The Singularity Is Near
When Humans Transcend Biology
by Ray Kurzweil
6 more
More Recommenders
“Has shown that there is this persistent exponential pace of Technology,. | It opened me up to the idea of science fiction becoming science fact. | Many major problems, like education and disease, will be totally transformed by this in our lifetimes. | On the List of my favorite books. | Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization | Was the basis for the foundation of Singularity University.”
Source →“Has shown that there is this persistent exponential pace of Technology,. | It opened me up to the idea of science fiction becoming science fact. | Many major problems, like education and disease, will be totally transformed by this in our lifetimes. | On the List of my favorite books. | Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization | Was the basis for the foundation of Singularity University.”
Source →“Has shown that there is this persistent exponential pace of Technology,. | It opened me up to the idea of science fiction becoming science fact. | Many major problems, like education and disease, will be totally transformed by this in our lifetimes. | On the List of my favorite books. | Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization | Was the basis for the foundation of Singularity University.”
Source →“Has shown that there is this persistent exponential pace of Technology,. | It opened me up to the idea of science fiction becoming science fact. | Many major problems, like education and disease, will be totally transformed by this in our lifetimes. | On the List of my favorite books. | Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization | Was the basis for the foundation of Singularity University.”
Source →“Has shown that there is this persistent exponential pace of Technology,. | It opened me up to the idea of science fiction becoming science fact. | Many major problems, like education and disease, will be totally transformed by this in our lifetimes. | On the List of my favorite books. | Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization | Was the basis for the foundation of Singularity University.”
Source →“Has shown that there is this persistent exponential pace of Technology,. | It opened me up to the idea of science fiction becoming science fact. | Many major problems, like education and disease, will be totally transformed by this in our lifetimes. | On the List of my favorite books. | Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization | Was the basis for the foundation of Singularity University.”
Source →Recommended by 8 notable people, including Stewart Brand and Brian Armstrong
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Reading Profile
Should I read this?
Kurzweil’s manifesto bombards you with trend lines and bulleted predictions, zooming out to a 2040s where humans merge with machines. The useful part: you get a detailed, almost cinematic vision of a radically altered future—health, energy, intelligence—that’s hard to find elsewhere. The drag: his certainty grates, the prose feels like a sales deck, and the middle chapters recycle the same exponential insight until you’re numb. You’ll either emerge fired up or fed up.
Read this if...
- •A software engineer who wants a long-range AI trajectory map and a counterweight to current doomsaying, finding motivation in data-rich optimism.
- •A philosophy student digging into transhumanism and the ethical edges of radical life extension, looking for a deeply argued vision of boundless possibility.
- •An early-stage biotech investor scanning technological convergence timelines, using the exponential logic as a provocation for long-horizon bets.
Skip this if...
- •You’ll likely put it down when the hundredth exponential curve arrives and you realize the pattern isn’t deepening—just repeating with different labels.
- •Not for you if you’re irritated by an author who treats his own predictions as self-evident and skepticism as a failure of imagination.
- •Skip this if you want balanced engagement with AI safety or socio-political friction; this is a cheerleading session that makes everything feel solvable.
A radical and optimistic view of the future course of human development by "the best person I know at predicting the future of Artificial Intelligence," (Bill Gates).At the onset of the twenty-first century, humanity stands on the verge of the most transforming and thrilling period in its history. It will be an era in which the very nature of what i...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- A software engineer who wants a long-range AI trajectory map and a counterweight to current doomsaying, finding motivation in data-rich optimism.
- A philosophy student digging into transhumanism and the ethical edges of radical life extension, looking for a deeply argued vision of boundless possibility.
- An early-stage biotech investor scanning technological convergence timelines, using the exponential logic as a provocation for long-horizon bets.
- You’ll likely put it down when the hundredth exponential curve arrives and you realize the pattern isn’t deepening—just repeating with different labels.
- Not for you if you’re irritated by an author who treats his own predictions as self-evident and skepticism as a failure of imagination.
- Skip this if you want balanced engagement with AI safety or socio-political friction; this is a cheerleading session that makes everything feel solvable.
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
View available editions on AmazonKey themes
Why recommended
Recommended by 15 sources and appears in Best Artificial Intelligence Books, Machine Learning, and Data Science.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Daniel Petre
“Has shown that there is this persistent exponential pace of Technology,. | It opened me up to the idea of science fiction becoming science fact. | Many major problems, like education and disease, will be totally transformed by this in our lifetimes. | On the List of my favorite books. | Selected Books for the Manual for Civilization | Was the basis for the foundation of Singularity University.”
View sources (5) ▾80%
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. Recommended by 8 sources.
“Soft-spoken, heavily illustrated fable built from short dialogues and watercolor sketches. Each spread pairs a spare line of text with a loose drawing, so the pleasure is visual and aphoristic rather than narrative; readers collect felt-true sentences more than plot. Most useful when you want quick consolations, a prompt for conversation with a child, or a pause during a rough day. Limiting if you want sustained argument, concrete advice, or tightly plotted storytelling: the repetition of gentleness can feel sentimental or thin after a while.”
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Hans RoslingHow recommendation signals are reviewed
Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.