The Wisepreneurs Podcast Curating for the Curious: How Tomáš Baránek Picks Books That Matter
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In this Wisepreneurs Podcast episode, host Nigel Rawlins speaks with Czech publisher and technologist Tomáš Baránek about the enduring value of curated publishing in a world saturated by fast content and generative AI. Tomáš shares how his team at Melvil Publishing selects nonfiction titles with long-term value, from authors like Yuval Noah Harari and David Grann, and why translating a book well is just as much a craft as writing it.
They unpack the risks of over-relying on AI for writing, thinking, and decision-making, and how misinformation and loss of cognitive depth are very real challenges. Tomáš, now studying machine learning in his 50s, gives honest reflections on critical thinking, resisting digital overwhelm, and why slow, intentional reading still matters.
The conversation aligns with three Wisepreneurs categories:
• AI-Augmented Work – The limits of automation in creative publishing
• Cognitive Vitality & Longevity – The role of learning, deep reading, and continuing education
• Resilient Transitions & Support – Navigating knowledge work and reinvention in midlife and beyond
Topics Covered:
•Curated nonfiction publishing in Czechia
•Why Melvil limits its annual titles to focus on quality
•The dangers of AI hallucinations and misinformation
•The challenge of maintaining cognitive engagement in an automated world
•Going back to university at 53 to study machine learning
•Why book translation is about cultural resonance, not just language
Books Mentioned:
•Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
•Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari
•The Wager by David Grann
•End of Procrastination by Petr Ludwig
•The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
Tools & Topics:
•Readwise, Roam Research, Logseq
•GPT models and AI assistants
•Translation workflows, agents, and AI hallucinations
Where to Find Tomáš:
•LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasbaranek/
•BlueSky Profile https://bsky.app/profile/tombarys.bsky.social
•Melvil
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