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Books like Accidental empires
A wry, anecdote-rich exploration of the chaotic and deeply human origins of the Silicon Valley computer boom. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Accidental empires.
- nostalgic
- industrious
- reflective
- 01
Dreaming in code
Scott Rosenberg
A fascinating, deeply human look at the messy, frustrating, and oddly poetic reality of trying to build something out of nothing.
- 02
Revolution in the valley
Andy Hertzfeld
An energetic, insider's look at the eccentric brilliance and creative chaos that birthed the personal computer.
- 03
The Bug
Ellen Ullman · 2003
A fluorescent-lit descent into the obsessive, isolating world of early software development, where a single flaw in the code mirrors the unraveling of a human mind.
- 04
Out of control
Kevin Kelly · 1994
A mind-expanding journey into the hidden logic of swarms, ecosystems, and machines that will change how you look at the modern world.
- 05
The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook
Ben Mezrich
A high-energy, dramatic plunge into the intoxicating and ultimately destructive collision of collegiate ambition, social desperation, and unimaginable wealth.
- 06
The Dream Machine
M. Mitchell Waldrop
A sweeping, meticulously detailed journey into the minds of the quiet visionaries who dreamed up the digital age.
- 07
Startup
Jerry Kaplan · 1995
A witty, high-stakes plunge into the chaotic, crisis-driven world of a 1980s Silicon Valley tech venture.
- 08
Founders at work
Jessica Livingston
A fly-on-the-wall seat at the messy, chaotic, and brilliant birth of the modern tech industry.
- 09
Creative Selection
Ken Kocienda
A quiet, meticulous look over the shoulder of a craftsman building the digital tools that changed the world.
- 10
Life in code
Ellen Ullman
A deeply humanistic, late-night reflection on the invisible architecture of code and the people who build it.
- 11
Uncanny Valley
Anna Wiener
A sharp, anthropological descent into the surreal and toxic optimism of Silicon Valley's boom years.
- 12
Voices from the Valley
Ben Tarnoff and Moira Weigel
An unfiltered, ground-level exploration of the human labor and stark contradictions hiding behind Silicon Valley's polished utopian hype.
