Going on vacation means disconnecting from the usual screens but exploring the paper of digital pages of the words we’ve been putting off reading and promised to do so on the beach or by the pool. Here’s the moment. Vacations are here!
E-mails? Only as a matter of urgency. Meeting? Not a chance. Zoom and Teams replaced by Dreams. Briefings replaced by breezes and brunches. Memos in the drawer and memories with selfies. Office calls are now calls from the office.
But because a break can be a good counselor, and vacations aren’t all about Martinis, here are some book recommendations that you can enjoy, full of stories and useful knowledge, practical readings that you can do with delight and come back with your batteries recharged (and your skin tanned), and your ideas bubbling over to put into practice.
THE COMING WAVE
“Generative AI, synthetic biology, robotics, and other innovations”
Mustafa Suleyman
Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind (now Google Deepmind, part of Alphabet and based in London), explores how AI and biotechnology will become unstoppable forces in the upcoming decades.
This book is a comprehensive account by someone who’s been in AI long enough not to be ignored. Suleyman, a British entrepreneur and researcher, was among those who helped develop transformers and co-authored the paper that would eventually accelerate the generative AI boom we now experience through tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Side note: Mustafa has since left DeepMind and is now CEO of Microsoft AI.
The book is underscored by Suleyman’s urgent concern that the relentless race for AI supremacy, initially among American tech giants and now increasingly as part of a geopolitical race with China, could bring about severe societal disruption. At the core of his message is an ethical imperative. We must address not just AI, but also synthetic biology and robotics, all of which are advancing hand in hand in this new technological revolution.
The main takeaway is quite straightforward. We need frameworks for protection, control and governance in order to steer these technologies toward meaningful innovation, not just technological advancement for its own sake, but for the betterment of society.
The book, as expected, is filled with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and reflections that only someone at the very heart of the AI revolution could share. It is structured around four major chapters and ends with a powerful challenge: ten concrete steps to manage, and not simply halt, this technological wave. It is about steering, not stopping.
Wise and timely insights from someone who is sounding the alarm on what lies ahead. A must-read, particularly for business and political leaders.
"Contágio: Como as Ideias se Espalham"
Jonah Berger
Based on years of scientific research on virality, Berger reveals the six principles behind contagious ideas and content:
- Social currency
- Triggers
- Emotional resonance
- Public visibility
- Practival value
- Stories
This is one of my favorite digital marketing books of the past decade. On top of that, it’s fun and easy to read over a single weekend. Perfect for social media teams, branded content creators, creatives and marketing managers alike… whether working in B2B or B2C.
Inside, you’ll find numerous well-known case studies, from the famous “Blendtec” videos to the “Ice Bucket Challenge,” and even how Apple’s white earphones played a role in spreading the brand. These examples, among many others, are used to illustrate the science behind what makes us share ideas, businesses, products and services with others.
The book reads effortlessly, thanks to its light tone wrapped in real-life stories and fascinating research insights about what drives people to talk, click and spread.
A fun fact: Berger compares ideas to viruses — and shows how even something as mundane as a blender can go viral.
MARKETING FUTURELAND
Andre Zeferino, Luiz Moutinho, Nuno Teixeira
An excellent compendium of the near future regarding the transformations in the market and society, with direct impact on brands, their relationship with customers, and what they should be paying attention to.
From the Expectation Economy to Algorithmic Marketing, from Martech to Marketpreneurs, and of course, touching on Biometrics, Neuroscience and Virtual Realities.
Each chapter delivers not only clear explanations of the topics but also their practical applicability, with pages rich in illustrative examples.
A great summary-style book to explore, learn from and help decide where to invest time, research and development in the company moving forward.
“Marketing Performance: 80 Métricas de Marketing e Vendas”
Pedro Celeste & Luís Bettencourt Moniz
This is the go-to book for marketing and sales professionals who need to measure, justify and optimize their actions (again, both in B2C and B2B contexts).
At its core are 80 essential metrics. You don’t need to know or use them all, but you’ll certainly find the five that are critical for your situation. Organized by key areas (attraction, conversion, retention, commercial performance, brand awareness, among others) each metric comes with a practical explanation, real-life examples, the calculation formula, application context and recommendations for interpreting results. It’s ideal for managers, directors and consultants working with data and various types of dashboards.
An excellent tool for preparing presentations to boards, justifying digital marketing investments and aligning actions with business objectives. It works both as a quick-reference manual and as a continuous read to strengthen results-oriented strategic thinking.
Fun fact:
The authors note that, despite the abundance of available metrics, many companies still operate on “sight,” basing decisions on intuition — which is why the book was designed “like a GPS for those tired of going in circles.”
BUILD
Tony Fadell
Throughout the book, Tony Fadell guides us through the many tasks of running a company, drawing on personal life lessons he has collected as an entrepreneur. But we also get occasional glimpses into his personal life. From his first ten years as a dreamer at General Magic, through the tough days in multinational companies, to finally rising to prominence with the iPod and later the iPhone at Apple, under the influence of Steve Jobs.
It’s a “no-bullshit” book, as he himself describes it. Practical tips that everyone can benefit from, though clearly more targeted at those in their twenties and thirties starting a business. It’s also genuinely fascinating to read the behind-the-scenes details of tech history from someone who lived it, from how the idea for the iPod took shape to the fact that, within Apple, some teams were initially very skeptical about the iPhone.
Equally impressive is the level of detail Fadell shares about the creation of Nest, and how the service and products went through countless refinements. This reinforces the idea that the secret is never the idea itself, but the execution. For anyone working in this space, I would say this is a must-read for your summer.
SAME AS EVER
Morgan Housel
A book that comes as a true surprise. A decade ago, Housel decided to stop reading books about future predictions (always a difficult task to get right) and instead began immersing himself in history. Over time, he started noticing patterns. Drawing from numerous moments such as the Great Depression of 1929, World War II, and the 1980s and 1990s, Housel illustrates in each chapter what never changes, and what we can still observe today (and therefore expect to repeat).
This could have been a light and quirky book, but it goes far beyond that and challenges us to reflect and spark deeper conversations. Eye-opening. And full of noteworthy insights worth writing down and remembering. Highly recommended.
Ricardo Tomé, Professor at CATÓLICA-LISBON