Recommendations based on Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generationby Blake J. Harris

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

  1. Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture

    by David Kushner
    The story of John Carmack and John Romero, creators of the video game Doom, and their impact on the gaming industry.

    Masters of Doom is the amazing true story of the Lennon and McCartney of video games: John Carmack and John Romero. Together, they ruled big business. They transformed popular culture. And they ... (Goodreads)

  2. 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)

  3. Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made

    by Jason Schreier
    A behind-the-scenes look at the development of popular video games, from concept to release, and the challenges faced by their creators.

    NATIONAL BESTSELLER Developing video games—hero's journey or fool's errand? The creative and technical logistics that go into building today's hottest games can be more harrowing and complex than the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  4. Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

    by Ed Catmull
    An exploration of the principles and strategies that drive success in the creative process.

    “What does it mean to manage well?” From Ed Catmull, co-founder (with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter) of Pixar Animation Studios, comes an incisive book about creativity in business—sure to appeal to ... (Goodreads)

  5. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

    by David Allen
    A guide to improving efficiency and productivity through better organization.

    The book, Lifehack, calls ,"The Bible of business and personal productivity.","A completely revised and updated edition of the blockbuster bestseller from 'the personal productivity guru'",—,Fast ... (Barnes & Noble)

  6. Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker

    by Kevin D. Mitnick
    True story of an infamous hacker's journey of escape and evasion, eventually leading to his arrest and imprisonment.

    If they were a hall of fame or shame for computer hackers, a Kevin Mitnick plaque would be mounted the near the entrance. While other nerds were fumbling with password possibilities, this adept ... (Goodreads)

  7. 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)

  8. 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)

  9. 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)

  10. A Fighting Chance

    by Elizabeth Warren
    Autobiographical account of the Senator's rise from a middle-class family to the halls of power.

    An unlikely political star tells the inspiring story of the two-decade journey that taught her how Washington really works—and really doesn't—in A Fighting Chance As a child in small-town Oklahoma, ... (Goodreads)

  11. Jim Henson: The Biography

    by Brian Jay Jones
    Biography of the creative genius behind the beloved Muppets, exploring his life, legacy and influence.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • For the first time ever—a comprehensive biography of one of the twentieth century’s most innovative creative artists: the incomparable, irreplaceable Jim Henson He was a ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. 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)

  13. Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead

    by Laszlo Bock
    An inside look at Google's unique workplace culture, providing insights on how to create a happier and more productive office.

    From the visionary head of Google's innovative People Operations comes a groundbreaking inquiry into the philosophy of work-and a blueprint for attracting the most spectacular talent to your business ... (Goodreads)

  14. The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard P. Feynman

    by Jeffrey Robbins
    A collection of essays and speeches by physicist Richard Feynman, exploring the beauty and wonder of science and the joy of discovery.

    The Pleasure of Finding Things Out is a magnificent treasury of the best short works of Richard P. Feynman,from interviews and speeches to lectures and printed articles. A sweeping, wide-ranging ... (Goodreads)

  15. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

    by Michael Lewis
    How an unconventional approach to baseball changed the competitive landscape.

    Billy Beane, general manager of MLB's Oakland A's and protagonist of Michael Lewis's Moneyball , had a problem: how to win in the Major Leagues with a budget that's smaller than that of nearly every ... (Goodreads)

  16. Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World

    by Mark Miodownik
    In-depth exploration of everyday materials and their properties, revealing their importance in our lives.

    An adventure deep inside the everyday materials that surround us, packed with surprising stories and fascinating science. Why is glass see-through? What makes elastic stretchy? Why does a paper clip ... (Goodreads)

  17. The C Programming Language

    by Brian W. Kernighan
    Classic guide to the C programming language, covering syntax, data types, control flow, and more. A must-read for any aspiring programmer.

    This book is meant to help the reader learn how to program in C. It is the definitive reference guide, now in a second edition. Although the first edition was written in 1978, it continues to be a ... (Goodreads)

  18. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't

    by James C. Collins
    A guide to building a successful company, examining the practices and values of leading organizations.

    To find the keys to greatness, Collins's 21-person research team read and coded 6,000 articles, generated more than 2,000 pages of interview transcripts and created 384 megabytes of computer data in ... (Goodreads)

  19. Rich Dad, Poor Dad

    by Robert T. Kiyosaki
    A financial literacy guide that explores the power of financial education and investment.

    Rich Dad Poor Dad is Robert's story of growing up with two dads — his real father and the father of his best friend, his "rich dad" — and the ways in which both men shaped his thoughts about money ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Blind Side

    by Michael Lewis
    Story of an underprivileged African-American teen who is rescued and mentored by a wealthy white family.

    The #1 New York Times Bestseller "Lewis has such a gift for storytelling…he writes as lucidly for sports fans as for those who read him for other reasons." —Janet Maslin, New York Times When we first ... (Barnes & Noble)

  21. Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety

    by Eric Schlosser
    An exploration of nuclear weapon safety and the risk of catastrophic accidents.

    A myth-shattering exposé of America’s nuclear weapons Famed investigative journalist Eric Schlosser digs deep to uncover secrets about the management of America’s nuclear arsenal. A groundbreaking ... (Goodreads)

  22. Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story

    by Arnold Schwarzenegger
    A biographical account of Arnold Schwarzenegger's life, from humble beginnings to becoming a Hollywood icon.

    In his signature larger-than-life style, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall is a revealing self-portrait of his illustrious, controversial, and truly unique life. The greatest immigrant success ... (Barnes & Noble)

  23. How Google Works

    by Eric Schmidt
    Exploring the secrets of the world's most successful tech giant, offering insight into its inner workings.

    Both Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg came to Google as seasoned Silicon Valley business executives, but over the course of a decade they came to see the wisdom in Coach John Wooden's observation ... (Goodreads)

  24. 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)

  25. The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History

    by Robert M. Edsel
    A thrilling true story of a team of Allied soldiers tasked with saving Europe's greatest works of art during WWII.

    At the same time Adolf Hitler was attempting to take over the western world, his armies were methodically seeking and hoarding the finest art treasures in Europe. The Fuehrer had begun cataloguing ... (Goodreads)

  26. 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works

    by Dan Harris
    A story of self-improvement through mindfulness and meditation.

    Winner of the 2014 Living Now Book Award for Inspirational Memoir, Nightline, anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

    by Chris Hadfield
    Experiences and insights from a veteran astronaut's career, empowering readers to achieve their greatest goals.

    Colonel Chris Hadfield has spent decades training as an astronaut and has logged nearly 4000 hours in space. During this time he has broken into a Space Station with a Swiss army knife, disposed of a ... (Goodreads)

  28. The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism

    by Naoki Higashida
    Insightful and moving exploration of life with autism from the perspective of a young boy.

    Written by Naoki Higashida, a very smart, very self-aware, and very charming thirteen-year-old boy with autism, it is a one-of-a-kind memoir that demonstrates how an autistic mind thinks, feels, ... (Goodreads)

  29. So You've Been Publicly Shamed

    by Jon Ronson
    An exploration of the impact of public shaming in the digital age, and its implications for justice.

    For the past three years, Jon Ronson has travelled the world meeting recipients of high-profile public shamings. The shamed are people like us - people who, say, made a joke on social media that came ... (Goodreads)

  30. Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

    by Seth Godin
    A guide to standing out and becoming remarkable in the modern business world.

    The acclaimed Wall Street Journal and Business Week Bestseller. You're either a Purple Cow or you're not. You're either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice. What do Starbucks and JetBlue and ... (Goodreads)