’s] book is packed with evidence-based, nonobvious practical advice for nurturing resilience, kindness, critical thinking, and well-being.” I certainly saw the critical thinking aspect in the entire chapter devoted to Information Literacy which is full of ideas (including discussion prompts), plus some organizations (Thinking is Power, Reboot Foundation, etc.) that I did not know as well as skills (e.g., lateral reading) school librarians have been talking about for years. Other chapters cover self-compassion, resilience, self-control, relaxing, empathy, friendships, curiosity/inclusion, plus financial and information literacy and managing social media. HELLO, CRUEL WORLD! is a text which parents – and educators – should consult and discuss. At the end of each chapter there is a summary of key points, and the author also includes 300+ citations in a separate section. As Wenner Moyer says, much of her writing is about “being intentional about our choices and the kinds of conversations we have with our kids. … I implore you to take the advice that feels like it will be a good fit and leave the rest.”  

Lessons from My Teachers by Sarah Ruhl

LESSONS FROM MY TEACHERS by Sarah Ruhl contains numerous essays which provide a memoir of sorts covering the period “From Preschool to the Present.” Ruhl, a prolific, talented writer and playwright, has been honored as a MacArthur genius, as a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and with nominations for Tony Awards. Here, she reflects on the importance of teachers, citing those who impacted her, but also on the “teachable moments” that exist in all our lives. For example, Ruhl describes a conversation with theater students who stressed that “theater class was when they could feel and practice presence, that elixir of life; That well of possibility.” Ruhl goes on to comment on the use of phones, saying, “the more technological tools we have, the more presence seems just out of reach.” This insightful collection will prompt much discussion, especially amongst educators & those who value learning and the arts.  

A Dangerous Idea by Debbie Levy

A DANGEROUS IDEA by Debbie Levy is subtitled “The Scopes Trial, The Original Fight over Science in Schools” and has been mentioned on this blog previously. It covers a very relevant topic, not only due to the centenary nature of the events it describes, but also because of the contemporary debates related to science (e.g., vaccine efficacy) and book banning. Levy, a best-selling writer of books for young people, vividly transports readers to the 1920s through her words and visuals like images of the high school textbook, Civic Biology, that helped spark the lawsuit from ACLU. She begins by describing how local leaders in Dayton, Ohio encouraged the trial so as to promote visits and spur the local economy. Of course, she also focuses on the backgrounds of the two prominent lawyers, William Jennings Bryan (multiple times Presidential candidate) and Clarence Darrow, and on the trial, its media coverage, and the religious fervor – once again, so many parallels to today. Levy spoke about the book with School Library Journal, saying “What made this book fun to write—and I hope will make it fun to read and maybe to teach, or at least to talk about—is it’s full of surprises.” One I spotted: the court case began with a prayer at the invitation of the presiding judge. A DANGEROUS IDEA received multiple starred reviews, including ones from Booklist, Horn Book, School Library Journal and Shelf Awareness. The text is extensively researched - Levy includes a helpful timeline, source notes, and selected bibliography; together they comprise roughly twenty percent of the text. Interested readers (especially middle and high school students) may also want to read a fictionalized account related to the Scopes Trial featured in Monkey Town (2006) from Ronald Kidd. Some adult titles include the play (later a movie) Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and recent non-fiction Keeping the Faith by Brenda Wineapple.  

The Disengaged Teen by Anderson and Winthrop

THE DISENGAGED TEEN is a newly released work by Jenny Anderson, an award-winning journalist who reports on the science of learning, and Rebecca Winthrop, the director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Their book is directed to both parents and educators and is subtitled “Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better.” We all know that especially since COVID students have had a more difficult time re-acclimating to a school setting and staying motivated and engaged. The authors also observed this situation in their own families and conducted extensive research – both qualitative and quantitative - prior to writing this text. Part I describes the four patterns of behavior they found: Passenger (tending to coast along); Achiever (focusing on grades and other external rewards, perfectionist); Resister (refusing to do participate); and Explorer (following interests and building necessary skills). Anderson and Winthrop caution against applying these labels to individual students, arguing instead that the behaviors are fluid. Part II of the book is an “engagement toolkit” with stories, exercises, and ideas so that adults can help to spark student learning and to make the distance between school and life be seen as less of a “chasm.” The authors point out that “resilient learners are not strong; they are flexible.” Anderson and Winthrop recently contributed a guest essay to The New York Times where they note: “Many recent graduates aren’t able to set targets, take initiative, figure things out and deal with setbacks — because in school and at home they were too rarely afforded any agency.” I also attended a recent one hour Family Action Network session where Charles Duhigg (Supercommunicators) posed some excellent questions while interviewing these authors about THE DISENGAGED TEEN. Due to the emotions involved, this may be a difficult book for parents to digest, but it is likely to be thought-provoking and worthwhile. 

Meet the Dyslexia Club! by Margaret Rooke

MEET THE DYSLEXIA CLUB! by Margaret Rooke (Dyslexia is My SuperPower) features stories from children talking about their feelings and experiences with dyslexia as well as their special talents. Some examples include Jessica who plays football/soccer or Ajay who loves to bake cakes. These stories often touch on relationships at school and learning accommodations; each ends with a thought about how grown-ups can help (e.g., letting us do more of what we like best at school) and what the child does best (e.g., coding and solving puzzles). This would be an inspiring and very comforting book for elementary school students and even their parents and teachers. In addition to the stories, Rooke provides suggestions on where to go for help, and she also has checklists filled with many ideas for ways that grown-ups can help at home or at school. She defines several terms and provides links (many UK-based) to relevant websites (all new readers will enjoy Reading Rockets) and related books, including (for adults) The Dyslexia Advantage. Tim Stringer has provided colorful, cheerful illustrations which add to the charm of this text. MEET THE DYSLEXIA CLUB! Is a small book – only about 80 pages – but it is packed with useful information.

Erasing History by Jason Stanley

ERASING HISTORY by Jason Stanley is subtitled “How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future” and we have certainly heard the term fascist quite frequently in this election cycle. According to the publisher, Stanley, the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University, “exposes the true danger of the authoritarian right’s attacks on education, identifies their key tactics and funders, and traces their intellectual roots.” Stanley points to the importance of multiple perspectives and says that “erasing history helps authoritarians because doing so allows them to represent it as a single story, a single perspective.” He is apparently not the only one to feel this way; one of the most chilling quotes is from Vladimir Putin: “Wars are won by teachers.” Stanley writes movingly and convincingly:

“Today we are unquestionably returning to something like the era of the Red Scare. Right-wing activists and politicians are targeting educators at all levels for their supposedly leftist ideologies, with the goal of suppressing any teaching that challenges racial hierarchy or patriarchy.”  And

“By removing the history of uprisings against the current status quo from the curriculum (or never allowing that history to be taught in the first place), authoritarians leave students with the impression that the status quo has never been -- and cannot be -- challenged.”

Student researchers will find much to ponder here, particularly about how education, knowledge, and critical thinking skills provide the foundation for democracy, agency, and self-rule. Unlike those who blame the “enemy within,” Stanley stresses the importance of educators and investigative journalists. Those concerned with the future of democracy will find this text to be very informative. Approximately fifteen percent of ERASING HISTORY is devoted to notes and an index.