The best books of 2023

This list is part of the best books of 2023.

We've asked 1,708 authors and super readers for their 3 favorite reads of the year.

My favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology

David Birch I this book because...

As is now clear from the meteoric rise of Nvidia, the global semiconductor industry is utterly central to our economic and social future. It’s a subject that I thought I knew a bit about but really didn’t!

I found Chris’ narrative compelling and almost read the book like a thriller! There really is going to be a global competition for mastery of technology, and I hope that our politicians and corporate strategists understand that, too. 

By Chris Miller,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Chip War as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

***Winner of the Financial Times Business Book of the Year award***

'Pulse quickening. A nonfiction thriller - equal parts The China Syndrome and Mission Impossible' New York Times

An epic account of the decades-long battle to control the world's most critical resource-microchip technology

Power in the modern world - military, economic, geopolitical - is built on a foundation of computer chips. America has maintained its lead as a superpower because it has dominated advances in computer chips and all the technology that chips have enabled. (Virtually everything runs on chips: cars, phones, the stock market, even the electric grid.) Now…


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My 2nd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Missing Cryptoqueen: The Billion Dollar Cryptocurrency Con and the Woman Who Got Away with It

David Birch I this book because...

I’ve known Jamie Bartlett for years and have always admired his perspective on technology and society, so when I heard about the brilliant Missing Cryptoqueen podcast series on the BBC, I couldn't wait to listen to it. It was utterly unlike any other podcast I’d heard before, and I’m not afraid to say it made me cry and laugh (shivering in terror at one point).

The book follows the story in even more gripping detail and tells the story of one of the biggest frauds in history. 

By Jamie Bartlett,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Missing Cryptoqueen as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'An astonishing read, plunging you into a toxic world of Insta-wealth, betrayal and ruthless ambition... A con that made Theranos look like small fry' - The Telegraph

'The largest financial scam ever' - Fortune

'The story of OneCoin stands out even among the outlandish capers of the cryptocurrency era' - Wall Street Journal
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In 2014, a brilliant Oxford graduate called Dr Ruja Ignatova vowed to revolutionise money. The self-styled Cryptoqueen launched OneCoin, a bold new cryptocurrency that she promised would earn its investors untold fortunes and change the world. But by the end of 2017, with billions of dollars…


Want my future book recommendations?

My 3rd favorite read in 2023…

Book cover of The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World

David Birch I this book because...

Growing up in England and hating history at school, I now realize that I understand almost nothing about the modern world and why things are the way they are. As a result, I found myself reading a lot of history and following on from Peter Frankopan’s seminal “Silk Road,”

I decided that I needed to learn more about the history of Asia and the relationship between Asia and Europe. That quickly led me to the Mongols, which I found more complex and fascinating than I had imagined. This book, in particular, really makes you reflect on why things are the way they are. 

By Marie Favereau,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Horde as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

2021 Cundill History Prize Finalist
A Financial Times Best Book of the Year
A Spectator Best Book of the Year
A Five Books Best Book of the Year

"Outstanding, original, and revolutionary. Favereau subjects the Mongols to a much-needed re-evaluation, showing how they were able not only to conquer but to control a vast empire. A remarkable book."
-Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads

The Mongols are widely known for one thing: conquest. In the first comprehensive history of the Horde, the western portion of the Mongol empire that arose after the death of Chinggis Khan, Marie Favereau shows…


Don‘t forget about my book 😀

The Currency Cold War: Cash and Cryptography, Hash Rates and Hegemony

By David Birch,

Book cover of The Currency Cold War: Cash and Cryptography, Hash Rates and Hegemony

What is my book about?

The war for virtual money is real. A serious implication of replacing existing monetary arrangements with new infrastructure based on digital currency is that power might be constrained. Some are labeling the competition to provide the digital currencies of the future a new Space Race, and I agree. 

Now that technologists, business strategists, economists, and national and international regulators are examining those alternatives, the topic of digital currency needs to be explored.

In this book, I will set out the economic and technological imperatives, discuss the potential impact on the IMFS, and highlight a series of tensions—between public and private and (most importantly) between East and West—to contribute to the high-level debate that must be had to begin shaping the IMFS of the near future. 

My book recommendation list