Food for summer thoughts…
By XAnge
After the beachTech effort, we wanted to wish our entire eco-system a very happy and well-deserved holiday! But not without a little summer reading… Here are some of XAnge’s finest picks of this year — inspiration for those lazy afternoons and not-so-lazy minds! Hope you’ll enjoy them.
ADVICE
What I wish I knew when I was 20 — (by Tina Seelig)
Tina Seelig is responsible for the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. This book is full of advice for entrepreneurs (and others). It’s also a good starting point for teachings on entrepreneurship.
Les décisions absurdes II : Comment les éviter — (by Christian Morel)
We all make biased decisions on a regular basis. Here’s a book that will help to identify them and set up specific strategies in order to avoid them — a wider insight into our “zero risk” society.
The A Method for Hiring — (by Geoff Smart)
The 10 voodoo methods for hiring (cf number 4) — and how to do without!
Hooked — (by Ni Eyal,)
A fabulous book on how to build ‘habit-forming’ products: i.e. tech products with strong retention and usage. A must-read for all B2C Product Managers.
FUTURISM
The case against perfection — (by Michael Sandel)
An in depth and critical reflection on the “augmented human.” Will it endanger our social cohesion?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution — (by Klaus Schwab)
Unveils, among others, that the average lifespan of a corporation listed on the S&P index has already dropped from about 60 to 18 years…
The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine will Remake our World — (by Pedro Domingos)
This is a truly inclusive book, for all readers. Descriptions and discussions are presented with a commendable lack of jargon and examples are clear and accessible.
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow — (by Yuval Noah Harari)
Here’s a very compelling scenario planner for the numerous ways in which we might outsmart ourselves.
PERSONAL THINKING
The Human Element — (by Will Schutz)
A bible on self-esteem at work based on three dimensions: Inclusion (Am I in or am I out = significance), Control (What impact do I have?) and Openness (If I say the truth, will I be loved or rejected?)
Thinking, Fast and Slow — (by Daniel Kahneman)
A book by one of the creators of the Decision Theory — delving into how our minds work and how we can avoid decision biases.
VC STUFF
Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital — (by Carlota Perez)
More relevant than ever: the dynamics of economic “bubbles” and “golden ages”.
To be or not to be in a bubble… Tell me if you know!
A Man for all Markets — (by Edward O. Thorp)
A disruptive approach to risk-taking: from the blackjack table to hedge fund management.

