Interesting reads this week: From AI architects to biohacking blueprints

The Infinity Machine is a revelatory new work by Sebastian Mallaby—a deeply reported account of Demis Hassabis, the cofounder of DeepMind, and one of the most influential architects of the AI revolution. With unparalleled access to Hassabis and his inner circle, as well as insights from rivals and critics including Mustafa Suleyman, Ilya Sutskever, and Geoffrey Hinton, Mallaby delivers a nuanced portrait of a singular mind, and a high-stakes race that could redefine the future of humanity.

The Optimized Human
Teemu Arina, 
Dr Olli Sovijarvi and Jaakko Halmetoja
Hachette
Pp 496, Rs 899

Biohacking sounds intimidating. It isn’t. At its core it is the practice of using science and smart lifestyle choices to upgrade the five things that determine how you feel every single day—sleep, nutrition, movement, work and the mind. This book gives you a practical customisable plan for all five—no extreme protocols, no expensive gear, no PhD required. Think of it as the missing manual for the human body. 

The Constitution Is My Home
Indira Jaising, Ritu Menon
HarperCollins
Pp 236, Rs 699

In this book, Indira Jaising looks back upon a life spent on the frontlines of law and activism. In conversation with Ritu Menon, she reflects on the cases and causes that have defined her career—Mary Roy and the fight for equal inheritance; Rupan Deol Bajaj and the pursuit of justice in the face of sexual harassment; Olga Tellis, which recognised the right to livelihood for pavement dwellers; and Shayara Bano and the challenge to triple talaq; among many others.

Lázár
Nelio Biedermann
Translated by Jamie Bulloch
Hachette
Pp 304, Rs 1,450

Lajos von Lázár is brought into this world with the dawn of the new century, and his birth is both a miracle and a curse, his true patrimony a secret he will never know. The Lázárs have ruled their Hungarian lands for generations. In their ancient castle by the edge of a dark forest, they succumb to every vice and live only to satiate their desires. But the old order is crumbling, and the days of the Hapsburg monarchy are numbered.

Gulabiya: A Novel
Abha Purbey
Hachette
Pp 128, Rs 399

On the floodplains of Kosi River, Gulabiya is a young farmhand in love with Balesar, the manager of a nearby farm’s fieldhands. When Balesar decides to till his own land, he is joined in this enterprise by his Gulabo. Their dreams, most moderate, attract the wrath of Balesar’s landlord. Gulabiya is betrayed by her own family, leading to a heartbreaking separation from her lover. What follows is a tale that shocked readers when it was first published in 2008.