Exhalation

Ted Chiang's 2019 collection gathers nine stories, two of them published for the first time, that explore old human questions through new scientific and philosophical ideas. In "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate," a portal through time leads a fabric seller in ancient Baghdad to confront past mistakes. In the title story, an alien scientist investigates how his own mind works. In "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom," a device that glimpses alternate universes forces people to rethink choice and free will.

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Tim Ferriss
Naval Ravikant
Barack Obama
Seth Godin: “And I loved Ted Chiang's Exhalation, a book of short stories.”