With the year winding down, it’s the perfect moment to step back from the daily grind and feed your curiosity. While we want to take a moment to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, we also want to share what has inspired us most this year.
From the human stories behind the AI revolution to the new frontiers of space, we’ve curated a list of our favourite books, podcasts, and documentaries. We hope these picks bring you inspiration, reflection, and a little extra joy during the holidays!
Books
(Image Credits: Amazon.com)
1. The Thinking Machine by Stephen Witt
We have been seeing a lot of Jensen Huang lately and thought we already knew him and Nvidia well. After reading this book, it becomes clear how much more there is to learn, along with insights we did not expect.
Through this book, we experience Jensen’s journey and the making of Nvidia firsthand. It is a story of relentless hard work and creative problem solving, filled with setbacks, shifts, and constant adaptation while grappling with physics, people, and endless challenges. We often hear that Jensen Huang is a visionary, but the book shows that his vision comes not only from intelligence, but from deep study, tedious work, continuous thinking, and a willingness to challenge both others and himself.
What stayed with us most, beyond all the technical achievements and business decisions, is Jensen’s optimism and resilience. Shaped by his upbringing and early experiences, from the tough years at Oneida Baptist Institute in Kentucky to long hours cleaning toilets and washing dishes at Denny’s, these qualities remind us that Nvidia’s success is not just about talent or timing, but a mindset built through perseverance, humility, and an unwavering willingness to endure and grow.
2. Genius Makers by Cade Metz
AI is developing at an extraordinary pace, the speed and scale of innovation we’re seeing today are truly unprecedented. But how did it all begin? Who were the pioneers, and what were they working on? Which companies were there from the very start?
Through reading this book, we hope you’ll not only find answers to these questions, but also gain insights that help you better understand today’s AI landscape, and perhaps even glimpse where the future might be headed. In every sense, this is a fabulous read, combining both breadth and depth. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
3. Breaking Through: My Life in Science by Katalin Karikó
Katalin Karikó is the 2023 Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology or Medicine, awarded alongside Drew Weissman for their groundbreaking discoveries in nucleoside base modifications. This work proved crucial to the development of effective mRNA vaccines, including those for COVID-19.
This book is Karikó’s memoir, written before the Nobel Prize and before global recognition arrived. For much of her career, she was largely unknown outside her field. Even among those who knew her, she was often seen as someone who did not quite fit in. She was viewed as too direct, too stubborn, and unlikely to succeed. She endured countless setbacks, rejections, ridicule, and unfair treatment. What makes her story so extraordinary and deeply moving is her insatiable curiosity, her dedication to truth, her purity of purpose, her impeccable work ethic, and her remarkable resilience. Again and again, she learned to block out the noise and carry on.
Through this book, we come to know Katalin’s journey. More importantly, we come to appreciate one of the most humble and beautiful minds in science, steadily chasing truth and solutions despite overwhelming resistance. It is a life worth admiring, and a way of living worth returning to again and again.
4. The World I See by Fei-fei Li
This book is a memoir by the “godmother” of AI, Fei-Fei Li. While we often see her quoted in the news or referenced in articles, this book offers a rare opportunity to experience her journey from her own perspective. She is not only one of the most renowned researchers and entrepreneurs in the field of AI, but also a woman, a Chinese immigrant, a daughter, and a mother, identities that make her path both unique and deeply human.
Through her story, we see how she tries, adapts, struggles at times, pushes forward, finds joy, and continues pushing through. The book also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how research in AI actually happens, and how much patience, effort, and collaboration are required before meaningful breakthroughs emerge.
Perhaps most comforting is the reminder that many pioneers in this field are not driven by technology alone. They collaborate not only on the work itself, but also around a shared sense of responsibility and care for humanity, continually reminding one another, and the broader field, of what matters most as AI continues to advance.
5. When the Heavens Went on Sale by Ashlee Vance
This book offers a vivid, behind the scenes look at how space is shifting from government control to a private, entrepreneurial frontier. Instead of focusing only on well known figures like Musk and Bezos, Vance follows four ambitious companies, Astra, Firefly, Planet Labs, and Rocket Lab, and the people working to make space faster, cheaper, and more accessible.
From the launch of SpaceX’s first rocket, which proved space could be opened to business, to the chaotic realities of launch failures, funding battles, and human ambition, the book brings the new space race to life and explores both the triumphs and struggles of its pioneers. Vance’s immersive reporting offers a deeper understanding of how the space economy is being built and why it matters for our future.
Although written more than two years ago, the stories feel especially meaningful today. Some companies have since found success, while others have struggled, but looking back at these beginnings reminds us that a group of seemingly crazy humans, working together, could achieve far more than anyone could have imagined.
Podcasts
(Image Credits: Spotify)
1. All-in Podcast
Probably one of the most famous podcasts in Silicon Valley and among founders and investors, the All-In Podcast is hosted by four Silicon Valley venture capitalists and entrepreneurs: Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, and David Friedberg that blends sharp takes on startups, AI, markets, and geopolitics with candid debate and strong opinions.
2. Acquired Podcast
Hosted by Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, Acquired tells the epic stories behind the world’s most influential companies. Each episode unpacks the pivotal moments, bold bets, near misses, and turning points that shaped their journeys. With deep research and a clear narrative arc, the podcast brings strategy and technology to life and shows how patience, persistence, and conviction turn ambitious ideas into enduring businesses.
Some great episodes: Nvidia I, II, III; Rolex; Google: The AI Company
3. Core Memory Podcast
Hosted by Ashlee Vance, Core Memory explores the people and ideas shaping frontier technologies, from AI to space to robotics. It combines thoughtful interviews with a global perspective on innovation.
4. BG2 Podcast
Hosted by Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley, BG2 is a candid, high-signal conversation on technology, startups, public markets, and long-term innovation. Drawing on decades of experience as leading investors and board members of iconic tech companies, the hosts break down major platform shifts like AI, discuss where value is being created, and challenge conventional thinking.
5. Lex Friedman Podcast
Hosted by Lex Fridman, this podcast is known for its long-form, thoughtful conversations with some of the most influential minds in AI, science, robotics, philosophy, and technology. What makes it stand out is its depth and patience. Lex creates space for ideas to unfold slowly, allowing guests to reflect not only on what they’re building, but why they’re building it. The result is a podcast that explores the frontiers of human knowledge with humility, curiosity, and a genuine sense of wonder about the future.
Some great episodes: Episode #482: Pavel Durov; Episode #299 & #475: Demis Hassabis
Documentaries
(Image Credits: IMDB.com)
1. Wild Wild Space
Wild Wild Space is a fast paced documentary film that dives into the chaotic, ambitious early days of the modern commercial space race. The film is based on When the Heavens Went on Sale, bringing Ashlee Vance’s reporting vividly to life on screen.
Following a new generation of founders and engineers determined to make space cheaper, faster, and more accessible, the film captures what it really takes to build space startups under extreme uncertainty. Centered around companies like Planet Labs and Rocket Lab, it shows how success is never guaranteed and failure is often very public.
Beyond rockets and satellites, Wild Wild Space is ultimately a story about belief and resilience. It reminds us that bold ideas, pursued by small teams with relentless conviction, can challenge long held assumptions and help redefine humanity’s relationship with space.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q50dAiKB4lI
2. The Thinking Game by Google Deepmind
The Thinking Game offers an intimate look inside DeepMind, focusing on founders Demis Hassabis and Shane Legg and their long term mission to understand intelligence and use it to advance science.
While the AlphaGo victory marks a pivotal moment, the true highlight of the film is AlphaFold, DeepMind’s breakthrough in protein structure prediction. The documentary shows how AI moved beyond games and into real world scientific discovery, accelerating biology research in ways once thought impossible.
More than a story about AI milestones, The Thinking Game is a reflection on vision, patience, and belief, showing how a small group of researchers, guided by ambitious founders, helped redefine what artificial intelligence could achieve for humanity.
Google DeepMind uploaded the full film to YouTube on November 26, 2025, and in just one month it has already reached 158.8 million views. We haven’t seen many science or technology documentaries gain this level of attention in such a short time. What’s especially striking is how positive the response has been, with viewers expressing respect, appreciation, and gratitude for those pushing the frontiers of knowledge and using technology to genuinely benefit humanity.
Link to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d95J8yzvjbQ
