As information sources have become abundant and attention spans have shortened in the age of AI, we take on the lost art of reading. Join us to explore why reading rates are falling, how that shift affects judgment and opportunity, and how interdisciplinary books help us see patterns across history, economics, and technology. 

To help us, Alisa Rusanoff, CEO of Eltech AI, joins us to share her perspective on reading, debate volume versus depth, and offer practical ways to reclaim attention and read with intention.

• Evidence on declining reading rates among adults, teens and children
• Noise versus signal in the attention economy
• Mental models and interdisciplinary synthesis for better decisions
• AI’s limits and why human integration still matters
• Cycles in debt, trade, demography, and geopolitics
• Fiction as a cultural sensor for lived experience
• Wealth gaps, polarization and the need for critical thinking
• Practical habits to train feeds and protect reading time
• Challenge to read, reflect, and apply insights

For people worried if they are reading enough:

• Reading just 1 book a year puts you in the top 60% of readers
• Read 4 books a year to be in the top 50% of readers
• Read 10 books a year to be in the top 20% of readers
• For those looking to be in the top 5% of readers, expect to read at least 50 books

This episode is full of research and fun connections that are sure to make you think positively about your commitment to reading. At the time of this episode, it's not too late to join the top 20% in 2026!

What did you think? Let us know.

Do you have a question or a discussion topic for the AI Fundamentalists? Connect with them to comment on your favorite topics:

• LinkedIn - Episode summaries, shares of cited articles, and more.
• YouTube - Was it something that we said? Good. Share your favorite quotes.
• Visit our page - see past episodes and submit your feedback! It continues to inspire future episodes.