The Intelligence Explosion: When AI Beats Humans at Everything

Barrat, James. The Intelligence Explosion: When AI Beats Humans at Everything. 2025. 336p. ISBN 9781250355027.

With the rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence, there has been a significant rise in both widespread enthusiasm and deep-seated fears about these new technologies. In this era of unprecedented change, it's more important than ever for humans to understand the full range of AI's impacts, both positive and negative. The Intelligence Explosion aims to give readers the tools to navigate this complex landscape. It dives into the challenges of generative AI, revealing how tech companies have built systems that are often prone to errors and are impossible for even their creators to fully understand.

Through insightful interviews with AI pioneers, The Intelligence Explosion highlights the unstable path of AI development and the stark contrast between its potential for modest benefits and its capacity for catastrophic consequences. This is an essential guide for anyone trying to make sense of the current technological revolution. Combining real-world examples with sharp critique offers a bold and eye-opening look at the realities of AI's evolution, helping readers grapple with its profound implications.

Holding: A Memoir About Mothers, Drugs, and Other Comforts

Frisbie Brogan, Karleigh. Holding: A Memoir About Mothers, Drugs, and Other Comforts. 2025. 304p. ISBN 9781586424121.

Always seeking her mother's love and never finding it, Karleigh felt that something was missing. One of six children in a reconstituted family, Karleigh attempts to escape her familial bonds through unsafe activities, culminating in becoming a junkie. Desperate for attention and care and resenting herself for it, Karleigh still finds herself drawn back to her mother. Holding is Karleigh's memoir that explores her painful journey through heroin addiction and the complex mother-daughter relationships that shaped her life. It offers a raw and honest look at her experiences, including the two years she spent living with her boyfriend's parents, Wayne and Glorianne, while hiding her addiction. During this time, Karleigh formed a deep but troubled bond with Glorianne, who became a surrogate mother figure. Simultaneously, Glorianne, an adoptee, was on her own quest to find her birth mother, creating a shared sense of longing and connection between the two women.

Ultimately, Karleigh's story is a powerful account of her struggle to break free from the cycle of addiction and deceit. It chronicles her path to sobriety, her efforts to mend the broken trust with her own mother, and her search for self-acceptance. The memoir is a deeply personal and universal story, offering insights into the complexities of family, addiction, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Not the Worst Friend in the World

Reillihan, Anne. Not the Worst Friend in the World. 2024. 272p. ISBN 9780823454792.

It's the thirty-fourth day of sixth grade, and Lou (only her grandmother calls her Louise) is desperate to rewind time. She deeply regrets the terrible things she said to her best friend, Francie, on the ninth day of school, and wishes she could go back to a time when their friendship was still intact. Lou's guilt and longing for redemption are suddenly interrupted when a new girl, Cece Clark-Duncan, passes her a mysterious note. The note claims that Cece has been kidnapped, and Lou sees this as an opportunity to prove she's not a bad friend by helping the new girl.

As Lou digs into the strange situation, she quickly realizes that Cece's family life is more complicated than a simple kidnapping. Lou becomes increasingly anxious, facing a moral dilemma: how can she help Cece without causing more harm? How can she be a better friend than she was to Francie? The situation forces Lou to confront the possibility that her attempt to be a good friend to Cece could result in her losing yet another friend in the process.

A light and fast read involving a mystery, investigations, and relationships, Not the Worst Friend in the World delivers realistic characters who are growing up and learning that the world can feel very lonely if you don't have friends. The theme of evolving friendship is explored and reaches a satisfactory solution. Fans of sleuthing adventures will appreciate this book.

The Forest of a Thousand Eyes

Hardinge, Francis. The Forest of a Thousand Eyes. 2024. 128p. ISBN 9781529090802.

The human community living on and within a deteriorating Wall faces a constant threat from a relentless, advancing Forest. Eleven-year-old Feather, accompanied by her scaled ferret, Sleek, must accomplish a crucial mission: she must navigate the dangers of the encroaching Forest and its creatures to return a precious spyglass to its proper location after she removed it and unwittingly gave it away to a thief. Her journey is a perilous one, as she must evade the Forest's grasping "tentacles" and the mysterious beasts that lurk within its depths.

As Feather makes her way, she not only develops her own resilience but also encounters a variety of people living in different parts of the Wall, and she realizes there is life outside the Wall, and other human settlements exist. Humans may be able to combine their resources together to better survive the threats of the forest beyond the wall.

Their unique stories and experiences begin to change her perspective. Through these interactions, she starts to open her own mind, and by extension, the minds of her community, to new possibilities and horizons that exist beyond the limited world they have always known.

Vampire Knight, Vol. 1

Matsuri, Hino. Vampire Knight, Vol. 1. 2007. 192p. ISBN 9781421508221. Available in the graphic novels sections of the Library.

Ten years ago, Yuki Cross was saved from a vampire attack, but the trauma left her with no memory of her life before that moment. Adopted by the headmaster of Cross Academy, she now serves as one of the school's Guardians, working alongside her troubled companion, Zero. Cross Academy operates under a unique and secretive system, educating two distinct groups of students: the Day Class and the Night Class.

The school's delicate balance is most apparent at twilight, when the Day Class returns to their dorms and crosses paths with the Night Class on their way to school. Yuki Cross and her partner, Zero Kiryu, are tasked with maintaining order and silence during this transition, serving as the school's Guardians. Their primary and most critical duty is to shield the human students of the Day Class from the Academy's dangerous, dark secret: the entire Night Class is composed of vampires! Yuki must protect the humans while navigating her own complicated relationship with the secretive, beautiful students of the Night Class and uncovering the truth of her lost past ...

Manga readers will enjoy classic tropes such as the love triangle, secret societies, and the forbidden romance between humans and supernatural beings. Its appeal lies in its dark, romantic atmosphere, the intense mystery surrounding the protagonist's lost memory, and the constant tension between the dangerous Night Class and the protected Day Class.

The story continues in Vampire Knight, Vol. 2.

This Is for Everyone: The Unfinished Story of the World Wide Web

Berners-Lee, Tim. This Is for Everyone: The Unfinished Story of the World Wide Web. 2025. 400p. ISBN 9780374612467.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee is often considered the most influential inventor of the modern world. He stands apart from his contemporaries like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs because he chose to give his groundbreaking creation, the World Wide Web, away for free. This decision fueled its global adoption, transforming humanity into the first fully digital species that uses the web for everything from work and connection to quarreling and dreaming. In This is for Everyone, Berners-Lee recounts the origins of this iconic invention, tracing his journey from a young engineer at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, where he conceived the astonishing idea of adding hyperlinks to the nascent Internet.

This is for Everyone not only tells the story of how the web launched an era of creativity and collaboration but also confronts the powerful, negative forces it unleashed, such as the imperilment of truth, threats to privacy, and the polarization of public discourse. Humor and candor to provide a gripping, insider's view of the digital world's rise. Furthermore, the book offers a vital guide for the future, presenting a crucial perspective on the risks and possibilities brought by artificial intelligence and showing how our digital lives can be reengineered for human flourishing rather than simply for profit or power.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in technology history and the origins of the Internet, offering a candid, first-hand account from the person who actually built the World Wide Web. Entrepreneurs and computer science students will find inspiration in his story of invention and his radical choice to forgo personal commercial gain for the greater good. Finally, readers who are concerned about digital ethics, privacy, and the impact of AI on society will appreciate Berners-Lee's vision for reforming the digital world.

DONE - Wankernomics: A Deep-Dive Into Workplace Bullsh*ttery

Schloeffel, James and Charles Firth. Wankernomics: A Deep-Dive Into Workplace Bullsh*ttery. 2025. 256p. ISBN 9781399828482.

Wankernomics is a satirical guide to surviving modern corporate culture, aimed at anyone who feels lost in a sea of business jargon. The book mocks the use of buzzwords like "synergies" and "end-to-end solutions," highlighting how these phrases often obscure rather than clarify meaning. It's for employees who find themselves questioning the purpose of endless meetings and the confusing, jargon-filled language used by their colleagues.

Wankernomics promises to equip readers with the tools they need to navigate this perplexing world. Through humor, it teaches how to master passive-aggressive emails, use catchphrases like "circle back" and "moving forward" effectively, and even leverage a ridiculous LinkedIn profile to get ahead. Designed for those who want to outwit their coworkers and succeed in an office environment without actually understanding the corporate lingo, Wankernomics delivers a not so subtle critique of our current work culture and its propensity to expand the amount of pointless tasks and meetings to justify its own existence. 

Exit Strategy

Wells, Martha. Exit Strategy. Book 4 of the Murderbot Diaries. 2018. 172p. ISBN 9781250191854.

Murderbot is a highly efficient security unit, or SecUnit, that was never programmed with the capacity for empathy or care. Despite this inherent lack of feeling, the SecUnit makes a crucial and deeply problematic decision to help the only human who ever treated it with respect, Dr. Mensah—a choice it suspects must be a significant "system glitch." After traversing the vast expanse of the galaxy to unearth the truth about both its own forgotten murderous history and the illegal activities of the monolithic GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is now heading back to its base of operations.

Murderbot's critical mission is to assist Dr. Mensah in submitting the damning evidence it collected, which is crucial to preventing the GrayCris Corporation from destroying additional colonial settlements in its relentless, profitable pursuit of resources. However, this high-stakes endeavor is fraught with peril as Dr. Mensah is kidnapped by GrayCris and finds herself trapped on a space station. Despite its misgivings, Murderbot decides to rescue the doctor, while knowing that being captured will mean death or, even worse, analysis in a lab to figure out how it escaped its original programming. With the stake this high, Murderbot is one mistake away from losing the independence it savors!

Readers who enjoy fast-paced, action-packed science fiction and space operas will find Exit Strategy highly entertaining. It is perfectly suited for those who appreciate a unique, snarky, and self-aware AI protagonist whose inner monologue drives the narrative. Fans of stories involving corporate espionage, battles against ruthless megacorporations, and themes of identity, humanity, and found family will be drawn to Murderbot’s reluctant and dangerous mission to do the right thing. The mix of thrilling adventure and deep internal character development offers a satisfying read!

Mystralhaven: The Mossbringer

Kaiser, Ron. Mystralhaven: The Mossbringer. 2025. 262p. ISBN 978-1515458333.

Baz has arrived, a figure prophesied for her immense power, far surpassing that of anyone around her. She has the potential to be a great leader, but with her mother's death, she is left without a guide to help her understand and control her growing abilities. The world around her is a dangerous place, with different factions vying to control her and her abilities. The monks want to use her for their own purposes, the Borderforges seek to enslave her, and the very people she could save fear her.

With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Baz must decide who to trust. She is drawn to Rendwyll, a being made more of sand than flesh, who offers to help her navigate her newfound powers. But can she truly trust someone so unusual to guide her? The answer to that question could determine the survival of everyone she meets, as she struggles to master her abilities before others can use them for their own ends.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 28

Kato, Kazue. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 28. 2022. 220p. ISBN 9781974740734. Available in the graphic novels section of the library. 

Following her withdrawal with the Gregorii in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 27, Shiemi faces her old enemy, Amaimon, the demon king of earth, who drastically underestimates the power she has recently gained. For Shiemi to fully embrace her destiny, she must recognize and utilize her own true strength in this battle. 

Meanwhile, back in the human world of Assiah, the fate of the entire world hangs in the balance as Satan and his demonic forces prepare for a massive showdown against Mephisto and the Knights of the True Cross. To prepare for this decisive conflict, the Exwires receive enchanted power-ups and finalize their battle strategy. Rin, who is committed to defeating Satan, is part of the vanguard team tasked with engaging the enemy directly. The time has finally arrived for Rin to fulfill his long-standing promise and use his unique powers to confront and overcome Satan, marking a critical turning point in the war between worlds ...

The story continues in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 29.

The Coming Storm: Power, Conflict, and Warnings from History

Westad, Odd Arne. The Coming Storm: Power, Conflict, and Warnings from History. 2026. 256p. ISBN 9781250410283.

For decades, the majority of the global population has lived within a remarkably stable and predictable international order presided over by one or two superpowers. However, that era of predictability is over. An increasing number of Great Powers—including the U.S., China, and Russia—jostle for regional supremacy and competitive advantages in AI, nuclear technology, space, and trade. The world has become dangerously fragile, and the outbreak of a global war among today’s powers is becoming increasingly likely. Such a conflict would reach a magnitude of devastation never before seen in human history.

To navigate this combustible new terrain, The Coming Storm examines "eerie parallels" of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This was a time defined by rising nationalism and populism, escalating tariffs, and a widespread feeling that globalization had failed. Much like today, the public discourse was dominated by anxieties over immigration and terrorism, with citizens often blaming foreign nations for domestic hardships. By analyzing these historical echoes, The Coming Storm provides a sobering look at how similar patterns led to catastrophe in the past and offers a vital framework for understanding the existential threats facing the modern world.

Fans of history will enjoy learning about the structural causes of global conflict. The Coming Storm offers a political philosophy that includes a deeply researched warning for policymakers and concerned citizens alike about the precarious state of peace in the twenty-first century.

DONE - What Is Free Speech?: The History of a Dangerous Idea

Dabhoiwala, Fara. What Is Free Speech?: The History of a Dangerous Idea. 2025. 480p. ISBN 9780241347478.

The meaning of "free speech" is a highly contested topic across the globe. While it is celebrated as a core value in Western nations, there is significant internal disagreement about its scope and limitations. In contrast, many other cultures, including those in China, India, and the Islamic world, often suppress unorthodox views on politics, religion, and sex. This global discord is complicated by evolving power imbalances, cultural taboos, rapid technological advancements, and a fast-changing media landscape, making the origin and purpose of free speech critical questions.

Modern ideas of free expression did not emerge as an absolute principle, but were invented in Britain around 1700. The history of this concept is a complex story shaped by the lives of countless individuals over 300 years, from slaves and imperialists to poets and revolutionaries, across Europe, North America, and South Asia. By examining this intricate history, What is Free Speech? leads to better understand our contemporary challenges and move beyond simple platitudes, allowing for a deeper consideration of free speech as a global issue and suggesting fresh possibilities for its future.

Catching Fire

Collins, Susan. Catching Fire. Book 2  of the Hunger Games series. 2009. 391p. ISBN 9780439023498. Available at FIC COL on the library shelves. 

After her improbable victory in the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen finds herself miraculously alive alongside her fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta Mellark. Though she has returned to her family and her friend, Gale, nothing feels right. Gale is emotionally distant, and Peeta has completely turned his back on her. Meanwhile, whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol have begun to circulate, and Katniss and Peeta are at the center of the rumors, having unwittingly sparked the unrest.

To her shock, Katniss realizes she has ignited a rebellion that she's unsure she can, or even should, stop. As the time for the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour approaches, the stakes become terrifyingly high. She and Peeta must convince the Capitol, without a doubt, that their love for each other is genuine, as the horrifying consequences for failing to do so are unimaginable.

The story concludes in Mockingjay. 

The Tribe

Rogers, Matt. The Tribe. Book 3 of the Black Force Shorts series. 2018. 140p. ISBN 9781980659112.

Former government agent Sam Rollins finds himself imprisoned on a snowy mountainside in the Peruvian Andes, facing a lifetime sentence. His incarceration stems from botching a critical mission concerning a secretive indigenous group while working for a black operations division of the U.S. military. Disavowed by his government, his life is deemed forfeit after this catastrophic failure, leaving him isolated and resigned to his fate in his cell.

Rollins' desolate existence is violently interrupted one freezing afternoon by a stranger who mercilessly defeats the guards to reach his cell. The intruder identifies himself as Jason King and delivers a sharp, imperative message: “My name is Jason King, and I’m here to get you out. You need to finish the job.” This forceful rescue yanks Rollins back into the deadly world of covert operations, compelling him to face the very mission failure that originally cost him his freedom.

This story is tailor-made for readers who love gritty, espionage-fueled action thrillers with a focus on dark government secrets and morally compromised protagonists. It will appeal strongly to fans of complex narratives involving "deniable assets," high-altitude adventure, and prison-break scenarios. Readers drawn to the raw, visceral intensity of the murky world of black ops will find the character of Sam Rollins—a betrayed operative forced back into service—immediately compelling. The promise of finishing a mysterious, dangerous job in the dramatic setting of the Andes ensures a fast-paced, suspenseful read.

Naruto, Vol. 35: The New Two

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 35: The New Two. 2011. 200p. ISBN 9781421520032. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Following their confrontation with Sasuke in Naruto, Vol. 34, Kakashi works with Naruto to intensify his training regimen. Meanwhile, the ominous Akatsuki organization methodically targets individuals who possess the power of the Tailed Beasts. The Akatsuki's relentless pursuit of these powerful entities casts a dark shadow over the ninja world, threatening the lives and stability of various nations.

As the Akatsuki close in their next target, Lady Tsunada wonders what is the Akatsuki's sinister agenda. The clash between Naruto's determined efforts to grow stronger and the Akatsuki's calculated and dangerous operations sets the stage for a potentially devastating confrontation, highlighting the ever-present threat posed by this shadowy group and the vulnerability of those who hold the Tailed Beasts within them.

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 36.

Just Go: Turning Fear into a Superpower

Sakakibara, Saya. Just Go: Turning Fear into a Superpower. 2026. 336p. ISBN 

In the high-stakes world of elite athletics, Saya Sakakibara was a rising star destined for BMX greatness until a single moment shattered her confidence. After watching her brother, Kai, suffer a life-altering brain injury during a qualifying event for the Tokyo Olympics, the track transformed from a place of joy into a landscape of trauma. Haunted by the memory of her brother’s crash and burdened by her own history of six concussions, Saya makes the difficult decision to step away from the sport that defined her life. The safety she seeks in retirement, however, is complicated by the deep-rooted passion that still lingers beneath her fear.

Supported by her resilient family, including a brother who refuses to let his injury end his own athletic dreams, Saya begins a grueling mental and physical journey to reclaim her identity. She must navigate the delicate balance between the terrifying risks of BMX racing and the undeniable pull of the finish line. As she prepares to face the very obstacles that nearly broke her family, the pressure of the international stage looms larger than ever. With the world watching, will she be able to conquer the psychological scars of her past, or will the memory of the crash cause her to falter at the gate when it matters most?

Fans of sports biographies and inspirational memoirs will appreciate this book for its raw look at the psychological toll of professional competition. The narrative offers immense value to high school students by exploring themes of grit, sibling loyalty, and the importance of mental health in achieving personal goals. It serves as a compelling case study on how to process trauma while pursuing excellence under extreme pressure.