How to AI: Cut Through the Hype. Master the Basics. Transform Your Work.

by Christopher Mims

An upcoming book to be published by Pengin Random House.

Genres: Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Nonfiction, Science, Business

256 pages, Hardcover

Published January 27, 2026

Reviews

[Rusty Posey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title doesn’t match the content.

This book is a great history and “the what” of AI. I found it lacking in the practical how. It’s informative and contains great laws/theories of AI. If you’re looking for help on how to implement AI in your daily life, look elsewhere.

[Kaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

How to AI had some great ideas and thoughts around AI. For someone with no knowledge of AI or someone who is actively pushing it away, they should pick this book up to get a better understanding and not fear the AI of the future. After working with AI for a while, there were still some helpful tips in this book.

[Jon Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the one. If you are looking for a book to give you the positive mindset for working with AI and some well-defined laws for informing your interactions, this is the book. It changed my thinking before I was half way done.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every layperson should consider reading How to AI or a book like it. Christopher Mims does an excellent job walking the reader through the history and current state of AI use in the world without getting bogged down in details or overwhelming anyone with technical jargon. I suspect this will also keep this book feeling "fresh" longer than other technical books. I especially appreciated his real-world examples, giving me an "anchor" to hang my new knowledge on. I found myself repeatedly reading short sections out loud to my spouse or recounting major themes.

The book is laid out around twenty four "Laws of AI" which are further broken down into three sections. Within each section are moderate and even chapters. As I mentioned, I appreciated the real-world examples throughout. And when Mims felt it was appropriate to share some history, he did so in in-line break-outs that were well incorporated. It was never jarring to move in and out of the occasional history break. Every chapter concludes with 3-5 vocabulary words, a one-paragraph summary of main ideas, and a few suggested questions to consider. I could very much see myself doing this one as a buddy read if I were to re-read.

Here at the end of my reading I feel even better equipped to discuss various types of AI, it's history, and it's potential future. That's a huge win for this not-in-a-tech-career gal!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It's not super technical, but that's not the point. A lot of it focuses on case studies of how AI is being used in various businesses, such as consumer packaged goods at Clorox, where it talks about how AI image generation is already good enough for generating advertisements, as well as AI being an input in brainstorming / ideation of new products.

Another example is how AI is improving communications in the construction industry, and in general how one of the things that is happening is not that the technology specifically has made a huge leap (though it has), but that society in general is up for mainstream adoption of chat-based interfaces at this point. I enjoyed reading the case studies. If you're an everyday person, this book will tell you what's happening, what's real, and how you can get involved.

[Захарченко Віктор · Rating 5 out of 5]

Мімс не є адептом культу засновників ШІ-стартапів, які обіцяють штучний загальний інтелект за лічені роки. Він знає, що більшість компаній використовують не лише генеративний ШІ (той самий ChatGPT), а й класичні моделі машинного навчання, які працюють у фоновому режимі вже багато років. Його книга - спроба з'єднати ці світи й показати, як звичайним працівникам, малому бізнесу та скептикам знайти своє місце в епоху ШІ.

[Paul Short · Rating 2 out of 5]

An intro to AI using case studies of companies and individuals who were early adopters of AI, looking to make their business more efficient and unique.
It's misleading to say this book will teach you even the basics of how to master AI, or transform your own work.
This book will give you an understanding of what you need to specifically learn next to use AI in your own field of work.

[Findlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written and non-hysterical overview of the current state of AI, how we got here and where it’s going. This book will be out of date in about 10 minutes. You should read it now while it’s still relevant.

[David Biello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear-eyed explanation and advice, if you're feeling lost.

[Tolu Fatogbe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I expected. I wanted a guide and maybe a workbook not lots of unrelatable case studies

[David Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually helpful. Great work

[E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear insight in the current state of AI, and the hype surrounding it. Informative and enlighting.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A measured, panic-free and informative overview of the current AI playing field via practical case studies and easy to digest summaries. How things stand and how they are set to develop over the coming years.