Written by: Bryn Erickson ’27, Yale Ventures Summer Associate for Innovation Community

As summer winds down and we look ahead to a new season of creativity and collaboration this upcoming school year, we asked members of the Yale innovation community to share the books that inspired them most over the break. Whether you're diving into your next big idea or just looking for something thought-provoking to read, this list includes the top recommendations from students, staff, faculty, and friends of Yale Ventures. Across the community, these books sparked reflection, imagination, and fresh ways of thinking. 

We hope they’ll do the same for you as we head into the fall semester — happy reading!

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Recommended by:

Kassie Tucker, Interim Executive Director, Tsai CITY 

The bestselling, self-help book Atomic Habits, shows how small changes in your behavior can lead to lasting, meaningful improvements. It’s all about building better habits, breaking the bad ones, and taking consistent action in order to transform your life. At it’s core, Atomic Habits a practical guide to creating success through the habits you build.

“I appreciated the focused, practical approach to breaking down a big goal into manageable steps.”

How Innovation Works by Matt Ridley

Recommended by:

Miles Lasater, ’01, CEO & Founder, Purpose Built Ventures; Co-founder, Higher One, SeeClickFix, OneUni

“The book has two main sections. The first is a series of stories or case studies. The second is the conclusions he draws from them and some proposed principles. Rather than taking a research or academic perspective, he’s more of a storyteller who incorporates and references other important works on the subject.

I recommend the book to anyone who is a founder, wants to be a founder or wants to create a startup community. It has a combination of society-level policy choices and cases studies about what to expect as someone attempting to innovate.”

For a thoughtful, founder‑focused perspective, check out Miles Lasater’s blog post on How Innovation Works, a candid overview that drills into both the historical innovation stories and the policy‑level insights Ridley shares.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Recommended by:

Amy Kundrat, MBA ’21, Director of Innovation Community, Yale Ventures

”A fun, quick, and timely read. Imagine a future where robots are built to serve us, but one has hacked its governor module and developed a touch of anxiety and a penchant for streaming media.

Once hacked, Murderbot appears to prefer binge-watching serials than human interaction. And yet, it still manages to fall for its humans, flaws and all.

In this book (and our not-so-different world), we build machines in our own image, embedding not just our intelligence, but also our anxieties, biases, and a desire for connection. It’s a smart, funny, and unsettling look at our future.”

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C Maxwell

Recommended by:

Cece Calhoun, MD, MPHS, MBA, Yale School of Medicine

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is a foundational leadership book, outlining the 21 key principles that effective leaders follow. Each law is backed by real-life stories, practical insights, and actionable takeaways to help anyone become a stronger and more influential leader.

”An oldie but goodie that reminds me that leadership is about more than just titles or accolades.”

North Woods by Daniel Mason

Recommended by:

Alex Reich, Director of Research & Impact, Planetary Solutions

“The novel gives you a sense of time travel through eras of American (environmental) history as you read the interwoven stories of people who intersect with a particular house in Western Massachusetts over 400+ years.”

The immersive read, North Woods, follows a single house in the New England woods across centuries, following the lives of its many inhabitants. Through shifting narratives and voices, the novel is able to capture the passage of time and the deep, often haunting connection between people and place.

Additional Recommendation: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, a novel that does much the same over a period of 1000s of years.

Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

Recommended by: 

Vince Wilczynski, Deputy Dean, Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science

Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson is a captivating biography exploring the life of one of history’s greatest geniuses. The book presents Leonardo as both extraordinary, but also deeply human, offering insights into how the intersection of creativity and curiosity shapes the world.

“To prepare for a recent two-week vacation in Italy—where we visited Vinci and other towns—I read Walter Isaacson’s biography of Leonardo da Vinci. It’s a fascinating look at one of history’s greatest minds, blending science, art, and curiosity in a way that’s deeply inspiring.”

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

Recommended by:

Michelle McQueen, Associate Director, Technology Marketing & Events, Yale Ventures

“It shows the best and worst of humanity. A historical fiction set in Vietnam, the novel has two storylines: in the 1970s, Hương anxiously awaits (and hopes for!) her parents and uncles to return from the war with America. At the same time, her grandmother, Diệu Lan, retells her about surviving the Great Hunger and Land Reform in northern Vietnam during the 1940s and 1950s.

This was the best book I’ve read in months. Absolutely beautiful storytelling. It brings the struggles and joys of the Vietnamese people over the last century to life in a powerful way.”

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

Recommended by:

Anonymous Student

The Astonishing Color of After follows Leigh Chen Sanders, a biracial artist navigating the aftermath of her mother’s suicide, convinced that her mother has transformed into a vivid red bird. As she travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time, she wrestles with grief, language barriers, and family history while uncovering long-buried memories.

“It's just a beautifully powerful read. It's not a book on innovation or entrepreneurship, but its themes of mental health, undiscovered family history, and art are incredibly moving.”

The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey

Recommended by:

Felicia Zheng, Yale College Student & Yale Ventures Summer Associate

The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey goes beyond technique to explore the mental side of performance, showing how self-doubt and overthinking can get in the way of your best game. It’s all about quieting your inner critic, trusting your instincts, and finding focus through mindfulness. Whether you're an athlete or not, it offers simple but powerful insights on confidence, learning, and getting out of your own way.

“Gallwey uses the medium of tennis to convey to readers how to achieve a universally valuable state--the feeling of relaxed concentration. In a time where students, entrepreneurs, and innovators are constantly inundated with information and decision, it's important to find the mindspace to trust yourself and your instincts.”

Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

Recommended by:

Jaryd Raizon, Yale SOM ’25, Yale Ventures Summer Associate

Oliver Burkeman’s Meditations for Mortals takes readers on a four-week journey that challenges the belief that life must be perfectly organized and under control. He encourages embracing imperfection, offering a clear and calming guide for anxious high achievers to focus on what truly matters.

“A real and honest take on how to manage the finitude of life amidst the chaos of work, family, and everything else we struggle to fit into our day. It’s also incredibly digestible, thanks to the author’s recommendation of reading just one chapter per day. I plan to revisit it often while reading other books.”

Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Recommended by:

Matt Gira, Venture Development at Tsai CITY

“Might be Malcolm Gladwell's best book. Been a great read to understand how things spread across society and culture and understanding the downsides of that.”

Revenge of the Tipping Point builds off the ideas of The Tipping Point, diving into how small influences can spark widespread social epidemics. Gladwell uses several case studies ranging from Medicare fraud in Miami to COVID-19 super-spreader pandemic events to explore how tipping points don’t just happen, they can be engineered, manipulated, or even weaponized. The book challenges readers to think about the power of influence in today’s world and how seemingly minor shifts can lead to massive cultural or behavioral change.

Hyperion (1 & 2) by Dan Simmons

Recommended by: 

Anonymous Faculty Member

The Hyperion books follow seven strangers on a journey to a distant planet, each sharing their own haunting and personal story. The structure, inspired by The Canterbury Tales, weaves together multiple narratives into one epic. Set in a far-future universe shaped by powerful AI, the series explores deep philosophical questions about fate, suffering, and the boundaries of human understanding.

“I wouldn't say I loved this book - I was looking for a fun sci-fi romp, and since this is considered a classic with a cult following I decided to give it a try. It is a little depressing. But the way the world and story unfurls in the first two books, was mind boggling. The ending sent me spinning and thinking about it for days. If someone wants a mix of philosophy, poetry, and sci-fi, this is it.

One aspect was it was especially prescient in the way it describes AI and its role in a futuristic society. A major theme was that humans relying on AI had made society less creative, so rather than making leaps in innovation they just made what they knew incrementally better.”

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Recommended by:

Anonymous Alumnus

Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams is a powerful memoir that exposes the inner workings of Facebook during her time as a top policy executive. With sharp honesty, she recounts how leadership repeatedly prioritized growth over accountability, even in the face of global harm. It’s a striking reflection on disillusionment, responsibility, and the cost of staying silent.