The best long-form stories I’ve read recently

I read, learned from, and seriously enjoyed all of the below over the holidays. Hope you do too.
- How apps have changed dating forever. “Meeting someone at a bar is about as foreign as a Jane Austen plot now.”
- Artificial Intelligence for beginners: The case for taking AI as a seriously. Wonderful report on what it is and how it really works.
- I finally figured out what Salesforce is. While I disagree with the author’s assertion that capitalism is somehow more culpable than other economic systems—research suggests it is, in fact, the most efficient of all the available imperfect systems—this story on corporate culture and jargon is bloody brilliant! “You know there are some lefty politics going on when the monks get priority over the veterans.”
- The cut-throat business of Amazon sellers. For a piece of the increasingly monopolistic money pie, sellers are doing crazy illegal things to win top listings.
- How a reality TV producer made Trump president. Pretty compelling argument, although I don’t think Mark Burnett is “guilty” as the article implies.
- Japan’s rent-a-family industry. Fascinating story on a fascinating country on a awkward arrangements that works better than you might think.
- Social media needs an “away” message. I’m only including this one because I completely disagree with the author’s assertion that we should worry what other people think about us online, especially while we take extended or permanent breaks. Although well-intentioned, this is wrong on so many levels.