Masterful balance between major developments and impact on human scale.
Ashlee Vance – Elon Musk
Do not read the Dutch translation: Henk Popken did a crappy job.
Elmira Bayrasli – From the other side of the world
Some well chosen case studies; but with too little explanation on ‘what’ they did and too many stories about how they did it.
Leander Kahney – Jony Ive
The designer behind Steve Jobs has greatly contributed to Apple’s successful revival.
Still surprising how many Apple products were flawed (overpriced, transparent, with wheel navigation, monitorless, …)
Jill Dyche – The new IT
Align your IT department with your corporate objectives.
It seems to be impossible to write a book about IT without referring to ‘frameworks’ (= a solution a little bit more specific than a thought, but far less concrete than a plan).
Jared Diamond – Guns, Germs, and Steel
Remark: Fascinating narrative on how agriculture spread across the globe.
Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths – Algorithms to live by
Essential concepts from computer sciences intuitively explained for non-techies.
Salim Ismail et. al. – Exponential organizations
Prioritize long term accelerating growth over short-term gains.
Diamandis’ Abundance concept applied to companies. The book peaks early on: the howto guide is not sufficiently specific.
Mark Hatch – The maker manifesto
En contagiously enthusiastic account of all you can do with laser cutters,milling machines, 3D printers, AutoCAD software, and the like – and how cheap it is.
Don Tapscott et. al. – Blockchain revolution
The writers’ enthusiasm seems at some points somewhat naive, considering the scope of vested interests in target markets.
P.W. Singer and Allan Friedman – Cybersecurity and Cyberwar
Refreshingly nuanced expose on a polarizing topic. Particularly useful if you happen to be a nation state.
Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler – Abundance
Exponentially growing advancements in technology will help us resolve major world problems
Contagiously optimistic view on the opportunities we have to shape our own future and that of humanity.
Robert Bryce – Smaller, faster, lighter, denser, cheaper
First and foremost, read the optimistic case studies on the evolution of technology, from the printing press to the vacuum tube.
Marc Goodman – Future Crimes
Nice anecdotes, but a bit too much like…
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