Recommendations based on AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Orderby Kai-Fu Lee

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers

    by Ben Horowitz
    A practical guide to navigating the challenges of building and leading a successful business, with insights from a seasoned entrepreneur.

    Ben Horowitz, cofounder of Andreessen Horowitz and one of Silicon Valley's most respected and experienced entrepreneurs, offers essential advice on building and running a startup—practical wisdom for ... (Barnes & Noble)

  2. Homo Deus: A History of Tomorrow

    by Yuval Noah Harari
    An exploration of humanity's future, and the potential paths of our species.

    Yuval Noah Harari, author of the critically-acclaimed, New York Times, bestseller and international phenomenon, Sapiens, returns with an equally original, compelling, and provocative book, turning ... (Goodreads)

  3. Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies

    by Nick Bostrom
    A philosophical exploration of the implications of artificial intelligence on humanity.

    Superintelligence asks the questions: what happens when machines surpass humans in general intelligence? Will artificial agents save or destroy us? Nick Bostrom lays the foundation for understanding ... (Goodreads)

  4. A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy

    by William B. Irvine
    A practical guide to applying Stoic philosophy in modern life, offering techniques for finding joy and tranquility in the face of adversity.

    One of the great fears many of us face is that despite all our effort and striving, we will discover at the end that we have wasted our life. In A Guide to the Good Life , William B. Irvine plumbs ... (Goodreads)

  5. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

    by Chris Voss
    A former FBI hostage negotiator shares his tactics and strategies for successful negotiations in both personal and professional settings.

    A former FBI hostage negotiator offers a new, field-tested approach to negotiating – effective in any situation. After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Voss joined ... (Goodreads)

  6. Venture Deals

    by Brad Feld
    A comprehensive guide to venture capital deals, from term sheets to negotiations, for entrepreneurs and investors alike.

    Praise for Venture Deals "My biggest nightmare is taking advantage of an entrepreneur without even realizing it. It happens because VCs are experts in financings and most entrepreneurs are not. Brad ... (Goodreads)

  7. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

    by Greg McKeown
    An exploration of the power of focus and clarity of purpose to create a more meaningful, productive life.

    Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Do you simultaneously feel overworked and underutilized? Are you often busy but not productive? Do you feel like your time is constantly being ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies

    by Erik Brynjolfsson
    Examination of the societal implications of technology and its disruptive impact on the economy.

    In recent years, Google’s autonomous cars have logged thousands of miles on American highways and IBM’s Watson trounced the best human Jeopardy! players. Digital technologies—with hardware, software, ... (Goodreads)

  9. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

    by Matthew Walker
    Exploring the science of sleep, uncovering its powerful effects on health, productivity, and wellbeing.

    “,Why We Sleep, is an important and fascinating book...Walker taught me a lot about this basic activity that every person on Earth needs. I suspect his book will do the same for you.” —Bill Gates A, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  10. Open

    by Andre Agassi
    Autobiographical account of a tennis star's career, struggles, and personal growth.

    From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi’s incredibly rigorous ... (Goodreads)

  11. Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

    by Peter Thiel
    A guide to launching a startup, exploring the power of entrepreneurship.

    If you want to build a better future, you must believe in secrets. The great secret of our time is that there are still uncharted frontiers to explore and new inventions to create. In Zero to One, ... (Goodreads)

  12. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

    by John Carreyrou
    The rise and fall of Theranos, a fraudulent blood-testing startup, and the deceitful actions of its founder Elizabeth Holmes.

    The full inside story of the breathtaking rise and shocking collapse of a multibillion-dollar startup, by the prize-winning journalist who first broke the story and pursued it to the end in the face ... (Goodreads)

  13. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future

    by Ashlee Vance
    A revealing look into the life and accomplishments of tech innovator Elon Musk.

    Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the ... (Goodreads)

  14. Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction

    by Philip E. Tetlock
    An exploration of the science behind prediction and its potential to improve decision making.

    Everyone would benefit from seeing further into the future, whether buying stocks, crafting policy, launching a new product, or simply planning the week’s meals. Unfortunately, people tend to be ... (Goodreads)

  15. How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life

    by Scott Adams
    A humorous, uplifting look at how to find success by embracing failure.

    Scott Adams has likely failed at more things than anyone you’ve ever met or anyone you’ve even heard of. So how did he go from hapless office worker and serial failure to the creator of Dilbert , one ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Undercover Economist

    by Tim Harford
    A journey through economics, exploring the hidden forces that shape our lives.

    An economist's version of The Way Things Work , this engaging volume is part field guide to economics and part expose of the economic principles lurking behind daily events, explaining everything ... (Goodreads)

  17. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

    by Robert B. Cialdini
    An analysis of the psychology of persuasion and how to use it to influence people.

    Influence, the classic book on persuasion, explains the psychology of why people say "yes"—and how to apply these understandings. Dr. Robert Cialdini is the seminal expert in the rapidly expanding ... (Goodreads)

  18. Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds

    by David Goggins
    A memoir of David Goggins' journey from a depressed, overweight young man to a Navy SEAL and ultra-endurance athlete, with practical advice for mental toughness.

    For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare — poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through, self-discipline, mental toughness, and, hard work, Goggins ... (Barnes & Noble)

  19. The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

    by Norman Doidge
    Exploring the brain's remarkable ability to adapt, heal and change itself.

    An astonishing new science called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable. Psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Norman Doidge, M.D., traveled the country ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds

    by Michael Lewis
    A fascinating examination of the two psychologists who changed the way we view the human mind.

    Forty years ago, Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky wrote a series of breathtakingly original papers that invented the field of behavioral economics. One of the greatest ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph

    by Ryan Holiday
    A practical guide on using adversity to achieve success.

    “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius We are stuck, stymied, frustrated. But it needn’t be this way. There is a formula for success ... (Goodreads)

  22. Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built

    by Duncan Clark
    The story of Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba, and how he built one of the world's largest e-commerce companies.

    An engrossing, insider’s account of how a teacher built one of the world’s most valuable companies—rivaling Walmart & Amazon—and forever reshaped the global economy.In just a decade and half Jack Ma, ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail—But Some Don't

    by Nate Silver
    An exploration of the art and science of prediction, examining why some predictions succeed while others fail.

    Nate Silver built an innovative system for predicting baseball performance, predicted the 2008 election within a hair's breadth. He solidified his standing as the nation's foremost political ... (Goodreads)

  24. Rework

    by Jason Fried
    A guide to starting and running a successful business with unconventional advice and practical tips.

    Most business books give you the same old advice: Write a business plan, study the competition, seek investors, yadda yadda. If you're looking for a book like that, put this one back on the shelf. ... (Goodreads)

  25. Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

    by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    A critical examination of the impact of randomness/chance in life and financial markets.

    Fooled by Randomness, is a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s landmark Incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk, and decision-making in a ... (Goodreads)

  26. Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder

    by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    An exploration of how disorder and chaos can lead to strength and resilience.

    From the bestselling author of The Black Swan and one of the foremost philosophers of our time, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a book on how some systems actually benefit from disorder. In The Black Swan ... (Goodreads)

  27. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

    by Cal Newport
    Strategies and techniques to help readers stay focused on tasks and achieve greater success.

    One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results. Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on ... (Goodreads)

  28. What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions

    by Randall Munroe
    A humorous exploration of science, tackling the most bizarre questions with real-world scenarios.

    Randall Munroe left NASA in 2005 to start up his hugely popular site XKCD 'a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language' which offers a witty take on the world of science and geeks. It now has ... (Goodreads)

  29. The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

    by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
    A study of the role of randomness in life, and how it can lead to unexpected events.

    A black swan is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear ... (Goodreads)

  30. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life / The Little Book of Lykke / Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living

    by Hector Garcia Puigcerver
    Three books exploring the secrets of happiness and contentment from Japanese and Swedish perspectives.

    3 Books Collection Set:, Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life, The people of Japan believe that everyone has an ikigai – a reason to jump out of bed each morning. And according to the ... (Goodreads)