I’m Officially an Author Now!

My book What You Need to Know About AI is available today. I hope you enjoy it!

A little over a year ago, I decided to write What You Need to Know About AI. And today, I’m proud to announce that it’s officially hit bookshelves (digital and physical).

If you haven’t already picked up a copy, they’re available on all major platforms.

For those who already did or did just now—you’re amazing. Please, please leave a review on Amazon when you have a chance. It really makes a difference in how much exposure it gets to readers on the platform.

📘 Order on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (indie booksellers)

When I started, I knew I had to move quickly. It wasn’t because I was eager to rush it out. It was because the world was changing fast. Even while writing early drafts, much of what I suggested was going to happen became things that already happened. Traditional publishing often takes years, but the questions people have about AI are happening now. Critical conversations are happening now. Fear, hope, hype, and misinformation are all colliding in the public sphere now.

A book isn’t just a really long Substack post. It needs to be a cohesive entity. To bring it together took rewrite after rewrite after rewrite—enough so that I wrote the total length of the book many times over. Over that time, my arguments and thinking became far clearer. I hope, even as it refined my own thoughts, it’ll help readers understand what truly matters in a confusing time.

I’m deeply grateful to everyone who’s supported this along the way—readers of this newsletter, friends who encouraged me to keep going, and everyone who shared the book, pre-ordered copies, or sent encouragement when I needed it most.

Early praise

The response so far has been incredible. Technology leaders like Reid Hoffman said this about the book:

“Understanding AI is a daunting task that becomes more difficult with the advances each passing day. This book offers a great starting point for those worried they’ll never catch up. James covers the essential history, principles, and implications of AI in a way that is accessible to neophytes, but broad enough to offer useful insights even to AI professionals who often end up narrowly focused.”

- Reid Hoffman, Cofounder of LinkedIn, Partner at Greylock Partners, and Coauthor of New York Times Bestsellers The Start-up of You and The Alliance

Some of my friends here on Substack—who are all deeply talented writers—had kind and thoughtful things to say about my book as well:

“This is the book I will give to everyone in my life to help them get to grips with the future.”

- Jordan Schneider, Founder of ChinaTalk and Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

“James is one of the clearest thinkers in AI. This book is an encapsulation of everything that’s excellent about his work—deep systems-level thinking delivered through deceptively clear prose. What You Need to Know About AI doesn’t just tell you about AI; it gives you simple, powerful ways to understand its real impact on your job and the world. This is the most essential, grounded, and genuinely useful guide you will find on the most important technology of our time.”

- Devansh, Head of AI at Iqidis, writer of Substack bestselling newsletter Artificial Intelligence Made Simple

“James is a polymath bridging AI history, cutting-edge algorithms, and the AI revolution with philosophical depth and venture capital savvy.”

- Sergei Polevikov, founder of WellAI, writer of Substack best-selling newsletter AI Health Uncut, and author of Advancing AI in Healthcare: A Comprehensive Review of Best Practices

“Really enjoyed this book. James always asks penetrating questions and that translates into an excellent synthesis of the pitfalls and promises of the AI revolution.”

- Alexander Campbell, Founder and CEO of Rose AI, former head of commodities at Bridgewater Associates, and writer of Substack Campbell Ramble

Media coverage

I was also thrilled to see Bay City Books, a Bay Area publication that follows book news, highlight my book this month amongst other new releases by local Bay Area authors. Many of the other featured writers are with the big publishing houses—versus the small one I was working with—so it feels extra validating to be in such great company.

Shahrukh Khan of Cash and Carried here on Substack also did a great review of my book as well!

A Review of James Wang's "What You Need to Know About AI"

Campus talks

A few weeks ago I spoke at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and USC’s VC Academy/Spark SC and had a great conversation with students at both schools.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be doing talks at universities and other organizations (watch this space!) and sharing a few reflections from behind the scenes.

Thank you again

If you’ve already picked up a copy, thank you again.

If not, you can find it here:

📘 Order on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop (indie booksellers)

This is just the start of the conversation. For those of you who pick it up, I hope you enjoy the book.

— James

P.S. In the opening days of release, we’re now #1 on Computing Industry History and Generative AI!