10 Books For People in Tech Industry

Books are an important source of inspiration for all of us. Reading not only helps in building great new ideas, but it cultivates the habit of critical thinking and makes you more empathetic. No wonder why some of the successful tech giants are also voracious readers. If these leaders, despite their busy schedule take out time to read a book, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t. Here’s a compilation of books that top CEOs have recommended that you must also check out.

The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World, by Adam Gazzaley & Larry Rosen

The Distracted Mind sheds light on why our brains aren’t built for multitasking, and what are the better ways to live in today’s high-tech world without giving up technology. Adam Gazzaley and Larry Rosen – neuroscientist and a psychologist provide scientific strategies to fight distraction and use technology in a more balanced way.

Deep Learning, by Ian Goodfellow, Yoshua Bengio, and Aaron Courville

Recommended by: Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft - Source

Praised also by Elon Musk as "Written by three experts in the field, Deep Learning is the only comprehensive book on the subject", the book introduces a wide range of topic related to deep learning. Along with mathematical and conceptual backgrounds, it also describes deep learning techniques used in the industry. The book is ideal for students and software engineers planning to develop their career in deep learning.

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy, by Sheryl Sandberg

Recommended by: Antonio Lucio, Global Chief Marketing and Communication Officer, HP Inc. - Source

This #1 New York Times Best Seller is much more than the author’s experience and wisdom on managing grief after the tragic death of her husband. It further explores how a broad range of people have developed resilience to overcome hardships and rediscover joy. The book provides insights on how we can become more compassionate and help other people in crisis, inspiring us to gracefully face the challenges and gain a greater appreciation of our lives.

The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro

Recommended by: Jeff Bezos, Founder, and CEO, Amazon.com

If you read The Remains of the Day, which is one of my favorite books, you can't help but come away and think, I just spent 10 hours living an alternate life and I learned something about life and about regret. - Source

Books have played a major role in making Jeff a world-famous leader. The Remains of the Day is one of his favorite novels. Winner of the Booker Prize, this book is a narrative told by Stevens, who recalls his career as a butler of a lord post World War-II.

Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight

Recommended by: Jon Oringer, CEO, Shutterstock

Highly recommend this book: Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike - Source

Shoe Dog is a memoir by Phil Knight, founder of Nike who shares the inside story of how the company evolved from a small start-up to one of the world’s most famous brands. From struggling to grow funds and putting people in the right job to bringing innovation in processes and living a balanced life, the book is a must-read if you’re thinking about starting a business and growing it to a successful one.

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

Recommended by: Dick Costolo, CEO of Chorus & former CEO of Twitter

Finished "Creativity, Inc.", Ed Catmull's treatise on leadership. Rich and inspired. Must read. 

Creativity, Inc. is a thoughtful management book which provides insights to managers who want to build a creative culture in business organizations. Ed in his book describes in detail the functioning of Pixar Animation and walks you through how he fought every day to keep the Pixar one of the creative environments to work in.

Understanding the Digital World: What You Need to Know About Computers, the Internet, Privacy, and Security, by Brian W. Kernighan

Recommended by: Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman & former Google CEO

The book Understanding the Digital World by my friend Brian Kernighan delivers; all you need to know from the best — Source

Understanding the Digital World is a valuable source of information on how computer hardware, software, and networks work. Apart from covering fundamental concepts in computer science, the book also explains how computers influence our daily lives. It is a must-read for those who are willing to explore more about the power of computers and communications.

Lying, by Sam Harris

Recommended by: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, OpenAI & Neuralink

Read “Lying”, the new book by my friend Sam Harris. Excellent cover art and lots of good reasons not to lie! - Source

Sam Harris in his book Lying points out that how we can make our lives simple by telling the truth in situations where most people lie. The book reveals great insights on how not lying can eventually improve society and lead a better life.

Real Leaders Don’t Follow: Being Extraordinary in the Age of the Entrepreneur, by Steve Tobak

Recommended by: Mark Hurd, CEO of Oracle

A good read: “Real Leaders Don’t Follow” by Steve Tobak - Source

Steve Tobak in this book makes a strong point that leaders are always supposed to lead and not follow. The book exposes popular myths and delivers the truth to aspiring entrepreneurs on what it takes to become a truly successful and innovative leader. Real Leaders Don’t Follow is indeed a must-read for wannabe entrepreneurs in today’s high-tech era.

Black Box Thinking: Psychology, by Matthew Syed

Recommended by: Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group

"It advocates for changing attitudes towards failure, and understanding that the only way we learn is by trying things and altering our behavior based on the results."-Branson

RELATED: 13+ BOOKS THAT SHOULD BE ON THE MUST READ LIST OF EVERY ENGINEER

Black Box Thinking is an inspirational book that finds the one common thread among the most successful people around the world: their ability to accept mistakes and find ways to learn from failures. Through practical case studies and interviews, Matthew Syed explains how you can turn a failure into success with black box thinking.