Thomas Diehl, an associate at Notion Capital, picked Charles Duhigg’s “Supercommunicators,” which explores the art of communication.
“For anyone who ever wondered why certain people were so effective at communicating with others, ‘Supercommunicators’ was filled with fascinating case studies and research revealing the science behind great communication and how small changes can materially improve the way we interact and communicate,” Diehl told BI.
‘The Spy and the Traitor’ by Ben Macintyre
Amazon
Cherry Ventures partner Dinika Mahtani’s choices included “Among the Braves,” cowritten by her sister, the journalist Shibani Mahtani.
It focuses on the activists of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and provides an overview of the territory’s trajectory since it was returned to China in 1997 after more than a century of British rule, culminating in the 2019 protests against China’s authoritarian crackdown.
‘Poverty, by America’ by Matthew Desmond
Amazon
Mahtani’s final pick was written by the former president of Google China, Kai-Fu Lee.
It’s a sci-fi novel that explores AI permeating every facet of human life and affecting everything in the social order, from medication to education and entertainment.
‘The Three-Body Problem’ by Liu Cixin
Amazon
Riegler also picked “Build” by engineer and investor Tony Fadell, who has worked with APEX Ventures. Riegler said it offered startup founders “invaluable insights from a veteran who helped create the iPod, iPhone, and Nest Learning Thermostat, providing practical advice on leadership, product development, and navigating the challenges of the tech industry.”
Riegler added that, for investors, the book “delivers a deep understanding of what makes a successful product and company, drawn from Fadell’s 30-plus years of firsthand experience in Silicon Valley.”
‘Ada or Ardor’ by Vladimir Nabokov
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Justina Chung, from Bessemer Venture Partners, pickedthe military science fiction novel “Ender’s Game,” which was published in 1985, and adapted into a movie starring Harrison Ford in 2013.
The book deals with humanity’s fights against alien invasion, where children, including the eponymous Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, are trained to become military officers.
‘The School of Life: An Emotional Education’ by Alain de Botton
Amazon
Rob Moffat, partner at Balderton Capital, chose Booker T. Washington’s 1901 autobiography, “Up From Slavery.”
It describes Washington’s enslavement as a child and life during the Civil War. It describes how he became an educator and speaker, and eventually a key voice in African-American issues.
‘Wool’ by Hugh Howey
Amazon
Ara Yeromian, from Teacher’s Venture Growth, chose Karuo Ishiguro’s most recent novel, “Klara and the Sun.”
It’s narrated by Klara, an AI “friend” who is chosen by a sick child named Josie. Klara’s viewpoint shows how non-human sentient beings might see and understand the human condition, including love, mortality, and consciousness.
‘Civilization’ by Niall Ferguson
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Amazon
Tom Mendoza, a partner at EQT Ventures in London, chose “The Power of Now,” a 2001 work by German-born author Eckhart Tolle.
The book focuses on the virtues of living in the now, providing a manual for managing the thoughts and emotions that emerge from this process. Tolle’s work suggests that peace and fulfillment come not from outside ourselves but from being present in each moment.
‘Why We’re Polarized’ by Ezra Klein
Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein
Amazon
Mendoza also recommended Ezra Klein’s “Why We’re Polarized,” a 2020 work that former US President Barack Obama also chose as one of his summer reads.
The book charts the factors behind the rise of deep division between US voting groups, focusing on race, religion, and gender. Klein analyzes the history of the country’s two main political parties as a way of understanding the US’s current polarized electoral landscape.
