Superposition Vol 1.4

This edition is brought to you by every single word we’ve ever read (but this is an inexhaustive list of them).

One of our favorite things we create every year at JDI is “Thoughts in Return” (or more casually known around the office as the “book book”): a collection of some of our team’s favorite reads from the past year. These books don’t have to have been published in 2024, or be about science or design. The only requirement is that they fed our curiosity for the world around us, and added to our experience of the year enough to stick with us past closing their covers. In the past, we’ve had recommendations that span everything from cookbooks to children's books, with a whole lot of memoirs, genre-bending novels, historical fiction, how-to books, and graphic novels in between.

If you’re anything like us, you have way more books on your shelves (or e-readers) than you’ll ever possibly have time to read. But again, if you’re anything like us, you’re also easily distracted by new books to add to your list. So allow us to add a few more, with love. And if you’re in Austin, drop by our office for a physical copy (which also includes our past picks all the way back to 2017!).

All Boys Aren't Blue by George W. Johnston
I loved everything about this book. While written as a memoir for young adults, George was able to captivate my inner youth while also teaching me about how to parent. This is a great memoir about a young Black gay man's journey and helps the reader stand in the shoes of overcoming obstacles and leaning into love.  – Liz Jones-Dilworth

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
I was loath to do a best-seller, but this was my favorite read of 2024. Part missing person mystery, part serial killer thriller, part love story, with a unique twist on each (and short chapters that kept the reading pace flowing.) – Rebecca Ewing

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
Another well-researched, character-forward, and timeline-hopping Picoult novel that leans into the theory that a woman named Emilia Bassano was the primary playwright of the majority of William Shakespeare’s plays. Reading this felt simultaneously like comfort food and brain food. – Shanna Gerlach

Darkome by Hannu Rajaniemi
Science fiction and Science research have long had a reciprocating influence on each other, but rarely does a scientist at the forefront of a field have the opportunity (or skill) to craft future visions of its impact. Ramjaniemi leads both with his novel that imagines a future of mRNA as a platform. – Josh Jones-Dilworth

Freedom is a Feast by Alejandro Puyana
Puyana’s debut novel explores the turbulent modern history of his native Venezuela. Following generations of an estranged family, Puyana movingly traces the complicated political movements that led to the rise of Chávez, and its impact on a nation’s people. –Doug Freeman

Korean American by Eric Kim
Kim’s cookbook pairs gorgeous photos and heartfelt essays with delicious recipes that are both Korean and American, yet still uniquely its own. It’s a beautiful exploration of food and what it means to be a hyphenated-American. – Michelle Gamboa

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See 
Inspired by the true story of Tan Yunxian, a woman physician from Ming dynasty China. Rich with details of period, this captivating novel speaks to the myriad ways women care for each other. – Sohaila Mueller

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González
This book follows a Nuyorican family that includes a militant radical, a popular congressman posing as straight, and the city's most sought-after wedding planner, set against a backdrop of Hurricane Maria. – Risa Fielder

Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo
Considered one of the books that kickstarted the Latin American Boom, Pedro Páramo is a magical realism masterpiece that travels through time, space, and the afterlife. – Juan Ávila

Polostan by Neil Stephenson
An adroit and entertaining piece of historical fiction set in the US and the Soviet Union of the 1920s and 1930s, Polostan follows the adventures of Dawn Rae Bjornberg – the daughter of a communist, Russian father and a swashbuckling cowgirl of an American mother. – Tony Fassi

Radically Content by Jamie Varon
This book is about unlearning our fear of contentment. I immediately bought the accompanying journal, but I’m content with not having cracked it. – Emily LeClair

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
A story about the perseverance of the arts and humanity... the good and the bad. (Caution: This book hits very differently now that we're on the other side of a modern-time pandemic.) – Damaris Alfonso

Doug in awe, seen in Fairbanks, Alaska last week (c/o Doug Freeman)

Next time on Superposition: “There’s no need to over-index on customer experience when you’ve locked the customer into an enshittified ecosystem that bleeds them to death by a thousand frustrating indignities.”

Superposition is a production of JDI, designed and written by Shanna Gerlach and Doug Freeman