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How to get started with reading

If you are starting reading from scratch, you do not need all 265 entries below. Pick one thing from the first section, give it a week, then come back for the next. That order is the whole trick.

265 free entries on this topic · see all of them · search within the topic

Start here

The ones I hand people first. Pick one, finish it, then come back.

FreeArticle
Technology & Ethics

The AI Org Chart

An essay on how AI exposes the cultural debt embedded in org charts, leadership habits, and unexamined processes.

Why I recommend it: This piece nails why AI adoption is less a technology problem and more a culture-and-power problem. Essential reading for anyone leading a team through change.

#ai#ai ethics#article#cultural-debt#essay#free#future-of-work#leadership#org-chart#organizational-change#reading#shelly-palmer#tech-ethics#technology
shellypalmer.comAdded Sep 9, 20260 opens
FreeArticle
Technology & Ethics

2026 Top 100 HR Tech Influencers

Every year, HR Executive spotlights 100 professionals who are making a real difference in how the world works and how technology supports it.

Why I recommend it: A useful starting point for anyone building an inclusive hiring or HR tech practice. Follow these voices to stay ahead of how technology is reshaping work.

#ai ethics#article#creator-economy#diversity-inclusion#free#hiring#hr-executive#hr-tech#inclusive-hiring#influencers#job markets#list#reading#tech-ethics#technology#thought-leaders#top-100#workplace-technology
hrexecutive.comAdded Sep 9, 20260 opens
FreeArticle
Career & Professional Optimization

How to Spot Remote Roles and Build Your Career — Michelle Coulson

LinkedIn article from Michelle Coulson on identifying remote positions, asking the right questions in interviews, and building a career while working from anywhere.

Why I recommend it: Remote work is still a differentiator, but not every "remote-friendly" job is what it seems. Coulson gives practical signals to look for before you accept.

#article#career#career-advice#career-development#free#interview-tips#job-search#linkedin#reading#remote-jobs#remote-work#work-from-home
linkedin.comAdded Sep 9, 20260 opens

Reading and background

Short pieces worth the twenty minutes before you commit to anything bigger.

FreeArticle
Interview Prep

STAR Method Answer Worksheet

A simple worksheet for building repeatable stories for behavioral questions.

In plain terms: This guide explains how to use the STAR method to answer behavioral job interview questions. You can use the step-by-step instructions and examples to prepare clear, structured stories about your past work experience.

From the site: Use the STAR interview method to craft simple but impressive answers to the most common interview questions—especially ones that begin with “Tell me about a time…”

Why I recommend it: Write six stories. They will cover about 80% of the questions you get.

#article#behavioral#career#free#interview-prep#interviews#job-search#reading#storytelling
themuse.comAdded Aug 16, 202644 opens
FreeArticle
Career & Professional Optimization

7 Things I Wish I Knew When Starting as a Data Analyst

Avery Smith's hard-won lessons on breaking into data analytics — what to learn first, what portfolio work matters, and which advice to ignore.

Why I recommend it: The portfolio advice here is the part people skip. One real project with a real dataset beats three certificates.

#article#career#career-change#career-development#data-analytics#entry-level#free#job markets#portfolio#reading
linkedin.comAdded Sep 4, 20262 opens
FreeArticle
Marketing & Platform Tools

Etsy Meets AI / ChatGPT Integration

Etsy help-center article explaining how shoppers can purchase Etsy items directly through ChatGPT.

#article#chatbot#ecommerce#etsy#free#marketing#marketing-platforms#reading
help.etsy.comAdded Aug 29, 20261 opens
FreeArticle
Technology & Ethics

How My Neurodivergent Brain Works

A first-person account of how one professional's neurodivergent brain works day to day, and what support and communication actually help at work.

Why I recommend it: Read this before you assume you know what accommodation means. Plain, specific and written by the person living it.

#accessibility#ai ethics#article#disability#free#inclusive-hiring#job markets#neurodiversity#reading#tech-ethics#technology#workplace-culture
linkedin.comAdded Sep 11, 20261 opens
FreeArticle
Marketing & Platform Tools

Shopify: The Entrepreneur's Platform

Entrepreneur.com article outlining the key benefits of building an online store on Shopify.

#article#ecommerce#free#marketing#marketing-platforms#reading#shopify#small-business
entrepreneur.comAdded Aug 29, 20261 opens
FreeArticleNewsletter
Career & Professional Optimization

Side Work: I ask people how much they make

A Substack essay from the Side Work newsletter built on direct conversations about pay, showing what people in different roles actually earn and how they talk about it.

Why I recommend it: Real numbers from real people beat any salary calculator. Use it to set a floor before your next negotiation, and notice how plainly these folks discuss money.

#article#career#career-development#free#negotiation#newsletter#pay-transparency#reading#salary
Side WorkAdded Sep 2, 20261 opens
FreeArticle
Marketing & Platform Tools

The Handmade Advantage

Deep-dive article examining whether selling handmade goods on Etsy is worth it for crafters.

#article#ecommerce#etsy#free#marketing#marketing-platforms#reading#small-business
etsyfinder.comAdded Aug 29, 20261 opens
FreeArticle
Interview Prep

Handling Age Bias in Interviews (AARP)

Practical scripts for the questions that carry age assumptions — "you might be overqualified," "how do you feel about a young team."

Why I recommend it: Rehearse two answers: one for overqualified, one for culture fit. Calm and specific beats defensive every time.

#50plus#age-bias#ageism#ai ethics#article#career#encore-career#free#interview-prep#interviews#job-search#reading#scripts
aarp.orgAdded Aug 29, 20260 opens
FreeArticle
Career & Professional Optimization

Reigniting Careers After 50: Strategies for Job Success

NCDA article on what shapes career transitions after 50 and practical strategies to stay competitive in changing workplaces.

Why I recommend it: Details: pair this with the 50+ track in the hub — lead with recent, measurable wins rather than a full career history.

#50plus#age-bias#ai ethics#article#career#career-change#career-development#experienced-workers#free#ncda#reading
ncda.orgAdded Sep 2, 20260 opens
FreeArticle
Career & Professional Optimization

LinkedIn Profile Optimization Checklist

A step-by-step checklist for a headline, about section, and skills that get found.

In plain terms: This guide offers a step-by-step checklist for improving your LinkedIn profile. Use it to update your headline, about section, and skills so recruiters can easily find you.

From the site: The Talent Blog is your source for tips, strategies, and inspiration to help you hire and develop talent

Why I recommend it: Recruiters search by keywords. Put the job title you want in your headline.

#article#career#career-development#free#linkedin#personal-branding#reading#visibility
linkedin.comAdded Aug 24, 202688 opens
FreePublication
Technology & Ethics

Proofs and Prompts

A communal blog where working mathematicians — professors, PhD students, sceptics and enthusiasts alike — write about what AI is doing to their field: authorship, what counts as understanding, where papers will go, and whether the job changes. Recent pieces include Martin Hairer on why he joined the AGMAI advisory group and Jonny Evans on the choices ahead. Submissions are open to anyone in the field, any length.

Why I recommend it: Free to read and free to write for. Worth reading even if you never touch mathematics: it is one of the few places where a whole profession is arguing in public about what AI does to its craft, in its own words rather than a journalist's. These are individual opinions, not findings — the value is the range of them, and the disagreement is the point.

#academic#ai-and-work#ai-literacy#authorship#careers#community#mathematics#opinion#reading#research#research-culture
proofsandprompts.comAdded Sep 23, 20262 opens
FreeArticle
Technology & Ethics

A Guide to the AI Tribes

Essay mapping the competing factions in the AI debate and what each one actually believes.

Why I recommend it: The clearest short explainer I have found for anyone confused by the AI shouting match.

#ai#ai ethics#ai-ethics#ai-policy#analysis#article#ethics#free#policy#reading#regulation#tech-ethics#technology
micheljusten.substack.comAdded Sep 12, 20261 opens

Tools you can use today

Things that do part of the work for you, free to use.

FreeWebsite
Technology & Ethics

Partnership on AI — resource library

Partnership on AI's open library of guidance, frameworks, and case studies on responsible AI: synthetic media, labor and the economy, AI safety, fairness, and inclusive AI development.

Why I recommend it: When you need a credible source instead of a hot take, cite these. The labor and economy work is the most useful set for career conversations about automation.

#accessibility#ai#ai ethics#ai-ethics#ai-safety#free#future-of-work#governance#labor#organization#policy#reading#regulation#research#resources#website
partnershiponai.orgAdded Sep 14, 20260 opens
FreeWebsite
AI & Assistive Tools

Emergent Mind: Frontier Research Explorer

A free explorer for new arXiv research with plain-language paper summaries, topic pages and video overviews, so you can follow AI research without reading raw papers.

From the site: Your first stop to discover and learn about new arXiv research. Detailed paper summaries, video overviews, and more — no prompting required.

Why I recommend it: The fastest way I know to keep up with AI research when you are not a researcher. Free to browse.

#ai#research#arxiv#paper-summaries#ai-research#learning#reading#machine-learning#explainers#free-tools
emergentmind.comAdded Sep 17, 20260 opens
FreeTool
Books Worth Reading

Libby by OverDrive

Free reading app from OverDrive that borrows ebooks, audiobooks and magazines from your local public library with a library card. Works in a browser or on iOS, Android, Kobo and Kindle (US libraries only), with offline downloads, CarPlay and Android Auto support, holds, and tagged reading lists.

Why I recommend it: This is how you read the paid books on this site without buying them — most business, career and technology titles are in public library collections. What you need is a library card, which is free where you live. The catch is availability, not price: your library chooses what it licenses and popular titles come with waiting lists, so place holds early rather than expecting a book on the day you want it.

#audiobooks#ebooks#free books#kindle#learning#library#magazines#offline#reading#research#self-study
libbyapp.comAdded Sep 23, 20260 opens
FreeWebsiteVideo
Marketing & Platform Tools

Marcus Sheridan Learning Center

Free talks, videos, and teaching from Marcus Sheridan, author of They Ask, You Answer — answering customer questions honestly as a content and sales strategy for small businesses.

Why I recommend it: The whole method is: answer the questions your customers actually ask, including the awkward ones about price. Cheapest marketing strategy there is.

#marketing#content-marketing#small-business#entrepreneurship#sales#free#website#learning#training#reading#founders#personal-branding#video
marcussheridan.comAdded Sep 14, 20260 opens
FreeWebsite
Technology & Ethics

Permacomputing

A body of writing and practice on computing that lasts — repairable hardware, small software, low energy use.

Why I recommend it: The counterweight to "more compute solves everything".

#ai#ai ethics#alternatives#computing#energy#free#hardware#reading#sustainability#tech-ethics#technology
permacomputing.netAdded Sep 16, 20260 opens
FreeAI Tool
AI & Assistive Tools

ScrollEd — AI Smart-Scrolling Reader

Turns books and documents into scrollable, bite-sized learning cards with AI summaries and quizzes.

From the site: What is AI smart scrolling? ScrollEd pioneered AI smart-scrolling technology that transforms books into scrollable, bite-sized learning cards with AI summaries and quizzes. Learn faster in 5-minute sessions.

Why I recommend it: The free tier is limited: demo content only, no file uploads, and ads. Pro is $6.99 a month (currently offered free for three months to early members), so treat the free plan as a look around rather than a usable reading tool.

#ai-tools#learning#reading#research#study
scrolled.euAdded Sep 21, 20260 opens
FreeWebsite
Technology & Ethics

Slow AI

A design research project questioning the speed and scale assumptions built into AI products.

Why I recommend it: Useful vocabulary if the AI conversation around you is all about going faster.

#ai#ai ethics#ai-ethics#alternatives#critique#design#free#reading#research#tech-ethics#technology
aixdesign.coAdded Sep 16, 20260 opens
FreeWebsite
Technology & Ethics

SSRN Working Paper Journals

SSRN's browsable index of working-paper series across economics, law, management and technology — most papers are free to download.

Why I recommend it: A good way to read serious research on labor markets, hiring and AI before it hits paywalled journals.

#academic#ai#economics#free-resource#labor-market#open-access#policy#reading#regulation#research#working-papers
papers.ssrn.comAdded Sep 17, 20260 opens
FreeWebsite
AI & Assistive Tools

The How-to AI Library (Notion)

A curated, public Notion library of practical AI how-tos: tools, prompts, and step-by-step workflows organized so beginners can pick a task and follow it through.

Why I recommend it: A good starting shelf if AI still feels abstract — pick one workflow, run it end to end, then come back for the next.

#ai#ai-tool#prompting#learning#tool#free#website#resources#productivity#automation#guide#reading#aggregator
tathastu-rh.notion.siteAdded Sep 14, 20260 opens
FreeAI Tool
AI & Assistive Tools

Wikiwand

A reading layer over Wikipedia: cleaner article pages, hover previews, timelines, and a chat that answers only from the Wikipedia article you are reading and the articles it links to, with every answer linked back to its source.

Why I recommend it: Useful precisely because it refuses to answer from anywhere but Wikipedia — you can check every claim. Still Wikipedia underneath, so treat it as a starting point, not a citation.

#research#reference#reading#free#ai-tools#wikipedia#study#citations#learning#fact-checking
wikiwand.comAdded Sep 17, 20260 opens

People and publishers worth following

Steady sources, so you keep learning after this page.

FreePublisher
Technology & Ethics

Ars Technica

A long-running technology news publication with careful, technical reporting on computing, science, policy and security — deeper than most tech headlines and clear about what is known versus claimed.

From the site: News and reviews, covering IT, AI, science, space, health, gaming, cybersecurity, tech policy, computers, mobile devices, and operating systems.

Why I recommend it: One of the few tech outlets that reads a filing or a paper before writing about it. Free to read, with an optional paid subscription that removes ads.

#ai#free#journalism#news#policy#reading#regulation#research#security#tech-careers#technology
Ars TechnicaAdded Sep 17, 20260 opens
FreePublisher
Technology & Ethics

Interesting Engineering

Engineering and technology news site covering AI, energy, space and hardware, free to read with an optional paid ad-free tier.

From the site: Explore Interesting Engineering for cutting-edge articles, news, and insights on technology, innovation, and the future of engineering worldwide.

Why I recommend it: Broad and fast-moving, sometimes breathless. Fine for spotting stories, worth checking the original source before repeating one.

#engineering#technology-news#publisher#ai#science#innovation#reading#free
Interesting EngineeringAdded Sep 17, 20260 opens
FreePublisher
Technology & Ethics

The Verge — Tech

The Verge's technology section: daily reporting on the companies, products and policies shaping the industry.

From the site: The latest tech news about the world’s best (and sometimes worst) hardware, apps, and much more. From top companies like Google and Apple to tiny startups vying for your attention, Verge Tech has the latest in what matters in technology daily.

Why I recommend it: Free to read and readable. Good for keeping current on the companies you might interview with.

#ai#big-tech#consumer-tech#free-resource#industry-trends#news#policy#reading#regulation#reporting#research#technology
The VergeAdded Sep 17, 20260 opens
FreePublisher
Technology & Ethics

Tom's Hardware

Long-running hardware publication covering chips, GPUs, AI infrastructure and the machines behind it, free to read.

From the site: Tom

Why I recommend it: Useful if you're heading toward hardware, data centers or AI infrastructure and need to know what people actually run.

#hardware#technology#news#ai#data-centers#chips#free-resource#industry-trends#reading#tech-jobs
TomAdded Sep 17, 20260 opens
FreePublisher
Technology & Ethics

Unite.AI

Daily AI news and explainer site covering models, tools, research and industry moves, free to read with no account.

From the site: Artificial intelligence news, research, interviews, funding updates, AI tools, machine learning, robotics, cybersecurity, healthcare AI, and emerging technology analysis.

Why I recommend it: Good breadth, and clearly labeled review posts that carry affiliate links — read those as marketing, the news as news.

#ai-news#explainers#free#industry#publisher#reading#research#technology#tools
Unite.AIAdded Sep 17, 20260 opens

Questions people ask

Do I need any experience to start with reading?
No. The first section is chosen for people with no background in it, and every entry there is free, so nothing is riding on whether you like it.
How long does this take?
Plan on one short session a week. Finishing one thing beats starting five, and a finished piece of work is what you can show someone later.

Comparing two of these? Put them side by side.