The All Raise Fall 2020 Reading List
As the weathers starts to cool in some parts of the world, snuggling up with a good read and your favorite beverage sounds like the most calming activity after a long day. We asked some incredible female investors, founders, and operators in our community what they’ve reading to pass the time. Hope you find your next read among these recommendations.
Talia Goldberg, Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson
“Not only an unbelievable entrepreneur, scientist, innovator, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin also happens to be witty and hilarious. Timeless book.”
Alexis Gay, Senior Manager, Creator Partnerships and Operations, Patreon
Grit by Angela Duckworth
“This is the book that’s had the most impact on me in 2020! Grit is an empowering reminder of how much control we each have over our own success. I happened to pick it up at Terminal 5 in JFK one morning before a flight at a time in my life when I felt very much at the mercy of my circumstances. Reading Grit reminded me that perseverance and passion are the most important contributors to success in any field. I reflect on this concept regularly, especially when my motivation to sit down at my notebook or computer and actually do the work is low.”
Shriya Nevatia, Head of Fellowship Operations, On Deck
The Power by Naomi Alderman
“I’ve been on a sci-fi kick, specifically feminist sci-fi, because I find that as the world feels like it’s crumbling around us, I’m craving a way to get the 10,000-foot view of our past, present, and future. Naomi imagines how society would change if women suddenly had the ability to all be physically stronger than men because of a mysterious electrical power within our nerves and hands My favorite thing about The Power is its willingness to subvert a line of thought that modern feminism sometimes leans towards — “things would be so much better if women were running the show” — and instead convey that extreme power can, and will, corrupt anyone.”
Siri Srinivas, Investment Team, Draper Associates
Severance by Ling Ma
“I like to joke that I don’t trust anybody who doesn’t read for pleasure. One of the best things about my job is that I read for work all day. I am also helplessly addicted to the news. So when I put my devices away and stop working, I rely on fiction for escape. Earlier this year I read Severance. Somebody described it as one of the best books for reading in 2020, for the strange, unprecedented times we live in. At the center of Severance is a mysterious infectious disease called Shen Fever which slowly erases people’s consciousness before death. Severance is darkly funny, poignant; and is marvelous in how much it foretold about a global pandemic 2 years before it hit us.”
Christine Deakers, Editoral Director, Bessemer Venture Partners
Luster by Raven Leilani
“Luster is electrifying — I’ve found myself getting on my feet in shock over Raven Leilani’s prose in her debut novel. The character Edie is captivating in all her glory and her distress as she navigates her job, desires, a complicated arrangement, and being a Black woman in her twenties striving to be an artist. I’m savoring every passage like I’m eating from the last pint of Honey Lavender ice cream in a pandemic.”
Anarghya Vardhana, Partner, Maveron Ventures
How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
“This book gives a powerful and personal historical context to concepts which are in the cultural zeitgeist now, like identity politics, feminism, Black Lives Matter, intersectionality. You get to hear from the women who built the foundation for all of this, and appreciate their work, vision, and dedication. This is especially a must-read for anyone who identifies as a feminist, in my mind.”
Kaya Thomas, Senior Software Engineer, Calm & Founder, We Read Too
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
“Bennett writes an epic tale that spans over decades about identity, both how we perceive ourselves and how the world perceives us. This book was the most powerful read of the year for me. The characters are all imperfect and grappling with issues of race, family and trauma. I think Bennett was able to beautifully display the painful complexities of how colorism, racism and even homophobia manifested itself from 50 years ago to present day.”
Hilary Quartner, Co-Founder, Hilma
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
“A story about a midcentury American family of 12 children, 6 of whom are diagnosed with Schizophrenia. It is both about how families deal with mental illness, as well as how the National Institute of Mental Health, by studying this family, was able to evolve the scientific community’s understanding of the illness, grounded in genetics. An important read today as de-stigmatizing mental health is at the center of cultural conversation.”
Anna Khan, General Partner, CRV
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD
“This book changed my life and opened my eyes to how important sleep is, even in comparison to diet and exercise. I now religiously sleep 8 hours a night.”
Emily DaSilva, Chief Operating Officer, OutVote
salt by Nayyirah Waheed
“This collection isn’t necessarily new, but it’s the thing I am absolutely looking forward to reading most. If I may be so bold — long-form fiction isn’t really my genre. I prefer nonfiction, plays, essays and short stories, and every once in a while, I get very contemplative and read some tear-you-apart poetry. Nayyirah Waheed has a knack for taking concise sentences and opening up a sea of deep-rooted emotion. After 8 months of quarantine and two+ years of full-time voter mobilization, I’m ready to submerge myself in Waheed’s magnificent craft.”
Rae Dinh, Director, Content of Community and Content, Unusual Ventures
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
“This book is a solid place to start for anyone looking to become a stronger writer. Over the years, several mentors have recommended it to me and I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner! The book covers basic principles from simplicity to style and breaks down how to write things people want to read. As Zinsser presents the paradox, ‘Can such principles be taught? Maybe not. But they can be learned.’ On Writing Well is one I’ll be returning to and a weapon for any aspiring writer’s arsenal.”
Jasmine Crowe, Founder and CEO, Goodr
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
“This happens to be one of my favorite books ever and I highly recommend you check it out if ever you have some time. Why are the high-achievers different? It all boils down to solid work ethic. I’m a high-achiever because I want to solve a big problem.”
Madeline Kolbe Saltzman, VP Culture, True Ventures
What We Carry by Maya Shanbhag Lang
“This is a powerful memoir that examines mother/daughter relationships and their evolving dynamic over time, as the daughter becomes a mother, as the mother develops dementia and the daughter becomes her caretaker. A quote that continues to resonate and come to mind regularly: “Maybe at our most maternal, we aren’t mothers at all. We’re daughters, reaching back in time for the mothers we wish we’d had and then finding ourselves.”
Hayley Leibson, Cofounder & Co-CEO, Neverland; Angel Investor and Scout for Chapter One VC
Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
“This is one of my favorite books of all time. Let My People Go Surfing helped me form the belief that only those businesses operating with a sense of urgency, dancing on the fringe, constantly evolving, open to diversity and new ways of doing things, are going to be here one hundred years from now. It’s both a story and guide for founders about how Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard uses his company to challenge the culture of consumption that is at the heart of the global climate crisis — the single biggest threat to the security of humankind.”
Jordan Taylor, Co-Founder, Medley
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
“My husband first read this and demanded that I did too. Science Fiction isn’t normally my genre but I really enjoyed it. It tells a story of the future from a different perspective than I’ve thought about before and helped me understand how others (and people) from different countries may view the world and humanity differently. I can’t wait to read the next two books in the Trilogy.”
Jaime Bott, Talent Partner, Sequoia
Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips
“A story about three young girls who go missing, including a pair of sisters. The author makes a foreign place feel familiar with her vivid descriptions. As a mother of three, I can attest that she captures the intensity of the mothers’ feelings so well you can’t help but be driven to cringing empathy.”
Kinsey Grant, Host, Morning Brew’s Business Casual Podcast
The Deficit Myth: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People’s Economy by Stephanie Kelton
“This book is economics even for people who think they don’t like economics — it uses incredibly real-world examples that any of us can understand to flip our entire U.S. economic belief system on its head. Kelton is a gifted writer and thinker, and her concepts shook me to my core. Even if you don’t agree with modern monetary theory (many don’t), this is an incredible read that’s worth your time…especially given the state of our federal government’s attitude toward stimulus packages.”
Jessica Lin, General Partner, Work-Bench
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
“A powerful and very real read about a high school girl’s journey with anxiety. I walked away from the book having gained deep empathy into the some of the mental health challenges that many people face.”
Molly Fowler, CEO, Dorm Room Fund
How to Decide by Annie Duke
“I am super excited to read Annie Duke’s new book, How to Decide. In addition to being a former World Series of Poker champion, Annie is a decision scientist who’s worked with VCs (and many others) to help them refine their approach to decision making as groups and as individuals. Her new book is an active guide to help people identify and correct for their own biases — which for professional decision makers like VCs is not just a moral imperative, but in fact essential to being good at your job. I loved her book, Thinking in Bets, and bought copies for the new members of the Dorm Room Fund student investing teams this fall.”
Amanda Robson, Principal, Cowboy Ventures
American Kingpin by Nick Bilton
“This book is about the incredible story of the hunt for the creator of the Silk Road. It’s the ultimate thriller that highlights the flaws in our systems, as well as people, without making judgements. It’s a well-researched overview of the rise of a billion-dollar drug empire.”
Camille Ricketts, Head of Marketing, Notion
Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, But It Love It by April Dunford
“I know the title sounds cheesy, but I was blown away by the actionable framework it provides for creating company and product positioning. It’s literally a step by step recipe to effectively doing something that has historically been nebulous and difficult to navigate, and makes positioning a concrete, high-leverage asset for product and go-to-market.”
Cheryl Campos, Head of Growth & Partnerships, Republic
Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams
“I’m excited to read this book because Stacey Abrams is an icon and I would love to learn how to apply her learnings to tech + serve underrepresented folks in the best possible way. I have some projects brewing and think this could help me take a step back and focus on the big, long term goal of an equitable future.”
