Tech & Nerd Books: My 2023 Reading List

This blog post shares a list of tech and nerd-related books that Andrew Chen read in 2023. He provides a quick blurb about each book and why he found it interesting. The list includes books covering a wide range of topics, including:

• Early Apple years
• Political judgment and predictions
• Sales strategies
• WWII engineering
• The decline of violence
• Modeling and prediction errors
• The "nature" side of the nature/nurture debate
• Antifragility and its applications
• Building a mailing list for a book launch

A Look at Some Great Books on Apple, Politics, and Sales

Here are some highlights from Andrew Chen's book recommendations, focusing on books related to Apple, politics, and sales:

• The Little Kingdom: This book by Michael Moritz covers the early years of Apple, offering a unique perspective on the company's growth.
• Expert Political Judgment: This book explores why humans struggle with predicting geopolitical events and dives into different approaches to analysis.
• Predictable Revenue: This book offers insights into Salesforce's sales strategy, providing valuable information on B2B sales tactics, team organization, and lead generation.

Deep Dives into Engineering, Violence, and Predictions

Next, we delve into books that explore engineering, violence, and the challenges of prediction:

• Engineers of Victory: This book focuses on the crucial role of engineering in winning WWII, analyzing specific challenges like defeating U-boats and resisting the Blitzkrieg.
• The Better Angels of Our Nature: This book by Steven Pinker presents a compelling case for the long-term decline of violence, backed by data, anecdotes, and academic studies.
• The Signal and the Noise: Nate Silver's book examines the process of modeling various phenomena, from elections and gambling to weather patterns, highlighting the importance of understanding model errors and human limitations in prediction.

The "Sports Gene" and Antifragility: Exploring Nature, Nurture, and Resilience

Andrew Chen's reading list also includes books that delve into the "nature" side of the nature/nurture debate and the concept of antifragility:

• Sports Gene: This book explores the genetic factors influencing athletic performance, contrasting with Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" and its focus on the "10,000-hour rule."
• Antifragile: This book by Nassim Taleb examines the concept of antifragility, where systems benefit from disorder, a powerful concept that applies to various domains, from finance to personal health.

Book Launch Strategies and Engaging with the Tech Community

The list concludes with a book on book launch strategies and a call for more book recommendations from the tech community:

• Your First 1000 Copies: This book provides practical advice on building a mailing list for launching a book, which Andrew found useful for his blog.
• Andrew invites readers to share their book recommendations via Twitter (@andrewchen) for his future reading list.

Andrew Chen's Newsletter: Tech & Startup Insights

The blog post also promotes Andrew Chen's weekly newsletter, which focuses on the tech and startup world, covering topics like:

• Silicon Valley news and trends
• Startups and their growth strategies
• Marketing strategies for tech companies
• Mobile app trends and development

The newsletter provides a high-quality, in-depth analysis of the latest developments in the tech industry.

Author's Disclaimer

The post includes a disclaimer from Andrew Chen, stating that the views expressed in the blog post and his other content distribution outlets are his own and not necessarily those of a16z or its affiliates. He clarifies that this content should not be considered investment, legal, tax, or other advice.