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Still get excited about a summer reading list? Us too! May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and as you kick off the summer season, you can also expand your knowledge of tech history by reading books written about AAPI issues and by AAPI authors.
Ahead we’ve put together a list of tech-centric books we think any code aficionado should read this May. Some of these books are devour-in-one-sitting reads, while others will earn a permanent spot on your desk. We hope these titles help you develop a heightened appreciation for the AAPI technologists who paved the way and inspire you to make history of your own.
The Color of Success
This book unpacks the history of the “model minority myth,” a stereotype that all Asian Americans are hardworking, successful, and compliant in contrast to other racial groups. Historian Ellen Wu explores how these traits were glorified during the civil rights era due to a mix of government and media influence and have continued to hold Asian Americans back. Buy it here.
Here to Stay
Before becoming a Product Manager, Geetika Rudra was a journalist and fascinated by American history. Geetika, who is a second-generation Indian immigrant, wrote this deep dive into the rich and untold story of South Asian civil rights in the U.S. to solidify South Asians’ place in American history. Fun fact: In addition to writing books, Geetika founded Craft-a-Books, a tech platform that crafts personalized children’s books that center around unique narratives. Buy it here.
The Chinese Computer
Ever wonder how the Chinese language, with its thousands of characters and lack of alphabet, transferred into the realm of digital computing? Thomas S. Mullaney, an Associate Professor of History at Stanford University, researched the evolution of Chinese language computing technology for this book, which comes out on May 28. It’s a history book but also speaks to the profound relationship between technology and culture. Buy it here.
The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI
This is the memoir of Dr. Fei-Fei Li, a renowned Computer Scientist and Founding Director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI. The book covers her immigrant journey in America and the pivotal role she played in shaping AI technology. She also highlights present-day ethical concerns surrounding AI development, so it’s an essential read for developers and AI practitioners. Buy it here.
The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You
Julie Zhou is a Computer Scientist with experience managing teams of all sizes — from groups of tens to hundreds of people. She wrote this guide to becoming a more thoughtful and effective manager based on her personal experience. It’s great for anyone looking to move into a managerial role or improve in their current job. Buy it here.
Grokking Algorithms An Illustrated Guide For Programmers and Other Curious People
If you’re a visual learner, you’ll appreciate this fully illustrated guide to algorithms. It’s written and illustrated by Full-Stack Software Engineer and Artist Aditya Y. Bhargava and will help you see computer science concepts through a new (and less confusing) lens. Buy it here.
Machine Learning Yearning
This is a strategy guide for anyone interested in working with AI, machine learning, and deep learning. It’s written by machine learning pioneer Andrew Ng, who provides practical advice to Machine Learning Engineers based on his own personal experience at Coursera, Baidu, and Google where he directed Google Brain, a deep learning project. Download the free ebook here.
The Art of Data Science: A Guide for Anyone Who Works with Data
Data Analysts Roger D. Peng and Elizabeth Matsui wrote this book to provide a simple and thoughtful overview of how (and why) we analyze data. It’s a great read for established Data Scientists and newbies who are learning to code to someday work towards a data career. Buy it here.
More tech book recommendations
Reading books is a great way to supplement what you learn in our courses. Be sure to check out our other book recommendations, like these beginner Python and C++ books, or this list of inspiring books about technology written by women.
