10 Great tech books to gift (or keep for yourself)

Treat the techie in your life to tomes revealing the inner workings of the companies and characters shaping big tech

TECHNOLOGY IS EXERTING AN EVER GROWING INFLUENCE ON OUR WORLD.

A cast including Facebook – or Meta – Google and Apple, with leads such as Elon Musk, Je Bezos and Elizabeth Holmes, looms large in the public consciousness. Give the gi of knowledge to enlighten the technology obsessed people in your life and help them learn more about the companies and characters dominating the industry, the news cycle and, increasingly, our lives. From painstakingly researched biographies and histories charting the rise and fall of modern business empires to deep dives into the birth of in uential gadgets, these are some of the best tech books to gi .

1 the Soul of a new machine by tracy kidder

First published in 1981, the book reveals the inner workings of Data General in the ’70s as the company strives to design and release a successful next-generation minicomputer. Kidder captures the struggle between management and creatives. He explains the intense time pressure on engineers that leads to a constant state of crunch, the need for recruits to feel like they’re working on something important that they have some stake in, and the psychology of leadership intent on realising ambitious projects. It’s positively prescient about the dangers of burnout for the unsung heroes who sacrifice so much to build new machines.

R370, loot.co.za

2 Steve JOBS by walter isaacson

Released just 19 days after the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, this astonishing biography takes a deep dive into his life and goes some way toward explaining his enduring legacy. Isaacson was picked by Jobs himself, who granted more than 40 interviews to his biographer and reportedly exerted no control over the final edit. Jobs’ intense passion and ambition saw him successfully marry creative ideas with technological innovations and sell them to the general public. It insightfully charts the rise of Apple and Pixar and the development of the Mac, itunes, the iphone, and the ipad. While it is flattering at times,

Jobs’ ruthlessness isn’t sugar-coated.

R540, loot.co.za

3 hatching twitter: a true story of Money, power, Friendship, and betrayal by nick bilton

With the recent news that Jack Dorsey is leaving Twitter, you might be interested in reading how the company was founded, how it struggled to deal with early growing pains, and how the four founders (Dorsey, Biz Stone, Evan Williams, and Noah Glass) fell out and fought each other for control. Hatching Twitter focuses on the tension and backstabbing precipitated by the pressure of steering a successful startup. It’s an intense and dramatic tale that never shies away from criticism, especially of Dorsey. Twitter has always punched above its weight, but far from unravelling that mystery, this book makes that feat feel even more remarkable.

R356, loot.co.za

4 in the plex: how google thinks,works, and Shapes our lives by steven levy

Despite the impact of Google, a company whose name has become a verb, most of us know little about its internal workings. This is the best book to read if you want to change that. Levy secured unprecedented access to serve up a fascinating dive into what makes Google tick, what drove successful expansion into new areas, and how the company and its products have changed the world. »

R334, loot.co.za

5 Bad Blood: Secrets and lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

Noble aims and raw ambition are lauded in the tech world, often attracting praise and investment, but what happens when a project goes wrong? Building on Wall Street Journal reporter Carreyrou’s shocking exposé of Theranos, this book follows charismatic founder Elizabeth Holmes as she tries and fails to build a blood testing machine to sweep away the need for hypodermic needles. She promises accurate tests done from a drop or two of blood via a pinprick on the finger. Although the company raised hundreds of millions of dollars, its technology was inaccurate. Rather than admit defeat, it pressed on, which is why Holmes is currently on trial for fraud. Theranos reached a paper valuation of $9 billion (around R131 billion) and employed more than 800 people before its spectacular fall.

R286, loot.co.za

6 the new new thing: a Silicon Valley Story by Michael lewis

Opening on a computerised superyacht, the talented Michael Lewis takes us on an adventure into the mind of billionaire Jim Clark, co-founder of Netscape and Silicon Graphics. The book charts the power shift in Silicon Valley startups from “money men” to “idea men” and engineers. Lewis also attempts to uncover what drives Clark’s endless pursuit of the next thing and his seemingly unquenchable desire for more. This modern captain of industry is restless, constantly dissatisfied, and not very likeable. The voyage is an interesting frame, and there are echoes in Kidder’s book of its subject’s idiosyncrasies and the author’s earnest attempt to explore what truly motivates him.

R352, loot.co.za

7 Billion dollar loser: the epic rise and Fall of wework by reeves wiedeman

Tales of success are often inspiring, but failure can be fascinating too. The collapse of Wework is a cautionary story about the thin line between visionary genius and charismatic con artist. It charts the rise of a real

estate company in denial. Under the guidance of Adam Neumann, Wework disrupted the office space scene, propelled by an appealing idealism around building community. But while employees worked long hours building glass cubicles for workers, Neumann bought houses and jets, and his wife Rebekah tried to start an education program with unrealistic goals. Schadenfreude is a part of the appeal of this book, but don’t shed a tear for Neumann, who walked away a billionaire.

R328, loot.co.za

8 amazon unbound: JEFF Bezos and the invention of a global empire by brad stone

Love him or hate him, there’s no doubt Jeff Bezos has driven Amazon to incredible levels of success. It’s impossible

to separate the company from the man, so Stone gives us a biography of Bezos and reveals his iron grip on every project Amazon undertakes, from successes such as Alexa to failures such as the Fire Phone. Amazon’s dominance stems from the ruthless and relentless nature of Bezos, the sacrifices of his talented teams, and how effectively the company has wielded enormous scale to squeeze out competitors. Stone is at his best explaining Amazon’s eclectic mix of products and services, and you can read our interview with the author and the secret origins of Amazon’s Alexa for a taster.

R660, loot.co.za

9 an ugly truth: inside Facebook’s battle For domination by sheera Frenkel and Cecilia kang

As the world’s most popular social network has grown, its dogged pursuit of users and blinkered focus on engagement has led to the creation of a dangerously effective persuasion machine. This book reveals that Zuckerberg, Sandberg and other Facebook execs willingly sacrificed the privacy of their users and shirked any responsibility for fact-checking as they pursued growth at all costs. Facebook stands accused of giving unscrupulous profiteers,

politicians, and anyone else willing to pay the ability to change minds about everything from who to vote for to whether to get the vaccine (you should). While Zuckerberg and his team didn’t set out to do this, An Ugly Truth does a great job exposing Facebook’s repeated failures to stop others from co-opting the monster they created.

R758, loot.co.za

10 elon Musk: tesla, spacex, and the Quest For a Fantastic Future by ashlee vance

The enigmatic Elon Musk is a fascinating, outspoken, and often divisive figure. Anyone keen to learn more about how he started, cashed in with Paypal, turned Tesla around, pushed solar power, and then turned his eyes skyward with Spacex should read this biography. Vance conducted several interviews with Musk, but the book is at its best recounting potted histories of the companies he’s helmed. This is an entertaining and illuminating read that digs a little into Musk’s psyche, demanding nature, and expansive ego, without challenging the idea that his lofty ambitions are truly about advancing humanity.

R690, loot.co.za

‘A cautionary story about the thin line between visionary genius and charismatic con artist’