with @smc90 @rhackett @stephbzinn @Tim_Org

In a now-annual tradition, the a16z crypto editorial team discuss themes (and picks) from a16z crypto's latest reading lists, as well as books we keep re-reading, childhood favorites, classics, adaptations on adaptations — in book and movie form! — and much more.

We cover:

• What genres are we reading now, how, and why?
• How is technology — from AI and ChatGPT to the internet and audio — changing reading?
• Why are certain themes in the zeitgeist right now?
• Is all non-fiction just fiction now (and should we lean into this for education)?
• Are the kids alright?

From irony, truth, and why context matters, to Machiavelli, Formula 1, and nautical non-fiction this episode has it all... check out our "what we're reading" lists, podcasts, and more here:
https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/tags/what-were-reading

Highlights
(0:00 ) Overview of the summer reading list
(0:33 ) The list goes beyond tech and business books
(2:02 ) Formula One, optimization, and recurring reading themes
(3:12 ) Favorite picks: ASML, semiconductors, and industrial history
(4:50 ) Memoirs, grief, and reading for emotional understanding
(6:40 ) Why nonfiction feels broken — and what replaces it
(8:20 ) Adventure, boats, and narrative nonfiction
(11:39 ) Letters, primary sources, and Renaissance writing
(17:30 ) Antimimetics, ideas that resist spreading, and fresh nonfiction
(19:00 ) Mark Twain, irony, influence, and unreliable narrators
(24:16 ) Podcasts/the internet as book discovery engines
(26:10 ) The internet replaces nonfiction?
(27:31 ) Anne of Green Gables and its effects
(30:21 ) The role of the author in fiction vs. nonfiction
(32:00 ) Historical fiction, context, and why it still matters
(38:12 ) Machiavelli and interpreting texts across time
(45:43 ) Gothic fiction, Dracula, and modern adaptations
(51:00 ) Film adaptations and creative ownership
(55:16 ) Audiobooks, narration, and reading styles
(1:00:54 ) Reading aloud, poetry, and rhythm
(1:06:44 ) Childhood books that shape worldview
(1:15:24 ) Young adult books worth revisiting
(1:18:29 ) Closing reflections and where to find the full list

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