Summer reading list 2016

Once again I share the best of the books I’ve read during the past 6 months.  In the first half of 2016 the quality of new releases has been particularly strong.   As is customary, the choices tend toward technology and futurism, but as technology becomes interleaved into the economy and society, boundaries are fading…I welcome further recommendations and feedback of course!

The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces that Will Shape Our Future – Kevin Kelly

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/317372/the-inevitable-by-kevin-kelly/9780525428084/

Kevin Kelly is one of the most profound philosophers on technology of our era. He was a co-founder of Wired magazine, and his books have been deeply influential to innovators and investors - must-reads for anyone with an interest in how the future may unfold around us.  With Out of Control he drew parallels between nature and technology, and What Technology Wants connected the evolutionary threads from the creation of life to the rise of human civilization, and to technology as organic extension of our own evolution. In The Inevitable, Kelly frames 12 conceptual forces almost as fundamental elements : “Becoming”, “Sharing”, “Cognifying”, “Flowing”, “Screening”, “Accessing” etc.  His prose is typically rich, but his latest book is less dense than previous works making for an smoother read.  This is a book you are going to want to read and re-read to fully absorb.

Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble – Dan Lyons

https://www.amazon.com/Disrupted-My-Misadventure-Start-Up-Bubble/dp/0316306088/

This is a highly entertaining story that has struck more than one nerve.  Author Dan Lyons was a top technology journalist at Newsweek in his early 50s when his job was eliminated without warning.  He had long reported on Silicon Valley and the tech industry, so he decided to join HubSpot, a startup flush with venture funding as a “marketing fellow”.  it's comedy gold when a cynical 50-something tries to adjust to a company culture where the average age is 26 and the workplace is described as combination of “kindergarten and frat house”.  He’s a great storyteller, with hilarious descriptions of the nuttiness  inherent to the tech industry. That he left HubSpot to be a writer for HBO’sSilicon Valley comedy series speaks to his wittiness.  Beyond the stories are more trenchant and sobering insights about a tech industry culture that rewards capital but treats employees as expendable resources.  A notable afterword is that HubSpot’s board fired the CMO and the Boston Globe reported the FBI investigated after hearing of “multiple failed attempts to manipulate and extort people” to stop the publication of the book.

Augmented: Life in the Smart Lane – Brett King, with Alex Lightman, JP Rangaswami and Andy Lark

https://www.amazon.com/Augmented-Life-Smart-Brett-King/dp/9814634034

Author, CEO and futurist Brett King outlines how a new “augmented age” is emerging, powered by four key disruptive trends: artificial intelligence, embedded technology experiences, genome technology and smart infrastructure.  The book is rich with examples and anecdotes, bringing to life complex technologies and concepts in an accessible fashion.   One of the best books I’ve read looking at how the convergence of AI, robotics, ubiquitous computing and digitized health will lead to epochal changes in work, life and the nature of businesses.

Originals: Now Non-Conformists Move the World – Adam Grant

https://www.adamgrant.net/#!originals/c1ckh

From the author of Give and Take, Originals explores several ways that non-conformist have been able to have extraordinary impact on business and society.  The focus of the book is how people generate new ideas, then have the strength and persistence to follow them through, while debunking common misperceptions of the types of people that have the most success.  The book focused in on unpredictable success stories, and draws lessons that arise from prior (and often repeated failures).  A case in point is his own failure to be a seed investor in eyewear startup Warby Parker, as he deconstructs both the successes of the co-founders and his own misreading of their business prospects.  Grant’s writing style is evocative of Malcolm Gladwell or the Freakonomics team of Stephen Dubner and Steven Leavitt.  As an example, he argues in favour of the benefits of procrastination:  apparently Martin Luther King procrastinated till the night before to write his epochal “I Have a Dream” speech – then completely winged it, spurred on by singer Marion Anderson.  This is a book that offers a wealth of unconventional insights with examples including the American feminist triumvirate of Stone, Stanton and Anthony, Jackie Robinson and Ray Dalio. 

The Fourth Industrial Revolution – Klaus Schwab

https://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Industrial-Revolution-Klaus-Schwab-ebook/dp/B01AIT6SZ8

Klaus Schwab heads up the World Economic Forum, and this book endeavours to make sense of the momentous impact of technological innovations on industry and humankind.  He makes an impassioned case that we are on the cusp of a Fourth Industrial Revolution poised to unleash transformative innovation as digital technologies are applied to the physical and biological worlds.  Much of the book reiterates and expands upon themes articulated elsewhere, but the focus shifts to the social, economic and geopolitical ramifications as well. The book address the issues of technological unemployment and dislocation but remains optimistic in tone, seeking to provide a framework for business leaders and policymakers to make better informed decisions.

The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed on Your Own Terms – Vishen Lakhiani

https://www.thecodexmind.com/

I got this book based on Bulletproof Exec founder Dave Asprey’s recommendation – it’s a book on positive self-development that draws on the author’s experiences and insights as founder of the Mindvalley website and 5 million strong community.   He starts with the premise that prevailing ideas about education, spirituality, work, happiness and love are based on Brules (bullsh*t rules) that are institutionalized in your culture.  The book shares insights from interviews with the likes of Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Peter Diamandis, Ken Wilber, Dean Kamen, Arianna Huffington, Michael Beckwith, and others.  This goal of the book is to help you think like great non-conformist minds and reprogram your mind.

The Industries of the Future – Alec Ross

https://books.simonandschuster.com/The-Industries-of-the-Future/Alec-Ross/9781476753652

Alec Ross was a Senior Advisor for Innovation to the Secretary of State, traveling to 41 countries.  This is another book that looks at future trends including robotics, cybersecurity, commercialization of big data and the impact of blockchain and other technologies on money and markets.  This book approaches these trends in the context of the changing nature of work – and what jobs of the future may look like.  Some of the unique insights in the book come from his blend of policy expertise, travels to the developing world and technology knowledge.  It’s a highly accessible read targeted to a general audience. 

Humans Need Not Apply: A Guide to Wealth and Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence – Jerry Kaplan

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0106O2RNC/

Looking at the dark side of the technological revolution, Stanford professor Jerry Kaplan recaps the current state of robotics, automation and artificial intelligence to set the stage for an exploration of the employment ramifications.  He makes the case that technology is the main culprit behind rising income inequality and wage stagnation.  He identifies what types of jobs and which industries are most likely to see jobs automated away.  The book makes a lukewarm argument for a form of Universal Basic Income, but the tone tips more optimistic regarding the benefits of AI-enhanced transportation and medicine – and job redefinition.  It’s less dystopian than Martin Ford’s Rise of the Robots, but still provides a sobering counterpoint to the relentless techno-optimists.

Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus: How Growth Became the Enemy of Prosperity – Douglas Rushkoff

https://www.rushkoff.com/books/throwing-rocks-at-the-google-bus/

I like contrarian thinkers, and here author Douglas Rushkoff is determined to throw cold water on the capitalist, free market system – highlighting what he sees as structural shortcomings that are exacerbated by leading technology companies. He sees the resentment in the Bay Area against highly-paid techies as metaphor for rising discontent against growing economic inequality.  He makes the argument that the structure of publicly-held corporations and the pursuit of growth has led to an emphasis on short-term profits at the expense of social stability – and he contrasts the longevity and stability of family run businesses in Europe as preferable.  It’s a provocative argument, and one that dovetails with concerns about technological unemployment and the viability of the Western capitalist model.  While the reasoning is a bit overwrought at times, he makes important points about the unanticipated consequences that technology and technology-driven businesses are having on the social contract.

Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy and How to Make Them Work for You – Geoffrey Parker, Marshall Van Alstyne, Sangeet Paul Choudary

https://platformrevolution.com/

This is the most comprehensive exploration of the platform business model yet.  Companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Uber, AirBnB, TenCent, Softbank and Alibaba are all leading the wave of highly valued platform firms.  Platform companies have the capacity to generate outsize value creation because of technology-enabled ecosystems.  The book explores the platform model, network effects, the architecture of platforms, the nature of platform-driven disruption, strategies for building successful platform businesses, monetization, governance and other topics. 

Ed Maguire