The curated collection includes Ed Conway’s *Material World*, which breaks down modern society's foundational reliance on six core raw substances, and Karen Hao’s *Empire of AI*, exploring the rise of OpenAI alongside its environmental costs. Readers can also delve into foundational economic policy trade-offs through Henry Hazlitt's classic text *Economics in One Lesson*. Additionally, the recommendations feature real-world corporate insolvency turnarounds and historical analyses linking ancient Indian commerce with modern financial networks.
Key points
Devina Mehra curated top reading recommendations across science, economics, history, and…: Devina Mehra curated top reading recommendations across science, economics, history, and artificial intelligence for 2026.
Henry Hazlitt’s classic title *Economics in One Lesson* provides a framework for analyzin…: Henry Hazlitt’s classic title *Economics in One Lesson* provides a framework for analyzing unseen consequences and policy trade-offs.
Akshay Chavan’s *The Wealth Networks* analyzes Indian history by detailing ancient ports,…: Akshay Chavan’s *The Wealth Networks* analyzes Indian history by detailing ancient ports, historical trade routes, and financial ties.
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First Global founder and CMD Devina Mehra shares her 10 favourite books of 2026, spanning artificial intelligence, materials science, Indian economic history, economics, investigative journalism, neurosurgery and etymology. From the history and risks of AI to the hidden economic networks that shaped India's past, her reading list brings together diverse perspectives on business, science, society and human behaviour.
It is that time of the year when one gets down to the fun but tough job of shortlisting the best books one has read in the last few months. Here is mine in no particular order:
Material World, Ed Conway
Material World by Ed Conway
We think we live in a service-oriented, digital, post-industrial economy but without materials, from steel to silicon to rare metals, there is nothing-no banking, no internet, no power, no telecom. Not even green energy. It is a truth that should have been obvious but is usually ignored.
We know that silicon is needed for semiconductors that go into everything from phones to solar panels, but it is also needed for concrete which builds everything around us.
Content creators are rapidly producing satirical videos targeting former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang following his ouster over extramarital affairs, including a relationship with a suspected Chinese spy. These viral posts employ the very synthetic media technologies the former executive long promoted during his three-decade tenure leading the chipmaker. The resulting media cycle highlights how easily generative models can be weaponized against high-profile figures during personal controversies.
The internal restructuring folds hardware and applied personnel into broader operations as leadership bets that frontier models like GPT-6 Astra can master physical tasks without bespoke systems. This strategic consolidation aims to trim expenses following a quarterly operating loss of $10.9 billion ahead of a potential 2027 initial public offering. Despite moving away from a dedicated division, the company still plans to publicly demonstrate an in-house humanoid robot by 2027.
Federal officials and corporate leaders face mounting pressure to shield the domestic workforce from rapid technological displacement as advanced automation accelerates across the economy. Experts warn that failure to act proactively could repeat the economic distress and political backlash caused by past trade shocks. Proposed solutions focus on comprehensive public-private interventions, ranging from local educational investments to modernizing federal safety nets.