Reading List

The books for what you are building.

Tell us your business model, industry and stage, or how you invest, and get the books worth your time, picked from 30,000 on building and backing companies. Chosen by ratings and what they are about.

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Atomic HabitsJames Clear · 4.31★FreakonomicsSteven D. Levitt · 4.01★The Tipping PointMalcolm Gladwell · 4.01★Rich Dad Poor DadRobert T. Kiyosaki · 4.08★BlinkMalcolm Gladwell · 3.96★Thinking, Fast and SlowDaniel Kahneman · 4.16★The Art of WarSun Tzu · 3.94★
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The best matches for everything you told us, ranked.

  • 1

    The Connection Algorithm

    Take Risks, Defy the Status Quo, and Live Your Passions

    Jesse Tevelow · 2015

    3.73450 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    A #1 Bestseller in Entrepreneurship A #1 Bestseller in Management A #1 Bestseller in Personal Success A #1 Bestseller in Knowledge Capital "Young Jesse Tevelow is on to something. His new book, The Connection Algorithm, is chock full of phenomenal strategies…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 2

    Supremacy

    AI, ChatGPT, and the Race That Will Change the World

    Parmy Olson · 2024

    4.046,375 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    In November of 2022, a webpage was posted online with a simple text box. It was an AI chatbot called ChatGPT, and was unlike any app people had used before. It was more human than a customer service agent, more convenient than a Google search. Behind the…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 3

    Data Strategy

    How to Profit from a World of Big Data, Analytics and the Internet of Things

    Bernard Marr · 2017

    3.77418 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    Less than 0.5 per cent of all data is currently analysed and used. However, business leaders and managers cannot afford to be unconcerned or sceptical about data. Data is revolutionizing the way we work and it is the companies that view data as a strategic…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 4

    A World Without Work

    Technology, Automation, and How We Should Respond

    Daniel Susskind · 2020

    3.821,975 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice From an Oxford economist, a visionary account of how technology will transform the world of work, and what we should do about it From mechanical looms to the combustion engine to the first computers, new…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 5

    Power And Prediction

    The Disruptive Economics of Artificial Intelligence

    Ajay Agrawal · 2022

    4.217,462 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    Disruption resulting from the proliferation of AI is coming. The authors of the bestselling Prediction Machines describe what you can do to prepare. Banking and finance, pharmaceuticals, automotive, medical technology, retail. Artificial intelligence (AI)…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 6

    The Infinity Machine

    Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, and the Quest for Superintelligence

    Sebastian Mallaby · 2026

    4.423,320 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    From one of our leading chroniclers of the intersection of innovation and capitalism, a landmark  reckoning, based on unprecedented access, with one of the world’s most brilliant and driven tech visionaries and his game-changing company.Even by the standard…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 7

    Human + machine

    Paul R. Daugherty · 2018

    28 Open Library reading lists

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how we work right now. Are you ready? In the past, robots were typically large pieces of machinery, sectioned off from human workers to perform precise, mechanical tasks on an assembly line. But now, bots and other…

    On AmazonAudibleOpen Library

  • 8

    The Economic Singularity

    Artificial intelligence and the death of capitalism

    Calum Chace · 2016

    3.84600 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    “Read The Economic Singularity if you want to think intelligently about the future.” Aubrey de Grey Artificial intelligence (AI) is overtaking our human ability to absorb and process information. Robots are becoming increasingly dextrous, flexible, and safe…

    On AmazonAudible

Books on ai and data.

  • 1

    Genius Makers

    The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World

    Cade Metz · 2021

    4.263,395 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    "This colorful page-turner puts artificial intelligence into a human perspective. Through the lives of Geoff Hinton and other major players, Metz explains this transformative technology and makes the quest thrilling." Walter Isaacson, author of The Code…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 2

    Everybody Lies

    Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are

    Seth Stephens-Davidowitz · 2017

    3.9043,226 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    Foreword by Steven Pinker Blending the informed analysis of The Signal and the Noise with the instructive iconoclasm of Think Like a Freak, a fascinating, illuminating, and witty look at what the vast amounts of information now instantly available to us…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 3

    The Scaling Era

    An Oral History of AI, 2019–2025

    Dwarkesh Patel · 2025

    3.87570 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    An inside view of the AI revolution, from the people and companies making it happen.How did we build large language models? How do they think, if they think? What will the world look like if we have billions of AIs that are as smart as humans, or even…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 4

    The Industries of the Future

    Alec J. Ross · 2016

    3.968,471 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    This book answers the question: 'What's next?' The Internet had a world-changing impact on businesses and the global community over the twenty years from 1994 to 2014. In the next ten years, change will happen even faster. As Hillary Clinton's Senior…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 5

    Future Ethics

    Cennydd Bowles · 2018

    4.29273 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    ‘Eloquent, insightful and utterly a must read for anyone who is inventing the future or cares about living in it.’, Christina Wodtke, Stanford University ‘Cennydd’s long-lens view of ethics is exactly what designers, product managers and builders of today’s…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 6

    Predictive Analytics

    The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die

    Eric Siegel · 2013

    3.662,129 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    "Mesmerizing & fascinating...", The Seattle Post-Intelligencer "The Freakonomics of big data.", Stein Kretsinger , founding executive of Advertising.com Award-winning | Used by over 30 universities | Translated into 9 languages An introduction for everyone.…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 7

    Machine, Platform, Crowd

    Harnessing Our Digital Future

    Andrew McAfee · 2017

    4.042,898 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    “A clear and crisply written account of machine intelligence, big data and the sharing economy. But McAfee and Brynjolfsson also wisely acknowledge the limitations of their futurology and avoid over-simplification.” ― Financial Times In The Second Machine Age…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 8

    The Philosopher in the Valley

    Alex Karp, Palantir and the Rise of the Surveillance State

    Michael Steinberger · 2025

    3.721,540 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    ‘An excellent look at what Palantir does, as well as a fascinating insight into the mind of its eccentric chief executive’ TelegraphPalantir Technologies is the most interesting company in the world – and the most controversial. Palantir builds data…

    On AmazonAudible

Published in the last three years, newest first, for what you told us.

  • 1

    Reshuffle

    Who wins when AI restacks the knowledge economy

    Sangeet Paul Choudary · 2025

    4.32316 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    What happens when the “know-how” that once defined expertise migrates from humans to AI tools? How do organizations reorganize when machines take over not just tasks but entire workflows? And most importantly, how does this reshaping of knowledge work change…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 2

    The Optimist

    Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future

    Keach Hagey · 2025

    3.791,312 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    From an acclaimed Wall Street Journal reporter comes the first biography of the enigmatic leader of the AI revolution, charting his ascent within the tech world as well as his ambitions for this powerful new technology. On November 30, 2022, OpenAI…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 3

    Blood in the Machine

    The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech

    Brian Merchant · 2023

    4.192,069 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    Longlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year The "rich and gripping" true story of the first time machines came for human jobs, and how the Luddite uprising explains the power, threat, and toll of big tech and AI today (Naomi Klein) The most…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 4

    The Age of Extraction

    How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity

    Tim Wu · 2025

    3.871,213 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    Tech platforms manipulate attention, extract wealth, and deepen inequality. In this new book, Tim Wu (The Attention Merchants) explains how we can reclaim control and create a balanced economy that works for everyone.“The magic of Tim Wu’s The Age of…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 5

    The Technological Republic

    Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West

    Alexander C. Karp · 2025

    3.533,868 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A cri de coeur that takes aim at the tech industry for abandoning its history of helping America and its allies.”, The Wall Street Journal From the Palantir co-founder, one of tech’s boldest thinkers and The…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 6

    Simple Marketing For Smart People

    The One Question You Need to Win Customers without Gimmicks, Hype, or Hard Selling

    Billy Broas · 2024

    4.35305 ratings · Goodreads

    Marketing and growthFirst salesCompany building

    About the book

    Why do so many smart people struggle with marketing? The answer is smart people love complexity, and complexity brews problems. Does your marketing feel like it has way too many moving parts? If so, Simple Marketing for Smart People is the solution you’ve…

    On AmazonAudible

How companies like yours were actually built, from the people who built them.

  • 1

    Veeck As In Wreck

    The Autobiography of Bill Veeck

    Bill Veeck · 1962

    4.132,173 ratings · Goodreads

    Founder stories

    About the book

    Bill Veeck was an inspired team builder, a consummate showman, and one of the greatest baseball men ever involved in the game. His classic autobiography, written with the talented sportswriter Ed Linn, is an uproarious book packed with information about the…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 2

    WTF?

    What's the Future and Why It's Up to Us

    Tim O'Reilly · 2017

    4.071,927 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    WTF? can be an expression of amazement or an expression of dismay. In today’s economy, we have far too much dismay along with our amazement, and technology bears some of the blame. In this combination of memoir, business strategy guide, and call to action,…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 3

    Steve Jobs

    Walter Isaacson · 2011

    4.161,391,990 ratings · Goodreads

    Founder storiesCompany building

    About the book

    Walter Isaacson's worldwide bestselling biography of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. Based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years--as well as interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 4

    Disney High

    The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel's Tween Empire

    Ashley Spencer · 2024

    3.949,197 ratings · Goodreads

    Founder storiesCompany building

    About the book

    The first unauthorized look at the inner workings―and ultimate breakdown―of the Disney Channel machine For many kids growing up in the 2000s, there was no cultural touchstone more powerful than Disney Channel, the most-watched cable channel in prime time…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 5

    The Situation Room

    The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis

    George Stephanopoulos · 2024

    4.3211,278 ratings · Goodreads

    Founder stories

    About the book

    George Stephanopoulos, former senior advisor to President Clinton and for more than 20 years anchor of  This Week  and co-anchor of  Good Morning America , recounts the crises that decided the course of history, from the place 12 presidents made their…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 6

    Power and Progress

    Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity

    Daron Acemoğlu · 2023

    3.942,496 ratings · Goodreads

    AI and dataCompany building

    About the book

    The bestselling co-author of Why Nations Fail and the bestselling co-author of 13 Bankers deliver a bold reinterpretation of economics and history that will fundamentally change how you see the world   A thousand years of history and contemporary evidence…

    On AmazonAudible

What founders at seed keep coming back to, if you have not read them yet.

  • 1

    Crossing the Chasm

    Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers

    Geoffrey A. Moore · 2002

    4.0332,109 ratings · Goodreads

    Marketing and growthCompany buildingFirst sales

    About the book

    Here is the bestselling guide that created a new game plan for marketing in high-tech industries. Crossing the Chasm has become the bible for bringing cutting-edge products to progressively larger markets. This edition provides new insights into the realities…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 2

    Inspired

    How to Create Tech Products Customers Love

    Marty Cagan · 2008

    4.2226,350 ratings · Goodreads

    Company buildingFinding product-market fit

    About the book

    Learn to design, build, and scale products consumers can't get enough of How do today's most successful tech companies–Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla–design, develop, and deploy the products that have earned the love of literally billions of…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 3

    Building A Story Brand

    Donald Miller · 2017

    4.2726,500 ratings · Goodreads

    Marketing and growthCompany building

    About the book

    New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller uses the seven universal elements of powerful stories to teach readers how to dramatically improve how they connect with customers and grow their businesses. Donald Miller’s StoryBrand process is a proven…

    On AmazonAudible

  • 4

    To Sell is Human

    The Surprising Truth About Moving Others

    Daniel H. Pink · 2012

    3.8726,914 ratings · Goodreads

    Company buildingFirst sales

    About the book

    From the bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind comes a surprising--and surprisingly useful--new book that explores the power of selling in our lives.According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one in nine Americans works in sales. Every day…

    On AmazonAudible

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