Faisal Hoque’s Transcend is a thoughtful, refreshingly human-centered look at our relationship with artificial intelligence. It doesn’t scream “tech hype” or drown in dystopian doom. Instead, it calmly, methodically—and honestly, kind of beautifully—asks us to reflect on what makes us human in the first place. Through two core frameworks, OPEN and CARE, Hoque offers practical tools for using AI responsibly, while never losing sight of ethics, purpose, and connection. It’s part guidebook, part philosophical journal, and part wake-up call.

What really stood out to me is how Hoque doesn’t treat AI like a gadget or a trend. Right from the introduction, where he likens AI to the philosopher’s stone—a tool that could elevate or destroy us—he grounds this tech in the context of ancient spiritual and philosophical ideas​. It’s bold, but it works. He isn’t afraid to talk about topics attributed to a person’s soul—truth, love, wonder—even while explaining neural networks and machine learning.

The writing isn’t always breezy. Some chapters do feel like they’re straddling a TED Talk and a philosophy lecture. But I appreciated that Hoque never talks down to the reader. He assumes we can handle nuance. The section about AI and value judgments, especially the part referencing the Bhagavad Gita, was surprisingly moving. It’s a powerful reminder that doing nothing is still a choice

Another thing I appreciated was the frameworks. OPEN (Observe, Probe, Engage, Navigate) and CARE (Consciousness, Awareness, Responsibility, Ethics) are not just acronyms. They’re practical, adaptable, and surprisingly not corny. In Chapter 10, when Hoque applies them to government and business settings, it really clicked how scalable these ideas are. He’s not just preaching mindfulness to individuals—he’s arguing for systems-level transformation. And he does it without sounding preachy or naive. It’s idealism with boots on the ground​.

Transcend is a thoughtful, sometimes poetic, always grounded take on AI that’s more about people than code. It’s not a book full of hacks or hot takes. It’s more like a long conversation with someone who knows a lot, cares a lot, and wants to help the rest of us figure it out, too. I’d recommend this book to anyone feeling overwhelmed by the AI wave, especially leaders, educators, or just regular folks trying to make sense of it all.

Pages: 312 | ASIN : B0DSWM4L5L