# 19 Surprising Books for Builders

> Continuing to share what we're reading, here are 19 books for builders -- from histories of innovation and stories of resilience, to systems thinking and philosophy in practice... there's something in here for everyone!

- URL: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/books-for-builders-and-everyone-crypto-fs2025
- Authors: [a16z crypto editorial](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/a16z-crypto-editorial)
- Published: 2025-10-31
- Focus areas: tech trends
- Tags: what we're reading, Founders Summits

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In the spirit of sharing [what we’re reading](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/tags/what-were-reading) — a regular tradition around here! — below are some of the books we recently curated for the giveaway library at our a16z crypto Founders Summit 2025. (Founders Summit is our event bringing together the top leaders in crypto — along with other builders, domain experts, and creatives — to help founders connect with each other and share insights on navigating company building and the latest tech trends in an ever-evolving industry.)

But the books in this list are not just for crypto founders! The list spans not just companies as systems but cities, finance, and memes as systems; strategy games and strategy in competition; to histories of explorers, athletes, and soldiers. Plus some philosophy and sci-fi, too!

## …company building, how-to, systems thinking, and tech trends

**[Antimemetics: Why Some Ideas Resist Spreading](https://darkforest.metalabel.com/antimemetics?variantId=1)**by Nadia Asparouhova \[[listen to/read our podcast conversation here](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/antimemetics-memes-ideas-spread-community-crypto-beyond/)\]

**[The Structure of Scientific Revolutions](https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo13179781.html)** by Thomas Kuhn 

[**Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy**](https://store.hbr.org/product/understanding-michael-porter-the-essential-guide-to-competition-and-strategy/13023?srsltid=AfmBOooz-V_94kRs4seIuKeAqWKxStBJ3bOV49RQ4bm88YQNnITpirYY) by Joan Magretta \[see also [this piece](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/porters-five-forces-and-competitive-advantage-in-web3/) and [listen to this podcast conversation](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/network-effects-moats-the-business-of-web3/)\]

**[Nearly Perfect](https://nearlyperfectbook.com/)** by Thomas Drach 

**[The Computer Always Wins: A Playful Introduction to Algorithms through Puzzles and Strategy Games](https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262551694/the-computer-always-wins/)** by Elliott Lichtman

## **…related disciplines, domains, and histories of interest**

**[The Origins of Efficiency](https://press.stripe.com/origins-of-efficiency)** by Brian Potter

**[Modern Principles of Economics](https://marginalrevolution.com/?s=modern+principles)** by Tyler Cowen & Alex Tabarrok

[**Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy**](https://www.amazon.com/Basic-Economics-Thomas-Sowell/dp/0465060730) by Thomas Sowell

**[Fragile by Design: The Political Origins of Banking Crises and Scarce Credit](https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691155241/fragile-by-design?srsltid=AfmBOopT6HPCYXaeUUu4bc4k2jie9xiVwrUf5k8_iH1uY8QQQ4rG76Np)** by Charles Calomiris and Stephen Haber

[**The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World**](https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-perfectionists-simon-winchester?variant=32128770932770) by Simon Winchester

## **…builder biographies, innovation process**

**[The Power Broker](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/24312/the-power-broker-by-robert-a-caro/)**: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro

**[There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift](https://store.hbr.org/product/there-s-nothing-like-this-the-strategic-genius-of-taylor-swift/10772?srsltid=AfmBOort2C3PQDBmSUW-2DV6gCBVmTAJnyXyFPFMxVu10bkN8fITAJRx)** by Kevin Evers

**[Open Socrates: The Case for a Philosophical Life](https://wwnorton.com/books/open-socrates)** by Agnes Callard

**[The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay](https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/christopher-clarey/the-warrior/9781538759134/?lens=grand-central-publishing)** by Christopher Clarey

## …stories of resilience and health

[**The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey**](https://www.candicemillard.com/river-of-doubt.html) by Candice Millard 

[**Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption**](https://www.randomhousebooks.com/books/79977/) by Laura Hillenbrand

**[The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map](https://www.alexhutchinson.net/books)** by Alex Hutchinson \[speaker book\]

## **…fiction**

[**There Is No antimimetics Division**](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/783041/there-is-no-antimemetics-division-by-qntm/), a novel by qntm

**[The Café at the Edge of the Woods](http://harpercollins.com/products/the-cafe-at-the-edge-of-the-woods-mikey-please) by Mikey Please** \[included in [our podcast discussion](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/what-were-reading-summer-technology-changing-reading/) as well\] 

*curated by Sonal Chokshi and a16z crypto team* 

![](https://dwt2zme5yrom6.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/10/IMG_3020-scaled.jpg)

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Source: [19 Surprising Books for Builders](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/books-for-builders-and-everyone-crypto-fs2025) — a16z crypto. Full archive: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts