The a16z speedrun Summer Reading List

We’re off for summer break! Here are the books our team is taking along to the beach.

It’s summertime, and we’re taking a two-week break here at the newsletter.

We don’t want you to go without great reading material while the heat waves are shimmering, so we asked the entire a16z speedrun team to share their summer reading plans.

Hopefully you find your next beach read below!

Alec Daughtry

This summer I’m picking up High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out by Amanda Ripley and Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation by Dannagal Goldthwaite Young. I’ve recently been interested in the larger conversations going on in the United States, and how they’re informed by misinformation, media, and how it ties to our history. Both of these books seem like they’ll scratch that itch!

Andrew Chen

A few books I’m working though:

Freedom’s Forge by Arthur Herman is a gripping account of how American industrialists—especially William Knudsen from General Motors and Henry Kaiser, the shipbuilding magnate—transformed the United States into the “arsenal of democracy” during World War II. Rather than crediting centralized government planning, Herman argues persuasively that it was private enterprise, entrepreneurial ingenuity, and voluntary cooperation that enabled the U.S. to outproduce the Axis powers. Obv many interesting parallels and highly relevant for the current age.

I’m almost done with The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes. It’s a total masterpiece that fuses science, biography, politics, and ethics into a single narrative spanning the birth of nuclear physics to the destruction of Hiroshima. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, it tracks the arc of figures like Oppenheimer, Szilard, Fermi, and Bohr not just as scientists, but as morally torn architects of an apocalyptic breakthrough. I started this after driving an RV through New Mexico and visiting Los Alamos, the Trinity Site, etc. Also a great companion to Oppenheimer.

If you were ever curious where the term “grok” came from: it’s from the book Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein. It’s a foundational sci-fi novel that doubled as a manifesto for the 1960s counterculture. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human raised on Mars who returns to Earth and, with alien detachment, critiques human institutions—especially religion, sexuality, and politics. Heinlein’s speculative world-building is secondary to his ideological provocations, which include polyamory, spiritual communion, and radical individualism.

Andrew Lee

I'll be spending most of my break reading Oh Crap! Potty Training while trying to potty train my kid. Once I (hopefully) make some progress, I’m planning to dive into The Sovereign Individual—a book that’s inspired and infuriated many people I respect.

I’m also hoping to read Art & Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland, which my art-world friends say is underrated in the startup/product world for anyone building or making things.

If there's still gas in the tank, I’ll take a crack at Ron Chernow’s (currently gathering dust on my nightstand). But realistically, with kids in the mix, I’ll probably be listening to Nate Bargatze’s Big Dumb Eyes audiobook—or just vegging out (i.e. not reading) to Scavengers Reign (Jordan Carver rec).

Daniel Lee

For self-learning, I’m picking up Lean Learning by Pat Flynn, who is a Pokémon content creator I watch daily shorts of. However, the rest of my reading these days comes from whatever my 1-year-old grabs on the shelf, including a mix of picture books and Computer Engineering For Babies, in which he pushes the light buttons every night.

Doug McCracken

“The man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds” I’m learning how one writer has had outsized influence on culture in Mark Twain by Ron Chernow, which paints a detailed picture of America’s most famous storyteller. Inspired by Twain, I’ll enjoy a few classic short stories from The Art of the Short Story and then read about our future in space with A City on Mars (h/t Andrew Chen).

Emlyn Thompson

This summer I plan to read The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. I’ve heard it’s a great reminder to stop trying to control how others see you, something I definitely need to hear. I might end up pairing it with The Mountain Is You, if I’m still in that mindset.

Jonathan Lai

I love historical fiction and just finished the book Gilgamesh by Emily Wilson, a retelling of the epic of Gilgamesh set in ancient Sumeria. Really great read and a rare glimpse into one of the earliest human mythologies ever recorded.

Jordan Carver

I’ve got a few that I’m looking forward to reading: Carlo Rovelli’s Reality is Not What It Seems, and then on the fiction side I’m gonna sprint through Joe Abercrombie’s new book The Devils, which I’ve heard is incredibly fun. And as a graphic novel nerd and Horror genre fan, I’ll be reading through Cullen Bunn’s Harrow County series.

Josh Lu

I’m most of the way through Brian Christian’s The Most Human Human, which is a really fun look at the history of the Turing Test and what that might teach us about human/AI interaction (and AI design!) now that AI has blown through that test. Next on the list is Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, which is an account of Frankl’s experience in Nazi concentration camps and what the experience taught him about finding meaning in human existence. Sense a theme?

Justin Paine

Fiction: I can’t travel to Japan this summer, so I’ll go there in my mind via Murakami’s Norwegian Wood.

Non: After finishing Robert Caro’s masterpiece The Power Broker earlier in the year (alongside the superb 99% Invisible Book Club) I’m thoroughly Caro-pilled and am moving on to the first volume in his four-part Lyndon Johnson biography, The Path to Power.

Karishma Laungani

My summer reads are all about creativity and storytelling. I just wrapped up The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin—part philosophy, part practical guide, it’s one of those books where you want to underline every page. Next up is Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, a novel that dives deep into friendship, creative partnership, and the drive to build something meaningful. I’ve heard it’s tender, ambitious, and full of heart. I’m excited to get into it!

Katia Ameri

This summer, I’m planning to read Adib Khorram’s Darius the Great Is Not Okay while beachside in the French Riviera. It’s a coming-of-age story about identity, cultural roots, and navigating between worlds. I also brought Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman with me. It felt only right to read it here in France with my 3-month-old in tow. I’ve heard it’s a humorous, must-read for new parents, and a look at how French parents raise calm, independent kids!

Kevin Wu

I’m a huge history nerd and a book that’s been on my list for a while is Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. On the more philosophical side of things, I had started reading (~8 years ago) The Art of Happiness by Howard Cutler (a western psychiatrist) as he poses questions to the Dalai Lama (and kind of reconciles western science with eastern spirituality) and never got around to finishing it, so will hopefully do so this summer and uncover some sort of enlightenment along the way!

Macy Mills

I’m 25% through my first read of Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel; I’m only 10 years behind on this one but it’s giving COVID vibes! Then I’m going to read the new Taylor Jenkins Reid book, Atmosphere, by the beach!

Marcus Segal

Three different friends (who do not know each other at all and I would have never put together at a dinner party) recommended You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue—this seems like kismet to me. I am also planning to binge watch the second season of Andor.

Marigold Vu

I’m looking forward to some downtime this summer and diving into The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles—a captivating story that weaves together dual timelines with history, heart, and a deep love of literature.

This summer also means a cozy staycation. I’ll be turning to Ottolenghi’s Simple for a little culinary inspiration, whipping up a few dishes to share with family and friends.

Matthew Shortal

After meeting Dr. Fei-Fei Li as a speaker at a16z speedrun, I had to read her book The Worlds I See. She is known as the Godmother of AI and a leader in Spatial Intelligence. Spatial Intelligence allows us to understand and interact with the world around us. Her book digs into curiosity, exploration, and discovery at the dawn of AI.

Mayowa Ajayi

I’ll be reading Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology by Chris Miller. It’s a non-technical look at how computer chips became the backbone of pretty much everything and how countries have been competing for control over them. It weaves in a lot of history and geopolitics, which I’m hoping will be a good mix of timely and interesting without being too heavy.

Narek Gevorgyan

Two of my favorite reads from last year: Why Fish Don’t Exist, a beautifully written story that starts off about taxonomist David Starr Jordan but turns into something way deeper. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was an amazing read. (The audiobook is probably great too—it's by Radiolab’s Lulu Miller.)

The other is Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Super original, surreal, and mysterious. Kind of fantasy, kind of sci-fi. Both are short and totally doable in less than a week.

Currently reading Drood by Dan Simmons—it’s a horror/period piece, a fictional take on the last five years of Charles Dickens’ life, where he becomes obsessed with a mysterious creature lurking beneath London. It’s been quite an adventure so far, with lots of original and unexpected turns. (Also, if you’ve never read Simmons’s Hyperion, you definitely should—top 10 sci-fi of all time, easily.)

Peter Blackwood

Two to highly recommend! One business-oriented, but full of characters and drama: Disney War, the history of Michael Eisner’s (very controlling!) reign at the company. I’ve read it 4x. Another fun one, a history of the cattle industry in the American West. Cattle Kingdom: The Hidden History of the Cowboy West; also a great read, especially for those having just been in Jackson! Enjoy!

Robin Guo

I live in LA so I’ve become an audiobook on 2x while stuck in traffic kinda guy. I just finished Bryan Burrough and John Helyar’s Barbarians at the Gate (historical drama on the acquisition of RJR Nabisco) and I’m currently reading through Antifragile by Nassim Taleb, whose thesis is around becoming stronger through volatility. I usually just pick up whichever books people I respect recommend, so next on the list is The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan.

Rose Johnson

Fiction's my way to decompress and I love anything exploring cultural identity, so I've been loving Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar and The Sympathizer (an oldie but a goodie) by Viet Thanh Nguyen.

Ryan Rigney

It’s a bit of a door-stopper, but I’m hoping to tackle Robert D. Richardson’s biography of William James (shout out to all my James-pilled people in the comments). On the fiction front I’ve been listening to Shōgun by James Clavell and am blown away by it so far.

Sam Shank

Between tech and finance podcasts, I like to unwind with escapist, world-building, hard science fiction. I recently finished and greatly enjoyed the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells (the TV show is great as well!) I’ve heard good things about Theft of Fire, and that’s next in my queue.

Samira Behrouzan

On my list this summer: How Countries Go Broke by Ray Dalio. I’m curious if there are any patterns or learnings I can apply to speedrun as we think about how to build and scale a global program through different economic cycles and with where global debt is at right now, I find it timely + extra fascinating/relevant.

I’m also planning to dive into Why Machines Learn by Anil Ananthaswamy because I have a lot to learn when it comes to AI (you know nothing, Jon Snow) and I know this will be a great way to deepen my understanding and connect more meaningfully with some of our founders building in the space.

Shrikala Kashyap

This summer is going to be all about finishing unfinished books. Top of the list are A City on Mars by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith (thanks Andrew Chen for the rec!) and A Brief History of Intelligence by Max S. Bennett (quite topical given the conversations around how models are trained).

Tom Hammer

I’m about to finish The Death of Expertise by Thomas Nichols, at which point I plan to start The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. Gotta stay on your toes!

Troy Kirwin

I’m a sucker for David McCullough American history biographies. I’ll be reading Mornings on Horseback for a dose of Teddy Roosevelt energy this break.

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That’s it for this week. What are you reading this summer? Let us know in the comments.

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