We asked readers of CIO Journal’s Morning Download newsletter to share some of their favorite summer books.
Their recommendations, which range from people management best practices to tales of grifters and rogues, aren’t exactly as qualified as those usually read on the beach. But for the outstanding expert in information technology, whose professional value lies in the ability to ingest and distill information from a range of sources, these books deserve a place next to the lounge chair and laptop. Contributions have been edited for clarity.
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Seal Press
Elaine Montilla, assistant vice president and CIO, the Graduate Center, City University of New York
“Inclusion Revolution: The Essential Guide to Eliminating Racial Injustice in the Workplace” by Daisy Auger-Domínguez
As a CIO, I see a tremendous need for leaders to pay attention to our teams and the people who work with us. At that point, diversity, equity and inclusion are essential for any leader who wants to retain talent for years to come. Racial inequality in the workplace is a problem we can all solve, and all the tools are included in this gem for us to follow.
Susan Lilly Gerock, senior vice president of IT and CIO, Washington Real Estate Investment Trust
“From Admiration to Obsession: 12 Principles for Becoming Lifelong Fans of Customers and Employees” by Jon Picoult
It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to marry people, process and technology into positive and memorable experiences. Real life stories from familiar (and some not so familiar) companies will change the way you approach design.
Corrado Azzarita, global CIO, Kraft Heinz co.
“Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” by David Allen
I recommend this book to everyone. Strategy is only as good as its execution and good execution starts with clean personal productivity.
Arthur Hu, SVP and CIO, Lenovo Group Ltd.
and chief technology officer of the company’s solutions and services unit
“The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket” by Benjamin Lorr
A fascinating look at something most of us take for granted—how the food we eat got to us in the first place. It’s a fascinating tour that takes the reader from the grocery shelves to the rules behind who gets to stock the shelves, to how the food gets there. At every step of the way, it’s a reminder of the surprising complexity and integration involved in this seemingly quotidian activity and shows the limits of visibility and even knowledge for business operations at the edges of distant supply webs. .
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Main Book
Bob Ferry, associate vice president, information technology, Securities Investor Protection Corp.
“Life Is Simple: How Occam’s Razor Freed Science and Shaped the Universe” by Johnjoe McFadden
Part history book, part science lesson, part theological discussion, this book is both a masterful account covering some of the greatest discoveries in world history, but also a study of how the one man, William of Occam, and his “shaving” changed the thinking of his time and is in large part responsible for laying the framework for how scientific research has been conducted ever since. Highly recommended for the beach.
Aaron Levie, chief executive, Box Inc.
“Play Nice But Win: A CEO’s Journey From Founder to Leader” by Michael Dell
It’s a bit difficult to make tech infrastructure stories exciting, but Michael Dell did a great job in his memoir—featuring the many different chapters and twists of the Dell story.
Jeremy King, SVP and head of engineering, Pinterest Inc.
“Termination Shock: A Novel” by Neal Stephenson
What technologist wouldn’t love a little Neal Stephenson? This book has it all: environmental do-gooders, global climate change, geopolitical consequences, a bit of human connection and some technology-related twists.
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WW Norton and Company
Christian Heller, director of AI success, DataRobot Inc.
“Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942” by Ian W. Toll
There is no other military history book I’ve read that appeals so well to hard-core history nerds and casual readers. The real beauty of the book is how it lays out how change happens in a military during wartime. Toll shows throughout the book how technology changes (eg, new types of torpedoes, radar), policy changes (submarine engagements and campaign movements), advanced manufacturing (mass growth in new types of aircraft from American builders), and human ingenuity (submarine captains figuring out new tactics through trial and error) led to massive defense innovations that helped the US win the war in the Pacific. It is a must-read for national security professionals, especially those working in today’s digital transformations and new technologies, and shows how all the moving pieces need to come together for success in war.
Ram Venkatesh, CTO, Cloudera Inc.
“Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men” by Caroline Criado Perez
As someone who has worked in the data space for years, it’s really sad for me to read how systemic the gender data gap is and how far-reaching the consequences are in the world we live in today. At the same time, the tremendous amount of research and detail shared by Caroline Criado Perez helped me feel informed and hopeful that I could be more mindful of the need to address this gap proactively.
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Doubleday
Tom Murphy, SVP and university CIO, University of Pennsylvania
“Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks” by Patrick Radden Keefe
For enterprise CIOs and technologists, this is a handbook for dealing with the politics and perils of C-level life with colleagues and unscrupulous vendors.
Bryan Schulte, chief data janitor, Leaf Logistics Inc.
“Where’s My Flying Car?” by J. Storrs Hall
In the bibliography, on FAA airspace regulation: “They made a desert, and they called it peace.” I won’t read any book just because it quotes Tacitus…but I will.
Rajin Chauhan, senior customer value architect, Celonis Inc.
Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Increasing Intensity” by Frank Slootman [CEO of
Snowflake Inc.
]
You’ll understand how he enabled wild growth and successful IPOs at ServiceNow and Snowflake; the trips made by the companies; Slotman leadership tactics and values; the basics of cloud business.
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William Morrow
Amit Prakash, co-founder and CTO, ThoughtSpot Inc.
“Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life” by Rory Sutherland
As an engineer, I’m really good at taking real-world problems, abstracting them and then using a bag of techniques collected over the years to solve them. Naturally that’s the stuff bag I reach for most often. It is quite educational and fun to see a diametrically opposite point of view that is also quite complementary. Rory Sutherland makes a very convincing case in this book that this kind of reductive thinking, while effective, often leaves room for a little magic. Instead of taking a problem and reducing it to something, a little lateral thinking and application of human psychology can result in magical solutions that are often cheap, satisfying and very effective.
Tom Bianculli, CTO, Zebra Technologies corp.
“Digital Business Transformation: How Established Companies Can Stay Competitive From Now to Next” by Nigel Vaz
This book is a great read for those on the journey to digitally transform their business. It discusses how companies can drive innovation at the speed of business, improve decision-making and create the culture necessary to deliver on ever-increasing customer expectations.
Krishna Subramanian, president and chief operating officer, Komprise Inc.
“Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike” by Phil Knight
This is an amazing story of entrepreneurship told by a founder. The details are vivid and feel very real, and there are valuable lessons to be learned, but they just don’t come across in a dry or cheesy way.
Write to Thomas Loftus at [email protected]
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