Books: Eight books that explain the tech revolution

You can tell when an era is coming to an end by the change in books. Just three years ago, the majority of books on technology were explanatory pieces. How does a language model work, what is a blockchain, how do you disrupt an industry? The tone was curious, occasionally breathless, but essentially affirmative. Silicon Valley provided the future, Europe provided the interpretation.

The 2026 crop reads differently. The authors gathered in this section no longer write about technology. They write about power, property, and sovereignty.

Nina Kolleck: The Battle in the Minds

One doesn't know what Nina Kolleck thought when the French parliament passed a social media ban for young people in mid-July. But suspicion suggests that Kolleck was only half pleased. This is because the educational researcher and political scientist, who has been a professor of education and socialization theory in Potsdam since 2023, sees a real danger for children and young people in the large social media platforms.

At the same time, anyone who reads her book does not get the impression that a blanket ban solves all problems.