Episode · a16z Podcast · 2018-05-17
Books mentioned on a16z Podcast: Network Effects, Origin Stories, and the Evolution of Tech
“The rules of the game are different in tech,” argues — and has long argued, despite his views not being accepted at first — W. Brian Arthur, technologist-turned-economist who first truly described the phenomenon of “positive feedbacks” in the economy or “increasing returns” (vs.
Sonal (surname unknown) discussed The Nature of Technology by W. Brian Arthur. Marc Andreessen recommended Tubes by Andrew Blum, and discussed Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Nature of Technology
The Nature of Technology by W.
Discussed“I mean more around the nature of technology and how it evolves which coincidentally is the name of the book you published in 2009 I have a copy from you on my shelf”
Where to get it
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Tubes
Tubes by Andrew Blum is a non-fiction book that investigates the physical infrastructure of the internet, tracing the actual cables and hardware that make global connectivity possible.
Recommended“the other my other favorite example is MIT published a great book called tube years ago”
Where to get it
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Sapiens
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari is an expansive exploration of how Homo sapiens evolved, dominated the planet, and constructed complex societies through shared myths and imagined realities.
Discussed“and by the way in that sense I think it is very much like evolution I mean we had you've all her re on the podcast too and basically in his book sapiens he argues that tech helps mankind leapfrog natural evolution and only in that context we were talking about it across a much larger time scale”
Where to get it
