What books are a16z employees reading?
On June 28th, a16z crypto updated an article titled ‘Some books we’re reading this summer 2024’ on its official website. I have done a simple translation and reorganized it in a different order, bringing books related to investment/finance/technology to the forefront.
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Use the time others spend watching porn to read books, so as to outperform them in the bull market.
Lyn Alden: Broken Money: Why Our Financial is Failing Us and How We Can Make it Better
“Broken Money: Why Our Financial System is Failing and How We Can Fix It”
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“Alden’s lessons and insights extracted from the history of money powerfully demonstrate how decentralized digital currencies address the challenges faced by the currency system in the past and present.”
Carol Coye Benson, Scott Loftesness, Russ Jones: Payments in the U.S.: A Guide for the Payments Professional
“U.S. Payment Systems: A Guide for Payment Professionals”
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“This textbook provides a detailed introduction to many aspects of the payment system (such as wire transfers, ATMs, credit cards, debit cards, etc.). You may not read this book from cover to cover, but it is a great resource if you want to understand the flow of funds after swiping a credit card. More importantly, understanding the complexity of existing payment systems makes me more excited about the future of blockchain payment networks.”
Annelise Osborne ：From Hoodies to Suits: Innovating Digital Assets for Traditional Finance
“From Hoodies to Suits: Innovating Digital Assets for TradFi”
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“I really like this book. It bridges the gap between traditional finance and technical engineering with crypto assets. Both are necessary to continue the development of the web3 ecosystem.”
Verity Harding: AI Needs You: How We Can Change AI’s Future and Save Our Own
“AI Needs You: How We Change the Future of AI and Save Ourselves”
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“Harding is an expert on the interaction of artificial intelligence and public policy. She understands the rise of modern AI through the technological movements of the past century. This ‘Manifesto for the Humanities in the AI Era’ argues that the impact of AI on society is far from predetermined, but driven by everyone towards its greatest social potential.”
Ran Spiegler: The Curious Culture of Economic Theory
“The Curious Culture of Economic Theory”
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A vibrant collection of articles that explores the intellectual history and philosophy of economic theory. Spiegler discusses how and why economists reason about strategic behavior, (ir)rationality, information, and other topics in specific ways while teaching conceptual frameworks and anthropologizing the field.
Henry Hazlitt: Economics in One Lesson
“Economics 101”
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「Filled with insights and thoughts about basic economics.」
Peter Robison: Flying Blind
“Blind Flight”
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This is the most complete commercial history of Boeing, showing how it gradually declined from a respected engineering company and lost its good reputation for safety and quality.
Scott Page: The Model Thinker: What You Need to Know to Make Data Work for You
“Model Thinker: The Methods You Need to Make Data Work for You”
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This book teaches a series of mathematical models, from networks to Markov chains to signal transmission, and demonstrates how they are applied to datasets. This may sound very boring - but it is not. Page shows how to use these thinking models in the real world and argues that because any model is a poor simulation of the real world, we need multiple models to navigate our lives.
Rick Rubin ：The Creative Act: A Way of Being
The Way of Creativity: A Way of Existence
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“A master class that integrates the creative process into life. Whether you are creating music, writing, painting, programming, or investing in technology: be open to new ideas, willing to experiment, and ready to overcome failure. Concise, easy to understand, and thought-provoking.”
Greg McKeown: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Essentialism: Pursuing Less but Better
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This book introduced me to the concept of ‘timing’. The ancient Greeks had two words for time - one was ‘chronos’, the linear, clock-measured time we are familiar with. The second was ‘kairos’, representing the opportune moment or the ‘right’ time, which can only be experienced by living in the present. ‘Kairos’ is a timeless time that occurs at a decisive or meaningful moment. We cannot change ‘chronos’ (although sometimes we wish time would pass more quickly, sometimes slower), but we can all increase the time we live in ‘kairos’. This is an early best-selling book that is worth rereading.
David McCullough: The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
“The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge”
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“McCullough is a thorough researcher who knows how to weave a narrative. His account of the extraordinary efforts behind one of the greatest engineering achievements of the 19th century is suitable for anyone interested in innovation, technology, and bold leadership. It is a hymn to willpower.”
William Zinsser: Writing to Learn
“Learning Through Writing”
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I recently learned that the author of ‘On Writing Well,’ the writing bible, has another book on writing. If you only read one, read ‘On Writing Well,’ but if you’re a super fan of Zinsser, like me, then read both. This sequel is full of clear, concise, and powerful writing samples from masters like Einstein and Darwin. His argument is that anyone can learn any subject by writing in clear language - no matter how complex. It’s a beautiful belief because it’s true.
Emily Monosson: Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic
“The Great Infection: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic”
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This is a thought-provoking and insightful book that not only aims to make you fearful of the fungal pandemic, but also to make you contemplate the evolutionary competition and strategic battles between various organisms and the fungi that sometimes drive them to extinction.
Adrian Tchaikovsky: Children of Time
“Children of Time”
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“The Children of Time” is a perfect combination of science fiction and evolutionary biology, leading readers on an epic journey across time and space. This novel explores the rise and fall of civilizations, the resilience of life, and the unexpected consequences of human survival and pursuit. It is very difficult to make an epic hard science fiction novel both intellectually stimulating and emotionally moving, but this book achieves it. It will inspire your imagination and linger in your mind long after you finish reading it.
Sid Meier: Sid Meier’s MEMOIR!: A Life in Computer Games
《Memoirs!: A Lifetime in Computer Games》
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“The creators of ‘Civilization’ and dozens of other computer games look back on how they and their collaborators built one of the greatest game series in history. ‘Memoirs’ not only traces the history of computer hardware, graphics, AI, and game design, but is also full of top-notch advice for ambitious entrepreneurs and creators. At the same time, this book is full of humor.”
Zhao Yufei: Graph Theory and Additive Combinatorics: Exploring Structure and Randomness
Graph Theory and Additive Combinations: Exploring Structure and Randomness
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“My friend Zhao Yufei has written a beautiful and lively book that tells of the phenomenon of structures emerging from surface randomness in combinatorics, and vice versa. The book is an engaging introduction to the field, covering everything from Szemerédi’s Theorem to the card game SET.”
James C. Scott: Against the Grain “逆流而上”
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“In ‘Against the Current,’ James C. Scott subverts the common logic of civilization: animals, plants, and fire domesticated humans; The so-called “barbarians” have a cleaner and healthier way of life and emerge as an important and economically necessary antithesis of the state; These early states did not develop taxes—instead, it was the ability to tax farmers by collecting domesticated grains that were readily available on the ground that led to the formation of early states. The economic, technological, and political systems we rely on all have stories to tell about their origins.”
Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges: The Ancient City
“Ancient City”
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What did ancient people think? We understand and pay attention to the history and beliefs of ancient Romans, Greeks, and Indians because we have easier access to their works. But how much do we know about the beliefs of even earlier ancient people? That is, the beliefs of the Proto-Indo-European people that were shared by ancient Romans, Greeks, Indians, Persians, and others, which form the basis of Western civilization.
“Ancient Cities” (1864), despite its age, is surprisingly easy to read. It explores everything we can infer based on ancient texts and linguistic foundations. It is the clearest exposition I have read about the development of Western culture until the emergence of Christianity."
Will Guidara: Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
“Unreasonable Hospitality: Giving People Extraordinary Power to Exceed Expectations”
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He worked at Eleven Madison Park restaurant for many years, which was an important reason for the success of the restaurant. This book is not difficult to read, but it is very applicable to our daily work. It is also applicable to the political field.
Peter Nichols: A Voyage for Madmen
“Sailing for the Lunatic”
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This is a wonderful record of the first solo round-the-world race! The race was held in 1968-1969 and was widely open to the public - this is also the reason why most participants had little experience. The champion completed the race in 312 days (the current solo record is 42 days). I think there are many similarities between this and the founders of startups: most people don’t know the content of the journey, they have to fix the problems encountered during the voyage, and for some people, the journey itself is more important than the final monetary rewards and honors.
James C. Scott: Seeing like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed
“Viewing Like a State: Why Some Solutions to Improve Human Conditions Fail”
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“‘Viewing Like a State’ made me clearer about how to view organizations of various sizes. I have been recommending this book to anyone who operates startups, businesses, and communities. Yes, you need to decentralize control and encourage grassroots innovation - these lessons are particularly applicable in the field of blockchain. In addition, the first half of the book is a wonderful history lesson on early bureaucracies.”
Laozi: Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching
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“The truth is in your heart!”
Alex Hutchinson: Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance
The Limits of Endurance: The Marvelous Resilience of Mind, Body, and Human Performance
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“I have read a lot of books recently discussing perseverance and endurance. I particularly like the behind-the-scenes interviews with the Nike 2-hour marathon project and the chapters about pain, which mention cyclists Jens Voight and Eddy Merckx.”
Matt Fitzgerald: How Bad Do you Want It?: Mastering the Psychology of Mind over Muscle
“Do you want to fight more? : Control the psychological battle over muscles”
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“A diverse collection of epic competition stories, including in-depth interviews with elite athletes about their mental and physical condition during their most challenging competitions.”
David Oks: The Modern Diet is a Biosecurity Threat
“Modern Diet is a Threat to Biosecurity”
An interesting and practical analysis of how and why modern diet is killing us.
Haruki Murakami: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
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Haruki Murakami’s memoir is fascinating, reflecting on the intersection of running and writing, and how they have influenced his life.
Des Linden: Choosing to Run
“Choosing Running”
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I recommend this memoir. Boston Marathon champion Des Linden is a treasure and an embodiment of perseverance.
Hugh Wilford: The CIA: An Imperial History
CIA: Imperial History
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The new perspective of the institution is told through the actions of key figures.
Frank Conroy: Stop-Time: A Memoir
“Stop Time: Memoirs”
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“This is a story about growth and a reflection on rebellious youth. Although it is true, it fascinates me more than JD Salinger’s novels.”
David Perkins: φ, π, e, and i
“φ, π, e, and i”
"It’s fun to read in order, but it’s even more fun to flip through. You never know when you’ll discover your new favorite formulas that contain some of the most famous numbers in mathematics. (Look at pages 89-91, for example!) ）」
Annie Jacobsen: Nuclear War
“Nuclear War”
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Annie Jacobsen uses top-level sources to outline the nuclear capabilities and policies of countries around the world, placed in the context of a hypothetical attack on the United States. It is thought-provoking in many ways, and one aspect will keep you awake all night.
Robert Kurson: Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II
“Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve the Greatest Mystery of World War II”
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This is a super attractive (real!) story - I suggest not to look at the back cover (or know any information about this book in advance), because it will be more interesting as the mysteries unfold in front of you and the characters at the same time.
David Grann: The Wager
“‘The Wager’ tells a fascinating true story of exploring the era of survival at sea and human nature.”
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Ray Vukcevich: Glinky
“The Grinch”
"What is that in the sky - is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s ‘The Greenie’ - the most ‘greenie’ science fiction short story ever!
Denis Johnson: Tree of Smoke
“Smoke Tree”
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“This captivating Vietnam War espionage thriller cleverly weaves together the stories of a novice CIA agent, a lost Marine Corps soldier, and a missionary Canadian nurse, while also reflecting on American history, mythology, and more.”
R.F. Kuang: Babel
“Babel”
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“This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read since ‘The Name of the Wind’. It blends some elements of ‘Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell’ with ‘The Chronicle of the Killing King’ and ‘Harry Potter’, as well as the deadly beauty of ‘The Iliad’. The story is heartbreaking, it crushed me and brought tears to my eyes, but I still highly recommend it.”
Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson: A Memory of Light (book #14 in the Wheel of Time series)
“Bright Memories” (the 14th in the “Wheel of Time” series)
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“When I reached about 500 pages, I began actively avoiding reading, because I was afraid of the inevitable ending and the sadness of the end of the series. This series has been with me for five years. The slow accumulation and tension of the final battle are painful. If you are not prepared to experience hundreds of pages of desert trekking and battles with trolls, I do not recommend reading this series. Sanderson (who took over the series after Jordan’s unexpected death) built tension in multiple ways and unraveled the final battle until it finally erupted in an epic ending.”
仁坂寿介：The Cat Who Saved Books (translated by Louise Heal Kawai)
‘Save the Book Cat’
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"This heartwarming read is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. It is full of wise observations and thoughtful advice, making me feel like a safe harbor from reality, while the shop owner is escaping his own maze. Any book lover will find their reflection in these pages.
Percival Everett: James
James
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"After watching the movie ‘American Novel’ (adapted from his early novel ‘Erase’), I picked up Everett’s new novel ‘James’. I was not disappointed. ‘James’ is a spirited work. Everett’s style is full of irony, sympathy, and vitality, paying perfect tribute to Mark Twain, inspired by ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’.
Dennis Lehane: Small Mercies
“Little Compassion”
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“Perfect for beach reading - Dennis Lehane is at his best.”
Takagi Akihiko: The Noh Mask Murder
‘The Incident of the Murderous Noh Mask’
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“A suspense novel with a multi-layered author-narrator-detective structure, its innovation and uniqueness is comparable to Agatha Christie’s groundbreaking novel ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.’ Like other formal reasoning novels, the solution depends on logic—all the evidence is written in the book. However, even so, when the story reaches a complex and almost poetic climax, the reader will still feel confused.”
Mick Herron: Slow Horses
“Slow Horse”
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What will the spies of the Military Intelligence Department who cannot be fired but are no longer suitable for Group A do? These unqualified individuals are sent to Slough, where they engage in the worst spy work until they resign or retire. In this imaginative, clever, and entertaining spy novel, when a kidnapping evolves into a deadly conspiracy, these so-called ‘slow horses’ find themselves back in the spotlight.
Joanna Faber and Julie King: How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7
“How to Make Children Listen: A Survival Guide for Children Aged 2-7”
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“I am a supporter of the web3 mindset model. However, when I was looking for an equivalent mindset model for parenting, I didn’t know where to start. This book provides several frameworks and tactical tools to resolve conflicts and handle emotions. My favorite part is how to help children transition from one activity to another in a timely and relaxed manner.”
