Original author: a16z crypto
Original translation: Elvin, Chaincatcher
In the spirit of our shared reading and regular tradition, here are our newly released Winter 2023 Book Lists (Games, Movies, and More) courtesy of the a16z crypto team. Below are some of the books we recently curated for the giveaway library at our second annual a16z crypto founders summit. This year, we’ve also added personal notes on a portion of our “Staff Picks” books.
1. Company building and organizational operation methods
《The Art of Doing Science of Engineering: Learning to Learn》作者：Richard Hamming
《Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems》作者： Martin Kleppmann
“This is a very accessible, yet very comprehensive exploration of the important ideas in distributed systems, and it’s the first book I recommend to young systems engineers. Kleppman starts with a detailed analysis of why distributed systems are difficult to build, maintain, and scale before moving on to data models, system design, and the future of data systems. While the book doesn’t explicitly cover blockchain, it’s a great foundation for any engineer looking to better understand the distributed systems they need to build using blockchain.” — Sam Broner, Engineer
《Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building》作者：Claire Hughes Johnson
《A Theory of Fun for Game Design》作者：Raph Koster
《Thinking in Systems: A Primer》作者：Donella Meadows
《Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot》作者：Matt Abrahams
Editor’s Note: See also this related podcast, where we discuss the themes of the book and how they apply to technology contexts, including the crypto industry.
2. Builder Biography, Organization and Innovation Process
《Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology》，作者：Chris Miller
"This is a concise and thoughtful history of semiconductor manufacturing from 1947 to 2022. The book ends with you wondering what's next - and firmly establishes a place for all of us (as founders, engineers, technologists, writers, and participants) in the history of computing." - Eddy Lazzarin, Chief Technology Officer
《The Making of Atomic Bomb》，作者：Richard Rhodes
"This is one of my favorite nonfiction books, and it has taken on new life with the release of the Oppenheimer film. But it's so much more: Starting in the late 19th century, Rhodes covers the advent of nuclear fission, the building and dropping of the bomb, and its aftermath. It's a highly readable book; Rhodes is also a brilliant scientific explainer. As for the founders: it's all about discovering, building, and projects that changed the world." - Tim Sullivan, editorial partner
《Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed》 作者：Ben Rich Leo Janos
《How to Build a Car: The Autobiography of the World’s Greatest Formula 1 Designer》 作者：Adrian Newey
"This is the autobiography of legendary Formula 1 aerodynamicist Adrian Newey. This book gives an incredible insight into the problem-solving mind of a great engineer. Newey describes how he and his team circumvented the tight constraints of Formula 1 cars and found extremely clever loopholes to outmaneuver their opponents with minimal effort. It's a truly insightful story of innovation and courage in this cutthroat sport. The loopholes, performance improvements, and designs that Newey came up with directly shaped today's F 1 cars and have influenced everything from simple road cars to high-performance sports cars and electric cars. A total treat if you're interested in F 1, but still a lot of fun." - Sagar Dhawan, Data Scientist
《Shoe Dog: A Memoir from the Creator of Nike》作者：Phil Knight
《Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds》 作者：David Goggins
“This is the incredible autobiographical story of David Goggins, one of only 36 black U.S. Navy SEALs and an incredible endurance athlete. He was born with a hole in his heart and suffers from severe dyslexia. His father was a drug dealer who abused drugs. Despite these challenges, Goggins has achieved amazing results in both the armed forces and his career as an extreme endurance athlete. His message is simple and powerful: If I can do what I do when the odds seem against me, 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》 作者： Alfred Lansing
3. Technology Trends, History, Open Source/Web3 Topics
《The Cathedral the Bazaar: Musings On Linux And Open Source By An Accidental Revolutionary 》 作者：Eric Raymond
"The Evolution of Cooperation" by Robert Axelrod
《Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed》 作者：James Scott
《The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age》 作者： James Dale Davidson Wiliam Rees-Mogg
《The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future》 作者：Kevin Kelly
4. Science fiction and other related novels
The Invincible by Stanislaw Lem
Written in 1964, this book is one of the earliest science fiction novels to introduce the concept of "smart dust". "Smart dust" consists of nanomachines that are identical to each other and harmless on their own, but when they form a mass, they become super intelligent. This idea of smart dust is very similar to blockchain. The novel itself is also very gripping and high-quality science fiction. - Valeria Nikolaenko, research partner
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
《Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow》 作者：Gabrielle Zevin
5. More creative inspiration
《The Creative Act: A Way of Being》 作者：Rick Ruben
《The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan》 作者：Tom Shone
6. Some of the repeated books in last year’s book list
《The Company: A Short History of a Revolutionary Idea》 作者：John Micklethwait Adrian Woolrdige
《Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World》 作者：Jill Jonnes
Designing An Internet by David Clark
《The Death and Life of Great American Cities》 作者：Jane Jacobs
《Coding Democracy: How Hackers Are Disrupting Power, Surveillance, and Authoritarianism》 作者：Maureen Webb
Sonal Chokshi Brittney Burrows
