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This book is best read as a series of important case studies of unheralded figures in science across the centuries, and a good illustration of how scientists exist in the world rather than cloistered off from the rest of society. It isn't, however, a systematic study of the development of science and the contribution of different factors to progress, and many connections strain credulity (e.g. the fact that Einstein gave talks in many countries doesn't mean those countries contributed much to his theories). It does importantly show that attributing particular advances to individuals is largely a mistake, and that context is extremely important in shaping avenues of scientific inquiry.

Through connected ethnographies spanning the informal trading routes of the Indian Ocean, Mahajan explores how informal international maritime traders live and work in a shifting economic and legal landscape. This book is probably best read by folks who have deep knowledge of the socioeconomic and political history of Eastern Africa, Western India, and the Gulf Coast as there's not a lot of time spent reviewing those topics. If you have a bit of a foundation however it's a fascinating micro view of a unique and nearly timeless phenomena.

It's fairly shocking to read a book that's nominally about an area of bioethics that manages to ignore the main lessons of the Belmont Report, but this one does. While the early chapters are good, things start to take a turn when uncritically engaging with "moral modification," and only gets worse when examining transhumanism and brain computer interfaces. There are many better books on this topic, even if some of their scientific citations are dated.

This is a great introduction to many intellectual property and freedom of speech concepts, bringing in tangible examples from video game history to walk through the basics. It's very US focused, and gets a bit hagiographic about the folks at Atari, but it's much more accessible than other legal books on these topics. Highly recommend