Satya’s Book Club

Microsoft’s CEO loves to tell people about the tomes that have inspired him—such as these five on history, economics, technology, and management strategy.

The Great Transformation

KARL POLANYI

“My father recommended this book long ago,” says Nadella of the 1944 classic by a Hungarian-american writer who chronicles the development of England’s market economy and argues that society should drive economic change.

Deep Learning

IAN GOODFELLOW, YOSHUA BENGIO, AND AARON COURVILLE

Elon Musk and Facebook AI chief Yann Lecun have praised this textbook on one of software’s most promising frontiers. After its publication, Microsoft signed up coauthor Bengio, a pioneer in machine learning, as an adviser.

The Boys in the Boat

DANIEL JAMES BROWN

Nadella calls this tale with a local Seattle connection—it involves an underdog University of Washington crew team and the 1936 Berlin Olympics—“a wonderful illustration of the importance of teamwork, which was a core part of my focus out of the gate as CEO.”

The Great Convergence

RICHARD BALDWIN

In this look at how telepresence and telerobotics will increasingly let people cross international borders from the comfort of their own homes, Nadella sees analogies to Microsoft’s Hololens headset, especially as the technology matures and its cost comes down.

The Rise and Fall of American Growth

ROBERT J. GORDON

Covering everything from the combustion engine to the flush toilet—and judging recent breakthroughs with a skeptical eye—this work of economic history “concludes that innovation is the ultimate source of dramatic improvements in the human condition,” says Nadella.