Beach reads for IT professionals in 2017
The Delirium Brief
Author: Charles Stross
Lighthearted and excellently written, Charles Stross has earned his place in the sci-fi and technology fiction arena. The Delirium Brief is the latest instalment of The Laundry Files, a series which combines mathematics, programming, magic and the bureaucracy of the British government.
The Net Delusion: How Not to Liberate The World
Author: Evgeny Morozov
The Net Delusion: How Not to Liberate The World is a book written by journalist Evgeny Morozov which talks about how "Internet freedom" may not be as liberal and democratic as those in the West may think -- and how by making the nature of the Web democratic, the concept may actually be backfiring and making the grip of leaders of repressed countries stronger.
Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars
Author: Nathalia Holt
The presence of women is growing in today's tech and science arena, but while small, has never been irrelevant. Nathalia Holt's tale, Rise of the Rocket Girls, describes just how a group of women were key in breaking through barriers in mathematics and science in order to launch us into space.
Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe
Author: George Dyson
While Turing's computer principles are well-known to many in the tech industry, the film The Imitation Game further highlighted his work and personal life. If you enjoyed the film, Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe is an enjoyable read which explores how a group of scientists set out to create Turing's universal machine.
Chaos Monkeys: Inside the Silicon Valley money machine
Author: Antonio García Martínez
Chaos Monkeys is an amusing read of how startup owner-turned-marketer García Martínez, living on coffee and adrenaline, crashed and rolled his way through Silicon Valley to cause chaos at Facebook, take on Twitter, and livd the high life. Despite the lighthearted tone, the author offers genuine tips on how to survive in today's fast-faced tech realm and make it as a startup.
The Snowden Files: The Inside Story of the World's Most Wanted Man
Author: Luke Harding
In one of the most high-profile information leaks to date, former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden fled the US after handing over documents revealing the extensive surveillance activities of the agency to the media.
Believed to be in Russia, the extent of Snowden's leak are still felt by government agencies and tech vendors alike. But what made him do it, abandoning all he knew with little chance of returning home? This book explores the chain of incidents which prompted the disclosure, and what may be in store for him in the future.
The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
Author: Walter Isaacson
In this tale, Walter Isaacson touches upon different figures from history to explain how everyone from Lord Byron's daughter Ada Lovelace to Alan Turing shaped and formed what we call the digital revolution. For those that are interested in more than just how things work now, this is a great read.
The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage
Author: Cliff Stoll
This one takes a little more concentration to follow than the others, but Cliff Stoll's The Cuckoo's Egg -- is the tale of an IT manager tracking down a member of a spy ring in the days before data breaches -- is an exciting tale about how a 75-cent billing error turned into a story of deception, tracking and the government.
The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies
Author: Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee
The Second Machine Age is a bestselling tale of how much impact digital technologies have on our lives now, and potentially what will happen in the future. From job redundancy to business transformation, this book pushes for strategies to make us work with technology to make the economy better, rather than fight against it.
Future Shock
Author: Alvin Toffler
An old read, and sometimes with attitudes about certain concepts such as women's rights which have progressed since the book was written, Future Shock is still an interesting look at issues explored decades ago but are still relevant now. The author touches upon every change hitting society from climate change to technological evolution and presents opinions and ideas which still have a place in debates today.
Are the Androids Dreaming Yet?
Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions
Author: Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths
In this interesting read, Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths combines the principles of computer science with human behavior. The authors explore how you can apply these principles to better connect with others around you, stay more organized, and live a more efficient and less stressful life.