HUMAN AGAIN: In the AI Age by J.D. Macpherson

A Nonfiction Novel published by Cairnstone Press on (11/26/25)

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery

This nonfiction book on human-computer interaction and AI semantics is centered on understanding and utilizing AI. The author presents AI as a tool, a partner, a co-thinker, an assistant, a force multiplier, and more. The author, a journalist first and foremost, delved into AI use as part of the research for this book. Along with personal experience, the author combines thorough research, providing citations throughout.

Keywords:

Nonfiction, AI, Technology, Humanity, Tool, ChatGPT

My Review:

Although the author says they aren’t explicitly pro-AI or anti-AI, the tone of the book is distinctly AI-forward. The author challenges readers to keep an open mind and offers a wide range of examples showing how AI is already useful, and increasingly necessary to understand and adopt. The concept the author returns to most often is intention in the use of AI.

This book is a journalist’s take on AI. The questions the author poses are uniquely searching and deep, often reading more like a research paper, complete with references at the end of each chapter.

Intertwined with the philosophy and nature of AI in our current moment are practical tips and tools such as avoiding the “AI ick,” creating an AI profile, and having deeper conversations with AI. The book’s real strength lies in the broader context it provides. Rather than a step-by-step guide, it functions as an instruction manual for what thoughtful use of the paid version of ChatGPT can look like and how to achieve that outcome.

The author makes a compelling case for AI’s real-world applications: AI tutoring can increase student engagement, AI brainstorming can help creatives become more innovative, and AI tools at work can improve both enjoyment and focus. The examples are concrete and easy to imagine applying to your own use of tools like ChatGPT and adopting them into your own life.

The core argument, that the future belongs to those who can balance AI efficiency with human insight, appears in different forms throughout the book. This repetition reinforces the idea that AI defines the current era, but meaning still belongs to humans. As the author puts it, “You’re not just shaping text, you’re curating meaning. Welcome to your new role: You, The Editor.” The book argues that AI doesn’t replace who you are but amplifies it. But as AI filters into everything technological and its competitive advantage erodes, intention becomes the true differentiator. Or perhaps, as Syndrome from The Incredibles famously said, “When everyone’s super, no one will be.”

This book is for anyone who hasn’t been paying attention to AI beyond headlines and social media rants. This book is for anyone wanting to start using Chat, level up their game using Chat, or level the playing field with intention.

This novel was published on 11/26/2025 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information

Goodreads