a16z: 28 Books Recommended for Crypto Builders

Author: a16z crypto

Compiled by: Elvin, Chaincatcher

In the spirit of sharing our reading and tradition, please refer to our latest published 2023 Winter Reading List (games, movies, etc.), provided by the a16z crypto team. Below are some books we recently curated for the giveaway library at the second annual a16z crypto founders summit. This year, we also added personal notes on some of the "staff picks" books.

1. Company Building and Organizational Operations

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 accessible, yet it provides a comprehensive exploration of important ideas in distributed systems. It is the first book I recommend to young systems engineers. Before introducing data models, system design, and the future of data systems, Kleppmann first analyzes in detail why distributed systems are difficult to build, maintain, and scale. Although this book does not explicitly address blockchain, it serves as a great foundation for any engineer looking to better understand the distributed systems required to build with 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 refer to this related podcast where we discuss the themes of this book and how they apply to the tech environment, including the crypto industry.

2. Biographies of Builders, 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 comes next—and firmly places all of us (as founders, engineers, technologists, writers, and participants) in the history of computing." ------Eddy Lazzarin, CTO

The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes

"This is one of my favorite non-fiction books, and it has been revitalized with the release of the Oppenheimer movie. But the significance of this book goes far beyond that: Rhodes tells the story of the emergence of nuclear fission, the making and dropping of the atomic bomb, and its consequences starting from the late 19th century. The book is highly readable; Rhodes is also an excellent science communicator. As for founders: it’s all about discovery, building, and changing the world." ------Tim Sullivan, Editorial 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 legendary Formula 1 aerodynamicist Adrian Newey. The book provides an incredible insight into the mind of a great engineer solving problems. Newey describes how he and his team navigated the strict limitations of Formula 1 racing to find extremely clever loopholes to outsmart competitors at minimal cost. In this brutal sport, it’s a truly insightful story about innovation and courage. The loopholes, performance improvements, and designs Newey conceived have directly shaped today’s F1 cars and influenced every aspect from simple road cars to high-performance sports cars and electric vehicles. If you have any interest in F1, this is an absolute delight, yet 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 the incredible autobiography of David Goggins, one of only 36 Black American Navy SEALs and an astonishing endurance athlete. He was born with a hole in his heart and suffered from severe dyslexia. His father was a drug-abusing dealer. Despite these challenges, Goggins achieved remarkable success in both the armed forces and as an extreme endurance athlete. His message is simple yet powerful: if I can do what I’ve done under seemingly adverse conditions, imagine what you can do. This is a book I tell every founder/CEO I work with to read." ------Jason Rosenthal, Operating Partner

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

3. Technology 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

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 propose the concept of 'smart dust.' 'Smart dust' consists of nanomachines that are identical to each other, harmless in themselves, but when they form a cluster, they become superintelligent. The idea of this smart dust is very similar to blockchain. The novel itself is also a gripping, high-quality science fiction." ------Valeria Nikolaenko, Research Partner

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

5. 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

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

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

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

Sonal Chokshi & Brittney Burrows Curated