Books are a big part of life at AirTree… we have a library in our meeting room, a new book arrives on our desk each month, and they’re always our way of saying thanks to our founders for working with us each year.
Because of this, we often get asked about what books we’re reading at the moment… so we decided to survey the AirTree team for their top picks for the summer to share with you all!
If you have other book recommendations, please leave them in the comments section — we’re hunting for some new suggestions for the office library!
🎄Happy Christmas and happy reading!
Our Top Picks:
📕Utopia for Realists by Rutger Bregman — Recommended by Daniel Petre
What Daniel says about it: “A good discussion on how we need to think about a functional society moving forward.”
📗Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert Sapolsky — Recommended by Jackie Vullinghs
What Jackie says about it: “A meandering tour through the neurobiology of human behaviour — from neurotransmitters and hormones, to morality and culture, and everything in between.”
📘The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge — Recommended by Adam Cook
What Adam says about it: “Written by the VP Sales at Hubspot who grew revenue to over $100m, Mark gives an easily-digestible framework for those ramping up a sales team. First published in 2015, I came back to this earlier in the year as it’s a great reminder of the power of metrics-driven sales and hiring, and gives some excellent pointers”.
📙The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee — Recommended by James Cameron
What James said about it: “One of those books that my wife hates me reading because for 3 weeks straight I was constantly bringing up anecdotes on the history of genetics at dinner parties. This is an awesome starting point for anyone trying to understand the phenomenal amount of work that has happened in the last 50 years on our understanding of what makes us, us. So many of the developments of the next 50 years (in healthcare, software and society generally) will be directly influenced by the work this book describes.”
📕Radical Candor by Kim Scott — Recommended by Eliza Davies
What Eliza says about it: “An insightful and honest look at how to be both a better boss and a better colleague. Kim Scott draws on her experiences at Google and Apple and, along with personal anecdotes, advice and practical suggestions, provides a well thought out framework of how to “Care Personally while also Challenging Directly”. Well worth the read!”
📗Lessons of History by Will Durant — Recommended by Craig Blair
What Craig says about it: “A seminal analysis of history that extends to the ‘so what’ for civilisation. Published in 1968 and still carries weight.”
📘What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami — Recommended by Emily Close
What Emily says about it: “A part diary, part memoir from the critically acclaimed and very private writer, Haruki Murakami, as he preps for the 2005 New York City Marathon. It’s a philosophical and playful insight into the influence running has had on his life and writing… a joyful read for anyone who finds a similar satisfaction in long-distance running.”
📙American Kingpin by Nick Bilton — Recommended by John Henderson
What John says about it: “The story of Ross Ulbricht, Silk Road and bringing down a modern day online mafioso. If you didn’t know this was a true story, you’d think it was some of the most incredible crime fiction you’d ever read. And it’s also the story of a genuine entrepreneur. In a parallel universe, we’d all be hailing Ross as the next Elon Musk. I couldn’t put it down.”
📕21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari — Recommended by Daniel Petre
What Daniel says about it: “Harari’s perspective as a historian, combined with a brilliant writing style, provides insightful and challenging issues for us to try to solve for.”
📙Burial Rites by Hannah Kent — Recommended by Helen Norton
What Helen says about it: “A true story of the final days of a young women accused of murder in Iceland in 1829, a deeply moving novel about personal freedom.”
📗But What If We’re Wrong?: Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past by Chuck Klosterman — Recommended by James Cameron
What James says about it: “A fascinating thought experiment centered around how the world 200 years from now will look back on the assumptions that we all take for granted today — and how many will turn out to be complete bullshit. This is as relevant for science as it is for culture. Worth reading just for the chapter dissecting who will likely be considered the greatest rock band 200 years from now.”
📘Bad Blood by John Carreyrou — Recommended by John Henderson
What John says about it: “If any of you are like Elizabeth Holmes running startups like Theranos, please tell us now. And then let us never speak again… 🙈.”
📙This Explains Everything edited by John Brockman — Recommended by Justin Stals
What Justin says about it: “I love this book for the same reason I love venture capital: it is a lense through which you can engage with the wide-ranging frontiers of human endeavour. From physics, economics, biology, and beyond, Brockman collects 150 of the most brilliant theories of how our minds, societies, and universe work. It’s like an intellectual royal rumble, with ideas coming from every direction ready to completely floor you.”
📕The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt — Recommended by Jackie Vullinghs
What Jackie says about it: “This book is for anyone who wants to understand how the other side thinks. Jon Haidt breaks down the fundamental differences in how liberals and conservatives perceive the world and make moral judgments. By the end, I finally felt like I understood both sides from a rational rather than emotional standpoint.”
📗Marching Powder by Rusty Young — Recommended by Andrew Donald
What Andrew says about it: “A very special and captivating true story of an English drug-smuggler, a notorious Bolivian prison, and enough cocaine to cover the Andes… a look into a bizarre and corrupt world, a society within a society of a prison. I was so captivated by the story I have to see it for my own eyes.”
📘Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson — Recommended by John Henderson
What John says about it: “You think Elon Musk is interesting…? Da Vinci literally figured out how the world works by observation. A truly incredible story of lifelong curiosity. We would do well to put down our phones every once in a while and look at the world with awe like Leonardo did. When’s the last time you’ve wondered how a woodpecker’s tongue works?”
📙Less by Andrew Sean Greer — Recommended by Craig Blair
What Craig says about it: “A hilarious, wise and witty journey of a faded writer. Skewers current day issues from same marriage, political correctness and ageing all with a warm heart. Pulitzer Prize winner for 2018 and approachable to boot.”
📕Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom — Recommended by Emily Close
What Emily says about it: “The author recounts a series of visits to a beloved, terminally ill college professor. It’s a heart-warming reminder to stop being so busy all the time, and to spend as much time with loved ones, and to learn as much from beloved friends as you can.”
📗Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli — Recommended by James Cameron
What James says about it: “In case modern life wasn’t already filled with enough general anxiety — reading this book is a great way to start questioning everything you thought you knew about time and reality. Added bonus — the audiobook is narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, whose dulcet tones do a great job of softening the blow as your head gently explodes.”
📘Beyond Boundaries: The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines by Miguel Nicolelis — Recommended by Justin Stals
What Justin says about it: “Pioneering Brazilian neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis listens to a totally different kind of symphony — electrical storms produced by an orchestra of neurons. With enchanting passion, he chronicles a rich history of experimentation in a field that constantly verges on science fiction. Although it’s quite a technical read, the awe-inspiring perspective of the wondrous matter in your head it leaves you with is more than worth the effort.”
Our Top Children’s Book Picks:
With three new parents in the team this year, their mindshare has been less “Harari” more “Baby Shark”… with that in mind, we’ve shared some of our favs for the little ones!
👼 Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by 60 Female Artists — Recommended by Helen Norton
👼 Ten Little Fingers, Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox — Recommended by John Henderson
👼 That’s Not My Baby… by Fiona Watt — Recommended by Elicia McDonald
👼 Here We Are — Notes for Living on Planet Earth by Oliver Jeffers — Recommended by Jess Heffernan
👼 Quantum Physics for Babies (Baby University) by Chris Ferrie — Recommended by James Cameron
👼 Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker — Recommended by John Henderson
👼 Alpacas with Maracas by Matt Cosgrove — Recommended by Jess Heffernan
👼 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum — Recommended by Elicia McDonald
👼 Little People Big Dreams Series by Isabel Sanchez Vegara — Recommended by Helen Norton
If you have any other book recommendations for the AirTree library, we’d love to hear from you. Wishing you all a Happy Holiday — from the AirTree team!
