Josh Waitzkin is an American chess prodigy, international martial arts champion, and author. He was the basis for the book and film “Searching for Bobby Fischer”, which portrayed his childhood rise to the top of the competitive chess world. Waitzkin has since become a successful author, public speaker, and entrepreneur.
Waitzkin was born in New York City and began playing chess at the age of six. He quickly rose to prominence, becoming the youngest U.S. Chess Federation master in history at the age of nine. He went on to become the National Chess Champion three years in a row, and at the age of twelve he achieved the rank of International Master.
In addition to his success in the competitive chess world, Waitzkin also trained and competed in martial arts. After becoming the National Tai Chi Push Hands Champion and the National Tai Chi Chuan Champion, he went on to win the World Championship of Tai Chi Push Hands in 1997.
Waitzkin retired from competitive chess at the age of sixteen to pursue other interests. He attended Columbia University, where he majored in English and studied philosophy and psychology. After college, Waitzkin immersed himself in the world of poker. He became a professional poker player and won the 2006 World Series of Poker.&nbsp;
In addition to his professional successes, Waitzkin is an accomplished author. He wrote the book “The Art of Learning”, which explores his journey to mastery in both chess and martial arts. He also wrote “The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence” and “The Art of Learning Journal”. Waitzkin has been featured in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.&nbsp;
Today, Waitzkin is a sought-after public speaker and consultant, as well as a business coach. He has spoken at a variety of conferences and events, including TEDx and the World Economic Forum. In addition to his public speaking engagements, Waitzkin is the co-founder of the Waitzkin Institute, which provides consulting and coaching services to individuals and organizations. He also serves as the chairman of the board of directors for the International Chess Federation.&nbsp;
Josh Waitzkin is an inspirational figure who has achieved success in multiple fields. His dedication to excellence, combined with his ability to adapt to new challenges, has enabled him to achieve a level of success rarely seen in any single field.

Josh

Theodor Holm Nelson (born 1937) is an American sociologist, philosopher, and pioneer of information technology. He coined the term "hypertext" in 1963 and published it in 1965. He also is credited with the first use of the words hypermedia, transclusion, virtuality, intertwingularity, and teledildonics. The main thrust of his work has been to make computers easily accessible to ordinary people. His motto is:
A user interface should be so simple that a beginner in an emergency can understand it within ten seconds. Ted Nelson promotes four maxims: "most people are fools, most authority is malignant, God does not exist, and everything is wrong." (See chapter II, 3rd paragraph, 3rd and 4th sentence in: "The Curse of Xanadu.")
After taking a computer course at Harvard in 1960, Ted Nelson began a mystical journey. He started exploring the possibility of liberating text from paper, of developing a means whereby writers could harness text in a manner closer to human cognitive patterns: i.e., the way words flowed through our minds. In 1965 Nelson coined the term hypertext. Ultimately, in his brilliant 1974 book, Computer Lib/Dream Machines, he laid down the foundation for a communications theory transcending text. Hypertext became hypermedia. Imagery and sound played roles equal to text. Nelson realized that personal computers with multimedia capabilities must burst the boundaries of artistically rendering internal reflection.
Nelson co-founded Itty bitty machine company, or "IBM," which was a small computer retail store operating from 1977 to 1980 in Evanston, Illinois. The Itty bitty machine company was one of the few retail stores to sell the original Apple I computer. In 1978 he significantly impacted IBM's thinking when he outlined his vision of the potential of personal computing to the team that launched the IBM PC three years later.
Ted Nelson is currently working on a new information structure, ZigZag, described on the Xanadu project website and hosts two versions of the Xanadu code. He is also currently developing XanaduSpace - a system for the exploration of connected parallel documents (an early version of this software may be freely downloaded from. He is a visiting fellow at Oxford University - based at the Oxford Internet Institute - where he works in the fields of information, computers, and human-machine interfaces.

Adam Grant is an American psychologist and author widely known for his work on the science of giving, creativity, and organizational psychology. He is the top-rated professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a former professor at the University of Michigan. His first book, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success, was a New York Times bestseller.
Grant is a leading authority on the science of giving, creativity, and organizational psychology. He has written or co-written six books, including Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World and Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy. He has also written for The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Harvard Business Review, and other publications.
Grant's research focuses on how giving, taking, and exchanging advice affects an individual’s success. He has studied how to maximize the benefits of giving, how to encourage more successful collaborations, and how to foster an environment of innovation and creativity. He has also explored how to assess and develop leadership potential within organizations and how to build workplace cultures where employees are empowered to do their best work.
Grant has received numerous awards and honors, including being named one of the world's 40 most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50 in 2015, one of the world's 50 most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50 in 2018, and one of the world's most influential management gurus by The Observer in 2018. He is a recipient of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Mentoring and was named the Most Influential Thinker of the Decade by Poets &amp; Quants in 2020.
In addition to his academic and writing career, Grant is a frequent speaker for organizations, universities, and conferences around the world. He has presented to audiences of thousands at TEDx events, and he has been featured on television and radio programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 Minutes, and NPR’s Fresh Air. He has also served as a visiting professor at Stanford, Cornell, and INSEAD, and he is currently a visiting professor at the London School of Economics.

Adam

Antonio García Martínez is an entrepreneur, investor, writer, and tech industry veteran. He has had a long and varied career, beginning in the early days of the dot-com boom and continuing today. Early in his career, Antonio worked in a variety of roles at companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs.
At Apple, Antonio held a variety of positions, including working on the retail side of the business, developing software, and helping to launch the Apple Store. At Microsoft, Antonio was involved in the development of a number of products, including Windows 95 and Windows 98. After leaving Microsoft, Antonio founded Adify, a venture-backed ad network that WPP eventually acquired.
More recently, Antonio has become an investor, author, and thought leader in the technology and venture capital industries. He has invested in a variety of startups, including Twitter, Uber, and Stripe. He is also the author of the book Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley, which chronicles his experiences in the tech industry.
In addition to his work as an investor and author, Antonio is a sought-after speaker and thought leader. He has appeared on the TED stage, as well as at conferences including SXSW, DLD, and TechCrunch Disrupt. Antonio is often called upon to provide his expertise and insight into the tech industry, as well as his views on the current state of venture capital and startups.
Overall, Antonio García Martínez is an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, author, and thought leader. His wealth of experience and knowledge from working in and around the tech industry, combined with his excellent communication skills, make him a highly sought-after individual in the industry.

Antonio García

Mindy Kaling is an American actress, comedian, and writer best known for her work on the hit NBC sitcom “The Office” and the Fox comedy “The Mindy Project.” Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1979, Kaling was raised in a close-knit family of Indian immigrants. She attended Dartmouth College, where she studied playwriting and acting and graduated in 2001.
Kaling’s career began in the comedy world, writing for shows such as “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Simpsons.” She eventually joined the writing staff of “The Office” and became a co-executive producer during its final season. She also starred as the character Kelly Kapoor, a position and character she was praised for pioneering as a South Asian actress.
In 2012, Kaling created and starred in the Fox comedy series “The Mindy Project.” As the show’s star and executive producer, Kaling was praised for her work in creating a series that featured a strong female lead, a rarity in the television industry. The series ran for six seasons, with Kaling earning multiple awards and nominations for her writing and acting.
Kaling’s success has extended beyond television, as she has written and starred in two feature films, “The Night Before” and “Late Night.” She also wrote and starred in the Netflix series “Never Have I Ever” and wrote the best-selling memoir “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?”
In recent years, Kaling has become a voice for female empowerment and racial representation in Hollywood. She has spoken out about the need for more diverse representation in the entertainment industry and works to ensure her own projects reflect these values. Kaling is a role model for women around the world and proves that hard work and dedication can lead to success.

Mindy

Lena Dunham is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is known as the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series Girls (2012–2017), for which she received several Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe Awards. Dunham also directed several episodes of Girls and became the first woman to win the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series.&nbsp;
Prior to Girls, Dunham wrote, directed, and starred in the semi-autobiographical independent film Tiny Furniture (2010), for which she won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. Her second feature film, Sharp Stick, written and directed by Dunham, was released in 2022. Her third film, Catherine Called Birdy, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2022.&nbsp;
It was released in a limited release on September 23, 2022, by Amazon Studios, prior to streaming on Prime Video on October 7, 2022. In 2013, Dunham was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. In 2014, Dunham released her first book, Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned."&nbsp;
In 2015, along with Girls showrunner Jenni Konner, Dunham created the publication Lenny Letter, a feminist online newsletter. The publication ran for three years before folding in late 2018. Dunham briefly appeared in films such as Supporting Characters and This Is 40 (both 2012) and Happy Christmas (2014).&nbsp;
She voiced Mary in the 2016 film My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. On television, aside from Girls, she has played guest roles in Scandal and The Simpsons (both 2015). In 2017, she portrayed Valerie Solanas in American Horror Story: Cult. Dunham's work, as well as her outspoken presence on social media and in interviews, have attracted significant controversy, praise, criticism, and media scrutiny throughout her career.

Lena

Tim Ferriss is an American author, entrepreneur, and public speaker. He is best known for his bestselling book, The 4-Hour Workweek, and for his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. Ferriss has been featured in the Time 100 Most Influential People list and has been recognized as one of Fast Company's "Most Innovative Business People."
Ferriss was born in East Hampton, New York, in 1977. He attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and graduated from Princeton University with a degree in East Asian Studies in 2000. After college, he worked in sales and marketing for a data storage company before starting his own business, BrainQUICKEN, which he eventually sold.
In 2007, Ferriss wrote The 4-Hour Workweek, which became an international bestseller. The book proposed a new way of working that focused on efficiency and productivity and encouraged readers to pursue their dreams and passions. The book was credited with launching the "lifestyle design" movement and has been translated into 35 languages.
In 2010, Ferriss launched his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which is now one of the most popular podcasts in the world. He interviews high-profile guests from various fields, including business, sports, and entertainment. Ferriss has also written several other books, including The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans, and Tribe of Mentors.
Ferriss has been an active investor, advisor, and board member for a number of companies, including Uber, Evernote, Shopify, and Duolingo. He is a founding member of the Silicon Valley investment firm K9 Ventures and is also a venture partner at the venture capital firm Collaborative Fund.
Ferriss is active in the philanthropic community and has been involved with a number of charities, including DonorsChoose.org, The International Rescue Committee, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. He is also a member of the Clinton Global Initiative.

Arianna Huffington is a Greek-American author, syndicated columnist, and businesswoman. She was born Arianna Stassinopoulos on July 15, 1950, in Athens, Greece. She moved to the United Kingdom with her family when she was 16 and later studied economics at Girton College, Cambridge.
After graduating, Huffington began her career as a writer and commentator and was a prominent conservative commentator in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s. She later moved to the United States, where she continued her career as a political commentator and became a naturalized citizen in 1990.
In 2005, Huffington co-founded The Huffington Post, a news and opinion website, with Kenneth Lerer and Jonah Peretti. AOL acquired the site in 2011 for $315 million. She served as the site's editor-in-chief from 2005 to 2016.
Huffington is also a prolific author and has written several books, including "The Sleep Revolution," "Thrive," and "The Fourth Instinct: The Call of the Soul." She is also a public speaker and has delivered speeches on various topics, including well-being, media, and politics.
In 2016, Huffington resigned as editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post to focus on her health and wellness startup, Thrive Global, which focuses on reducing workplace stress and burnout. She is still the CEO of Thrive Global.
AOL acquired the Huffington Post in 2011 for $315 million. In 2016, she stepped down as editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post to focus on her new startup, Thrive Global, which aims to end the "epidemic of stress and burnout" by offering corporate wellness programs and products. Huffington is also an author, having written 14 books, including the best-seller "Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder."

Arianna

Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a Lebanese-American essayist, scholar, statistician, and former trader and risk analyst whose work focuses on problems of randomness, probability, and uncertainty. He is the author of several books, including "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable," which was published in 2007 and became a bestseller.
Taleb is a former trader and risk analyst and has worked as a professor of risk engineering at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering. He has a background in mathematics, statistics, and computer science and has published numerous papers in academic journals on topics related to randomness and uncertainty.
Taleb's main area of research is the study of "black swans," which he defines as rare events that have a large impact and are typically not predictable. He argues that traditional risk assessment methods, such as using historical data to predict future events, are inadequate because they fail to consider the possibility of black swan events.
Taleb is also known for his criticism of the concept of "normalcy" in statistics and his skepticism of the use of mathematical models in finance and economics. He has argued that the assumptions made in these models are often unrealistic and can lead to dangerous oversimplifications.
In addition to his work in academia, Taleb is also a public intellectual and has written several books for a general audience. His books have been widely discussed and debated in the media and have been translated into multiple languages.
Taleb is a strong advocate for antifragility, a concept he has developed and popularized in his books. Antifragility is the property of a system or entity that improves when subjected to volatility, shocks, stressors, or disorder and doesn't just remain indifferent to them.
Taleb's writing style is often characterized as provocative and contrarian, and he is known for his strong opinions on a wide range of topics. His work has been influential in the fields of economics, finance, and risk management and has also been discussed in the broader cultural and intellectual conversation.

Nassim Nicholas

Nir Eyal is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lecturer on the topics of consumer psychology and behavior design. He is well-known for his book Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, which focuses on understanding how technology companies create products that users become addicted to.
Eyal has a background in business and psychology, having received his MBA from Stanford University and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He has worked in the tech industry for over a decade and has held executive positions at several companies, including Yahoo and Time Warner.
Eyal has also founded two tech companies, AdNectar and Insightera, and is an investor in several startups. He has been an advisor or board member for numerous companies, including Eventbrite, Product Hunt, and BloomThat.
In addition to his business career, Eyal has written several books, including Hooked, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, and The Business of Habit: Designing Products and Services That Create Loyalty. He also writes a popular blog and hosts a podcast called The Nir and Far Show.
Eyal is a sought-after speaker, presenting to audiences all over the world. He has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes and has been a guest on many podcasts, including The Tim Ferriss Show and The Joe Rogan Experience.
If you are interested in gaining a better understanding of how to design products and services that capture and keep users’ attention, Nir Eyal is an excellent resource. His books, blog, podcast, and talks offer valuable insights into the world of consumer psychology and behavior design.

David Sinclair is a world-renowned scientist and professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School. He is an authority in the field of aging, and his research focuses on understanding why we age and how to slow it down. He is the co-founder and co-chief editor of the journal Aging Cell, as well as a co-founder and co-director of the Sinclair Lab at Harvard Medical School.&nbsp;
Dr. Sinclair has made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of aging and longevity. He discovered a gene that controls the aging process and is currently researching ways to use this gene to extend the life and slow down the effects of aging. He has also identified a compound that could potentially reverse aging in mice and has been researching ways to develop a drug that could do the same for humans. His research has been featured in numerous publications, including the New York Times and The Atlantic.&nbsp;
In addition to his research, Dr. Sinclair is an advocate of healthy aging. He is the author of two books, Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To and The Genetics of Health: Understand Your DNA to Transform Your Life, which provides insights into the science of aging and how to live a longer, healthier life. He is also the co-founder of the Institute for Aging Research and Education, which is dedicated to advancing the science of aging and promoting healthy aging.
Dr. Sinclair is a highly respected scientist and professor, and his work has been recognized with numerous awards and honors. He was named one of the world’s most influential people by Time Magazine in 2019 and is a recipient of the prestigious Albert Einstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Life Sciences. He has also been honored with the Breakthrough Prize in Aging Research and the American Society for Cell Biology’s worldwide recognition award for his research on aging.

David

Peter Thiel is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and philanthropist from the United States. He is best known as the co-founder and former CEO of PayPal, an online payment system that eBay acquired in 2002 for $1.5 billion. Thiel is also known for his early investments in companies such as Facebook and SpaceX and for his controversial political views.
Thiel was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1967 and moved to the United States with his family at the age of one. He grew up in Foster City, California, and attended Stanford University, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy and a law degree.
After completing his education, Thiel worked as a securities lawyer and later as a derivatives trader. In 1998, he co-founded PayPal with a group of fellow entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk and Max Levchin. The company quickly gained popularity and was acquired by eBay just four years later. Thiel's share of the sale earned him over $60 million.
Following the sale of PayPal, Thiel became a venture capitalist and angel investor. He founded Thiel Capital, which invested in a wide range of startups, including LinkedIn, Yelp, and SpaceX. He was also an early investor in Facebook, purchasing a 10% stake in the company for $500,000 in 2004. This investment would eventually be worth billions of dollars.
In addition to his business activities, Thiel is also known for his political views. He is a libertarian and has been a vocal supporter of the Republican Party. Thiel has also been a vocal critic of higher education, arguing that college degrees are overvalued and that the student loan system is in need of reform.
In recent years, Thiel has focused on philanthropy and has donated millions of dollars to various causes, including education, healthcare, and technology. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Methuselah Foundation, which is working to extend the human lifespan and combat age-related diseases.
In conclusion, Peter Thiel is a successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist known for his early investments in companies such as PayPal, Facebook, and SpaceX and for his controversial political views. He is also a philanthropist and has donated millions of dollars to various causes.

Peter

Paul Graham is an entrepreneur, programmer, and essayist. He is the co-founder of Y Combinator, a startup accelerator that has funded over 2,000 companies including Dropbox, Airbnb, and Reddit. His career has been focused on technology and startups. He began his career as a programmer and software developer, working on various projects and startups. In 1995, he co-founded Viaweb, one of the first web-based companies that allowed users to create their own online stores. The company was later sold to Yahoo in 1998 for $49 million.
After the sale of Viaweb, Graham turned his attention to startup investing and mentoring. In 2005, he co-founded Y Combinator, a startup accelerator that provides funding, resources, and mentorship to early-stage startups. Y Combinator has since funded over 2,000 companies, many of which have gone on to become successful and valuable companies, such as Dropbox, Airbnb, and Reddit.
Paul Graham has several notable achievements in his career, including:
<ul>
<li>Co-founding Viaweb: Viaweb was one of the first web-based companies that allowed users to create their own online stores. The company was later sold to Yahoo in 1998 for $49 million.</li>
<li>Fellowship at Harvard's Society of Fellows: Graham is a Fellow at Harvard's Society of Fellows, a prestigious group of scholars who receive funding and support to pursue their research.</li>
<li>Helping launch successful startups: Graham has helped launch many successful startups through Y Combinator and has mentored many entrepreneurs. Some of the successful companies that came out of Y Combinator include Dropbox, Airbnb, and Reddit.</li>
</ul>
In addition to his work with Y Combinator, Graham is also known for his essays on technology and startups. He has written extensively on the startup ecosystem, the role of technology in society, and the future of the internet. His essays have been collected in two books, "Hackers &amp; Painters" and "Ansi Common Lisp." He continues to share his thoughts and insights on his website, paulgraham.com.

Paul

Seth Godin is an American entrepreneur, author, speaker, and thought leader. He is best known for his work in marketing, and he has written 18 international bestsellers, including Tribes, Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, and The Dip. He is the founder of several companies, and he currently serves as the founder and CEO of The Domino Project and Squidoo.
Godin has been a leader in the marketing industry for more than 20 years, and he has become one of the most influential and respected voices in the industry. His books have been translated into 35 languages, and his blog is one of the most popular in the world. He has also been featured in many prestigious publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and Fast Company.
Godin is a strong advocate for the use of digital marketing, and he has been instrumental in the development of many innovative marketing strategies. He is a proponent of permission marketing, which involves building relationships with customers instead of using intrusive advertising. He also believes in the importance of giving away content for free as part of a customer acquisition strategy. Additionally, Godin is a strong believer in the power of storytelling to engage and inspire customers.
Godin is also a sought-after speaker, and he has given keynote addresses and lectures around the world. He is a frequent guest on radio and television programs, and he has been a keynote speaker at conferences such as TED, South by Southwest, and PopTech. He also regularly speaks at universities and colleges, and he has been a visiting professor at several universities.
In addition to his work in marketing, Godin is an active philanthropist and a proponent of social change. He is a vocal advocate for education reform, and he has worked with several organizations to improve access to education in underserved communities. He is also a strong supporter of animal rights and environmental protection.
Godin's work has been recognized with several awards, including the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award and the Marketing Hall of Fame Award from the American Marketing Association. His books have also been selected as “Best Books of the Year” by the New York Times and BusinessWeek.

Seth

Bestselling author Stephen Manes has written more than thirty books and hundreds of articles in a long career of making arcane worlds accessible to the uninitiated. Four years in the making, his new book, "Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear: Inside the Land of Ballet," was born of his desire to discover how ballet really happens. Now the book has arrived--with an unprecedented amount of inside information about the world he calls the Land of Ballet, from intense rehearsals and lighting sessions to closed-door casting conferences and business meetings.&nbsp;
The book has already earned acclaim from around the globe. In the United States, BalletScoop and ExploreDance called it a "must-read," and Ballet-Dance Magazine deemed it "not to be missed." In Great Britain, a former dancer writing for Balletco found it "engrossing" and "unparalleled." In Australia, Dance lines said "'Snowflakes' reveals all. I can't imagine any other company allowing a writer the same access . . . " James Fayette, a former Principal Dancer with the New York City Ballet, calls the book "a truly in-depth exploration that should be recommended to anyone who craves insight into the very private world of professional ballet and the dancer subculture."
Manes co-wrote the bestselling and much-acclaimed biography "Gates: How Microsoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry--and Made Himself the Richest Man in America." He wrote long-running columns on personal technology for The New York Times, Forbes, PC World, PC Magazine, and many other publications. He was a creator and co-host of the weekly public television series "Digital Duo."&nbsp;
Manes is also the author of dozens of books for children and young adults. His "Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days!" won kid-voted awards in five states and is a curriculum staple in American and French schools. The sequel, "Make Four Million Dollars by Next Thursday!" quickly became a Publishers Weekly bestseller. His books have been adapted for stage and television productions.
Manes has a degree in cinema from the University of Southern California. His writing credits for the screen include programs for ABC Television and KCET/Los Angeles, as well as the 'seventies classic movie "Mother, Jugs &amp; Speed." A native of Pittsburgh, he lives in Seattle.

Stephen

Ashlee Vance is an award-winning feature writer for Bloomberg Businessweek magazine. Vance is also the host of the "Hello World" TV show. Previously, he worked for The New York Times and The Register.&nbsp;
Vance was born in South Africa, grew up in Texas, and attended Pomona College. He has spent more than a decade covering the technology industry from San Francisco and is a noted Silicon Valley historian.

Ashlee

Ellen

As a San Francisco software engineer, Amy Ullman has written herself into the digital universe. Immersed in the abstract world of information, algorithms, and networks, she would like to give in to the seductions of the programmers' world, where weird logic dreamers like herself live close to the machine.&nbsp;
Still, she is keenly aware that body and soul are not mechanical: desire, love, and the need to communicate face-to-face don't easily fit into lines of code or clicks in a Web browser. As Ullman sees it, the cool world of cyberculture is neither the death of civilization nor its salvation. It is a vulnerable—and profoundly human—creation.

Diana Kimball Berlin is a product designer and coach based in San Francisco. She works at Quip as a product manager and runs a podcast called Should We. Diana was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Soon after, her family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Berlin claims that books were her first love. When she was eleven months old, her mom wrote to a friend: “Her favorite activity with a parent is reading books (of course, there is a strong possibility we conditioned her to do this).”
Diana Berlin found it tough to break into technology with her degree in history. Before even talking to me, most companies wanted to see a computer science degree. Despite this, Microsoft was willing to hire liberal arts grads into program management roles and set them up for success. Diana spent a summer in Seattle and then a few years in Silicon Valley as a program manager for Office Graphics and then PowerPoint.
After Microsoft, Diana spent two years at Harvard Business School. She then joined Kickstarter in the summer. From there, she moved to Berlin to join SoundCloud as a generalist at a high-growth startup. She worked with my managers to continuously revisit my responsibilities and point them toward impact and learning.
Diana Berlin moved into a product role at SoundCloud, and eventually realized that she was ready to return to the U.S. Soon, she found Quip :  a startup led by product thinkers she admired, seizing the opportunity to redefine productivity. Diana jumped at the chance to shape a product still in its early days and joined the team in January 2016. Seven months later, in August 2016, Salesforce acquired Quip, creating the opportunity to see an acquisition up close. Over the next four years, Diana grew with the team—ultimately leading a group of product managers, user researchers, and data scientists as VP Product. In 2021, Berlin joined Matrix Partners as an early-stage investor

Diana

Margaret Atwood

Bill Gates

Sheryl Sandberg

Tim Berners-Lee

Marissa Mayer

In 'Close to the Machine', Ellen Ullman explores the deep connection between technology and human life. She shows how technology is not just a tool, but a part of our lives that shapes our experiences, relationships, and even our identities. It's a fascinating look into how we interact with technology on a daily basis.

The Intersection of Technology and Humanity

Ullman digs into the ethical challenges that come with software development. She shares her experiences of dealing with moral dilemmas, such as privacy issues and the potential misuse of technology. It's a great reminder that technology is not just about coding, but also about making ethical decisions.

The Ethical Dilemmas in Software Development

As a female programmer in a male-dominated field, Ullman shares her unique experiences and challenges. She breaks down stereotypes and encourages more women to enter the tech industry. If you're a woman interested in tech, you'll find her story inspiring.

The Life of a Female Programmer

Ullman takes us on a journey through the evolution of technology, from the early days of programming to the rise of the internet. It's a great way to see how far we've come and where we might be heading. If you're curious about the history of technology, this is a must-read.

The Evolution of Technology

In 'Close to the Machine', Ullman shows that programming is not just about writing code. It's about solving problems, making decisions, and dealing with people. She brings a human touch to a field often seen as cold and impersonal. If you're a programmer or aspiring to be one, you'll find her insights valuable.

The Human Side of Programming

Close to the Machine

Ellen Ullman is an American computer programmer and author. She has written books, articles, and essays that analyze the human side of the world of computer programming. She has owned a consulting firm and worked as a technology commentator for NPR's All Things Considered. Her breakthrough book was non-fiction: Close to the Machine: Technophilia and its Discontents.
Ullman's adoptive father's family included computer scientists and mathematicians who had a major impact on her decision to pursue software engineering, a field for which she did "not have native talent." Ullman earned a B.A. in English at Cornell University in the early 1970s. She began working professionally in 1978 as a programmer of electronic data interchange applications and graphical user interfaces.
She eventually began writing about her experiences as a programmer. From 1994 until 1996, she published articles in Harper's Magazine and Resisting the Virtual Life and Wired Women collections. She lives in San Francisco.

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