Whether you plan on braving airport chaos to travel abroad or you look forward to simply staying put, summertime is the time to read.  Now, the question is... what to choose? Here is a  list of books members of the Sapphire team find noteworthy and worthwhile.  These books inspire us to think differently, they influence our life blueprints and help shape us as individuals.

For me, "A World Without Work" by Daniel Susskind is a must-read, as I am both captivated and terrified by the rapid rise of automation in our time. Daniel provides a clear explanation, backed by empirical evidence, for the reasoning behind such rapid technological progress over the past decade, as well as what the future will look like.  

Boyd recommends "The Power Law - Venture Capital And The Art of Disruption" by Sebastian Mallaby.  It provides a fascinating insight into the origins and growth of venture capital.  Boyd says: "this is the second book of his that I have read (the first being "More Money Than God") and it does not disappoint!!!"

Andrew recommends "Bounce" by Matthew Syed.  Examining how champions are formed, the book highlights the importance of hard work and consistent practice, demonstrating that success is the result of thousands of hours of practice rather than innate talent. 

Ben recommends "Letters From A Stoic" by Seneca. It may have been written in 65AD Rome, but resonates to this day as we still face similar challenges.  Seneca laid out commentary and advice on life, and in particular how to persevere in the face of "mob mentalities".  The book reminds us how important it is to establish joy within our inner selves and makes us think about what is ethical behavior.

Johnathan recommends "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu.  The book is considered to be the original strategy and conflict management masterpiece because its teachings can be applied to all areas of life, such as decision making, approaching challenging situations, and knowing your strengths and weaknesses.

Bronagh recommends "Women Don't Ask" by Linda Babcock, which gives an interesting perspective on the gender pay gap.  The concept can be applicable to women entrepreneurs when it comes to fundraising.  

Thomas recommends "Si C'Est Un Homme" ("If There Is A Man") by Primo Levi.  An intense read about the arrest of an Italian anti-fascist movement activist and his incarceration at Auschwitz, its message about humanity and life's purpose resonates and impacts our present-day existence.

Ciaran recommends "Shoe Dog: A Memoir From the Creator of Nike" by Phil Knight.  How does one go about creating a $30 billion global company?

Aisling recommends "Invisible Women.  Exposing Data Bias In a World Designed For Men" by Caroline Criado Perez.  Bringing attention to daily life circumstances we face that are not inclusive, yet have never been challenged.  

Of course, our Sapphire summer reading list would not be complete without recommendations from our fund mentors:

Alistair from Nova Cofoundery SEIS and EIS fund, recommends "Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist" by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson.  The book breaks down how venture deals are made.  A good read for anyone starting out in the venture capital space. 

Pippa from the Zero Carbon Fund recommends "Speed & Scale: A Global Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now" by John E. Doerr.  It is a very practical and comprehensive plan for the technologies we need to fix the climate crisis, from one of the OG VCs of Silicon Valley turned climate convert.

Tom from Fuel Ventures recommends "Other People's Money" by John Kay as it calls for business and banking reform.

If, after reading our recommendations you still haven't found a book that interests you, why not download one from Sapphire's own collection of ebooks, such as the Sapphire Guide to SEIS and EIS Advance Assurance.  They are free and accessible from our website.  Happy reading!!!