Author: a16z crypto

In the spirit of sharing reading and traditional traditions, please refer to our latest 2023 Winter Reading List (games, movies, etc.), which is provided by the a16z crypto team. Here are some books we recently planned for the gift library at the second annual a16z crypto founder summit. This year, we have also added personal comments on some "employee-selected" books.

I. Company Construction and Organizational Operation Methods

• "The Art of Doing Science of Engineering: Learning to Learn" by Richard Hamming
• "Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems" by Martin Kleppmann

"This book is very easy to understand, but it comprehensively discusses the important ideas in distributed systems, making it the first book I recommend to young system engineers. Before introducing the future of data models, system design, and data systems, Kleppmann first analyzes in detail why distributed systems are difficult to build, maintain, and scale. Although this book does not explicitly involve blockchain, it is a good foundation for any engineer who wants to better understand the distributed systems needed to build using blockchain." —Sam Broner, Engineer

• "Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building" by Claire Hughes Johnson
• "A Theory of Fun for Game Design" by Raph Koster
• "Thinking in Systems: A Primer" by Donella Meadows
• "Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot" by Matt Abrahams

Editor's note: Also, please refer to this related podcast where we discuss the themes of this book and how they apply to technical environments, including the crypto industry.

II. Builders' Biographies, Organizations, and Innovation Processes

• "Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology" by Chris Miller

"From 1947 to 2022, this is a concise and thought-provoking history of semiconductor manufacturing. This book will leave you wondering what's next—and it firmly places all of us (as founders, engineers, tech experts, writers, and participants) in the history of computer development." —Eddy Lazzarin, Chief Technology Officer

• "The Making of Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes

"This is my favorite non-fiction book, and with the release of the Oppenheimer movie, it has regained new vitality. But the significance of this book goes far beyond that: from the late 19th century, Rhodes tells the story of the emergence of nuclear fission, the production and deployment of nuclear bombs, and their consequences. This book is highly readable; Rhodes is also an excellent scientific explainer. For founders: this is all about discovery, construction, and projects that change the world." —Tim Sullivan, Managing Partner

• "Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed" by Ben Rich & Leo Janos
• "How to Build a Car: The Autobiography of the World’s Greatest Formula 1 Designer" by Adrian Newey

"This is the autobiography of the legendary Formula One aerodynamicist Adrian Newey. This book provides an incredible insight into the mind of a great engineer solving problems. Newey describes how he and his team circumvented the strict restrictions of Formula One racing, finding extremely clever loopholes to outperform opponents at minimal cost. In this brutal sport, it's a truly insightful story about innovation and courage. Newey's loopholes, performance improvements, and designs directly shape today's F1 cars and influence everything from simple road cars to high-performance racing cars and electric vehicles. If you're interested in F1, this is a complete delight, but still very interesting." —Sagar Dhawan, Data Scientist

• "Shoe Dog: A Memoir from the Creator of Nike" by Phil Knight
• "Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds" by David Goggins

"This is David Goggins' incredible autobiography, he is one of only 36 African American Navy SEALs and an incredible endurance athlete. He was born with a hole in his heart and suffered from severe reading disabilities. His father was a drug-abusing drug dealer. Despite these challenges, Goggins has achieved amazing results in his military and extreme endurance athletic careers. The message he conveys is simple yet powerful: if I can do what I do in seemingly unfavorable situations, imagine what you can do. This is the book I tell every founder/CEO I work with to read." —Jason Rosenthal, Operating Partner

• "Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing

III. Technical Trends, History, Open Source/Web3 Themes

• "The Cathedral & the Bazaar: Musings On Linux And Open Source By An Accidental Revolutionary" by Eric Raymond
• "The Evolution of Cooperation" by Robert Axelrod
• "Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed" by James Scott
• "The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age" by James Dale Davidson & Wiliam Rees-Mogg
• "The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future" by Kevin Kelly

IV. Science Fiction Novels and Other Related Novels

• "The Invincible" by Stanislaw Lem

This book, written in 1964, is one of the earliest science fiction novels to propose the concept of "smart dust." "Smart dust" is composed of nanomachines that are completely identical to each other and harmless individually, but when they come together, they become super intelligent. This concept of smart dust is very similar to blockchain. The novel itself is also a very gripping and high-quality science fiction novel." —Valeria Nikolaenko, Research Partner

"Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson

"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin

V. More Creative Inspiration

"The Creative Act: A Way of Being" by Rick Ruben

"The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan" by Tom Shone

VI. Some Repeated Books from Last Year's Reading List

"The Company: A Short History of a Revolutionary Idea" by John Micklethwait & Adrian Woolrdige

"Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World" by Jill Jonnes

"Designing An Internet" by David Clark

"The Death and Life of Great American Cities" by Jane Jacobs

"Coding Democracy: How Hackers Are Disrupting Power, Surveillance, and Authoritarianism" by Maureen Webb

Planned by Sonal Chokshi & Brittney Burrows

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