Sutskever's List

you own this product
Foundational ideas of modern AI
Richard Heimann
  • MEAP began September 2025
  • Last updated September 2025
  • Publication in Spring 2026 (estimated)
  • ISBN 9781633434790
  • 275 pages (estimated)
  • printed in black & white

pro $24.99 per month

  • access to all Manning books, MEAPs, liveVideos, liveProjects, and audiobooks!
  • choose one free eBook per month to keep
  • exclusive 50% discount on all purchases
  • renews monthly, pause or cancel renewal anytime

lite $19.99 per month

  • access to all Manning books, including MEAPs!

team

5, 10 or 20 seats+ for your team - learn more


Look inside
“If you really learn all of these, you’ll know 90% of what matters today.”
– Ilya Sutskever


AI is transforming the world faster than we could have imagined. But how did we get here? AI guru Ilya Sutskever made the bold claim that most of what you need to know about modern AI is captured in 30 seminal research papers on deep learning.

What did Ilya see? Read through Sutskever’s List and you’ll uncover the breakthroughs, ideas, and mental models that shaped his vision and much more, all clearly explained and interpreted by veteran author and teacher Richard Heimann. You’ll discover:

  • The technical breakthroughs that have shaped AI strategy, safety, and cultural shifts
  • How to decode landmark AI papers—from AlexNet to Transformers
  • Engineering patterns and design choices that scale from research to real-world systems
  • Evaluating the strengths and limits of deep learning without falling for hype or cynicism
  • Applying Sutskever’s mental models to forecast and navigate future AI trends

OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever is one of the most important figures in modern deep learning. Along with developing the GPT models, he is the originator of the famous “Sutskever’s List”—a reading list of 30 research papers that cover “90% of what matters” in AI. In Sutskever’s List, AI expert Rich Heimann dives into each of these influential and vitally-important papers, revealing the breakthroughs that shaped Ilya’s thinking and the entire AI field.

about the book

In Sutskever’s List, author Rich Heimann takes you on a tour through Sutskever’s List in his accessible and insightful style, unpacking each paper with clear explanations, vivid historical anecdotes, and examples that connect lab results to real-world consequences. You’ll follow the story of modern AI, from scaling laws to internal organizational politics, as Rich demystifies the complex research and simple human choices that gave rise to artificial intelligence. And unlike the 30 amazing papers Rich interprets, this accessible book requires no specialist knowledge!

about the reader

For anyone interested in modern AI and deep learning.

about the author

Richard Heimann has honed his deep AI and machine learning expertise across technical and strategic roles in industry, academia, and government. His work spans neural networks, generative AI, and transformative applications, and he is versed in decades of philosophical debate. An author of several books, he excels at translating complex ideas into clear, engaging insights for audiences from practitioners to policymakers.
choose your plan

team

monthly
annual
$49.99
$399.99
only $33.33 per month
  • five seats for your team
  • access to all Manning books, MEAPs, liveVideos, liveProjects, and audiobooks!
  • choose another free product every time you renew
  • choose twelve free products per year
  • exclusive 50% discount on all purchases
  • renews monthly, pause or cancel renewal anytime
  • renews annually, pause or cancel renewal anytime
  • Sutskever's List ebook for free
choose your plan

team

monthly
annual
$49.99
$399.99
only $33.33 per month
  • five seats for your team
  • access to all Manning books, MEAPs, liveVideos, liveProjects, and audiobooks!
  • choose another free product every time you renew
  • choose twelve free products per year
  • exclusive 50% discount on all purchases
  • renews monthly, pause or cancel renewal anytime
  • renews annually, pause or cancel renewal anytime
  • Sutskever's List ebook for free