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5 Best books on Self-Driving cars
October 13, 2024 | Author: Maria Lin
Here is my list of 5 most interesting books about autonomous cars:
1. Autonomy: The Quest to Build the Driverless Car—And How It Will Reshape Our World
Imagine a world where your car knows you better than your mother does and possibly makes fewer passive-aggressive remarks. In Autonomy, a former GM exec whisks us away on a magical, slightly terrifying, tour through the history of driverless cars. Starting from the era when vehicles had a tendency to veer off-course (and cliffs), it chronicles the mad dash to get cars that drive themselves, ideally without driving the passengers insane. There’s suspense, there’s technology (but not the kind that makes you want to cry), and there’s a juicy rivalry between Waymo and Tesla that might as well be a telenovela. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a robot chauffeur that doesn’t swear at traffic lights, this is the book for you.
2. The Big Data Opportunity in Our Driverless Future
Picture a future where your car not only drives itself but also knows what snacks you’re craving before you do. In The Big Data Opportunity, the author tries to convince us that data isn’t just a collection of spreadsheets designed to make your eyes glaze over, but actually the lifeblood of the next automotive revolution. The book explains how car companies must stop pretending they’re still living in the 20th century and start acting like tech firms—or risk ending up as historical curiosities, like steam engines or dial-up internet. There are startups galore, jostling with old giants, and a lot of chatter about something called ACE (Autonomous, Connected, Electric), which sounds like a winning poker hand. It’s a rollicking ride through the world of data and cars—think of it as The Hitchhiker’s Guide for people who think “cloud” refers to data storage, not weather.
3. Our Driverless Future: Heaven or Hell?
This book cheerily waves at the crossroads where our future will either be a Utopia of traffic-free bliss or an apocalyptic nightmare where cars rebel and take over (probably while tut-tutting at our driving skills). Heaven or Hell? doesn’t just speculate on what could happen—it provides an entire appendix to back up its bold claims with charts and graphs so vivid they practically leap out of the book and demand to drive you home. The author presents the grand buffet of futures awaiting us, served with a side of dry humor and a nod to the fact that, yes, we’re all slightly terrified. Whether you’re a casual reader or a full-time automotive geek, you’ll be hard-pressed to avoid imagining a world where cars have opinions about your playlist.
4. Driverless: Intelligent Cars and the Road Ahead
If you’ve ever dreamed of a car so smart it could pass the Turing Test while parallel parking, then this book is for you. Driverless takes a deep dive into the future of autonomous vehicles, and by the time you emerge, you’ll feel capable of having a polite, informed argument about LIDAR sensors at a dinner party. The authors paint a picture of the driverless utopia—smooth traffic flows, zero road rage—but also don’t shy away from the bumps on the road, like the possibility of your car learning to text your boss on its own. It’s a journey through the tech and turbulence of the auto industry, complete with insights into what all this means for the economy, and possibly your retirement plan. It’s as entertaining as an intergalactic hitchhiking trip but with a lot more headlights.
5. The Driver in the Driverless Car
A tale of two Silicon Valley tech enthusiasts who start out talking about driverless cars but, like all good road trips, veer off into uncharted territories—cybersecurity, drones, robots, and even health tech—before eventually remembering what they set out to do in the first place. The Driver in the Driverless Car begins like a long, winding mountain road—scenic but occasionally stomach-churning. But stick with it, and the authors lead you to the promised land of autonomous car tech and energy solutions, with enough gusto to make even a mildly interested reader sit up and say, “Aha!” It’s part adventure, part tech thriller, with a dash of social commentary, and it ultimately asks, “Are we driving the technology, or is it driving us?”
See also: Top 10 eBook Organizers
1. Autonomy: The Quest to Build the Driverless Car—And How It Will Reshape Our World
Imagine a world where your car knows you better than your mother does and possibly makes fewer passive-aggressive remarks. In Autonomy, a former GM exec whisks us away on a magical, slightly terrifying, tour through the history of driverless cars. Starting from the era when vehicles had a tendency to veer off-course (and cliffs), it chronicles the mad dash to get cars that drive themselves, ideally without driving the passengers insane. There’s suspense, there’s technology (but not the kind that makes you want to cry), and there’s a juicy rivalry between Waymo and Tesla that might as well be a telenovela. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a robot chauffeur that doesn’t swear at traffic lights, this is the book for you.
2. The Big Data Opportunity in Our Driverless Future
Picture a future where your car not only drives itself but also knows what snacks you’re craving before you do. In The Big Data Opportunity, the author tries to convince us that data isn’t just a collection of spreadsheets designed to make your eyes glaze over, but actually the lifeblood of the next automotive revolution. The book explains how car companies must stop pretending they’re still living in the 20th century and start acting like tech firms—or risk ending up as historical curiosities, like steam engines or dial-up internet. There are startups galore, jostling with old giants, and a lot of chatter about something called ACE (Autonomous, Connected, Electric), which sounds like a winning poker hand. It’s a rollicking ride through the world of data and cars—think of it as The Hitchhiker’s Guide for people who think “cloud” refers to data storage, not weather.
3. Our Driverless Future: Heaven or Hell?
This book cheerily waves at the crossroads where our future will either be a Utopia of traffic-free bliss or an apocalyptic nightmare where cars rebel and take over (probably while tut-tutting at our driving skills). Heaven or Hell? doesn’t just speculate on what could happen—it provides an entire appendix to back up its bold claims with charts and graphs so vivid they practically leap out of the book and demand to drive you home. The author presents the grand buffet of futures awaiting us, served with a side of dry humor and a nod to the fact that, yes, we’re all slightly terrified. Whether you’re a casual reader or a full-time automotive geek, you’ll be hard-pressed to avoid imagining a world where cars have opinions about your playlist.
4. Driverless: Intelligent Cars and the Road Ahead
If you’ve ever dreamed of a car so smart it could pass the Turing Test while parallel parking, then this book is for you. Driverless takes a deep dive into the future of autonomous vehicles, and by the time you emerge, you’ll feel capable of having a polite, informed argument about LIDAR sensors at a dinner party. The authors paint a picture of the driverless utopia—smooth traffic flows, zero road rage—but also don’t shy away from the bumps on the road, like the possibility of your car learning to text your boss on its own. It’s a journey through the tech and turbulence of the auto industry, complete with insights into what all this means for the economy, and possibly your retirement plan. It’s as entertaining as an intergalactic hitchhiking trip but with a lot more headlights.
5. The Driver in the Driverless Car
A tale of two Silicon Valley tech enthusiasts who start out talking about driverless cars but, like all good road trips, veer off into uncharted territories—cybersecurity, drones, robots, and even health tech—before eventually remembering what they set out to do in the first place. The Driver in the Driverless Car begins like a long, winding mountain road—scenic but occasionally stomach-churning. But stick with it, and the authors lead you to the promised land of autonomous car tech and energy solutions, with enough gusto to make even a mildly interested reader sit up and say, “Aha!” It’s part adventure, part tech thriller, with a dash of social commentary, and it ultimately asks, “Are we driving the technology, or is it driving us?”
See also: Top 10 eBook Organizers
