8 Sc-Fi Book Recommendations by Aaron Rasmussen

Aaron Rasmussen (LinkedIn) is the co-founder of MasterClass (that celebrity-taught online course platform, $3B valuation). He later founded Outlier (dot) org ($200M valuation) for accredited college courses.

Extraordinary facts:
🫧turned a high school chemistry accident that temporarily* blinded* him into inspiration for an award-winning audio-only horror game;
🫧has a joined degree in Computer Science and Mass Communications (ads) from Boston University.

Aaron says: "Science fiction prepared me for AI better than my computer science degree."

Here, we share 8 books recommended by Aaron, with "Ease of Read" estimated by Claude, where 1 stands for "easy-peasy," and 10 for "oh, so hard." From the oldest, to the newest, Amazon links're included.

1. "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster, UK. 40 pages, 1909, 6/10. Early dystopian vision of technology isolation and control.

2. "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov, USSR/USA. 224 pages, 1950, 5/10. Classic sci-fi short stories foundational to modern robotics themes.

3. "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert A. Heinlein, USA. 382 pages, 1966, 6/10. Classic libertarian sci-fi with political intrigue and revolution on the lunar colony.

4. "Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect" by Roger Williams, USA. 250 pages, 1994, 7/10. Mind-bending AI ethics, deep philosophical questions on humanity and control.

5. "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson, USA. 355 pages, 1995, 8/10. Complex cyberpunk narrative blending tech, culture, and education.

6. "Ancillary* Justice" by Ann Leckie, USA. 409 pages, 2013, 7/10. Award-winning space opera focused on identity and AI consciousness.

7. "Blindsight" by Peter Watts, Canada. 400 pages, 2006, 9/10. Deep, scientifically rigorous first contact novel exploring consciousness and alien life, challenging norms.

8. "A Closed and Common Orbit" by Becky Chambers, USA. 336 pages, 2016, 3/10. Heartwarming exploration of AI and identity in a gentle, optimistic future.

*Glossary
🫧Ancillary - supporting to the main activities.
"The book includes an ancillary website with video tutorials and practice quizzes for students."
🫧Temporarily - for a limited period of time.
"I'm temporarily staying with my parents until my new apartment is ready."
🫧Blinded - unable to see.
"The bright flash of the explosion blinded him for a few moments."

Over to you
🫧Can you add a rommendation to the list in the* comments?
🫧Do you feel like picking a book from the list for us to read and discuss toegther over Zoom?

*Thank you @Roziy_15 for catching me dropping the "the" article - well done, keep going!

There won't be any posts here over the weekend. Take time to explore our podcasts on EnglishForImpact's YouTube channel. Have a good one ⭐️

12 Phrases to Read English Colleagues Between the Lines

Even though Anglo Saxons appear more polite and polished compared to many others, it doesn't mean they don't get annoyed or impatient. In the culture that doesn't encourage open expression of rudeness, it's important to learn to read the real intent behind the speech.

Especially common for communications with clients or higher ups, when you feel double constraints on genuine self-expression.

🫧I appreciate your concern - Your input is noted but I’m doing it my way. Translation: Stop bothering me

🫧Thank you for your patience - Sorry this took forever, but let’s pretend you agreed to wait. Often means: I know you’re annoyed

🫧Moving forward - Let’s forget that mess and never speak of it again. Subtext: That’s behind us now

🫧For clarity - You’re wrong and here’s why. Implies: Let me explain this since you clearly didn’t get it

🫧Gentle reminder - This is the third time I’m asking and I’m irritated. Means: Do this NOW

🫧I’m copying [name of the person CCed] for visibility - I need witnesses/backup or I want to make sure someone important sees this. Sometimes: Covering my ass

🫧Happy to discuss further - I’m done with this conversation but being polite.

🫧Thanks in advance - Do this, it’s not really optional. Implies: I expect compliance

🫧As stated previously - Can you not read? I already told you this. Subtext: I’m frustrated you’re making me repeat myself

🫧I’d love to hear your thoughts - Give me feedback but I’ve probably already decided. Sometimes genuine, often procedural

🫧Please advise - I need a decision/answer from you, or This is your problem now. Passive-aggressive way to push responsibility

🫧While I understand your urgency - Your panic is not my priority. Translation: Calm down, this isn’t that urgent​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

IG reference corporategags

⭐️ What phrase & interpretation won you over?

The Importance of Genuine Shout-outs ⭐️

When I find the motivation, courage, and strength to praise a person publically without expecting anything back, I always feel good after it. Sometimes I get tangible value back immidiately [as in the screenshot: gave a reco - received a reco], sometimes later, indirectly, sometimes it remains an energy boost.

3 pitfalls I've fallen into & the consequences

PITFALL 1: I gave a shout-out to someone I don't genuinely like cause I wanted to suck up to them.
📌Consequence: Lost self-respect for a bit and didn't win anyone over.

PITFALL 2: I gave a shout-out and asked that person to return the favor.
📌Consequence: the person feels pressured and the shout-out I received back felt contrived, not genuine.

PITFALL 3: I gave a shout-out to someone, didn't ask them to retun the favor, but felt bad cause she didn't do any promo back for me.
📌Consequence: I was trying to manipulate the person without realising it. If you expect a favor back, ask for it beforehand.

Luckily, I can reflect, learn, and change, at least a bit.

Shout-out Glossary
🫧a shout-out - a quick public thank-you or praise
🫧genuine - real, honest, not fake
🫧a deep appreciation for sth - a strong recognition of importance of sth
🫧a knack for - natural talent or skill for something
🫧persistent - not giving up; continuing even when it’s hard

🪴 Do you want to give a shout-out to a friend right now? Tell us about a person or project that inspires you and share a link to their social media page or website.
Don’t promote yourself;)

It'a all about people - The 21st Zoom Practice Happening RN

At the time when this message is released, @ybeymlina is in the Zoom meeting with the most committed and ambitious readers of this channel - summarising the S2S topic of the week, using 10 advanced phrases, building fluency and... network.

Now, it's time for a coming out.

Our 1st meeting took place on July, 9, 2025, as an experiment. There was no registration and everyone was pretty much invited to walk in. Things didn't run smoothly: guys connecting from noisy places, poor signal, pre-intermediate learners showing up for advanced practice cause they didn't read the denoscription.

😱 Amidst all that mess, there was another fear creeping in: what if no one shows up? Will there be enough interest to sustain the practice? After all, @englishforimpact doesn't dumb down the content which may present a challenge. "Shall we lower the bar?" - the existential question was looming big.

It took us 3 months and 12 meetings of tweaking the format and registration process, when the idea finally landed: it's not about quantity, it's about quality. And exclusivity :) That's when we relaxed and started enjoying the process. And people.

Yep, it's actually the people that make these Zoom meetings bright. Spmetimes there's 1 participant. Sometimes 10. Always, they add to the magic, the 3d essential component. The learning materials, the facilitator, and the people, making up 3 components.

At the time of the 21st meeting, we're are giving the shout-out to 7 people who stood out and whose presence made our Zoom practice meetings special. There're more of them than 7, but 7 is Yulia's lucky number, so sticking to 7 this time.

🫧@duran - a "500 Startups" founder, building Talk Labs – Voice AI Simulations for Training Customer-Facing Staff. What makes him a great participnat - always generous with emojis and emotionally expressive.
🫧@marjoriefmr - a traveler from 🇨🇱 Chile. Gives us great perspectives on discussed topics.
🫧@irina_han - the admin of @chasingwine. A rare person combining a knack for systems thinking (a business analyst) and a developped creative side.
🫧@inc2205 - another interdisiplinary guy, an architect AND a product manager. The most interesting ideas are born at the intersections, and I'm convinced this fellow will produce some serious shit.
🫧@ggodunov - a co-founder of an influencer marketing agency and an owner of an inspiring LinkedIn account
🫧@anasteisha1k - a member who's been with us since S2S's very conception, before this channel popped up. Committed, adaptable, fun - I wish I had had such a practice buddy back when I was learning English.
🫧@Zelsystem - a software engineer and a builder of his own app for English vocabulary learning. Welcome to share the link in the comments, Anton!

I thank you for your commitment and staying true to your English practice goals. You're going strong, keep up the good habit.

🪴 Want to join the lucky 7, boost your English, and, potentially, get featured in this growing channel? Text Wednesday to @ybeymlina to apply. Share with a friend who needs that magic kick to get started.

Why You Need Therapy or 3 Cases of Catenation

When spoken quickly and naturally, the phrases in this trannoscript undergo significant changes. Here’s a breakdown of the 3 cases of catenation at work.

Catenation, a.k.a. Linking
This is the smooth connection of the final sound of one word to the first sound of the next word.

1️⃣ "Hey, did_" -> "Heydid"
Vowel to consonant linking

2️⃣ "edit_it" -> "edidit"
Consonant to vowel linking

3️⃣"I_edited" -> "Iyedited"
This is also a form of intrusion: a new sound is inserted between 2 words as they're linked together, to make the transition from the first to the next a bit smoother. In this case, a slight /j/ ("y") sound is inserted between the /aɪ/ ("I") and the following vowel /ɛ/ ("e" in "edited"). This makes the transition less jarring.

Besides catenation, more things happen when you speak fast:
🫧elision (the disappearance of sounds)
🫧assimilation (sounds changing to become more like their neighbors)
🫧vowel reduction (unstressed vowels weaken and become a neutral "uh" sound, called a schwa /ə/)
🫧and some others.

This is quite a nerdy topic, that's why we don't speak about it. But if you think we should, please let us know.

IG reference notrudyayb

🪴 Send this to a future Eminem

4 TOP Popular Posts of November

Saying "Bye-bye, fall, hello, winter" feels weird from Viet Nam. We do honour the milestones, though. Let's review the posts you've enjoyed the most in November.

💓TOP by views
Vocab quiz: long-watered OR long-winded?
Great for vocabulary review. We only quiz you on vocabulary that was introduced in our posts throughout the week - pay attention & reap benifits.

💓TOP by shares
12 Phrases to Read English Colleagues Between the Lines
Great for understanding the mindset of your clients, colleages, investors around the world.

💓TOP by comments
The Importance of Genuine Shout-outs
Great for learning the practical value and vocabulary of mutual support.

💓TOP by reactions
"Humans of English for Impact" — Irina Khan
Great for getting inspired by one of the readers to submit your video self-presentation.

🪴 Thank you for choosing @EnglishForImpact
What kind of posts would you like to see more of in December?

December, the 1st in History: 5 notable events ranked from oldest to most recent

🇵🇹1640 - Portugal ended 59 years of union with Spain, acclaiming João IV as King [Wiki]

🇺🇸1865 - Shaw University, the first historically black university in the southern United States, was founded [Wiki]

🇺🇸1955 - Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger [Wiki]

🏳️1959 - The Antarctic Treaty was signed by 12 countries, making Antarctica a demilitarized zone reserved for scientific research [Wiki]

🇬🇧🇫🇷1990 - The Channel Tunnel connecting the United Kingdom and France was officially opened [Wiki]

🪴 Remember: you're making your personal history today. Keep going - it matters.

@GoGlobalWorld's Pitch Day Overview

Last week I attended a "Pitch Day" organised by GGW (“Go Global World”)

Before sharing my insights, let me give huge cheers to the host Alexandr Zlotnikov and judges Luis Martinez, Matviy K. They managed to keep a dynamic pace for 90 min so well that I manageed to stay 70% awake from 1 am to 2.30 am 💤

THE FORMAT

@DanilGGW opens and closes the ceremony. In between, the host and the judges remain on the stage, as founders come and go to share their decks and deliver their speeches. 3 min for the pitch, 2 min for Q&A.
You can see the timer widget in the upper right corner - it's very neat and makes cute little sounds for the 10 sec count-down. I loved the timer widget so much that I added looking into adding one to my backlog.

FOUNDERS

🫧 domain agnostic (=the industry doesn't matter)
🫧 mostly B2C
🫧 pre-revenue projects and with revenue traction
🫧 international founders: Greece, India, USA, and many other locations sharing the stage
🫧 50/50 ratio of male to female founders, approximately.
As far as I remember, I fell asleep at certain points - remember, 1AM-2.30AM ;)

TAKE-AWAYS

❓ Most of the Q&A questions concerned metrics: customer retention, time to get to $10M ARR, CAC, customer acquisition channels. Super practical, on point, down to earth.

🌎 The international vibe makes a difference. As much as I admire the work of Russian only pitching communities, if you want to go global and sell to international markets, you need to surround yourself with an international community. Go Global World is a great chance to do so.

⭐️ Energy matters! I caught myself making an impression of a founder during the first 10 sec. The remaining 2.50 sec I was tuning in for data to confirm my initial bias. Guys, your energy matters as a founder and you can learn to work with it, to an extent at first. And then, to even a greater extent ;)

Are you an active founder, product manager or looking to become one? Share what you're building or want to build in the comments 💓

Rules are rules, and everyone's equal. Just some people are more equal than others, aren't they 🐷

Truly hope this video, although an exaggeration, will help to dismantle the unconditional worship of native speakers. The skit IS realistic.

Glossary

🫧Midterm - The main exam or test in the middle of a school term or semester, not at the end.
🫧To bend the rules - To loosely interpret or slightly break minor rules, usually for convenience, without technically breaking them completely.
🫧Two grand - Two thousand.
🫧Unconditional worship - Extreme admiration or devotion given to someone no matter what they do, without any limits or requirements.
🫧To dismantle - to take apart, break into pieces.

IG reference helenlanguagelab
British Sitcom "Mind your Language"

🪴 Your turn
What accent is the most challenging for you to understand?
Are you happy with the accent you have or wanna modify it in any way?

👋 Sending a shout-out to Ivan Gan, an investement analyst at Deep Tech Origgin Ventures, for joining our "PitchUp Club" as a guest.

At "PitchUp", active founders and high potential wannabes gather every week for 90 min to break down a speech sample of a successful founder, construct our own ones, and exchange feedback. This allows the club members to share their ideas with confidence at demo days, product releases, and challenging Q&As.

Any fans of Khan Academy here? Did you watch Sal's Maths or History videos? Last meeting when Ivan joined us, we dived into Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn's Founder)'s interview with Sal Khan (Khan Academy's Founder). We broke down Sal's 5-min answer to "What drove you to create Khan Migo?"

Here's Sal Khan's 7 paragraph answer structure to: "What drove you to create Khan Migo?":

1. Personal take and importance: "It's pretty much all I think about these days"

2. Pre-history with Khan Academy & key USP - personalisation. "And what I really was trying to do was scale up what a tutor would do, scale up personalization"

3. Starting Khan Migo from a tech perspective

4. Taking the standpoint of his critics & showing transformation journey. Turning risks into features

5. Mitigating a specific risk - PG18

6. The measures taken at Khan Academy to ensure smooth operations

7. Wrap up the answer in a 1 sentence summary

RESOURCES
🫧Reid Hoffman & Sal Khan's Full Interview on YouTube. The answer to the question "What drove you to create Khan Migo?" starts at 8:30.

Ivan's background helped us to get an international take on storytelling, something that all of us appreciated. Even Valera the Duck started projecting light from his beak.

I admire you, PitchUp Club members, for taking 90 min from you busy schedule to invest in your long term growth. The words are a key to power and I'm rooting for you.

🪴 Want to join the PitchUp Club? DM @ybeymlina PitchUp to apply.