What happens when the world’s most valuable technology becomes a target for foreign intelligence? That’s the question hanging over NVIDIA following reports that CEO Jensen Huang was targeted in an alleged Chinese espionage operation. The company has launched an independent investigation, bringing fresh attention to the high-stakes struggle for technological power.
From the inner workings of the CIA to China’s pursuit of American technology, these eight books explore the world of spies and secrets, where information can be every bit as valuable as the technology itself.
The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip
By Stephen Witt
How did NVIDIA become one of the most powerful companies in the world? Stephen Witt tells the remarkable story of Jensen Huang and his rise from ambitious entrepreneur to the man at the center of the AI revolution. It’s a revealing look at the company whose chips have become some of the most coveted technology on the planet, and why control over them matters far beyond Silicon Valley. Listen to our podcast interview with Stephen in the app or on YouTube, and purchase on Bookshop or Amazon.
The Great Heist: China’s Epic Campaign to Steal America’s Secrets
By David Shedd & Andrew Badger
The battle for technological supremacy isn’t always fought in laboratories or boardrooms. Sometimes, it’s fought in the shadows. Drawing on decades of intelligence experience, David Shedd and Andrew Badger expose China’s sweeping campaign to steal American innovations and secrets, revealing how espionage has become a powerful weapon in the struggle for global dominance. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by David and Andrew. Buy the book on Bookshop or Amazon.
Spies, Lies, and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence
By Amy Zegart
Forget what Hollywood has taught you about spies. The real world of intelligence is stranger, more complicated, and increasingly shaped by technology. Stanford scholar Amy Zegart takes readers inside the CIA and America’s intelligence agencies to reveal how espionage actually works, why intelligence failures happen, and how the digital revolution is rewriting the rules of spying. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by Amy. Buy the book on Bookshop or Amazon.
The Secret Life of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-Being, Relationships, and Who We Are
By Michael Slepian
Not all secrets are matters of national security. Some are deeply personal, and they can be just as powerful. Psychologist Michael Slepian draws on years of research to explore why we keep secrets, what they do to our minds, and how the things we conceal can shape our relationships and our sense of self. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by Michael. Buy the book on Bookshop or Amazon.
Sell Like A Spy: The Art of Persuasion from the World of Espionage
By Jeremy Hurewitz
What can a CIA operative teach you about winning someone’s trust? Quite a lot, it turns out. Jeremy Hurewitz reveals how techniques borrowed from the world of espionage can help anyone become more persuasive. From reading people to building relationships, he shows how the skills of a successful spy can prove surprisingly useful in everyday life. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by Jeremy. Buy the book on Bookshop or Amazon.
Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future
By Dan Wang
The rivalry between the United States and China is about more than trade. It’s a contest over who gets to build the future. Technology analyst Dan Wang offers an illuminating account of China’s rise as an engineering superpower, contrasting its relentless drive to build with America’s increasingly legalistic approach to governing. The result is a fresh perspective on the competition reshaping the global balance of power. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by Dan. Buy the book on Bookshop or Amazon.
AI Valley: Microsoft, Google, and the Trillion-Dollar Race to Cash In on Artificial Intelligence
By Gary Rivlin
Behind the AI revolution is a fierce battle among some of the world’s richest and most powerful companies. Journalist Gary Rivlin takes readers inside the race between Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants to turn artificial intelligence into a trillion-dollar business. It’s a story of ambition, rivalry, and the extraordinary stakes of controlling the technology that could define our future. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by Gary. Buy the book on Bookshop or Amazon.
Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup’s Quest to End Privacy as We Know It
By Kashmir Hill
What happens when a company can identify almost anyone from a photograph? Investigative journalist Kashmir Hill uncovers the story of Clearview AI, a secretive startup that built a powerful facial-recognition tool using billions of images collected from the internet. Her investigation reveals how easily technological innovation can become a tool of surveillance, and how much privacy we may already have surrendered without realizing it. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by Kashmir. Buy the book on Bookshop or Amazon.
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