Cy wants nothing more than to be useful, raise his utility score, and receive the next update for his operating system. But that’s easier said than done when he’s tasked with helping his owner’s thirty-five-year-old son “get out of his funk.” (Simon & Schuster, 2026)
Grayson is nothing like his go-getter, CEO sister Charlotte. He didn’t inherit the family robotics company when their dad passed last year, he doesn’t have a master’s degree, and he just can’t seem to figure out the San Francisco dating scene. He’d rather eat synthesized mozzarella sticks and make pottery at his studio, Kilning Time.
When Grayson learns of Charlotte’s plan to sell the company to a tech conglomerate, he panics. It’s not just the family business at stake, it’s all the technology—like Cy—their dad invented over the years. So he does what anyone would do: he steals the flash drive with his father’s most important work stored on it and plans a corporate takeover. If only he knew what that meant.
To make matters worse:
A fellow VALET deserts his owner and asks Cy to help him hightail it out of town.
Grayson’s first real date—and her dog—keep showing up at inopportune times.
The behemoth tech company wants this deal closed yesterday.
Grayson, Cy, and their trusty golden retriever, Sasha III, must go on the lam until they figure out exactly what to do, and whom to trust.
A hilarious, madcap adventure that is as tender as it is insightful, Valet asks not just what it means to be human, but what it means to be family.
Read This If You Love:
Vibe: A whimsically speculative ode to Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster.
For Fans Of: Kevin Wilson (Nothing to See Here) and Andrew Sean Greer (Less).
Core Tropes: A helper robot, his thirty-five-year-old ward, and a madcap adventure to save the fate of a family empire.
“Valet is a hilarious and bracing examination of the near future, where Cy, a techbot servant, must navigate the complexities of humans to maintain his utility score. What makes this such a winning and openhearted novel is that J.P. Lacrampe goes beyond the initial premise by looking at the universal anxiety of family, of being tied to people with whom you will rise and fall, either toward a new update or into obsolescence.” — Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here and Run for the Hills
About the Author
J.P. Lacrampe received his MFA in creative writing from Saint Mary’s College. His short fiction has been published by Glimmer Train, McSweeney’s, Instant City, and in Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit. He is a teaching professor at Santa Clara University, where he teaches courses in composition, fiction, and screenwriting.
Artist Included launches artist-first AI music company focused on creator ownership and ethical re-recordings. Photo: Artist Included, used with permission.
A New Era for Iconic Music: Artist Included Launches Ethical AI Platform with Re-Recorded Culture Club Classic
A new artist-first music and technology company, Artist Included, has officially launched with a mission to help iconic artists reclaim creative participation, ownership, and long-term value in their music. Co-founded by entrepreneur Paul “PK” Kemsley and entertainment attorney and film producer Jeremy Rosen, the company uses ethical, artist-approved voice AI to create a new model for legendary acts to reimagine classic recordings and own new master tracks for today’s market. (Miller PR, 2026)
Celebrating a Legend: A New Take on “Karma Chameleon”
To mark its debut, and coincide with Boy George’s 65th birthday, Artist Included partnered with BMG to release a fresh recording of Culture Club’s iconic hit, “Karma Chameleon.”
“Revisiting ‘Karma Chameleon’ in this way was emotional and creatively inspiring. The goal was never to replace the original — it was to celebrate it and let the song keep evolving for new audiences.”
— Boy George
Clarification on the tech: This is not a synthetic AI track. Boy George recorded brand-new vocals in the studio. Ethical technology was used solely to support and enhance the final master, ensuring the technology serves the creator rather than replacing them.
Unlocking Value Across the Board
The “Karma Chameleon” release is the first of many planned projects spanning catalog artists from the 1960s through the 2000s. Artist Included helps creators unlock revenue streams that historically bypassed them, including:
Digital & Physical Formats: Streaming platforms, exclusive vinyl releases, foreign-language versions, remixes, tokenization, and Dolby Atmos.
Media & Sync Licensing: Film, TV, advertising, gaming, and trailerized formats.
Direct Engagement: Brand partnerships, sponsorships, and direct-to-fan campaigns.
Industry Leaders Weigh In
The company’s ethos centers on flipping traditional music economics back in favor of the original creators.
Paul “PK” Kemsley, Co-Founder & CEO:
“For decades, artists created the soundtrack to our lives while much of the long-term value moved away from the original creators. Artist Included was built to help reverse that dynamic. This is not about replacing artists or exploiting old catalogs — it is about helping artists create new ones. Used responsibly, AI can become one of the most powerful creative tools the music industry has ever seen.”
Jeremy Rosen, Co-Founder:
“The future of AI in music must put artists at the center — creatively, ethically, and economically. Artist Included is building a model where artists control and participate directly in the future value created from their music, voice, brand, and legacy. All ego aside, we are shifting the narrative from piracy to partnership; a timely AI reframe.”
Heavyweights Backing the Movement
Artist Included has built a powerful network of entertainment veterans, technology partners, and prominent investors to support its scale:
Category
Partner / Key Executive
Board Leadership
Robert Earl (Founder of Planet Hollywood) as Chairman of the Board.
Technology Partner
Syntiant (Developed the artist-approved vocal AI platform powering the recordings).
Strategic Investors
Mike Walsh (Uber/Salesforce seed investor), Doug Raetz (Co-President, Cresset Sports & Entertainment), and Red Light Management.
Executive Leadership
Kurt Busch (Syntiant CEO), Antony Antoniou (Capital Strategy), Rob Guthrie (Music Publishing Exec), and Patryk Strojny (Former McKinsey Exec).
Looking Ahead
At a moment when AI is reshaping the global landscape, Artist Included offers a transparent, consent-first alternative built on full rights clearance and shared economics. Additional artist partnerships, new releases, and strategic announcements will be unveiled in the coming months.
Antonio Damasio explores consciousness and interoception in his new book ‘Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousness.’ Photo: Penguin Random House
Book Review: ‘Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousness’
By Antonio Damasio
Synopsis
Throughout his illustrious, decades-long career, Antonio Damasio has been at the leading edge of science’s enduring quest to unravel the mysteries of the human mind. Now, drawing on a lifetime of groundbreaking research as well as the newest findings of neurobiology, Damasio seeks to move the debate about the origins of consciousness from the world of high-level cognition and abstract reasoning into the wondrous realm of interoception—the human body’s own internal monitoring system.
A probing synthesis of neurobiology, evolutionary science, and philosophy from one of the most notable leaders in his field, Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousnessoffers readers a scientifically rigorous and profound re-examination of what it means to be alive and aware. (Penguin Random House, 2026)
It will be released on September 15 and is available for pre-order.
Book Contents
Beginnings
Part I: The Problem of Generating Consciousness and a Sketch of Possible Solutions
Part II: Deeper Into the Solution
Part III: Now That We Know
Part IV: Afterthought
Review
Antonio Damasio’s Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousness is a fascinating exploration of one of humanity’s oldest questions: What gives rise to consciousness? Building on decades of pioneering research in neuroscience, Damasio challenges conventional theories by arguing that consciousness begins not with complex thought or language, but with the body’s internal regulation system, known as interoception.
The book’s central insight is that homeostatic feelings—such as hunger, thirst, pain, comfort, and well-being—form the biological foundation of subjective experience. Rather than treating consciousness as an abstract cognitive achievement, Damasio presents it as an evolutionary solution that helps living organisms survive and thrive. This perspective offers a compelling bridge between neurobiology, philosophy, and evolutionary science.
Beyond explaining the origins of consciousness, Damasio broadens the discussion to examine whether simpler life forms, such as plants and bacteria, exhibit primitive forms of sentience. He also explores how homeostasis influences human culture, politics, religion, and commerce, while thoughtfully considering the promises and limitations of artificial intelligence.
“…there is no guarantee that AI tools will remain as docile servants in the hands of their human owners. The possibility of their gaining independence, even if only momentarily, is certainly a reason for worry.”
His analysis raises important questions about whether machines can truly replicate conscious experience or merely imitate its outward appearance.
Key Chapter Highlights
Chapter 9: Examines how feelings developed before words and numbers, and how consciousness developed early to help guide evolution. Even though most homeostatic regulation occurs nonconsciously, some of it remains under our conscious control.
Chapter 11: Breaks down the core science behind consciousness—specifically interoception, or the ability to sense, interpret, and integrate signals from inside your body.
Chapter 18: Explores the science behind pain and nausea. Damasio explains how nausea serves as another vital bodily alert system designed to prevent damage from ingesting toxic molecules.
Chapter 22: Outlines his theories regarding artificial intelligence. Damasio posits that AI is fundamentally neutral to good because it stems from human innovation, but cautions that if the humans behind its creation have malicious intent, the technology will reflect those motives.
Final Verdict
Although the scientific concepts occasionally demand careful reading, Damasio’s arguments remain engaging, logical, and thought-provoking. Readers interested in neuroscience, cognitive science, philosophy of mind, or the future of AI will find this book both intellectually stimulating and deeply rewarding.
Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousness is a profound, accessible examination of the relationship between body, brain, and awareness that challenges readers to rethink the very nature of intelligence. Damasio delivers a compelling argument that feeling is the logic of consciousness. For anyone seeking to understand the deep biological origins of human experience, this is a definite must-read.
“Poets understood, long before neurobiologists ever could, that the glories of passionate love and the sufferings of love gone astray could be legitimately described in physiological terms, even though the physiological details are not exactly the same.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
About The Author
Antonio Damasio is University Professor, David Dornsife Professor of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Philosophy, and director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Damasio is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as the author of Descartes’ Error, The Feeling of What Happens, Looking for Spinoza, Self Comes to Mind, The Strange Order of Things, and Feeling & Knowing, all of which have been published in translation and are taught in universities throughout the world.
** Thanks to Michael Goldsmith and Penguin Random House for the gifted ARC for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
‘How to Build an AI-Powered Business’ is Book 2 in the AI for Small Businesses series of books by Mo Rousso. Photo: Amazon
📚Book Spotlight: How to Build an AI-Powered Business Without Losing Control, Trust, or Your Mind (AI for Small Businesses Book 2)
By Mo Rousso
AI is already changing how decisions are made inside your business, often without your explicit consent.
Teams are using artificial intelligence to draft plans, analyze data, shape customer communication, and move faster than ever. While productivity might be up, accountability is becoming less clear. Many leaders feel pressure, noise, and a creeping loss of control, even when results look fine on the surface.
This book explains why.
How to Build an AI-Powered Business Without Losing Control, Trust, or Your Mind is a practical leadership guide for executives, founders, and managers navigating artificial intelligence in real organizations. This is not a technical manual; it’s a leadership and management book focused on decision rights, accountability, trust, and organizational discipline.
In this fully revised Second Edition, Mo Rousso shows leaders how to use AI as a business tool without surrendering judgment or culture.
What You’ll Learn
Each chapter includes real-world business case examples that show how AI adoption succeeds—or fails—in everyday companies, from operations and sales to leadership teams and customer service. By reading this guide, you will learn how to:
Define clear decision-making authority between humans and AI
Prevent artificial intelligence from quietly eroding accountability
Build guardrails that scale across teams and departments
Improve operational throughput instead of creating more noise
Protect customer trust while increasing speed and efficiency
Lead calmly and decisively in an AI-driven business environment
This Book Is Ideal For:
Business leaders and executives looking for strategic direction
Founders and entrepreneurs scaling their companies
Managers responsible for AI adoption and implementation
Organizations integrating AI into daily operations
Anyone interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence, leadership, and management
AI will continue to accelerate. Tools will keep changing. Leadership responsibility does not disappear. This book helps you stay in control when AI is everywhere.
Mo Rousso’s clients know him as the catalyst for change, transforming potential into measurable growth. During his journey as a founder and CEO, he’s faced the same scaling challenges you’re grappling with. He doesn’t just talk about overcoming obstacles, he helps you break through them using proven business frameworks and a relentless commitment to building exceptional teams and cultures.
Having built and scaled multiple companies, Mo understands the roadblocks and frustrations firsthand. He’s leveraged frameworks like Scaling Up and Metronomics to create a business acceleration system that delivers exponential growth and lasting transformation. His journey is proof that when leadership, teamwork, and culture are aligned, businesses not only overcome obstacles, they thrive.
His business books will give you the clarity, confidence, and strategy to embrace AI without fear or confusion. He strips away the tech jargon and delivers real-world insights through engaging storytelling and practical, step-by-step guidance. Whether you’re a skeptical traditionalist or a forward-thinking entrepreneur, Mo shows you how AI can streamline operations, boost efficiency, and drive growth, all without losing the personal touch that makes your business unique.
If you want to stay competitive, work smarter, and future-proof your company, this series is your ultimate roadmap to success.
‘The Focused AI Captain’ by FocusFirst founder René Esteban. Photo: Amazon
Book Spotlight: The Focused AI Captain
How to Navigate the Storm, Empower Your Crew, and Deliver Real Value
By René Esteban
Master the Art of Leading AI Transformations for Lasting Business Success
Only 5% of enterprise AI initiatives succeed. Are you ready to be among the elite few who truly transform their organizations?
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses face a common enemy—AI initiatives that fail to deliver real impact. Millions are spent on pilots that never scale. But the true obstacle isn’t the technology itself; it’s how organizations are structured, aligned, and led. (Amazon, 2026)
In The Focused AI Captain, René Esteban, CEO of FocusFirst, reveals why most AI transformations stall and what leaders must do differently to succeed. Grounded in real-world enterprise experience, this book provides a clear, practical roadmap to turn AI ambition into measurable business results.
What You Will Learn
Inside, you will discover how to:
Master the 10-20-70 Rule: Allocate resources effectively and maximize AI ROI.
Apply the 3D Framework: Learn to Diagnose challenges, set Direction, and Deliver results.
Bridge the Trust Gap: Turn employee skepticism into active AI adoption.
Move Beyond Pilots: Confidently scale your AI initiatives across the entire organization.
Who is this book for? This book is written for CEOs, executives, and decision-makers who refuse to let their organizations fall behind in the AI revolution. Whether you’re leading a large-scale transformation or preparing your team for the next wave of AI adoption, you’ll gain practical frameworks, leadership insights, and execution tools you can apply immediately.
Get your copy now and start leading your organization to AI-driven success.
About the Author
René Esteban brings unwavering passion to making big goals tangible and inspiring people to achieve them.
As the Founder and CEO of FocusFirst, a Keynote Speaker, and a Senior Advisor to top executives, he has made it his mission to accelerate transformations in organizations. He firmly believes that complex change succeeds best through a clear focus on a single goal, excellent communication, and the active involvement of all stakeholders.
René began his career at Merck, where in his mid-20s he led the global build-out of the e-commerce division, today a billion-dollar business. This experience taught him that successful transformations depend not only on the right strategies, but critically on early and open communication with key stakeholders. His insights led to the development of the award-winning PEAK Method, through which FocusFirst has already guided more than 250 transformations.
René is a passionate entrepreneur with several companies alongside FocusFirst. He cherishes inspiring moments of exchange over Italian wine and loves traveling the world with his family – especially to Italy.
‘CRAFT Thinking’ is the new book by Philip Topham. Photo: Barnes & Noble
Book Spotlight: CRAFT Thinking: A Playbook for Clear Thinking and Better Decisions with AI
By Philip Topham
Get clearer thinking and better decisions with AI without becoming a prompt engineer.
CRAFT Thinking gives you a simple, five-step method that sharpens how you think, improves the questions you ask, and helps you get consistently better results from any artificial intelligence tool. It’s practical, repeatable, and built for everyday work, not technical experts. (Barnes & Noble, 2026)
The CRAFT Chain Reaction:
When your thinking improves, your prompts improve.
When your prompts improve, your decisions improve.
Whether you lead a company, manage a team, or simply want to do better work with AI, this playbook gives you the structure to turn uncertainty into clarity and AI conversations into meaningful insight.
The Bottom Line: > AI won’t make your work smarter. Clear thinking will, and CRAFT shows you how.
Strategic AI Advisor, Speaker, & Creator of the CRAFT Thinking™ Method
Philip Topham is a strategic AI advisor, speaker, and creator of the CRAFT Thinking™ method, a framework designed to bring clarity, intentionality, and better decision-making into the AI era.
With a career spanning corporate leadership, startup ventures, and board advisory, Philip combines the rigor of an engineer with the insight of a relationship-focused strategist. He’s earned two U.S. patents, contributed to peer-reviewed research, and worked across industries from health tech to clean tech to biotech. What sets him apart is not just his technical depth, it’s his shift toward human-centered leadership.
After stepping away to be a stay-at-home dad, Philip returned with a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with care and purpose. He brings that mindset into his work today, helping leaders think with AI, not just use it, so their organizations can grow wisely, inclusively, and sustainably.
Philip serves as co-chair of the National AI Special Interest Group for the Private Directors Association, and publishes regularly at SavionAI: The Shift.
“AI should serve all of humanity—not just the elite. And it’s our shared responsibility to build companies and institutions worthy of that promise.”
What if we told you AI is completely non-technical and the easiest tool available to improve your quality of life?
If you aren’t comfortable with technology, or you think artificial intelligence sounds like a daunting math problem, consider this your simple, stress-free roadmap. Written by the younger generation for those who want to reclaim their time, this guide teaches you how to use a powerful tool you simply type or talk to. (Amazon, 2026)
No jargon. No homework. Just a basic method to make AI your personal assistant, giving you more understanding of and control over your:
Home Life
Health
Wealth
Security
Independence
You haven’t missed the memo; the instructions up until now have just been completely missing or buried in confusing tech-speak. You are sharp and capable, but you’re likely tired of wasting time on monotonous tasks and complicated technology.
Real Solutions Are Simple
AI isn’t just for tech companies. Here is how it can solve everyday headaches right now:
Instantly Cut Through Confusion: Turn any complicated bill, medical form, or long legal letter into one simple next step.
Protect Your Money & Safety: Learn to spot fake voices, images, and sophisticated scams before they ever reach your wallet.
Master Your Wellness: Take pictures of pill bottles for a clean medication list, or turn vague symptoms into clear questions for your doctor.
Communicate with Confidence: Get help drafting firm but respectful emails, or translate slang from younger family members.
The Promise: Authors Andrew Robbins and Noah Kruthaupt are part of the generation that built these tools. Their promise to you is simple: If you can type or talk, you can use AI to reclaim your time, protect your money, and secure your independence.
Inside the Book, You Will Instantly Learn:
The “Calculator for Words” Secret: Use AI as your personal calculator for words, guaranteed to clarify any messy or confusing information.
The 92:8 Principle for Time: Learn the simple rule for delegating 92% of your necessary-but-draining tasks to AI.
The HAT Method for Talking to “The Robot”: A simple, three-step method for structuring your requests that forces the AI to give you the best answers.
The #1 Defensive Habit: Proactively use AI to spot advanced scams, transforming your phone and inbox into a safe, reliable defense system.
The Curious Growth Strategy: Use AI as your cognitive coach to instantly summarize books, test your knowledge, and plan your personal growth.
“But Is This a Complicated Tech Book?”
We understand that feeling. This book assumes absolutely zero tech background and is made purely for your self-growth:
🛑 You Can’t Break It: You are learning a compounding skill, the only result of a “mistake” is just getting a better answer next time.
💻 No Coding Required: If you can send a text or write a note, you have all the skill needed. This guide focuses only on the three essential skills to get the biggest return.
⏳ Low Time Commitment: This guide is organized for quick, practical wins, not deep technical theory.
Live Life on Your Own Terms
This book simply gives you an easy-to-use tool to thrive in the modern world. You’ve earned your independence, don’t waste it on busy work. It’s time to let a machine handle the boring, draining tasks so you can stay in the driver’s seat.
Secure your copy todayand rest easier with a new tool that keeps you capable, connected, and independent.
Meet the Authors
Noah Kruthaupt
Noah is a student business owner, founder, and AI professional focused on helping people understand and apply artificial intelligence in practical, real-world ways. While studying business and entrepreneurship, Noah began working directly with organizations, educators, and everyday adults who were being asked to use AI without ever being taught how to think about it. He saw the same pattern repeatedly: powerful tools, unclear guidance, and growing confusion, especially among experienced professionals and leaders who didn’t grow up with this technology.
Andrew (Andy) Robbins
Andy is a founder and AI professional who specializes in building practical, custom artificial intelligence solutions for real-world use. With a background in technology and systems development, Andy works at the intersection of AI capability and business operations. His focus is on designing solutions that help organizations use AI responsibly, efficiently, and in ways that fit their existing workflows without unnecessary complexity or disruption.
The chart topping, award winning podcast returns to explore AI and the apocalypse. Photo: Agoric Media, used with permission.
Suspicious Minds Podcast Selected for 2026 Tribeca Creators Market as Season 2 Premieres
NEW YORK — Suspicious Minds, the critically acclaimed Top 100 charting podcast series, has officially been selected for the 2026 Tribeca Creators Market, taking place June 8–10 in New York City. (EG-PR, 2026)
Produced by Agoric Media in partnership with Wondermind (the mental health media company co-founded by Mandy Teefey and Selena Gomez), the exciting announcement perfectly coincides with the launch of Season Two: AI and the Apocalypse, which premiered on May 21 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.
Exploring AI, Anxiety, and the End of the World
Fresh off two Webby Award nominations (Best New Podcast in News, Business & Society and Podcast: Documentary), Suspicious Minds has established itself as one of the most original projects exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming human life.
While Season One examined the emergent phenomenon often referred to as “AI Psychosis,” Season Two takes a larger, more existential view: What does the age of AI mean for our collective psychology and sense of the future?
AI and the Apocalypse is a deep investigation into humanity’s oldest and most persistent fear: the end of all things. The series asks not just whether AI could end the world, but why humans have always needed to imagine that it might, and what that obsession reveals about meaning, mortality, and the strange moment we are all living through.
Across eight episodes, the season dives into:
The deep history of apocalyptic thinking
The psychology of dread and doomsday prepping
Transhumanism and anti-natalism
Pro-extinctionism and the art we create to face what we most fear
The Minds Behind the Show
Host and Creator Sean King O’Grady spent two years speaking with the world’s leading philosophers, scientists, psychologists, historians, and theologians.
As with Season One, the new episodes are anchored by the thinking and contributions of Dr. Joel Gold and Ian Gold, PhD—the brilliant brothers who coined “The Truman Show Delusion” and authored the book Suspicious Minds: How Culture Shapes Madness. Together, they examine whether AI represents a genuine existential threat, and what it reveals about the human psyche that so many of us are now living inside that question.
Executive Production Team
Executive Producers: Mandy Teefey, Selena Gomez, Jonathon Glucksman, David Tuohy, Feras M. Shammami, Jesse Ford, and Molly Borman.
Producer: Jesse Ford.
Heavy-Hitting Guest Lineup
This season features an incredible roster of expert interview subjects, including:
Timothy Morton – Author of Hyperobjects and Hell: In Search of a Christian Ecology
David Benatar – Antinatalist philosopher and author of Better to Have Never Been
Professor Judith Wolfe – St. Andrews School of Divinity
Sheldon Solomon – Psychologist and founder of Terror Management Theory
Dr. Michael Ferguson – Harvard Neurospirituality Lab
Dr. Samuel Justin Sinclair – Psychologist and Writer for The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists
Nolen Gertz – Author of Nihilism and Technology
Johann Hari – Author of Stolen Focus
Malo Bourgon – CEO of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute
Emily Ray and Robert Kirsch – Authors of Be Prepared
Kelly Bulkely – Psychologist and renowned Dream Expert
James Cussen – Creator of The Living Philosophy on YouTube and Substack
Dorian Lynskey – Author of Everything Must Go
Dr. Amy Levy – Chair of the American Psychoanalytic Association President’s Commission on Artificial Intelligence
From the Creators
“Humans have been thinking about a catastrophic end to our species since we first started throwing paint on the walls of caves. Each generation believes it might be the last. But I keep wondering — in an era of compounding existential threats… if this time we might be right. What does it mean to be living through such a moment? And how do we face our own deaths while holding the prospect of the end of all human life?”
— Sean King O’Grady, Host & Creator
“Right now, millions of people are walking around with an anxiety about the future that they can’t quite name. I’ve always believed that naming what you’re feeling is the first step to doing something about it. That’s why we made Suspicious Minds: AI and the Apocalypse — to take something so new and so frightening and make it human.”
— Mandy Teefey, Executive Producer & Co-Founder of Wondermind
Award-Winning Storytelling
The series’ Tribeca Creators Market selection brings Suspicious Minds to one of the most prestigious independent media markets in the world, backed by heavy critical acclaim.
Award Competition
Category
Result
2026 Telly Awards
Series – Non-Scripted
Winner (Bronze)
2026 Telly Awards
Series – Documentary
Winner (Bronze)
2026 Telly Awards
Campaign – Health & Safety
Winner (Bronze)
2026 Webby Awards
Best New Podcast (News, Business & Society)
Nominated
2026 Webby Awards
Podcast: Documentary
Nominated
About Wondermind
Wondermind is the world’s first comprehensive and multifaceted mental fitness ecosystem. The company is on a mission to destigmatize and democratize mental health while normalizing and advancing the topic of mental fitness through candid conversations and expert-backed insights. Comprising three verticals — content, editorial, and product — Wondermind provides the tools and language necessary to make navigating your mental health a little easier.
Host and Creator Sean King O’Grady. Photo: Agoric Media, used with permission.
**Spanish Version** – The year is 2040, and the scales of justice are being recalibrated. In a world where the line between silicon and soul is blurring, Juan Manuel Sánchez Fernández delivers a gripping futuristic legal thriller that explores the fragile boundary between technology and humanity.
Synopsis: Justice Reborn
Justice has changed: lawyers are no longer only human. After the mysterious murder of a brilliant lawyer from Almeria, an unscrupulous corporation decides to create AGF 40, the first robot lawyer with a built-in human brain.
The mission seems straightforward: relive the victim’s final moments to identify the murderer. However, within the machine, something awakens that was never part of the code: conscience, ethics, and memory. In a system corrupted by power, AGF 40 faces a dangerous dilemma: obey its creators or seek the truth, even if it leads to its own destruction. With the help of Natalia Domene, a young lawyer struggling between reason and heart, AGF 40 discovers that justice does not always reside in codes, but in the difficult decisions that define us as humans. (Amazon, 2026)
The Review: A Cyborg’s Quest for Truth
The Catalyst
The story opens with a shock: Aniceto Gázquez Figueroa is assassinated in a public restaurant during a business meeting. The investigation, led by Sgt. Castillo and Lt. Rupérez, yields frustratingly few clues, only a specific gun type and a getaway car.
Aniceto’s family donates his brain to Novus Robotics, headed by the narcissistic Edward Carver. The result is AGF 40 (named after the donor’s initials and the year of creation), a cyborg intended to revolutionize the Spanish justice system.
Man vs. Machine
It begins as a corporate experiment and quickly evolves into a complex moral struggle. AGF 40 realizes that Novus Robotics intends to use him for financial gain rather than the betterment of humanity. This realization prompts a daring escape.
The narrative shines as AGF 40 reunites with his former law partner, Natalia Domene. Together, they navigate a legal landscape that forces both characters and readers to confront uncomfortable questions, including the ethical minefield of defending those they believe are guilty.
Character Dynamics
AGF 40: A groundbreaking blend of code and memory. His evolution from a calculated tool to a moral agent drives the tension of the book.
Edward Carver: While character development is lean in some areas, Carver stands out as a “Dr. Frankenstein” figure. He is a complicated, narcissistic visionary who views his creation with a mix of pride and growing dread.
Natalia Domene: She provides the emotional heartbeat of the story, representing the human struggle between logic and compassion.
Final Verdict
Sánchez Fernández’ prose is vivid and descriptive, utilizing a non-linear narrative to keep the reader off-balance. “Castillo exhale un suspiro frustrado y miró por la ventana, observando cómo las olas del mar de Cabo de Gata hacían bailar la noche oscura.”
While the setting is sci-fi, the themes are deeply rooted in contemporary concerns about AI replacing human professions, from maids and guards to, eventually, lawyers.
Robolex ultimately asks: Is justice defined by rules, or by the courage to challenge them?
For fans of: Science fiction, legal procedurals, and philosophical thrillers.
Key takeaway: A detailed look at the intersection of bio-engineering and the law.
“Por primera vez desde su reactivación, AGF 40 sintió una punzada de duda. ¿Era él, el mismo abogado que alguna vez luchó por la justicia? O era simplement una version mejorada de un hombre que ya no existía.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
About the Author
Juan Manuel Sánchez Fernández is a practicing lawyer from Almeria with over two decades of experience, including defense work in high-profile murder cases. He turned to writing as a therapeutic hobby during a personal crisis, leading to the success of his debut novel, El Abogado Adicto.
His second novel, El Abogado y La Mafia, has reached international audiences across North America, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Robolex continues his streak of blending deep legal expertise with high-stakes storytelling.
How Leaders Close the Innovation Gap and Outpace Disruption
By Kris Poria and Jeff Penrose
Synopsis
In a world where technology evolves faster than organizations can adapt, most leaders face a widening gap between what they know they must achieve and what their systems can actually deliver. Traditional R&D, consulting, and procurement models were never built for today’s exponential pace of change and the cost of inaction has become catastrophic. (Amazon, 2026)
The Innovation Intelligence Advantage reveals a breakthrough solution: an entirely new organizational capability that helps enterprises, governments, and defense agencies stay ahead of disruption – Innovation Intelligence.
Drawing on real-world experience building the EarlyBirds Operational Innovation System, authors Kris Poria and Jeff Penrose show how organizations can:
Eliminate innovation blind spots.
Sense global shifts before competitors or adversaries.
Build resilient, sovereign supply chains.
De-risk multi-year programs with live intelligence.
Rapidly adopt emerging technologies.
Transform strategy into a dynamic, evidence-based capability.
Empower a future-ready workforce.
Unlock continuous innovation as an operational discipline.
With clear frameworks and practical insights, this book introduces the four mechanisms that redefine how organizations operate. Together, they form a living intelligence system that accelerates decision-making, strengthens resilience, and creates permanent strategic advantage.
The future belongs to those who can see change coming and act. Innovation Intelligence shows you how.
Whether you lead a Fortune 500 company, a government agency, a defense organization, or a large-scale transformation program, this book offers a proven path to outpace disruption and thrive in a volatile world.
About the Authors
Kris Poria – Kris is the Co-founder and CEO of EarlyBirds, leading a global Open Innovation and Intelligence Ecosystem. His mission is to help enterprises, governments, and defense organizations discover emerging technologies, anticipate disruption, and maintain a competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving world.
Jeff Penrose – Jeff is the Co-founder and COO of EarlyBirds. An ICT specialist with deep international experience across the private and public sectors, Jeff has held senior executive and technical roles focused on solving complex problems. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Executive Leadership and is a staunch advocate for continuous learning.
SA Examiner 