Looking for your next read? From AI and Silicon Valley’s billionaires to cybercrime, espionage and the history of computing, here’s what some of Europe’s most influential technology voices have been writing about over the past 12 months.
Every year, as part of our Tyto Tech 500 research, we examine the different ways people build influence across Europe’s technology industry. Alongside media visibility, social engagement and other forms of thought leadership, we look at the books they’ve published.
This year’s selection covers everything from AI’s impact on society to the growing power of Big Tech, cybersecurity and the future of work. We’ve brought together 26 technology-related books published by influencers featured in this year’s ranking, organised by country, including two American voices helping shape the wider technology debate in Europe.
Germany
Everything Everywhere All At Once: How Artificial Intelligence Impacts Our World
Miriam Meckel (DE76), with Léa Steinacker
How is AI changing the way we live and work? Meckel and Steinacker explore its growing influence on society and the choices we’ll face as it becomes part of everyday life.
Wir, aber besser (Us, But Better)
Gregor Schmalzried (DE94)
A more optimistic take on AI, exploring how the technology could make us more creative and, perhaps surprisingly, more human.
Disruption: Die Ideologie der Tech-Oligarchen und das Ende der Demokratie, wie wir sie kennen (Disruption: The Ideology of the Tech Oligarchs and the End of Democracy as We Know It)
Jannis Brühl (DE140)
What do Silicon Valley’s billionaires believe, and how much influence should they have? Brühl examines the political ambitions of technology’s most powerful figures and the implications for democracy.
Mut zur KI (Courage for AI)
Philipp Depiereux (DE95), with Friedrich Arnold
A practical look at AI adoption, encouraging businesses to rethink how they approach the technology and make the most of its potential.
Mittelstand re:invented: Ein neues Unternehmertum für Europa (Reinventing SMEs: A New Entrepreneurship for Europe)
Don Dahlmann (DE11), with Carolina Marques
An exploration of how entrepreneurship and innovation could help reinvent Europe’s Mittelstand, the small and medium-sized businesses central to the German economy.
TikTok-Marketing – Auf den Punkt (TikTok Marketing – Straight to the Point)
Felix Beilharz (DE72), with Katja Ahrens and Lena Feldsien
A practical guide to marketing on TikTok, exploring how businesses can use the platform to reach audiences and build their presence.
Geschlossene Anstalt: Wie der öffentlich-rechtliche Rundfunk sich selbst demontiert (Closed Institution: How Public Broadcasting Is Dismantling Itself)
Peter Welchering (DE44), with Roland Schatz
A critical examination of Germany’s public broadcasting system, exploring the challenges facing established media institutions.
France
Savoir vivre avec l’IA (Learning to live with AI)
Laurence Devillers (FR40)
As intelligent machines become part of everyday life, how do we learn to live alongside them? Devillers explores our relationship with AI and the choices ahead.
Le péril IA: Devenir des machines ou rester vivants? (The AI Threat: Become Machines or Stay Human?)
Gilles Babinet (FR16)
A more cautionary perspective, questioning what we risk losing as we become increasingly dependent on intelligent systems.
Nos nouveaux maîtres (Our New Masters)
Alexandre Piquard (FR41), with Raphaëlle Bacqué and Marie-Christine Maurel
An examination of the new centres of power emerging around Big Tech and the people whose influence increasingly extends beyond the technology industry.
Lancez votre podcast à l’ère de l’IA: Concevoir, produire et diffuser un podcast pro (Launch Your Podcast in the Age of AI: Create, Produce and Distribute a Professional Podcast)
Jérôme Colombain (FR1)
A practical guide to creating, producing and distributing podcasts in the age of AI, reflecting how new tools are changing content creation.
Chœur d’intelligences: 24 regards sur les enjeux et les limites de l’intelligence artificielle (A Chorus of Intelligences: 24 Perspectives on the Challenges and Limitations of Artificial Intelligence)
Philippe Dewost (FR32) and various co-authors
Twenty-four perspectives on the challenges and limitations of artificial intelligence, offering a range of viewpoints on one of technology’s biggest debates.
Pionniers: Voyage aux frontières de l’intelligence artificielle (Pioneers: A Journey to the Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence)
Guillaume Grallet (FR86)
An exploration of the frontiers of AI and the people pushing the boundaries of what the technology can achieve.
Imposture
Aurélie Jean (FR91)
An examination of modern manipulation and misinformation, exploring how AI, social media and self-proclaimed experts are blurring the lines between truth and deception, and why critical thinking matters more than ever.
The Netherlands
20 vragen en antwoorden over AI (20 Questions and Answers About AI)
Menno Lanting (NL75)
A straightforward guide to AI, addressing 20 fundamental questions about the technology and its implications.
De techbro’s (The Tech Bros)
Laurens Verhagen (NL10), with George van Hal
An exploration of Silicon Valley’s technology billionaires, their visions for the future and the consequences of their growing influence.
Niet onze AI: voorbij de beloften van Big Tech (Not Our AI: Beyond the Promises of Big Tech)
Laurens Vreekamp (NL6), with Gabriela Obispa
Who should decide AI’s future? Vreekamp and Obispa challenge Big Tech’s promises and question the concentration of power among a handful of companies.
Doelwit Nederland (Target: The Netherlands)
Willemijn Aerdts (NL35)
A look at espionage, foreign interference and the security threats facing the Netherlands in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.
Handboek Vibecoding (The Vibe Coding Handbook)
Erwin Blom (NL31)
A hands-on introduction to AI-assisted software development, showing how people without traditional coding skills can build websites and applications.
Creativiteit opnieuw uitgevonden: ontwerpen met AI (Creativity Reinvented: Designing with AI)
Hendrik van Zwol (NL76)
How is AI changing creative work? Van Zwol explores its growing role in design and what these tools mean for creativity.
Agent-Powered Growth: Deploy AI Agents That Build Your Marketing Pipeline 24/7
Stu Sjouwerman (NL41)
A practical look at using AI agents to automate marketing activities and help businesses build their sales pipelines.
United Kingdom
Ctrl+Alt+Chaos: How Teenage Hackers Hijack the Internet
Joe Tidy (UK74)
BBC correspondent Joe Tidy investigates the world of teenage hackers, exploring the people behind major cyberattacks and how young people become involved in cybercrime.
This Is for Everyone
Tim Berners-Lee (UK14)
The inventor of the World Wide Web reflects on its creation and the ideals that shaped it, offering a timely perspective on the internet’s past and future.
The Computers that Made the World
Tim Danton (UK40)
A journey through the machines that shaped modern computing, looking back at the technological breakthroughs that brought us to where we are today.
United States
Technology conversations rarely stop at national borders, and influential American voices continue to shape debates across Europe.
Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Stop World War III
Shyam Sankar (US47), with Madeline Hart
A call to rebuild America’s industrial capabilities, connecting technological innovation and manufacturing strength with national security.
The Five-Year Century: Bold Leadership and Accelerated Outcomes in the Age of AI
Mihir Shukla (US45), with Nancy Hauge
An exploration of how AI is accelerating business transformation and what that means for leadership, innovation and long-term planning.
What should you read first?
If you’re interested in the growing scrutiny of Silicon Valley’s most powerful figures, De techbro’s, Disruption and Nos nouveaux maîtres offer different perspectives on technology and power.
For those curious about AI’s impact on people and society, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Savoir vivre avec l’IA and Wir, aber besser explore some of the bigger questions surrounding the technology. And if you’re looking for something more practical, Handboek Vibecoding, Mut zur KI and The Five-Year Century focus on putting AI to work.
Whatever your interests, these books offer an interesting glimpse into the ideas occupying some of technology’s most influential voices.